I Don't Give a Damn 'bout my Bad Reputation

Pitchers and catchers report to Florida and Arizona just over a month from today, and Manny Ramirez is still unemployed. Perhaps the man-child is finally paying the price for his erratic behavior, and immense immaturity. There was no hiding the fact that he tanked it this past season to get out of Boston. But his roughing up of an older Red Sox employee may have been the straw that broke the camel's back.

In case you had forgotten, back in June the Red Sox were playing a series in Houston. Ramirez requested 16 tickets from traveling secretary Jake McCormick, who informed him that he may not be able to get that many tickets. Ramirez screamed at McCormick to do his job. An argument ensued and Ramirez shoved McCormick, who is in his 60s, to the ground. Ramirez later would apologize, but the damage was done. An already questionable reputation had worsened.

The proof is in pudding - Ramirez has been practically begging for contract offers. Other than the Dodgers' 2 year, $45 million, offers have been few and far between. Ramirez may want a 5 year deal, but he may have to take a 1 year deal to prove himself- not his baseball skills, but his dedication to his team.

You get what you pay for.

We still think Joan Jett's favorite team, the Orioles, would be a good fit for Manny.

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Turn up the Hot Stove

Maybe it will melt the ice from the frozen tundra we had formed by freezing rain overnight. Don't worry with Carl Pavano and Jason Giambi off the market, there's still plenty of big names left out there.

The all-time saves leader, Trevor Hoffman, has been offered similar one year deals by both the Brewers and Dodgers. Jon Heyman believes the Brewers have made a stronger push.

Heyman was on with Mike Francesa yesterday and had some guestimates as to where some of the remaining free agents would end up.

Manny Ramirez - Dodgers reportedly made a 2 year, $45 million offer and aren't likely to increase it. Heyman still thinks another team will jump in.

Adam Dunn - Nationals; teams aren't willing to throw big money at him.

Ben Sheets - Rangers

Bobby Abreu - Still a good possibility of him going to Oakland. We think he could end up with the Angels.

The Rangers are reportedly checking out the medical records on free agent third baseman Joe Crede. Pitcher John Patterson has decided to retire at age 30 due to persistent arm problems.

Ken Rosenthal says the Diamondbacks made an offer to free agent pitcher Jon Garland, but are no longer pursuing him. K-Ros points to Pat Burrell's ($8 mill per year) new contract to show just how difficult it is for the Mets to deal Luis Castillo and his $6.25 mill per year. Like a lot of us, K-Ros also doesn't understand the Angels lack of maneuvering.

According to the Boston Herald, the Red Sox are targeting John Smoltz for the rotation. Of course, most of what is said in the Herald isn't true.

Don't cringe Mets fans, but the Mets have reportedly made an offer to Tim Redding.

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New Year Hot Stove

It's a new year and time for the first hot stove report of the new year. It also means nearly two months have gone by since players filed for free agency and there are still big names to be had. Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn, Derek Lowe, Bobby Abreu, Trevor Hoffman, and Ken Griffey Jr. are just some of the players still looking for work.

Needless to say Lowe was not impressed by the Mets' 3-year, $36 mill offer.

Crosstown
Last off-season, Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts had to listen to continuous rumors about his pending departure to the Chicago Cubs. Now MASN (Mid-Atlantic Sports Network) reports that Orioles are talking to the Chicago White Sox about Roberts' availability. Gavin Floyd's name has been mentioned, though we don't understand trading a 17-game winner when winning is all about pitching.

Don't Let the Door Hit You....
Jon Heyman is reporting that the Dodgers and outfielder Andruw Jones are working to restructure the Curacao native's deal to allow them to move him to another team. Jones would be agreeing to defer half of the $20 million remaining on his contract. Seems like everyone except Ned Colletti knew the Dodgers should give Jones his contract. The restructure would also free up money to help try to resign Manny Ramirez.

Top Cat
Tony Clark has agreed to a 1-year, $800,000 deal that will keep him in Arizona, his baseball home since 2005.

Giants Among Men
The Giants were reportedly quietly looking into signing Manny Ramirez, but then shot down those rumors (or was that a ploy?). Now, according to Heyman, they're taking a look at the medical records of White Sox 3rd baseman Joe Crede to possibly fill their hot corner needs. It's been all downhill for the Giants since they signed Barry Zito. Bonds Karma perhaps?

Please Don't Follow me, Joe
Scott Proctor has escaped the clutches of Joe Torre for the second time, agreeing to a one year deal with the Marlins. Proctor had been non-tendered by the Dodgers.

Moor or Less
Former player Jeff Moorad can now add former Diamondbacks head honcho to his resume. Moorad resigned in order to pursue purchasing the Padres.

No Kidding?
Twins' catcher Joe Mauer has undergone minor kidney surgery (is there such a thing?) to remove an obstruction. The Minneapolis-Star Tribune reports that the situation is not serious and Mauer will be ready for Spring Training.

Old News
In case you missed it, the Angels got themselves a new closer the other day, free agent pitcher Brian Fuentes. To replace K-Rod, Fuentes was given a 2-year, $17.5 million deal. If things don't work out, Fuentes could be moved into a set up role with Scot Shields or Jose Arredondo assuming the closing duties.

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Late Night Hot Stove with Conan O'Brien

No clue why we called it that, but does NBC really think Conan O'Brien can bring in ratings at 11:30? Or even think he's funny?

Not too High for Lowe
Anyway, back to the hot stove. Jack Curry of the NY Times is reporting that the Mets have made an offer to Derek Lowe for $36 million over 3 years. Lowe has reportedly been looking for 5-year deal, in the neighborhood of $90 million. We've never thought much of Lowe, but after seeing what A.J. Burnett got, you can understand him wanting a similar deal.

We doubt that the Mets get Lowe with those years and that annual salary.

Marquis de Mediocre
The Cubs are sending starting pitcher Jason Marquis to the Rockies for former Yankees reliever Luis Vizcaino. That news according to the Denver Post, which stated the deal won't go through until next week. Marquis is one of the poster children for mediocre pitching.

Didn't You Get My Message?
Scott Boras has put in a call to the Dodgers regarding Manny Ramirez. Boras hadn't heard from GM Ned Colletti since December 10. With talks at a standstill, the Dodgers have been reportedly thinking about Bobby Abreu or Adam Dunn as other options.

Oh, Danny Boy
The Nationals have officially inked Daniel Cabrera to a 1 year, $2.6 million contract. Cabrera had been non-tendered by the Orioles.

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Holiday Hot Stove

My Pinstripes would like to wish a Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, and any other holiday greeting we left out, to our loyal readers (and any newbies).

As we mentioned yesterday, we already got a great gift in the signing of Mark Teixeira. But where does that leave the rest of the market right now?

According to several sources, the Mets are deep into talks with Derek Lowe, the best starting pitcher left on the free agent market. Unable to come to an agreement with their own free agent Oliver Perez, the Mets would be wise to sign Lowe even if they have to overpay by a bit. Lowe is a much more consistent pitcher than Oliver Perez has ever been.

The Mets' current rotation consists of stud Johan Santana, John Maine, who showed a lot of wear and tear this past season, and Mike Pelfrey, who was outstanding in the second half. In addition to Lowe, the Mets should be trying to sign Ben Sheets to a 2-year deal as well unless they want to count on youngsters like Jon Niese.

Manny Being Where?
The Mets meanwhile will also not seek to sign Manny Ramirez (perhaps owner Fred Wilpon's losses in the Ponzi scheme are affecting this team more than we know) according to a team source. So where does that leave Manny?

Ramirez certainly won't be returning to Boston though the Red Sox will be looking for another bat. The Dodgers still remain the favorites to keep the "Manny being Manny" show going, but we have to think the Nationals will throw some big money out there as they are in desperate need of a crowd draw. One team we don't hear mentioned when Ramirez's name comes up is the Baltimore Orioles. Peter Angelos has always thrown money around like there's no tomorrow, and usually not in the smartest way. But if he can bring in Manny for say 3 years, it would be a great signing. Ramirez would absolutely destroy Camden Yards. He would also be able to exact vengeance on the Red Sox 19 times a year.

Who'll Don the Sox?
So where do the Red Sox turn now? Perhaps to slugging outfielder Adam Dunn. Though not the player that Teixeira is, Dunn would appeal to the Red Sox philosophy of high on-base percentage guys in the lineup. Dunn has only played 127 of his 1000 games at first base, but he could slide in there with Kevin Youkilis moving to third base. The Red Sox are concerned about Mike Lowell's hip and may try to move him, which they definitely would have done had they signed Teixeira. Youkillis meanwhile will not get a long term deal prior to spring training, according to his agent Joe Bick.

Halo there
The Angels have inserted Kendry Morales as their first baseman, for now. (Remember when Andy Phillips was "supposed" to be the Yankees regular first baseman or when Bubba Crosby was to be their regular center fielder?) We can't imagine the Angels relying on Morales to hit on a regular basis, but stranger things have happened. We also don't expect the Angels to stay out of the Manny Ramirez tug of war, even if they publicly say otherwise.

GM Tony Reagins has decided to "go with the kids" after saying the Angels would not only go after Ramirez, but wouldn't pursue Pat Burrell or Bobby Abreu either. That also means that long time Angel Garrett Anderson will have to find a new home.

Anybody Home?
There are plenty of free agents out on the market that still aren't getting big time offers. Be it the economy, the wait for the bigger names to sign, or something unforeseen, there are plenty of good bats still available to all the teams in baseball.

Abreu, Burrell, Milton Bradley, Orlando Hudson, and Dunn are the top tier bats still out there. At the next two levels you have Rocco Baldelli, who feels a change in diagnosis and meds could make him more durable, Anderson, Jim Edmonds, Jason Giambi, Jeff Kent, and Ken Griffey Jr.

The two top relievers out there are Trevor Hoffman, who we see still somehow returning to the Padres, and left-hander Brian Fuentes. The Cardinals rescinded their offer for Fuentes after feeling that Fuente's reps were jerking them around.

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Yankees Going out for Some Tex-Mex?

SI's Jon Heyman is reporting that Scott Boras is now in talks with the Yankees and Angels for free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira. This comes after Red Sox owner John Henry said Boras' contract demands (notice we didn't say Teixeira's demands) were too high - believed to be $184 for 8 years.

The Angels were previously thought to bid $165, but are probably willing to up the ante. The Yankees, meanwhile, were thought to be debating whether to go after Teixeira or Manny Ramirez. (You know where we stand on that topic).

The Yankees may be waiting for the final numbers to fall into place before coming in with a big bid like they did with Johnny Damon prior to the 2006 season. Just keep Mike Cameron out of My Pinstripes.

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Winter Meetings- That's a Wrap

The winter meetings finished up in Las Vegas yesterday with the locals coming out the big winners. We give the Mets the top nod for addressing their bullpen needs by acquiring not one, but two closers. The signing of Francisco Rodriguez is, for now at least, the signing of the off-season. Why you ask?

K-Rod is coming off a record breaking season, where he smashed the single season saves mark. The perfect time to become a free agent. Well that is unless the economy is in the tank. Bingo. K-Rod was hoping for a 5 year deal, worth more per season than Mariano Rivera currently receives ($15 million) from the Yankees.

With offers not reaching the level he was looking for, K-Rod "settled" for a 3 year, $37 million contract. A bargain by today's standards. A win-win for the Mets who needed a big time closer after Billy Wagner went down with an elbow injury during the '08 season. The Mets have their closer for the next 3 years, and, keep this in mind, he's just 26 years old.

The Mets set up situation was in shambles last year. In acquiring J.J. Putz, they not only got a reliever who can close if needed, but they dumped ineffective, whiney, Aaron Heilman in the process. They gave up a lot of players, but not all that much quality, at least none that how will have a big impact any time soon.

The Yankees are the number two winners because they nabbed the biggest prize. It took money and a loophole (an escape clause), but the Yankees got the pitcher they wanted in CC Sabathia. Sabathia is not Johan Santana, but my waiting a year the Yankees didn't have to give up any of their chips to get a top notch left-hander. A big plus is that Sabathia is just 28 years old and has shown tremendous durability.

The Yankees didn't get a deal done with free agent A.J. Burnett, but may be very close according to Joel Sherman and George King of the NY Post. An unidentified Yankee player told the pair that Burnett told him they would soon be teammates and that he (Burnett) really wanted to come to New York.

A 5 year contract worth over $80-$90 million can generate a lot of excitement.


During a Hot Stove addition of Baseball Tonight last evening, Karl Ravech remarked that were no losers, per se, at the meetings, since the off-season still has a long way to go and lot of moves can still be made. He was wrong in one respect- there was one loser and his name is Manny.

Manny being Manny again? Perhaps. Ramirez is "threatening" retirement because he's not finding any offers to his liking. So go ahead and retire. Are owners suddenly supposed to feel bad for you? "NO, we can't let this happen, give him all our millions!!!" Be very wary of signing Manny. Big bat, peanut brain.f

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Vegas Update - Day 3 - 2:00 EST

Ok, this is crazy. It's 53 degrees in Las Vegas and 60 in New Jersey. But alas it's back to normal tomorrow in the Garden State.

Fox Sports' Gerry Fraley was told by a source that the Braves surpassed the Yankees offer to A.J. Burnett. The new proposal is reportedly 5 years for $80 million. As much money as the Yankees may have they may opt to go with Lowe rather than give Burnett upwards of $80 million. Then again, this could influence Derek Lowe's demands as well. Lowe is a much more proven pitcher than Burnett.

According to Ken Rosenthal, the White Sox and Reds continue to discuss Jermaine Dye, but aren't aggressively trying to get something done.

When and if Kerry Wood passes a physical, he'll sign a 2-year, $20 million deal with the Indians.

Jon Heyman is reporting that Hank Steinbrenner is still pushing for Manny Ramirez. Someone better tell Hank he's not running the show. Heyman is also hearing that Mark Teixeira has received two offers of at least $160 million.

Rangers honcho Nolan Ryan thinks his team has a real shot of landing Ben Sheets.

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Vegas Update - Day 3 - 11:40 EST

Things should start to fall into place now that CC Sabathia has set the bar for this year's free agent contracts. Trade talks are still in the works too. The Twins are reportedly now part of the Jake Peavy talks as they seek to acquire Mark DeRosa from the Cubs.

According to the Toronto Sun, the Blue Jays have talked to the Astros about Ty Wiggington.

Scott Boras is still looking for a 5 year deal for Manny Ramirez according to the LA Times. The Times is also reporting that the Nationals are willing to offer Mark Teixeira an 8-year, $160 million deal. We find this hard to believe.

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Vegas Update - Day 1 - 4:45 EST

Dodgers GM Ned Colletti denied an earlier report that LA and the Yankees were discussing a Robinson Cano-Matt Kemp deal. Colletti is also unhappy about the progress, or lack thereof, in negotiating with Manny Ramirez and his agents. NY Post

The Dodgers may have some good news shortly though according to Yahoo Sports' Tim Brown who says that the team is close to a new pact with Casey Blake.

Greg Maddux made it official, announcing his retirement today after 19 seasons in the bigs.

The NY Post's Joel Sherman feels that a Jake Peavy to the Cubs deal could still get done this week. We wonder if the Cubs ownership filing for bankruptcy will affect that. According to LoHud's Pete Abraham, Padres GM Kevin Towers reiterated that Peavy wants no part of the Yankees or any other AL team. We have two words for you Jake. I think you can guess what they are.

The Baltimore Sun's local rumor of the day is a possible deal of catcher Ramon Hernandez to the Reds.

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Viva Las Vegas

Yankees Warm up Their Wallets
This year's winter meetings kick off in Las Vegas today with some big time names expecting to accept deals before the get together concludes on the 11th. While top names will probably get scooped up, there's a good chance that second tier free agents may not get the offers they're seeking because of the economy.

The Yankees big focus is of course CC Sabathia. They have a huge offering sitting out there that Sabathia is in no hurry to accept. The Brewers are reportedly so desperate to keep him, they may be willing to put in an opt out clause, so Sabathia can become a free agent again after 3 years.

If the Yankees can't land Sabathia, is Plan B to overwhelm A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe with offers? We've expressed our displeasure at this plan, since Burnett's mental and physical make up is up for debate, and Lowe, for the most part, didn't seem to love pitching in the AL East. Part of Plan B (maybe it's Plan C) is also to meet Andy Pettitte's salary demands.

The one advantage the Yankees have of course is the amount of money they can spend. This is an even bigger advantage in these tough economic times.

We've heard all about the need for pitching and totally agree with it, but the Yankees have to be looking to strengthen their lineup too. Mark Teixeira, Manny Ramirez, and Adam Dunn are among the names out there. While we put Teixeira and Ramirez on the top level, and Dunn a notch below, there's a significant drop off after that among the remaining free agents.

Rumors and Truths
A quick truth (well a rumored truth)...with Ivan Rodriguez gone and not enough confidence in Brandon Inge, the Tigers went out and acquired Gerald Laird from the Rangers last night for two prospects, one of which is Guillermo Moscoso. That news comes from Ken Rosenthal, who also says the Cardinals are ready to make a serious run at Burnett.

Jason Varitek's days in Boston are over. The Sox long time leader declined arbitration last night as he continues to look for a multi-year deal.

The White Sox reportedly dealt Jermaine Dye to the Reds, but both sides quickly shot it down as nonsense.

The Twins broke off talks with Casey Blake, who is insistent on getting a guaranteed third year.

The A's dropped out of the running for free agent Rafael Furcal after the shortstop rejected their four year offer.

Joel Sherman of the Post was on with Mike Francesa last night and expressed what a lot of the pundits feel - that Manny Ramirez will be back with the Dodgers. Part of Sherman's reasoning was that most teams haven't forgotten how Manny acted before he left Boston.

Will try to update you through the next 4 days as deals come down. In the meantime, take our new poll. After CC Sabathia, who is the most important player for the Yankees to sign?

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Hump Day Hot Stove

Either Andy Pettitte is trying to force the Yankees' hand or he really just wants to pitch anywhere (or make some more bucks). Ken Rosenthal says that Pettitte's agents are looking around for other possibilities, Joe Torre's Dodgers included. We've always loved Pettitte, but we have no problem if he moves on. He's not the pitcher he once was and he's certainly not nearly worth the money he's seeking.

ESPN reported last night that the Angels were readying an offer to CC Sabathia that would rival the money the Yankees reportedly offered up. If money is no object, CC will likely land on the left coast.

The Boston Herald reports that the Angels are willing to deal one of their catchers, either Jeff Mathis or Mike Napoli, and Boston could be the destination. We can't imagine the Angels relying on Mathis for their full-time needs.

The Dodgers said they will not try to further entice Manny Ramirez with money. LA has reportedly made a 2-year, $45 million proposal.

Billy Beane likes On-Base Percentage guys, and Nick Johnson is one of them. Beane has asked for the oft-injured Johnson's medical records from the Nats to pursue a possible deal.

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Thursday Afternoon Hot Stove

We would love to sit around the hot stove right now. It's cold, it's grey, snow flurries are headed this way. Ah if only Spring Training were already starting.

The World Champion Phillies, of course, would rather not rush things. Especially their All-Star second baseman Chase Utley, who may miss the beginning of the 2009 season after undergoing hip surgery.

Here's some Hot Stove News from Jayson Stark:

The Mets aren't looking to sign a replacement closer for Billy Wagner to a contract that is longer than 3 years. That could quickly eliminate K-Rod. The Mets may look to Brian Fuentes.

Shooting down rumors to the contrary, Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi said his club will not be pursuing Manny Ramirez.

The Angels, despite their low key approach on the matter, are the favorites to land Jake Peavy. They also have an excellent shot at re-signing Mark Teixeira, but will not be pressured by agent Scott Boras' time table. John Lackey is confident that he will sign a 1-year extension prior to the start of the season.

As far as the Yankees are concerned:

Once the Yankees get their free-agent menu sorted out, they'll look to make a deal to upgrade in center field. But one player they probably won't be reeling in is Brewers center fielder Mike Cameron. The Brewers are contemplating trading Cameron for pitching if they can't re-sign Sabathia. But as GM Doug Melvin's quotes this past weekend about how the Yankees "overbid" on CC would indicate, the Brewers aren't big fans of the Yankees these days. So clubs that have spoken with the Brewers are suggesting the Bronx is about the last place they'd like to deal Cameron, if they deal him at all.

And this news from a scout about Phil Hughes' performance in the AZ Fall League:
Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes (1-0, 3.60 ERA, 28 K's, 25 IP): "Saw him two games, and he cruised. He dominated, and he should. His curveball was very sharp. All those people who think he's lost his luster -- no way. Hell, he'd be our No. 2 starter right now."

Aaron Heilman wants to move into the starting rotation or be traded. That according to the Daily News. Heilman makes this complaint every year. After how poorly he's pitched out of the pen the last 2 seasons, the Mets should probably take him up on it.

The Giants are expected to make a big push for CC Sabathia, despite the huge money they have already wasted on Barry Zito.

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Pujols Elbows out Howard for NL MVP

Albert Pujols played with a bad elbow all season that eventually led to surgery, but it didn't stop him from winning the second NL MVP award of his career. Pujols, who has finished in the top 10 in voting in all 8 years of his career, defeated the Phillies' Ryan Howard by 61 votes.

It was originally thought that Pujols would need Tommy John surgery on his left, non-throwing elbow, but it turned out doctors were able to simply move a nerve that was irritating the elbow. You wouldn't have known anything was wrong based on Pujols' numbers. He hit .357, the second highest average of career and put up a 1.115 OPS. Pujols slugged 37 doubles, 44 doubles, drove in 116 runs and scored 100. On top of walking 104 times, he struck out just 54 times. Pujols slugged .653, nearly 30 points higher than his career average.

Howard help drive the Phillies to their first World Championship in 28 years by driving in a major league leading 146 runs as well as hitting a high of 46 home runs. Last year's MVP also finished second to Pujols in 2006. Howard received 12 first place votes, while his teammate Brad Lidge received the remaining 2 first places votes.

Two American League players had a significant impact on the race, with LA's Manny Ramirez finishing 4th and CC Sabathia ending up 6th. Our pre-season prediction, Jose Reyes, finished third from the bottom with 3 votes.

2008 NL MVP Award Voting
Player, Club	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	Points
Albert Pujols, STL	18	10	2	1			1				369
Ryan Howard, PHI	12	8	6		1	1	2			1	308
Ryan Braun, MIL		2	3	5	5	2	2	3	2	1	139
Manny Ramirez, LAD		2	4	7	2	3	2		1	2	138
Lance Berkman, HOU		2	4	4	1	3	3	4	1	1	126
CC Sabathia, MIL		4	5	1	2	2	3		1	2	121
David Wright, NYM		2	1	4	3	3	2	5	2	1	115
Brad Lidge, PHI	2		2		4	3	2	3	1	2	104
Carlos Delgado, NYM			5	1	2	5		2	3		96
Aramis Ramirez, CHC				2	4	1	1	4	3	1	66
Hanley Ramirez, FLA				2	2	2	1	2	2	5	55
Chipper Jones, ATL		1				2	4	1	2	2	44
Geovany Soto, CHC				3	1		3		1		41
Johan Santana, NYM		1		1		1	1		2	1	30
Chase Utley, PHI				1	1	1	1		3	2	30
Ryan Ludwick, STL							1	2	3	1	17
Brandon Webb, ARI					2				1		14
Adrian Gonzalez, SD							1	1	1	4	13
Matt Holliday, COL						1	1	1		1	13
Prince Fielder, MIL						1		1	1	1	11
Derrek Lee, CHC					1		1				10
Carlos Beltran, NYM					1			1		1	10
Tim Lincecum, SF						1			1	2	9
Jose Reyes, NYM								1			3
Jose Valverde, HOU								1			3
Stephen Drew, ARI									1		2
Nate McLouth, PIT										1	1

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The Weekend Yankeeland - 11/2

Welcome to the end of Daylight Savings Time. :( We're now in that dark, cold section of time until Spring Training. We imagine though that the Hot Stove league should be pretty hot in the metro area like it was last week.

Bobby Abreu filed for free agency this week and the NY Post reports that the Yankees will probably offer him arbitration. The Post also reports that the Yankees will not likely pick up Damaso Marte's $6 million option, opting for the quarter-million buyout instead. This doesn't mean the Yankees won't be interested in bringing Marte back.

Hank Steinbrenner confirmed that the Yankees will take a look at Manny Ramirez as an option for next year and beyond. It's unlikely though that the Yankees would be willing to give Manny the contract length (5 years?) and money ($100 million?) he is looking for.

The Yankees have add Wil De La Rosa and Eric Hacker to the 40-man roster.

Brett Gardner told MLB.com's Bryan Hoch that he's ready to compete for the starting center field job in '09.

Jack Curry says there are other big free agents besides CC Sabathia, Manny, and Mark Teixeira.

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Booing Suspended in City of Brotherly Love

Philadelphia fans love to boo their teams as much as they love to cheer them, but there will be no booing tonight. The Phillies have advanced to the World Series for the first time since 1993 by defeating the Dodgers tonight, 5-1. The Phillies won their sixth National League pennant in five games, taking the series 4 games to 1.

Jimmy Rollins got the Phillies rolling right off the bat, leading off the ball game with a solo home run off of Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley. The Phillies added two more in the third inning, knocking out Billingsley after 2.2 innings. Billingsley, who won 16 regular season games and beat the Cubs in the NLDS, lasted on 2.1 innings in his prior NLCS start in game 2.

Phillies starter Cole Hamels on the other hand was outstanding once again, winning his second game of the series. Hamels, who allowed just 3 runs in the 14 innings, picked up the series MVP award.

Rollins ignited things again in the third with a one out walk and a stolen base. Billingsley struck out Jayson Werth, but walked Chase Utley. Ryan Howard, who had been 2-19 in the series before finishing 6 for his last 12, picked up his first of three hits, an RBI single to right. Pat Burrell added an RBI single for a 3-o lead.

A shoddy Dodgers defense helped put the game out of reach in the fifth. Singles by Werth and Howard put runners on the first and second with one out. Greg Maddux got Burrell to hit a potential double play ball grounder to short, but Rafael Furcal kicked the ball into left field to allow a run to score. After an intentional walk to Shane Victorino loaded the bases, Maddux struck out Pedro Feliz, but Furcal threw away Carlos Ruiz's grounder for a fifth run.

The Dodgers picked up their only run in the sixth on Manny Ramirez's solo home run, his first of the series. Phils' manager Charlie Manuel went to his usual bullpen men to close things out, using Ryan Madson in the 8th and Brad Lidge in the 9th. Nomar Garciaparra fouled out to Ruiz for the final out.

Box Score

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Dodgers Get their Fight on

Payback's a Bitch

The Dodgers didn't show a whole lot of life in the first two games of the NLCS, but last night they showed plenty of fire in a 7-1 win over the Phillies in Los Angeles. It was anticipated there would be retaliation last night after Brett Myers threw a pitch behind Manny Ramirez in game 2. Myers said the pitch slipped, but none of the Dodgers were buying it. When catcher Russell Martin was hit on the hand by a Jamie Moyer pitch last night and later was buzzed by a Clay Condrey fastball, there was no doubt what was going to happen. With a big lead and two out in the seventh, Hiroki Kuroda got retribution by going head hunting for Shane Victorino.

The benches emptied, and although there was plenty of yelling, finger pointing, and shoving, no fights came from it. The benches emptied again when the inning ended and Victorino had some choice words for Kuroda. This was a statement game for the Dodgers and in more ways than one.

LA took care of business early, making 45-yr old Jamie Moyer look twice his age. Already leading 2-0 in the first, Blake DeWitt delivered a bases loaded double to break the game open. Moyer was gone after retiring just one batter in the second inning. Charlie Manuel has to seriously reconsider his decision to have Moyer slated for a possible game 7 should the series go that long.

Once LA took care of their game, they went on the offense to let the Phillies know they will not be pushovers in the series. LA is back in this thing.

Box Score

Manny Being Manny

Evan Roberts of WFAN had some more amusing lines from Manny this morning. According to Manny, he's not likely to sign with the Mets in the off-season, because Shea is not a good hitter's park. Only thing is, Manny forgot the Mets will no longer be playing at Shea.

Manny also said he's looking for a six year deal. One would think that means he wants guaranteed money for those six years and not a shorter deal with options. One would think Manny is nuts and they would be right.

Games 3 and 4

Joe Blanton goes against Derek Lowe tonight as the Dodgers try to even the series. Meanwhile in Boston, the Rays and Red Sox resume their series with game 3. The 4:37 EDT start has Matt Garza going up against Jon Lester.

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Live and Die in LA

Dodgers Prepare to Batten Down the Hatches.

Joe Torre knows what pressure situations are like. He was in plenty of them in New York, going to battle in the playoffs for 12 straight seasons. One of Torre's worst times came in the 2004 ALCS when the Yankees blew a 3-0 lead to the Red Sox and saw Boston go on to end their 86-year world championship drought. Now Torre is on the other side of the ledger.

With Philadelphia's 8-5 win on Tuesday, the Phillies took a commanding 2-0 lead in the best of seven NLCS series. Of course a Dodger win tonight could turn the momentum in the completely opposite direction. Torre has experience in this situation as well. Down 2-0 to the Braves in the 1996 World Series, the Yankees won three straight games on the road before wrapping up the series at home in game 6.

Torre will have to make better decisions tonight though then he did in game 2. Already trailing 4-2, Torre rolled the dice by sending starter Chad Billingsley back out to start the third inning. The move backfired and the Phillies put four more runs on the board and put the game virtually out of reach.

Hiroki Kuroda gets the call for LA tonight. The Japanese native was 9-10, 3.73 in the regular season and finished off the Cubs in game 3 of the NLDS with 6.1 scoreless innings. Kuroda has allowed just two earned runs in 13 career innings against the Phillies, going 1-0, 1.38 in two starts.

The Phillies will counter with oldest player in Major League Baseball, 45-year old Jamie Moyer. The soon to be 46-year old, went 16-7, 3.71 during the regular season, but took the lone Philly loss to Milwaukee. He allowed two earned runs in four innings and walked three batters. Moyer is just 3-4, 4.80 in 10 career starts against the Dodgers.

The Phillies have the two games to none lead despite the lack of production from potential NL MVP Ryan Howard. The big first baseman is 0-8 in the series and just 2-19 in the post-season.

Manny Ramirez continues to rake for the Dodgers. He's 3-8 in the first two games with a home run and four RBI. The performance comes on the heels of the NLDS where hit .500 (5-10) with a pair of home runs three RBI. He also drew four walks.

"Michael Kay is bashing Torre on the radio today..."

Just a little spoof of the TMKS theme song. For some reason Michael Kay continues to rant against Torre (he blasted for weeks after turning down the Yankees contract offer last off-season), unable, or unwilling, to understand why callers are rooting for Torre in the post-season.

He quickly dismisses any talk that the Yankees disgraced Torre with their offer and continues to point out that Torre is no saint. Okay, Michael...what is it that Torre did to you? Wouldn't come on your radio show (he had a deal with WFAN), blew you off your interviews, kicked your cat? What?

Kay also couldn't understand how fans would root for Torre's Dodgers if they played in the World Series against the Red Sox. "The Red Sox are an American League team. If you root for the Yankees, you're an American League fan. How can you not root for the American League? On top of that how can you root for the Dodgers?"

We paraphrased a bit, but that is the basic lo-down. Kay can't understand that while those listeners who are contemporaries, myself included, still hate the Dodgers (those Garvey-Lopes-Sutton teams in particular), we hate the Red Sox right now a whole lot more. Even when Don La Greca pointed out that the Red Sox would be building a potential dynasty with three championships in five seasons, Kay still didn't get it. "What's the difference? The curse is dead!"

Some people just don't get it, even when they're smacked upside the head with it.

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Phillies Go High over Lowe

Dodgers starter Derek Lowe was breezing along last night, having shut down the Phillies for five innings. Manny Ramirez, playing in his first NLCS, had driven in a run and the Dodgers led 2-0. Rafael Furcal threw away Shane Victorino's lead off grounder and moments later Lowe was leaving the game down 3-2.

Chase Utley, who slumped in the division series win against the Brewers, tied the game up with a shot to right. Lowe retired Ryan Howard, but Pat Burrell went deep as well and the Phillies led for the first time Thursday night. Joe Torre wasted no time and went to Chan-Ho Park, who along with Greg Maddux and Hong-Chih Kuo shut down the Phils for the rest of the night. But the damage had been done.

Cole Hamels went back out and retired the Dodgers in the seventh to earn the win. After Ryan Madson threw a scoreless eighth, Brad Lidge pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save.

The Dodgers struck first in the second inning on back to back doubles by Andre Ethier and Ramirez. LA added to the lead in the fourth when Matt Kemp doubled to lead off the inning, moved to third base on Casey Blake's ground out and scored on Blake DeWitt's fly out to center field. Lowe had scattered four hits until his demise in the sixth.
Game 1 Box Score

Game 2

Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel will be managing with a heavy heart this afternoon (4:30 EDT start) after learning of his mother's passing. June Manuel, 87, had suffered a heart attack on Tuesday. Manuel, one of eleven children, had lost his father when he was just a teenager.

This afternoon's match up will see Chad Billingsley (16-10, 3.14) face off against Brett Myers (10-13, 4.55). Myers struggled early, but was huge down the stretch, especially in August, when he went 4-1, 1.65 in six starts.

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The Pennant Race - 10/9

NLCS Preview

As we have previously mentioned, our picks went out the window when the Cubs and White Sox ruined our all Windy City World Series. Outside of the 2000 Subway series, the last time two intrastate rivals met was back in1989 when the A's and Giants battled each other and an earthquake.

So now we have a National League final that was all the rage in the late 1970s. The Dodgers topped the Phillies twice, in 1977 and 1978 (Dodgers coach Larry Bowa was the Phillies shortstop at the time), before losing to our boys in Pinstripes. (The Phillies also made it to the NLCS in 1976, losing to the Reds. We won't talk about that World Series.) Philadelphia exacted some revenge in 1983 when Pete Rose helped lead them to the Series with an NLCS win over LA.

The Phils last played in the World Series, when Mitch Williams was "Wild Thing" and that great teammate, Curt Schilling, wrapped his head in a towel so he didn't have to watch his closer throw away games. Jim Fregosi was at the helm of that team. The Phillies lone World Series title in their 125 year history came in 1980 when the Dallas Green led squad beat the Kansas City Royals in six games.

This team battled back from a slow start and a late season swoon to overtake the Mets for the second straight season. Though it wasn't as dramatic as last year, there were many pundits who felt the Phillies wouldn't be able to catch the Mets again, seemingly forgetting that the Phils have a bunch of winners on their team compared to those players that call Shea home. They also have an underrated manager in Charlie Manuel, who has done a great job of holding things together when it appeared the Phillies might not make the playoffs.

The Phillies were heavy favorites over the Brewers in the NLDS and they easily lived up to those expectations, even battering red hot CC Sabathia in game 2. But now they have their work cut out for them against a Joe Torre led squad that has one of the hottest hitters in baseball in Manny Ramirez.

We won't regurgitate the Joe Torre-Yankees post-2007 saga again, but we will say we're not surprised by the success. We also know that it took Manny Ramirez and also the much less heralded Casey Blake, to make this post-season a reality. That and a big collapse after a strong start by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Manny being Manny, he kicked it into full gear and then some, hitting .396 with 17 home runs and 53 RBI in 53 games since his trade from Boston. Oh, and he had a 1.272 OPS.

Obviously Torre is the story of this impending World Series. A grand, "take that" to the Steinbrenner boys. Dan Graziano has a very good piece in today's Star Ledger on Torre's influence on the Dodgers.

The Torre led team is back in the playoffs for the first time in two years, when the Mets swept them in the first round. The Dodgers also lost the first round in 1995, 1996, and 2004. The last time the Dodgers advanced further was when they won the whole thing back in 1988.

Pitching probables for the series:

Game 1 (10/9) - Derek Lowe vs. Cole Hamels
Game 2 (10/10) - Chad Billingsley vs. Brett Myers
Game 3 (10/12) - Jamie Moyer vs. Hiroki Kuroda
Game 4 (10/13) - Joe Blanton vs. TBD
Game 5 (10/15) - Cole Hamels vs. TBD
Game 6 (10/16) - TBD vs. Brett Myers
Game 7 (10/18) - TBD vs. Jamie Moyer

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