The Tao of Rickey

In honor of Rickey Henderson's election into the Baseball Hall of Fame yesterday, I'd like to rerun some clips from a post I wrote back in 2005 when Rickey signed with the San Diego Surf Dawgs. As we get closer to the HoF induction ceremony in July, I look forward to hearing more stories about Henderson's celebrated eccentricities. But I don't know if they'll be any better than these.

For a 12-year span through the 1980's and into the early 90's, Rickey owned the American League stolen base crown. The one year he didn't get it was 1987, when he played in only 95 games because of a hamstring injury. So Harold Reynolds was the final season leader with 60 steals. And after the season, H.R. got a phone call from someone (as told on MLB.com's "Fantasy 411"):

"Hello?"

"Reynolds! This is Rickey."

"Oh, hey Rick."

"60 steals, huh?"

"Yeah, I can't believe it. It was amazing."

"60?! Rickey had 60 at the All-Star Break!"

**CLICK**

Immediately after breaking Lou Brock's stolen base record, the Oakland Athletics held an on-field ceremony commemorating the occasion. Rickey ended a relatively gracious speech by saying, "Lou Brock was the symbol of great base stealing. But today, I'm the greatest of all time. Thank you."

Henderson often referred to himself in the third person. He once called the general manager of a baseball team, looking for a job, and said, "Rickey wants to play another year and he thinks he wants to play for you."

While playing for the San Diego Padres late in his career, Henderson got onto the team bus and was looking for a seat. A teammate, Steve Finley, said, "Sit anywhere you want, you got tenure."

Rickey's response? "Ten years? What are you talking about? Rickey got 16, 17 years."

This one apparently isn't true, but it's so funny that it should be: While playing for the Seattle Mariners, Rickey approached John Olerud, who wears a batting helmet on the field because of a brain aneurysm he suffered, and said "I used to play with a dude in New York who did the same thing."

Olerud's response? "That was me." Olerud and Rickey had previously played together with the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays.

Do Not Push Scott Olsen's Buttons

Whenever I see that a player was suspended for "insubordination," I'm intrigued. Usually, we find out the "insubordination" was something like arriving to the ballpark late or cutting in line for the post-game food spread. But once in a while, something good pops up.

It seems the Marlins' Scott Olsen isn't the easiest gent to get along with. During his three-year major league career, Olsen has gotten punched in the face by one teammate, poked in the head by another, and been grabbed by the front of his jersey by his manager.

So what was the latest incident that forced the Marlins to suspend Olsen for two games? Well, he got into a spat with Sergio Mitre in the dugout. But hey, that happens. Boys will be boys. Sometimes, guys are so competitive that they can't keep that energy restricted to the field. That's probably what this was all about, right?

Eyewitnesses, who asked not to be identified, said Mitre was trying to calm Olsen, who was upset over a broken button on his uniform top.

Um... wow. Was his belly button showing or something like that?

I guess if you're Olsen's dry cleaner, you should watch out.

You're Still the Man, Rickey!

Just when I thought I'd be starved of non-Tigers material to post here until football season began, Rickey Henderson comes to the rescue. With the news that Rickey has been hired as the new hitting coach for the New York Mets, I thought I'd blow the dust off something I wrote more than two years ago after Rickey signed with the San Diego Surf Dawgs.

Most of this post will be relatively common knowledge to baseball fans, but this was for my personal blog, and people didn't seem too interested when I wrote about sports over there. Look where that got me.

But I love hearing Rickey Henderson stories, even if they're not true, and wanted to post something about them. One story that wasn't included is something I heard from Harold Reynolds about a month ago on MLB.com's Fantasy 411 show. A lot of you have probably heard this one, but it was new to me.

For a 12-year span through the 1980's and into the early 90's, Rickey owned the American League stolen base crown. The one year he didn't get it was 1987, when he played in only 95 games because of a hamstring injury. So Harold Reynolds was the final season leader with 60 steals. And after the season, he got a phone call from someone:

"Hello?"
"Reynolds! This is Rickey."
"Oh, hey Rick."
"60 steals, huh?"
"Yeah, I can't believe it. It was amazing."
"60?! Rickey had 60 at the All-Star Break!"
**CLICK**

Awesome. Okay, let's take the Wayback Machine to 2005 for more of Rickey being Rickey.

# # # # #
Yesterday, 46-year-old Rickey Henderson signed with a minor-league baseball team, the San Diego Surf Dawgs, in yet another attempt to prolong his athletic career. And what a career it's been. I'd argue Henderson is one of the best baseball players I've ever seen. He could seemingly do everything on the field. He's Major League Baseball's all-time leader in career stolen bases and runs scored, holds the record for most stolen bases in a season, and had the most career walks until Barry Bonds passed him in 2001.

He's the greatest. Just ask him.
But Henderson is probably best known for his eccentric personality and an ego that a ballpark could barely contain. There have been some great stories attached to Henderson over the years, many of which were retold in response to yesterday's news.

Immediately after breaking Lou Brock's stolen base record, the Oakland Athletics held an on-field ceremony commemorating the occasion. Rickey ended a relatively gracious speech by saying, "Lou Brock was the symbol of great base stealing. But today, I'm the greatest of all time. Thank you."

Henderson often referred to himself in the third person. He once called the general manager of a baseball team, looking for a job, and said, "Rickey wants to play another year and he thinks he wants to play for you."

While playing for the San Diego Padres late in his career, Henderson got onto the team bus and was looking for a seat. A teammate, Steve Finley, said, "Sit anywhere you want, you got tenure."

Rickey's response? "Ten years? What are you talking about? Rickey got 16, 17 years."

This one apparently isn't true, but it's so funny that it should be: While playing for the Seattle Mariners, Rickey approached John Olerud, who wears a batting helmet on the field because of a brain aneurysm he suffered, and said "I used to play with a dude in New York who did the same thing."

Olerud's response? "That was me." Olerud and Rickey had previously played together with the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays.

Detroit is Representin' For the All-Star Game

As I type this, there are roughly 30 hours before balloting closes for the 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. And though it looks like the Detroit Tigers will be represented well in the starting lineup (and Jim Leyland - who happens to be managing the American League squad - will likely add a few more of his guys to the reserve roster), one last push certainly wouldn't hurt.

Surging support for Magglio Ordonez has rocketed him to second place among AL outfielders, and if the current vote totals hold steady, he'll join teammates Ivan Rodriguez and Placido Polanco in the starting lineup. Ichiro has a lot of fans, however, and could still move him back ahead of Maggs. He could even fall back to fourth, if Manny fans are Manny fans and vote for their guy.

What's most impressive to me, however, is the support that all of the Detroit Tigers have generated in the All-Star voting. Carlos Guillen is in second place for shortstop, and Gary Sheffield is 6th among outfielders. And both of them would be worthy selections.

But at other positions, voting totals for the Tigers have gotten a little bit embarrassing. Sean Casey is in third place for first base? He has one home run, and just hit that last week. Craig Monroe is 15th among outfielders. C-Mo is starting to look as if he's lucky to be holding a major league job. (And as Big Al points out, he's blown any trade value the Tigers could've hoped for. Keep swingin' and missin', C-Money! You're on notice, dude.)

So maybe I don't need to shill for my hometown baseball team, because Tigers fans are clearly already sending in bushels of votes for their guys. Nonetheless, that's what this post was supposed to be about, so it'll be nice if the final voting totals reflect the baseball resurgence that's taken place in Detroit over the past year-and-a-half. Vote with your heart. Vote for a Detroit Tiger.

Warning To the Seagulls

If any of those seagulls are still flying around Comerica Park, munching on moths in the outfield grass, consider this a warning:



We know the animals are planning a revolt to take back the planet. (We noticed more of your seagull brethren terrorizing the Mariners-Indians game in Cleveland yesterday.) But we are not afraid of you. We have baseballs and can throw them very hard. Back off. Let us play baseball.

Go to the Polls for Placido!

This weekend, Quo Vadimus' Scott Warheit (also familiar to Tigers fans as The Cutoff Man for MLive.com) decided to focus his outrage over the Yankees' Robinson Cano leading Placido Polanco in All-Star balloting for the American League's starting spot at second base into an organized campaign.

Despite being one of Major League Baseball's biggest disappointments so far this season, the New York Yankees continue to do well in fan voting for the 2007 Major League Baseball Star Game, with three players (Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Robinson Cano) leading the voting at their positions. Detroit Tigers fans and fans of baseball need to do something about that, because while Jeter and A-Rod may deserve a trip to San Francisco to start for the American League, certainly, Robinson Cano does not. And Placido Polanco of the Detroit Tigers certainly does. Polanco, as of last count was some 8,000 votes behind Cano (381,051 to Cano's 389,265 votes) which is why we need to start the "Go to the Polls for Placido!" All Star Voting Campaign [...]

I don't need much convincing to get behind that. Polanco starting at second base for the AL All-Star team might not be the definitive home run call that it may have been early in the season. I think you could make cases for Brian Roberts, Aaron Hill, or Ian Kinsler. But Polanco has been Steady Eddie (or should that be Eddie Constante) throughout the entire season, even back in April when seemingly no one on the Tigers was hitting.

The same was true last season. You can argue that the Tigers showed little statistical evidence of suffering greatly when Polanco was lost to a shoulder injury. But I think there are some things in baseball that just transcend statistics, and Polanco's steadying influence on the Detroit Tigers is one of them.

It's a surprise when Polanco has a hitless night. That's only occurred 15 times this season. Out of 57 games played. That's 26%, people. And I think it's a fair bet to say that even when he didn't register a base hit, Polanco did what he could to move runners and set up scoring opportunities. Or if someone is in a position to score, Polanco might just drive that runner in himself. He's batting .424 with runners in scoring position. If he's facing two outs in that situation, Polanco's still hitting .310. Whatever needs to be done to win a particular game, Placido Polanco is more (much more) often than not doing what's necessary.


This is speaking your piece for a guy that deserves the recognition. This is standing up for your team that warrants representation in the sport's showcase exhibition. (And it's also keeping a New York Yankee down, a fringe benefit that really shouldn't be overlooked.) Rise up and let your voices be heard, Tigers fans. Spread the word through Digg! Vote so much it can't be ignored. Polanco in 2007!

[image courtesy of Quo Vadimus and the 2007 "Go to the Polls for Placido!" campaign]

Happy Hour 05/31: A-Rod Somehow Keeps Being Hateable

[This was originally posted at Bless You Boys, but I thought it might fit well here, too.]

Since it seems like I've been talking about Alex Rodriguez's "Ha!" play at third base in last night's Yankees-Blue Jays game for most of the day (especially with my buddy Rob), I thought it might be worth bringing the discussion over to the blog.

If you're not familiar with the play, here's a brief recap. In the top of the ninth, Jorge Posada hit a pop-up to third base. A-Rod was running from second to third, and just before he got to the bag, he apparently yelled out something. Howie Clark, the Jays' third baseman, thought his shortstop, John McDonald, was calling for the ball and backed off. But McDonald wasn't, so the ball dropped to the turf and everyone was safe.

Was the distraction/deception the difference in the game? Well, the Yankees already had the lead, so you could argue it didn't. However, that would've been the third out in the inning, and the Jays would've been down by two runs in the bottom of the ninth instead of five.

But the larger question is whether or not A-Rod messing with Clark was a cheap play - or "bush league," as many of us like to say. Obviously, the Jays thought so, calling it "classless. McDonald was ready to throw down (and probably would've wanted to fight with closed fists, a preference we know doesn't suit A-Rod). His manager, John Gibbons, implied that it wasn't a tactic worthy of the Yankee's great history.

Rodriguez mustered a rather weak defense, claiming that he yelled "Ha!" not "Mine!" His third-base coach, Larry Bowa, corroborated the story, but what would you expect? Perhaps more telling is that A-Rod admitted it was a "desperate" play, an attempt to score a much-needed win. And if you look at his reaction when the Jays are protesting, it seems like he knew he was wrong. If he thought McDonald and Gibbons were just splitting hairs, he likely would've just stood on third base with his hands on his hips, shaking his head, or rolling his eyes. But instead, he tries to plead his case. "What? What did I do?"

I guess I'm just curious what other people think. When I first heard about the play this morning, my first reaction was surprise that this sort of thing doesn't happen all the time. In basketball, a defender might clap his hands, trying to fool an offensive player into passing the ball in that direction. Of course, a player wouldn't yell "Ha!" as someone was attempting a free throw. And in that situation, you're not talking about a baseball potentially smacking someone on the head.

Captain Obvious alert: I never played Major League Baseball. But John McDonald does. And if he says it was a "bush league" play, and so do his teammates and manager, then I'd tend to believe them. You might speculate that A-Rod's fellow New York Yankees feel the same way, since none of them came to his defense in any of the game stories I read.

Since Rob played baseball at a higher level than I ever did, I wanted to get his opinion on this. He said it was a play you wouldn't even see in softball. Now that I can confirm. I usually play third base, and no one's ever tried that on me. But I'm already bad enough at catching pop-ups, so maybe the other team figures they don't have to bother.

Baseball's "unwritten rules" are such murky waters. What's "fair" and what isn't? What's actually considered a rule? As Rob said to me, why is it (somewhat) acceptable for a runner on second base to steal signs and relay them to the batter, yet the batter can't sneak a peek at the catcher making those same signs?

If you want to stick to the letter of the law, however, A-Rod did break a rule. Again, this comes from Rob, via the MLB rulebook:

INTERFERENCE

(a) Offensive interference is an act by the team at bat which interferes with, obstructs, impedes, hinders or confuses any fielder attempting to make a play. If the umpire declares the batter, batter- runner, or a runner out for interference, all other runners shall return to the last base that was in the judgment of the umpire, legally touched at the time of the interference.

I'd love to know what you guys think about this. I used to think A-Rod kind of got a bad rap, but especially since he went to New York, it's become pretty clear just how blatantly he attempts to contrive his image. Disingenuous incidents such as this one just make that all the more apparent.

Happy Hour 05/07: New York's Cutest Couple

One of the frequent complaints I've read about Spider-Man 3 is that there's too much goopy romance between Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. People just want to see some comic book action. But to me, that relationship gives the story its heart. And that sentiment can also be applied to sports.

In Detroit, the bond between Steve Mariucci and Jeff Garcia was one that transcended geography and football logic. Garcia couldn't throw and Mooch couldn't coach. But that didn't stop them from getting back together and renewing their partnership. That's how it is when you've met your soul mate.

You know who else understands that? Roger Clemens and his best friend forever, Andy Pettitte. Distance was merely an obstacle for these two. From New York to Houston and back to the Bronx again, they have maintained their life partnership. The miles between the two cities were just orange cones to be run over by a truck of genuine affection.

And nothing gives a romance more of a storybook quality than a grand gesture. You want a tale you can eventually share with your grandchildren. Think of John Cusack's Lloyd Dobler holding that boombox over his head outside Diane Court's house in Say Anything. Or Sam carrying Frodo up the mountain in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. Wasn't Clemens announcing his return to the Yankees from George Steinbrenner's luxury suite equally as memorable?

Did you see the smile on Pettitte's face from the Yankees' dugout? He may as well have held his hands to his chest, swooning while cartoon hearts danced around his head. Together with the Yankees, together with the Astros, and together yet again in pinstripes. How so very touching.

I can only imagine that plenty of other men in the Yankee Stadium stands were inspired to ask for their significant other's hand in marriage or at least give a warm, firm hug to their ballgame buddy. That kind of sharing doesn't have to be restricted to the Bronx, either. Call up your best friend tonight and tell him how you feel. If you want to do it while you're watching a sporting event together, that's fine. We understand.

Of course, acknowledging true love can also leave some broken hearts. And they're watching romantic comedies with pints of ice cream today in Boston and Houston. I'm not sure if Curt Schilling is more jealous over Clemens signing with the Yankees or creating more of an attention-grabbing media spectacle for himself.

"It would've been nice to have him, but we didn't need him. We don't need him," Schilling told The Associated Press in Minneapolis yesterday. "I feel we're a legitimate World Series contender without him.

This is what we men do. We mask our pain with bravado. It's okay, Curt. Yes, Clemens spurned your team and virtually monopolized ESPN's coverage last night and this morning. But hey, he doesn't have a blog like you do. Use the outlet you've given yourself. You can get through this, even if it takes you 2.800 words to do so. Some of us might not read them all because we only have so many hours in the day to devote to your narcissism, but if that's what you need, we're here for you.

And it's not just fellow players and potential teammates that are dealing the hurt of rejection. Members of the media who fell for Clemens' charms are also nursing wounded souls today. Check out the Houston Chronicle's Richard Justice slicing open a vein and pouring his blood all over his blog for his beloved Rocket:

I kissed the guy's feet every time he walked into a room. I wrote time and again that it was an honor to have him pitching for the hometown team.

In other words, I did my part. I even put up with his obnoxious agent, Randy Hendricks. If this deal includes a one-way ticket out of town for that guy, it may end up being worth it.

I believed all that stuff, too. Roger Clemens is an amazing competitor. He no longer has great stuff, but he stills wins because he has guts and poise and smarts and astonishing control.

Wow. Somebody make sure that man isn't spending tonight alone. Take him out to dinner. Buy him something nice to make him feel good about himself. Just sit and listen. He doesn't need to hear you talk. He needs you to let him say what he's feeling. Give the poor guy the "Five Good Minutes" slot on "PTI" tonight, so Kornheiser and Wilbon can help him sort out his feelings. We all need friends at times like these.

Regardless, we should all be happy that two people on this earth, in this life, have found such bliss together. It's like they say: When you know, you just know. And even if we haven't found such a partnership for ourselves, at least this gives us hope to keep trying. We can be like Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. Just don't give up. Never give up.

Here's To You, Mr. Robinson

Major League Baseball can get a lot of things wrong (last week's decision to play the Angels and Indians in Milwaukee might be the latest example), and professional athletes often get knocked for lacking a sense of history and tradition. Today, however, both parties are getting it right by commemorating the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

In honor of the first black man to play in the major leagues, more than 150 players will wear Robinson's #42 on the field today. Six Detroit Tigers - Gary Sheffield, Craig Monroe, Pudge Rodriguez, Marcus Thames, Lloyd McClendon, and Curtis Granderson - will pay tribute, while six entire ballclubs - the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, and of course, the Los Angeles Dodgers - will outfit their players, coaches, and ballboys with Robinson's number.

I wrote a longer piece about the occasion (as well as a paper I wrote in high school) over at Bless You Boys, and am hoping you'll head over there to check it out. I also included a bunch of links to other places that have posted a wealth of material on Robinson, his experiences, and his legacy. Today should be a pretty special day, one we don't get to see too often anymore in professional sports.

Happy Hour 04/05: Non Sequitur Shots!

♦ I'm not a Washington Wizards fan, but I was looking forward to seeing what Gilbert Arenas could do in this year's playoffs. Watching him and LeBron-Bron go at it last year was some of the most fun I had watching basketball last year. And now that Agent Zero is out for the rest of the season, the Eastern Conference playoffs just won't be as exciting. I should be more scared of Miami and Chicago as a Pistons fan, but Arenas is the guy I didn't want to face in the earlier rounds.

♦ Here's more on the current misery afflicting Wizards fans from Bullets Forever and DC Sports Bog.

♦ Another thing that might scare me as a Pistons fan is if Rip Hamilton decides to lose his damn mind again, as he did last night against Chicago's Tyrus Thomas. What the hell was that? Maybe Rip just wanted an early shower since the Pistons were getting their butts kicked at home (106-88) by the Bulls.

♦ Here's more from Detroit Bad Boys, including the news that the NBA won't suspend Hamilton for his behavior.

♦ By the way, for all the talk about how many technical fouls Rasheed Wallace draws and how he'll draw suspensions because of them, how surprising is it to read that Hamilton is one tech away from sitting out for a game? I had no idea it was like that.

♦ Following John Beilein's official introduction as Michigan men's basketball coach yesterday, I found this Yahoo! Sports column by Adrian Wojnarowski on a message board that should get Wolverines fans really excited.

The article is from January, long before "Michigan" and "John Beilein" would be in the same sentence, and wonders how Beilein's offensive schemes would work in the NBA, not at another school. In Wojnarowski's eyes, that should've been the next jump for Beilein. Somebody show this column to Manny Harris.

♦ And wouldn't it be some cold shit painful irony if Manny Harris ended up going to Tennessee, which was a rumor making the rounds last night? And after all of the down-on-my-knees pleading I did (in private, anyway) for my homeboy Bruce Pearl to come to Ann Arbor. Apparently, that's what Coach meant when he said he could recruit the state of Michigan.

♦ By the way, I know Beilein's doing this now largely because he just got the job, but it's been nice to hear him make the rounds on local radio over the past couple of days. I hope that's something he keeps doing as he settles into the job, and I was glad to see financial provisions attached to doing radio and TV shows, because after Tommy Amaker's media blackout, Michigan's basketball coach has to be out there so much that you almost get sick of him. And so far, it looks like Beilein is up to that task.

♦ From here on out, I think virtually everything I write about baseball will be at Bless You Boys (and it's been going well over there so far), but I thought I'd link to my 2007 Detroit Tigers, AL Central, and MLB season previews.

There's a distinct aroma of homer to my predictions, but it's not like the Tigers aren't actually good enough to follow through on such expectations. For a quick recap, here's how I see the AL Central:

1. Detroit
2. Cleveland
3. Minnesota
4. Chicago
5. Kansas City

Joining the Tigers as AL division winners will be the Yankees and Angels, with the Red Sox as the Wild Card. In the NL, the Braves, Brewers and Dodgers will win their division, and the Mets will take the Wild Card. The Tigers will make it back to the World Series and beat the Dodgers.

Your Most Valuable Players will be Cleveland's Grady Sizemore and the Mets' Jose Reyes. Cy Young Awards will go to Minnesota's Johan Santana and the Cubs' Carlos Zambrano. And the Rookies of the Year will be Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka (even though he probably shouldn't be eligible for the award) and Arizona's Chris Young.

♦ Finally, is ESPN really devoting two hours of programming tonight to the NFL schedule? C'mon, man - show a frickin' baseball game. The season just started.

What This Crazy Life is Doing to Me

I realize that posting something about one's fantasy baseball team might not be the best way to go most days. It could be boring, if not outright repugnant to some readers. But it's Sunday morning, and I'm drinking coffee strong enough to give me a permanent natural eyebrow lift. So I feel like writing.

Last year, I played fantasy baseball for the first time and the everyday aspect of it hooked me big-time. And when I get into something, I tend to dive in head-first. So this year, I tossed aside the syringe and opted for the IV drip, signing up for more teams that available leisure time will likely allow. (The first couple of teams, of course, are meant to be "practice" for the league[s] I really want to win.)

Since no one in my regular everyday life plays fantasy baseball, thus giving me no one to talk with about it, I figured I'd post my first draft results here and see if anyone has a thought or two to share. It's a Yahoo! 12-team rotisserie league, and I began with the fifth pick. In order of draft selection, here is Delaware Mud:

1. Jose Reyes
2. Travis Hafner
3. Justin Morneau
4. Victor Martinez
5. Chone Figgins
6. Ryan Zimmerman
7. Adam Dunn
8. Nick Swisher
9. Brad Lidge
10. Francisco Cordero
11. Bob Wickman
12. Jeff Francoeur
13. Brad Hawpe
14. Josh Barfield
15. Derek Lowe
16. Curtis Granderson
17. Freddy Garcia
18. Scott Olsen
19. Kevin Millwood
20. Scot Shields
21. Dan Wheeler

I'd be curious to see what others think, but I'm pretty damn happy with this stash. With the fifth pick, I snagged who many "experts" consider the second best player in fantasy baseball, Jose Reyes. And I was still able to pick up a big power hitter by the time my turn came up in the second round.

I didn't want to take a catcher so early, but the top-shelf outfielders and third basemen were gone, so I just went with who looked like the best hitter on the board. Also, the run on closers started much sooner than I thought it would.

To me, the biggest mistake was waiting too long to draft starting pitching. Ideally, Derek Lowe wouldn't have been my first guy. I'd prefer to have at least one "ace." But a decent starting pitcher can be found on waivers most days, and maybe I can deal stolen bases or saves for some help down the line.

Actually, I really screwed up in the 14th round and missed Dave Bush. Had I been able to find him, he would've been my pick, but that was the one round where I was frantically shuffing through my lists, looking over names that hadn't been crossed off, and didn't get a pick in on time. So Josh Barfield was automatically selected for me. Not a bad pick, really. But Chone Figgins is eligible at 2B in Yahoo! leagues, so I had that position covered. It could've been worse.

Already raining in Baltimore?

Sometimes, you can tell how a season will go before you even get started. You think that's how the Baltimore Orioles might feel after getting the news that Kris Benson will miss the entire 2007 season with a partially torn rotator cuff?

Pitchers and catchers haven't even reported to Fort Lauderdale, and things already look bleak for the O's. They were probably already looking at a fourth-place finish in the AL East. I don't suppose a team can just forfeit a season before it's even begun, eh?

Nah. Benson's not the only quality starting pitcher the Orioles have. Erik Bedard and Daniel Cabrera (if he can find the strike zone this year) should give them a chance when they play.

Having said that, this is a sobering reminder of just how fortunate the Detroit Tigers were with their pitching last year. (Yes, I see you, Mike Maroth. You can put your hand down. Keep that elbow safe.) I want to rub some rabbits' feet, look under the snow for four-leaf clovers, and make sure I avoid black cats and broken mirrors before the Tigers officially begin Spring Training.

Anyway, I feel kind of bad for Kris Benson today. I can't imagine what he'll do to make himself feel better while he's recuperating. Poor guy.

Happy Hour 02/06: The Nationals' Pastime

Fellow sports bloggers (and baseball fans, in general) might find Barry Svrluga's feature in today's Washington Post interesting. The article profiles the many blogs that have been created in devotion to the Washington Nationals - the "Natosphere," if you will - which seems especially surprising given the short history of the team in D.C.

The two blogs prominently featured in the article are Capitol Punishment (a favorite of mine) and Curly W, both of which have caught the attention of the home team.

The e-mail popped in, and Chris Needham took a minute to digest it. The sender was easily identifiable: Stan Kasten is the president of the Washington Nationals, the baseball team about which Needham comments almost daily via his blog.

Needham had just published an entry titled "StanSpeak," in which he took the liberty of "translating" Kasten's words for the club's fan base, a smart-alecky but smart look at what the man who runs the club might really be thinking.

Needham opened the e-mail cautiously. He knows about this?

Since that initial e-mail, Kasten has corresponded with Needham again. There's something of a punchline to that second conversation, however, so I won't ruin it for you.

The Nationals' blog and fansite community continues to grow impressively. "15 blogs about a two-year-old team," according to Curly W. As you might imagine, a strong sense of community has developed - something several of us Tigers bloggers have had "DIBS" on for quite a while. (And as we know, the Natosphere ain't the only sports blog community getting sit-downs with team presidents.)

The revolution continues... and it will probably be posted on a sports blog near you.

The Giant of Douchebaggery

I know we're two weeks into 2007 already, but is it too late to nominate Barry Bonds for 2006 Teammate of the Year?

If you didn't catch the news late yesterday, it appears that Bonds - who's already under a bit of suspicion for taking substances to inflate his muscles like an AeroBed - tested positive for amphetamines last season. What exactly Bonds took wasn't revealed, but according to the New York Daily News, sources called it a "serious stimulant."

I know, I know - Bonds tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug? What?! Stop it - you're kidding me.

But here's the funny part: Not only did the drugs show up in Bonds' system, but when he was called out on it by the MLB Players Association, he blamed a teammate - Mark Sweeney - for the results. See, that came from something from he got from Sweeney's locker. Totally not his fault.

Well, as you might imagine, Sweeney wasn't too happy that Bonds pointed a finger at him and confronted him in the Giants' clubhouse. Bonds, of course, denied that he made such an accusation.

Is that what Gene Orza said I said? Oh, that Gene! What a jokester! Hey, it was a misunderstanding. I... uh, meant that Mike Sweeney guy who plays for the Royals. No, I've never been to Kansas City - why? Anyway, I didn't throw you under the bus. C'mon - would I do that? Hey, high-five! And then can I borrow that Purell Hand Sanitzer out of your locker? Thanks, my brother.

Oh, one more thing - it's cool this time, but I noticed you looked me in the eye during this entire conversation, and you know I don't like people making eye contact with me. Ever. I'll let it go this time, though - okay? No biggie. Okay, I have to go to the hot tub while you guys play. Yeah, it's my knee again. I don't know how it got this bad. See you later, dude.

Why wasn't Bonds suspended, you might ask? Testing positive for greenies (Ha! I typed "roofies" at first) doesn't get the same punishment as steroids would. Steroids gets you a 50-game suspension for a first-time offense. If you're caught taking amphetamines, you're asked to undergo treatment and counseling. But don't do it again, okay? Otherwise, you're gone for 25 games.

Anyway, this whole thing reminds me of something that happened back in college. I was living with my buddy Mike, and his mother came over to visit. And while chatting in his room, Mike's mom spotted a pack of cigarettes on the dresser. So she kind of flipped out a little bit. How did Mike handle the situation? He said those Marlboro Lights belonged to me.

I'm not still upset over it or anything. It's not like Mike's mom gave me the occasional quick lecture or something of a look whenever I coughed. And even if that really happened, that was years ago, man. No, it's cool now.

I will totally get him back someday.

I thought this guy had gone away

Holy $#!+, did you read Deadspin's interview with John Rocker yesterday?

I'm sure there's very little Rocker and I would agree on (for instance, I've enjoyed my trips on New York City's 7 Train), and ultimately, the guy still comes off as something of an @$$hole, but it's not every day that someone speaks on the record with that kind of candor. Even if it seems like he's auditioning to host a weekend show on FOX News Channel.

(Somewhere in Atlanta, I think John Schuerholz's ears have been burning. I think I might check out that chapter in Rocker's book, whenever it's published.)

Thinking (and linking) over lunch

♦ That sound you may have heard earlier today was from the Brandon Inge Haters Club, lamenting his new contract extension (four years, $24.4 million) from the Detroit Tigers.

Some people point to Inge's error totals and say he's a poor defensive third baseman. Others (a group in which I include myself) say he gets to balls that most other guys at his position wouldn't come near. Yes - sometimes that leads to errors, and he makes some throws he probably shouldn't, but knocking down balls that would otherwise go to the outfield saves quite a few runs, too.

To me, that defensive ability makes up for his offensive shortcomings. No, he's not Aramis Ramirez and probably never will be. He's the Tigers' ninth-place hitter, and is hardly the easy out often expected at that position. And hey, Detroit isn't paying Inge $15 million a season, either.

Here's more from The Detroit Tigers Weblog.

♦ Speaking of contract extensions, Brian at Beyond Boxscores thinks the Tigers need to work out a deal with Jeremy Bonderman - and pronto. When you see the deals handed out to middle-of-the-road starters like Vincente Padilla, Ted Lilly, and Gil Meche, it's hard to argue such a good point.

Given what Bonderman's achieved at his age, he'd attract some serious interest on the open market, and the Tigers should be lock him up before it gets to that point. They're smart, proactive guys over there, right?

♦ ESPN.com's Keith Law compares Gil Meche's five-year, $55 million deal with the Royals to what the Tigers did two years ago with Magglio Ordonez.

Is this an indication, by the way, that baseball's revenue-sharing plan is working? Kansas City giving a five-year deal, at $10 million a season, to a starting pitcher? (The Big Lead seems to think it's making things worse.)

♦ Nothing makes me smile more than Mike McClary's persistence in wanting the Tigers to get rid of Craig Monroe. As I've said before, the man deserves credit for consistency in his beliefs.

And now, Mike has Billfer on his side, too - though with a bit less fervor.

♦ Did the Tigers pick up Jamie Walker's replacement in yesterday's Rule 5 draft? What can be expected from young Edward Campusano? 81 strikeouts in 55 1/2 innings. Here's more from TigerBlog (who warns not to get too excited about those K numbers).

(Tip o' the cap to Tiger Tales)

♦ Sifting through all the transactions and rumors from the Baseball Winter Meetings, I'm thinking the best deal made in Orlando is the Braves trading Horacio Ramirez for Rafael Soriano. Suddenly, Atlanta's bullpen - which has been an annual weakness, and may have been the difference in knocking them out of the NL Wild Card race - could be looking pretty good.

I'm not sure the Mets are sweating it, though. And I don't know why the Mariners would trade Soriano. But I might be biased because he was very good to my fantasy baseball team mid-season.

Cracks in that crystal ball

Okay, I'm probably about a week late on this, but now that all of the Major League Baseball awards have been announced, I figured it might be funny to go over the predictions I made for the 2006 season, which I posted two days before Opening Day. (Because you know if I'd gotten 'em all right, I'd be bragging about that...)

The one pick I'm thrilled to have been dead wrong on was the Detroit Tigers' won-loss total. At the time, I thought I was being far too optimistic by predicting 85 wins, and a third-place standing in their division. What a homer, right? Well, the Tigers actually won 10 more games, finishing 95-67 and winning the AL Wild Card spot.

(I did say, however, that the Tigers would be competitive if they got good play in center field from Curtis Granderson. I didn't have solid numbers to back that up, just kind of a belief based on a lifetime of watching Detroit baseball.)

Here's how my AL Central picks compared to reality:

1. Chicago Minnesota
2. Cleveland Detroit
3. Detroit Chicago
4. Minnesota Cleveland
5. Kansas City

Hey, at least I got the Royals right. And I thought the White Sox would repeat as World Series champions. Oops.

But I also picked the Yankees and A's to win their divisions. Actually, my success rate was the same in the National League, where I picked the Mets and Cardinals, but missed on the Dodgers in the AL West, who finished behind the Padres. Not bad. Yet I had Atlanta getting the NL Wild Card spot (Why? Because they always make it to the playoffs!), and Toronto in the AL. Not so good.

When it came to the individual awards, that's where I did my worst work. Got 'em all wrong, in fact. And I may very well have established a curse with my Cy Young Award predictions. Get some rabbits' feet for the poor schmucks I pick next year.

AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez Justin Morneau
NL MVP: Carlos Delgado Ryan Howard
AL Cy Young: Rich Harden Johan Santana
NL Cy Young: Mark Mulder Brandon Webb

Wow, that stinks. Did I really pick someone other than Johan Santana? And Mark Mulder? What the #@$% was I thinking? See where trying to be different gets you? Thankfully, I didn't try to completely embarrass myself by predicting the Rookies of the Year in each league. (But if I pick a Florida Marlin in the NL next year, I might have a shot at being right.)

So I guess I'll try again next year. And maybe try to pick up a different crystal ball at a garage sale. Bah.

Saturday morning reading scraps

▪▪ Yesterday, ESPN.com's Keith Law wrote on his (Insider) blog that Vernon Wells passed on signing a contract extension with Toronto, and thus will likely be traded. Wells wants to play closer to his Texas home, so that would likely eliminate Detroit from consideration. This is total speculation on my part, but if the Jays are looking for pitching help in return, do you think he might dial up the Comerica Park offices this offseason?

▪▪ This is completely non-Tiger-related, but if Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria fires his manager, Joe Girardi - as he allegedly had to be talked out of doing - then he truly is a complete idiot. If Girardi wants to resign, however, it would probably be tough to blame him.

Here's the story, if you're not familiar with this already: About two weeks ago, Loria - who was sitting behind the Marlins' home dugout - yelled at Girardi for not running onto the field to argue a ball-strike call. Girardi, as you might imagine, defended himself and yelled back.

Even after being talked out of firing him by cooler heads in the organization, Loria reportedly didn't back down from his stance until Girardi agreed to publicly apologize to him in front of the team.

Never mind that Girardi had the Marlins in the National League Wild Card race through much of this season, despite a lineup that seems almost entirely composed of rookies after the franchise's latest player fire sale. (Judging from this post, Marlins Today might disagree with that.)

Does it revolt anyone else that a guy like Loria has a World Series trophy with management skills like this, while teams that have done it the right way for years are still left wanting?

This time, it would count

Earlier this week, I was disheartened to read that this time... it might not count. Baseball's All-Star Game, that is. The players' union and Major League Baseball still haven't agreed upon whether or not home-field advantage in the World Series will once again be decided by who wins the "midsummer classic."

The parties involved say that resolving the issue is merely a formality, so home-field advantage will likely still be the prize when the American League and National League "clash" in Pittsburgh.

But while the decision's still up in the air, I'd like to take this opportunity to raise the All-Star Game stakes a bit. I'm not cool with home-field being decided by an exhibition where the fans decide the starting lineups. Not when teams play 162 games for the right to play at home in crucial postseason games. Yet I love the idea of keeping the game competitive, so there's a bigger concern during the game than whether or not the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' representative gets to play.

So here's my proposal. I should be flying out to New York to give you this stuff personally, but I'd prefer to share it with my brothers and sisters in Blogville. Bud Selig, Bob DuPuy, Donald Fehr, Gene Orza, and anyone else who might have a say in the matter, pull out a pen and a notebook. Get your secretaries to take dictation. Because if you want the All-Star Game to matter, you'll jot this one down.

The loser has to wear shorts for the rest of the season.

That's right. If you don't win the All-Star Game, you and your league-mates have to rock out like the 1976 Chicago White Sox. You would have to endure the embarrassment of playing out your remaining 75+ games with your legs exposed and socks pulled high. And they would be pulled high, lest you leave a layer of skin on the basepaths.

You think you'd like that? Look at Chet Lemon in that picture. Dude is trying to hide his legs. I remember him smiling when he played for the Tigers. He ain't smilin' there. That would be you, if you didn't play to win this July.

And don't think the fans would like it either. Sure, we'd get a kick out of the shorts for one or two games, but after that, it wouldn't be fun to watch. I don't think we'd be seeing too many "Web Gems" on "Baseball Tonight" if infielders weren't wearing pants. The days of diving for balls in the hole between third and short would be over. No more going to the knees to snatch a ball down the line.

A few rookies might think showing the imprint of the seams seared onto their flesh when an in-between hop sends a baseball rocketing up into their exposed inner thigh could score some chicks. But I'm betting the majority of major leaguers would get the hell out of the way instead. With the exception of a few true gamers, of course. You could give Miguel Tejada all the short hops you could muster. He's not coming out of the game.

It could work for FOX, too. Have your little cartoon baseball, Scooter, explain what happens when skin meets dirt, and why no baseball player would want to put himself through that. Oooh, that looks like it could hurt, kids! Wheee! Anything but baseball to jazz up the telecasts, right?

No, the players' union probably wouldn't go for it. Until you showed them the windfall of endorsement dollars that would come from some athletic apparel company shelling out big cash for authentic MLB legwear.

They'd be hugely popular with the kids. The adults, too. We all love wearing shorts in the summer. This way, fans could go to games in complete uniforms - just like the players! And what better way to show which team you root for than by combining your St. Louis Cardinals short pants with that Hawaiian shirt you love?

Losers wear shorts. Think about it, Major League Baseball. Nothing motivates better than potential humiliation. The All-Star Game would matter. It would really, really, really count this time.

How much is that fantasy team worth to you?

Just read an interesting article, courtesy of my friend Mis Hooz of the FRT New York bureau. (Mike at The Daily Fungo posted on this earlier this morning.) I continue to be astounded by the greedy short-sightedness of professional sports leagues. According to this New York Times article by Alan Schwarz, Major League Baseball is contending that anyone who operates a fantasy baseball league for commercial purposes should pay a license for use of player names and performance statistics.

(Sites like ESPN, CBS Sportsline, and Yahoo! each paid MLB $2 million for the rights to use player names, roster photos, team logos, etc.)

The company that's being sued by MLB says that names and statistics are freely available from sources such as newspapers, and are therefore in the public domain. MLB counters that such information isn't being used by fantasy leagues for journalistic purposes, and if they're capitalizing on names like Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, and Alex Rodriguez for profit, they should pay for it.

I can't imagine that MLB would win such a case, but I'm obviously no lawyer. What's unbelievable to me is that baseball is willing to take on something that fuels such a passionate following of its sport. If MLB wants to spite fan interest - which fantasy sports unquestionably inspires - in the name of money, then they deserve the backlash and resentment that could result from such a cash grab.