While they performed the sketch in burlesque shows before 1938, but it made it on radio nationally in March 1938 on the Kate Smith Hour.

The names given in the routine for the players at each position are:

First Base: Who

Second Base: What

Third Base: I Don't Know

Left field: Why

Center field: Because

Pitcher: Tomorrow

Catcher: Today

Shortstop: I Don't Care/I Don't Give a Darn/I Don't Give a Damn

The right fielder is never mentioned in the skit.

Here is the skit:

 

With games starting as Sunday night when the newly minted American League Houston Astros host their cross-state rival Texas Rangers on Sunday night, the 2013 Major League Baseball season is upon us. No more talk about the Hot Stove, no more trade or free agent speculation, just baseball. Pure and simple.

 

But we still have a few days left before the first pitch is thrown and the long, arduous season is underway. That means we have a few more minutes to make some predictions and assumptions about how things will play out and who will be wearing the crown when the dust settles.

 

In case you missed it, we started with the American League yesterday. Tonight, we're going to move forward with the National League, and then close things out on Monday with an Awards prediction.

 

So, let's open this up shall we?!

 

 

National League East

 

1.) Washington Nationals

2.) Atlanta Braves (WC)

3.) Philadelphia Phillies

4.) New York Mets

5.) Miami Marlins

 

The Washington Nationals were the toast of baseball in 2012, putting together baseball's best record during the regular season at 98-64. However, their postseason dreams were short-lived when the Cardinals came back from a 0-2 deficit during the divisional series to send them home. So the strong went and got stronger. Washington added Dan Haren to replace Edwin Jackson, Denard Span via a trade with Minnesota, and shored up at closer with Rafael Soriano. Oh, and they get some guy named Stephen Strasburg for a full season. Yeah, this team is sick and should be considered a favorite, not only for the divison, but the World Series as well.

 

Playing second fiddle will be the Atlanta Braves, who had a solid offseason of their own. The Braves knew they needed more thunder in their line-up, so they signed B.J. Upton and then acquired Justin Upton in a trade with Arizona that cost them Martin Prado and a slew of prospects. That said, Atlanta is now home to one of the best outfields in baseball, with the Upton brothers and Jason Heyward holding down the fort. The team is also strong in the pitching department, with a solid rotation and a stellar closer in Craig Kimbrel. That will all be good enough for the Wild Card, but not the division title.

 

Speaking of better, but not quite good enough, we have the Philadelphia Phillies. Philadelphia is still lead by its pitching staff, but the entire roster is aging in a hurry. Ryan Howard looks at leas 5 years older after an Achilles injury last season, Roy Halladay looks like years of high innings totals are finally catching up to him, and you never know how healthy Chase Utley is going to be. The Phillies did make two solid additions in Ben Revere and Michael Young, but this is a team in its last year of contending before a tear-down is in order.

 

Tear-downs are exactly what has been going on with the New York Mets. Jon Niese, Dillon Gee, and Matt Harvey are three solid young arms, but what looks to be a possible career-ending injury to Johan Santana may doom this team from the start. After trading R.A. Dickey this winter, the Mets are as thinner in the rotation that any team in baseball outside of Colorado. Additionally, outside of David Wright and the inconsistency of Lucas Duda and Ike Davis, this offense it a mess. The only reason they don't finish last is that they play in the same division as....

 

The Miami Marlins did what is practically inexcusable in baseball. They finally get the brand new stadium they were clambering for and then screw the fans by dismantling the team in one broad stroke. Yes, the Marlins got some solid prospects in return from Toronto in Jake Marisnick, Adeiny Hechavarria, and Justin Nicholino, but outside of Hechavarria, the rest of the lot is at least 3 seasons away from being Major League ready. Can the people of Miami really wait another three seasons to see a return on their investment before they lynch Jeffery Loria in the streets?

 

National League Central

 

1.) Cincinnati Reds

2.) St. Louis Cardinals

3.) Chicago Cubs

4.) Milwaukee Brewers

5.) Pittsburgh Pirates

 

You really have to appreciate a team like the Cincinnati Reds. They play the game the way it is meant to be played, with passion and fun. That formula lead them to a 97-65 record last season, and the team made a few small tweaks in 2013 to help make them just a bit better. Adding Shin-Soo Choo will be an experiment in center, but having his bat in the line-up alongside Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, and Jay Bruce will be solid. The only question with the Reds is why they signed Jonathan Broxton to close and then keep Aroldis Chapman in the role. Regardless, this is a team that is on the cusp of making a real playoff dent.

 

The Cardinals are my choice for runner-up in the division, but not because I believe they are as good or better than the team that won 88 games a year ago. I just feel this is a weak division, again, and the Cardinals always seem to prosper from that. They signed Adam Wainright to a long-term extension, but they also let Kyle Lohse walk without replacing him adequately. Furthermore, I'm not convinced that Jon Jay is the right choice in centerfield, especially when Oscar Taveras is knocking on the door.

 

One team that made some solid noise this winter in this division was the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs are still in a rebuilding phase, but they made some decent moves to make them at least more competitive this season, adding Edwin Jackson, Scott Feldman, and Carlos Villanueva to the rotation and Nate Schierholtz to the outfield. A full season of Anthony Rizzo will provide needed punch. That all said, if the Cubs should falter, watch them closely. With a trade chips in Matt Garza and Alfonso Soriano to flip, there is a move to be made there. And is it too early to think they may consider a blockbuster trade for Starlin Castro with Javier Baez making some noise in camp and expected to start the season at Double-A.

 

When I orignally wrote these rankings, I had already written off the Milwaukee Brewers. Then they signed Kyle Lohse to a three-year deal. Well, I still think they are going to struggle in 2013. The loss of Corey Hart is going to be tough to replace, and the platoon of Alex Gonzalez and Yuniesky Betancourt at first isn't going to get it done. Additionally, the long-term extension the team signed with Carlos Gomez looks like a stinker right out of the gate. I just don't think this team has what it takes to play as a cohesive unit.

 

Finally, we have the Pittsburgh Pirates. I actually the Pirates as a team and wish they could figure it out. With a collection of young talent that is enviably, and a pitching rotation that should be better than it is, the Pirates should be easy to root for. Unfortunately, they cannot play ball for an entire season and are consistently tripping over themselves. Andrew McCutcheon, Neil Walker, and Starling Marte may be fun to watch, but until James McDonald becomes the ace he should be and Pedro Alvarez figures out how to be a Major Leaguer, there is going to be more years of losing in Pittsburgh.

 

National League West

 

1.) Los Angeles Dodgers

2.) San Francisco Giants (WC)

3.) Arizona Diamondbacks

4.) San Diego Padres

5.) Colorado Rockies

 

Don't tell me that the ghost of Frank McCourt doesn't still haunt the Dodgers. There is no other reason to justify why this team is spending money the way they are. First it was the big trade with Boston last August that brought in Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, and their millions of dollars in contracts. Then it was a stupid big contract to player like Brandon League. Finally the Dodgers capped it off with a huge deal  with Zack Greinke. The Dodgers are trying to buy themselves a championship. It'll likely be enough to buy them a division title, but until Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier can stay on the field for an entire season, that's all it will be.

 

The San Francisco Giants are the perfect example of a team that turns it on when they need to. Both of their titles in 2010 and 2012 came from strong runs to the postseason and then bursts to the title. The recently extended Buster Posey is now the face of the franchise and rightfully so, and the pitching staff isn't too shabby either (read here as stellar) with the likes of Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, Ryan Vogelson, Tim Lincecum, and Barry Zito. Still, I see a lot of similarities between this team and the 2011 Giants, a team that stood pat with streaky players and got burned. Of course, that team also lost Posey for an entire season due to injury, so maybe I'm being too critical.

 

Call me a fool, but I love the new-look Arizona Diamondbacks. Funny how the loss of one player and the addition of two known scrappers, Prado and Cody Ross, and you change the entire look of a team. This D-Backs squad is carved right in the image of manager Kirk Gibson and they will play their hearts out night in and night out. Do not be surprised if they leap either San Francisco or Los Angeles, especially if their pitching staff throws like it did in 2011.

 

The San Diego Padres are moving in the right direction, but these things take time to build. The prospects keep coming with the addition of Jedd Gyorko and he'll help weather the burden lost with Chase Headley out for the first few months. Another year of experience for Yonder Alonso may also help him break out. The true enigma is Carlos Quentin. When he is in the line-up, he's been tremendous, but it's getting him there that is the hard part. Admittedly, I know nothing of their pitching staff outside of Edinson Volquez and Clayton Richard, but I don't take that as a good sign either.

 

Speaking of pitching staffs and bad signs, our final team is the Colorado Rockies. This team is going to be dreadful. When Jhoulis Chacin and his lifetime GO/AO ratio of 1.57 is your staff ace in Mile High country, then you know things are going to be rough. This is a team that is hampered by huge contracts to Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitski, and Todd Helton. Helton's will come off the books this winter, but Tulo and CarGo should be trade candidates for a team badly in need of a rebuild.

In 17 seasons Trucks was 177-135 with a era of 3.39 and 1,534 strikeouts.

Trucks was the uncle of Butch Trucks, a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, and his great nephew Derek Trucks is also a member of the Allman Brothers Band and has his own band with his wife, Susan Tedeschi, called the Tedeschi Trucks Band.

Virgil’s niece was my supervisor at the post office for 11 years. I have never met Virgil but I have met Butch before.

 

 

In this series, we are going to spotlight one player on each of the 30 Major League Baseball teams. However, we won't be highlighting just any player. Rather, we are going to call attention to the one guy from each squad that is the heart and soul of the team.

If you missed the previous installments, be sure to check them out:

Arizona Diamondbacks - Miguel Montero

Atlanta Braves - Craig Kimbrel

 

We're going to start things off alphabetically, which gets us started with the Arizona Diamondbacks

 

Baltimore Orioles - Dylan Bundy - Starting Pitcher

 

Acquired: Draft - 1st Round (4th overalll) 2011 Amateur Draft

Signed Through: 2019 (Pre-Arbitration Eligible)

MLB Debut: September 23, 2012

 

In this series, we are going to spotlight one player on each of the 30 Major League Baseball teams. However, we won't be highlighting just any player. Rather, we are going to call attention to the one guy from each squad that is the heart and soul of the team.

If you missed the previous installments, be sure to check them out:

Arizona Diamondbacks - Miguel Montero

 

We're going to start things off alphabetically, which gets us started with the Arizona Diamondbacks

 

Atlanta Braves - Craig Kimbrel - Closer

 

Acquired: Draft - 3rd Round (96th overall) 2008 Amateur Draft

Signed Through: 2016 (Pre-Arbitration Eligible)

MLB Debut: June 6, 2008

 

In 1992, at the age of 37, Dennis Eckersley won the American League Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards with a season that saw "Eck" post a 7-1 record, a 1.91 ERA, a 10.5 K/9 ratio, and a measily 2.8 bWAR. Those stats aren't too shabby when you consider they came out of a closer and nabbed Eckersley the rare sweep of the award by a pitcher, let alone a closer. Eckersley would claim the award over three 20-game winners and four (!) pitchers who would throw more than 10 complete games on the season.

 

Yet, they had absolutely nothing on the season that Craig Kimbrel put forth for the Braves in 2012.

 

Kimbrel is the rare closer that when he comes into the game, most offenses feel like they are done. Last season, Kimbrel authored a closer's season for the ages, posting a 3-1 record with a 1.01 ERA, a 3.2 bWAR, and an astronimical 16.7 K/9 ratio. He converted 42 of 45 save opportunities. Kimbrel surrendered just 7 total runs in 63 appearances.

 

Yet, when the dust cleared from the National League Cy Young voting, Kimbrel finished a distant fifth, garnering only a single vote for the award that eventually went to R.A. Dickey. Clayton Kershaw, Gio Gonzalez, and Johnny Cueto all helped to make sure that Kimbrel received only a single first-place vote in what can only be seen as closer discrimination.

 

That aside, one would think this was a blip on the radar, that a statistical season like that for a closer would be a once in a lifetime occurrence. However, it was actually a slight improvement on his 2011 campaign. Here are the comparisons:

 

 

 

In this series, we are going to spotlight one player on each of the 30 Major League Baseball teams. However, we won't be highlighting just any player. Rather, we are going to call attention to the one guy from each squad that is the heart and soul of the team.

 

We're going to start things off alphabetically, which gets us started with the Arizona Diamondbacks

 

Arizona Diamondbacks - Miquel Montero - Catcher

 

Acquired: April 23, 2001 - Amateur Free Agent

Signed Through: 2017 (6-Year, $65.9 Million)

MLB Debut: September 6, 2006

 

They say that catchers are the gateway to the game and Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero is the perfect example of that philosophy. A 7-year veteran, Montero has proven himself as one of the best catchers in the game by placing in the top 4 among Major League catchers in fWAR in both 2011 (4.3) and 2012 (5.0).

 

Since becoming a regular in 2009, Montero has carved a solid name for himself with his bat, being one of the few catchers in the league that have been able to provide the unique ability to hit for both average and power, averaging nearly .283 at the plate while adding 15 home runs and 69 runs batted in over that period. His production has only increased over the last two seasons, as Montero has been thrust into a position as a run producer, with the stud catcher notching 86 and 88 RBI's in each of 2011 and 2012 respectively.

 

 

 

That all said, while Montero's skills at the plate are his calling card, he hasn't been too shabby behind the dish either. In 2012, Montero finished third in caught stealing percentage with a 42.1% mark, placing him behind only Ryan Hannigan of the Cincinnati Reds and Yadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2011, Montero led Major League Baseball in the catergory, serving as the only catcher in baseball to throw out more than 40% of would be base stealers.

 

With the trade of Justin Upton and a remaking of the roster, Montero's role on the 2013 squad will be decidedly greater. The Diamondbacks have been remade under the image of their manager, Kirk Gibson, and by bringing in grinders like Cody Ross and Martin Prado to join dirt dogs like Jason Kubel and Aaron Hill, having one entrenched in the catchers role and in the heart of the order will be essential.

 

And that is exactly what Montero brings to the table. A down and dirty, take no prisoners approach to the game, and he's in the right environment for it.

 

You have to give New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman some credit; the man can certainly get creative. Even George Steinbrenner would be proud.

 

While the rest of the baseball world is spinning its wheels, wondering how Cashman is going to replace the offense lost by losing both Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson for the first two months of the season, the hobbled GM (he broke his leg skydiving) is not leaving any stone unturned.

 

That apparently means making a quick streak down Major League Baseball's retirement list.

 

Cashman has contacted the agents of three retired ballplayers to date; first baseman Derrek Lee, third baseman Scott Rolen, and, wait for it, third baseman Chipper Jones. That's right, Cashman apparently thought the lure of playing for the Yankees and the untold riches that went with it would be enough to lure the lifelong Brave out of his nearly five-month retirement to play on a one-year deal with the Yankees.

 

Jones, for his credit, wasn't buying in.

 

"Enough with the rumors! While I am flattered about the speculation of being enticed out of retirement, I'm happy with life as a bad golfer!"

 

Still, that didn't stop Cashman from at least kicking the tires. After all, we are talking about a future Hall of Famer who is coming off a season in which he appeared in 112 games and a .287 average, 14 home runs, 62 RBI, and a  .832 OPS in his farewell tour. Still, it was far-fetched to say the least, with Jones more likely to return to the Braves than anywhere else in baseball.

 

James Huneker once said, "All men of action are dreamers." And when the action requires thinking outside the box, then dreams are maybe all that is left.

 

It beats settling for Juan Rivera.

Okay so some folk this is a bad idea or dumb. So be it. I think it's cool. Then again, it's hard to get too excited about it when most of your own country's players are skipping it. Other countries sent a lot of their best players (Japan especially). Imagine a team that had Prince Fielder, Buster Posey, Matt Cain, and Bryce Harper? Well yeah they'll likely be part of the National league All-Star team this season. But none of them are playing for Team USA.

Yes they won today to advance to the second round. And they might advance to the semifinals. I'm not counting on it. As long as you have Cuba (always a power even if many past WBC Cuban players defected and now are in the majors) and Japan, you could easily put those two teams in the final. Although this time, the Netherlands & Italy (!) have beaten teams no one thought they would and are clearly the upstarts. You always have to like the underdog.

As for Team USA, they really need to find a way to encourage the superstars that it's really okay for them to play for the US team, that the chance of injury is small (unless you happen to be Mark Texiera) and with you there, they might actually win in the semifinal round! And if they did that, more American fans might actually pay attention. And since the WBC is Major League Baseball's idea, wouldn't it make sense to attract as many American fans as they could? Just a thought.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. See ya next time.

Hawkeegn

If you are interested contact writers@baseballdigest.com

you will need to submit a resume and a sample writing.

 

Scott

It goes without saying that I have spent a considerable amount of time angling against Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper. I have openly questioned the Nationals' decision to recall the then 19-year-old phenom and make him a permanent member of their starting line-up. I then chided Tony LaRussa and Major League Baseball for naming Harper to the National League All-Star team instead of Martin Prado of the Atlanta Braves. And then to close out the trifecta, I (a man who has absolutely no say in the matter) chose Wade Miley as my pick for the NL Rookie of the Year award, a trophy that inevitably went to Harper.

 

Some would read that and say that I have a personal ax to grind with the aforementioned Harper. It is actually quite the contrary. I feel he is a phenomenal talent, but my posts were backed up with thoughts of rushing a 19-year-old and playing to media sensationalism. Of course, Harper proved me wrong in terms of his maturity and his readiness to be a Major League star. And while I won't cave on my argument for Prado a year ago, the right evidence could easily beat me on the Rookie of the Year voting.

 

Well, I'm here today to prove that I am capable of change.

 

Harper has been on fire to start the spring and is already in mid-season form in regards to his cockiness and his desire to be in the line-up at any given time. Reading that lead me to reviewing what the stat pundits are predicting for the affable outfielder heading into his sophomore season. Before we get there, let's have a look at his stat-line from 2012, courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com:

 

2012 - 597 AB/ 98 R/ 144 H/ 26 2B/ 9 3B/ 22 HR / 59 RBI/ 18 SB/ .270 BA/ .817 OPS

 

Not bad at all for a 19-year-old who played just 56 games above A-Ball in his career. It shows just how advanced Harper was, but it also showed that there was room for improvement. So with that said, one would expect that the experts would see Harper as making a steady climb in 2013, right? Not exactly.

 

Noted statistician Bill James sees Harper making just modest gains in 2013:

 

659 PA/ 24 HR/ 105 R/ 65 RBI/ 20 SB/ .823 OPS

 

Dan Szymborski at The Baseball Think Factory, the man behind the ZiPS projections is a little more generous to Harper, but not much:

 

651 PA/ 26 HR/ 89 R/ 70 RBI/ 21 SB/ .834 OPS

 

So I have ask myself what these guys are seeing, or rather not seeing, from Harper's game? When all is said and done, their projections seem to be nothing more than extrapolating Harper's 2012 numbers over a full season. They don't seem to lend any real room for improvement, which you would have to expect from a player with such a lofty ceiling.

 

Sure, someone could point to the fact that a full winter of preparation by MLB scouts will help pitchers attack Harper better. That said, wouldn't we have seen a similar response to him later in the season, after he had been around the league once or twice and the book got out on him? Instead, we saw Harper have his best split in the season in September/October:

 

Sept/Oct - 126 PA/ 27 R/ 37 H/ 8 2B/ 3 3B/ 7 HR/ 14 RBI/ 5 SB/ .330 BA/ 1.043 OPS

 

With that in mind, and a full year of maturity under his belt, if Harper is half the player that we are made to believe, than one would expect him to improve on last year's campaign, with his performance in the last month of the season as proof that he is adjusting to the league rather than the other way around.

 

While I am not predicting that Harper will have the astronomical numbers that Mike Trout had a year ago (Trout likely won't either for that matter), you have to give the man credit. He has proven the naysayers wrong and shown that he a more mature ballplayer than any other player at his age.

 

Isn't it time we start giving Bryce Harper credit where credit is due

FYI, this is just a placeholder post. My real post got wiped out last night and I am in the middle of rewriting it and will have it up later today. I apologize for the delay, but thought you might enjoy this in the meantime.

It is that time again for YouGabSports and its faithful readers and compatriots to engage in baseball warfare. That's right, it is time to fire-up your draft skills and get ready for fantasy baseball!

This year, we'll be running two leagues.

The first league will feature the same teams as last season, as long as those players intend to return to the league. If you do, please respond below noting that you are activating your team or comment on the league message board to let me know you are still playing. If a team fails to do so in the next week, I will have to offer their slot up to another interested party.

The second league is being founded in order to accommodate those members that have joined up since last season's league was founded. I'll commission both leagues, so we'll only need 11 more teams for this league.

Leagues are head-to-head, category wins. The draft order will be randomized by ESPN and we will draft in the typical snake format.

Are you interested? Time to join up! Comment below and I will send an invite to the email address you used to register for The Gab!

In 2012, the upstart Oakland Athletics set an American League record by striking out 1387 times as a team. For a team that hit just .238 as a squad, it was a testament to their pitching staff that they reached the postseason at all. Still, Oakland's futility with the wood was not even close to the all-time mark. That honor belongs to the 2010 Arizona Diamondbacks, who fanned a record 1529 times that season, lead by Mark Reynolds and his 211 breeze inducers.

 

Another member of that illustrious Diamondbacks team may have a say on the chances of his new squad eclipsing that mark.

 

The 2013 Atlanta Braves will not be taking cuts lightly this season. After a winter that saw them acquire both B.J. Upton and his younger brother Justin Upton, the aformentioned former D-Back, this team will now feature five of the top 56 victims of the strike-out from 2012. In fact, when examining their project line-up for 2013, you'll see where it could be a real possibility that Atlanta will be the new home of the K.

 

For the sake of argument, namely my own, let's use each player's 162 game average season.

 

Andrelton Simmons - 69

Jason Heyward - 141

Justin Upton - 154

Freddie Freeman - 140

B.J. Upton - 171

Dan Uggla - 161

Brian McCann - 91

Juan Francisco - 113

Total - 1040

Now granted, 162 game averages are subjective at best, and the stats of Simmons and Francisco stats are extrapolated without having ever played a complete season in the Major Leagues. Even so, the primary fallback option for Francisco at third base is Chris Johnson, who himself carries a 162 game average of 152 and struck out 132 times during the 2012 season. Other bench players like Reed Johnson, Jordan Schafer, and Gerald Laird project similarly over a full season.

 

This is a team that will mash the ball, but they will do so while also striking out in droves, and almost all of the above players do so with a nearly 2:1 K/BB ratio. That's not to say that the Braves are a lock for the record., but it will bear watching as the season moves forward.

 

And could be point of contention in regards to the Braves playoff chances as well. Those last place Diamondbacks from 2010 can attest to that.

 

Michael Bourn can finally claim to know exactly who he is again after the free agent outfielder officially signed with the Cleveland Indians on Monday. The 30-year-old Bourn signed a 4-year, $48 million deal with the Tribe, which includes a vesting option for a fifth season worth an additional $12 million.

 

Bourn was an All-Star in 2012 after hitting .274 with 9 home runs, 57 RBI, a .739 OPS, and 42 stolen bases for the Braves last season. His 6.0 bWAR was the highest of his career and many fans felt he was robbed of a Gold Glove award for his play in center field. Overall, Bourn is a career .272 hitter and has 276 total stolen bases.

 

The fleet footed outfielder was one of the top free agents on the market this winter, but floated out there on the market for quite a bit of time. While his asking price - and his agent Scott Boras - was one of the reasons he had trouble finding a home, Bourn suffered due to the fact that he also had a compensatory draft pick tied to him after turning down a qualifying offer from Atlanta earlier this winter.

 

The Mets were known to be looking at Bourn as well, but with the 11th pick in the draft, the team did not want to lose its unprotected pick. At one point, there was talk that the Players' Union would petition on behalf of Bourn and the Mets in order for them to keep their pick since they technically had the 10th worst record, only falling out of the protected pick range due to the Pittsburgh Pirates being guaranteed the 10th pick after failing to sign their first round pick in 2012.

 

The Indians are already giving up their second round pick to the Yankees. They will now surrender their competitive balance pick (69th overall) as compensation for signing Bourn.

 

Bourn will immediately become the Indians new center-fielder, with Drew Stubbs and Michael Brantley likely platooning in left field. The Indians have made quite a splash this winter in free agency and trades, also signing Nick Swisher and acquiring Trevor Bauer in a deal with Arizona and Cincinnati earlier this offseason. Last week, the team also inked Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jason Giambi to minor league deals.

 

Next up for Scott Boras, find a similar situation for Kyle Lohse, who has been similarly handicapped after rejecting the qualifying offer from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Just three days ago, we sat here and commended the Seattle Mariners for their decision to extend Felix Hernandez with a record-setting contract. The news that the two sides had come to an agreement that would keep the ace right-hander in Seattle for the next 7 seasons was music to the ears for those of use that appreciate when the small market teams hold onto their weapons.

 

Now, with those three days having passed, comes news that the Mariners and Hernandez have yet to finalize the agreement. Apparently, if different sources are to be believed, an elbow issue has popped up during Hernandez's physical, throwing the deal into limbo while the two sides work out what to do next.

 

I guess we shouldn't be surprised at this stage. The 26-year-old Hernandez has carried quite a workload over the last 7 seasons, averaging 219 innings during that span. Narrowing that down to the last four seasons, Hernandez has thrown an average of 238 innings a season. That's a lot of innings for a pitcher that broke into the big leagues at the age of 19 and was immediately thrust into the role of team ace.

 

To put that into perspective, C.C. Sabathia has averaged 226 innings pitched during that span, and Justin Verlander has averaged 238. That said, Verlander is 29 and Sabathia 32, meaning that those two took on that burden at an age where their arms were more seasoned.

 

News of Hernandez's possible elbow issue will only serve to fuel the debate over whether an extension is wise at this stage. On one hand, when you have a talent like Hernandez, you lock him up, especially if your other talent is right there ready to join him and make the team competitive for a number of seasons. On the other hand, trading Hernandez prior to learning of his issue, would have netted the team an untold ransom of prospects that could have helped with the development process as well.

 

In the end, neither side of the argument wins when an a red flag goes up. Hopefully the two sides continue on the path they started down, and protect themselves with the proper language in which to ensure that neither gets handicapped by a poor decision.

 

Its a worthwhile gamble for both the Mariners and King Felix to take.

The Cleveland Indians are once again in the middle of a youth movement, but that has not stopped the team from adding a pair of veterans to the fold. On Saturday, they signed Jason Giambi to serve the role of back-up first baseman/designated hitter/pinch-hitter. They followed that up on Sunday by agreeing to terms with free agent Daisuke Matsuzaka on one-year deal.

 

Both contracts are minor-league deals that include invitations to both players to attend Spring Training with the Major League club.

 

Giambi's deal is worth $750k plus incentives that can be reached if he makes the Indians roster. The 42-year-old veteran of 18 seasons spent the 2012 campaign with the Colorado Rockies, posting a .225 average with 1 home run and 8 RBI in limited duty. At one stage of the winter, he contemplated retirement and was being considered as a possible managerial candidate in Colorado. Giambi is a career .280 hitter with 429 home runs, 1405 RBI, a .926 OPS and was the 2000 American League MVP.

 

Matsuzaka finished his 6-years in Boston, making just 11 starts in 2012 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2011. Dice-K posted an unremarkable 1-7 record with an 8.28 ERA in those starts, but owns a 50-37 overall record with a 4.52 ERA during his 6-year MLB career. There was talk that the right-hander would return to Japan for next season before he opted to sign with Cleveland. If he makes the team, the deal is worth $1.5 million plus incentives that could bring the contract up to $4 million based on performance.

 

It is hard to imagine where either player fits into the long-term scheme for Cleveland. The Indians have already signed Mark Reynolds to be their primary first baseman, with Nick Swisher and Carlos Santana likely to get a number of starts there as well.

 

The pitching staff is also fairly well set with Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez, Brett Myers, Carlos Carrasco, and Zach McAllister penciled in as the starting five. If one of them faulters, newly acquired Trevor Bauer is likely to be the first to step into the fold.

 

Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez is already slated to miss most, if not all, of the 2013 with a second surgery on his hip. Did he really need news of his involvement in an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency and Major League Baseball on top of that?

 

According to the New York Daily News, the investigation centers around Anthony Bosch, a man based in Miami that has advised Rodriguez on nutrition, dietary supplements, and training. Bosch and his father, Pedro  Publio Bosch, are being investigated for possibly supplying illegal substances to ball players.

 

In 2009, Bosch's father was a central figure in the Manny Ramirez suspension after it became known that the subscription that Ramirez used to get the banned drug that resulted in his first breach of MLB's policy on performance enhancing substances.

 

Major League Baseball is interested in Bosch's possible roles in the the circulation of synthetic testosterone, HGH (Human Growth Hormone), and other drugs that have been making their ways into drug tests performed under the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Players including Melky Cabrera, Bartolo Colon, Marlon Byrd, Yasmani Grandal, and Carlos Ruiz have all received suspensions in recent months for violating the agreement.

 

This is also not the first time Rodriguez has shown up on the radar of either the DEA or Major League Baseball. In 2010, Rodriguez was questioned for his ties to Anthony Galea, a Canadian sports medicine specialist. Galea plead guilty in 2011 to trafficking mis-branded drugs for treating professional athletes. As part of his guilty plea, Galea has agreed to supply the names of his clients and their treatments.

 

At the time of the Galea investigation, it was determined that Galea only supplied Rodriguez with anti-inflammatory medication and treated him with platelet rich plasma therapy. Rodriguez was questioned by Major League Baseball, but was never suspended.

 

On February 24, 2009, Alex Rodriguez admitted to using steroids and other performance enhancing substances during the period of 2001-2003.

 

All and all, it is not shocking to see Rodriguez still popping up on baseball's steroid radar. The sudden degeneration of his hip and his inability to perform at his previous pace are both signs of prolonged steroid usage and the long term after affects of using. Whether anything comes out of this current investigation remains to be seen, but one could imagine that the New York Yankees will look at this seriously and consider all options in regards to voiding A-Rod's albatross of a contract.

 

 

During Albert Pujols's time with the St. Louis Cardinals and afterward with the Los Angeles Angels, many wanted to nickname him "El Hombre", or "The Man". Each time he deferred, saying instead that that title was already taken by Stan "The Man" Musial, and Pujols believed it should stay with the Cardinals' great.

 

It is a title Musial will now take with him to the grave, as Musial passed away on Saturday evening at the age of 92.

 

It was a title befitting of Musial, the greatest Cardinal to ever play the game and one of the best to ever wear a uniform; period. Let's run down the list for a moment of just how great a player Musial really was, playing in the shadows of Joe Dimaggio and Ted Williams:

 

- 22 year career, all with St. Louis.

- 3630 career hits.

- 475 career home runs.

- 1951 career RBI.

- .331 career batting average

- .976 career OPS

- 123.4 career bWAR

- 3-time National League Most Valuable Player

- 20-time All-Star

- 7 career batting titles

- 1969 induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame with 93.2% of the vote.

- 3-Time World Series Champion

 

Quite simply, Stan Musial was an absolute stud and will always be remembered as one of the top 10 players to ever play the game. He played the game by one simple rule and it is not possible to fault the results:

 

"The key to hitting for high average is to relax, concentrate, and don't hit the fly ball to center field."

 

Rest in Peace Stan. You will forever be "The Man"!

 

On Friday, Major League Baseball lost a one-of-a-kind baseball man. Earl Weaver, 82,  was a genuine, dyed in the wool throwback to the days when baseball managers were gruff and took no lip from anybody.

 

Weaver served as manager of the Baltimore Orioles for 17 seasons (1968-1982, 1985-1986), managing some of the greatest players to ever take the field for the birds. From Brooks Robinson to Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer to Cal Ripken, Weaver lead them all to a 1480-1060 record, four American League Pennants  and one World Series Championship. His dedication to "pitching, fundamentals, and the three-run homer" was so successful that Weaver only had to endure one losing season during his career.

 

Those accomplishments lead to an induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.

 

But Earl Weaver was more than just a great manager. He was also a great soundbite, filling reporters' notebooks with one-liners the way that few in baseball did before or after him. With that in mind, it is only appropriate that we remember him through some of his best quotes.

 

"Nobody likes to hear it, because it's dull, but the reason you win or lose is darn near always the same - pitching."

 

"On my tombstone just write, 'The sorest loser that ever lived."

 

"You got a hundred more young kids than you have a place for on your club. Every one of them has had a going away party. They have been given the shaving kit and the fifty dollars. They kissed everybody and said, 'See you in the majors in two years.' You see these poor kids who shouldn't be there in the first place. You write on the report card '4-4-4 and out.' That's the lowest rating in everything. Then you call 'em in and say, 'It's the consensus amoung us that we're going to let you go back home.' Some of them cry, some get mad, but none of them will leave until you answer them one question, 'Skipper, what do you think?' And you gotta look every one of those kids in the eye and kick their dreams in the ass and say no. If you say it mean enough, maybe they do themselves a favor and don't waste years learning what you can see in a day. They don't have what it takes to make the majors, just like I never had it."

 

"In baseball, you can't kill the clock. You've got to give the other man his chance. That's why this is the greatest game. "

 

This is all that needs to be said...