And So it Begins

[DerangedHermit 0]

Sure he can. Just not against the Yankees.

Why don't the Yankees sign Al Leiter? He'll be a FA, and he's no worse than Kevin Brown

[Brett Favre 0]

The thing is (about Leiter), he's always out by the 5th inning. He throws like 183 pitches a game.

[mike546 0]

He averaged 18 pitchers per inning last year.

[DerangedHermit 0]

The thing is (about Leiter), he's always out by the 5th inning. He throws like 183 pitches a game.

Hence the winks...

[Brett Favre 0]

I thought those winks were cringes at the mention of Kevin Brown. I neee to learn those faces.

[strummer 0]

Speaking of Leiter, he is officially a Free agent:

 

 

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/nym...s_nym&fext=.jsp

[DerangedHermit 0]

Goddamnit....Minaya and Randolph look like they're relatives

[MikeJordan23 0]

I hear the Cardinals are interested in Randy Johnson, but I don't see them talking much about Carl Pavano?

 

We have a lot of propsects, so I think getting Johnson would probably be easier than getting Pavano (Since there's atleast 5 teams going at him), but hopefully they make an attempt. The owner told Walt that the payroll will be relatively the same it was this season, so who knows? They also have the try to re-sign Edgar. I wouldn't touch Morris, and let Matheny go unless you could get him back cheap.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

the White Sox are interested in Randy Johnson too, if an offer of Paul Konerko and Jon Garland can even be classified as "interest"

[DerangedHermit 0]

the White Sox are interested in Randy Johnson too, if an offer of Paul Konerko and Jon Garland can even be classified as "interest"

The Mets also had interest until they were told they don't have Timo Perez and Jay Payton anymore.

[Guest Anglesault]

the White Sox are interested in Randy Johnson too, if an offer of Paul Konerko and Jon Garland can even be classified as "interest"

The Mets also had interest until they were told they don't have Timo Perez and Jay Payton anymore.

Wigginton replaced them as "Why don't we trade (x sub-average player) for Barry Bonds, Sosa, Griffey and prospects?" for the Mets.

[DerangedHermit 0]

the White Sox are interested in Randy Johnson too, if an offer of Paul Konerko and Jon Garland can even be classified as "interest"

The Mets also had interest until they were told they don't have Timo Perez and Jay Payton anymore.

Wigginton replaced them as "Why don't we trade (x sub-average player) for Barry Bonds, Sosa, Griffey and prospects?" for the Mets.

Stupid Met fan: "Hmmm.....Wigginton, Timo and Payton are gone...how about Kaz Matsui, Jeff Keppinger and Joe McEwing?"

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

last chance AS: Garland for Vasquez

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

We've got our first trade, as the Royals send Darrell May and Ryan Bukvich to the Padres for Terrance Long and Dennis Tankersley. I like the aquisition of May for the Padres. He had decent peripherals, his problem was that he gave up too many home runs. Take a homer prone pitcher and move him into the spacious confines of Petco Park. He'll be much improved next season.

[Guest Anglesault]

last chance AS: Garland for Vasquez

I've moved off my "airline peanuts for Vazquez" run.

[Hektik 0]

I like the aquisition of May for the Padres.  He had decent peripherals, his problem was that he gave up too many home runs.  Take a homer prone pitcher and move him into the spacious confines of Petco Park.  He'll be much improved next season.

I don't know about that. The last thing I think the Padres need is another Ismael Valdez. Last year Valdez had a 3.03 ERA at Petco but a 8.88 ERA on the road. That really did end up hurting the Pads in the long run.

 

I do think the Padres should go after Javier Vasquez. They could trade Phil Nevin to New York straight up for Vasquez. Nevin had a good year with 26 HR and 105 RBI. Although I am not sure if NY is looking for a first baseman.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Toronto appears to be showing some interest in Jon Lieber.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I don't know about that. The last thing I think the Padres need is another Ismael Valdez. Last year Valdez had a 3.03 ERA at Petco but a 8.88 ERA on the road. That really did end up hurting the Pads in the long run.

 

All I can tell you is that May has much better BB/K stats than Valdez. Valdez didn't even have good peripherals at home.

[The Man in Blak 0]

I'm a little befuddled as to why the Royals actually went out of their way to get Terrence Long. Not only is he a fourth outfielder, at best, he also makes a mind-numbing $3 million next year. Tankersley could be good in the future, but Long is a financial sinkhole.

[Hektik 0]

So, what do you guys think of the name Los Angeles Angels.

 

Keeping Up Appearances

By Bill Shaikin

Times Staff Writer

 

The Angels' latest billboard campaign isn't selling anything. There is no pitch to buy tickets, no phone number to call, not even the name of the team.

 

There is a portrait of a player in action, next to the team logo, against a backdrop of Angel red. That's it. If you don't know what the logo represents, or you don't recognize Vladimir Guerrero, the ads make no sense.

 

"It actually kind of violates what you're supposed to do," said John Carpino, the Angels' senior vice president of sales and advertising. "But if some people see it and don't know what it's about, they're probably not my target."

 

In the month after the Angels won the American League West championship and set a franchise attendance record, the billboards are designed to keep the team on the minds of Southern California sports fans as season tickets go on sale and Christmas approaches.

 

The ads do not appear in Orange County but do appear throughout Los Angeles County — the most recent evidence of owner Arte Moreno's strategy to sell the Angels as a Southland team, even if he decides not to risk the legal battle that might be necessary to rename his team the Los Angeles Angels.

 

The Dodgers have had internal discussions about how they might respond, and club officials are so convinced Moreno might make the change that last week's release of the Angels' 2005 schedule prompted one curious Dodger executive to ask, "Does it say Los Angeles Angels?"

 

No, but it does not say Anaheim Angels either, just Angels. According to a high-ranking baseball official, Commissioner Bud Selig has given Moreno his blessing to rename the team.

 

"That can't hurt the Dodgers," the official said.

 

However, the official added, Selig wants Moreno to work with Anaheim rather than engage the city in a bitter public fight. The Angel Stadium lease, which Moreno inherited from the Walt Disney Co. when he bought the franchise last year, requires the team to be called the Anaheim Angels.

 

The Angels have not discussed the subject with city officials since July, City Manager Dave Morgan said. The City Council has pledged to veto such a name change, and Morgan said the city attorney was prepared to seek an injunction should Moreno implement a change without council approval.

 

"We love Arte Moreno. We love the Angels. We want to work with them," Morgan said.

 

"In the unfortunate situation that they would try to move ahead anyway, we would take legal action. We hope it doesn't come to that, but we're prepared to do that if we need to."

 

The city would like — but would not need — Moreno's support in its pursuit of an NFL franchise, Morgan said. The city would not violate the Angels' lease by building a football stadium in the Angel Stadium parking lot, Morgan said, because repainting would provide the 12,500 surface-level parking spaces required in the lease.

 

In the Angels' first public acknowledgment of the possible name change, vice president of communications Tim Mead said the idea remained under consideration, with no decision about whether to implement the change and no timetable for a decision.

 

"It's a concept that has been discussed," Mead said.

 

Moreno does not plan to move the team to Los Angeles or change the team logo or uniforms. He believes he can generate additional revenue by selling the team to all of Southern California, not only Orange County, then persuading broadcasters and advertisers to pay more because the Angels are a regional attraction rather than a local one.

 

The Angels' ratings last season rose 29% on Channel 9 and 62% on Fox Sports Net, Carpino said.

 

The team's contract with Channel 9 is up for renewal after the 2005 season. The Angels will receive $5.2 million from Channel 9 next year; the Dodgers will get $8 million from Channel 13.

 

Moreno removed the word "Anaheim" from uniforms, schedules and ads last season. The Angels sell 65% of their season tickets in Orange County, 24% in Los Angeles County and 10% in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, according to Carpino.

 

Carpino said billboards in the current campaign do not appear in Orange County because he could not secure space in prime locations, but it is not accidental that the series of player ads includes one featuring new closer Francisco Rodriguez that looms above Ventura Boulevard.

 

"If we can generate interest in Encino, Tarzana, Pasadena or wherever, the likelihood of people there attending an Angel game becomes higher," he said. "If they just watch games, that benefits us too, because that benefits our media partners."

 

If Guerrero wins the AL most-valuable-player award — the announcement is Nov. 16 — the Angels might slap "MVP" atop his billboards. With Guerrero leading the charge to the playoffs and the Angels selling a record 3.4 million tickets, sports business consultant David Carter said the team has the credibility to run an ad campaign without selling anything, one that evokes the excitement of the summer.

 

"It's a bold statement, that they can use an image to communicate their brand," Carter said. "It would work for the Angels. It would not work for the Clippers. It's not just a short-term thing. It's the overall momentum this franchise has in the community and their belief this is not just a one-time spike."

 

By using bold color and what he called "bigger than life" player images, Carpino said the Angels hoped fans would relive the joy of last season and start anticipating the next one — cash in hand, of course.

 

"From November through February, when we're not playing, that's a real important time for season ticket renewals and sponsorships, and baseball isn't at the top of people's minds," he said. "We're trying to create awareness throughout the whole region and trying to make the Angels more than just March through October."

[Brett Favre 0]

Decent Page 2 Column

 

By David Schoenfield

Page 2

 

I imagine the conversation went something like this ...

 

 

"CASHMAN!"

 

 

"Yes, Mr. Steinbrenner."

 

 

"I thought Michael Kay said the Red Sox would never win with their long hair! But there I was watching the playoffs and I see that hippie freak Johnny Damon beating us with two home runs! He said the Red Sox were too undisciplined!"

 

 

Poor Brian. He should have listened to Dave.

"Well, yes, Michael did write that. But, you know, in baseball, you never know."

 

 

"Leave Yogi out of this! Yogi is a real Yankee! In fact, that's we need. Some real Yankees. Like Paul O'Neill. Now there was a true warrior. I'm not sure Rodriguez and Sheffield are real Yankees. Like Scott Brosius and Tino Martinez. Those guys were real Yankees. Get me some real Yankees, Cashman! And some warriors. Like O'Neill. Real Yankees don't choke!"

 

 

"Yes, Mr. Steinbrenner."

 

 

"And see what that Schoenfield guy over at Page 2 has to say. Last year, he said to get Schilling instead of Vazquez. He said to get Tejada instead of A-Rod. He said to get Edmonds for center field. He said to sign Colon, not trade for Kevin Brown. Did we do any of those things? NO! This Schoenfield guy, maybe I should hire him!"

 

 

"Yes, Mr. Steinbrenner."

 

 

So once again, because this crumbling dynasty hasn't won anything in the past four seasons, because they choked like no team has choked before, because a strong Yankee team is in the best interests of baseball, I provide my second annual guide on "How to Rebuild the Yankees."

 

 

Last year, I predicted the departure of Andy Pettitte and the trades of Alfonso Soriano and Nick Johnson. I predicted the signing of Gary Sheffield and the sale of Drew Henson. I predicted Aaron Boone would be gone and a big-name shortstop would be brought in. Most presciently, I wrote this: "Forget Javier Vazquez, another popular rumor. The Yanks need a Proven Postseason Pitcher -- like Schilling, who is available ... "

 

 

If they had listened to me, the Yankees would be world champions. Listen to me this time, and they will transform from one of baseball's ugly ducklings back into the swans they so richly deserve to be.

 

 

1. First off, Yankee fans, you aren't going to be trading Jason Giambi back to the A's for Mark Mulder and the rights to Billy Beane's brain. So let's be realistic here. You're stuck with the G-Man and his hyper-inflated contract ($15.5 million in 2005 and growing) through 2008. Enjoy.

 

 

However, as first-base/DH insurance, the Yankees should sign Tino Martinez. I know what you're thinking: He's old. But last year, Martinez had his highest on-base percentage (.362) since 1997 and his second-highest slugging percentage (.461) since 1998. And most importantly, Tino is a Real Yankee®, a leader in the clubhouse and a Proven Postseason Performer®.

 

 

2. On the other hand, Kevin Brown, definitely not a Real Yankee, should be traded to the Braves, with the Yankees picking up about $10 million of his $15 million salary. What will the Yanks get in the deal? The pleasure of not having Kevin Brown on the team.

 

 

3. Mike Mussina and Vazquez will be back in the rotation, but Jon Lieber, Orlando Hernandez and Esteban Loaiza are free agents. Obviously, the Yankees need to get some left-handed starters on the team to combat the Red Sox. Randy Johnson is the ideal candidate, but the Yankees' minor-league system is more used up than Paris Hilton. That leaves only the free agency route, and there are really only three quality lefty starters available that way: Odalis Perez, Eric Milton and ... David Wells.

 

 

As tempting as Wells -- a Proven Postseason Performer® and a Real Yankee® -- is, Cashman knows the Yankees need to get younger. So they should swoop in and sign Perez (four years, $32 million) and Milton (three years, $21 million).

 

 

4. El Duque should be signed as insurance (one year, $3 million), but we know the Yankees need six starters. So that leaves ... no, not Pedro Martinez, because we don't want to disrupt the clubhouse chemistry. It leaves ... Matt Clement. He can be a little shaky, but the Yankees need a guy who can bring some heat in the rotation. Plus, he won't break the bank (four years, $35 million).

 

 

5. Likewise, the Yankees need some lefty relievers to combat the Red Sox. Steve Kline (three years, $10 million), come on down! Kent Mercker (two years, $4.5 million), come on down!

 

 

6. We know everybody thinks the Yankees have already measured a uniform for Carlos Beltran. We know Bernie Williams has only one year left on his contract. We know Scott Boras is reportedly searching for a 10-year contract. And we know the Yankees can afford it.

 

 

And we say: Just do it. Don't even think about J.D. Drew. Forget another year of Bernie out there. Get Beltran, get him now, and get him the contract he wants (which won't be 10 years, but in the neighborhood of seven years, $115 million).

 

 

Is he a real Yankee? Who knows, but Placido won't break the bank.

7. Miguel Cairo had a nice season and even showed signs of being a Real Yankee® in the playoffs. But he isn't. Jeff Kent is tempting, but he's old and we're not sure how he would fit in the clubhouse. The Red Sox proved the value of team chemistry. The Yankees don't need to break the bank here. Sign a nice player like Placido Polanco, who can pick it at second and is just 29 years old. He'll cost about three years, $16 million.

 

 

On second thought, the Yankees need Randy Johnson. Here's how to get him: Sign 21-year-old Cuban switch-hitting slugger Kendry Morales and package him and Perez to the Diamondbacks. Throw in another prospect or two, a little cash, maybe a little advice on how to hire a manager ... yes, it can be done.

 

 

The Big Unit in pinstripes.

 

 

Meet your 2005 Yankees (salaries included):

 

 

Lineup

Derek Jeter, SS ($20.0M)

Alex Rodriguez, 3B ($20.0)

Carlos Beltran, CF ($15.0)

Gary Sheffield, RF ($13.0)

Hideki Matsui, LF ($8.0)

Bernie Williams, DH ($12.0)

Jorge Posada, C ($12.0)

Tino Martinez, 1B ($4.0)

Placido Polanco, 2B ($5.0)

Jason Giambi, PH ($15.5)

 

 

Rotation

Randy Johnson, LHP ($16.5M)

Mike Mussina, RHP ($19.0)

Javier Vazquez, RHP ($10.5)

Matt Clement, RHP ($8.0)

Eric Milton, LHP ($7.0)

Orlando Hernandez, RHP ($3.0)

*Kevin Brown ($10.0)

*salary picked up after trade

 

 

Bullpen

Mariano Rivera, RHP ($10.5M)

Tom Gordon, RHP ($3.75)

Paul Quantrill, RHP ($3.0)

Steve Kline, LHP ($3.0)

Kent Mercker, LHP ($2.0)

Steve Karsay, RHP ($5.0)

Felix Heredia, LHP ($1.8)

 

 

Total payroll: $195 million. Throw in that $10 million owed to Kevin Brown and, sure, the Yankees will be pushing $200 million.

 

 

But don't cringe at that figure. Added revenue from winning the World Series will make up for the increased payroll.

 

 

That is, if the new guys prove to be Real Yankees®.

 

 

David Schoenfield is an editor for Page 2 in his day job. He can be reached at [email protected].

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I'm a little befuddled as to why the Royals actually went out of their way to get Terrence Long. Not only is he a fourth outfielder, at best, he also makes a mind-numbing $3 million next year. Tankersley could be good in the future, but Long is a financial sinkhole.

 

They lose May's contract, so the money works out about even.

[Stephen 0]

Toronto appears to be showing some interest in Jon Lieber.

Toronto is also interested in Corey Koskie

[The Man in Blak 0]

Yeah, Schoenfield is such a genius that he gave the Yankees a 13-man pitching staff and a three man bench.

 

I'm a little befuddled as to why the Royals actually went out of their way to get Terrence Long. Not only is he a fourth outfielder, at best, he also makes a mind-numbing $3 million next year. Tankersley could be good in the future, but Long is a financial sinkhole.

 

They lose May's contract, so the money works out about even.

 

Sure, it works out financially, but I think you'd rather have a guy who could eat up innings for your young and injury-prone pitching staff than a guy who'll swing a banjo at a .250 clip as a fourth outfielder (Long's career OPS = .730), right?

[The Czech Republic 0]

Yeah, Schoenfield is such a genius that he gave the Yankees a 13-man pitching staff and a three man bench.

Nobody needs SEVEN starting pitchers. Eric Milton?

[Vern Gagne 0]

Maybe it's me but the mock Steinbrenner conversations are old and not funny.

 

Ha Ha. Steinbrenner is yelling at Cashman. Spend a bunch of money. Why not bring Whitey Ford out of retirement.

[Guest Anglesault]

Bold prediction: If the Yankees settle for Milton, they miss the playoffs. Moonshot Milton and Jome Run Javy in the same rotation will be a disaster that I don't think even randy Johnson can overcome.

[Brett Favre 0]

Randy Johnson will have to pull an Arizona and pitch in like 5 out of the 7 games in a series.

[Guest Anglesault]

If they make the playoffs, Randy Johnson better play first base when Milton or Vazquez pitch so he can shift in and fix their fuck ups

[Brett Favre 0]

He should warm up for each game.

 

Which means as many throws to first as possible.