SOMETHING BIG HAPPENED TO RAUL IBANEZ

Someone sent me a note a while back.  It was after we wrote a piece about Raul Ibanez, who, at the time, was on the Mariners again.  It read "Why do we care what Raul Ibanez does now? He's not a Yankee." I'm gonna be honest with you... that's ignorant, and you know it.

Celebrate players. Understand the talent needed to stay in a league, or in baseball as long as a guy like Raul Ibanez, or Derek Jeter, or Cal Ripken Jr.  It's a brutal business.  You need to show your top game every day, because if you don't, there are others younger, and probably stronger willing and able to take an enormous pay cut, just to get a taste.

I only bring this up because Ibanez notched his 2000th career hit this weekend.  As Bill Baer from Hardball Talk writes: "With closer Jose Valverde on the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning to protect a 6-3 Mets lead, the Angels mounted a two-out rally. David Freese singled, then Erick Aybar walked to bring up the 41-year-old Ibanez. Ibanez took a ball, then took Valverde deep to right-field for a game-tying three-run home run to tie the game at six apiece."

Sound familiar? Remember this?



Nice! Sure sir, who wrote me that email... say whatever you want, you're entitled. But there is something about athletes and the flair for the dramatic and big moments that gets me all fuzzy inside.  Ibanez will always be part of the BYB family.  Not only for his athleticism, but for his interview he gave us after Hurricane Sandy. This man stepped up and offered to help out any way possible.

Read BYB EXCLUSIVE. IBANEZ TO SANDY VICTIMS: "I AM HERE TO HELP"

I love it Raul... keep going!

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YOU DIDN'T HEAR? DOCTORING THE BALL IS OK AGAIN.

I was annoyed when Clay Buchholz was clearly using some type of foreign substance on his shiny forearm a year ago. But nothing ever came of it.  Not a thing. I figured at that point, if no one wants to make a big stink about it, I guess doctoring the ball is OK again. I mean, after all, Gaylord Perry did it better than anyone, but remember, that was in the 1970's when the umps would bust these players every once in a while, but it was happening a lot. Gaylord was the best at doctoring the ball, and Gaylord is a Hall of Famer.

Then, it almost seemed like it stopped.  Now, I'm not stupid. I know that throughout the 80's and 90's it was happening, but it was not as obvious as a say Clay Buchholz shiny arm.  Maybe even the Jose Valverde, spitter.


You remember that one right? It was the Ol' "I'm gonna to gob on this baseball right now" pitch.

Well,  tonight, Michael Pineda clearly had pine tar on his pitching hand while throwing against the Red Sox, for at least part of the game. And you know what? No one cares, so good for him.

That's right, I'm officially tired of being the goodie-goodie. It's clear, this is happening more and more out in the open. You know what? Go for it... Gaylord Perry would be proud.

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STORIES OF THE BIZARRE: METS SIGN VALVERDE

Just when you thought the winter in the Northeast couldn't get weirder... the New York Mets just signed Jose Valverde.  I can tell you, no one saw that coming:

Aaron Gleeman of Hardball Talk reports that the Mets have reached a deal:

"... the longtime closer has agreed to a minor-league deal with the Mets."

Say what you will, but the Mets are trying to put together a contender after years of bad deals and money problems.  Give them alittle credit. I just didn't see this happening but it could end up working out great from them.

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ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER SPITBALL

No one did the spitter better than Gaylord Perry and I grew up watching it and it was glorious.  But it’s also illegal in Major League Baseball these days... or so we thought.  Lately I guess Bud Selig has done his best not answering questions about steroid allegations pinned on players, and trying to decide whether there should be more cameras on the field for instant replay or whether or not we should have another few expansion teams or even extend the playoffs until December.  I am kidding about most of that, but the point is it’s clear that with all the cameras already in a stadium at any given game, it makes no sense that nothing is being done to reprimand pitchers who openly gob on the baseball.  

We saw it last year when Jose Valverde put a nice goober on the ball in front of the world, that one was ignored.  Now, we see Alex Sanabia spitting on the baseball as clear as day and trust me... everyone saw it!  Again though, nothing is being done to him. 

According to the crew chief the night of the "spitting" incident, They didn't see it happen when the goober was put on the ball, but later in the game, they "did order Sanabia to discard another ball for improperly going to his mouth." (Read HERE)  So in other words, everyone saw the spitter take place except for the umpires, the guys running the field.  I mean seriously, what are we doing here? 

Look, think about this... what’s the point of having rules if you’re not going to follow them?  Meanwhile, Pete Rose is still wondering if he can finally get out of purgatory for betting on baseball,  something he’s finally admitted to. 

But Jesus Christ, hasn't the man who was nicknamed “Charlie Hustle” been tortured enough?  I grew up in the 1970’s, Rose WAS baseball.  But yeah, he’s banned from the game, now 22 years ago, and spitting on the ball , something called illegal in the 1920's doesn’t even get you a fine these days, even when there's proof of it, like in the case of Alex Sanabia the other night.

Now you know where I stand on the spitter, or maybe you don’t. My point on the spitter is clear and sure, these are my own rules, but to me it makes sense.  

If you do the spitter and no one knows, AND, it’s spit and not Vaseline or Pine-tar or sunscreen or horse crap, do it.  But, do not:

• A) Spit on the ball in public

• B) Make it obvious.   

(In Photo: Gaylord Perry)

Silly I know, but that's how I feel about it. Spitters have been around forever and sure, we can get into the gray area of who actually used spit and who actually didn’t, but it’s part of the "old school" game that I love.   All I’m saying is, keep it partially honest, spit on your hand and grease up the laces.  That’s just good old baseball.  Standing on the mound goobing on the baseball is ridiculous. Sticking Vaseline in the baseball red is terrible.  Alittle spit that no one sees, well, that never hurt anyone.  Seriously, if you're out there making it obvious, you’re stupid and I have no sympathy for you.  You should be fined.  

Furthermore, I found it mind-blowing that Major League Baseball didn’t do more with Clay Buchholz a few weeks ago.  It was clear there was something illegal going on, from my point of view at least. But they let it go, never did an investigation and it all ended.  All that does is make desperate pitchers more daring, hence, Alex Sanabia.  What the hell is he thinking? And will MLB look into this? Probably not.

Message to Selig… OK, so you don’t want to fine anyone for the spitter, than take it out of the rule book. Hey, and while we’re at it, set Pete Rose free!  It’s time he be eligible to be voted into the Hall of Fame. It’s clear to me you make your own rules regardless of the ones written… oh, and the steroids stuff?  That’s another post for another time, but in case you want a nice read on the topic, check out PEDs...AND WHAT SHOULD COME NEXT.

Enjoy your Friday everyone.

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IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN BOSTON...

 ...when Clay Buchholz is pitching at least. What do I mean? This...

Great piece by Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports yesterday (HERE) about the overwhelming controversy or lack there of (depending on how you feel about a spitter), when it comes to Buchholz and his glistening arm. According to Passan, sources have spoken:  "Two veteran pitchers and one source close to the Red Sox told Yahoo! Sports that about 90 percent of major league pitchers use some form of spray-on sunscreen – almost always BullFrog brand – that when combined with powdered rosin gives them a far superior grip on the ball.
 
'Sunscreen and rosin could be used as foundation for houses,' one American League pitcher said. 'Produces a tack, glue-like substance that engineers would be jealous of.'"

Could Buchholz be one of those pitchers? Hey, maybe.  One things for sure, that arm is shiny as hell.  Now look, that accusation by those "sources" is kind of a big deal... if it's true.  I don't like cheating, let's be honest, but when it comes to the old days of "real" baseball, you might find this weird, but I have a different opinion on it all.  I don't care... to a certain extent. But let me explain what that mean. First off, there are rules right? So we need to follow them if we are pro baseball players. If a rule states for instance that you can't use a foreign substance and sunscreen and rosin makes a "real good" foreign substance, that's a pretty big problem, don't you think?

Now Buchholz is not a dumb guy.  He can easily come forward and say, "Hey, I wear sunscreen, I don't want to get burned in the sun! (even in night games?) How was I supposed to know that accidentally mixing sunscreen and rosin was affecting my pitching?" All Major League Baseball needs to do is come back with "Well, it did and you're fined."  That would be it. Now look, again, is Buchholz doing that like Passan suggests he "could be" doing? We don't know yet, but again, I just keep going back to that glistening arm.

But look, think about the whole situation, meaning, look at all the great cons of the past. How about when Joe Niekro scuffed the ball years ago and got caught when he was with the Twins? Cheating, clearly.  Look at Joel Peralta with the Rays last year when he had pine tar on his ball and was suspended for 8 games. Cheating, clearly. Read HERE.

I would even go as far as complain about Jose Valverde and his saliva trick on the ball last year that was caught on tape. Considered cheating, but and you're not going to believe this... I've softened on my stance on saliva on the ball. Yes, it's true. Actual spit on a baseball never hurt anyone. That's "old" school and it's my opinion, that if your not being obvious, give it a shot. I almost feel like that's part of the game. Pitchers lick their fingers, you know what I mean?

 (In Photo: Gaylord Perry)
I have a much bigger problem with Crisco, or Vaseline or yes,  even sunscreen. These substances would have been purposely brought onto the field for a very unique use. I say if you're gonna loogy on the ball...just don't get caught, don't make it obvious. That's the difference in my strange mind.

So what should happen? A fine for Buchholz and we move on, especially if we find out it's true.  What can you do? Sure, I'd like him to come clean officially, but will he?  Look, Buchholz is a good pitcher, he probably didn't need to doctor the ball, but it appears that he may have and if Passan's sources are telling the truth, Buchholz needs to answer some questions, don't you think?

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TURNING YOUR BACK ON SCOTT BORAS

I once wrote that I was pretty positive that the Yankees were tired of Scott Boras and his antics and were willing to not sign his clients. I thought that was coming into play when the Yankees were trying to decide between Joakim Soria and Rafael Soriano a few years ago. At the time, Cashman didn't want Soriano and I made an educated guess that if he knew he could rid himself of Boras players, he would. It was then that the Yankees forced in and signed Soriano. The Yankees then had to deal with Boras for 2 years.

Edwin Jackson was never a superstar pitcher but when he was with Boras, he was manipulated and tricked into thinking he could be a 6 year, $52 million dollar man somewhere. He wasn't, and had to settle for 1 year with the Nationals. Jackson did the right thing and dumped Scott Boras. This year he got a 4 year deal with the Cubs, still alittle ridiculous, but good for him, he's no longer with Boras.

Now this off-season, players that should probably have jobs right now, don't and I suspect Scott Boras has a lot to do with it. I mean sure, Rafael Soriano finally was able to land a job, but it was only for 2 years, worth $28 million, read HERE.

Now, the underlying question is, what happens when Robinson Cano ends his last year in New York in 2013? Then what?  Well, I suspect Scott Boras will try and make Cano the richest player ever and I fear that it will be the end of  Cano in pinstripes. If that happens, it will be a damn shame. Greed kills players. Its a business, I know that, but it's also a game and when a player commands that much money, it's no longer innocent, it's artificial. Sure, if a player can command a gigantic salary, they should go for it, but for me personally, my point of view toward those players change dramatically. I view them differently. I don't see them as saviors of the club, I see them as distractions.

Look, for a guy like Alex Rodriguez, I throw him into that category and yes, you've seen me write about how much I want Alex to succeed. It doesn't erase the fact that he became a distraction in the Yankee clubhouse.

But back to Boras for a second. It's clear to me, and I'm just an outsider here, that the world of Scott Boras is ending. It makes me happy. Sure, Boras has hundreds of clients, but in my perfect world, I'd like to see teams start to turn the other way and not be so interested in a Boras client... Again, Rafael Soriano had trouble looking for work. Is it because he's a Boras client? Maybe? Will Jose Valverde have a harder time getting a job because Boras is his agent? Maybe, (read HERE.) Would Edwin Jackson have gotten a better deal last year than a 1 year deal with Washington if Boras wasn't there overshooting? Maybe. Will the Yankees turn their back on Cano at the end of 2013? Maybe... Especially if Boras is demanding outrageous numbers... and you know what? At that point, I don't blame them, I really don't.




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GOOD ALEX RODRIGUEZ PIECE WITH THE WRONG "EXPERT"

There was a real good piece from the New York Daily News and Bob Raissman from December 14th (read HERE).... and I can't believe I even missed it.  Why? Because it had 2 lightening rods attached to it. Alex Rodriguez and John Kruk.  Now, I have nothing against John Kruk anymore, after he responded to Bleeding Yankee Blue on Twitter when we asked him simply to acknowledge the stupid "dancing" of Jose Valverde as bad sportsmanship if he was going to target Nick Swisher's chest beating in that Red Sox game early last season.  He did.  Read JOHN KRUK RESPONDS TO BLEEDING YANKEE BLUE for guidance on that.  

But back to Raissman's piece.  A good piece in reference to Alex Rodriguez and his second hip surgery.  A good read. One problem, he's using Kruk as an expert and the reality is, there are plenty of people more qualified than John Kruk when it comes to forming an opinion on a second hip surgery and Alex Rodriguez. Kruk "thinks A-Rod will never be the same. 'What are the chances of that hip coming back 100%? Not very good. It’s going to be a huge struggle for him,' Kruk, who was elevated to  ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” booth replacing Terry Francona, said over the telephone. 'I hope not. I don’t wish bad on any player, but it’s a devastating injury to have your front hip (when you’re hitting) maybe immobile for the rest of the season when he comes back.'

For Kruk, any comparisons to how Rodriguez rebounded from right hip surgery in 2009 (30 homers, 100 RBI before leading the Bombers to a World Series title ) are invalid. Kruk kept emphasizing how important the front hip is to a hitter because “it takes all the torque,” the turning, twisting force.

'If it (the left hip) is not turning and rotating with force, he’ll never be that power guy again,' Kruk said. '. . . He can’t stand there with that big leg kick and try hitting home runs, He has to make a complete adjustment to his swing. If he can’t, he’s in big trouble. Alex is such a big guy, he’s going to accidentally hit 20 homers, but he’s not going be a 35- to 40-homer guy anymore.'"

Now John Kruk is a former ball player, he knows how to play the game, he knows injury... but all I'm saying is, isn't it just obvious, to you, to me, to the world that Alex may not ever "be the same?"  Plus, why not just make it a better news item and interview a hip doctor that understands the injury and can give a true analysis on the Alex hip situation. Or maybe do a man on the street type piece and ask a variety of people baseball fans, Yankee fans, etc and get their opinions. I mean, the reality is a few of them would be bound to give you the same opinion Kruk did.

Bob Raissman writes a great piece, he just has the wrong "expert".  My take? Alex won't be the same player, but I've been saying that for a year now. You guys have stated it as well in your comments.  Alex is older, it's a bum hip... it's a double whammy.  Sure he could be a star again, but there are so many obstacles to climb.  Could he do it? Yes... but will he? No.

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THE WORLD OF FREE AGENCY

It almost sounds like a player is “turning tricks” when they enter the world of free agency.  They go out there, hot prospects for any team, peddling for a good deal- seemingly a better one than they have back home.  

According to the Wall Street Journal article “Baseball Free Agency Dies of Neglect”, players have many opportunities throughout their career to demand more and more money as their value increases.  “As young players come to the majors, they earn raises either through negotiation or arbitration. Then, after six years of service, they become eligible for one of the most potentially lucrative opportunities in sports: free agency.” 

The antithesis of free agency was the Reserve Clause- deemed as “indentured servitude” by Bruce Lowitt of the St. Petersburg Times in an article (HERE) back in October of 1999.  The Reserve Clause was “a paragraph in each player's contract that allowed a baseball team to keep him indefinitely until he was sold, traded or released. It was part of baseball's antitrust exemption and allowed the team to renew his contract the following year even if the player refused to sign,” stated the article entitled “Free-agency era opens in baseball.”  This clause was challenged in 1969 and free agency came about a few years later- quickly becoming a fantastic money opportunity for players in major league baseball, an organization with no salary cap. 

 

Ironically, Jim “Catfish”Hunter was signed to the Yankees back in the 70’s because of a breach in contract that led to free agency.  

But what happens when teams, even those in big markets with high revenue sharing, cannot afford their players- those entering the free agency market?  I mean, if teams like the Yankees can’t afford to deal out the dough to entice their players to stay, what about teams like the Diamondbacks and the Marlins and the Brewers?  They certainly don’t have that extra cash lying around.  

 

And this year, there are well over 200 free agents with some expected to sign with their teams, extending their contracts and yet others, left to shop.  The Yankees have several top names of their own… Curtis Granderson, Russell Martin, Nick Swisher, Raul Ibanez, Andruw Jones, Mariano Rivera, Hiroki Kuroda, Rafael Soriano, and of course Ichiro Suzuki.  But who to keep and who to let go?  Well, if you go by post-season alone, you keep Ibanez, Ichiro and Kuroda and let the others go.  But in reality, the Yankees will most likely also hold on to Cano and Rivera- their home-grown players from the farm system.  They may keep Soriano, but there are other relief pitchers out there- 70 to be exact including Detroit’s Jose Valverde and Cincinnati’s Ryan Madson.  

 There are some catchers up for grabs too, catchers that hit with success and a heck of a lot more muscle than Russell Martin- guys like Ronny Paulino of Baltimore and hotter prospect Mike Napoli of Texas.  

 Hey folks, Orioles third-baseman Mark Reynolds is available too... just saying.  When it comes down to it, the off season is about building up the team, using the money wisely and shopping with the same keen eye as Black Friday strategists who not only need a bargain but know exactly what brand to look for and where.  And as the Yankees look to shy away from a luxury tax because of its high payroll year after year, they will continue to be money wise and I hope not dollar foolish as they work the world of free agency on the road to 28.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Opinion Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof




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ARE RAFAEL SORIANO DAYS AS A YANKEE NUMBERED?

After getting swept by the Detroit Tigers in the ALCS, the Yankees head into the winter with many questions. One of those questions pertains to closer Rafael Soriano. Will he opt out? If so, will the Yankees re-sign him? Though it’d be great to have Soriano for at least one more year (2013 is the final year of his contract he signed with New York prior to 2011), the Yankees may have to move on without him.

Soriano had a fantastic season filling in for the injured Mariano Rivera in the closer’s role. He recorded 42 saves, filling in for number 42, which was good for third most in the American League, with his first coming on May 10. He also posted strong strikeout and walk rates, 9.2 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9, respectively, in 69 games and 67.2 innings while pitching to a 2.26 ERA. To say he was a rock is an understatement, and because of this it would not be a surprise if he opts-out.

According to Joel Sherman, HERE, it’s almost a certainty that Soriano will in fact opt-out. His agent, Scott Boras, strongly suggested that his client will do so saying, “There is a strong chance he (Soriano) would have tremendous value as a free agent.”

Now, if he does opt-out, will the Yankees try to re-sign him? Personally, I doubt it. Signing Soriano to a 3-year, $35 million contract rose a few eyebrows even two years ago when he was 31. Signing him to that same contract, which I think he might get this off-season, wouldn’t make much sense in that case.

According to Jon Heyman, HERE, the Yankees will give Soriano a qualifying offer if he opts-out. This is basically a 1-year $13.3 million offer sheet that players can accept or decline. If a player accepts it, they’ll of course earn $13.3M the next year before hitting the free-agent market again. If they decline it, however, they are free to sign elsewhere, but once they sign that team’s first round pick disappears and the team that lost the player gets a compensation-round draft pick.

The final question, though it won’t involve the Yankees directly, is where will Soriano land if he hits the open market? In Sherman’s column, he suggests the Red Sox, Angels, Dodgers, Nationals, and Giants as suitors. The one team he left off that should at least consider him is the Detroit Tigers. I see Soriano signing a deal similar to what he signed with the Yankees in 2011, this time with Detroit. The teams that Sherman mentioned all have decent options at closer, as far as I’m concerned. Maybe Detroit’s running on a tight budget, considering they signed Prince Fielder to a huge deal, but we saw first-hand how undependable Jose Valverde is. We’ll see how it plays out.

If Soriano opts-out and leaves, we’ll never forget how awesome he was in 2012 for the Pinstripes. No one could have asked for more out of him following Rivera’s devastating injury. All told, Soriano pitched to a 2.24 ERA in 111 games while racking up 44 saves in his two-year career with New York. It’s been real, Rafael, and we wish you the best if you head elsewhere.

We'll never forget the Untuck!




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Lead Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @SchindlerJesse



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