While we wait breathlessly for word from Cooperstown about the results of the
new Veterans Committee balloting, the STATLG-L Internet Hall of Fame voters have
spoken their collective mind here on BP.
Mark Shapiro enters his second season as General Manager of the Cleveland Indians, and 12th with the organization, in full rebuilding mode.
While we wait breathlessly for word from Cooperstown about the results of the new Veterans Committee balloting, the STATLG-L Internet Hall of Fame voters have spoken their collective mind here on BP. Well, sort of. The voting patterns on the two ballots (Players and Composite) were rather similar in some respects. On both ballots, only…
Mark Shapiro enters his second season as General Manager of the Cleveland Indians, and 12th with the organization, in full rebuilding mode. Since winning six NL Central division titles in seven years, the Indians have said goodbye to stars Roberto Alomar, Jim Thome and Bartolo Colon and rebuilt the farm system through drafting, development and a series of opportune trades. He recently chatted with BP about the dangers of multi-year contracts, breaking prospects into the lineup, and the pressure of meeting fans’ expectations.
Of the million things Cubs fans can blame when they look back on why
2003 wasn’t the year they finally won the World Series, health won’t be
one of them. In fact, for at least the last decade, trainer Dave Tumbas
has kept Cubs’ health concerns out of the picture more than most teams in baseball. The one major injury during that time was Kerry Wood’s
arm trouble; but as much as people look to Wood’s usage during his
rookie season, the more likely culprit was his usage during high school.
As far as the rest of the team, the injuries suffered have been setbacks they could expect and plan for. It’s fine to have someone like Moises Alou or Rondell White on the roster if there’s an adequate backup plan. The difference between the Cubs with Alou and the Brewers with Jeffrey Hammonds is that not only do the Cubs plan on Alou playing only 120 games, they paid him according to this plan.
In Portland, Oregon (where Jeff Bower and I will be for a BP Pizza Feed in March), there are some developments that have suddenly made Portland the front-runner in convincing baseball to move another team to the West Coast.
Team Health Report: Pittsburgh Pirates February 2003
Last week I talked a little about possible homes for the Expos, profiling a number of cities often included in discussions about relocation. Well, according to reports, the big three contenders–Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, and Portland, Oregon–are slated to make presentations to Major League Baseball on March 20th and 21st. MLB’s major priority in selecting a place to move the team is not long-term viability, or strength of ownership, or anything like that. No, as you’d expect, it’s the funding, location, and construction of a new ballpark.
(Sigh.)
Team Health Report: Kansas City Royals February 2003
Transaction analysis, February 10-18, 2003.
There is enough evidence to perform at least an exploratory empirical analysis of what types of skills are best accentuated by Coors Field.
The PCL is famous for its pinball scores but there are other, better reasons to pay attention to it this year.
Where do the Expos go after this year, or next yea
Why, then, did Bechler die of heatstroke, during a half-mile run, in his first week in Spring Training?
Team Health Report: Detroit Tigers February 2003
On Sunday, heat illness claimed yet another victim in the world of sport, 23-year-old Oriole pitching prospect Steve Bechler. According to reports, he was a little over halfway through a run when he stopped and leaned against a fence. He was observed to be pale, disoriented and complained of nausea. He was taken to the…