For me, Thanksgiving is the best holiday of the year. It’s one of the few times of the year when all bets are off when it comes to food. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie.

It doesn’t get any better than that.

Thanksgiving is also the time of year where we give thanks to what we have in life. It’s no different for all 30 teams of Major League Baseball. Each team has something they can be thankful for.

NL East

Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies should be thankful that they have one of the best GM’s in the game in Ruben Amaro Jr. A GM who doesn’t get nearly the credit he deserves.

Atlanta Braves: The Braves should be thankful the Minor League Player of the Year, Jason Heyward is on his way. The kid looks like a star.

Florida Marlins: The Marlins should be thankful they are getting a new stadium in 2012. Maybe then they can keep their young stars like Josh Johnson

New York Mets: The Mets should be thankful that 2009 is finally coming to an end. 2010 can’t be much worse.

Washington Nationals: The Nationals should be thankful that new GM Mike Rizzo has more of a clue than former GM Jim Bowden

NL Central

St. Louis Cardinals: The Cardinals should be thankful for the fact that they get to watch the best player in the game on a day in and day out basis.

Chicago Cubs: The Cubs should be thankful that after so many years of being labeled “lovable losers,” they are finally dedicated to winning. Whether or not they are making the right moves to win is another story.

Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers should be thankful that they have an owner in Mark Attanasio, who runs a small market team, but has a big market mentality.

Cincinnati Reds: The Reds should be thankful that Jay Bruce, Drew Stubbs, and Joey Votto are young stars, who should provide a solid foundation for the future.

Houston Astros: The Astros should be thankful that Wandy Rodriguez established himself as a solid No. 2 starter in 2009.

Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates should be thankful for the fact that GM Neal Huntington has the team moving in the right direction. The Pirates are making the right moves to compete in the future.

NL West

Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers should be thankful for Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, who appear to be the foundation of the Dodgers’ offense for years to come.

Colorado Rockies: The Rockies should be thankful that they have one of the best and exciting young teams in baseball. The Rockies have finally figured out how to win in Colorado.

San Francisco Giants: The Giants should be thankful for being able to watch Tim Lincecum every five days. His unique delivery continues to amaze fans and baffle hitters.

San Diego Padres: The Padres should be thankful that it appears that they will not be trading star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

Arizona Diamondbacks: The Diamondbacks should be thankful that Brandon Webb is making progress and looks to be healthy in 2010.

AL East

New York Yankees: The Yankees should be thankful that they are the Yankees. No other team in professional sports has the advantage they have.

Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox should be thankful for their minor-league system, which allows them to trade for players like Victor Martinez and potentially Roy Halladay or Miguel Cabrera.

Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays should be thankful that they have the most athletic team in baseball and after so many years of losing, they have a winner in Tampa.

Toronto Blue Jays: The Blue Jays should be thankful for the fact they got to watch Roy Halladay pitch in a Blue Jays’ uniform for the last 12 years. He will go down as the best player in franchise history.

Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles should be thankful for that after so many years of not having a clue, they are moving in the right direction. Matt Wieters, Adam Jones, Brian Matusz, and Nick Markakis provide a solid foundation for the future.

AL Central

Minnesota Twins: The Twins should be thankful for Joe Mauer. When it is all said and done, I believe he will go down as the greatest catcher of all time.

Detroit Tigers: The Tigers should be thankful for Mike Ilitch. Despite a ravaged economy in Detroit, Ilitch does his best to put a winner on the field in the Motor City.

Chicago White Sox: The White Sox should be thankful for employing Ozzie Guillen. His press conferences have provided baseball fans with hours of comedy. Oh yeah, the guy is a pretty good manager.

Kansas City Royals: The Royals should be thankful that there is only more year left in the Jose Guillen era in Kansas City.

Cleveland Indians: The Indians should be thankful that Grady Sizemore, Carlos Martinez, Azdrubal Cabrera, Matt LaPorta, and Shin-Soo Choo provide hope for the future.

AL West

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: The Angles should be thankful for that they have one of the best run organizations in baseball. The job Arte Moreno and Mike Scioscia have done in Anaheim has been impressive.

Seattle Mariners: The Mariners should be thankful for the fact that if they make a couple of solid moves this offseason, they could win the AL West in 2010.

Texas Rangers: The Rangers should be thankful for GM Jon Daniels. His trades and drafting over the last four years have the Rangers poised to make a run at the AL West crown in 2010.

Oakland A’s: The A’s should be thankful for Andrew Bailey. The 2009 AL Rookie of the Year and a great year and should anchor the backend of the A’s bullpen for years to come–or at least until Billy Beane trades him.

I would like to give thanks to all my readers for taking the time out of their days to read my blog. For that, I am truly grateful.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE AND THEIR FAMILIES!!!

James Paxton; Photo: UK Athletics

The holiday season is officially here. With Thanksgiving in mind I thought I’d pass along my list of reasons for baseball fans in Kentucky to be thankful this year. Feel free to pass along your lists as well

I’m thankful for:

• Another season to watch James Paxton in college
• A healthy return in 2010 for Brandon Webb
• A second consecutive World Series appearance from Joe Blanton.
• Conference titles from UofL and WKU
• The resurgence of Scott Downs
• A respectable Lexington Legends team in 2009
• Bowling Green becoming the third minor league franchise in the state
• A playoff appearance for the Louisville Bats
• Josh Anderson and Brandon Webb being inducted into the EKU and UK Halls of Fame
• Dan Uggla, Austin Kearns, Todd Wellemeyer and Corey Hart dominating offseason storylines.
• Sawyer Carroll continuing to prove his detractors wrong.
• Christian Friedrich moving even closer to the big leagues.
• Kentucky high school alums Robbie Ross, Ben Revere and Chaz Roe moving up their organization’s prospect lists.
• What’s sure to be an even greater impact from Kentucky on major league baseball in 2010!

Paul Byrd; Photo by scart via Flickr

Light day for news as baseball and journalism slows down a little for the Holiday. Don’t worry though, BluGrass Baseball is still chugging away.

• 2009 Bat outfielder Chris Heisey finished in the voting for Arizona Fall League MVP.
• Chad Finn of The Boston Globe tries to predict the Red Sox 2010 Opening Day roster and favors Tim Wakefield in the fifth starter spot over “Paul Byrd, the threequel.”
• Lexington Legends Hall-of-Famer Ben Zobrist finished eighth in the American League MVP voting.
• Pikeville-native Mark Reynolds finished tied for 20th in the National League MVP voting.
• Former Louisville Bat Joey Votto also received votes.

Congratulations to Tim Lincecum for winning his second consecutive NL Cy Young award.  It’s nice to see that the voters looked beyond uncontrollable stats such as wins in deciding the top pitcher of the National League.  You have to feel for the Cardinal’s Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright.  The voters overlooked the fact that they had more wins and were on a playoff team. Rather they focused on statistics that the pitcher had more control over such as FIP and VORP.  FIP stands for Fielding Independent Pitching and it covers the statistics that a pitcher is responsible for such as walks, strikeouts, hit batters and home runs.  VORP is the Value Over Replacement Player.  VORP measures the value that the players provides over a replacement or backup player.

Like I did with the Zach Greinke when he won the AL Cy Young Award last week, I want to analyze the salaries of the past 4 winners of the NL Cy Young.

The American League over the last 4 years had 4 different pitchers that were more established in the league (ie. they had proven their success early on and their agents had negotiated a high contract before they won the award).  Cliff Lee would be the exception since he was paid $3.75 million during Cy Young year in 2007, but he was signed to a long-term deal that was back loaded in salary.

The National League has 3 pitchers over the last 4 years that are in the early parts of their career.  Lincecum is negotiating year-to-year knowing that he’s arbitration eligible.  He should expect a nice raise for the 2010 season with at least a $1-2 million base salary which he’ll sign before Spring Training 2010.  Jake Peavy and Brandon Webb had similar contracts when they won their awards and a similar pay raise over the following 2 years.  Peavy is now reaping his rewards with the 3 year $52 million contract that is good through 2012.  Webb recently had his 2010 team option exercised for $8.5 million despite his injury plagued 2009 season.  He’ll have to perform well in 2010 to expect a long-term deal similar to Peavy’s current contract.

The Giant’s have a pitching bargain with Lincecum.  He’s easily worth $20 million per season.  They need to milk it and make use of it before his discount expires after the 2012 season.  You can easily predict that Lincecum will be the most sought after pitcher then with the Yankees and the Red Sox taking dump trucks full of cash and dropping it off at his door when he’s a free agent.

[Source: Mike Sunnucks, Phoenix Business Journal] – Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon extolled the economic resilience of downtown Phoenix [last] week during this annual “State of Downtown” speech.  Gordon said Arizona State University’s expansion of its downtown campus, construction of the mixed-use CityScape project, and the light rail system are helping the area. He also said while sales tax revenue is down citywide, it is up 13 percent in downtown Phoenix.  “Yes, it’s been a tough year economically for everyone.  You’ve heard all about it, read all about and felt it,” Gordon said.  “But in spite of it all, we’ve still got a lot going on in downtown Phoenix.”

Notwithstanding the mayor’s optimism, downtown Phoenix faces some economic problems.  High-rise condominium developers face questionable financial futures because of troubles with pricing and occupancy.  The Hotel Monroe redevelopment at Central Avenue and Monroe Street remains stalled, and the boarded-up building has become a haven for pigeons.  The total amount of vacant space in downtown Phoenix stands at 1.05 million square feet — up from 630,400 square feet in the first quarter of 2007, according to Colliers International.  The downtown vacancy rate is 13.8 percent, compared with 8.5 percent in first-quarter 2007, according to Colliers.

Downtown also is feeling the effects of pulled-back consumer spending.  A number of downtown businesses have closed because of the recession, including Weiss Guys Car Wash at Grand Avenue and Van Buren Street and the China Inn restaurant at the Colliers Center.

The two downtown pro sports teams also face economic challenges.  The Arizona Diamondbacks had a poor season on the field and drew about 381,000 fewer fans than in 2008, according to ESPN.  The Phoenix Suns have gotten off to strong start on the court — but, like other sports teams, they face hurdles in attracting and keeping fans during the consumer doldrums.  [Note: Read the full article at Despite mayor’s optimism, downtown Phoenix feels real estate, consumer stress.]

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Dan Haren received one third-place vote for the National League Cy Young Award. And that’s it. He finished fifth, behind Javier Vazquez, Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter and Tim Lincecum.

Haren was 14-10 with a 3.14 ERA over 229.1 innings. He had a 1.003 WHIP (led the League) and a 5.87 SO/BB (led the League). It is not his fault that he pitched for the third worst team in the National League.

Haren was the Cy Young favorite at mid-season: on July 10, he led the majors with 130 IP, 2.01 ERA, .81 WHIP, .189 OBA and a 8.1. SO/BB. A poor second half clearly destroyed those numbers.

But Haren had no support. His offense was terrible, his defense was sub-par and he did not have usually dependable Brandon Webb to take some of the load. He did it all himself (what helped Zack Greinke, as well). Carpenter and Wainwright had each other. Lincecum had Matt Cain. Vazquez had Derek Lowe and Tim Hudson, among others.

I’m not saying Haren deserved to win the Award; Lincecum clearly did. Moreover, Carpenter deserved it over Haren, too. I just cannot believe this guy got one lousy third place vote for his spectacular season.

Joey Votto; Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Tristan H. Cockcroft ESPN.com has released his preliminary rankings for the 2010 top 200 fantasy players. Clearly this list will change based on offseason movement and injuries before March, but it’s never too early to start preparing your fantasy draft. Here are the players with Kentucky ties on the list:

• 41) 1B Joey Votto — Louisville Bats — Cincinnati Reds
• 44) 3B Mark Reynolds — Pikevilly, Ky. — Arizona Diamondbacks
• 58) OF Adam Dunn — Louisville Bats — Washington Nationals
• 90) INF/OF Ben Zobrist — Lexington Legends — Tampa Bay Rays
• 100) OF Hunter Pence — Lexington Legends — Houston Astros
• 114) OF Jay Bruce — Louisville Bats — Cincinnati Reds
• 136) SP Wandy Rodriguez — Lexington Legends — Houston Astros
• 145) SP Brandon Webb — Ashland, Ky., UK — Arizona Diamondbacks
• 146) 2B Dan Uggla — Louisville, Ky. — Florida Marlins
• 177) 2B Felipe Lopez — Louisville Bats — FA

You can see Cockcroft’s full list here.

I heard on local sports talk radio that Matt Williams, a former star with the Arizona Diamondbacks, would become the team’s first-base coach. The interviewer asked Williams how well his admittedly old-school ways would go over with younger players in the Diamondbacks’ clubhouse. “I don’t know,” Williams replied, “but I don’t care.”

The interviewers chuckled. There’s something refreshing about an old-schooler’s directness and candor. In fact, many of the most successful and popular coaches, teachers, business leaders, and politicians have been old school – charmingly so. They don’t care what you think of their calcified opinions, their brusque management style, and whether they’re stepping on toes. And often times, “my way or the highway” is the most effective way.

Old school is cool, except when old school goes too far and is exemplified by the belittling boss, the physically confrontational coach, the sexist politician. Old-schoolers are, by definition, older. Some are slow to comprehend that times have changed. Behavior that was the norm in their day is now frowned upon, or even illegal – often with consequences. ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowherd spoke to this, saying the advent of camcorders, YouTube, etc., has made every misdeed public. Lay a hand on an athlete and your act could be viewed by millions online within minutes. Cowherd said it’s no longer acceptable for Armed Services personnel to swear at recruits. Can you imagine how the Jack Nicholson character from “A Few Good Men” would respond to that?

One of the most popular T-shirt slogans in recent years has been “Old Guys Rule.” Dang right we do. We just can’t do so with an iron fist.

Jody Olson, Chapter Two Communications

Mature marketing expertise from one of America’s “oldest” authorities on boomers, retirement, aging, longevity, and inter-generational marketing.

Tim Lincecum won the NL Cy Young in one of the closest votes yet, just seven points over Chris Carpenter – and the guy with the most first place votes, Adam Wainwright, finished third.

Not a whole lot of difference between the three (and even Danny Haren, who deserved consideration).  I’ll be honest, I don’t know how I would have voted if given a shot.  Lincecum is awesome, really, so it’s hard to vote against him.  From what I have read, Carpenter’s finishing second had to do with his missing time during the season.  Even Lincecum missed two starts, but he was there pretty much all year.

SI’s Ted Keith argues that Lincecum is worthy of Hall of Fame consideration.  He makes a valid point.

Quick Hits…

The last two players to file for free agency, with bidding on players starting today, were Andy Pettitte and Fernando Tatis.  In case you were keeping score, the number of major leaguers eligible who filed for free agency is 171.  [ESPN]

Stephen Strasburg will miss the championship game of the Arizona Fall League to nurse a twisted knee.  No way the Nationals will jeopardize his future, huh?  [ESPN]

The Royals have reached terms with free agent pitcher Brad Thompson, formerly in the St. Louis Cardinals chain.  Thompson isn’t close to being a long term fix – he doesn’t strike people out (180Ks in 385 innings), though he has decent control.  With a team that struggles defensively, Thompson will give up a lot of hits.  Though his career record is 21 – 17, most of that is being fortunate to be on the Cardinals.  At best he is a long reliever who can eat up innings in losing causes.  [FoxSports]

The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired Aaron Heilman from the Cubs for two prospects.  Heilman isn’t a bad seventh inning, long reliever type, but he’s never really taken that next step forward.  The Cubs get first baseman Ryne White.  (He’s a Chicago native, born in 1986 – hence that familiar first name…)  White is a Purdue grad, a little power and a good eye, but his batting average needs to get north of .300 to be a serious prospect.  We’ll see if he can take a step forward at A+ Daytona or AA next year.  The other prospect is a pitcher, Scott Maine.  Maine went to the University of Miami and was moved quickly up the ladder in the D-Backs chain because he strikes people out and has decent control.  He pitched well at AA and AAA in 2009,  but my guess is that he’ll start 2010 in Iowa and wait for a chance.  He’ll be on the roster soon, though – and could be a potential eighth inning guy.

Torii Hunter will have surgery to repair a sports hernia, but should be ready for Angels spring training in February.  [MLB]

Could Kansas City host the 2012 All-Star Game?  We down here in Florida, would prefer it to be at our new stadium (if it’s done by then), but we can wait until 2013 and let the good people of Kansas City enjoy a party at the refurbished “K”…  [MLB]

Happy Birthday!

Kenesaw Mountain Landis was born on this date in 1866.  He either saved the game or held it back, depending on the issue…  Landis helped get gambling out of the game following the scandals of the 1910s, but he helped prevent blacks from integrating the sport at the same time.

Others celebrating with cake, cards or rememberances:  Andy Coakley (1882), whose shove injured Rube Waddell’s shoulder prior to the 1905 World Series, Rick Monday (1945) – my brother’s first favorite ballplayer – and his teammate Jay Johnstone (1945), Alex Arias (1967), Gabe White (1971), J.D. Drew (1975), and Cub outfielder Sam Fuld (1981).

Late this afternoon, the Chicago Cubs traded RHP Aaron Heilman to the Arizona Diamondbacks for prospects Scott Maine (no relation to John of the New York Mets) and Ryne White.

Can Cubs GM Jim Hendry get a do-over from the 2008/2009 offseason?

Let’s see, he acquired Kevin Gregg to be the closer and that didn’t work out. He acquired Milton Bradley to play right and be a force in the middle of the Cubs’ lineup and that didn’t work out. He acquired Heilman to be a solid set-up man to Gregg and now that hasn’t worked out either.

Heilman will be better off in Arizona

I have no idea what criteria Hendry uses to evaluate players, but mental makeup is not one of them. Heilman couldn’t handle the pressure in New York with the Mets, so what made Hendry think he could handle it in Chicago where the pressure might be worse?

Any scout worth his salt could have told Hendry Heilman wouldn’t work out in Chicago.

Going to the Diamondbacks is probably a good thing for Heilman. The pressure is not nearly as great in Arizona and the fans won’t want to rip his head off on every pitch.

Since Heilman was a non-tender candidate in December, the Cubs received just a couple of low-level prospects from the Diamondbacks.

Maine is a 24-year-old left-handed reliever, who had a 2.90 ERA with 61 K’s in 62 innings between Double-A and Triple-A in 2009. White is a 23-year-old, left-handed hitting first baseman, who hit .266 with six home runs and a .371 OBP in 116 games in Single-A in 2009.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Ben Zobrist; Photo by Keith Allison via Flickr

Voting for the This Year in Baseball awards is currently live on MLB.com and two BluGrass Baseball players are nominated for the “Unsung Star” award. Pikeville-native and Diamondbacks third baseman Mark Reynolds and Lexington Legends Hall of Famer and Tampa Bay Rays utility man Ben Zobrist are up against eight others for the award.

Reynolds batted .260 with a record 44 home runs for a Kentucky native and 102 RBI to go with 42 stolen bases. Zobrist, who appeared at first, second, third, shortstop and outfield for the Ray in 2009, batted .297 with 27 home runs and 91 RBI. Zobrist was elected to the Legends’ Hall of Fame this season.

Jason Bartlett, Billy Butler, Shin-Soo Choo, Nelson Cruz, Aaron Hill, Ubaldo Jiminez, Adam Lind and Jayson Werth are also nominated for the award. (Vote here)

Gary Bettman, NHL Commissioner

Gary Bettman met with the city of Glendale, AZ Tuesday to discuss the future of the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes. The meetings did not prove to come to any new conclusions on the fate of the team, but Bettman did say that much of the financial struggles the Coyotes are facing is due to the economy at the moment.

In a report by TSN.ca, Bettman said, “I don’t believe the last six months (represents) the economic reality of what this franchise can be going forward. When I see crowds of 10,000 to 12,000 some nights, that’s pretty good under the circumstances.”

However, this is contradicted by the other three big Phoenix teams, who have been thriving financially, and in attendance.

This season, the NBA’s Suns are drawing an average of nearly 17,000 fans over their first four home games, despite speculation over how their attendance would fare entering this season.

The NFL’s Arizona Cardinals are averaging more than 62,000 fans in five home games this season, at a sellout rate of 98 per cent. During the 08/09 season, Cardinals fans spent an average $99.31USD per game on tickets and concessions.

Major League Baseball’s Diamondbacks averaged nearly 26,000 per game in attendance this past season.

It’s apparent that the fans in the Phoenix area are still willing to spend money on sport, but they are just not interested hockey. Even with heavily discounted tickets, the Coyotes are not grabbing the interest of the city.

A critic would assume that if a city is on the brink of losing a franchise, the fans would go out of their way to try and support them, granted the fans really wanted them to stay.

Sources: TSN.ca, ESPN.com, BaseballAlmanac.com, SportsNetwork.com, Phoenix Business Journal.

While reports suggest that recent trade discussions between the Toronto Blue Jays and Arizona Diamondbacks are now dead, new GM Alex Anthopolous’ consideration of the proposed terms can only be described as confusing. The offer on the table would send Lyle Overbay to the Diamondbacks in exchange for oft injured catcher Chris Snyder, a career .233 hitter in 6 years in the big leagues. Overbay’s struggles over the past two seasons in Toronto have been well documented, but hardly merit a move this desperate. He ranked second on the Blue Jays with a .372 on base percentage and is considered one of the more capable defensive first basemen in the league.

Talk of these laughable trade terms reminded me of none other than the recently departed, JP Ricciardi and his long yet unproductive time as General Manager of the Blue Jays. Today’s top ten; however, should not be interpreted as an attack on Ricciardi, but rather as a reminder for Mr. Anthopolous of what not to do as he attempts to clean up JP’s mess. I give to you, JP Ricciardi’s top ten mistakes atop the Toronto Blue Jays front office.

10. Adam Dunn
After rumours swirled that the Blue Jays might have interest in acquiring right fielder Adam Dunn, Ricciardi blasted him while a guest on a Fan 590 radio show suggesting Dunn ‘lacked a passion for baseball’. In 2009 Dunn went on to hit 38 home runs with 105 RBI’s.

“He felt like he needed to say it for some reason, I have no idea why and I don’t care. He could be in this clubhouse right now, I wouldn’t know. I couldn’t tell you his name, what he looks like – he’s got a big mouth, that’s all I know about him.” – Adam Dunn on JP Ricciardi

9. Corey Koskie
The Canadian third baseman was Ricciardi’s major free agent signing in 2005. Koskie; however, was quickly booed out of Toronto after batting only .249 in 97 games as a Blue Jay. He was dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers in 2006 for pitcher Brian Wolfe.

8. Alex Rios
After struggling out of the gate yet again in 2009, Rios was placed on waivers; a move Ricciardi originally explained was a ‘normal procedure’. Surprisingly; however Rios went unprotected and became a member of the Chicago White Sox. While the argument can be made that Toronto treated the deal as a salary dump, Rios is young and still has loads of potential. The five tool skill set of an Alex Rios makes him the type of player that could come back to haunt the Jays in years to come.

Future Top Ten Post: Worst Deals in Major League History – Alex Rios for nobody.

7. Chris Carpenter
In one of his first moves as General Manager of the Blue Jays, JP Ricciardi opted not to offer Chris Carpenter a Major League contract. Carpenter declined the Jay’s minor league offer and quickly signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. He would later go onto win a National League Cy Young Award in 2005 and looks to be on his way to a second this year. Carpenter was 17-4 with a 2.24 ERA in 2009 and would have looked awfully nice at the top of a rotation with Roy Halladay.

6. Orlando Hudson
Coming off his first gold glove, Orlando Hudson was dealt to Arizona for Troy Glaus. Dealing with surgically repaired knees, Glaus was unable to cope with the Rogers Centre’s artificial turf and was traded after only two seasons with the club. A fan favourite, Hudson was selected to the National League All-Star team as a reserve in 2009.

Hudson’s character and perspective on the game has made him one of the more popular players in the league.

5. Shortstops
There’s a theory that says great baseball teams are built from the middle of the field out. However, Ricciardi failed to identify a consistent performer at both the shortstop and catching positions over his 8 year tenure with the team.

JP’s starting shortstops: Chris Woodward, Russ Adams, David Eckstein, Aaron Hill, Marco Scutaro, John McDonald

4. Russ Adams
Ricciardi’s initial first round pick was touted as the Jays’ long term solution at the shortstop position. Adams struggled at the big league level, eventually developing a case of the ‘yips’ (unable to make a throw to first base). He spent the majority of the 2009 season in the minor leagues.
Career statistics: .247 batting average with 17 home runs over 4 years with the Blue Jays

3. Frank Thomas Signing
A 9 million dollar per year project gone wrong. Thomas signed a 2-year 18 million dollar deal in 2007. The over-the-hill designated hitter was hitting under .200 in the second year of his contract when Ricciardi finally released Thomas (one of few smart moves by the Jays’ GM). If Thomas had made 376 plate appearances that year, the Jays would have been forced to pick up the option on his contract for a 3rd year at 10 million dollars.

2. Excuses
When JP began his tenure with the Blue Jays, he often discussed his ‘5-year plan’, suggesting the Jays would be contenders by 2007. But rather than contend in 2007, the Jays failed to make the playoffs. As had become the norm, JP was ready with a long list of excuses.

JP’s common excuses: injuries, payroll, the AL east, ‘bad luck’, bad economy, ‘its a process’

1. The Vernon Wells Contract
In this case, I think the numbers speak for themselves:
Total Salary: $127 million
Average Salary Per Year = $18 million
2009 Statistics – 15 home runs, 69 rbis, .260 batting average

Vernon Wells has underachieved and has been one of the Blue Jays’ biggest disappointments since signing his 9 figure contract. Coming off the best year of his career, JP Ricciardi signed Wells to a deal he was simply not worth. Blue Jays’ fans can’t blame Wells for signing it, but they should blame Ricciardi for offering it.

Let’s hope Alex Anthopolous has learned a thing or two from his predecessor.

Brandon Webb; Photo by SD Dirk via Flickr

News continues to trickle in about signees for the state colleges, but they were overshadowed by one of the most high-profile Kentucky major leaguers working back from injury. Check out those stories and more in some Friday links, and keep checking back for more signing news later:

• Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports Ashland-native Brandon Webb has a pain-free first throwing session since having shoulder surgery in August.
• Jody Demling of the Louisville Courier-Journal reports that UofL signed Bullitt East pitcher/infielder Brandon Alphin. He also writes that Trinity pitcher Corey Littrell signed with UK.
• Granite City (Ill.) standout Jake DePew also signed with the Cards.
• Dick Kaegel of MLB.com reports rumors of a Albert Callaspo trade from the Royals to the Dodgers for PLD-alum A. J. Ellis appear unfounded.
• Michael Johnson of Examiner.com reports Ballard catcher John Fidanza signed with Coastal Carolina.
• Jason Stella of Examiner.com writes about 2009 Bats Wes Bankston’s and Adam Rosales‘ Winter League performances.
• The Courier-Journal has further breakdown of the Curt Flood memorabilia auction at the Louisville Slugger Museum this weekend.
• Stan McNeal and Ryan Fagan of The Sporting News look at what were learned from the 2009 baseball season and conclude that Louisville-native Aaron Cook’s success at home means pitchers really can pitch well at Coors Field.

Everybody is happy – the Mariners, Ken Griffey, Jr., fans in Seattle, and me…  Ken Griffey signed a one year deal to return to the Mariners in what could be his final hurrah.  The Kid turns 40 this month (!) and I might have to sneak off to Tampa to give him one last cheer.   Granted, he’s not going to be an impact player on the field, but few have his impact in the clubhouse or the community.  For a while, he was my favorite player in baseball and I am glad to have him around the game. [ESPN]

NL Gold Gloves…

Similar to the AL, there’s one arguably bad choice among the Gold Glove winners in the National League.  Certainly, there will be arguments, but otherwise the list is pretty solid.  Around the outfield, Matt Kemp, Shane Victorino and speedster Michael Bourn came home with trophies.  The infield features Ryan Zimmerman, Jimmy Rollins, Orlando Hudson, and Adrian Gonzalez.  The battery includes two Cards – Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright.  [MLB]

That being said, the choice of Rollins is – like Jeter – one of fame and not of numbers.  Rollins has a very low range factor (3.96 chances per nine innings) and the best range of people playing around 100 games or so belonged to Brendan Ryan of St. Louis.  The guy who had surprisingly good stats was Miguel Tejada.  In my opinion, a healthy Troy Tulowitski is the best fielder of the bunch, so my vote would have gone there.

After years of Cactus, is Grapefruit in the Cubs Future?

Naples, Florida is in the running to host spring training for the Chicago Cubs, which would be a HUGE change for the north siders.  I mean, think of all the Chicagoans who retire to Arizona who will feel cheated!!!  Me – a Cubs fan living in Florida – would love it, but my hunch is that the Cubs are using this to get a better deal near their current home in AZ.  [MLB]

Other News…

Victor Zambrano’s mother was returned unharmed…  Apparently federal agents used a commando-styled attack to rescue the woman.  [ESPN]

Jamie McCourt denies having an affair and wants ownership of the Dodgers.  McCourt tried to get her old CEO job back and failed, and recently suggested that as a lady in a man’s world (law and business) she passed up plenty of opportunities for fun as a supportive wife…  [ESPN]

Brad Lidge’s surgery on his throwing elbow is considered a success and while he may miss a week or two of spring training, the hope is that he will close games on Opening Day and beyond for the Phillies.  [MLB]

Arizona’s Brandon Webb threw for the first time since his shoulder surgery.  First footballs, then baseballs from 60 feet.  Webb said he was encouraged by the progress.  [MLB]

Managerial Roller Coaster…

ESPN is reporting that Jim Riggleman will be announced as the new manager of the Washington Nationals.  Riggleman had the Nationals playing better down the stretch during his interim run last season.  [ESPN]

ESPN’s Gene Wojciechowski thinks it’s time for Mark McGuire to come clean about his past before he starts his future as hitting instructor for the Cards.  [ESPN]

Matt Williams will join Arizona and become a first base coach.  [SI]

Thanks for Playing!

Jason Varitek would rather take a pay cut and play for Boston than take his chances anywhere else.  So, ‘Tek signed his $3 million option and will return as Victor Martinez’s backup in 2010.  [ESPN]

Utility infielder Wilson Betemit is expected to sign a minor league deal with the Royals.  If so, he’s an insurance policy for the two players the Royals got from the White Sox in last week’s trade, Chris Getz and Josh Fields – oddly, two players Betemit backed up in Chicago…  [MLB]

Hot Stove News…

The Reds might deal Brandon Phillips, Bronson Arroyo, and Aaron Harang in this offseason.  Apparently, they have a cash flow problem…  [FanHouse]

Having locked in billions of dollars of salaries, the Yankees are rumored to be looking at acquiring more high-priced pitching.  Among those in the future could be Roy Halliday and John Lackey.  Seriously, if this happens we might as well cut the Yankees loose and call it good.  [SI]

Meanwhile, don’t rule out Lackey staying in Anaheim.  According to FoxSports, Anaheim will make a serious offer – and failing that, might go after Halliday, too.  [FoxSports]

Apparently, the Tigers are looking to trade Edwin Jackson following his solid season in Detroit.  According to FoxSports, it’s about the Benjamins…  [FoxSports]

Greg Zaun and Jason Schmidt filed for free agency yesterday, preceded by Eric Bruntlett one day earlier.  I wonder who will gladly pay Schmidt to ride the DL?  [MLB]

Former Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado is looking to play winter ball so people can see him play this winter prior to his signing a free agent contract.  Delgado missed most of 2009 with a hip injury.  [MLB]

Happy Birthday! For you Field of Dreams fans, Archibald “Moonlight” Graham was born on this day in 1877.

Others celebrating with cards, cake, or rememberances include:  Carl Mays (1891) – worthy of Hall of Fame inclusion based on his career but likely will never go because his pitch killed Ray Chapman in 1920, Joe Hoerner (1936), Ron Bryant (1947), Bruce Bochte (1950), Cub favorite Jody Davis (1956), Donnie Hill (1960), Greg Gagne (1961), Dave Otto (1964) – who I remember from his days pitching for Elk Grove High School back in Illinois, Slammin’ Sammy Sosa (1968), Homer Bush (1972), Aaron Heilman.  Wow – that’s a lot of former Cubs on this list…

ESPN did a nice article about salary arbitration, the 1990 labor agreement, the Super 2’s and Cub’s infielder Mike Fontenot getting the last spot of arbitration today.

Salary arbitration is a term you hear every year, but very few tend to understand what it is.  In a broad sense, it’s a player’s to be compensated more accordingly based on his ability, leadership and performance.  In the event that the player and the club do not see eye-to-eye, the case goes in front of a three person arbitration panel where  they will review the dispute and settle the salary based on statistics of the player.  According to MLB.com, since 1974, and including 2006, arbitrators have ruled on behalf of the players 199 times and clubs 269 times so it’s in the player’s best interest to negotiate a deal before going to arbitration

All players with at least 3 years of Major League service time but less than 6 years are eligible for arbitration.  Some teams understand the worth and sign these players to a long-term deal such as the Cleveland Indians phenom C.C. Sabathia’s deal in 2002 (4 year, $9.5 million).  This deal will provide the security for the player early in their career, but also give the club a great value compared to getting a similarly productive player but with more service time.  Unfortunately some players either are not given that luxury of a long-term deal, or they want to go year-to-year and hope for a big money contract after their sixth year of service such as San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum.  Other Super 2’s this year include Pittsburgh’s Jeff Karstens, Houston’s Hunter Pence, Texas pitcher Dustin Nippert, Cub’s pitcher Tom Gorzelanny and Orioles pitcher Matt Albers.  Those that are eligible will file in mid-January, and those that do not settle will go in front of the arbitration panel.  The panel will look over each side and make a choice of the salary expected by the player or the salary submitted by the club.

In the case of Mike Fontenot, he was part of a group called the Super 2’s where the top 17% of players (in ML service) with at least 2 years of service, but less than 3 can be eligible for salary arbitration.  Fontenot had 2 years and 139 days of service.  The unfortunate victim includes Mark Reynolds of the Arizona Diamondbacks who had 2 years and 138 days of service so he missed the Super 2 cutoff.  He hit 44 home runs and drove in 102 RBI’s and will probably be offered a contract above the MLB minimum salary of $400,000 but nowhere in the millions had he been eligible for arbitration or free agency.  A consistent performance of 40+ home runs a year can yield a $15+ million contract per year.

How do dynasties fall apart?  At some point, dominant teams stop winning, and it can be for a variety of reasons.  To get a handle on how this might happen, I want to look at two books that address the topic:  October 1964 by David Halberstam and The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty by Buster Olney.

Halberstam addressed the end of the Yankees greatest run of dominance. From 1947-1964 (18 seasons), the Yankees made 15 World Series and won 10. They follow this up, though, with 11 years of futility before getting swept in the 1976 World Series. Why did the Yankees fall apart? As Millsy of the blog Prince of Slides mentions in previous comments, the start of the draft is not a sufficient explanation. As Halberstam notes, the fluke is the Yankees making the 1964 World Series, not their collapse the next year. By 1964 the Yankees are a team that is either past their prime (Mickey Mantle, Elston Howard, Bobby Richardson, Tony Kubek, Roger Maris, Whitey Ford) or too young to know how they will turn out (Jim Bouton, Al Downing, Mel Stottlemyre, Joe Peppitone). Given this, the old players continued to get old, and the young players, except for Stottlemyre, did not pan out. This highlights the chief problem of the Yankees; they did not have a good baseball organization. They had not stocked up on young players, and the few young players they had grabbed were not good enough. The collapse of the Yankee dynasty, then, is a collapse of Yankee scouting, particularly a failure by the Yankees to move aggressively for young African-American players.

The story in 2001 has some similarities. The 2001 team had serious age problems, as Paul O’Neill, David Justice, and Scott Brosius were soon to retire; Tino Martinez and Chuck Knoblauch were reaching the end of their effectiveness; and Orlando Hernandez was slightly older than Joe Torre. Again, the preceding years give some clues. The 2000 World Champions had only won 87 regular season games, only two more than the immortal 1987 Twins. The 2001 Yankees, it appears, were running on fumes. They had 5 players still in their primes (Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Alfonso Soriano, Andy Pettitte, and Mariano Rivera), and the only young regular was Soriano at 25. Of those 5, they would lose two in short order. At the same time, as Olney chronicles, the “sleeping giants” of the AL East would awake, as the Red Sox finally began to deploy their vast resources wisely. The 2001 team cursed with mismanagement, though in a different form than its 2001 predecessor. George Steinbrenner was always prone to impulsive behavior, leading to things as crazy as trading for a finished Raul Mondesi in 2002. Finally, the Yankees in this era did not do a good job developing young talent. Their best first round pick from 1993 (Derek Jeter) to 2004 (Phil Hughes, who still might develop into greatness) was Eric Milton, who they traded to the Twins. With this in-house drafting, they were completely dependent on the vagaries of free agency. It took until 2009 to overcome these problems.

Will the 2009 develop into a dynasty, or will it go the way of 1964 and 2001? It is hard to know now. Failures of scouting and player development are not readily ascertainable until years later. One thing these two collapses teach us is to watch Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, and Melky Cabrera. Young Yankee players are the key to having a successful future. Jeter, Posada, and even Rivera will decline; age is inevitable. Will the young players be good enough to replace them? That is the great uncertainty.

Mark Reynolds; Photo from Wikimedia Commons

In the last of the awards series we look at the big show. Our two major league award winners have differing ties to the Bluegrass State. One was born in Eastern Kentucky, but spent most of his adolescence in Virginia, the other was born in Tennessee but graduated from a Kentucky high school and college.

Player of the Year — 3B Mark Reynolds Diamondbacks

• Pikeville-native Reynolds batted .260 with 44 home runs and 102 RBI while breaking his own major league record for strikeout with 223. Despite the strikeouts, Mark was far-and-away the most productive Kentucky native at the plate this season. His 44 home runs tied Jay Buhner’s record for a Bluegrass native, and Reynolds was named a ESPN.com Fantasy All-Star and the SportingNews’ postseason NL All-Star team.
• The other candidates for the award included Louisville-native and Florida Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla, who slugged 31 home runs, and Bowling Green-native and Brewers’ outfielder Corey Hart who posted a .335 on-base percentage in 115 games.

Pitcher of the Year — RHP Joe Blanton — Philadelphia Phillies

• Franklin-Simpson and UK alum Joe Blanton helped lead his Phillies teammates to the World Series for the second consecutive season posting above average numbers along the way. Blanton was 12-8 with a 4.05 ERA and 163 strikeouts in 195.1 innings pitched, providing a stalwart in a volatile Phillies’ rotation. Blanton did everything manager Charlie Manuel asked of him, evidenced by his fluctuating role between the rotation and bullpen in the playoffs.
• Blanton’s competition for the award came from Fort Campbell-native Aaron Cook who was 11-6 with a 4.16 ERA for the Rockies. Relievers Tyler Clippard (4-2, 2.69 ERA), John Rauch (7-3, 3.60 ERA) and Scott Downs (1-3, 3.09 ERA, 9 saves) also posted good seasons.

Read the arguments from Sports Geek and Loyal Homer about which was the best team of the last decade to win a World Series.

As proof of that statement I offer two names – Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. These two pitchers – who were two of the most dominant on the mound over the past 20 years – joined forces during the 2000 season and became the most devastating 1-2 punch I have ever seen in a pitching rotation. During the 2001 regular season, Schilling and Johnson combined for a record of 43-12, with Johnson winning 21 games and Schilling winning 22.

Once the duo entered the postseason they continued their almost unbeatable performance. Throughout the postseason these two mound monsters pitched a record of 9-1. Not bad when you consider the fact that 11 wins is all that it takes to win the entire postseason!

Schilling and Johnson, who were both named to the National League All-Star roster, presented a tandem that simply could not be touched. During the 2001 postseason they pitched a total of 89.2 innings, giving up only 13 runs. They threw a combined 103 strikeouts (45 of which came in the World Series alone), and gave up only 14 walks. They dominated from their first pitch to their last.

While having Johnson and Schilling is enough to make any team a contender for the World Series, pitching is only half of the game. A championship team still needs to produce runs on offense, and the Diamondbacks had one of Major League Baseball’s biggest hitters of the year in outfielder Luis Gonzalez and his 57 home runs and 142 RBI. Those totals, along with 36 doubles and an overall batting average of .325, earned Gonzalez the only Silver Slugger award of his career that season, in addition to being named an All-Star along with teammates Schilling and Johnson. With Gonzalez, fellow outfielder Reggie Sanders contributed another 33 homers and 90 RBI.

Two other notable names on the Diamondbacks roster were former Chicago Cubs All-Star and Gold Glove first baseman Mark Grace and infielder Craig Counsell, who won the 2001 NLCS MVP award for his performance against the Atlanta Braves.

The 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks were the product of a perfect storm. Thanks to the combination of the league’s two best pitchers, a career season from one of its sluggers, and the leadership and consistency of several key veteran players, the Diamondbacks went on to win its first World Series in franchise history and become the best World Series Championship team of the decade!

Taking time away from writing means  I have to catch up – so further down the page, I’ll add a few comments regarding things that happened last week while I was in New York on business and otherwise less available to write…

Top Stories…

Pedro Feliz will be joining the Free Agent market as the Phillies declined his $5.5 million option.  Feliz is barely a league average hitter (12 homers, .266 average) and a tolerable fielder.   Greg Dobbs, a left handed hitter with some skills may well be in line for the job.  Meanwhile,  I checked the minor league rosters, the best option might be Neil Sellers, who is a few years removed from Eastern Kentucky where he was drafted in the late rounds by Houston.  Sellers is 27 and just finished time at AA (again), so he’s not a long term prospect.  [SI]

Despite having more holes at the position than a good chunk of Swiss cheese, the Red Sox declined an option on Alex Gonzalez, worth $6 million.  I’d have passed, too, at that price.  Gonzalez may be back, but for less money.  Better hope Jed Lowrie comes back healthy and surprises with new found production… [ESPN]

Venezuela is reeling over another kidnapping of a baseball related individual.  This time, it’s former Mets pitcher Victor Zambrano’s mother who was taken from his farm.  An amazing and sad story – hopefully will end with all home safely.  Yorvit Torrealba wound up leaving the country after his son and uncle were kidnapped (and returned safely) and now lives in Florida.  [SI]

Taking Sides…

Former KC Star writer and now Sports Illustrated scribe Joe Posnanski agrees with me as regards the excessive resources the Yankees have.  (Since he is the more famous writer, perhaps it’s that I agree with him…)  [SI]

Meanwhile, Peter Gammons feels the need to make sure that Brian Cashman will still leak stories to him, and defends the Yankees for playing by the rules that allows them to do what they do.  [ESPN]

Guessing the Future of Big Name Pitchers…

Buster Olney dishes his thoughts on where the aces are heading – and other things – in one of the great blogs you’ll find online.

I know – Old News, but I missed it at the time…

Scott Proctor, a one time horse for the Dodgers and then signed as a free agent with the Marlins, only to be injured and admit a chemical dependency, signed with the Braves.  Proctor is coming off Tommy John surgery.  The nice person in me wishes him luck.  The Marlins fan hopes the Braves rue the day he was signed.

Seattle claimed Yusmeiro Petit off of waivers.  Petit was 3 – 10 with an ERA near 6.00 for Arizona.  Good luck with that.

Washington claimed another former Diamondback, Doug Slaten, off of waivers.  Slaten might be better than most of what Washington has at AAA, but he hasn’t looked that good with Arizona lately.

The Marlins moved the frustrating Jeremy Hermida to Boston for two young pitchers, Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez.  Hermida is TOO patient at the plate, refusing to swing until he has two strikes on him.  He’s awkward looking in the field, and yet his statistics show him to be reasonably mobile.   That being said, he’s uncomfortable diving or leaping at the wall – so it’s hard to say he’s really any good out there.  STILL – he was a first round pick and looked at some points like he might actually be really good and never turned that corner.  I’ll miss him, I think.  The Sox moved a guy who has looked pretty good at times in Hunter Jones, though Jones probably wishes he had a stronger 2009.  Earlier in the year, I thought he looked really ready for the show and another solid arm on a roster with too many solid arms.  If you are a Marlins fan, trust me – we need arms.  He’ll get seventh inning duty until he gets his feet wet.  The other new Marlin is 20-year-old Jose Alvarez, a string bean Venezuelan with upside but still rather unproven.

It’s hard to grade the trade, but after seeing this for five or six years now (maybe more), you have to trust Larry Beinfest.  He seems to find all sorts of guys that have talent and need opportunities and Florida is nothing else if not a land of opportunity.  I know the Marlins didn’t want to pay $2 or $3 million for Hermida when they have other options (Maybin, Ross, Coughlin, etc.), and Hunter Jones could be a huge help with a good season.  So, I’ll just look forward to seeing Jones in uniform and check out Alvarez when he pitches for Jupiter this summer.

Happy Birthday!

A great list, headed by Hall of Famer Bob Gibson (1935) and manager Dorrel Norman Elvert (Whitey) Herzog (1931).  Others celebrating with cards and cake (or rememberances) include: Fred Brickell (1906), a member of the 1930 Phillies (ouch), Jerry Priddy (1919), Bill Bruton (1925), Jim Riggleman (1952), Ted Higuera (1958) – I loved that kid…, Kevin Mmahat (1964), Chad Ogea (1970), Dave Bush (1979), Adam Dunn (1979), Chuck James (1981), and Joel Zumaya (1984).

Afterthoughts…

People are wondering what happened to Sammy Sosa’s face after he had a rather deep cleaning the other day.  The picture certainly is odd.