From Baseball Time in Arlington comes a breakdown of players salaries and the realization that $10,000,000 seems to be missing from the equation:

Even if you elect to get really conservative and factor an $8 million allowance for contract buyouts/deferred money into the equation, you should — based on what we know to date, anyway — still be looking at having $10-plus million available for roster-strengthening purposes … and that’s where this really bizarre discrepancy between the company line and the media line comes into play. Sure, you probably can’t sign an elite free agent or trade for a premiumly-priced talent with that sum of money, but there are a lot of other things you can do. Conversely, there isn’t much you can do with nothing.

If these chilling reports are indeed accurate and the Rangers seriously cannot afford to even marginally upgrade their payroll, then there’s a very simple question to be asked: what on earth transpired in the last two months that warranted snatching $10-plus million out of management’s hands and effectively crippling the ballclub’s limited, but still-existing market maneuverability? Did it mysteriously vanish into the ether or something? If the answer is actually “nothing,” then why did Ryan say what he said in front of the Ballpark media contingent on October 6th? And if all of the reports are erroneous, is there some compelling reason why the ballclub hasn’t made an effort to set the record straight?

It’s certainly not my intention to descend into the realm of conspiracy theorizing, but it would seem that there are questions to be asked here — questions that the Rangers obviously can’t respond to with the luxury of full disclosure, but questions that should, if nothing else, remain within our sphere of consciousness. It’s highly agitating to envision a scenario where any and all enticing offers and opportunities for roster improvement communicated to the general manager are sadly rejected due to something so inexcusable as a cash shortage. With all due respect to Tom Hicks, that is not “business as usual.” That’s a fool’s game.

Again, the quibble here does not concern Hicks’ once-upon-a-time proclamation that Texas could field a championship-caliber team with a payroll between $70-80 million. Forget payroll expansion altogether for a moment. If the Rangers’ financial situation has actually achieved critical mass, the concern progresses from not being able to improve the roster to not being able to sustain the roster. At that point, you have to begin worrying about whether a payroll reduction might be on the horizon before the ownership situation becomes settled, and what sort of long-term ramifications could stem from such drastic actions … and even if you’re only thinking about that possibility, you have justifiable cause to be alarmed.

Pudge Rodriguez turns 38 years old today.

Still a favorite of all Florida Marlins fans, Pudge Rodriguez should go down as one of the greatest players from his era!!

With a resume that includes 1 Most Valuable Player Award, 7 Silver Slugger awards, 13 Gold Gloves, and 14 All-star games, one has to wonder where Pudge ranks in the conversation about the game’s greatest catchers.

Through the 2009 baseball season, Rodriguez has tallied 2,711 hits, 1,308 runs scored, 305 home runs, 1,264 RBI, and he even has 125 stolen bases to his credit.

As he continues to climb towards a few more baseball milestones, it seems like his election into baseball’s Hall of Fame is inevitable.  One thing is for certain:  He has my vote!!!

Happy Birthday Pudge!!!

According to Murray Chass, pretty bad:

With 99.99 percent certainty, it won’t be Hicks. “The banks and baseball would never accept him,” said the person who knows Hicks. “And he has no money. He hasn’t been paying the players. Major League Baseball has.”

Hicks has not paid interest on his bank loans since March, thus triggering a higher rate of interest. It is estimated that he owes $600 million. “Every day he waits he’s paying interest on $600 million,” said the person who knows Hicks. “He’ll never get any equity out of this. He needs about $700 million to get out of this.”

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!!!

Another day, another move for the Chicago White Sox.

On Monday, the White Sox inked SS Omar Vizquel to a one-year deal. Today, the White Sox signed another star of the late-90’s/early-2000’s.

According to Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago, the White Sox signed OF Andruw Jones to a one-year, $500 thousand contract. Jones has a chance to make another million in bonus incentives.

Jones, who hit .214 with 17 home runs and had a .782 OPS in 82 games last season with the Texas Rangers will serve as a backup outfielder for the White Sox in 2010.

As long as Jones isn’t playing on a regular basis for the White Sox in 2010, then this is a nothing with nothing move. Jones doesn’t have much left in the tank and his career is quickly coming to an end.

If there is a situation in 2010 where Ozzie Guillen should use Jones in, it should be as a pinch-hitter against right-handed pitching. Jones hit 13 out of his 17 home runs in 2009 against righties and his OPS was 31 points higher against righties than it was against lefties.

Jones will be 33-years-old next year.

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

You can read TR Sullivan’s roundup of the groups competing to be the next owners of the Rangers here, but the final paragraphs are the most important:

For all the public relations postering, it’s not going to matter what Hall of Famer is in your ownership group, how much baseball you’ve played in your life, how close you are with Bud Selig or how many friends you have in the media.

Understand this: it’s all about paying off the debt accumulated by Hicks Sports Group. That’s why the team is for sale, that’s what the New York banks are interested in and that’s also what concerns Major League Baseball above everything else. Hicks wouldn’t be selling if not for the oppressive debt.

The proposal that best addresses that situation is the one that will like get accepted. All other considerations take a back-seat to that single stipulation.

This is ultimately a business transaction. Answers should come by New Years Day…Spring Training at the latest. People want this thing done.

Craig – Tonight you can begin to see what winning means.

John – All we’re seeing is what steroids mean.

Craig – Yeah, it means that Juan Gonzalez, Jose Canseco, Rafael Palmeiro, Pudge, A-rod, Julio Franco, and every other latin player to ever suit up for the rangers started the era that is now accepted as a steroid era by apparently everyone but you. Nobody heard your mouth when Manny and Papi were winning, even though the world knew they were on the juice too. Your jealousy is unbecoming of a father of two. Jack Black neck.

John – Hey, Pooh Richardson head…just b/c we never had a convo about Manny and Papi doesn’t mean I wasn’t aware. Nobody’s championships in the past 10 years count. And even though Gino Petralli was on roids, doesn’t mean the Rangers started it all. The difference here, is that Juan, Jose, Raffy – all out of the game. But Manny, Papi, A-rod…all would have you believe an apology makes everything alright…A-rod would have you believe it happened only in 2003, and not last week. Manny clearly doesn’t care…yes, I tested, now I’m suspended, now I’m back, and now I put needle in my arm. Papi’s a liar. And you’re a liar too. Clemens was on ‘em when the Yankees won those titles…Girardi…Giambi…Boggs…Bernie…Rivera…all of ‘em…all roided up…Knoblauch…you name it….the Yankees didn’t win all those titles…they were won by Merck, Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb….

Craig – You just gave a treatise on roids yet you do not accept that the titles count in the era. Then you watch the games. You go to hell, hypocrite. Clemens wasn’t on the team when we slapped the Rangers around twice, just Andy and the Rangers beat him. And everyone on those Ranger teams was on the juice. So what’s YOUR excuse for not winning? No roided up pitchers, i guess…and for you to say that Bernie and Rivera were on steroids is absolute sacrilege, and takes so much envy and bitterness that you must be swimming in a green pool every night in your backyard.

John – WHO CARES THAT CLEMENS WASN’T ON TEAM THAT BEAT THE RANGERS…HE WAS ON THEM WHEN THE YANKEES WON AFTER THAT! The bottom line is that the Yankees are cheaters…and I didn’t mention Jeter, did I? THAT was out of respect b/c I don’t think he did. But Paul O’Neill?? No question.

Craig – Every team had multiple abusers – every single team. It renders everything moot and puts everyone on equal footing….when you cried like a patriotic flag-waving woman after McGwire hit 70 and called Sosa, another RANGER, a Mexican Popeye steroid cheat but then said nothing when McGwire was silent at the hearing, I let it go – but not now. Nobody but Clemens and Andy and Knoblauch did it, and it is because they are from TEXAS, where cheaters come from, and I can still give you a copy of Juiced if you want the REAL story. Probably not since it’s all about the RANGERS.

John – Seriously…ok? Seriously…at what point did you come to know that I cried after McGwire hit 70? I just watched like everyone else, but I didn’t have any emotion one way or the other. This is how your arguments go…you just throw random crap out, and hope it sticks. Blaming for this and that. I’m not saying the Rangers weren’t on ‘em…I’m just saying the Yankees are STILL ON THEM…

Craig – And that would be the dumbest statement ever! Who the hell is still on roids?? If anyone is on anything, it is something that cant be detected! And hey, how about those Rangers, who scored at an alarming rate this season with a bunch of no names. You gonna tell me Elvis Andrus is good? He is on the JUICE. Michael Young? He looks like Pierce Brosnan! He is on the JUICE….all of them. And Hicks knew then and he knows now. He is the most cheating owner in sports. The Rangers are a FACTORY for cheating, it has been revealed. There is no way out. i figured since I was at Humperdinks on Greenville when McGwire homered number 62 and at least TWENTY FIVE people started crying, that why not, John probably did too. Then I think it was a couple nights later Sosa hit 61 or something and nobody blinked. Other than me. And the explanation was that he did it second so it wasn’t as meaningful. TYPICAL WHITE MEN. So I just figured you were in on that too…

John – TYPICAL WHITE MEN, HUH…first of all, you racist bastard…I was at my honeymoon in Las Vegas when McGwire hit that ball…Kim was asleep in the room and I was downstairs at the bar – so I didn’t care about anything. Secondly, Michael Young looks like Pierce Brosnan…lord have mercy…unreal. Andrus is on juice…ok.

And you FIGURED I cried along with typical whitey? So you took time out of your Humperdinks drinking to think what I might be doing? Man, you’re just plain, old fashioned racist…By the way, MR. I ONLY DEAL WITH FACTS…you might want to check out the stats one more time, because all that was talked about this season was “what happened to the rangers’ offense”…and their hitting coach is now with the cubs…but yeah, they scored at an alarming rate. Lies…once again. But I’m always prepared for it. Adam and Eve fist.

Craig – I cannot read anything beyond the first sentence. By definition, it is impossible for blacks to be racist in the USA. Impossible. Please amend this if you want me to read it by replacing racist with prejudiced based on what has happened to blacks. Lol.

John – Hell no…b/c you have had white men in your life that have treated you pretty damn well, which is proof that those white guys exist, regardless of how rampant racism is. YOU have proof, but yet you still include us with “TYPICAL” WHITES….man screw you, damn shame belt.

Craig – When you understand the definition of racist in the USA, then we can revisit this. Instead of listening to Chris Botti, try A Love Supreme while reading the autobiography of Malcolm X or Slave Narrative by Frederick Douglass with some red wine so you can understand me…until then, you’re just some Ranger fan I know who can’t recognize our singular and exclusive racial banter that I use with no other person in the world. Oh, and duly noted is your condescending tone of how somehow you know I’ve had white men that treated me well. You dont know that!!!

John – This is you to a tee…decide you don’t want to answer to what I’m clearly correct on, and instead move our convo back to the plight of the black man in America. “You know, John, I’m not going to comment on the charge I made about the current Ranger offense, and instead remind you that I am black and because of this, you owe me.” And yes I understand the banter…it’s the primary reason we missed out on radio gold.

Craig – We didn’t miss it. You decided to do your own site REMEMBER? Oh no – they finished 19th in batting! Lol – I figured it was top ten. “AND YOU FIGURED I CRIED ALONG WITH TYPICAL WHITEY?” Man I didn’t think about that at that MOMENT, I was going back in time today. Rod Stewart head!! My apologies. I didn’t know your offense went south…..despite roids.

John – Man, before the World Series starts, both teams need to circle the mound with doctors in front of each one with a cup, and they need to pee right then and there. The series would be reduced to a one on one btw Phil Coke and Cole Hamels.

Details of Ken Griffey, Jr.’s 2010 contract with the Mariners were reported today.  He will get a guaranteed $2.35 million with incentives, that I’ll describe below, that could bring the deal up to $3.9 million.  As I’ve already written, I have my doubts whether even at this seemingly low price, the deal really makes sense for the Mariners.  Little about the details of the deal make me think otherwise.

Griffey clearly has more value to the Mariners than to anyone else, but I wonder whether that value was mainly in the 2009, when his being back with the M’s was a novelty.  Griffey has been given a lot of credit for turning the attitude in the Mariners’ clubhouse in 2009, but it’s hard to put a value on that.

In 2008, the Mariners went 61-101, and the attitude in the clubhouse was lousy.  In 2009, the M’s went 85-77, and the attitude in the clubhouse was much better.  Was Griffey responsible for the change?

His play as a DH certainly didn’t make a difference: he hit poorly for a full-time DH.  Baseball is full of potential designated hitters, guys who can hit a ton, but kill you in the field. You don’t have to try to find a DH that can hit better than Griffey’s 2009 .735 OPS.

Whether his manner in the clubhouse made the difference is a chicken-or-the-egg argument.  Griffey could have helped with clubhouse attitude which helped the players perform better and win.  Or clubhouse attitude improved because the team played 24 full games better than they did the previous season.

One of the things about “good-in-the-clubhouse” guys is that you are always faced with this sort of unanswerable question.  In my mind, “good-in-the-clubhouse” guys are valuable if they have some concrete, measurable skill that helps the team win.  A few years ago, Mark Sweeney was one of those “good-in-the-clubhouse” veteran players for the Giants.  So good, in fact, that he didn’t blow up when Barry Bonds tried to blame him for his steroid use.

However, Sweeney was also one of the better pinch hitters in the game, which justified his roster spot, aside from his alleged presence in the clubhouse.  The same is true for Twins catcher Mike Redmond.  He may be great in the clubhouse, but for several years, he was a back-up catcher with enough of a bat that he didn’t kill the Twins when Joe Mauer was hurt or needed a day off.

Back to Griffey.  He’s guaranteed $2.35 million and can earn $3.9 million if all of these conditions are met: (1) he gets 400 plate appearances; (2) the M’s draw at least 2.5 million; (3) he stays on the M’s roster the whole year; and (4) he stays off the DL for the whole year.

The only one of these incentives that makes any sense to me is (2).  The whole reason to bring back Griffey is that Mariners’ fans will come out to see him play and/or his presence in the clubhouse will be so valuable that the M’s win and bring in the fans.

As for the 400 plate appearances, Griffey got well more than 400 last year and probably hurt the M’s as a result.  One can assume that to get 400 plate appearances in 2010, Griffey will have to play better than he did in 2009.  It’s a possibility, but if I had to bet I’d guess Griffey’s 2010 will resemble Hank Aaron’s 1976 season (his second and last season with the Milwaukee Brewers).  I’ll grant that Griffey will be two years younger in 2010 than Aaron was in 1976 and that players as a group age better than they once did due to better nutrition and training regimens (and expansion), but Griffey has also experienced a lot more major injuries in his career than Aaron did.

Staying on the roster all year isn’t much of an accomplishment for which to pay, and the requirement that he stay off the disabled list all year long seems a little unfair on the Mariners’ part for a player who will be 40.  If Griffey plays in 110 or 115 games and posts an OPS over .825 in 2010, he’ll be worth every penny of $3.9 million, even if he spends a stint or two on the DL.

Omar Vizquel received $1.375 million to be the White Sox’ back-up shortstop in 2010.  I’m glad to see Omar squeeze out on more year in MLB, but I also tend to think that teams shouldn’t give players at this stage in their careers more than $1.1 million or $1.2 million a year tops.  The reason is that veteran good-field-no-hit players are fungible, and if one asks for much more than $1 million, the team is just as well off finding another of these guys who will accept less.

With Vizquel, he gets a premium for his past Hall of Fame career.  He hit once, so there’s always a chance, no matter how slight, that he might have one good year left with the bat.  At this point in his career, that’s a pretty unreasonable hope.

Another thing you can say in Vizquel’s favor is that there is probably no person better qualified to give your starting shortstops tips on how to get better.  No one has played more major league games at SS, and its probably hard to argue with the assertion that he has been one of the ten best defensive shortstops in baseball history over the course of his career.

The Rangers seemed to appreciate the work he did with Elvis Andris (it helps to have a talented pupil), although it’s also worth noting that they apparently didn’t make a strong effort to bring him back for 2010.  Of course, it’s also doubtful that in their current financial situation, the Rangers could come close to matching the money the White Sox just gave him.

I love when teams make good personnel decisions. It makes me giddy.

Today, the Chicago White Sox signed SS and future Hall of Famer Omar Vizquel to a one-year, $1.375 million deal. Vizquel, who is 43-years-old hit .266 with a .660 OPS in 2009 with the Texas Rangers.

Vizquel can still pick-it at SS

I really like this move for the White Sox.

Vizquel will serve as a backup infielder and as a mentor to Alexei Ramirez and Gordon Beckham. Who better to serve as a mentor to a young middle infielder than one of–if not the best defensive (cue Cardinal fan crying Ozzie Smith here) shortstop of all time.

The Rangers used Vizquel in this role last year for Elvis Andrus and that worked out quite well.

Not only will Vizquel serve as a mentor, but he can still pick-it with anyone defensively. He is not a washed up player, who is just looking to hang on. AKA: “A veteran presence.”

Vizquel played 62 games in the field last year at short, second and third, and didn’t commit an error. His UZR at shortstop was 5.3, which is very, very respectable. He also had a 3.3 UZR at third, which was better than Michael Young and David Wright.

The 11-time Gold Glove winner will be entering his 22nd season in the major leagues.

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

With the acquisition of this card I am now just 2 cards away from completing my Fergie Jenkins player collection.

When I set out to collect every card issued by a major card company from Fergie’s playing days, I never knew how enjoyable this goal would be.  Starting with zero cards, it was fun to shop for my ‘needs’ and along the way my appreciation for Fergie and his stellar pitching career sky rocketed.  This collection has taken longer to complete due to the age and condition of the cards I needed, but this extra time has allowed me more opportunities to learn about and enjoy stories focusing on Fergie.

Today I can proudly say that Ferguson Jenkins is my favorite pitcher of all-time!!!

And these are the final 2 cards I need to complete my player collection that honors his legendary career:

1966 Topps - Rookie card

1969 Topps

I have every intention of completing this collection by the end of the year.  It won’t be easy, but it will be fun!!!

On January 13, 2009, the Atlanta Braves signed Derek Lowe to a four-year, $60 million deal. The Braves signed Lowe after they failed to sign AJ Burnett, who signed with the New York Yankees.

Now less than one year later, the Braves are looking to trade 6′6” righty.

Why would the Braves look to trade Lowe just after one year? Well, for one, they feel they have an excess of pitching. And two, if they are able to trade Lowe, they could free up some money to add offense.

The Braves want to unload Lowe

So can the Braves trade Lowe? Let’s take a look at the pros and the cons of Lowe and what teams would be interested in trading for the former member of Red Sox Nation.

Pros

If you trade for Lowe, you are going to trade for one of the most durable pitchers in the game.

Lowe has started 30-plus games every season since moving from the bullpen to a starter in 2002. And since moving to the National League in 2005, Lowe has led the league in starts three out of those five years.

Over the last three years, Lowe is third in the National League in innings pitched with 605. In a sport where quantity counts just as much as quality for a pitcher, Lowe’s durability goes a long way.

Perhaps Lowe’s best asset is his ability to pitch well in big games. We all know what he did in the 2004 playoffs for the Red Sox winning the clinching game in all three series.

Lowe was also solid in two out of his three starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2008 playoffs.

Cons

Can you believe Lowe is going to be 37-years-old next year? It’s a little surprising considering that he looks a lot younger.

And with Lowe getting older, perhaps his age started to show in 2009. Lowe’s ERA rose from 3.24 in 2008 to 4.67 in 2009 and Lowe’s hits/9 increased to 10.7, which was his highest since 2004 (11/9).

Lowe K’s/9 went down from 6.3 in 2008 to 5.1 in 2009 and his BB/9 went up from 1.9 in 2008 to 2.9 in 2009. And while Lowe is known as a sinkerball/groundball pitcher, in 2009 he threw a lower percentage of groundballs (56.3) than at any point during his career.

It’s never a good sign when a groundball pitcher is throwing more flyballs than ever.

Lastly, the biggest con Lowe has going for him is his contract. Lowe still has three years and $45 million on his contract. The Braves overpaid for Lowe last year and they are going to hard pressed to move that size contract in this economy.

Now that we have looked at the pros and cons of Lowe, let’s take a look at the teams that might be interested in trading for the native of Dearborn, MI.

Milwaukee Brewers: There was a lot of talk recently of a Lowe for Corey Hart swap, but that was correctly turned down by the Brewers.

I know the Brewers are desperate for starting pitching, but even if all things were equal I wouldn’t have made that move if I was the Brewers’ GM.

New York Yankees: The Yankees had their choice between Burnett and Lowe last year and went with the younger Lowe. However, if Andy Pettitte doesn’t come back they feel Phil Hughes is still better suited to be in the pen, then Lowe could be an option.

It would be a long shot, but an option none the less.

Seattle Mariners: Another long shot, but the Mariners do need a number two starter and perhaps the Mariners could bring back the pitcher they traded away almost 12 years ago.

For those of you not familiar with what I am talking about, the Seattle Mariners trade Lowe and Jason Varitek to the Boston Red Sox for Heathcliff Slocumb.

I’ll check that one off as a win for the Red Sox.

Texas Rangers: Unless the Braves ate a significant portion of Lowe’s contract, it would be hard for the Rangers to acquire Lowe.

However, the Rangers could use a guy like Lowe and if they can get the Braves to eat a large portion of Lowe’s contract, then he would make sense for the Rangers.

As I have mentioned, the biggest problem the Braves will have with trading Lowe is his contract. Unless the Braves eat a significant portion of the deal, they are going to have a tough time trading him.

Now if it were my decision–I wouldn’t trade Lowe. This whole “the Braves have an excess of pitching” is comical to me.

Guess what? There is no such thing in baseball. The Red Sox had more pitching depth than any team in baseball going into 2009 and they still had to bring in Paul Byrd off his couch in August.

I guarantee that if the Braves trade Lowe or Javier Vazquez, something will happen to one of their remaining starters and they will be searching for a starter by the July 31st trading deadline.

That’s just the way baseball works.

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

According to the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago White Sox have made a $1M 1 year contract offer to 43-year-old free agent infielder Omar Vizquel.  There’s no information about how long the offer will be on the table.  Because Vizquel is open to play multiple infield positions, as he did with the Texas Rangers in 2009, his worth to any future suitor increases.  With Alexei Ramirez playing in 148 games for the White Sox in 2009, you can Vizquel to spend more time at second or third base.

It’s almost time to let the real “Hot Stove Season” begin in earnest.

Barring some unforeseen blunder by the Baseball Writers Association of America, Joe Mauer will be crowned the 2009 American League Most Valuable Player on Monday afternoon.

When that announcement becomes official, the clock starts.

The clock will be counting down the remaining days of Joe Mauer’s relationship with the Minnesota Twins.

By the time pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training the clock very well may have reached zero—as it did for Johan Santana two years ago—or it may have restarted to the tune of six-years and $100+ million.

Mauer’s agent, Ron Shaprio, has no doubt avoided starting any real negotiations regarding an extension with Minnesota until after the MVP announcement, and for good reason.

It’s one thing to ask for $100+ million for a three-time batting champion and it’s a whole different business to ask for $100+ million for a three-time batting champion and reigning AL MVP.

If Shapiro had started negotiations before the announcement, he’d have been going into a gunfight with an empty chamber.

After Monday’s announcement, he’ll come out fully-loaded and guns a-blazing.

It should be noted, however, that Shapiro was the agent for both Cal Ripken and Kirby Puckett, both of whom were able to work out deals to stay with their original clubs.

Shapiro is the antithesis of Scott Boras, in the sense that although he’s looking for a big payday for his client, he’s not looking to loot and plunder the organization in the process.

Mauer, 27, is due $12.5 million next season and, despite saying he is unconcerned with being the highest-paid player in the game, he is due a hefty raise going forward.

In fact, to say he is due a “hefty raise” may be underscoring his overall value.

Mauer is just entering his prime, plays a premium position, and is undoubtedly one of the game’s best pure hitters.

In just five full-seasons in the big leagues, Mauer has been voted to three All-Star teams, won three batting titles, three Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves, and should win his first AL MVP Monday afternoon.

It would be pure naiveté to assume that Mauer isn’t at least thinking about the big money he could make if he played in Los Angeles, New York, or Boston.

Despite historically being one of baseball stingiest franchises, Minnesota figures to make an honest attempt to extend Mauer’s contract beyond 2010 and well into the next decade.

No one in the front-office has so much as batted an eyelash at rumblings of the first $100+ million contract in franchise history.

That fact notwithstanding, there is still a chance that, much like with Santana, the extension talks could crumble.

If that is the case, one has to wonder what Mauer’s trade value would be.

Obviously, Mauer would command far more than the package general manager Bill Smith received for Santana two years ago.

Any team dealing with the Twins may be reluctant to give up front-line talent, given that acquiring Mauer will also include a substantial monetary investment, but the fact of the matter remains the same as it was with Santana, it’s now or never.

You pony-up the prospects and trade for him, or you’ll never get your hands on him.

Period.

Many fans in New York and Boston were lobbying for the Yankees and Red Sox, respectively, to hold onto their precious young talent rather than trade for Santana two years ago.

The mindset among those fans was that their clubs could just buy Santana and, in turn, keep their prospects too the following offseason. Santana, however, never hit free agency.

The Mets stepped in with an offer that was considerably less desirable than any the Yankees or Red Sox had reportedly offered, but it was the only offer left and the Twins took it.

Take heed now delusional fans of big market ballclubs, Joe Mauer will not hit free agency after next season.

His contract situation has an endgame with one of two possibilities.

A) The Twins will re-sign the hometown boy to the largest contract in franchise history and the fairy tale will come to a happy ending. Fans along the upper east coast will cry.

B) The Twins will trade Mauer to one of baseball’s big market clubs in exchange for a slew of top prospects and the big market club will promptly sign him to one of baseball’s richest contracts. Everyone in Minnesota will cry.

With those two options in mind, it’s time to take a look at the potential suitors that could arise for Mauer’s services if contract negotiations with the Twins fall through.

The Dark Horses

Texas Rangers

The Rundown: The Rangers don’t seem like a natural fit for Mauer.

The Rangers are in serious financial distress, the club has more important needs in the rotation and outfield, and the franchise is already stocked with three solid young catchers in Taylor Teagarden, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Max Ramirez.

The Rangers don’t make a lot of sense, but the club also lacks a real breakout star. Ian Kinsler and Josh Hamilton are there, but neither player has proven they can stay healthy and consistently put up the numbers that Mauer can.

The Return: Logically, the Twins would ask for one of the Rangers top pitching prospects in Neftali Feliz or Derrek Holland and then a combination of one of the club’s catchers and a position prospect such as Julio Borbon, Justin Smoak, or Chris Davis.

The Result: The price would no doubt prove too steep for a club that is already suffering from financial struggles. The club seems to have learned a lesson in recent years about gutting the farm-system for quick fixes and would no doubt pass on Mauer.

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Chicago Cubs

The Rundown: The Cubs—depending on what kind of money the Ricketts family wants to spend—could be major players this winter, or they could sit back and roll with the in-house talent.

The club has been linked to a number of players in trade discussions and figure to be more active on the trade market than in free agency this winter.

Chicago is still relatively close to Mauer’s St. Paul home and would seemingly be a good fit for the Midwestern grown catcher.

The club does, however, already have a former All-Star catcher in Geovany Soto on the roster and under club control at far cheaper rates for the foreseeable future.

The Return: Many of the top prospects including third baseman Josh Vitters, shortstop Starlin Castro, and right-hander Andrew Cashner have all been touted as potential trade candidates in previous discussions.

The Twins would no doubt ask for two of the three in any deal and current Cubs’ backstop, Geovany Soto as well. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Twins ask for outfielder Sam Fuld as well to round out the Minnesota outfield rotation.

The Result: In the end, the Cubs would need to clear way too much salary and with seemingly unmovable contracts belonging to Alfonso Soriano and Milton Bradley on the books, the Cubs would be a real dark horse to get involved in discussions for Mauer.

The Contenders

Los Angeles Angels

The Rundown: The Angels don’t figure to be overly interested in Mauer as the club already has Mike Napoli and Jeff Mathis under contract at vastly more reasonable salaries for the next three years.

The club has the financial means to sign Mauer long-term, there’s no doubt there and the club could probably pull together a solid package to send back to Minnesota in return.

The price, in terms of big league talent, would be steeper than for other clubs, but the Angels minor league depth has faded in recent years and most of the “young talent” is in the big leagues.

Additionally, the Twins would be wary about trading their best player to another legitimate contender, without receiving some immediate return on the deal.

The Return: It wouldn’t be out of the question to assume that Ervin Santana or Joe Saunders would front the return package. Either Howie Kendrick or Bandon Wood would have to be included with one of the suddenly-displaced catchers as well.

The Result: Although the Angels would no doubt “kick the tires” on a potential swap for Mauer, the cost in terms of talent and dollars would ultimately be too prohibitive for a club with question marks all around the diamond as is.

The Angels should be far more concerned with landing a third baseman, starting pitcher, and some outfield depth. Mauer would be a luxury the club doesn’t need at the moment.

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Los Angeles Dodgers

The Rundown: The Dodgers would have made more sense before the McCourt’s divorce threw a monkey-wrench into the team’s offseason plans.

Mauer would be a very good compliment to a relatively young and talented lineup for years to come. He would also allow the Dodgers to move Manny Ramirez out of the three-hole in the lineup and let Mauer, a natural number three, takeover that role.

Much like the aforementioned Angels, the Dodgers would be forced to give up more players from their big league roster in a deal as general manager Ned Colletti has moved much of the club’s best minor league talent (ie: Josh Bell & Carlos Santana) in recent deadline deals.

The Return: The Twins would start a package around the Dodgers’ own talented, young catcher, Russell Martin.

The Twins would be wise to inquire about Chad Billingsley and one of Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier. There is no guarantee the club would move any of the three.

Martin, Billingsley, and shortstop prospect Devaris Gordon could potentially get the deal done if the Twins are as high on Gordon as many scouts are following his 2009 campaign.

The Result: The Dodgers won’t have the money or prospects necessary to make the deal feasible.

Additionally, the club is more concerned with bolstering a rotation that proved very vulnerable last season.

Mauer would certainly draw some interest from the Dodgers, but it would never get beyond the first phone call.

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New York Mets

The Rundown: The New York Mets need a whole lot more than just Joe Mauer to be competitive again, but he’d be a great step in the right direction.

The Mets are currently in the market for at least one frontline starter, a corner outfielder, a first baseman, bullpen help, and potentially looking to add a new second baseman.

The club could also inquire about an additional catcher, rather than go forward with Omir Santos and Josh Thole. If the Mets were serious about a major upgrade at catcher, Mauer would be a good fit.

The club could use him as the number two hitter, thus getting him more at-bats, for the next few seasons while Wright and Beltran man the heart of the order. After Beltran moves on he could slip into his customary spot in the three-hole.

The Mets obviously could find the money to sign Mauer long-term, as they did when they acquired Johan Santana from Minnesota two years ago. The question is whether or not they’d have the right prospects and/or be willing to part with them.

The Return: The Mets would have to start with their two best positional prospects outfielder Fernando Martinez and catcher/first baseman Josh Thole. Period. There’d be no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

After that the Twins could ask about infield prospects Wilmer Flores and Reese Havens and would undoubtedly inquire about the availability of pitching prospects Jon Niese and Jenrry Mejia.

The Result: Although the Mets can’t be totally ruled out, the enormity of their flaws figures to put Mauer on their backburner this offseason.

The Mets are still reeling from a number of trades that depleted the farm system and trading off the best prospects, again, to plug one hole wouldn’t help the club much going forward.

I’d expect the Mets to look toward the free agent market for most of their moves and trades as a secondary option.

The Favorites

New York Yankees

The Rundown: If a player of Mauer’s caliber is available, the Yankees will no doubt come sniffing around. It doesn’t need to be mentioned, but the Yankees clearly have the right combination of talent and money to make a deal of this magnitude work.

The Yankees also have the need. Current backstop, Jorge Posada is 38 and still has two years and $26 million remaining on his current contract. It’s entirely possible that Posada will be a full-time designated hitter by the end of next season and certainly won’t finish out his contract as a starting catcher.

The club has promising prospects at the position in Francisco Cervelli, Jesus Montero, and Austin Romine. Although, none of the three project to be anywhere near as talented as Joe Mauer.

Hank Steinbrenner drew a line in the sand, more or less, during discussions for Johan Santana two years ago and it cost the Yankees the dominant left-handed starter they wanted, for a year anyway.

This time the club would have to be more open-minded in trade talks. Unlike Santana, Mauer contributes everyday and is just entering his prime.

The Return: The Twins inquired about Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, and Ian Kennedy last time around. The Yankees promptly shut them down. A lot has changed in two years and all three figure to be available in a deal for Mauer.

The Twins would also be wise to make top outfield prospect Austin Jackson a must-have in the deal. If the Yankees balk at Jackson, general manager Bill Smith would be wise to simply hang up the phone and end the conversation.

Any of the three catcher prospects would make sense as well. Cervelli is the only one of the three with any significant big league experience, so he would make the most sense for an “immediate” return.

The Result: The Yankees would be interested, but with $26+ million committed to Posada and three young replacements on the way it makes far more sense for the club to improve elsewhere.

The Bronx Bombers are rumored to be interested in acquiring another frontline starter and are reportedly on the market for a left fielder as well.

Much like many of the team listed above, I could see the Yankees showing interest and having the right package of prospects and big league talent to entice the Twins, but with Derek Jeter’s contract expiring at the end of 2010, one has to legitimately wonder if the club would have enough money to add yet another $20 million per year contract.

With Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and presumably Derek Jeter all topping $20 million per season going forward, Mauer might just be too much, even for the Yankees.

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Boston Red Sox

The Rundown: Prior to last season’s deal for Victor Martinez, the Red Sox appeared to be the most desperate of all the teams linked to Mauer.

At the time, the Red Sox were relying on 37-year-old Jason Varitek who had regressed so much on both sides of the plate that the club nearly let him go as a free agent last offseason.

The move for Martinez shores up the position in the short-term, but Mauer is the better catcher—by far—and figures to have a longer shelf-life behind the plate than Martinez.

Acquiring Mauer would allow the Red Sox to move Martinez to first base and Kevin Youkilis to third base. As such, incumbent third baseman Mike Lowell could be moved to another team.

Mauer would give the club the best pure hitter the Sox have had since Nomar Garciaparra’s heyday.

Additionally, with the contracts of Lowell and David Ortiz expiring after 2010, the club has the money to sign Mauer long-term.

The Return: The Twins would no doubt want a better return than the Cleveland Indians received for Martinez last season. As such, the package would start with Clay Buchholz and, if Smith were feeling gutsy, he could inquire about Jon Lester.

The Red Sox depth has been somewhat compromised in recent years by trades and the amount of talent that could contribute at the big league level is limited.

Starting pitcher Michael Bowden, who seemingly has no place with Boston, would be a solid addition to any deal. Additionally, starting pitcher/shortstop Casey Kelly and outfielder Josh Reddick could both contribute down the line.

Ultimately, the Twins would be wise to ask for Buchholz and reliever Daniel Bard up front as a starting point. It would be a steep price, but the Twins would be unwise not to go all out for Mauer.

The Result: The Red Sox obviously make the most sense as a trading destination for Mauer and the Twins.

Boston has plenty of money to grant him the extension and dollars he’ll merit and they have a solid crop of prospects that are either blocked at the big league level or still far enough off that trading them wouldn’t impact Boston’s immediate future.

If Mauer does become available, expect him to land in Boston.

As a kid, I would sometimes sit through an episode of The Brady Bunch, hoping beyond hope to get a glimpse of Marsha in her underwear. Unfortunately, that never happened. However, I do remember one episode that resonated with me. It was called “Bobby’s Hero,” which, for all of you keeping score at home, was episode 90 from season four. In it, Bobby develops a fascination with Jesse James. He writes a paper on the outlaw, and brings home a C+. But, worse than that, Mike and Carol get a concerned call from the principal. The Bradys discover that their youngest is worshipping a common criminal, one who built a reputation on shooting innocents in the back. The episode ends when the dire warnings of an old man prompt Bobby to have a nightmare in which his entire family is ruthlessly murdered by the black-clad Jesse James. Soon after, Bobby sees the error of his ways, and we end on the comfortable reaffirmation of our core family values.

The cynic in me says the reason I enjoyed the episode so much was because it was the only episode in which the entire Brady family gets gunned down. The only thing that would have made it any better would have been a close up of Greg’s brains splattered on the wall. But the quasi-serious academic in me can’t help but think that maybe there was an object lesson in there somewhere. After all, Bobby’s hero worship of Jesse James was hardly unique. Just about every culture and every time period has made a hero of its bygone outlaws. From Robin Hood to Bonnie and Clyde, outlaws turned folk heroes are everywhere. It makes no difference that an outlaw’s crimes fail to jive with their fame; they are heroes nonetheless. They undergo a strange alchemy that changes them from common criminal to champion of the dispossessed. As the poor and downtrodden masses, we identify with the romance the outlaw represents, if not his crimes. We thrill at the romantic adventure, the disguises, the escapes, the thumbing of our collective noses at those who hold power over us.

I’ve been thinking an awful lot about that alchemical process lately, and it occurs to me that the one common denominator across all those different criminals turned folk heroes, is the power of art. A song – specifically, a ballad – can turn the vilest crime into an act of charity. When Robin Hood’s men usurp the spiritual authority of the church, as they do in the ballad “Robin Hood and Allan a Dale,” or murder a police officer, as they do in “Robin Hood and the Widow’s Sons,” the crime itself gets buried in a clever rhyme. What takes center stage is the hypocrisy of the Medieval Church, or the unjust oppression of bad government. We fail to see the horror, the aftermath, the other side of the ballad. Instead, we see a symbol of our own liberation.

Kenedy, Texas: June 12, 1901

Located about 75 miles south of San Antonio, Karnes County is a rugged, beautiful country made up of rolling hills and clear running streams and dense forests of mesquite and oak trees. Its large pastures are thick with Johnson Grass, making it natural ranching country, a life which appealed to the German and Mexican families who settled it in the early 1800s.

By 1901, it was a small, but thriving, community based on corn and cattle. German immigrants grew wealthy, while the Mexican immigrants of the day lived as renters on their ranches. And one of the largest ranches in the area belonged to W. A. Thulemeyer. He rented out a small corner of his property to two young Mexican men, Gregorio and Romaldo Cortez. Both were married. Gregorio had four children; Romaldo and his wife had none. Though Romaldo was the older of the two, Gregorio seems to have been the more mature. It was Gregorio who first made the decision to settle down (the two had for several years worked as itinerant ranch hands throughout South Texas, dragging their families along with them), and it was under Gregorio’s supervision that their corn crops prospered. And it was Gregorio who was fated to become a folk hero of the Texas-Mexico border.

Trouble came to the Cortez brothers on June 12, 1901. A few days before, an unidentified Mexican man had stolen a horse in adjacent Atascosa County. The sheriff in Atascosa had tracked the thief to Karnes County and asked W.T. “Brack” Morris, the sheriff in Karnes County, to pick up the trail. Brack Morris was a former Texas Ranger with a reputation for being quite handy with a pistol. In 1901 he was serving his third term as sheriff and knew nearly everyone in Karnes County. He’d gotten word that Gregorio Cortez had recently acquired a new horse and went out to the Thulemeyer Ranch with a translator to make inquiries.

Morris’ translator was a man named Boone Choate, who seems to have had a higher opinion of his knowledge of Spanish than he perhaps had a right to. They arrived at Gregorio Cortez’s house mid-morning and found a clapboard house set back from the road behind a small, split rail fence. Choate climbed down from the horse-drawn carriage the two men had ridden in on and hollered toward the house while Morris remained in the carriage.

Sensing trouble, Gregorio told Romaldo to go see what the men wanted. Romaldo went out to meet the men. Choate asked if Gregorio was at home. When Romaldo said that he was, Choate told him to get his brother and bring him out.

Romaldo turned to the house and said, “Te quieren,” which in Spanish is the familiar way to say, “Hey, get out here. These guys want to talk to you.”

Unfortunately, when literally translated into English, the phrase means “you are wanted,” which has an entirely different meaning to a police officer. This was the first of three disastrous mistranslations that put Gregorio Cortez on the path to folk hero status.

Gregorio came outside and stood in the yard behind Romaldo. Choate then proceeded to ask Gregorio about the mare he had recently acquired from another Mexican rancher in the area.

Unfortunately, Choate’s Spanish was not up to the task. Instead of using yegua, the Spanish word for mare, he used caballo, which means stallion. Gregorio was understandably confused. He didn’t own a stallion, and he told Choate as much. When Choate’s second translating mistake came back to Morris, it sounded to the ex-Texas Ranger like just another Mexican trying to get away with something. He dropped down from his carriage and ordered Choate to tell the two brothers they were under arrest.

Things get a little murky after that.

Apparently, Gregorio said something that Choate heard and translated as “No white man is going to arrest me.” An obvious threat, if you’re a cop about to the cuffs on somebody.

Later, at his trial, his lawyers said that Gregorio Cortez simply said, “You can’t arrest me for nothing.”

It’s not difficult to picture the scene.

The two brothers, realizing they were about to be arrested, got angry. “Why?” they shouted. “We haven’t done anything.” They were shouting. And Morris, who had no intention of taking any flak from a couple of poor Mexican farmers, went for his gun. Meanwhile, Romaldo advanced on the authorities, hands slicing the air in front of him like a wronged tragedian in a silent movie. Morris shot him in the mouth, wounding, but not killing, him. He then turned to Gregorio, fired, and missed. Gregorio returned fire, and his aim was truer. Morris fell to the ground, hit three times. And Choate doomed himself to villain status by turning and running to a hiding spot in the surrounding chaparral, leaving Morris to bleed to death on the road.

When the smoke cleared, Gregorio picked up the sheriff’s pistol, went inside his house, packed up the wife and kids, and loaded everything into the sheriff’s carriage and rode to Romaldo’s house.

What started out as a misunderstanding based on bad translation was now the murder of a police officer, resisting arrest, and theft of a carriage and two horses.

Gregorio Cortez had greeted the morning as a free man, but now the gallows was looming at his back.

After seeing to his family, Gregorio and Romaldo set out for the nearby town of Kenedy. Romaldo was feverish and fading fast, which left Gregorio with little choice but to deposit him with another branch of their family and set off on his own. He then began a nearly one hundred mile walk to the home of Martin and Refugia Robledo, who rented a home from a wealthy German rancher named Schnabel.

By all rights, Gregorio should have been safe there at the Robledo house. He had evaded several posses on the way, and was relatively sure that no one had tracked him through the rough country.

Unfortunately for him, the sheriff of Gonzales County, Robert M. Glover, was a very good friend of the sheriff Gregorio Cortez had just killed, and Glover was determined to get revenge.

While the other posses were busy wandering the countryside, Glover arrested the women in Gregorio’s family and interrogated them. Using what he learned from them, he organized a posse and headed for Schnabel’s ranch. Though the rumor was never supported with reliable testimony, it appears Glover and his crew picked up a bottle of whiskey on the way to Schnabel’s ranch and had themselves a bit of a wake for the dearly departed Sheriff Brack Morris. They were, in all likelihood, quite drunk when they converged on the Robledo house.

The approaching posse evidently made a great deal of noise as descended on the property, because Gregorio and Martin Robledo were outside, hiding in the brush, waiting for them.

The posse dismounted, with the exception of Glover, and charged the house. Glover rode around to the southeast corner of the property, and there he met up with Cortez. The two men started shooting at one another, and the battle went on until Cortez managed to hit and kill Glover. Cortez then hid, barefoot, in a briar-strewn field until the fight, which grew in legend to become the Battle of Belmont, was over. Then he quietly reentered the house, got his shoes, and fled.

Meanwhile, the posse had their blood up. They engaged the Robledo family and ultimately captured them, but not before Schnabel was shot in the face. He was killed instantly, and there is still some doubt as to who actually inflicted the fatal wound. Mrs. Robledo was charged with the crime, but convincing evidence was raised during the trial to suggest that the fatal shot actually came from another deputy named Tom Harper. But regardless of the cause of Schnabel’s death, the focus remained on Gregorio Cortez. He was now wanted for the death of two sheriffs, and every lawman in the state was itching to put a noose around his neck.

He fled to another friend’s house, where he was given a horse, saddle, and gun, and from there embarked on a mad dash across the state, bound for Laredo. Along the way, he became the subject of the largest manhunt in Texas history. At one point, a posse of three hundred deputies and conscripts (though contrary to legend, the Texas Rangers were not involved at that point) pursued him.

Cortez managed to elude them at every turn. For ten days he used tricks and courage and just plain luck to stay one step ahead of everybody before finally getting turned in by a friend to the Texas Rangers, who took him into custody without firing a shot.

Cortez was taken to San Antonio, where he was tried and convicted for numerous crimes. Despite multiple trials and attempts to lynch him, his death sentence was ultimately commuted by Texas Governor Oscar Colquitt. He was released from prison in 1913 and died three years later of pneumonia.

The Man and the Legend

It’s not hard to see why Cortez became a folk hero. After all, Mexicans living in South Texas, whether legally or otherwise, have long been treated like dirt by their white neighbors. For the thousands of Mexicans living in poverty, Gregorio Cortez was a shooting star. Here was one of their own making the assembled might of the white establishment look like a bunch of chumps. Like Robin Hood before him, he underwent an apotheosis at the hands of balladeers, who immortalized him in song.

Here is Hally Wood’s beautiful translation of “El Corrido de Gregorio Cortez,” which I found in Americo Paredes’ book With His Pistol in his Hand:

In the county of El Carmen
A great misfortune befell;
The Major Sheriff is dead;
Who killed him no one can tell.

At two in the afternoon,
In half an hour or less,
They knew that the man who killed him
Had been Gregorio Cortez.

They let loose the bloodhound dogs;
They followed him from afar.
But trying to catch Cortez
Was like following a star.

All the rangers of the county
Were flying, they rode so hard;
What they wanted was to get
The thousand-dollar reward.

And in the county of Kiansis
They cornered him after all;
Though they were more than three hundred
He leaped out of their corral.

Then the Major Sheriff said,
As if he was going to cry,
“Cortez, hand over your weapons;
We want to take you alive.”

Then said Gregorio Cortez,
And his voice was like a bell,
“You will never get my weapons
Till you put me in a cell.”

Then said Gregorio Cortez,
With his pistol in his hand,
“Ah, so many mounted Rangers
Just to take one Mexican!”

There are innumerable variants of the story, and each embellishes some element of the manhunt. Gregorio’s flight became a vehicle upon which the Mexican folk ballads of northern Mexico and South Texas, a tradition collectively known as corridos, heaped tale after tale of daring do.

This process seems to have started relatively early. The newspapers of the day show a great deal of divisiveness about Gregorio Cortez and what his punishment should be. In some cases, such as with the San Antonio Express News, articles would run side by side, one calling for the immediate lynching of Gregorio Cortez, the other praising his resourcefulness, his courage, his pluck. Mexicans, and a few Anglos as well, took up the story and made Gregorio Cortez into a local god.

The corrido tradition surrounding Cortez became so elaborate, in fact, that by 1958 Americo Paredes was able to devote an entire book to separating Gregorio Cortez the man from Gregorio Cortez the legend. Paredes’ book, With His Pistol in his Hand, remains the finest treatment of the Gregorio Cortez story. In almost every respect, it is a fair and honest attempt to get at the truth of what happened during those ten days in June, 1901. And it is also a loving tribute to the Mexican musical tradition of the corrido.

But in my mind Paredes’ book does take the logical next step and connect the role of art in making heroes out of criminals. Look at Robin Hood, immortalized in songs, novels and movies. Look at the gangsters, bank robbers and rum runners of the 1930s immortalized by the pulp fiction industry and Hollywood. Bonnie and Clyde are no longer reckless psychopaths; they are Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway enacting a modern fable of true love pitted against the cold, indifferent world. Robert Ford, who shot Jesse James in the back (an act that arguably saved a good many innocent lives), is now reviled as a coward and an assassin, lumped in with the likes of the Sheriff of Nottingham and King John.

It seems, ultimately, that crime can pay…as long as you have a soundtrack.

The Narcocorrido: An Afterward

Somewhere out there somebody is saying, “Yeah, but…Robin Hood, he lived a long time ago. His crimes have been whitewashed by time and circumstance and political irrelevance. Today we know the Medieval church stood in the way of scientific progress and that it committed more sins that it helped to prevent. The Sheriff of Nottingham was a villain, through and through. He deserved to meet up with someone like Robin Hood and his Merry Men. And besides, none of that applies to us. All Robin Hood is these days is a historical abstraction, like King Arthur. Lighten up, man. It’s just a story.

Even Gregorio Cortez, whose biography is fairly well documented, is from another time. The players in his drama have been dead for more than half a century, right? What’s the harm in making up stories about him?

Well, there’s nothing wrong with having heroes, to be sure. People need heroes. And they’re going to look for them among their own. Not only do heroes provide the sense of adventure I craved as a boy, but they validate one’s way of life. For the Mexicans in the smoky cantinas of South Texas and Northern Mexico, Gregorio Cortez was a literal expression of what could be, of what any of them could be. Robin Hood represented the same thing to the oppressed lower classes in England. So heroes, as a Platonic form, are not bad. Far from it.

But there is a danger here, depending upon your point of view. Art, after all, is not static. Just as communities change, take on new systems of moral value and new economies, so too do the stories those communities tell. And today, a good part of the South Texas border culture is wrapped up in drugs and illegal migration and violence. Yes, there are still good and true people living along the border, but to paraphrase Thoreau, they are living lives of quiet desperation. They are surrounded by drug cartels that openly engage the government, that kill indiscriminately, that piggy back off the migrant worker’s illegal border crossing quest for a better way of life. The reality of life on the border is one of violence and fear.

And the corrido has changed to reflect this new reality. A new form of the folk ballad has emerged called the narcocorrido, or drug ballad. These are polka-based dance tunes that tell the story of drug runners and border criminals. They are extremely popular. Early examples of the form date back to 1930s, but it wasn’t until the 1970s, when the band Los Tigres del Norte took the Mexican music world by storm, that narcocorrido rose to prominence.

Today, nearly forty years later, the narcocorrido is a mainstay of Mexican music. The ballads its practitioners write and perform contain the exploits of real people. They describe real crimes. And they are making heroes of drug dealers in much the same way as earlier corridos made a hero of Gregorio Cortez.

Except that nowadays the bands performing narcocorridos can reach hundreds of millions of people.

Go anywhere south of the Rio Grande with a picture of Los Tigres del Norte or Rosalino “Chalino” Sanchez, and you won’t have to look very hard to find somebody who knows all their songs by heart.

The implications are frightening. Tempers on both sides of the border are short enough as it is. People become rabid when you start discussing immigration. Add to that the very real threat of drugs and organized warfare sponsored by drug cartels, and you might as well drop a lit match into a powder keg. It will take us years, maybe even several generations, to heal the mistrust that has risen up between the United States and Mexico.

The narcocorrido, I think, will help to deepen that mistrust, rather than help to heal it. Looking back on Gregorio Cortez, we can view his story within the context of the racism of his day, a factor that goes a long way toward mitigating his crimes. We can root for him during his adventures because our modern sensibilities tell us that he was treated unjustly, that he was made a criminal just because he was a Mexican living in an Anglo world. But we can’t say that about the hero of a narcocorrido. When he kills a Los Angeles policeman and flees back to a little village south of the border, thumbing his nose at American justice as he runs, we don’t get to couch his crime in terms of human rights and a demand for dignified treatment. All we can see is a worm eating its way through our moral bread basket. And with heroes like that, who needs villains?

As usual in these situations, I’m going to cut to the completely unjustifiable chase.  We’re not getting the All-Star Game in 2012.  Kansas City is getting it.  I’ll give you a moment to recover from the shock before I continue, because believe me, this was one seriously twisted shock.  Okay.  Apparently, Kauffman Stadium recently completed major renovations.  How nice for Kauffman Stadium.  It’s brand-new, nice and clean, and very fan-friendly.  Congratulations, Kansas City; now Kauffman Stadium is just like every other ballpark that completes major renovations.

Just to review, the reason why we wanted the All-Star Game in 2012 is because Fenway Park will turn one hundred years old.  The oldest ballpark still in use in the United States of America will commemorate a century of baseball.  America’s Most Beloved Ballpark will celebrate its one hundredth birthday.  Think about what Fenway Park has seen in that time.  It’s seen the Royal Rooters, Tris Speaker, Duffy’s Cliff.  It’s seen Joe Cronin, Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski.  It’s seen Nomar Garciaparra, David Ortiz, 2004, and 2007.  It’s seen a team of royalty followed by a team that committed cruel and unusual losses year after year after year, followed by royalty’s return.  If there is a structure in this country that embodies the history of the game of baseball within its very foundation, it’s Fenway Park.

And Fenway Park was denied.  Why? I have no idea.  What, they can give it to New York because it’s the last year of Yankee Stadium but they can’t recognize that America’s Most Beloved, and oldest, Ballpark will turn a century old? I mean, okay, so Kansas City hasn’t had the All-Star game in forty years and Fenway last had it thirteen years ago, in 1999 when none other than the Splendid Splinter threw out the first pitch.  But Fenway only turns one hundred years old once in a lifetime.  Kansas City could’ve gotten it in 2013.  In fact, it would’ve been okay by me if Kansas City had it every year for another forty years if only we could have it this one time.  Something just doesn’t seem right here.  I think I speak for all of Red Sox Nation when I say that we are extremely and profoundly disappointed and extremely and profoundly confused.

Zack Greinke won the AL Cy Young.  I’ll be very interested to see how he pitches next year.  I don’t think he’ll be as effective.  But I do think Josh Beckett is in line to have a break-out season so dominant that not even CC Sabathia can squeeze past him in the Cy Young voting.  Tim Lincecum won it for the NL, becoming its first repeat winner since Randy Johnson.  Andrew Bailey of Oakland and Chris Coghlan of Florida were the Rookies of the Year.  Mike Scoscia and Jim Tracy of Colorado were the Managers of the Year.  I don’t think I would’ve picked Mike Scoscia.  In my mind, there were three managers this year who faced significant uphill battles and who powered through them: Terry Francona, and then Ron Gardenhire and Ron Washington.  Terry Francona managed us through a lack of shortstop, the entry of a new starting catcher, a decline in the playing time of the team’s captain, a very public steroid scandal, and the worst slump in the career of the figure at the heard of said steroid scandal.  True, every manager deals with things behind closed doors, but what makes Tito’s job so difficult is that those doors are never closed completely.  It’s the nature of sports in Boston.  Gardenhire took the Twins from zero to one-game-playoff winners without Joe Mauer in the first month of the season, Justin Morneau in the last month, or a particularly effective bullpen.  And Washington almost made it to the playoffs this year without big-name talent.  All I’m saying is that, if the award goes to a Manager of the Year within the Angels organization, it should have gone to Torii Hunter, not Scoscia.  He was the real force in that clubhouse.  MVPs will be announced tomorrow.

Again, not much in the way of business yet.  Jason Bay rejected a four-year, sixty-million-dollar offer in favor of testing the free agent market for the first time in his career.  He’s Theo’s priority, though, and I still say he’ll end up back in Boston.  The Cards have already stated that they’re not interested, preferring Matt Holliday instead.  But I think this has the potential to be one of those long, drawn-out negotiations.  By the way, let’s not forget that Jermaine Dye is also a free agent.

We released George Kottaras, who has been claimed by the Brewers.  PawSox manager Ron Johnson will be our new bench coach.  We’re reportedly interested in Adrian Beltre, and we claimed reliever Robert Manuel off waivers.  Before the offseason is done, we’ll probably re-sign Alex Gonzalez and add a low-risk, high-potential starter.  Remember: in an economy like this, you do not need to, nor should you, empty your pockets to win a World Series, no matter what the Evil Empire might assume is the best practice.

Congratulations to John Henry on winning the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship.  Again, corporate social responsibility in this day and age is the way to go.  Unfortunately, though, ticket prices are up this year.  About half the seats were increased by two dollars, including the infield grandstand, right field boxes, and lower bleachers.  The field and loge boxes and Green Monster seats and standing room were increased by five dollars.  The outfield grandstand and upper bleachers weren’t increased.  Whenever you hear about price increases or decreases for tickets at Fenway, remember to always take them with a grain of salt.  Obviously we’d prefer a price freeze, but how many of us really purchase our Fenway tickets at face value anyway? I’m just saying.

So, as per usual this early in the offseason, we have more wait-and-seeing ahead.  Theo never reveals the tricks he has up his sleeve, so that’s really all we can do.

The Bruins suffered a particularly painful loss to the Islanders, 4-1.  I’d rather not talk about it.  We did best Atlanta in a shootout, though, and we eked out a win against the Sabres in sudden death.  That last one was particularly heartening, being that the Sabres are first in the division.  For now.  We’re only two points behind.  And now for the grand finale, let’s discuss Bill Belichick’s oh-so-positive judgment call on Sunday.  In the fourth quarter with a six-point lead, the Pats had the ball on their 28.  Tom Brady’s pass was incomplete.  With two minutes and eight seconds left on the clock, Belichick decided to go for it.  But Kevin Faulk fumbled the ball, and suddenly it was fourth and two.  Needless to say, we lost, 35-34, to the Colts, who are still undefeated.  I mean, it’s a tough call.  Belichick made the same decision against Atlanta and we won.  Then again, we had the lead, we had the time, and we had an opponent that wasn’t Indianapolis.  It was just bad.  It was just really, really bad.

Sawxblog/Derek Hixon

1968 Topps Fergie Jenkins

Finally I have added this card to my Fergie Jenkins player collection.  The ‘68 Topps card is not an easy one to find with good centering.  And while this card is far from perfect, the corners are solid and the centering is probably close to an 80/20.  I would love to have brought home a more well-centered card, but I am very aware of my spending limits so I got the best that I could currently afford.

1968 was a solid year for Fergie.  In his second full season with the Cubs, the Hall of Famer started 40 ball games for the team en route to a 20-15 record along with 20 complete games.  Fergie was progressing nicely at this point and he recorded a 2.63 ERA due to his hard work.  The efforts of training on his mechanics in the off-season began to pay off too as he finished the year with 260 strikeouts while allowing just 65 walks.

I am thrilled to add this ‘68 Topps card to my Fergie Jenkins collection!!

And now I am just 2 cards away from calling this player collection complete!!!

On January 6th, 2009 Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry signed OF Milton Bradley to a three-year, $30 million contract.

At that point everyone screamed “Nooooooooooooo!!!” This was a disaster waiting to happen and it was.

Not only did Bradley grossly under perform in a Cubs’ uniform, but on Sept. 20, Bradley was suspended for the rest of the season because of conduct detrimental to the team.

Bradley was a disaster in Chicago

“Recently, it’s become intolerable to hear Milton talk about our great fans the way he has,” Hendry said. “We pride ourselves on having the greatest fans in baseball, so at this time we felt it was best to send him home for the rest of the season.”

Now almost one year later, Hendry is looking to ship Bradley out of town. Who would possibly take on Bradley and his contract?

Let’s take a look at the pros and the cons of Bradley and what teams would be interested in trading for the beleaguered outfielder.

Pros

If there is one thing that has been consistent with Bradley’s play on the field throughout his career, it’s that the man knows how to work the count.

Bradley had a .378 OBP in 2009, which ranked him fifth amongst all major league right fielders. For his career, Bradley has a .377 OBP including leading the American League in OBP with a .436 mark with the Texas Rangers in 2008.

And while Bradley’s overall numbers were down in 2009, there was a period in the season where Bradley was doing what he was brought in to do–hit. From May 1st-August 31st, Bradley hit .281 with a .402 OBP.

He had his best month in August when he hit .308 with a .911 OPS.

Bradley is also only 31-years-old. Doesn’t it seem like Bradley should be older than that? I feel like he has been around forever.

But at 31, Bradley should still have a lot left in the tank.

Cons

Where do I begin? Outside of his one year in Texas, Bradley has been a problem everywhere he has been.

You name the place and you can name an incident where Bradley has cost himself a long-term contract. There is a reason why this guy hasn’t been on a team for longer than two years.

Not only does Bradley have a tough time staying on one team, but he has a hard time staying on the field once he is on that team. The most games he has played in one season is 141 with the Los Angeles Dodgers back in 2004.

He is an injury waiting to happen.

And of course, there is the issue of his contract. Bradley has two years and $21 million remaining on his contract. Is a team really going to take on that salary and have the risk of Bradley losing his mind 50 games into the season?

Now that we looked at the pros and cons of Bradley, let’s take a look at what teams would be interested in trading for the former Expo, Indian, Dodger, A, Padre, and Ranger.

Texas Rangers: The one place where Bradley really thrived was Texas. There has been a lot of talk recently of a reunion between Bradley and the Rangers.

Texas is a perfect place for Bradley. There is no pressure, the fans really don’t care, and Bradley can just come to the ball park and attempt to play baseball.

Bradley could serve as the Rangers’ DH, while Nelson Cruz plays left, Julio Borbon plays center, and Josh Hamilton plays right.

Tampa Bay Rays: There was talk earlier in this offseason of a Bradley for Pat Burrell swap. Outside of trading down year for down year, I really didn’t understand the trade for either team.

Burrell is less of a headache than Bradley and is more than capable of having a bounce back year in 2010.

And while Tampa is another good spot for Bradley to go (see Rangers above) and Bradley would present an upgrade in right field over Gabe Gross, I am just don’t see it happening.

Outside of those two destinations, I am not sure what team would have an interest in Bradley. Hendry has really dug himself a hole with Bradley.

However, I am going to say there is a 75 percent chance of the Cubs trading him just because they have to. I don’t think there is any way they can bring him back in 2010.

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

Corey Hart; Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Two evening trade rumors to pass along concerning Kentucky natives. Jason Stark of ESPN.com reports that trade talks from the Marlins with the Giants and Rangers about Louisville-native Dan Uggla got “pretty hot and heavy” at the GM meetings. Uggla remains the most likely Marlin to be traded, but the team told Stark they would keep him and trade someone else if they didn’t get what they wanted for the second baseman.

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com reports the Braves are trying to move starting pitcher Derek Lowe and there most serious discussion so far came with the Brewers concerning Bowling Green-native Corey Hart. That deal appears to have fallen through, and Mark Bowman of MLB.com says the Braves would prefer prospects to Hart.

En Venezuela como en muchos corazones latinoamericanos muchos esperaban que Felix Hernández fuera el anunciado como el ganador del Premio Cy Young del 2009 de la Liga Americana.

El conocido como “El Rey” y para los anglos “The King” en territorio de los Marineros de Seattle tenia la esperanza como muchos de sus seguidores que seria el segundo de tierra bolivariana en recibir tan prestigioso galardón.

El primero lo fue el magnifico Johan Santana. El hoy serpentienro de los Mets de Nueva York obtuvo el Cy Young de la Liga Americana tanto en el 2004 y en el 2006 en el uniforme de los Mellizos de Minnesota.

Para la desilución de Hernández no pasó. Zack Greinke de los Reales de Kansas City fue el seleccionado como el mejor entre los serpentineros del año.

La palabra es desilución porque Hernández lanzó una gran campaña con 19 victorias, 2.49 de efectividad y 217 ponchetes. Su numero de ganados fue lider junto a CC Sabathia de los Yankees de Nueva York y Justin Verlander de los Tigres de Detroit en la Liga Americana.

En honor a la verdad para el ganador del Premio Luis Aparicio de este año la competencia no estaba facil. Tanto Greinke como Sabathia y Verlander todos tenian los números necesarios para llevarse el Cy Young.

Para los venezolanos especialmente fue la segunda blanqueada en esta época de los grandes reconocimientos de Las Mayores.

Muchos corazones tambien estaban puestos en que el jovenzuelo Elvis Andrus de los Rangers de Texas fuera el seleccionado como el Novato del Año de la Liga Americana.

El campocorto Ranchero habia sido escogido por la publicación USA TODAY Sports Weekly como el novel del año de la temporada pero los votantes en general pensaron diferente.

Los escritores de béisbol de América escogieron al relevista Andrew Bailey de los Atléticos de Oakland.

En honor a la verdad Bailey también tuvo una campaña excepcional salvando 26 partidos en 30 oportunidades.

El serpentinero derecho terminó la temporada con 1.84 de efectividad en 83.1 entradas lanzadas, abanicó a 91 bateadores y solo permitió 49 indiscutibles.

En cuanto a los galardones que quedan por anunciar la última esperanza estaba en el Más Valioso de la Liga Americana.

Sín duda el venezolano Miguel Cabrera de los Tigres de Detroit como el cubano Kendry Morales de los Angelinos de Los Angeles recibirán algunos votos pero la competencia no esta facil.

Para muchos de los entendidos beisboleros el Más Valioso este año debe estar entre el Mellizo Joe Mauer y los Yankees Derek Jeter y Mark Teixeira.

El premio de Más Valioso del circuito nacional debe recaer en el dominicano Albert Pujols de los Cardenales de San Luis.

La única pregunta que hay al momento es sí lo recibirá de forma unanime o no. Su compatriota Hanley Ramírez de los Marlins de Florida se espera sea segundo en tan prestigioso anuncio.

Pujols ya recibió de parte de las grandes ligas el Premio Hank Aaron de la Liga Nacional.

En premios de importancia de Venezuela el lanzador Carlos Zambrano  de los Cachorros de Chicago salvó la zafra como ganador del Bate de Plata como lanzador de la Liga Nacional.

En similar situación estuvieron los puertorriqueños que solo el Cardenal Yadier Molina fue el único galardonado esta campaña con su segundo Guante de Oro en su carrera como receptor en la Nacional. También los mexicanos que solo Adrian González de los Padres de San Diego fue el único galardonado esta campaña con su segundo Guante de Oro en su carrera como inicialista en el más antiguo de ambos circuitos.

En cuanto al premio de Guante de Oro el otro único recipiente este año lo fue el intermedista Placido Polanco de los Tigres de Detroit en la Americana.

Por otro lado junto a Zambrano. los otros seleccionados latinos como Bate de Plata lo fueron Pujols y Hanley Ramírez en la Liga Nacional.

Seems like Tom Hicks is putting together a bid to keep the team:

DALLAS — Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks said Wednesday that he’s putting together his own group of mainly local investors, including team president Nolan Ryan and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach, in an effort to maintain majority ownership in the club.

Hicks expects at least five groups, including his own, to submit proposals by Friday’s deadline. At that point, Hicks and his staff will analyze the proposals and decide which one makes the most sense to pay down or eliminate debt accrued by Hicks Sports Group.

Any change of ownership, including Hicks’ new group, would have to get the approval of Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League and the 40 lenders of HSG. The reason the NHL is involved is that HSG owns the Stars and the sale affects HSG’s debt.

Hicks said the process of finding a new owner could be completed within the next 45 days.

I have a hard time believing that MLB will approve such a deal, and it is hard to fathom who would invest in HSG when they are so highly leveraged.  How would you feel if you had submitted a proposal only to find out that you were out bid by $1 by the existing owner? 

The more I think about it, the more I think Hicks probably had this planned from the beginning.  Hear me out.  He buys the team and then over the years leverages the hell out of it to buy other interests (i.e. The Liverpool Football Club and Mesquite Rodeo).  Fourty banks, yes FOURTY banks have loaned him money during this time and when the economy and the financial markets collapsed his house of cards crashes.  He has stated for years that he wanted to control the Rangers and Stars for generations, letting his kids run it after he is gone.  He runs out of cash midway through the season, has to get a cash infusion of $15 million from MLB who basically took over the club at that point and he defaulted on his loans to both the Stars and the Rangers.

How do you get out of this mess?  Simple, you take four bids from outside groups, MLB states that it is expecting the bids to be in the $450-$550 range, but that is based on numbers before the financial collapse.  When the bids come in low, you put your own group together, offer a few million more than low bid and basically tell the banks that this is your best offer, take it or leave it.  They settle for 70 cents on the dollar and now instead of losing control of the team, you basically had your investers buy off your debt for 70 cents on the dollar.  You wait until the economy picks up again, the team is on a roll headed to the Playoffs and then you are able to borrow money again to buy out the new investors.

In the mean time, Tom Hicks remains the owner of the Rangers.  I wish he would just go away………