Category: MLB (Page 79 of 448)

      “Your parents are manipulating you like a marionette.”

      September 14, 2010 /
      New York Mets pitcher Francisco Rodriguez is escorted by police for his arraignment on assault charges at Queens Criminal Court in New York August 12, 2010. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL CRIME LAW IMAGES OF THE DAY)

      When you’ve been served with a restraining order that prohibits you from making contact with the girlfriend whose father you allegedly assaulted, it’s probably not a good idea to violate it by sending her 56 unanswered text messages in the weeks following the incident.

      Or tell her that she’s playing the puppet in her parents’ marionette show, for that matter.

      But such is the life of Mets’ closer Francisco Rodriguez, who allegedly assaulted his girlfriend’s father in the club’s family lounge in mid-August, and who is now being charged with criminal contempt on top of his previous charges of third-degree assault and harassment.

      According to a report by the Los Angeles Times, K-Rod sent 56 text messages to his girlfriend in recent weeks, which violated a restraining order that he received following his attack on her father. Below are some of the text messages that he sent her.

      “I know this message will get me in trouble, but I’ve already lost my kids… . Let’s find a solution to this conflict.”

      “Your parents are manipulating you like a marionette.”

      “I understand perhaps I made a mistake, the biggest mistake of my life. But I love you.”

      Perhaps you made a mistake? I say that when I put too much seasoning on my barbecue chicken. If I had just beaten up my girlfriend’s father inside my team’s facilities, I would be texting: “See you when I get out of jail – hugs and kisses to the kids.”

      Furthermore, I probably wouldn’t tell her that her parents are manipulating her – especially after I had just got done shoving her dad around. I wasn’t there, so maybe Rodriguez was justified in doing what he did. But I don’t think there’s any reason to proceed with domestic violence in any situation unless you’re defending yourself, which it doesn’t sound like K-Rod was.

      Dude needs some help.

      External Sports, MLB

      Mikey’s MLB power rankings

      September 11, 2010 /

      I’m glad the Yankees don’t read this column, because I kept saying the Rays would catch them. They did, being tied with them for a few days, but never passed them and never stayed there. Also, last week I mentioned the Rockies, who I’m pretty sure were double-digit games out a few weeks ago. Now they are 2.5 games back while the Giants and Padres are tied for first in the NL West. And the Phillies have taken over first in the NL East. Wow. It’s getting mighty exciting in MLB-land, just in time to compete with the start of the mighty NFL.

      1. New York Yankees (87-54)—Does it matter that they’ve gone 2-4 this past week? Not a bit. Here’s a question—how is AJ Burnett 10-13 on this team? Something’s afoot at the Circle K, dude.

      2. Tampa Bay Rays (85-55)—The thing is, when the Yankees have a 2-4 week, the Rays have to do better than a 2-4 week themselves, unless they are just content with the wild card and an ALDS meeting with the Twins.

      3. Minnesota Twins (83-58)—“The White Sox have Manny Ramirez now, but that won’t stop the Twins from pulling away this month.”—you heard it here last week, is all I’m saying. Now a 5-game lead.

      4. Philadelphia Phillies (82-60)—Did anyone suspect the Braves might crumble while the Phillies claimed their rightful spot atop the NL East? I did, but as a Mets fan did not want to admit it. The Braves are the lesser evil to me.

      5. Cincinnati Red (80-61)—Recent struggles have not translated in the standings, as the Reds still have a 6-game edge on the suddenly mediocre Cardinals.

      6. Atlanta Braves (81-61)—A one-game lead in the wild card is not where the Braves wanted to be sitting on September 11.

      7. Colorado Rockies (77-64)—I don’t care that they are in third place right now. They have won 8 straight and are going to win the NL West.

      8. San Francisco Giants (80-62)—They have tied the Padres, now they can jump out to a 2-game lead by Sunday. But will they? And will they keep the Rockies at bay? I think not.

      9. San Diego Padres (79-61)—The other shoe is falling fast. How does a team lead their division for so long, and then lose 10 straight games with a month to go in the season? Oh yeah, it’s the Padres.

      10. Texas Rangers (78-63)—They have also endured a losing streak, of five games, but still hold a 7.5 game edge on the A’s.

      Note: The Red Sox and White Sox are both 78-63 as well, but is either team better than the Rangers? I don’t think so. At least not this week.

      External Sports, MLB

      Hiring Kevin Towers as GM a great move by Diamondbacks

      September 10, 2010 /
      The Arizona Diamondbacks practice at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, in this October 2, 2007 file photo. Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig has to deal with a small but growing movement that wants to either boycott or move next year's All-Star game, in Phoenix. At issue is Arizona's pending immigration law, allowing police to check the immigration status of people they stop for other reasons, if they are reasonably suspected of being in the country illegally. REUTERS/Jeff Topping/Files (UNITED STATES - Tags: SOCIETY LAW SPORT BASEBALL)

      The deal isn’t completed yet, but once it is the Diamondbacks should reap the rewards of hiring a man that should still be employed by the Padres.

      Kevin Towers led the Padres to four division championships and an appearance in the 1998 World Series when he was their general manager from 1995 until he was fired in October of last year. He was let go after two losing seasons in 2008 and 2009, yet before he was canned he built the team that has shocked everyone in 2010. (As of this writing, the Padres are clinging to a one-game lead in the NL West.)

      Towers was the person that traded for Adrian Gonzalez following the 2004 season – the same deal that also brought starter Chris Young to San Diego. He also drafted Jake Peavy in the 15th round (472nd overall) of the 1999 MLB Draft and then traded him to the White Sox for, among others, starter Clayton Richard, who is now a valuable piece of the Padres’ future.

      San Diego is in first place right now largely because of the success of Richard and Mat Latos (another one of Towers’ draft picks), an outstanding bullpen, Gonzalez and Jon Garland.

      Outside of Garland, Towers had a hand in all of the above factors that have attributed to the Padres’ success in 2010. When he left, the San Diego front office did next to nothing to improve the team in the offseason and even thought about trading Gonzalez on several occasions last winter.

      Granted, Towers is just one man and it takes a team of scouts and personnel directors to run a baseball team. But given his track record, two losing seasons shouldn’t have cost him his job in San Diego.

      No matter – he’s going to be Arizona’s GM soon enough and considering the Diamondbacks are a team that has underachieved over the last couple of seasons, he’s the right man for the job. The club needs an experienced leader – someone that know how to build through the draft and with youth – and that’s what they’ll get out of Towers.

      It might take a year or two, but Arizona should be competing again soon.

      External Sports, MLB

      Police search offices of Blue Jays, turn over documents on Clemens

      September 9, 2010 /
      WASHINGTON - FEBRUARY 13: Major League Baseball pitcher Roger Clemens testifies about allegations of steroid use by professional ball players before the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Capitol Hill February 13, 2008 in Washington, DC. The 'Mitchell Report' named several former and current major league baseball players, including Clemens, who are accused of using steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

      According to a report by FOX Sports.com, police officers searched the offices of the Toronto Blue Jays and turned over documents in connection with former MLB’er Roger Clemens.

      Two officers executed the search in the last few weeks and assisted the U.S. Justice Department by forwarding the material they obtained, police spokesman Const. Tony Vella said Thursday.

      Vella called it a U.S. investigation and declined further comment. He said he could not say if they obtained medical records.

      Clemens pleaded not guilty last month to charges of lying to Congress about whether he used steroids or human growth hormone. Federal prosecutors didn’t believe Clemens’ testimony to Congress, and they subsequently charged him with making false statements, perjury and obstruction of Congress.

      I get the feeling that there’s already enough evidence for a conviction, but the U.S. Justice Department isn’t going to stop doing its home work until they have enough to debunk anything Clemens says in court. Meanwhile, “The Rocket” continues to maintain his innocence because of 1) his ego, 2) he doesn’t want to lose future earnings due to a damaged reputation and 3) he wants to be elected into baseball’s Hall of Fame.

      I wonder what would have happened had Pete Rose admitted to gambling on baseball as soon as he was caught. Would MLB have taken pity on him by now? Would he have eventually been inducted into the Hall?

      Maybe Clemens should be asking himself the same questions.

      External Sports, MLB

      When scouts overreact to an athlete’s struggles

      September 8, 2010 /
      San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum delivers a pitch to the St. Louis Cardinals in the second inning at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on August 21, 2010. UPI/Bill Greenblatt Photo via Newscom

      Baseball scouts have long been waiting for Tim Lincecum to fall apart.

      He’s too small.

      His delivery is going to lead to problems down the road.

      His hair is too long. (This one I actually agree with.)

      I swear, every time his velocity drops from one pitch to the next, someone starts hammering away on their keyboard predicting that Lincecum’s arm is going to disintegrate on the mound one day.

      There’s no question that the 26-year-old two-time Cy Young winner has struggled this season. I’ve written about his struggles here at The Scores Report, so I’m not going to make light of the fact that he went 0-5 in the month of August with a 7.82 ERA.

      But I almost fell out of my chair when I read a recent column by FOX Sports.com’s Ken Rosenthal, who spoke to a scout that had this to say about Lincecum’s future:

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, MLB

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