Category: MLB (Page 94 of 448)

      Lee willing to waive his no-trade clause?

      July 14, 2010 /
      April 23, 2010- Milwaukee, WI. Miller Park..Chicago Cubs Derrek Lee runs to third base, Lee had 1 hits in his 3 at bats tonight. .Milwaukee Brewers lost to the Chicago Cubs 1-8. .Mike McGinnis / CSM.

      According to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Cubs’ first baseman Derrek Lee may be willing to waive his no-trade clause in the right deal.

      Derrek Lee has remained noncommittal on the issue of his no-trade clause. But some friends of the Cubs first baseman said this week that they believe he would accept a deal to the right team.

      And if the Cubs formally decide to sell, it’s hard to imagine a better fit than the Angels.

      The Angels, 4.5 games back in the American League West, are still looking for an upgrade at first base because of Kendry Morales’ season-ending injury. And they prefer someone who isn’t under contract for next season.

      Why? They plan to pursue Carl Crawford as a free agent and would like to have the flexibility of sliding Bobby Abreu into a DH role once Morales returns to first.

      The article notes that Lee lives in California during the off-season and would “probably be comfortable” playing in Anaheim. He’d also have the opportunity to play for a contender, which the Cubs are definitely, positively not.

      Assuming he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause, then a trade to the Angels makes a lot of sense for all parties involved. The Halos need a replacement for Morales in order to try and keep up with the Rangers in the AL West, while the Cubs could take the opportunity to restock their farm system.

      That said, it’s unknown if the two teams have even had trade discussions involving Lee yet, so we’ll have to see if this story develops.

      External Sports, MLB

      Man uses kids as bait against Gary Carter, then puts the video on YouTube

      July 14, 2010 /

      Check out this video from a fanfest that was set up at the 2010 MLB All-Star Game for people who paid a $25 admission. The idea was for fans to walk around and meet Hall of Famers, as well as get their autographs.

      But apparently former Met Gary Carter threw a wrench in the works by claiming that he was only going to sign a white piece of paper. One fan (who was attending the event with his son and young brother) videotaped his experience with Carter, which, uh, didn’t end well.

      More times then not, these fanfests aren’t what they’re advertised. Whoever puts them on draws people in with the promise of autographs from players, but what usually happens is you stand in line for hours hoping that the athlete doesn’t get up and walk out before you’ve reached the stage that they’re signing on. And if you’re lucky enough to meet the athlete, some of them (like Carter) have restrictions on what they’ve sign because of endorsement deals or because they’re total ass hats.

      But while Carter doesn’t come off looking good here, the man who taped the video reeks of douche-baggery, too. He clearly was looking for a clip to put on YouTube and once he heard about Carter’s autograph rules, he used the kids as bait to cause a scene. I’m sure Carter deserves the negative attention (this probably wasn’t the first time he’s stiffed fans for autographs), but the owner of the video doesn’t escape ridicule in this situation after he manipulated the situation.

      Pretty soon fans aren’t going to be able to take video cameras into these events because of morons like this who are just looking for attention.

      External Sports, MLB, Video

      Braves trade Escobar for Hello Kitty notebook and 5 packs of nacho cheese sunflower seeds

      July 14, 2010 /
      July 10, 2010 - Flushing, N.Y, United States of America - 10 July, 2010: Atlanta Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar.

      I know Yunel Escobar is a maddening player, but is Alex Gonzalez and two minor leagues the only thing the Braves got in return for him? Holy smokes.

      The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that the Braves have dealt Escobar and minor-league pitcher Jo-Jo Reyes to the Blue Jays in exchange for Gonzalez, minor-league pitcher Tim Collins and minor-league shortstop Tyler Pastornicky.

      Escobar entered the All-Star break hitting just .238 with no home runs and 19 RBI, while Gonzalez is currently hitting .259 with 17 dingers and 50 RBI. Obviously Gonzalez’s numbers are better, but at only 27, Escobar still has plenty of potential left in him. He was a worthwhile risk for Toronto, especially if all he needs is a change of scenery to help turn his career around.

      There’s no doubt that Escobar has been in and out of Bobby Cox’s doghouse over the years, but the Braves sold low here. He has a tremendous glove, has proven in the past that he can hit for average and he’s under team control until 2013. Why the Braves dumped him for a player in Gonzalez (who may be having a great year, but whose career numbers reek) is a little puzzling to say the least.

      That said, anything can happen. Collins is tiny (5’7, 155 pounds), but has a 2.40 ERA in parts of four seasons in the minor leagues and is averaging an outstanding 15.3 K/9 over 43 innings. Pastronicky projects to be a leadoff hitter, although not that the Braves have a need for one right now with Martin Prado developing into an All-Star.

      There’s also no guarantee that this is a fluke year for Escobar. He may be as bad as he’s shown and in that case, it was better that the Braves got something for him. I don’t retract what I wrote earlier about them selling low, but nobody can predict how a deal will turn out in the end. (Plus, history has shown that once I try and get cute with a title like the one in this post, I get usually get burned. So torch me, Alex Gonzalez – I’m ready.)

      External Sports, MLB

      Brewers want either Sanchez or Bumgarner for Hart

      July 14, 2010 /
      July 12, 2010; Anaheim, CA, USA; National League outfielder Corey Hart of the Milwaukee Brewers during the 2010 All Star home run derby at Angel Stadium. Photo via Newscom

      The cat is out of the bag in terms of what Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin wants in return for All-Star Corey Hart.

      According to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, Melvin asked Giants’ GM Brian Sabean for either Jonathan Sanchez or Madison Bumgarner in exchange for Hart, although Sabean is reluctant to trade either pitcher.

      Melvin can crap in one hand and wish for Bumgarner (who was the Giants’ second best prospect behind Buster Posey entering the season) in the other and see which one fills up quicker. Melvin isn’t getting Bumgarner unless he plans on renting one of those creepy old vans with no back windows and stealing him in the middle of the night. I also find it disturbing that he asked for Sanchez, who is a promising but erratic 27-year-old lefty, or Bumgarner, who is a 20-year-old potential phenom in the making. I can only imagine how Melvin phrased his demands to Sabean.

      “I’ll take Sanchez for Hart…………or, if you’d rather do this, I guess I’ll take Bumgarner off your hands, but you’re really holding me over the coals here, man.”

      Acquiring Sanchez is more realistic, but why would the Brewers want a less talented Manny Parra? And why would the Giants want to acquire the next Aaron Rowand (there’s zero doubt that Hart’s numbers will drop going from Miller Park to AT&T Park) all while inserting the ultra-brutal Todd Wellemeyer back into the rotation? That doesn’t make sense seeing as how Barry Zito and Matt Cain were struggling before the All-Star Break.

      On the surface, a Hart for Sanchez swap makes sense. The Brewers have hitting but need pitching, while the Giants have pitching but need hitting. But it seems like both teams would be taking a step sideways if a deal like this went down, so it probably makes sense for them to seek other trade partners.

      External Sports, MLB

      Brian McCann helps the National League finally end 13 years of misery

      July 14, 2010 /
      National League All-Star catcher Brian McCann (L) of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with relief pitcher Jonathan Broxton of the Los Angeles Dodgers after the National League won Major League Baseball's All-Star Game in Anaheim, California July 13, 2010. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

      Down 1-0 heading into the seventh inning, you got the sense of “here we go again” for the National League in the All-Star Game. The pitching was excellent (the one run that the AL scored was unearned), but nobody was hitting and it appeared that the NL was destined to spend the rest of its existence in All-Star Game hell.

      Then Braves’ catcher Brian McCann came to the plate with bases loaded and promptly unloaded them with a double to give the NL a 3-1 lead. The Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright, the Giants’ Brian Wilson and the Dodgers’ Jonathan Broxton followed with scoreless innings in the seventh, eighth and ninth to give the NL its first ASG victory in 13 years.

      The pitching in most All-Star Games is usually good, but the NL’s staff was excellent on Tuesday night. They allowed just six hits and one earned run, while walking three batters and striking out eight. Roy Halladay had the most trouble in his 0.2 innings of work by allowing two hits, although neither run crossed home plate.

      The pitching for the AL was also solid outside of the Yankees’ Phil Hughes, who had decent stuff but was smacked around in the fatal seventh inning. In just 0.1 innings of work, he gave up two runs on two hits, including McCann’s double.

      Also noteworthy was how base running came into play late in the game for both sides. Down 1-0 in the seventh, Scott Rolen (who had reached on a single) took second and third on only a single by the Cardinals Matt Holliday because he read the ball off the bat perfectly. While he eventually scored on McCann’s double, Rolen’s savvy base running play was potentially huge because it put a runner at third with less then two outs and the NL down by one run.

      On the flip side, the AL was threatening in the bottom of the ninth when David Ortiz singled to right to start the inning and John Buck hit what looked to be another single two batters later. But Ortiz didn’t read the play well enough and while the ball dropped in front of outfielder Marlon Byrd, he still had enough time to pick it up and make a good throw to second to nail Ortiz for the force out.

      While it was a tough play for Ortiz to read, the gaff killed any momentum that the AL had built in the ninth and Broxton was able to retire Ian Kinsler to give the NL its first victory in over a decade.

      External Sports, MLB

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