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      Report: Two things keeping a Bay-Boston reunion from happening

      December 26, 2009 /

      According to the Boston Globe, there are two distinct things that are keeping the Red Sox from bringing free agent outfielder Jason Bay back to Beantown.

      Could Bay return to the Red Sox? It’s not inconceivable, according to a major league source, who said it would take two things to happen. 1. Bay would likely have to accept a backloaded contract, which would help the Sox remain under the $170 million payroll threshold for avoiding the luxury tax; and 2. the Sox would have to extend their budget, after they gave a two-year, $15.5 million deal to Mike Cameron.

      Then, where would they play Cameron? He could be used against lefthanded pitching to spell Jacoby Ellsbury and J.D. Drew, or the Sox could use Ellsbury in an Adrian Gonzalez deal. But with Mike Lowell back in the fold after he failed his physical with the Rangers, the Sox have less wiggle room in their payroll and on their roster.

      Call it a gut feeling, but I don’t think Bay will return to Boston. The BoSox don’t like to budge when it comes to their payroll decisions, which is why Johnny Damon played the last couple years in the Bronx instead of in Baaaston. In the end, another club will step up and pay Bay what he wants and I think he’ll cash in and move on.

      Plus, as the article notes, the Red Sox already have Cameron to play left field so they’ve probably moved on. I think the only reason why the Bay-to-Boston rumors are staying afloat is because no other team has stepped up and signed him yet and it doesn’t sound like he’s even close to striking a deal with another club.


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      MLB

      NHL to discuss banning head shots

      December 26, 2009 /

      Apparently, hockey players aren’t invincible. The NHL’s 30 general manager recently formed a committee that will investigate the the effects players exhibit after receiving repeated hits to the head.

      A new rule may even be in place next season that would prohibit contact with the head – even with a shoulder.

      The general managers will gather against a backdrop of America’s most popular professional league, the NFL, making several new moves to study head injuries and protect players in the wake of new studies and congressional pressure.

      Several NHL players have been sidelined this season by concussions or related symptoms. Chicago captain Jonathan Toews, New York’s Chris Drury, Edmonton’s Sheldon Souray, Steve Staios and Robert Nilsson, and Florida’s David Booth, have been knocked out from blows to the head.

      Some have argued against a head shot ban because of the judgment call that would be placed in referees’ hands. Some call for any head contact being a foul, whether or not it’s determined to be intentional.

      The biggest argument against a total ban is the difference in size of players. If a 6-foot-4 defenseman crashes into a 5-foot-11 forward, his otherwise legal shoulder hit might land at head level.

      Even the most optimistic observers know this would only be a small step in the attempt to limit concussions in a sport that involves violent contact at tremendous speed. Rules and equipment only go so far, and injuries will always be part of the game.

      Contact to the head is unavoidable, but the league needs to handle the situation accordingly. A hockey referee should be able to tell whether a hit is malicious or not. The league can fix the problem by just dolling out harsher suspensions for violators.

      Nevertheless, an in-depth study is long overdue.


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      NHL

      Rams to trade Steven Jackson? GM says no.

      December 26, 2009 /

      Rams general manager Billy Devaney says that the team won’t look to trade running back Steven Jackson this offseason.

      From the St. Louis Dispatch:

      Devaney shot down such rumors in October as the trade deadline approached. And with the offseason just 10 days away for the Rams, he was more than happy to shoot them down again.

      “It’s something that’s never even crossed my mind,” Devaney said in a recent interview. “It’s something that I couldn’t imagine. We’re trying to bring good players into the building. Why would we want (to trade) our best guy — one of the best players in the NFL regardless of position?”

      The idea isn’t too far fetched; the Rams are many pieces of away from being competitive, so why not trade Jackson and get extra draft picks?

      But it’s hard enough for teams to find a trade partner, nevertheless one that will surrender multiple draft picks to acquire a player. So even if the Rams do find a trade partner, will they find one willing to give up a at least a first and a third round pick to acquire Jackson? And if they don’t find a trade partner, then they have to worry about alienating Jackson in the process.

      The Rams would be better off keeping Jackson and allowing Devaney to build the roster through the draft. They need to find a quarterback and to continue to rebuild the offensive line before they start taking chances like trading Jackson. It just doesn’t seem like a prudent move right now.


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      NFL

      Mets sign Kelvim Escobar to one-year contract

      December 26, 2009 /

      Kelvim Escobar will make his National League debut next year with the New York Mets. With this signing, the Angels lose another key component to their pitching staff while the Mets just potentially boosted their bullpen. The one-year deal includes a $1.25 million base salary plus $2 million in incentives as a starter and $1 million as a reliever.

      In the best-case scenario he could set up closer Francisco Rodriguez as the team’s eighth-inning guy.

      “It’s a low risk, but could have a high reward,” one AL scout said. “It hangs on if he’s healthy.”

      Pitching out of the bullpen would not be something new to Escobar, who had surgery in 2008 to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder and then suffered a setback in 2009 that limited him to one start. He was primarily a reliever when he came up with the Blue Jays and saved 38 games in 2002 as their full-time closer. The Jays converted him to a starter during 2003 and he went 12-8 with a 3.92 ERA in 26 starts.

      The Angels inked him to a three-year, $18.75 million contract after that season and put him in their rotation. In the second year of the deal he needed elbow surgery but returned to help them reach the postseason by going 1-0 with a 1.89 ERA in nine September relief appearances. He was re-signed to a three-year, $28.5 million deal before 2007, but made only one start after his breakthrough year.

      Although he’s made just one major league appearance over the last two seasons, Escobar went 18-7 with a 3.40 ERA in 2007. All things considered, the Mets don’t have much to lose by brining him on board. I like the idea of having Escobar set up former teammate Francisco Rodriguez, but I wouldn’t limit him to that role. Since the Mets starting rotation is pretty thin, giving Escobar a couple spot starts couldn’t hurt.


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      MLB

      Frustrated Laker fans throw stuff on the court

      December 26, 2009 /


      Per ESPN…

      The yellow foam hands came flying in from every corner of the lower bowl, sailing onto the court in dozens of frisbee-style arches late in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ dominant victory.

      LeBron James was more worried than amused by this unusual display of frustration from the Los Angeles Lakers’ fans — and he got a bit more concerned when at least one water bottle followed the foam.
      “The only thing that you hope doesn’t happen is one of the players getting hit or a referee getting hit, especially by a full water bottle,” James said. “When that came on the court, it was coming pretty fast. You don’t want that to happen because it could definitely hurt somebody. Luckily no one got hurt, and that’s a good thing.”

      The fans were driven to throw up their hands — not the usual foam No. 1 fingers, but a representation of two puppet hands making the “LA” symbol in a tie-in to Nike’s LeBron-and-Kobe Bryant marketing campaign — by Lamar Odom’s ejection with 4:04 to play. After Bryant received the Lakers’ fifth T with 3:45 left, more hands took flight — along with that water bottle.

      “I’ve never seen an L.A. crowd react like this before,” said coach Phil Jackson, whose bench drew a second T after Odom’s ejection for failing to produce a substitute quickly. “I like their enthusiasm. I don’t like their demonstrative manner. … It wasn’t a well-refereed game, it wasn’t a very well-played game, so I think it was a reaction to that.”

      Aw, the poor little Laker fans didn’t get their way so they had to throw a tantrum. Waaaaaaaa!


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      NBA

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