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It's the season of change, and not just in Manchester (seriously, who names their team after a month-long quadrennial event?). The San Diego Padres, who once wore uniforms directly modelled on those sported by McDonald's employees, unveiled their splashy new look yesterday, just in time to bring Trevor Hoffman back as their closer. Hoffman's injury was a massive blessing in disguise; it allowed the team to buy out the ridiculous $10M option in his contract for $2M and bring him back instead for one year at just $2.5M. Speaking of good money after bad, the Pat Meares Era in Pittsburgh finally came to an end as well, as the worst contract extension in history expired along with the running feud between the useless ballplayer and the idiots who signed him. And hey, get your hot stove cranked up: the GM meetings, the annual precursor to baseball's transaction-filled winter meetings, start Monday In Phoenix.
Notes from Somewhere | 21 comments | Create New Account
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_Gary Geiger Cou - Friday, November 07 2003 @ 09:59 AM EST (#86476) #
http://www.baseballhistory.blogspot.com
"who names their team after a month-long quadrennial event?"

Well, the Washington Olympics did :). Seriously, I can see a team being called the New Hampshire Primaries, but Manchester? What's next, the Des Moines Caucuses?
_Matthew Elmslie - Friday, November 07 2003 @ 10:19 AM EST (#86477) #
Not to mention the Montreal Expos, commemorating an event which happens even less often. For that matter, the 49ers and 76ers commemorate events which happen only for a year every century. Sort of.
_Jays1fan1 - Friday, November 07 2003 @ 10:19 AM EST (#86478) #
Another signing that is worthwhile for discussion is the White Sox decision to exercise Jose Valentin's $5 million option. While I do think Valentin is a good player, I think $5 million is just way too much and Kenny Williams isn't showing financial responsibility. Another sign that he isn't a very good GM.
Mike Green - Friday, November 07 2003 @ 11:02 AM EST (#86479) #
The Primaries? Ugh. I'd even take the Manchester Mighty Mice, in honour of JP's fondness for short ballplayers. Or just the Manchester Mice if the other would be too difficult for announcers.
Mike Green - Friday, November 07 2003 @ 11:24 AM EST (#86480) #
Lee Mazzilli will be named manager of the Os according to espn.com.
Pistol - Friday, November 07 2003 @ 11:32 AM EST (#86481) #
I think the decision of the Sox to pick up Valentin's contract was a result of the alternatives out there.

Tejada's likely out of their price range, and there's no certainty that Aurilia would sign with them (and they may prefer Valentin to Aurilia).

After that you're looking at Royce Clayton and Jose Hernandez as available SS.

One year at $5 million for Valentin is a little too much, but it's only for one year so it's not that big of a deal. I'd prefer that to a 3 year $10 million contract to Aurilia.
Pepper Moffatt - Friday, November 07 2003 @ 11:32 AM EST (#86482) #
http://economics.about.com
What's next, the Des Moines Caucuses?

Slogan: We've got the biggest caucuses of them all!

This slogan brought to you by the letters A, C, and D.

----

Another signing that is worthwhile for discussion is the White Sox decision to exercise Jose Valentin's $5 million option.

Valentin (or as my sister calls him "Dirty Cop") is a pretty good player, but I think 5 million is a little steep. If you're paying him that much, why not just spend the extra money and get Tejada?

Mike
Mike Green - Friday, November 07 2003 @ 01:06 PM EST (#86483) #
Bill Bavasi is replacing Pat Gillick as GM of Seattle according to espn.com. All in the family for Jay fans.
_pete_the_donkey - Friday, November 07 2003 @ 03:49 PM EST (#86484) #
Well, so far two teams have unveiled new uniforms for next season - the Padres and our Fighting Jays. Guess which team got it right, and guess which one got it woefully wrong?
One of these days I hope the jays will have uniforms that don't look like they're straight out of a comic book.
_Rich - Friday, November 07 2003 @ 04:26 PM EST (#86485) #
Those Padres uniforms and logos look great (as will their new ballpark). With those and fish tacos at the concessions, they would seem to be the perfect franchise if they can actually start winning again.
Mike Green - Friday, November 07 2003 @ 05:00 PM EST (#86486) #
espn.com now lists its' columnists choices for all the awards: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1650996. The choices for AL MVP are really quite amazing: Jayson Stark has Shannon Stewart, Peter Gammons has David Ortiz and Tim Kurkjian has Nomar Garciaparra. I've read Jayson Stark's explanation for Stewart, but I'd be curious to know on what theory Ortiz or Garciaparra were more valuable to their team than Manny or Pedro, let alone were the most valuable player in the league.

Anyways, Roy Halladay is the unaminous choice for Cy Young at espn.com (even if Aaron Gleeman does not agree), so it is likely that he will win.
_Mick - Friday, November 07 2003 @ 05:27 PM EST (#86487) #
Anyways, Roy Halladay is the unaminous choice for Cy Young at espn.com ... so it is likely that he will win.

Mike, having spent two years (and, uh, let's see, nine days earlier this year) writing for The WorldWideLeader, let me just say that's one of the funniest things I've ever read.

Actually, given that the people who you reference from ESPN.com are from the same gene pool as those voting, you might well be right.
Mike Green - Friday, November 07 2003 @ 06:05 PM EST (#86488) #
Mick,
I didn't mean that it was obvious that Roy Halladay was the best pitcher in the league. There is certainly a plausible case for Tim Hudson.

It just seems that there is a consensus in Halladay's favour, which may or may not have taken into account such things as park-adjusted ERA and innings pitched, and the Cy vote is likely to reflect that consensus. I missed the joke, and I wasn't trying to be funny.

Now, David Ortiz as MVP...
Lucas - Friday, November 07 2003 @ 07:47 PM EST (#86489) #
Jeez Louise, Peter Gammons picked David Freaking Ortiz as MVP, who barely played enough to qualify for the batting title and started only 44 games in the field, all at 1st. Ortiz had basically the same season as Trot Nixon and wasn't far removed from Bill Mueller. A good player, but really.

An indescribably pitiful choice.
_Jabonoso - Friday, November 07 2003 @ 08:05 PM EST (#86490) #
Lucas,
You are missing all those hugs DFO was giving to teammates...
_Greg Os Fan - Saturday, November 08 2003 @ 08:20 AM EST (#86491) #
San Diego - nice new uniforms, horrible old manager. Why does Bruce Bochy still have a job? None of the young Padres are progressing the way they were expected to, and the veterans generally produce below expectations too.

Would anyone argue that San Diego had less talent than the Orioles over the last two seasons? Look at their records and then wonder why Hargrove is gone and Bochy stays. The sun in California must have baked away the GM's brains.
_R Billie - Saturday, November 08 2003 @ 10:27 AM EST (#86492) #
San Diego is a hard team to figure out but last season wasn't that difficult. They paid a big closer and he was injured. Oliver Perez was a disaster in the rotation. Phil Nevin was injured quite early in the year. Burroughs looks good but isn't ready to carry an offensive load. They hardly got any offence at all from the middle infield and corner outfields although Klesko had an OK season at first. If anything, I would think it's a GM issue rather than a management issue...when you lose your closer and primary offensive weapon and the remaining 80% of your pitching staff are first or second year pitchers who don't turn out you'll have a tough time.

Young pitchers are a gamble. Brandon Webb could win Rookie of the Year this season and may struggle mightily next year. If San Diego has a lot of money to spend this season they'll need more bats and some projectable starters. I wouldn't be surprised to see a couple of guys like David Wells or even Kelvim Escobar end up there.
_George Tsuji - Saturday, November 08 2003 @ 10:39 AM EST (#86493) #
Speaking of "month-long quadrennial events", Team USA was eliminated by MEXICO in Olympic qualifying last night! No Olympics for you, Rocket Roger!

On the positive side, it does look like this opens things up for Canada, as (according to the ESPN story), victories over Columbia and the previously-winless Mexico squads would earn us a spot in Athens!

So... why, again, are there as many spots for Europe as there are for North America?
_Jabonoso - Saturday, November 08 2003 @ 06:05 PM EST (#86494) #
George,
There are also two spots for Asia that has only three good teams. Today Japan and Taiwan advanced to Athens, Korea was left behind and they invited China just to make a foursome but to no avail, they are a longshot to win against the Asian big three.
It is hard to think of any Oceania country defeating Australia.
In America you have at least seven serious contenders, the four in the group of Canada, Panama,USA and Dominican republic that dropped this tournament.
A few months ago there was the Panamerican games tournament, Cuba won gold, USA silver and Mexico bronce. So do not disqualify Mexico just yet. But yes Canada is closer.
_Jabonoso - Saturday, November 08 2003 @ 06:38 PM EST (#86495) #
I'm sorry, missed Venezuela altogether, should be 8 teams from America.
_StephenT - Saturday, November 08 2003 @ 06:57 PM EST (#86496) #
Great view of the lunar eclipse from Southern Ontario right now.
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