The MLB Hot Stove Part 2

[MrPryck2U]

Thanks, I should've made sure the story was legit and credited correctly. DOH! Pretty funny, though.

 

[MrPryck2U]

Looks like Curt Shilling won't be coming back after 2007. Gee, is he going to be traded by the end of July?

 

[phanan]

No. The Sox just want to wait to see how he fares this year before committing to another season. Whether that's a good move or not, who knows, but there's always a chance he comes back still.

 

[MrPryck2U]

I think Shilling is foolish for stating that he wouldn't be back after the season.

 

[phanan]

He certainly does have a tendency of not knowing when to shut up.

 

[Hewson]

I think the Sox should have just extended him for the $13mil he was seeking.
I mean look at the cuckoo money that was tossed around this off season. Schilling at 13mil is a relative bargain.
Of course the fact that he entered camp at Rich Garces wight may have scared the Sox a bit:
http://news.bostonherald.com/galleries/?title=PrintEditionNews

 

[MrPryck2U]

He delivered the Bosox a Championship. The least they could've done was extend hid deal.

 

[No spoken words]

So did Pedro, Mueller, Lowe, Cabrera, Roberts, Millar, Nixon, Arroyo, etc, but you don't see them on the Sox anymore...and some were gone right after the '04 season. This is a business. Schilling is not getting younger and the Sox have some decent young arms. 13 mil is a lot to fork over right now, regardless of the insane contracts being doled out lately.

And, yes, Schilling has no clue, whatsoever, of when to shut his mouth.

Then again, Rivera surprised the crap out of me by talking about his potential free agency and how the Yanks would have no advantage.....it's not that he is thinking along those likes that surprises me, it's that he actually mentioned it to the media that shocked me. Yanks can never just have a tranquil spring training.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

the yankees should extend mo and the red sox should extend schilling... not because it's a good business move, because the two of them have meant so much to their respective franchises that it would be a disgrace if they didn't.

 

[No spoken words]

The Yankees should and will extend Mo. Would be a disgrace if they didn't.

Disagree about Schilling, though, it's not at all a disgrace if they do not extend him.

 

[phillyfan26]

I betcha all the Philly fans are pissed at Rollins. He just jinxed the Phillies. Meanwhile, the Mets couldn't care less.

As long as Rollins produces, no worries here.

I expect him to, he's beginning to figure out how to hit like a leadoff hitter.

Didn't David Wright make some response exxagerating what Rollins says?

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

He certainly does have a tendency of not knowing when to shut up.

If you could lose weight by talking he would have come into spring training looking like Nicole Richie.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Disagree about Schilling, though, it's not at all a disgrace if they do not extend him.

agree to disagree... that franchise hadn't won a world championship in 86 seasons. he said they would, he produced, and did so in memorable fashion.

it's like the rangers letting mark messier go after he won them the cup after 54 years. never shoulda happened.

curt schilling should retire a boston red sock.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

As long as Rollins produces, no worries here.

I expect him to, he's beginning to figure out how to hit like a leadoff hitter.

Didn't David Wright make some response exxagerating what Rollins says?

"Our mind-set going into every year when the Braves won was: To be the best, you've got to beat the best," Wright said. "We found a way to dethrone the Braves. The Phillies can come out and talk as much as they want, but until they prove it on the field, it's just talk.

"We're not going to come out and talk. We don't have any need to do that. Until somebody steps up and dethrones us, we're the defending NL East champs and we're going to act like it. As far as throwing out predictions and talking about it, talk is very, very cheap."

and further more...

Added Beltran, "I don't take it personal. I'm just saying we were the ones who won last year and we got better. We will show it in the field. I don't need to say anything to him. We're going to go out and play. People say crazy things. I'm not surprised by anything."

"I don't think it's getting under anybody's skin here," Paul Lo Duca said. "I don't think we need any extra motivation. The Cardinals celebrating on our field last year is motivation enough for us wanting to get back there."

and lastly...

As Billy Wagner put it, "Our motivation isn't to beat the Phillies. Our motivation is to win the World Series."

 

[MrPryck2U]

Spoken, out of all the 2004 BoSox you mentioned, I'd say Shilling was the main reason they the Championship that year.
But, he is quite familar with the taste of his foot, so if the BoSox let him go so be it.
That's just good news for the Yankees.

 

[No spoken words]

Well as Headache said, we'll agree to disagree on this one. You can't keep everyone when you win a Championship, but what I'm saying is that if the Sox were willing to let so many players that were integral to not only the Sox winning the WS, but integral to their success in years prior....then they are obviously not going to extend Schilling just because he did something amazing for them in 2004. This team won a WS, and immediately let Pedro and Lowe walk. Then a season later, they let Damon walk over $$$, only to turn around and sign a guy like JD Drew. So, they're not giving out 13 million on good faith and as a "thank you" to a guy like Schilling. To me, the real travesty was letting Pedro walk, that blew me away. I don't live there and I don't know what the media and fans thought, but to me, to have a guy like that, who electrified Fenway for so many nights for so many years, leave your team right after you finally win the WS is the disgrace. So what I'm saying is that they disgraced themselves years ago in regards to keeping 2004 WS contributors. They tinkered too much, too soon, in my opinion, and now there are only a handful left from that season, and it's not like it was all that long ago.

And this is not 100% exclusive to the Red Sox, I know this. Heck, the Yanks had an amazing 1998 season, and traded a cult figure/amazing post-season pitcher in David Wells after the season to get Clemens. They let Tino walk to get Giambi when Tino was still productive. That might not have been a "disgrace", per se, but it sure did not show any loyalty to Wells or Tino. White Sox finally win a WS and trade Aaron Rowand. The Cards just won it and let a bunch of pitchers jump ship. It happens all the time.

Ok, I'll shut up on the topic.

 

[phanan]

I would have liked it if Pedro had stuck around, but can you really blame the Sox? At the time, Pedro's injury history wasn't exactly glowing - he was slowly breaking down. Still, the Sox would have kept him if it meant the new contract didn't go beyond three years, but four was a little too much.

And now what has happened? He's in the middle of his four year contract with the Mets, and he's out for a considerable amount of time. He missed the playoffs, and it probably cost the Mets at least a WS appearance, if not a championship, and who knows when he's coming back this year, and if when, how he will do. The Sox definitely made the right move.

In all fairness, though, the Mets also made a good move. Pedro had a phenomenal first year, and was the beginning of this current Mets team falling into place. He was a signficant part of their improvement, I believe, to the point where even though he's out, they are still a great team. And if he can somehow get back and pitch well in the latter half of this year, and next season, it will be well worth it to them.

But the Sox were not in the same situation as the Mets. So really, both teams did what they needed to do, and both are better for it.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

pedro's been worth it for the mets even if he never sets foot on the field again, simply because of the legitamacy he brought to a floundering club. if they didn't sign pedro, they wouldn't have signed beltran. they don't sign beltran, they never make the move for delgado, wagner, lo duca, etc. etc. they don't bring in those guys? wright and reyes bounce at their first convenience.

pedro made the mets matter again. that's why he was worth every penny, even if he never pitches again.

as for the schilling thing... some guys just signify a certain team more than others. curt schilling wasn't around as long as pedro or lowe, or even manny and ortiz. but he was brought in for one reason and one reason only; win the world series. and he said he would, and he did. he's bigger than the rest of the guys, and if he wants to retire there, as a red sox, boston should hand him a check and say "here... fill in the zero's yourself."

which is the same thing the yankees should do with mariano.

at least that's what i would think if he did what he did for my team.

one of the things that sucks the most about being a mets fan is that we've never, and i mean never, seen an all time player who not only plays with the mets in his prime, but also ends his career here.

willie mays ended his career with the mets, but he sucked by the time he got there. seaver ended in boston. hernandez in cleveland. carter ended back in montreal. and piazza looks like he'll end in oakland. heck, even the druggies doc and straw ended with the friggin yankees.

if you want to get technical, david cone pitched 4 games for the mets in 2003, the last 4 of his career. and he was god awful. that's about as good as it gets for the mets.

 

[No spoken words]

Seaver should have been a career Met.

Headache, I've never thought about that before, a life-long Met, or even someone who becomes a Met in his prime, who is of the stature of a Gooden or Straw that retires a Met. Doc did not end his career with the Yanks (He pitched for the Tribe for 2 years, just over 100 innings in both seasons), but, he had some decent years with the Yanks and of course tossed his no-hitter. But, wow, you'd think one guy would fit this criteria for the Mets. Interesting.

Phanan, thanks for the Red Sox fan perspective on Pedro's departure. I was just stunned when a team that had the Red Sox history finally wins the WS and immediately overhauls the roster....especially letting Pedro and Lowe walk to bring in Wade Miller and Matt Clement. But, one can say they were just trying to get younger and healthier, I guess. Anyway, sorry, I'm beating a dead horse here.

 

[randhail]

Another great minor league promotion:

The Lowell Spinners announced today that July 20 will be David Eckstein World Series MVP Step Stool Giveaway Night at LeLacheur Park, sponsored by Merrimack Valley Credit Union and Textron Systems. The first 1,500 fans entering the ballpark that night will receive a kid's step stool bearing the likeness of the two-time World Champion. Eckstein himself is very excited about the boost the step-stool will give him in his daily life.

"I'm definitely a kid-type person. If you're short like me, it's useful," said Eckstein. "It came about because (Lowell Spinners Vice President of Communications, Jon Goode's) son was looking for a step stool and I thought I could use something like that at home too, and even at my locker so I can actually see what's on the top shelf instead of using a chair. Everyone does the bobblehead, but this is something unique."

 

[MrPryck2U]

Who are the Lowell Spinners?

 

[randhail]

Red Sox Class A minor league team.

 

[No spoken words]

When's Stool Sample night?

 

[MrPryck2U]

Every fan over 21 gets David Eckstein's stool sample. Don't miss it!

 

[Chizip]

dont mess with David Eckstein

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49iwEIflArY

 

[MrPryck2U]

AJ cuts a better promo than Eckstein. That's for sure.

 

[Hewson]

dont mess with David Eckstein

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49iwEIflArY

Yep, don't mess with him or he'll run and hide while some big wrestler comes to fight his battle for him.
Thanks for sharing that.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

is it just me, or did the red sox just pay 100 million dollars for the asian sid fernandez?

 

[Hewson]

C'mon now...Sid made David Wells look svelte...Dice K has a few more sushi pizzas to go to catch up to them.

 

[phanan]

I don't care what he looks like as long as he does well.