Hot Stove Part II

It’s already February and pitchers and catchers will be reporting to Ft. Myers today. This off-season remains among the quietist in memory, so far as it relates the on-the-field news and transactions. There has been a lot of smoke and allegation in the baseball world, but not a great deal of substance. With myriad sources of “instapundit analysis” available to baseball fans, you will not discover such prescient comments here as this space considers the long term implications before publishing.

Winter Meetings (Early December):
Baseball's winter meetings wrapped up in early December, and outside of the big trade between Detroit and Florida, it turned out to be a pretty tame affair. The single most shocking news item coming out of the meetings was Kansas City's signing of a Jose Guillen to a three-year, $36 million contract. Talk about throwing money down the drain; this guy is Exhibit "A". Many sportswriters and expressed amazement, because the new Royals’ general manager formerly worked for John Schurholz of the Braves, one of the sharpest minds in baseball when it came to properly valuing ballplayers. Guillen has been nothing but a headache as well as a toxic influence with every team he's been on, and there have been quite a few. While he has considerable talent, he also has a two-cent head.

Marlins:
At least the Royals are actually spending their revenue-sharing money, while down in Florida, Major League Baseball's longest-running joke continues to amaze. On the second full day of the meetings, the Marlins traded their two biggest (and only) stars, Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit for two prime stud prospects and a pile of warm bodies. As far as the Tigers, it's a great move. They had a disappointing hangover season last year and are now looking to retool and make a run in 2008. The Detroit fans deserve a winner. With this bold move, they have to be considered to be the favorites to win the pennant next year. They had to give up a couple of prospects that the stat-heads drool over in left-handed starter Adam Miller and outfield phenom Cameron Maybin, but to obtain two impact players like a Cabrera and Willis (who are both still in their mid-20s), you have to be willing to part with your brightest hopes for the future.

In the last “Hot Stove” post, I expressed considerable reservations about Miguel Cabrera going forward especially with regard to his weight and his attitude. Going to the Tigers may be the best thing that's ever happened in his career. In Detroit, he does not have the burden of having to carry a team on his shoulders. He will be playing with a number of stars and managed by the best in the business, someone who will not allow anything other than a 100% effort day in and day out. Willis, on the other hand, may be a different story. Since winning 22 games in 2005, his performance has precipitously declined. What is most striking is a WHIP ratio that has increased from 1.13 to nearly 1.6 over that three-year slide. He was already pitching most of its games in one of the most pitcher-friendly venues in baseball, and he will certainly benefit from his starts in the spacious Comerica Park. If he is healthy and on his game the rest of the American League had better watch out. The Tigers’ rotation will be truly special next year.

On the other side of the equation, it appears as if once again, MLB is maintaining its time-honored tradition of allowing one of its franchises to carry on like the St. Louis Browns and the Philadelphia Athletics (“Losers Without A Cause”). Those teams were notorious for developing tremendous young talent, only to trade or sell them off for far less than their actual worth in order to survive financially. What’s different now than in than in the “golden days” can be summed up in two words: Revenue Sharing. The purpose behind establishing a luxury tax was to force those teams who spent above the theoretical cap to subsidize a pool that would be distributed to the small-market clubs so that they could remain competitive, maintain their star talents and allow their best prospects to flourish. It can be said without much qualification that the revenue-sharing dollars earmarked for the Marlins a going directly to the back pocket of their owner. As it stands now, the total team payroll for 2008 will be under $10 million. There are several major-league players who earn more than twice that alone.

Their owner, a despicable carpetbagger named Loria, was allowed to buy the Florida franchise at rock bottom prices after he had abandoned the Montréal franchise and sold out the loyal fans of Québec. And who says crime doesn't pay? He now threatens to relocate the franchise to Portland or Las Vegas or Timbuktu if the taxpayers in South Florida refuse to approve legislation that would publicly fund a stadium in Dade County.

Petty little tyrants of his ilk don't get there without the power and influence of people like the clueless commissioner/used-car salesman that presently occupies the throne. How Loria was even allowed to keep his membership in the owner’s circle is utterly mystifying. After what he did in Montréal by gutting the franchise better than any Wall Street M&A bean counter, Selig should’ve given him his 30 pieces of silver in a bag and sent him merrily along his way. Selig is more interested with taking care of his friends than acting “in the best interests of baseball” or the consumers who brought record revenues to the game. Selig allowed Mr. Henry to bail out of a losing proposition in Florida by making sure (“manipulating”) the “winning bid” in the Red Sox sale went to friends and incredibly handed over the Marlins’ franchise to a guy who was encouraged to run what could’ve been a gold mine into the ground. With the Canadian dollar trading at record highs these days it’d be worth rethinking the entire abandoning of Quebec market.

…In late January, the Marlins did sign 78-year old Luis Gonzalez to play some outfield, sign a few autographs and play a few hands of canasta in the clubhouse. Why not, Loria is playing with house money. Who’s next, Luis Tiant?

“The Johan Santana Experience”
The biggest “baseball story” (or non-story depending on your point of view) was the soap opera involving the Twins and their efforts to trade their ace left-hander Johan Santana. The Twins had previously put a 4/80 extension on the table that he rejected so at the Winter Meetings, the Twins made him became available to any team willing to pay a king's ransom in prospects. The Yankees were the Twins’ most obvious suitor. The parties exchanged proposals, but to Brian Cashman’s credit, the Yankees were unwilling to part with young ace Philip Hughes or any one of a number of their highly regarded prospects. The Yankees see Hughes and Joba Chamberlain as their keys to the future so they held the line. Once New York’s interest started to wane, the Twins and the Red Sox got together. The parties commenced the dance during the latter stages of the Meetings and, reports shortly thereafter indicated that medicals of some of the principals involved were exchanged. The parties subsequently burned the midnight oil haggling over what prospects the Red Sox would be willing to trade. New Englanders anxiously held their collective breath waiting to find out when or if the trade would finally be consummated and who would be leaving.

Reports indicated that the Red Sox were willing to move Coco Crisp and Jon Lester as part of a package, but the Twins weren't satisfied and kept pushing to include Ellsbury and/or Buchholz in the deal. Theo & Co. said, “No.”

On the plus side, Santana will be 29 next year and he is the best left-hander in baseball having already won the AL Cy Young Award twice, and opportunities to acquire someone of his stature do not present themselves every day. All of his statistics can be found here. Were the Red Sox to acquire Santana, they would’ve possessed hands down, the strongest starting five in recent memory. They would've been odds-on favorites to win back-to-back titles and materially alter the competitive balance between themselves and the Yankees for years to come.

On the negative, Santana's contract runs out at the end of next year. He has a NTC and would most likely be unwilling to waive it without renegotiating a long-term deal. His agent has casually thrown out a starting offer of six years and $150 million. Whether Santana actually gets that is a different story altogether. Without question, the price will end up in the $115-125 range. It doesn't matter whether your franchise is worth in excess of a billion as is the case in Boston, that kind of expenditure would undoubtedly have a profound (potentially crippling) effect on payroll flexibility moving forward. There is only one organization that can afford to satisfy that sort of salary demand without a sacrificing or scrimping in other areas of the budget.

Santana has averaged about 225 innings per year on the last four years. That's a lot of mileage, and any team willing to take him on will need to factor that degree of wear and tear into their decision. Pitching is so expensive, because they're always one throw away from a torn labrum or a blown elbow or a torn rotator cuff. From a financial perspective, not to mention consideration of the player’s health, this is a move fraught with risk.

The next issue was whether management was willing to strip the cupboard bare of all of its best young talent. In recent years, the Red Sox have done a tremendous job identifying young talent, promoting players within the system and using them either as roster players for the team or bargaining chips. Having cost-controlled players allows for greater payroll flexibility. Despite the dubious wisdom regarding the contracts they handed out last year to Drew and Lugo, management integrated a core group of youngsters who make great contributions to winning the World Series.

At the moment, they have a few highly regarded prospects who are blocked from further movement to the major-league roster by virtue of the existing players. Fans really hoped they won't be traded away, but it would be definitely in the player’s best interest to get to the majors the fastest way possible. There are a couple of guys the Red Sox cannot afford to trade under any circumstance: Ellsbury and Buchholz. OK, maybe we’re all still a little aglow over these two based on their performances late in the year. The Baseball Encyclopedia is filled with September comets (e.g., “Hurricane Hazle”), who crash and burn come the following spring. But each of these kids showed remarkable poise when the pressure was at its most intense and didn’t behave like a couple of kids who found lightning in a bottle.

Midway through the Winter Meetings, reports surfaced that other teams were now getting involved in the mix for Santana and that the Sox’ interest had cooled off. He's a great pitcher and Red Sox fans would certainly love to have him on their team. However, there comes a point when the cost becomes too prohibitive in terms of dollars and talent surrendered. Fans have a lot of confidence in the management's ability to determine “when to hold ‘em and when to fold 'em”.

Santana was finally moved on January 28th to the Mets for four warm bodies who have some promise. The reaction was pretty much universal that Smith got hosed in the deal. As long as Santana didn’t end up in Pinstripes or somewhere else in the American League, Red Sox fans ought to feel happy. Smith apparently went back to Cashman and Theo hat in hand but the prospects once offered were now off the table (sort of like what happened to Tessio in the Godfather right before he was taken for that final ride).

Tessio: “Can you help me, Tom? For old times' sake?”

Hagen: “No can do, Sally…”

Smith played his hand badly on this one. He could’ve gotten much more from either the Yanks or Boston had he struck when the iron was hot in December. He miscalculated by overestimating Santana’s market and envisioned a bidding war that failed to materialize. The winners were Santana, the Mets, the Yanks and the Sox.

Santana gets a big pay day and the chance to pitch in New York. The Mets get a marquee attraction to compete on the back pages. The Yanks get to keep their best prospects. The Sox also keep their prize prospects and maintain payroll flexibility.

Veterans Committee Hall Of Fame Vote:
In other news, the Veterans Committee made their executive Hall of Fame selections in December. On the plus side, Dick Williams was finally elected as a manager. Williams will always be fondly remembered in New England as the guy who took one superstar and 24 ragamuffins to the seventh game of the World Series in 1967. He later captured two World Series titles in Oakland, as well as taking San Diego to their first World Series in 1984. He had a couple of other stops along the way: Montréal, Seattle and Anaheim, where he had fair to middling success. But in terms of being an immediate turnaround guy, he and Billy Martin (who also belongs in the Hall of Fame) rate as the best. Also elected as a manager was Billy Southworth, who managed World Series champions in St. Louis, as well as the 1948 National League winners, the Boston Braves.

On the negative, once again the Veterans Committee failed to elect Marvin Miller as a builder. This either ignores the impact of the most influential man in the business of baseball over the last 40 years or is an act of spite by management toadies. Whether people liked or hated Miller is irrelevant. No one can underestimate the role he played in transforming the Players Association from an ad hoc group that operated at the mercy of the owners to one of the world's most powerful labor organizations. Everything that the players seemingly take for granted today they owe in large part to the Players Association and to the critical role that Miller played in its development.

In Miller's stead, the Committee elected his arch-nemesis, Bowie Kuhn, who was the Lord High Commissioner from 1969-84. Kuhn may have been a fair, decent and devout man, but he was a lousy commissioner. Under his watch, baseball fought tooth and nail to prevent free agency from becoming a reality, to the point where the infamous reserve clause ultimately prevailed before the Supreme Court when Curt Flood risked his entire career on the principle that a worker is free to seek employment and a contract as they believe is fair and just. Kuhn also tried to get Jim Bouton to retract the statements published about his teammates in his legendary book “Ball Four”. Bouton’s book was the first of its kind to reveal the insulated world of baseball from which fans were denied entry because of the lackey sportswriters of the era who conspired to never violate “the sanctity of the clubhouse”. Though it is tame compared with contemporary memoirs, his book remains a must read. “Take a hike, son…”

It should also be noted that the committee elected Walter O'Malley into the Hall of Fame as an owner. As far back as the mid-'30s, Los Angeles had proved that it was capable of supporting major-league baseball. It is little known that in 1941, Bill Vecck, as owner of the St. Louis Browns sought approval from major-league baseball to relocate his woeful team to the West Coast. Because Veeck was considered a maverick and who employed “bread and circus” methods to draw fans to Sportsman's Park, he was disliked by his fellow owners and the move was rejected.

Relocating franchises has always been a touchy subject. The departure of some teams, like the Browns, the A's and the Braves arguably did not leave a lasting sense of grief or loss in the community as there were already other franchises operating in town. (Some fans, like PFN's Dad, swore off baseball for good after the Braves left town, but they were a decided minority).

As far as the New York Giants, their departure did not seem to provoke a great amount of public outrage, though they were highly profitable and had a decent fan base in the city. Maybe fans thought the team would never leave so the gravitational pull began to slip. The Polo Grounds were already in a state of decay and attendance had been declining. There did not seem to be a lot of motivation behind building a new stadium.

Montréal was also a different story. The biggest mistake made by that franchise was being forced to move into the hideously ugly concrete dinosaur constructed for the 1976 Olympic Games. Prior to that, they played in a makeshift minor-league venue that was cozy and attracted a lot of fans when the weather was nice. A downtown ballpark was already on the drawing board before Selig allowed Loria to buy the franchise. Loria stripped down the team to a skeleton, clearing the way for MLB to hold it until the right buyer to come along to relocate the team. It was a disgrace and an insult to the loyal baseball fans of Québec. Major League Baseball was there for only a generation; yet the fans' affinity for “nos amors” was as passionate and loyal as any other team’s. Rather than acting to preserve and promote the Expos, Selig and his cronies sent in a straw to deliberately sabotage the franchise and set it up to fail.

If MLB was sincere about preserving the market, they could have allowed the Expos to change leagues like Selig did for his own Milwaukee team, who played over 25 years in the American League and then moved. I would've liked to have seen what Montréal fans would've done if teams are from New York and Boston were coming into town regularly, as the hockey rivalries remain pretty intense.

California baseball was already a reality prior to the mid-‘50s. The great PCL franchises of the mid-20th century were already more profitable than many of the big league also-rans back East. O'Malley should have never been allowed to move the beloved Dodgers out of Brooklyn. If he had wanted to make even more millions out West, there was nothing preventing him from selling his interests in Brooklyn and using his power and influence to establish an expansion team, as Gene Autry did with the Angels. Uprooting the Dodgers from Brooklyn left a gaping hole in the community that has never been filled. Baseball was the public religion of Brooklyn, unifying the diverse racial and ethnic identities into one. The negotiation over building a new park to replace Ebbets Field was mishandled by the team and the politicians. O'Malley took his ball and bat to the greener fields of Chavez Ravine, where he and his family made untold millions. As far as the fans of Brooklyn, all they got was broken hearts. O'Malley gets a bronze plaque at Cooperstown, what did the people of Brooklyn receive for their generations of devotion? (Fill in the blank)

Hall Of Fame Voting:
The Baseball Writers of America, in their inestimable wisdom, deemed only one player, Rich Gossage, as being worthy of entry to Cooperstown. In recent years, the writers have become increasingly sanctimonious and snobby regarding their choices, as if they were electing a Pope or a President (someone truly important that actually requires a considerable amount of contemplation). No complaint about Gossage though, as he was a dominant reliever for a long time, most notably with the Yankees of the Bronx Zoo Era. Red Sox’ fans lasting memory of Gossage is that fateful afternoon of October 1, 1978, when he was summoned to dispose of Yaz in the Eastern Playoff game that still lives in infamy. Gossage was big, tough and mean and brought serious heat. He had a great career and is worthy of induction.

Once again, Jim Rice was denied entry, this time by a razor-thin margin. Rice has always been a lightning rod for baseball fans. On the negative, he was a 6-4-3 machine. On the plus side, there was no more feared hitter in the game from 1975-86. He was the dominant power hitter of his era. The pinhead whiz kids who use WARP, OPS+ and other performance indicia debate his candidacy to the point of absurdity. That’s all well and good, but most of them were born after Rice played. There is far more to a player than the relevant numbers in the Baseball Encyclopedia. Most fans of that era will simply state that Jim Rice hit baseballs harder and further than anyone else. He is a certainly a Mendoza Line candidate, but there are others with similar characteristics who have already been enshrined, most notably Ralph Kiner. There’s also no debating that Kiner’s window of dominance was far shorter than Rice’s and he bounced around losing teams during his career. All but three of Rice’s years with the Red Sox were winning seasons, with three division titles.

During Rice’s active days, he earned the enmity of the media by refusing to play the game. Many of the old-school guys did not vote for him because he wasn’t a bum-kisser. On the other hand, Kiner was a broadcaster with the Mets for decades and rubbed elbows with writers and media types. Go figure. With a relatively weak class of candidates next year (Rickey Henderson), Rice ought to squeak in on his final opportunity to be voted in by the writers.

Mitchell Report/Clemens:
Shortly after the Winter Meetings, the long awaited investigation commissioned by MLB to reveal the extent of performance enhancing substances in baseball was released by its author, Senator (and Red Sox Director) George Mitchell (“The Mitchell Report”). Nearly 500 pages in length and costing MLB in excess of $20M, the Report extensively detailed the nature of the problem its affect on the game and the identity of some of the individuals who allegedly used PED’s. There was no surprise about some of the players as they had previously ‘fessed up (Canseco, David Segui). One Yankee pitcher who was identified in the Report quickly acknowledged that he did use PED’s to accelerate the “healing process”. This player (Pettitte) confirmed that his source for the PED’s was the personal trainer for himself and another pitcher, Roger Clemens (whom the late, great Will McDonough named “The Texa$ Kon Man”).

During the investigation process, the Report stated that all players who were to be publicly identified were offered notice and an opportunity to respond, though only a handful chose to do so. MLBPA either counseled or “suggested” that disclosure of information could subject the player to possible criminal liability.

Last year, the Feds closed in on a journeyman pitcher named Grimsley as a user and supplier to players and “trainers”. Among the disgraced trainers identified was a former NYC cop named McNamee, was already under indictment by the Feds for trafficking in PED’s along with a former “clubhouse boy” from the Mets. McNamee cut a deal with the Feds to identify clients for whom he supplied PED’s to Mitchell in exchange for favorable treatment at sentencing. Part of McNamee’s agreement provided that any false statements to Mitchell would result in a harsher sentence. It is virtually inconceivable to think that the Feds would not have allowed Mitchell to identify Clemens without sufficient corroboration. Similarly, there is no rationale for Mitchell to publish Clemens’ identity without the assurance from the United States Government that McNamee’s testimony was true and could be corroborated.

McNamee’s motive is apparent: minimize criminal liability (keep his ass out of stir). Mitchell cannot recklessly publish a report that contains false or defamatory information without risking civil liability to his firm and/or MLB not to mention suffering a loss of credibility in the court of public opinion. It is very likely the case that the identities of many, many more players were not published for those reasons alone.

Clemens responded with predictable outrage, taking his case to Mike Wallace and “60 Minutes” before filing a defamation suit against McNamee, but surprisingly not including Mitchell or MLB as defendants. It is the height of disingenuousness to claim “shock and surprise” when months earlier Clemens and/or his representatives were given notice and an opportunity to respond to Mitchell’s investigators. Nevertheless, this is America, where people sue at the drop of a hat, but defamation suits are very difficult upon which to prevail. The relevant federal standard is New York Times v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964). In relevant part, this case stands for the proposition that (1) Clemens is a “public person” who needs not only demonstrate that (2) the statement published was false but also (3) it was published with “actual malice”.

According to the wiki entry, “actual malice is defined as condition required to establish libel against public officials or public figures and is defined as ‘knowledge that the information was false’ or that it was published ‘with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not.’ Reckless disregard does not encompass mere neglect in following professional standards of fact checking. The publisher must entertain actual doubt as to the statement's truth.”

Unless there are relevant facts that have been withheld from the Report or Clemens’ pleadings, there is no “actual malice” that Clemens can demonstrate under the Sullivan standard. Perhaps some other relevant information can be revealed through discovery, but from this vantage all it seems to be is a very rich and powerful man using the legal process to club a poorer man into submission. To that end, Clemens has retained high-priced attorneys to squeeze the little guy.

In early January, Clemens held a press conference that featured his lawyer and the publication (playing) of a recorded “private” telephone conversation between himself and McNamee, where the trainer sounded vulnerable, and kept asking Clemens, “What do you want me to do?” It is legal chicanery of this sort that are among the reasons lawyers are held in such low regard in our society.

After playing the tape, Clemens fielded a couple of questions before getting peeved and stomping off the stage. On that note, Americans were treated to a vintage performance by a Hall of Fame…Moron!

Notwithstanding the relative likelihood of success on the merits, a complaint has been filed and the legal process is to be respected. While the pundits debate the relative merits so they can reach a snap conclusion before moving on to their next target, civil lawsuits generally take time before a jury can consider the allegations. There will be discovery and various motions to be hashed out and it’s better than 50/50 that the matter won’t reach trial as our courts of law need to address actual cases and controversies that matter to all Americans, not just to serve at the whim of a has-been sociopath whose only claim to fame is the ability to hurl a sphere a distance of sixty feet with greater velocity than most human beings.

Congress decided that another round of “Steroid Abuse” public hearings were in order after the release of the Report. People have asked what business Congress has in whether some trainer jabs a ball player in the ass with a magic potion at a time when the economy, national security, immigration reform and a host of other critical items are already on their plate.

Congress statutorily regulates the development, manufacture, transportation and prescribed use of drugs, including steroids and human growth hormones which have legitimate medical benefits for certain people. Such items are lawfully prescribed and dispensed by a licensed physician, not by personal trainers or “clubhouse boys”.

Congress also has a commerce/public health duty to legislate preventive measures to keep PED’s from proliferating where the public policy consequences could be disastrous. Young athletes, oft times enamored by the riches, fame and lifestyles of professionals see that their opportunities to make it up the ladder can be enhanced by PED’s are seduced into thinking that putting these substances into their bodies will be an easy shortcut to the big time. Kids need to understand that there are no shortcuts in life, and athletic or intellectual gifts without hard work are wasted talents. As with any drug, the public needs to be protected from the consequences of its unlawful and/or unintended use.

Even in the purportedly benign instances where players acknowledged unlawfully using these substances to accelerate healing, the obvious question is why didn’t they go to the team doctor? Players have immediate access to the best doctors in the world. The idea that players who possess unique skills that command multimillion dollar salaries would recklessly trust putting substances in their bodies without a physician’s diagnosis defy reason. If they had a toothache, would they hand a drill to a trainer or clubhouse boy or seek a dental professional? Such rationale by guys like Pettitte and Fernando Viña doesn’t pass the sniff test.

Additionally, Baseball is a regulated monopoly, exempt from federal antitrust laws. Such industries require constant federal monitoring in order to ensure that consumers benefit from the bargain. It’s no different than with a public utility which has been granted an exclusive license to furnish a public service (electricity, water, etc.). Maybe it’s time for Congress to rethink the granting of such favor to these billionaire owners or the likes of Loria. Competition for the entertainment dollar in certain markets may be a good idea.

Mitchell, Selig and Fehr recently went before Congress to address the Report as well as what steps are being taken to fix the problem once and for all. This time, Fehr did not sound as smug as he did three years ago as both he and Selig admitted that much more could have been done to address the problem a lot earlier. Perhaps all of the parties realize the benefits of being part of a monopoly and finally get the idea that Congress has the power to kill the goose that’s been laying the golden eggs since the Roaring ‘20’s.

Among the players “invited” to meet with Congress in early February will be Clemens, Pettitte and Chuck Knoblauch. Pettitte’s attorney has already indicated that his client will be truthful (of course; how could an attorney represent otherwise?). Clemens is in a rough spot. If he uses the “pending litigation” excuse to avoid telling the truth, it will not be a pretty scene. He’s already retained a high-powered Washington attorney who knows his way around the Hill to guide him through the murky waters. It’s a pretty safe bet that he won’t conduct himself like a Grade “A” schmuck in front Rep. Waxman’s committee. Here’s another tip: Don’t waste your time watching, as it’ll be no more than a glorified dog n’ pony show. There will be no “bombshell testimonies” either, as the script has already been penned by Congressional staffers and PR types. In the end it will amount to a whole lotta nothin’. Too bad Casey Stengel wasn’t still alive; when he appeared before the Senate in the ‘50’s he left the panel tongue tied…he was never shy about airing his views in the public domain.

A week before the public hearings, Clemens, McNamee and their lawyers were deposed by Committee staff. McNamee’s counsel revealed that his client kept evidence that would corroborate the allegations that he injected Clemens with PED’s. The “evidence” purportedly given to the Feds included vials, syringes and used gauze pads which were stored in an empty beer can (how hygienic). Questions arise as to whether McNamee held onto these materials to blackmail someone or if he was CYA in the event that fingers started to point in his direction (which ultimately occurred).

A couple of days prior to the Hearings, the KC Star’s Jason Whitlock offered his thoughts on the matter and per the usual was pretty much on target.

On February 13th, Clemens and his accuser appeared before the House Oversight Committee. A couple of Congressmen (Tierney and Lynch from Massachusetts, Cummings D-MD) were well prepared and asked relevant questions of the witnesses, while others (Issa R-CA, Foxx R-VA and Burton R-IN) were pathetic suck-ups for the alleged “Titan of Baseball”. They disgracefully browbeat McNamee (who is not exactly as pure as the driven snow) and called him a liar, notwithstanding the fact that none of his sworn testimony has yet to be refuted. He may have changed his tune about certain aspects of his story while meeting with investigators, but under oath has yet to be shaken. Meanwhile, Clemens has thrown just about everyone connected to him (wife, best friend, agents, former nanny and lawyer) under the bus…what a role model for the kids!

Oh, the perils of Congress…which scumbag to believe or discredit, the pusher, or the user? About the only relevant new disclosure was that Clemens acknowledged that McNamee injected the Missus with HGH (so she could appear "buff" for a photo shoot), while he steadfastly maintained his own denial. So now there are three members of the Clemens Inner Circle who corroborate McNamee.

Sorry, Rog, but any “man” who would allow a “trainer” to inject his wife with a substance in the privacy and sanctity of their bedroom with HGH without personally being present is a particularly disgusting representative of the male species. The very idea that any man would be in a bedroom with another man's wife is simply too repulsive to contemplate around here. Anyone with half a brain shouldn’t allow an unlicensed quack to be dispensing injections of any substance at any time, period. After Mrs. Clemens reportedly suffered a physical reaction shortly thereafter, why wasn’t she rushed to the hospital or immediately taken to her physician? She reportedly received no subsequent medical care. Regardless of "who's telling the truth" the validity of any and all of Clemens' allegations went down the drain on that basis alone. If your spouse or significant sweetie were ill what is the first thing that you would do? GET IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION!!! And Clemens has the arrogance to stand before the American people proclaiming his innocence? If anything, the Clemens' have been breathtaking in their degree of collective stupidity.

Other than that, what bits and pieces of the Hearing I was able to catch on C-Span Radio was pretty much the same old partisan political BS. If people were tuned into this looking for Ali-Frazier IV, then they don’t know a thing about Congress. On the whole, the Hearing came down on partisan lines (is this anything new?) with the R’s throwing creampuffs to the “Titan” and excoriating the “Pusher” while the D’s really tried to press the issue with Clemens. Nobody “won” nor was this a shining moment for Our Honorable House of Representatives. It’s a pretty sad state of affairs for all Americans when something as neutral as baseball and illegal drug enforcement has to be so politically divisive.

Another interesting tidbit was the revelation by Pettitte that he used HGH a second time without McNamee's help, after the materials were procured by his father. For a self-proclaimed (in your face) “Christian”, perhaps Andy (and his dad) ought to take a serious look at Luke 11:11-13 and consider Our Lord’s thoughts on how fathers are to help and counsel their children…

Either way, there comes a point where it all becomes too sordid to engage. (We’re well past that point already). When lawyers, politicians, forensic specialists and courts of law become the focus rather than the game, that’s when I decide to walk away. I will not allow any of the aforementioned parties to steal the pure, unadulterated joy of baseball from my heart. Lawyers, agents, politicians, phonies and assorted litigants each have their respective paths where they can find fame and fortune, though such endeavors are generally not the stuff of a child's dreams. In his writings, the late Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti understood how the game lives on in the hearts and minds of baseball lovers during the long, cold winters when the ballpark is empty and silent. Suffice to say, the used car salesman now occupying that Chair does not exist in Giamatti's universe.

The Red Sox 2008:

The Hot Stove is supposed about analyzing moves that are made to improve the ballclubs. The Sox have recently made some moves to shore up the bullpen. Red Sox fans are wondering whether the lack of acquisitions over the winter place the team at a disadvantage to other teams who made dramatic upgrades during the off-season, most notably the Tigers. Fans ought to enjoy the game without looking toward what might happen in October. One the regular season starts, it’s a grind and it is particularly hard to repeat. Just enjoy the games one at a time.

In the first weekend of February, most New Englanders were keyed into the Patriots and the Super Bowl. Given the Pats’ track record for their first 40 years, the last seven have been really special and warrant that amount of attention. After the Pats' heartbreaking loss, everyone was waiting for the equipment trucks to make the annual trek to Ft. Myers and turn that page as quickly as possible. Forget about the groundhog, the most certain harbinger of spring is the caravan leaving Boston. This year, the team will make trip back to Boston via Tokyo. It really ought to be a memorable spring.

They signed a couple of journeymen, Dan Miceli and Danny Kolb to minor-league deals before acquiring David Aardsma for a couple of low level minor leaguers. Shortly thereafter, the Sox signed Sean “The Mayor” Casey to a one-year deal. Casey has been around for awhile, can still hit some and will allow Lowell and Youkilis time off when they need it. Casey has some ties to the area as a former college friend who entered the priesthood runs a food kitchen in the Merrimack Valley and Casey has been generous in supporting. Hopefully he will fit in well in Boston. Then, the team sewed up another loose end by re-signing Bobby Kielty as a spare outfielder.

Then…the bomb dropped a week before pitchers and catchers were scheduled to report. Curt Schilling apparently re-injured his right shoulder at some time during the offseason. Schilling had already agreed to return to the Sox for a “Last Hurrah” season and was being counted on to be a #3 starter. He went to three specialists and unsurprisingly came away with three conflicting opinions. One of the options purportedly involved season (career)-ending surgery, while the team’s doctor purportedly recommended rest and rehab. There were also published rumors that the club was seeking to void his $8M contract. None of the specialists’ scenarios predicted an imminent return to the mound.

None of this can be spun in a positive light as the team heads into Spring Training. Certainly, the significance of Schilling’s absence is not of the same magnitude as when Jim Lonborg suffered a broken leg while skiing prior to the 1968 season. At this point of his career, Schilling is no longer the ace of the staff, nor is he asked to be. With Beckett, Matsuzaka, Lester and Buchholz, the rotation is in pretty good shape. Hopefully, Wakefield can continue to provide the team with innings, but his age and physical condition are as much wild cards as is his knuckleball. The old baseball axiom “you can never have enough pitching” is once more proven true.

Schilling is counted on not so much for April and May, but for September and October where his experience and effectiveness have been a big part of two World’s Championships in Boston. His unavailability simply starts off the new season on bad footing. Maybe he’ll be ready to go after the All-Star break and will be dominant when the team hits the home stretch. However, it may be more probable that Red Sox fans have seen the last of Curt Schilling on the mound, and the $8M for this year will be a goodbye kiss from the owners. Even with all cylinders firing the act of repeating a championship season is daunting.

We shall see…Let’s Play Ball!