Cork's not likely the problem...

Here's probably my first instance of seeking input from fellow bloggers here and on mlbbloggers.com...

Can anyone explain why we are seeing so many more broken bats this year? On games I've watched it seems as if they've had two or three instances of broken bats per game.

We went through a phase a year or two ago where the bats would go flying out of the hitter's hands and into the stands on a semi-regular basis. I am wondering if, to cut costs, they are actually cutting into the bats' longevity and using cheaper material that doesn't hold as well together.

Whether or not the material is cheaper, the sawed-off bats are as much a threat to the infielders and pitcher as ever. Tiger P Andrew Miller had to dance out of the way of a sawed-off end that nearly clipped him on the legs on Sunday.

Remember in the year of the "rabbit ball" (1987), much was made as to the manufacture of baseballs. Could the same hold true in 2007 for bats?

Opinions on this are welcome.

1984: Clemens' relief appearance

Finally, I got a 20-year old trivia question answered.

As of this date, Roger Clemens (NYY) has made 692 regular-season appearances. All but one has been as a starter. I had always wanted to see what Clemens' only regular-season relief line looked like.

I finally found out. For those interested, here's some tidbits from that day: July 18, 1984 (thanks to baseballreference.com for the insight; geez, they're as detailed as you want them to be)...

Before 16,470 fans in Oakland on July 18, 1984, Clemens made his only relief appearance in the regular season in his career.

* He was the fourth of six pitchers Boston used in a 7-2 loss to Oakland at the Coliseum. The loss dropped Boston to 45-46 on the year.

* Boston starting pitcher was Oil Can Boyd, knocked out in the first inning having given up five runs. Also preceding Clemens were relievers Rich Gale & Steve Crawford. Following Clemens were pitchers Mark Clear & John Henry Johnson.

* Clemens pitched the fifth & sixth innings, allowing doubles to Carney Lansford & Rickey Henderson, but not allowing them to score.

* The line: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.

* Dave Kingman of the A's hit his 26th homer of the season that day; he was in a homer race with Boston's Tony Armas Sr. at the time.

* Henderson stole his 45th base.

* The Red Sox were limited to four hits: singles by Mike Easler & Jackie Gutierrez, double by Wade Boggs, and homer by Armas Sr., his 25th.

* Oakland's winning pitcher was Ray Burris, going the distance.
LINE: 9 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K.

You can obviously tell this was an emergency relief appearance for Clemens. This was just before the Red Sox made their July & August push for the AL East lead, dominated at the time by Detroit and Toronto.

Hope this satisfies the curiousities of people like me!

A dead horse was beaten

I just got finished watching the FOX Saturday Game Of The Week with the Mets vs. the Tigers. This was my first chance to hear former Dodger 1B Eric Karros do analysis. I came away less than impressed.

Close followers of the Tigers know that the bullpen has been having its struggles. The pitching staff as a whole has not been as effective, mostly due to injury. And fans like me are well too aware about blowing a bullpen out when starters cannot make it to the seventh inning.

In the course of one inning of play, did Karros have to make mention of Tiger starter Jeremy Bonderman not making it too far into the seventh FIVE times?

This honestly is not a rant about announcer bias. Detroit has had its share in recent years, but I would think with a magical season like 2006 behind them, they would at least garner a little respect. Why did Karros have to constantly harp on the point of the starters getting a little further into the game? I am so well aware of it. Watchers of FOX this afternoon are now a little too aware of it.

Take away the injuries to Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney, and take away Todd Jones' recent ineffectiveness. Place their bullpen on a par with 2006's. Would Karros be saying those things? He'd be saying it was good for Bonderman to get as far as he did, and now look out below, here come the bad guys. Even if Zumaya didn't throw 100 MPH bullets or Rodney didn't have that devastating changeup... the point about Bonderman may have been mentioned once.

Instead, we hear it all through the seventh and eighth innings. Wasn't there any other action going on in the field?

Blatant biasness is one thing... second-guessing what a manager is forced to do (sometimes beyond his control) comes a very close second.

====================
Okay okay, so Roger Clemens is a success his first time out (6 IP, 7K), and look out, the Yankees have won five straight. One man does not a starting rotation make. We will judge the results over the long haul, not over just one start.

And how long is the Alex Rodriguez curse going to haunt Texas? They have been playing some ugly baseball lately. Three starters with an ERA over six? Their farm system must be barren and devoid of prospects who might lower the team ERA a bit. And star 1B Mark Texiera has made no bones about leaving after the season.

Sloppy results, bad P.R. It's an acid mixture down in Arlington.

Standing at the third point

I've been more a silent observer than active discusser so far this season. But since we've passed the one-third point of the season, here are my reflections so far:

AMERICAN LEAGUE
* New York - They always start out slow but always find a way to grab the division crown by the end of the year. If they are on the same agenda, they're taking a little longer to snap out of their funk. The pitching is a mess. A-Rod has had to carry them on his back most of the season. If they win, it's not going to be due to anything Roger Clemens does. He might have been a savior if he had stayed with Houston. The pitching jinx could go on in the Bronx.

* Detroit - They may not make it to the post-season this year, and ironically it's due to the pitching. However, they have taken on Jim Leyland's intensity and never give up. The Cleveland series was a killer, but the team was in every game. Hope for good health for Ordonez and Sheffield; they along with many others have the chance to set some records this season.

* Tampa Bay - * Sigh *... why does Major League Baseball still allow them to play? They don't know anything but fifth place. They've had players and managers with all different styles and it has amounted to nothing so far. How far does the fans' patience go? Or how far do you have to go to even find a fan?

* Kansas City - see above... but makes it more regrettable because the team is a waste of a naturally awesome ballpark. I've always wanted to see Fenway & Wrigley... but I've always wanted to see Kaufmann Stadium too.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

* Atlanta - They have shown a resurgence, but more due to their hitting than pitching. This appears to be a smart team that will once again be in it for the long haul. There seems to be no dread at all when it comes to the team's recent history: even with new ownership on the horizon, I wouldn't forecast a dropoff too much. They say managers don't affect a team by their presence; one look at Bobby Cox and I'm ready to dispute that.

* Milwaukee - They would be in third place in the AL Central and NL East, and fourth in the NL West... but as long as they're in first place somewhere, and known for something other than their sausage races, all the better for Brewer fans. Milwaukee has always been a team I secretly root for and hope for good things to happen to. You remember Cecil Fielder? His son, Prince, will overshadow him before long.

* Arizona - Remarkably competitive. After a slow start, Randy Johnson is showing the way again. You don't hit second place on the career strikeout list for nothing. I hadn't seen their record in awhile, and was surprised when I did so. Possibly the best NL team that no one is talking about.

MISCELLANEOUS

* Jason Giambi - Now that he's on the shelf, Bud Selig wants him to do a favor for the sport. Ah, I don't like the odds of that one. Palmerio kept quiet, McGwire distanced himself, and Bonds won't speak up. The plateau of their investigation came from a clubhouse assistant manager. I don't expect it to go much further -- sorry, Bud.

* Texas Rangers - Wouldn't it be nice if oil money went somewhere else other than the executives -- or the Rangers payroll? What do they have to show for A-Rod? Homer binge in the Bronx. And what do they have to show for Kevin Millwood? Overpaid drastically. Pitchers' careers seem to go in a funk when they hit Arlington (case in point: Chan Ho Park).

* Clint Hurdle - How does he still manage to hold onto his job as the Rockies' manager? They lost their calling card (power) and there's no more 4-million attendees at Coors Field. The fever is still there, but not the results. I'm amazed they've stood pat for so long.

* Lou Piniella - Maybe some of the analysis I've heard the past week about his latest tirade rings true: part of his reaction may be due to the club tuning him out. There's an influx of new blood in younger managers who have a clue about how to treat today's player. Trust me: Piniella still has gate value as a performer for the fans who love to see his tirades, but will it improve the ballclub? Thank goodness for the Cubbies that their fans are among the most loyal in sports. Very admirable.

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I am looking to make this a weekly blog with summaries of games and my opinions. Sorry that it has not turned out to be daily like I had hoped for... I will be filling in gaps where needed as I make my observations (to cue a disabled list term) retroactive.

Did the DH make Molitor a Hall-Of-Famer?

It is within every baseball fan's rights to profess the longing for a return to "pure" baseball. One of the first things they will argue about is the elimination of the DH. You'll hear this every year.

I take the stance of being FOR the DH rule, chiefly because the DH had been around for seven seasons before I really began following the game. Yes, the DH is not a pure rule. But neither are six divisions, All-Star Games that supposedly mean something, and outrageous player salaries. They're a part of baseball lore now, although they aren't pure.

How effective is the DH? I believe it made Paul Molitor the Hall Of Famer that he is.

More often than not, the slot is reserved for an aging hitter who no longer has reputable fielding prowess. Critics claim that a player should be able to be effective on both ends: hitting & fielding. But the legs generally go before the arms do, so those who DH on a regular basis may defend their stance, saying the experience has extended their careers.

Let's say there had never been a DH, and look at Molitor's numbers under that new scenario:

His career lasted from 1978-1998. He was a stalwart at second, third, and even the outfield; but began being a primary DH in 1989; nine seasons before he called it a career. If that is the case, consider the numbers he put up in these categories:

Games: 1246
Hits: 1568
Homers: 115
Stolen Bases: 160

Also note: Three of his four 200-hit seasons came after he became a DH.

What would this have done to his final numbers if no DH caused him not to play those extra nine seasons?

Games: 1437 instead of 2683
Hits: 1661 instead of 3319
Homers: 119 versus 234
Stolen Bases: 344 against 504

Most likely, he wouldn't have been in the Hall Of Fame, given today's perceived requirements. Remember, he was an injury bug waiting to happen early in his career. In 1987, the year of his 39-game hitting streak, the consensus seemed to be, "Wow, he actually played 100 games?"

Molitor was a legitimate fragile person who overcame that label to become the player he ended up being. He needed the role to continue his career; but none of those nine years were subpar by any standard. He was nothing but a bonus to any team he was with.

The DH was a positive innovation in Paul Molitor's case. Innovation helps spur life forward. It seems silly to say... but we are stuck with the DH in the AL, and it does have perks that aren't normally associated with it directly.

Predictions based on heresy

Since everyone seems to do it, here's my standings predictions for 2007 one week into spring training. Of course, this does not count any pending trades between now & Opening Day, and I do predict at least two mini-blockbusters occurring...

AL EAST:
1. New York -- Whether A-Rod & Jeter want to or not
2. Toronto -- All they need is a bullpen, could talk wild card in '08
3. Boston -- Import starts well, but mystique disappearing
4. Tampa Bay -- Finally becomes Florida's better team
5. Baltimore -- Could you imagine attendance at old Memorial?

AL CENTRAL:
1. Chicago -- Ozzie won't be quiet (sigh) this year either
2. Detroit -- Pitching hits reality, but they're too deep to freefall
3. Minnesota -- Blow away the smoke; no Liriano will hurt more
4. Cleveland -- Resurgence relies too much on SS Pheralta
5. Kansas City -- As good as the fountains: drowned and dunked

AL WEST:
1. Oakland -- Open Billy Beane's brain and spread it around
2. Texas -- All Blalock & Texiera need is help from hurlers
3. Los Angeles -- Banking too much on age and career years
4. Seattle -- Sorry... come July, exit Ichiro: stage right

NL EAST:
1. New York -- The fans will expect a subway series in Oct.
2. Atlanta -- Their pitching will come back for the most part
3. Philly -- Howard or not; they'll get booed no matter what
4. Florida -- Ad in paper: Fire Sale #3 to take place in July
5. Washington -- Montreal's bad closing years weren't mirage

NL CENTRAL:
1. St. Louis -- They'll win, but it won't be a runaway race
2. Chicago -- How much is the dollar worth? Check Wrigley
3. Houston -- Could finish in second place if Clemens plays
4. Pittsburgh -- Why the heck not? Youngsters getting better
5. Cincinnati -- Stadium air-conditioning system by Dunn
6. Milwaukee -- Notice how Selig is distancing himself?

NL WEST:
(Do I HAVE to?) (Ahem)
1. San Diego -- Strange item: Peavy will inspire Maddux
2. San Francisco -- No pennant, but a new king struts
3. Los Angeles -- Overly-optimistic agenda crashes by May
4. Colorado -- What, they can't even power their own park?

AL Wildcard: Detroit
NL Wildcard: Atlanta

I won't dive into further post-season predictions, because much can happen between now and then. But a New York team will be represented in the Fall Classic, guaranteed.

Brewers need a smooth spring

As a person who likes the idea of parity in the major sports vs. dynasties, I tend to root for the underdogs. Milwaukee has been an underdog target for two decades now; not having made a peep on the post-season stage since 1982.

They've spent the past four off-seasons promoting optimistic outlooks to their fans -- while still hamstrung with payroll limitations that keep putting them near the middle of the pack.

This year seems to look good on paper, with the surprise signing of post-season hero Jeff Suppan to a multi-year contract, and the hopeful full-season return of long-time ace starter Ben Sheets.

Some fans, however, are likely wishing that they used that money to re-sign Carlos Lee before 2006, for that would have solved their left-field situation. That position is generating controversy, as Kevin Mench & Geoff Jenkins both want the full-time starting position, and aren't too high on manager Ned Yost's idea of a platoon.

You can bet the publicity from this will not be positive, and the Brewers are one club that needs all the positive press it can get.

Mench's pitch: "I'll pitch a fit." Jenkins' view: he'll leave if he's not the full-timer in left.

Yost may have the right idea initially. Combine Jenkins' 2006 stats (.271, 17-70) and Mench's (.269, 13-68) and you get .270, 30-138; about what Carlos Lee averages per season. Despite Milwaukee once being labelled "Harvey's Wallbangers", power is somewhat short on this team, having lost Lee, Richie Sexson & Lyle Overbay in recent years.

But once again, we enter with the assumption that the manager has control over the team, and the players cannot dictate his actions. In just the first week of spring training action, both players are already criticizing the manager. It's not as if they have no shortage of candidates to replace both of them either, and at less cost, which may have gone through the general manager's mind more than once.

The Brewers are starving for respectability and positive press. Should the issue morph into a problem, fans may wish for 2008 before a 2007 pitch is even thrown.

Closer's stuff: Simple or diverse?

The best starting pitchers in the league have a variety of pitches to choose from. The good ones average four different pitches, while the best ones can rely on up to six, with the additional potential of each pitch being thrown with differing speeds or arm angles. If you can keep a lineup of hitters guessing and off-balance, chances are success is obtainable.

I've noticed through time that reliever's repitoires are not as vast, and some closers have only two pitches. I don't know what reason, other than the fact they may not throw enough pitches in a game, that they don't have bigger bags of tricks.

On one hand, Royals closer Octavio Dotel gets by with a fastball & slider when healthy. Tigers closer Todd Jones relies basically on a cutter.

Jose Valverde, potential Diamondbacks closer, has an assortment of pitches (4-seam and 2-seam fastballs, splitter, slider, cut fastball; five total) he can throw at different speeds. Yet he's under suggestion from Diamondbacks management that he concentrate on two pitches only.

Valverde may be questioning these suggestions, saying that during his struggles, he was relying on a certain pitch much too often. On the surface, I may be tempted to agree. As much as pitching coaches would stress pitch diversity for starters, how come the same does not apply to relievers or closers?

An underrated closer of the past was ex-Royal Jeff Montgomery. He had four pitches, two above the closer's norm -- his best pitch was a baffling changeup. Five times in his 13-year career he had 30 or more saves, with 304 in his career. And his repitoire survived with good control; walking only 23 batters in 87 innings in 1993, where he set a personal high of 45 saves.

Closers are trained not to go more than one inning these days, limiting their pitch counts, while being available for more games as a result. It may happen that they won't throw enough pitches in a game to show a hitter three different varieties. But I wouldn't think that having the pitch selection at hand would hurt. Wouldn't it be a great time to befuddle a hitter - ninth inning in a pressure situation?

Valverde used the expanded repoitoire to his advantage in his final 14 appearances last year (four walks and 1.94 ERA), which makes me think the Diamondbacks should let him use his whole arsenal.

McLain's not worth the price of print

To think they even wrote a song about this guy at one point, and held him in such high esteem to where he was a valuable team member.

Grudges that are not healed, or even addressed, always bubble to the surface. Denny McLain, the last pitcher to win 30 games in a season, has outdone and ostricized himself from the baseball community even more with the release of a new book, I Told You I Wasn't Perfect.

This appears to be one book that can be judged by title alone - never mind the rest of the cover. We know that McLain crashed hard in the 1980s, even overlooking his suspicious bookmaking activities of the late 1960s. He's been in the federal pen on two different occasions, but this time he is more stingy than ever. Why a printing company even took on such a ridiculous project is beyond me; I believe it wasted precious ink.

McLain still stands behind his statements & grudges, and continues to hide behind them, unwilling or afraid to face confrontation, restitution, and chances to bury the hatchet and forget the past. He is still very much living in the past, and to him, the past appears to have happened yesterday versus forty years ago.

On Al Kaline: "Our guys resented Kaline for turning down a $100,000 salary when (club president & GM) Jim Campbell offered to put him on par with the top players in the game. While the media played him up as a hero for being so modest, we all knew that it cost us serious dough."

Excuse me? For years, I applauded Kaline's decision to turn down that salary. Yes, he was modest in his reasoning, but something like that would be unheard of today. This is someone putting the team's needs before his own. And how could it cost the Tigers "serious dough"? Doesn't a lower contract value save the team dollars? Would fans have deserted Kaline because he didn't take the $100,000? This simply doesn't make sense - it made Kaline even more of a working man's hero.

On Mickey Lolich: "Overwhelmingly jealous. I was the last guy he wanted to see win 30 games."

Did Lolich ever say that? McLain thought that on his own and created his own inter-team rivalry. Lolich was a decent man and very popular; I can't imagine him complaining bitterly about McLain's role on the team.

McLain's career fizzled quickly after that magical 1968 season; it ended before the 1972 season began. Casual observers may wonder why Lolich gets more of the ink when it comes to remembering past Tigers of that '68 team, while McLain seems to fall into the pack.

The book will speak for itself on that reasoning -- no pun intended there, Denny.

Lost art of the steal

In standing the test of time, baseball has gone through many cycles independent of labor strife. Look at the power factor, for instance. At the turn of the century, ten and 12-homer totals would be enough to win you a crown. Babe Ruth then came in and changed all that with his magnificent swing.

Now think back to the 1960s, the "Decade Of The Pitcher". How many clubs actually had a composite team average of .250 or better? How close did the leagues come to not having a .300 hitter at all? How many ERAs were grossly below two?

Then comes 1987, the year of the "Rabbit Ball" that's still talked about today. Afterward, expansion and (yes) steroids boosted the power totals for a time. Now they seem to be levelling off, as 60 homers a season once again ranks as an accomplishment instead of something to yawn at.

What's been lost in all this is the stolen base. Really getting into the game in the mid and late-1980s, I expressed jealousy at the St. Louis Cardinals, who would swipe 300 bases a season as a team. How could you think of stopping Vince Coleman as he stole 100-110 bases on his own every year? Rickey Henderson and Lou Brock? Forget it, you may as well assume they'd score once they get on base, because they truly manufactured runs on their own.

Look at today. Even the once-speedy veterans hanging on today are nowhere near the top-ten basestealers of all time. Can Kenny Lofton, once a 70-steal absolute for the Indians, hold a candle to people like Tim Raines? Will Carl Crawford ever hit such a total for the Devil Rays, or will his power come into more prominence? It is likely that could happen, and his speed will be put aside for Earl Weaver's favorite strategy: the three-run homer.

I do not knock clubs' strategies. These days, you need instant rallies to attack otherwise effective pitching staffs. There's nothing more debilitating to a pitcher than having three earned runs come at him suddenly, signalling an early end to their day.

But whatever happened to the speedy leadoff man? To see Jason Kendall lead off for the A's is a case in point. Kendall has great speed for a catcher and will never be known for a power bat. But is this saying that the A's don't have another better speed weapon for the top of the order? Or are they putting those speedsters lower in the order because speed is not the manager's weapon of choice?

I applaud "small ball", and still think it could be as effective today as it was in Raines' era. For sure, it would befuddle pitchers and opposing managers.

Great clubs find ways to win that are multi-dimensional and have a huge bag of tricks they can pull out at any time. What did they do with the bag labeled "steals"?

Pardon the expression; but in game play, stealing is not a crime.

Angels facing jinx possibilities?

There are some givens with regard to California baseball:

* For the tenth year in a row (supposedly), the Padres claim to have it "right" this time.

* The Giants are likely to open another AARP chapter at AT&T Park this season.

* The Dodgers are focused on pitching quality again this season.

* And if you believe the "1,000 ways to..." brand of thinking, the Athletics are close to that number in terms of sheer roster redeployment.

This brings us to the Angels, who are hoping to dethrone those Athletics and win their first divisional title since 2003. Two key players, though, concern me: centerfielder Gary Matthews Jr., and SP Jered Weaver.

Both Matthews & Weaver were attention-grabbers last year, and you couldn't help but root for them as they found major league success; in Matthews' case, it was really heartwarming, as he finally showed what he could do given more than 200 at-bats.

But you always have to glance at Matthews' career before his breakout campaign of 2006, and you wonder why he was only a 200-at-bat guy before then. I would hope to see more of the same in 2007, and truly define '06 as a "breakout year" versus a "career year".

For if he slips back to the 2005 style of play, for instance, the Angels outfield looks like trouble. Garrett Anderson is getting no younger, and we may see platooning in his future. Vladimir Guerrero, meanwhile, is still scary with the stick, but his legs are going on him, and we could witness an eventual turn to DH for him to protect that bat speed.

The Angels don't suffer from the same age infection that last year's Giants squad did, but a look at outfield depth for the Angels is depressing: Juan Rivera as the backup, and his career looked much the same as Matthews', pre-2006.

Weaver, meanwhile, came in with a bang and looked more dominating than his older brother, Jeff, ever looked. He is a four-pitch pitcher who mixed his different pitches well in going 11-2 last year. Wisely, perhaps, he is billed as the #5 starter still, behind Colon, Escobar, Lackey and Ervin Santana. This may take some of the pressure off him to produce instant results, but the club is still leaning heavily on him nonetheless.

Colon, for one, is recovering from a bad rotator cuff. Escobar is not a true starter, as he has bounced around in his career. This is what makes a repeat of 2006 a near-must for Weaver. If it doesn't come through, the Angels will need that bullpen more than they might like to.

When two of a team's top names have the potential to place "2006 - career year" on top of a 2007 resume, hearts of Angels fans will need to cross those fingers and hope they mean "breakout" year... anything short of that might be a breakdown in the team's efforts to become the AL's dominant west-coast team.

Can Junior be counted on?

This seems to be an annual question for the Reds, because it is always an annual sight: Ken Griffey Jr... not at one hundred percent.

Though not perceived to be an injury bordering on breach of contract, Griffey broke his left hand while wrestling with his kids on a yacht in the Bahamas. Griffey is in the spring training complex getting the hand rehabbed, but now his pre-season hopes have been pushed back and delayed.

Only once in his seven-plus season tenure with Cincinnati has Griffey played in more than 128 games, after eclipsing the 140-games played mark with Seattle in seven of his eleven seasons there. Two players that come to mind that had such records are former outfielders Eric Davis and Fred Lynn.

The three have many similarities; dangerous hitters with power, and gifted outfielders in their prime. Davis was too tightly wound and was a muscle pull waiting to happen. Lynn's career was cut short by too many risky dives & leaps in the outfield. The injury bug seems to knock on Griffey's door every season, for one reason or another.

Give the Cincinnati fans credit for having forgiven Griffey his injury history; as we saw in 2005, when healthy, he could still be a 40-homer force. Whether he takes care of himself in the off-seasons is known to him alone and is his business, but when you are a key offensive cog in the Reds attack even after all these years, preventive maintenance is a must. With Wily Mo Pena long gone (to Boston last season), Griffey's clubhouse presence and power-wielding bat become more imperative if the Reds hope to catch the Cardinals in the NL Central.

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Can you believe some baseball writers actually came down to Lakeland (Fla) to see the Detroit Tigers' pitchers take fielding practice?

If they were expecting to see more kamikaze-like plays in the field, they were mistaken; practice came off as perfectly routine. The Tigers' defense was much better in 2006 than in years past, so to me, the cough-ups in the World Series were not due to a lack of talent. With a year of pressure and learning experiences behind them, I wouldn't expect such a practice to warrant media coverage. They will be just fine.

Foulke will know if it's time

The buzz around the Cleveland Indians camp early on is that reliever Keith Foulke, who left Boston to sign a $4 million contract, may in fact retire.

Since the 2004 World Series, Foulke has been beset with injuries that skyrocketed his ERA and left him without that closer's job that Jonathan Papelbon filled nicely last season. Foulke was seen as a nifty successor to Bob Wickman (now of Atlanta) who, when on, could still dominate hitters.

It's likely the pre-season plans had the Indians bullpen all sorted out with his acquisition. A pending retirement would leave the bullpen disorganized again, as they would likely have to promote someone from within. The Indians are still trying to work with a smart budget and can't give expensive contracts to everyone. Plus, rethinking strategy, even seven weeks prior to the start of the regular season, isn't comforting when you consider the competitive nature of the AL Central.

In a way, I would not be surprised if his injuries & ineffectiveness of late make him call it a career. His mechanics alarmed me when I saw him in the '04 World Series. The way he slings that right arm & doesn't drop it down while pitching just doesn't seem natural to me.

I only hope that in this day and age, where the money-grabbers make the headlines, that he walk away from the contract offer in its entirety. That would be ultimate thanks to a ballclub which was willing to chance him in a pivotal closer's role, in what should shape to be a pivotal season for the Tribe.

Too many farewell tours

With Spring Training starting today with the report of pitchers & catchers, we supposedly are left hanging over whether or not Roger Clemens will return for another season at age 45.

How many retirements or near-retirements has he ended up having since his initial farewell tour with the Yankees? Upon signing with Houston, I remember his elation at pitching near his home, with family much more convienently located. Clemens had a fantastic season in 2005, yet could not make up his mind to play last season until the end of May. Now in 2007, he still doesn't know if he's going to suit up again, mentioning something about "if someone (stubs) a toe, I might have to consider (playing again)."

This simply does not sound like a person that really wants to play. And perhaps he should end his own drama, and the drama of his fans, by simply saying so. There's nothing wrong with leaving the game on your own terms, even if you're at or near the top.

Clemens still has an amazing talent, has a frame built for the long haul, and still pumps that fastball to where few can hit it. But as he nears 340 victories, cements his status as the #2 strikeout king, and with the Astros not showing signs of recovering from last year's fall from grace, is there truly any motivation left in the tank? Perhaps after 24 seasons, it may be ripe time for him to retire and spend the time with the family, including watching a his son, a potential future star, continue to hone his talents.

But why he duped the Yankees in 2003 in saying he'd retire, only to land with Houston, is known only to him. I portrayed him as a person who couldn't make up his mind without dollar signs attached. Each preseason, his doubts about returning grow bigger & bigger.

His numbers will never diminish over time. But his personality will also be remembered, as with any good player. Please, Roger... either you "do" or you "don't" want in for 2007.

Cubs, Braves and revenues

Rambling thoughts on a Saturday:

* The Yankees long ago made popular the notion that superstar players will yield superstar results. No team can reach into the post-season effectively without a superstar guiding the way.

I would consider Alfonso Soriano a star in his own mind & effectiveness. Whether he is finally the answer to the Chicago Cubs' dream of a World Series remains to be seen. As talented as he is, he couldn't keep Washington from falling back below .500 last season, simply because he didn't have a supporting cast worth mentioning. Who do the Cubs have to help him carry the team? I really don't think Mark Prior & Kerry Wood are worth relying on much anymore as I don't see a magical end to their arm woes of the past three seasons.

Remember this from a Detroit standpoint: Frank Thomas and Alex Rodriguez carried their teams during the regular season, but who stopped them cold but the Tigers, a team that relied on everyone evenly.

* Will the Braves come back to form and begin winning division titles again? I am one for league parity (yes, a dynasty hater), but you cannot forget the fact that their pitching could have been on a one-year low ebb last season. Credit the change in pitching coaches from Leo Mazzone to Roger McDowell for much of that mess, plus a never-ending injury bug. But the Braves have proven to have ample resources in their farm system time and again. Atlanta is still a favored spot for players to be traded to or sign with, and this year may validate that fact even more.

* Wasn't it just ten years ago that we thought a $100 million team payroll was ridiculous? Now the Yankees are worth over $200 million in paychecks alone. Yet again, they didn't make the World Series. In fact, look at some of the participants from the past few years:

The Tigers. The Marlins. The Astros. Teams you wouldn't find leading a payroll list of having a $15 million player anchoring their roster, have found their way onto the fall stage. Commissioner Bud Selig has said for a few years now that revenue sharing is working. Most people scoff at that, but if you look deep into it and see it for what it's worth, he has a point.

So the TV ratings tanked last season - big deal. The hometown fans on both sides got to see great post-season action and fans were proud of both teams. It's still the fan who walks through the turnstile that matters most to the atmosphere of the ballpark - and consequently the mood of the players between the lines.

Feel-good moments abounded, in other words... and you didn't have to pay a U.S. Mint to see it.

Punish or reward consistently

Who better to grace Cooperstown this summer than Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn, two hard-working ballplayers who defined their generation?

The watering down of pitching talent aside, Gwynn showed the world exactly how to hit successfully. The first person to get Gwynn to do a hitting video will be the luckiest person out there. And Ripken gave everyone, baseball or not, incentive to go that extra mile to "be there" every day, whether it be to our workplace or even to our homes to keep family together.

But much fuss was made in the press, both local and national, about Mark McGwire finishing so low in the balloting in eligible year one. And if I can pull an "Amazing Kreskin", it will be safe to predict that Barry Bonds will face the same situation five years after he retires.

We know the story surrounding those two, as well as Rafael Palmeiro, very well. Questions have been raised about how much these players' pasts should be factored into Hall Of Fame consideration. Are we really thinking too much into their pasts while overlooking the sheer importance of their numbers?

I have no honest opinion on the subject, other than to say this: treat all questionable ballplayers the same. Either vote them in, or ignore all of them in order to "keep the dirt" out of the Hall.

People will say that McGwire's refusal to testify in the steroid trial shouldn't keep him out of the Hall. Then why aren't Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson in the Hall already? Bonds could pass Hank Aaron in the homer race this year; don't numbers enough qualify you for the spot no matter your personal history? Personally, I believe 4,256 lifetime hits are more impressive than being the all-time dinger leader.

But if there's truly no effort to put Rose & Jackson in the Hall Of Fame, perhaps there should be NO debate as to whether McGwire, Bonds, Palmerio should be in there too... that answer should be a definite "no" in that case, too. Don't even attempt to make a case for Sammy Sosa in a few years either, especially if those in front of him don't make it.

You either eliminate all the dirt and let all the Hall Of Famers have clean, personal resumes, or you just admit that mistakes have been made through time (we are all human, after all), and recognize them for their outstanding in-game talents who did put fans in their seats to see milestones accomplished.

It doesn't matter which way the thinking goes, but that thinking has to go across the board - an all-or-nothing proposition. Don't elect one without at least thinking about the others who worked as hard, and ended up as human as those now under the microscopes of the press.

America's pasttime should be fair, and diverse as well.

They love Fenway Park

True baseball fans mourn the demolition of old ballparks as if they've lost their only son. I do fit into this category, as I sometimes long for the days of Connie Mack Stadium, the old Comiskey Park, and the Astrodome. Tiger Stadium, near me, is a lost cause, a victim of mismanagement, lack of concern by the powers-that-be, and the inability of the stadium's fan base to be heard by those powers.

Fenway Park is the complete opposite, and what a wonderful story it has to tell, especially with this release from their official website. It's amazing that a ballpark built in 1912 can still thrive today, add some modern conveniences, become more fan-friendly, and yet have the ballpark retain its mystic charm and cozy sightlines & atmosphere in near entirety.

This is a result of an ownership that truly cares. Boston has a long history of baseball success, and the ownership realizes this. Even in New York, with the 27 World Series pennants blowing in the breezes, there's talk about moving to a new site, in spite of the House That Ruth Built still the formidable structure that it is.

If I were to go on a ballpark tour, it would be to only two: Wrigley Field and Fenway Park. Go beyond the actual attributes of the stadiums themselves, and you'll find ownership groups that know their clubs' long histories and fans' love for their parks. What results is the continuing evolution of ballpark icons that many more generations will grow to love.

Baseball roots itself in its history. What better way to show it than by continuing the tradition of maintaining true treasures like Fenway Park?

Thumbs-up to a group of forward-thinking owners who really do listen to the fans, speak their language and think their thoughts.

Does Florida want baseball?

You might find that as a funny question, since two-thirds of spring training games occur in Florida. Many retirees from up north are snowbirds who flock to the state for warmth in the winter, and that includes showing up at the spring training sites to root for their favorite teams.

The Marlins and Devil Rays are Florida's two teams, but they either are not well-received by the public, or they have been down-trodden from the word go.

The Marlins have given the idea of expansion teams a shot in the arm by being as successful as they've been, with two World Series titles. In between, however, they arm themselves with a Triple-A roster (save Dontrelle Willis), and play to a 25-percent-full stadium on many occasions. Furthermore, campaigns for a new stadium in Miami have fallen flat and discussions have been ongoing for years.

The roster they currently have is hard-working; I really liked the play of Dan Uggla last year (.282, 27-90) at second base. But do their fans appreciate these blue-collar efforts? Did they even spend the World Series years packing Joe Robbie Stadium during the regular season? Time has proven to be the judge, and the judgement doesn't look fulfilling for the average Marlins fan.

And then there's the Devil Rays. They spent last off-season in a front-office rebuilding mode. They let go of virtually everyone in the front office from the owner on down. They did Lou Piniella a favor by letting him go. They harked on about the fresh, new players on the field. What resulted was the same, tiresome, last-place finish. They don't even have a winning season in franchise history, so you can imagine how the Marlins' fans have been "spoiled", in comparison.

We laughed initially at the National Hockey League when they placed an expansion franchise in Florida, but they have done well statistically. That is literally more than can be said for Florida's two baseball franchises, which have a chance to do more and mean more to their fans than they have, but to this point, it's not really been the case.

Baseball fever in Florida doesn't have to end with the conclusion of March on the calendar. But what can the fans honestly point to as a rallying point to carry on past that date?

Beginnings

This marks the beginning of a new column I am writing for mlbbloggers.com -- Ducks On The Pond. I am pleased to join a group of fifty blog writers commenting on America's favorite - and my favorite - pasttime.

Let it be said that I am not necessarily a "homer" or "rah, rah" type for any sports team. I am more a follower and commentator - from a realisitc point of view. I applaud the successes, brood over the losses, and criticize where necessary. But only because I truly do enjoy following the teams I have chosen as favorites, not because I may "hate" them. If there is hate involved, it serves no constructive purpose in following a team or its sport.

This blog may start off slowly. I maintain one full-time blog and one part-time blog in addition to this one, so links, photos, and the like will come slowly, but time is sometimes the best remedy for evolution. Rome wasn't built in a day, as they say... and the Detroit Tigers took 22 years to fully get back to the greatness their long-loyal fans have wished for.

I hope you enjoy what shows up in my little corner of the world as we inch closer to the season, and again I thank mlbbloggers.com for allowing me this opportunity to play "sports columnist" and really make me feel as part of the lineup.

Spring training starts in less than six weeks... will you be ready?