NBA Draft: The Jury’s Still Out
June 16, 2008Morgan Ensberg, Joining the Farm
June 17, 2008
With no Tribe game to discuss, I thought it would be an opportune time to open a forum regarding two specific things that occurred yesterday; both making me shake my head in disbelief during more than one occasion.
First, I find it absolutely hysterical (and a bit sad, actually) that there is a sudden outcry against interleague baseball because the ace starting pitcher of the New York Yankees (Chien-Ming Wang) was injured. Second, the fact that the Indians are simply supposed to trade Sabathia ASAP, so the Yankees do not have to prematurely end their season. I’m talking fantasy baseball-style trade offers that would make radio call-ins sound like Hall of Fame General Managers.
Regarding the first topic, anyone who blames the game more than the player is simply out of line. You’re a professional athlete on a team that is coached by a slew of minds that are paid to think ahead. It’s not like this interleague play just came out of nowhere; coaches should be doing a few baserunning drills here and there. You know, just in case a pitcher actually gets on base?
From the Bronx Block:
Mets suck. Astros suck. Interleague sucks. Boston sucks. Everybody sucks.
And comments from said post:
God I hate interleague play…seriously whats the point…
Certain purists knock the whole Designated Hitter aspect all season long, potining to inflated team stats et al. But then on the other side, you have those that think baseball is “less interesting” when a pitcher has to bat? Talk about wanting to have both sides. If NL fans want to see a DH, then perhaps we can roll with Rick Manning’s suggestion about switching up the rules every other year – where a DH gets to play in an NL park and pitchers bat in those that are AL.
Would this appease the masses? Not likely, but it could at least quench some of the whining.
But the answer to the Yankees’ problems? Obviously, it’s trading for C.C. Sabathia. And not just trading for him; we’re just supposed to give him away for players who won’t be contributing for at least a couple of years. While we’re sitting here a few days ago pondering if Robinson Cano plus playerswould be enough, you have a slew of fans that want the Cy Young winner without even tossing Cano out there.
Now, I realize that I’m about to discuss comments of blogs more than the blogs themselves, so I’m well aware of the types of people that are able to just toss out opinions. But just to get a taste…
Great idea. Especially if they can trade Melky, Kennedy and Horne/Betances for CC and Dellucci.
That way, if at season’s end, he’s won it all for NYY, and everyone loves eachother, they can lock him up long term. And if they fail and he hates it there, a la Pavano, he can bail and the NYY get two draft picks in return.
If three players from a pool of Melky, Tabata, Kennedy, Horne, McCutchen, etc. could net CC and David Dellucci, go for it, IMHO.
Trading your top prospects for CC isn’t the way to go. The guys have options in the minors to try out. panicking and going after CC isn’t the solution to the problem. It’s a last resort to this problem.
You’re getting the picture. Of course, there are a fair amount of Yankee fans that think trading for Sabathia right away is a tad on the alarmist side – and I agree. But those that are yelling C.C.’s name are also tossing out potential trade targets as well – like Jake Peavy (the NL Cy Young winner) and Ben Sheets – with zero consideration for availability or contract situations.
Is there any other team in the league that feels entitled to having the best players in the league? And if one of theirs gets hurt, the other teams are just supposed to give up theirs for players that everyone is willing to part with?
I realize that we have a few readers that are fans of the Yankees. And look, I feel bad that Wang got hurt while running the bases. I really do. I was looking forward to his post-season collapse that trumps any that have come from the arm of Sabathia. But in the same, to just expect a team to make an impact trade the day after the guy gets hurt – with a team that is also 5.5 games out of first place in their respective division is just ludicrous.
Yes, there’s a very good chance that Sabathia is not with this team next season. And yes, we’re likely looking at all trade possibilities regardless of our position. But the fact that a team is now that much more desperate to add to their pitching staff does not lower the asking price. If anything, it’s the exact opposite. So let the bidding begin.
Oh, and don’t expect interleague play to change any time soon.
Update: While this post is directed more towards fans, Brinson at the Fanhouse points us to this quote by Hank Steinbrenner:
‘My only message is simple. The National League needs to join the 21st century,’ Steinbrenner said in Tampa, Fla. ‘They need to grow up and join the 21st century.
‘Am I (mad) about it? Yes,’ Steinbrenner added. ‘I’ve got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. He’s going to be out. I don’t like that, and it’s about time they address it. That was a rule from the 1800s.’
Anyone have a pinstriped tissue they can lend? For $.15 on the dollar? And thanks to Mr. Steiner over at B&C, I’m obviously not alone in this frame of thinking.
8 Comments
“Is there any other team in the league that feels entitled to having the best players in the league?”
It seems your point is more about the fans of the team than the team…but I’d have to say that the answer is no. While members of “Red Sox Nation” tend to be reaching comparable heights of hubris, I see in them swelling pride about who they’ve got and have raised (e.g., Pedroia, Ellsbury) rather than demanding that they have the best people available. Then again, maybe they just think they have the best people available anyway. But without digressing too much, yes, Yankees fans have the most inflated sense of entitlement of all fans in baseball.
Raising versus buying has definitely attributed to this. For years, the answer has always just been to throw money at situations. The new regime may be a rude awakening to some of said fans…
And yes, thanks for clarifying that I was indeed talking about the fans opposed to the team. To my knowledge, the team has already come out and said that they’re not panicking.
seriously funny stuff. “we can trade melky, these scrub pitchers, and maybe a couple of guys from our non-existent farm league for their cy young winning ace…cool.” thats new york for you.
these are the people who talk about their last world series title as if it was 50 years ago rather than 8.
espn just said that trading for cc might be a little more trouble than its worth and that it might be in the yankees’ interested to go after…paul byrd.
Byrd actually has a very trade-friendly contract, and wouldn’t be as much to re-sign if needed. He’s a good clubhouse guy, and I’d hate to lose him – but I can understand where they’re coming from…
You’re right on about those fans wanting it both ways. I happen to have been born and raised in an NL town, so I’m not the biggest fan of the DH, but whining about rules, I’ve found, does no good.
Enter the Yankees fan base and Hank Steinbrenner. When they claim that interleague is a bastardization of “real baseball,” and that we should get back to the “purity” of the DH, I’m utterly shocked by their stupidity.
Glad we agree on the ad-hoc-Yankee rage. I don’t went them to get Sabathia now out of pure spite.
Yankees are too dry in the farm for a deal. This CC speculation is on plane with the Lebron to NY campaign — good for entertainment value (and for selling papers) but does not hold water in terms of reality. Only carrot NY has is Cano, and even with his dismal showing in 2008, there is no way the Yankees are stupid enough to part with an AllStar 2nd baseman for a 3 month lease of CC, especially considering that the Yankees are really not that good this year and may not even be a factor in the divisional race come crunch time. Now as for the Mets that is a different story…..
This situation reminds me of the Twins in the late 90’s, when Brad Radke (at the time, a sort-of up and coming top of the rotation pitcher) was approaching free agency, and everyone was throwing out trade possibilities for the Yankees (Ruben Rivera! Rickey Ledee! Ed Yarnall!). Finally then GM Terry Ryan said, “why does everyone think that just because we’re the Twins we have to trade him?” He was inked to an extension a few weeks later.
Nowadays, when draft picks are more important than ever, why would the Indians trade Sabathia away? The school of thought among MLB GM’s these days is that you’d much rather replace someone from within (where you’ve raised him in your system, in your organizational philosophy, know his strengths, weaknesses, etc.) than get a guy raised in someone else’s system that you aren’t as familiar with.
Now here’s a scenario to entertain…
What if the Indians traded him to the Yankees…but forced them to take Hafner’s contract along with it? Maybe if they got a decent prospect, along with an expiring contract, it wouldn’t be so bad. The expiring contract (Mussina? He had an option for next year…not sure if its exercised) could turn into the coveted draft pick. And they have a prospect (Jose Tabata, Austin Jackson, Phil Hughes, etc.) to boot.
Look at what Atlanta did last year…they insisted Ron Mahay be included in the Teixeira deal. He was pitching lights out at the time, and sure enough he was a Type A free agent, and the Braves got a sandwich pick out of it. So in essence they traded a slew of prospects for Teixeira and a draft pick. Not bad, if you think about it (especially when you consider that they draft quite well)