loufla wrote:LOL UD!

And Derrick Cratchit will be on crutches to see it!

God bless us, every one!

Poor A-Rod. No chance to play in the big game vs Verlander. He'll be suffering mightly with a lot of bench time over the last 5 years of his contract.

civ ollilavad wrote:Poor A-Rod. No chance to play in the big game vs Verlander. He'll be suffering mightly with a lot of bench time over the last 5 years of his contract.

Maybe they would trade him to us for Chiz!

Hey, down three-love? No problem, Yankee fans: it IS possible to come back from such a deficit and take the series.

As you well know.

If trends continue, we are tracking towards two 88 win teams in The World Series.

That would leave eight 93+ win teams watching from home, and nine 90+ win teams.

I wonder what Bob Costas thinks of the wild card this season?

Clutch hitting earns Young ALCS MVP honors

Delivers go-ahead runs in all four games and hits two homers

DETROIT --


In the hours before this American League Championship Series began, Tigers manager Jim Leyland sat behind a microphone inside Yankee Stadium, explaining the importance of getting Delmon Young going in the batter's box.

Apparently, Young got the message.

Detroit is heading to the World Series and Young played an integral role in helping the club issue a four-game brooming of the Yankees. For his part in the Tigers' first American League pennant since 2006, Young was named the ALCS Most Valuable Player after Detroit's 8-1 romp over New York on Thursday.

"Unbelievable," Leyland said. "He got hot again this year at the right time for us. He stepped it up under the big lights. Not that they aren't bright all year, but they are a little brighter this time of year."

While his teammates partied on the field and inside the home clubhouse, Young wore a wide smile on his face with his trophy -- topped with a bronze eagle, the American League's symbol -- resting on the table in front of him. Asked about earning a spot in the World Series, Young let out a slight laugh.

He could not help but think about his boyhood daydreams.

"As a child growing up," Young said, "your dream is always winning Game 7 in the World Series -- walk-off hit. So it's fun knowing you get to go there."

Young, who was born in Alabama, always pictured himself beating New York.

"My childhood dream was playing shortstop next to Chipper Jones," he said, "trying to beat the Yankees in the World Series."

Shortstop was not in the cards for the 240-pounder, but the Cardinals could be on deck.

The Tigers will await the winner of the National League Championship Series -- St. Louis or San Francisco -- and now have five days off until the World Series begins on Wednesday. Young said it will be worth the wait, especially since Detroit lost to Texas in the ALCS a year ago.

Now, the Tigers will get a chance at redemption for that defeat, and for the club's 2006 World Series loss at the hands of the Cardinals.

"We all gained experience," Young said of Detroit's 2011 postseason. "We just knew if we had another opportunity, that we would have a better shot at it this year."

Young picked a perfect time to warm up offensively, considering Mr. Triple Crown, Miguel Cabrera, and slugger Prince Fielder were slow out of the gates this October. The designated hitter grabbed hold of the franchise's record for career home runs in the playoffs and he came up big repeatedly for a lineup that struggled to score in the days leading up to Game 4.

In each of the first three games of the ALCS, Young knocked in the run that put the Tigers ahead for good. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that made him the first player in baseball history to accomplish that feat in three consecutive postseason games.

For the series, Young hit .375 (6-for-16) with two home runs, two walks, three runs scored and six RBIs for the AL Central-champion Tigers. He became just the sixth player in ALCS history to collect at least six RBIs in four or fewer games played. Magglio Ordonez was the last player to do so -- also for Detroit during the team's 2006 run to the World Series.

Graig Nettles, who drove in nine RBIs in three games for the Yankees in the 1981 ALCS, leads that exclusive list. The other players with at least six RBIs in four or fewer games in ALCS history are Reggie Jackson (six, 1978, Yankees), Boog Powell (six, 1970, Orioles) and Paul Blair (six, 1969, Orioles).

Young chose not to focus on his achievements. Instead, he was quick to point out that Detroit's starting rotation -- Doug Fister, Anibal Sanchez, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer -- led the charge by limiting the Yankees to two runs in 27 1/3 innings.

"Our pitching carried us," Young said. "We didn't need to go out there and score five, six runs every game to win the ballgame. With the zeros they were putting up, one to two runs with them was a lot, because they were hot going into every game and pitching deep into the ballgames."

Young now boasts the most career home runs (seven) by a Tigers hitter in postseason play and ranks third on the franchise's all-time chart with 14 career RBIs in the playoffs. Hank Greenberg tops that list with 22 RBIs and Young's teammate, Cabrera, is second with 15 RBIs in his postseason career for Detroit.

Tigers catcher Alex Avila echoed Young's thoughts.

"Delmon was huge for us as far as being the MVP," Avila said. "But our staff as a whole was unbelievable."

During Thursday's finale, Young put the Tigers on the board in the first inning, when he pushed a pitch from Yankees ace CC Sabathia into right field for a run-scoring single. Young drew a walk in the third inning and added another base hit off Sabathia in the fourth. Following that single, Jhonny Peralta brought Young home with a two-run homer to left field.

In Game 1, Young finished 3-for-6 with three RBIs in Detroit's 6-4, 12-inning victory in the Bronx. He launched a solo home run off veteran sinkerballer Derek Lowe in the eighth inning of that contest. Young drove in another run in a 3-0 win in Game 2 and -- back home in Detroit -- he went 1-for-3 with a fourth-inning homer off Phil Hughes in a 2-1 win in Game 3.

Young now joins Placido Polanco (2006) and Kirk Gibson (1984) as the only ALCS Most Valuable Player winners in Tigers history.

"The MVP," Leyland said. "What a tremendous honor for him."

Tribe GM Chris Antonetti mum on Delmon Young deal: Indians Chatter

Published: Tuesday, August 16, 2011, 8:15 PM Updated: Tuesday, August 16, 2011, 8:16 PM

By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer

CHICAGO --

Clubhouse confidential:

GM Chris Antonetti wouldn't comment on whether the Indians considered putting a claim in on outfielder Delmon Young, who Monday was traded from Minnesota to the AL Central-leading Tigers.

The Indians, in second place behind the Tigers, would have had first crack at Young since waivers are done in inverse order of the standings. Waivers must be obtained any player traded after July 31.

"I'm not going to comment on individual players," said Antonetti. "We are still looking at opportunities to try and improve our team."

The Indians have until Aug. 31 to make a waiver deal for a player who would be eligible for the postseason.


...................................

D-backs acquire reliever Heath Bell


Updated: October 20, 2012, 5:29 PM ET

Associated Press

PHOENIX -- The Arizona Diamondbacks have acquired reliever Heath Bell and infielder Cliff Pennington in a pair of trades that sent center fielder Chris Young to the Oakland Athletics.

Arizona obtained Pennington and minor league infielder Yordy Cabrera from Oakland for Young and cash, and then sent Cabrera to the Miami Marlins for Bell and cash.

Earlier in the day, Arizona exercised a $6.5 million option on closer J.J. Putz.

Arizona general manager Kevin Towers says Bell provides a right-handed power arm to help set up Putz, and Pennington gives the team experience at shortstop and second base.

Young, Arizona's center fielder for six seasons, was the odd man out in a crowded outfield with the team expecting young Adam Eaton to play center and be its leadoff hitter.


Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

D'Backs Acquire Heath Bell In Three-Team Deal

By Zach Links [October 20 at 3:19pm CST]


The Diamondbacks announced that they have acquired Heath Bell, infielder Cliff Pennington, and cash considerations from the Marlins in a three-team deal with the Athletics. Miami will receive minor league infielder Yordy Cabrera from the A's and Oakland will get outfielder Chris Young and $500K from Arizona.

The Marlins will be picking up $8MM of the remaining $21MM owed to Bell over the next two years, according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel (via Twitter). The veteran was unhappy in Miami as the club was unwilling to restore him as closer and found himself clashing with manager Ozzie Guillen at points during the year.

The 35-year-old struggled in his first and only year with the Marlins, posting a 5.09 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 73 appearances. The new-look Marlins signed Bell in December of last year as a part of their spending spree, giving the reliever a three-year, $27MM deal. The contract includes a vesting option for the 2015 season which will guarantee him $9MM with 55 games finished in 2014 or 100 games finished in 2013-14.

Pennington has been a member of the A's since being tabbed with the 21st overall pick in the 2005 draft. The 28-year-old was slotted at shortstop until the acquisition of Stephen Drew bumped him over to second base. For his career, Pennington owns a .249/.313/.356 batting line across parts of five seasons in Oakland.

Young, 29, is set to make $8.5MM in 2013 with an $11MM club option for the 2014 season that comes with a modest $1.5MM buyout. The centerfielder has been unable to regain his All-Star form of 2010 and posted a .231/.311/.434 slash line with 14 homers last season. Young played in just 101 games last season, due in large part to a shoulder injury he suffered when he slammed into a wall in early April. The outfielder now reunited with skipper Bob Melvin, who he developed a bond with during his time in Arizona.

While the Marlins' main reward in the deal is being freed from the bulk of the money owed to Bell over the next two years, they also pick up a former second-round pick in Cabrera. The 22-year-old, who played high school baseball four hours north of Miami in Lakeland, Florida, made the move to Class-A Advanced in 2012. Cabrera hit .232/.293/.332 with three homers in 60 games last season.

Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic (via Twitter) first reported that Arizona would send $500K to Oakland in the deal.

Trade Reactions: Bell, D'Backs, A's, Young, Marlins


By Zach Links [October 20 at 6:49pm CST]


The Diamondbacks bolstered their bullpen today with the acquisition of Heath Bell and they may not be done, tweets Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com. General Manager Kevin Towers is still on the lookout for a shortstop, third baseman, left-handed specialist, and a starting pitcher. Arizona still has an excess outfielder to work with as well and could dangle Justin Upton, Jason Kubel, or Gerardo Parra to upgrade elsewhere. Here's more on the surprising trade..

In Chris Young, the D'Backs owed $10MM to an outfielder whom they felt was redundant, so they are instead redirecting the money to a reliever, tweets Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) is surprised at how little the Diamondbacks netted in return for Young. Meanwhile, the A's can now use their new found outfield surplus and trade one, likely Coco Crisp, elsewhere, Rosenthal tweets.
Trading Bell, who clashed with manager Ozzie Guillen this year, is one indication that the skipper may return in Miami next year, writes Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. It has been widely speculated that Guillen would be relieved after a tumultuous first year with the Marlins.
The A's came away with the best player in the deal in Young, opines Jim Bowden of ESPN (via Twitter). Bowden adds that Miami had to move Bell and was fortunate to find a taker while Arizona got a solid defensive shortstop in Cliff Pennington.
Pennington being moved out of the picture in Oakland bodes well for Stephen Drew's return, writes Jane Lee of MLB.com. The shortstop has a $10MM mutual option for 2013.

10/21/2012 2:10 PM EST

Red Sox name John Farrell Manager

Mike Aviles sent to Toronto; Red Sox receive right-hander David Carpenter

The Boston Red Sox today announced that they have acquired Manager John Farrell from the Toronto Blue Jays and agreed to a three-year contract that will run through 2015. As compensation to the Blue Jays, to whom Farrell was under contract through 2013, the Red Sox sent shortstop Mike Aviles and received in return right-handed pitcher David Carpenter. The Red Sox sought and received permission from Toronto to talk directly to Farrell and made the agreement late last night. The transaction was agreed upon by both clubs, and was contingent upon the Red Sox reaching an agreement with Farrell for their managerial position.

Farrell, 50, was the Red Sox’ pitching coach from 2007-10, a period in which the staff held opponents to an American League-low .254 batting average and led the league in strikeouts (4,771). Farrell is the seventh manager in major league history acquired by one club while under contract to another.

“I’m extremely excited to be returning to the Red Sox and to Boston,” said Farrell. “I love this organization. It’s a great franchise in a special city and region, with great fans, and we want nothing more than to reward their faith in us.”

“We are thrilled to name John Farrell as our new manager,” said Executive Vice-President/General Manager Ben Cherington, who made the announcement. “John has been a major league pitcher, front office executive, coach, and manager. His broad set of experiences, and exceptional leadership skills, make him the ideal person to lead our team. I have known him in various capacities throughout my career, and I hold him in the highest regard as a baseball man and as a person.”

Under Farrell, the Blue Jays finished 81-81 (.500) in 2011 and 73-89 (.451) in 2012. Prior to joining the Red Sox in 2007, Farrell spent five years as Director of Player Development for the Cleveland Indians (November, 2001-November, 2006). The Indians earned “Organization of the Year” honors in 2003 and 2004 from USA Today’s Sports Weekly and were named by Baseball America as the top farm system in 2003.

“We met some outstanding managerial candidates in this process,” said Red Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino. “John Farrell brings a unique blend of managerial experience, leadership and presence, pitching expertise, front office experience, and an established track record with many members of our uniformed staff and members of our front office. He will hit the ground running.”

When Farrell was Boston’s pitching coach, right-hander Clay Buchholz and southpaw Jon Lester were All-Stars. In his first year with the Red Sox, the club won the 2007 World Series. They reached the postseason each of his first three seasons in Boston.

Compensation to acquire a manager from another club has been required four times previously, and 52 years ago, two managers were traded for each other. In September, 2011, Miami acquired Ozzie Guillen and right-hander Ricardo Andres from the White Sox and sent right-hander Jhan Marinez and infielder Ozzie Martinez. In October, 2002, Tampa Bay acquired Lou Piniella and infielder Antonio Perez from Seattle and sent outfielder Randy Winn. In November, 1976, Pittsburgh acquired Chuck Tanner and cash from Oakland and sent catcher Manny Sanguillen. In November, 1967, the Mets acquired Gil Hodges from Washington and sent right-hander Bill Denehy and cash. During the 1960 season, managers Joe Gordon and Jimmy Dykes were swapped by Cleveland and Detroit, respectively.

In Farrell’s first year as the Red Sox’ pitching coach, the staff led the American League with a 3.87 ERA (618 ER/1,438.2 IP). Red Sox pitchers also led the AL in strikeouts with 1,185 in 2008 and 1,207 in 2010. From 2007-10, hurlers posted the third-best ERA in the league, 4.11 (2,637 ER/5,778.1 IP).

Aviles, 31, played 136 games for the Red Sox in 2012, primarily at shortstop (128 games). He hit .250 with 13 home runs and 60 RBI.

Carpenter, 27, has struck out 60 in 60 innings over 67 career major league games, all in relief, with the Astros (2011-12) and Blue Jays (2012). He is 1-5 with one save and a 5.70 ERA (38 ER) in his big league career.

The right-hander appeared in 33 major league games in 2012, including 30 with the Astros prior to being sent to the Blue Jays in a 10-player trade July 20. In 2012, he also pitched in 23 minor league games for Houston’s Triple-A club in Oklahoma City and Toronto’s Triple-A Las Vegas affiliate, posting a 1-1 record with four saves, a 3.08 ERA (9 ER/26.1 IP), with 25 strikeouts and only seven walks in 26.1 innings.

He made his major league debut with the Astros in 2011, and was 1-3 with a 2.93 ERA (9 ER/27.2 IP) while striking out 29 in 27.2 innings in 34 outings.

Originally a catcher, Carpenter converted to pitching mid-way through the 2008 season. Since that time, he has averaged 9.56 strikeouts per nine innings pitched (215 K/202.1 IP) while compiling a 12-9 record with 53 saves and a 3.02 ERA (68 ER) in 178 career minor league games exclusively in relief.

October 21st, 2012
Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos: ‘Gamesmanship” plagued Farrell talks
Posted by Scott Lauber at 5:05 pm
In the previous post, Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos and other major league sources reached today by the Herald helped paint a picture of how the deal with the Red Sox over John Farrell transpired. More on that in tomorrow’s paper.

And while we await the Red Sox’ re-introduction of Farrell, likely Monday or Tuesday at Fenway Park, here are a few other highlights from Anthopoulos’ 40-minute conference call today in Toronto:

–Anthopoulos never discussed a contract extension with Farrell, even though at season’s end he believed there was a “100 percent” chance Farrell would manage the Jays next year. Farrell would’ve been entering the final season of a three-year deal and had led Toronto to only a 154-170 record and back-to-back fourth-place finishes.

–Although Anthopoulos insisted he wasn’t disappointed by Farrell’s request to leave for his “dream job” with the Red Sox, he clearly is upset with the way the situation unfolded, particularly with informational leaks that he suggested originated in Boston. “I thought there was, to be completely candid, gamesmanship and a lot of things that went on from a negotiating standpoint, not on our end,” Anthopoulos said. “But I thought there were a lot of things that were coming out that were completely false. We’re pretty good at not putting things out there in the media, or leaking things, or saying things. There was just a lot. There were some things, we don’t know where it came from or how it started, but probably (the negotiations) didn’t go as smoothly as we think it could have. That’s just reality. This was not a done deal last night. In the sense that John was finalizing his deal, I think he finalized that last night. But we had not finalized the medical examinations on the players, which got done today, and we did not get approval from the commissioner until today to even go forward with this. We weren’t even pleased with the way it came out last night. Who knows? When more than one person knows what’s going on, you don’t know where these things are coming from.”

–Here’s an example of a leak that was, according to Anthopoulos, “completely false”: First baseman/DH Adam Lind was never going to be included in the deal for Farrell.

–One thing Anthopoulos insists he isn’t concerned about: any possibility that the Red Sox tampered with Farrell by contacting him before the Blue Jays gave permission Friday night. “I don’t know Ben Cherington very well, but I’ve gotten to know him a little bit more, obviously, through this process. My quick take-away is he’s first-class, he’s honest, he’s straightforward,” Anthopoulos said. “The little exposure I’ve gotten to Larry (Lucchino) and to John Henry and Tom (Werner), there’s a very strong relationship there and a very strong respect there. Beyond that, there’s so many other people involved with ties. I wish I could tell you where a lot of this stuff came from. I just thought it was unfortunate overall. It would be one thing if there were factual things put out there, and then ultimately, you could just say, ‘Well, they’re leaks.’ What was upsetting to me was the false information that was being put out there. I don’t know by who. If I did know by who, obviously I would be on the phone and wanting to find out why false information was being put out there. But I don’t have any issues with Ben. I know (Jays president) Paul (Beeston) certainly doesn’t have any issues with the ownership group. We have strong relationship with them. That hasn’t changed.”

–The Jays have granted each of their coaches permission to seek employment with other teams, including the Red Sox. It’s possible Farrell could bring with him several members of his staff, including first base coach Torey Lovullo, who interviewed for both the Red Sox’ managerial and bench coach jobs last year and managed at Triple-A Pawtucket in 2010. Thus far, though, a team source said the Red Sox haven’t contacted anyone about a coaching job.

–Anthopoulos downplayed reports that Farrell had issues with certain players in the Jays’ clubhouse, namely veteran infielder Omar Vizquel. “A lot was made about a lot of things,” Anthopoulos said. “I think I said this at my end-of-the-year press conference, winning cures a lot of problems, a lot of issues. When you’re not winning, that’s when a lot of complaining comes up, negative stories, things like that. It happens in all sports, not just ours. You don’t want to be involved in it because you don’t want to lose those games, but I don’t think it’s fair to try to pin that on anybody. It’s collectively. It’s from the front office to the staff to the players, we’re all involved in this. We win together, we lose together. I know it’s a cliche, but I don’t think it’s ever fair to try to pin one thing on any one person either way. I know it’s part of the game we’re in. People dissect that and analyze it, and I’ll let everyone else end up doing that. I just think overall, anything that happens, collectively as a group we just didn’t win enough games and I think that’s what started it.”

–If the Jays hadn’t traded right-hander David Carpenter as part of the deal, he almost certainly would’ve been removed from their 40-man roster, even though they acquired him in July in a 10-player trade with the Houston Astros. “At the time, we thought he had a good arm. Obviously he wasn’t the centerpiece of the deal,” Anthopoulos said. “He was someone that we added late at the end. … But ultimately, in looking at our 40-man roster, David was going to have to come off the 40-man just with the spot because even now, we’re pretty full. With getting Mike Aviles back, we’re adding a 40-man roster player. So, David was going to come off the roster. It made sense to put him in the deal.”

(Twitter: @ScottLauber)

–Anthopoulos downplayed reports that Farrell had issues with certain players in the Jays’ clubhouse, namely veteran infielder Omar Vizquel. “A lot was made about a lot of things,” Anthopoulos said. “I think I said this at my end-of-the-year press conference, winning cures a lot of problems, a lot of issues. When you’re not winning, that’s when a lot of complaining comes up, negative stories, things like that. It happens in all sports, not just ours.

Vizquel-gate: Omar Vizquel Criticizes Toronto Blue Jays Over Lack Of “Communication”

22 days ago by Thom Tsang



Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE
Ah, this was just exactly what the Toronto Blue Jays needed, with the 2012 season just a week away from being finally, mercifully over. Isn’t it, Omar Vizquel?
No, it really wasn’t.
The veteran shortstop made some head-turning news on Thursday, with comments made to Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun suggesting that there is not only a veteran leadership void in the Blue Jays clubhouse, but that the team’s coaching staff was not doing enough in terms of providing enough communication with the players.
“If you make mistakes and nobody says anything about it — they just let it go — we’re going to keep making the same mistakes over and over again,” said Vizquel, who suggested that the coaching staff was being too lenient with a young Blue Jays club this season. Not that Vizquel is without a point here. The 2012 Blue Jays were an inexperienced ball club with pointed issues at the heart of its clubhouse culture – Yunel Escobar‘s brush with controversy being the latest example; still, the retiring veteran and aspiring manager deftly dodges the most obvious irony of his comments – which was that he was brought in by the club to provide some of that veteran leadership, more specifically to work with latino players like…Escobar. “I tried to do my best, a little helping here and there. But I think the coaching staff have a big responsibility to kind of get in there and tie things up a little, have a bit more communication with their players and try to make this thing happen the right way.”
To push the point about leniency home, Vizquel also says “I think a lot of mistakes were let go because its young guys. You expect mistakes from young guys. It needs to be talked about.” Which, again, is a point with good merit, but the timing of it – and with Vizquel having openly discussed his aspirations to manage a ball club in his post-playing career, makes this particular bout of advice-giving /clubhouse revelation reek of oh, I don’t know, self-serving purposes? He’s painted himself as a veteran guy who “expecting much more from [himself],” and who tried his best to help out in a clubhouse he was new to, despite of mistakes from players being overlooked by manager John Farrell and the coaching staff. After all, it’s not Vizquel’s job to coach – the Blue Jays signed a .548 OPS retiring player solely to compete, right?
Whatever the reasons are, there doesn’t seem to be any purpose served to Vizquel disclosing his criticism of the team’s coaching staff to the media now, when there are still games to be played. Why not do it earlier in the season? Or why not wait until the season is over, when Vizquel is retired and the Blue Jays management have at least had a chance to address the season themselves? It’s not secret that this season has been a disappointment for a number of reasons, and that players have under-performed, but having one of its veteran players come out and say that’s a lack of veteran leadership strikes me as the last thing the Blue Jays clubhouse needs at this point of the season.
Nevertheless, that it happened now forced Farrell to deal with the issue swiftly – and the Blue Jays manager did so by holding a half-hour players meeting before last night’s game against the New York Yankees. Farrell suggested that ”the comments [from Vizquel] were a little bit of a tipping point” to some of the things that needed to be discussed “internally”, but that “having not been there” for early game work and individual meetings, Vizquel “might of not been aware of all the messages and the examples [the Blue Jays coaching staff] continue to address,” and that “he’s not privy to those” meetings set up to address the types of mistakes that he thought were being let go.” Farrell also suggested that while the team obvious has needs and things to work on, veteran presence was not a particularly pressing thing, saying that “leadership has no age,” and that it’s not simply about the number of veterans that are on the club.
For his part, Vizquel apologized to Farrell and the rest of the clubhouse for what could have been misconstrued as a guy on his way out putting the blame on others. Vizquel stuck to his guns, though, saying that it was a “constructive comment” to help improve the Blue Jays.
The team then responded on the field by being at the wrong end of an 11-4 rout at the hands of the Yankees, in a game that featured a number of mental mistakes. Go figure.

Read more at http://www.rantsports.com/mlb/2012/09/2 ... Pz2vZBg.99

Thom Tsang--another idiot who thinks he is a sportswriter.