2009 MLB Season

[gunnar hendershow]

Seeing the way the Mets are run reminds me of the Orioles in 1998 and 1999. The only thing they have going for them is a bigger market.

And Matt Holliday is a Cardinal for 7 more years, at $20 million a season.

[Ananas]

There are some people who are trying to say this is a VERY player friendly contract (7 years with vesting option for an 8th, full no trade clause), but I'm actually going to say this is about market value. You're locking up a guy for a long time and it's a gamble as to the extent to which he starts to decline, but this is a guy who hasn't put up anything remotely close to league average numbers since his rookie campaign. And even if he does end up overvalued at the end, who cares? You're looking to win now, and with the 1-2 offensive punch of Holliday-Pujols and the 1-2 pitching combo of Carpenter-Wainright, you have a chance to do just that. Just hopefully this time Matt knows to disregard swirling towels when the entire playoffs are on the line.

[Magus978]

Andre Dawson has been elected to the Hall of Fame for the class of 2010. Bert Blyleven and Roberto Alomar fall just short.

Hall of Fame Voting (Player, Votes, %)

Andre Dawson 420 77.9

Bert Blyleven 400 74.2

Roberto Alomar 397 73.7

Jack Morris 282 52.3

Barry Larkin 278 51.6

Lee Smith 255 47.3

Edgar Martinez 195 36.2

Tim Raines 164 30.4

Mark McGwire 128 23.7

Alan Trammell 121 22.4

Fred McGriff 116 21.5

Don Mattingly 87 16.1

Dave Parker 82 15.2

Dale Murphy 63 11.7

Harold Baines 33 6.1

Andres Galarraga 22 4.1

Congratulations to the Hawk, Andre Dawson on getting into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Blyleven and Alomar SHOULD get in next year.

[gunnar hendershow]

Next year is definitely Blylevyn's year. It's been long overdue for Dawson, and it's about time he got in. Not enough respect for Barry Larkin out there, guy will be in at some point though. Same better be the case for Tim Raines.

[Ananas]

Far be it from me to whore a Jays blog to talk about the Alomar snub (and the BBWAA's backwardness), but Drunk Jays Fans nails it on this particular occasion. Which, if you are a Jays fan, it warrants pointing out that it does quite frequently.

[gunnar hendershow]

Hall of Fame voting (with the exception of the super obvious, like Ripken and Gwynn a few years ago for example) is turning into a "Who has been on the ballot the longest" contest. Next year we'll likely see Blylevyn get in, and Alomar with him. Tim Raines will be waiting 5-6 more years, and Larkin the same. 5 years from now the Big Unit will get a 90% vote total, at least. That will extend some people's waits for another year. Andre Dawson wasn't the most deserving on the ballot, but virtually all ballots should have had him, Alomar, Blylevyn, Larkin, and Raines. The fact that only half had Larkin is the biggest criticism I can make of Hall of Fame voting. The guy played in the same NL as OZZIE SMITH and managed to win Gold Gloves.

[Ananas]

Chapman to the Reds. 5 years, 30 million dollars. Jays were in with a 23 million dollar offer on Friday, but obviously the Reds think more of this kid. He's raw, but you can't teach velocity. 30 million is a lot for a kid who has 1 plus pitch right now. Twice what Stephen Strasburg got from the Nat's, although that he was to get more than Strasburg was a guarantee since he was on the open market. Time will tell on this one but I have to think that for the Jays, with Drabek, Morrow, Stewart, Cecil, Romero, Marcum, Rzepczynski and Alvarez in the system, sometimes your best moves are the ones you don't make.

[Lowerdeck]

Was surprised to see the Reds make a big move like this.

Just imagine if they get all these cards working smoothly: Chapman, Volquez, Bailey, and I'm forgetting the fourth kid they got. Absolutely nuts if that comes together.

[gunnar hendershow]

If the Reds are gauging their young guys correctly as well as properly gauging how good Chapman can be, they could be a contender in the NL for the quite a few years in this decade.

[Szumi]

It should be a surprise to no one, but Mark McGwire has admitted to using steroids on and off for a decade, including the 1998 season when he broke the single season home run record.

Story

[Thomas]

It should be a surprise to no one, but Mark McGwire has admitted to using steroids on and off for a decade, including the 1998 season when he broke the single season home run record.

Story

they're all on it. lol baseball.

[Lint]

Spring training started recently. Looks like Phillies OF Jayson Werth is taking tips from Mike Knox..

Jayson Werth during 2009 playoffs..

Jayson Werth at spring training

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Hardly the most important picture of a former Jay in a Philly uniform this week.

okay well the link doesn't work but here:

http://twitpic.com/13yb18

[GhostMachine]

I'm not a Phillies fan, but I think they'd be a lock to repeat as NL champs for sure this year if they had kept Cliff Lee. Because both Halliday and Lee in the rotation would be damned scary.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Halladay in an NL rotation is scary in itself.

[Ananas]

I'm actually kind of interested to see how Halladay does playing in Philly. He posted a HR/9 of 0.8 last year in what is undoubtedly a pitchers park. In a band box like Citizen's Bank? It'll be interesting.

[Lowerdeck]

I'm not a Phillies fan, but I think they'd be a lock to repeat as NL champs for sure this year if they had kept Cliff Lee. Because both Halliday and Lee in the rotation would be damned scary.

Never would have happened though.

Phils got a great shot though, without Lee.

[gunnar hendershow]

I'm not a Phillies fan, but I think they'd be a lock to repeat as NL champs for sure this year if they had kept Cliff Lee. Because both Halliday and Lee in the rotation would be damned scary.

Never would have happened though.

Phils got a great shot though, without Lee.

Depending who you talk to, they could've swung a deal for a Halladay and kept Lee if they wanted to get rid of another prospect. The whole reasoning most people here in Philly have is that they didn't want to spend the money to keep Lee (But then they gave the money to Blanton which makes absolutely no sense) and that they feel Happ and/or Hamels will be very effective this year (Which also makes no sense since Happ's success largely came from stellar defense and after last year how can anyone have faith in Hamels?).

Phillies are still a lock I think to win the NL East, but after Halladay there's nobody in the rotation who I have total confidence in and after last year I don't see how anyone can trust the pen.

[Ananas]

They had to move Lee for financial reasons. Their payroll would have been close to $160 million if they'd kept both.

[rocksta]

As a Phillies fan I understand why they did it but it just sucks honestly. To have someone come in and do as well as Lee did was absolutely awesome. I understand that it would have been nearly impossible to keep him but man will I love him forever.

That said I full expect Holliday to fill in his role more then adequately and Hamels to bounce back.