Arbitration Agitation
From Paul White at USA Today….
“About that flurry of contract signings the past couple of days -- add Padres closer Heath Bell's one-year, $7.5 million deal this morning -- is no coincidence. For the uninitiated, it's all about today's 1 p.m. ET deadline for teams and players to exchange arbitration figures. Nearly everyone tries to avoid the salary arbitration process because it usually involves a team telling a player what's bad about his game -- hardly a productive atmosphere. In fact, teams would just as soon not have to attach a public dollar figure to the players if at all possible.”
Some of the overnight signees that will avoid these problems were Kyle Davies, Chris Perez, Armando Gallaragra, Bill Bray and Doug Slaten.
White cites the five biggest arbitration cases that will be big news when decided by the panel: Jose Bautista, Prince Fielder, Josh Hamilton, Jonathan Papelbon, and Jered Weaver
The good….and the bad, which is also ugly and going to get uglier
Via Hardball Talk and Craig Calcaterra, a Washington Post article telling us that Stephen Strasberg is doing more than re-conditioning his injured shoulder.
“He's resisted video games. In an effort to work toward a degree, he took two public administration classes at San Diego State. SDSU, PA 460 and PA 497, a thesis course. He wrote his thesis on the effect new stadiums have on neighborhoods, focusing his research on Nationals Park. He poured through pored over facts and figures, including the hiring process of construction workers and the history of the Anacostia waterfront.”
And also a hat tip to Craig, as Lenny Dykstra makes the news for the wrong reasons – again!
“**** that*****! … She forged a check from a bank account that has been closed for years. This is some ******* black ***** trying to make money off of me.”
Always so Shakespearean in tone! Stay classy, Lenny, and I’m confused by your interesting way of observing Martin Luther King Day.
On this date in baseball history… news about some Hall of Fame players
1947 - The Pirates buy first baseman Hank Greenberg from the Tigers for a reported $25,000 to $35,000. Greenberg led the A.L. with 44 home runs in 1946.
Greenberg would hit 25 home runs in his last major league season.
1950- Indians pitcher Bob Feller, coming off a lackluster 15-14 season, takes a $20,000 salary cut to $45,000. The pay cut is Feller's own suggestion.
Feller posted a 22-8 record in 1951.
1973- Orlando Cepeda signs with the Boston Red Sox, making him the first player signed by a team specifically to be a designated hitter.
Cepeda would hit 20 home runs and drive in 86 runs in his one season in Boston. He played briefly in 1974 for the Kansas City Royals before retiring
Rest in peace, Roy Hartsfield
The former Brooklyn Dodger and major league manager died due to liver cancer on Saturday in Atlanta at the age of 85.
Roy was the manager of the last professional team on which I played – the 1983 Indianapolis Indians – and I send my condolences to his family and friends
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