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Re: The MLB Thread
Did they ever announce Theo compensation for the Red Sox? I think I've read somewhere where Bud finally announces what the Cubs owe the Red Sox.
Not yet.
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46375101/
NEW YORK (AP) - Boston and the Cubs have submitted written arguments to baseball Commissioner Bud Selig on what compensation the Red Sox should receive for allowing Theo Epstein to leave for Chicago.
Epstein quit as Boston's general manager in October to become the Cubs' president of baseball operations, and the teams were unable to reach an agreement by themselves on compensation.
Selig has not given any timetable for a decision.
The submission of arguments was first reported Monday by CBS. Cubs spokesman Peter Chase and Red Sox spokeswoman Pam Ganley said their teams had no comment.
Re: The MLB Thread
Hall of Fame Expos/Mets catcher Gary Carter dies at 57
by Anthony DiComo / MLB.com
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NEW YORK -- Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter died Thursday following a lengthy battle with brain cancer. He was 57.
Best known for his role on the 1986 World Series champion Mets and for his 10-year run with the Expos that preceded it, Carter had been battling cancer since doctors discovered inoperable tumors on his brain in May 2011, diagnosing him with grade 4 glioblastoma. His condition took a turn for the worse when an MRI exam revealed new tumors in January.
Carter passed at 4:10 p.m. ET, according to an entry on his family's online journal.
"He is in heaven and has reunited with his mom and dad," Carter's daughter, Kimmy Bloemers, wrote on the journal. "I believe with all my heart that Dad had a STANDING OVATION as he walked through the gates of heaven to be with Jesus."
Carter hit 324 home runs over a 19-year run with the Expos, Mets, Giants and Dodgers, finishing his career back where he started, in Montreal in 1992. He entered the Hall of Fame in 2003 with an Expos cap, on a plaque referring to his "signature smile" and clutch hitting.
"Driven by a remarkable enthusiasm for the game, Gary Carter became one of the elite catchers of all-time," said Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "'The Kid' was an 11-time All-Star and a durable, consistent slugger for the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets, and he ranks among the most beloved players in the history of both of those franchises. Like all baseball fans, I will always remember his leadership for the '86 Mets and his pivotal role in one of the greatest World Series ever played.
"On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Gary's wife, Sandy; their daughters, Christy and Kimmie; their son, D.J.; their grandchildren; his friends and his many fans."
Carter hit 24 homers and knocked in 105 runs for the 1986 Mets, earning one of his 11 career All-Star selections and finishing third in National League Most Valuable Player Award voting. Carter's leap into the arms of reliever Jesse Orosco after the final out of Game 7 of the World Series remains one of the most indelible images in Mets history.
A three-time Gold Glove winner and two-time All-Star Game MVP, Carter was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001. His uniform No. 8 was retired by the Expos in '03. He caught the fourth-most games (2,056) in Major League history and, when not catching, played as an outfielder and first baseman.
Mets chairman and CEO Fred Wilpon, president Saul Katz and COO Jeff Wilpon released the following statement upon Carter's passing:
"On behalf of everyone at the Mets, we extend our deepest and heartfelt condolences to Gary's family. ... His nickname, 'The Kid,' captured how Gary approached life. He did everything with enthusiasm and with gusto, on and off the field. His smile was infectious. He guided our young pitching staff to the World Series title in 1986 and he devoted an equal amount of time and energy raising awareness for a multitude of charities and community causes. He was a Hall of Famer in everything he did."
Carter's manager in New York, Davey Johnson, recalled the written reports his catcher kept on all National League hitters, dubbing him "a one-man scouting system." The general manager who acquired him, Frank Cashen, called Carter "the perfect guy for so many reasons."
"He was the ideal catcher for our young pitching staff," Johnson said.
Carter, who spent time managing two of New York's Class A Minor League affiliates last decade and was named Gulf Coast League Manger of the Year in 2005, most recently served as the head baseball coach at Palm Beach Atlantic University in Florida. Prior to his illness, Carter had been outspoken in his desire to one day manage the Mets.
"The baseball community has lost a Hall of Fame player and a Hall of Fame person," former teammate and current Mets third-base coach Tim Teufel said in a statement. "He was a good man and will be missed terribly."
"What he added to the team was character," another teammate, Darryl Strawberry, said. "His approach to the game was contagious. It spread to the rest of us. He helped each of us understand what it took to win."
Carter made his last public appearance at Palm Beach Atlantic's home opener on Feb. 2, 18 days after making a brief speech at his own charity golf tournament dinner on Jan. 15.
"My prayers go out to his family," former teammate Mookie Wilson said in a telephone interview Thursday evening. "Even though we knew he was dealing with the cancer ... it's a little shock to me right now."
The New York chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America honored Carter in January with its Milton Richman/Dan Castellano "You Gotta Have Heart" award.
"When you think of the great baseball field generals, you think Gary Carter," National Baseball Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson said in a statement. "He ran the game from behind the plate with strong leadership and passion. The Kid's contribution to our National Pastime is big, but his heart was even bigger. We'll always remember his caring way, ever-present smile and strong devotion to family, community and the Baseball Hall of Fame."
The Hall of Fame plans to announce funeral arrangements when they become available.
Re: The MLB Thread
Colt .45s throwback jersey won't have pistol
by 'Duk / Big League Stew-Yahoo! Sports
Holster those pistols, Houston.
That's the message that Major League Baseball has for the Houston Astros as they plan to celebrate their franchise's 50th anniversary in 2012.
As part of the party, the team is planning to wearing throwback jerseys from different eras, including from when the team was known as the Colt .45s for the first three years of its existence.
But while the team is free to acknowledge their first years in Houston, the Uni Watch blog notes that the league has decided the jerseys cannot include the pistol that was part of the Colt .45s logo.
The Astros plan to wear the Colt .45s jerseys on April 10 and 20 and tells Astros Daily that the team's original intention had been to feature the jersey in its "complete" form. A version of the jersey featuring the pistol was even unveiled at an event last September.
The league office, however, raised an objection to that plan:
"It was expressed to us that we could wear the uniform as long as the pistol was removed," Astros rep Mike Acosta wrote to Astros Daily. "We realize this changes the original design, but we still want to honor the Colt .45s. We are also under an obligation to follow Major League Baseball's requests.
Personally I can see how in this time period any sports league ... would not want a team logo associated with a weapon on their uniform that is broadcast to many people. In recent years the Washington Bullets were renamed the Wizards because of this very subject. The symbol of a warm gun with the "C" coming out as smoke is an image many of us have for the Colt .45s. The Wild West theme this franchise had in the early 1960s is symbolic of how times have changed in our society.
Yep, I would say that is indeed symbolic how times have changed in our society. In fact, there's nothing at all hypocritical about it all. It's not like we're subjected to 1,437 images of guns each day — from No. 1 selling video games to primetime television.
Nope, it's the pistol on the chests of what will likely be a 100-loss team — for all of two early season games! — that will send the wrong message to children. In a state where it's legal to carry a concealed firearm, no less. Yup, got it. Makes sense.
(If the kids ask what the team's name used to mean, there's always malt liquor.)
Look, I understand where Major League Baseball is coming from. Just because everyone else in today's society is going violent doesn't mean the league should, too.
I also shoot the above sarcasm as a pretty staunch supporter of strict gun control laws.
But after seeing a similar decision made with the Tampa Bay Rays "cigar" jerseys in 2011, the side of my self that strives for accuracy thinks baseball is using just a little too much bleach with these neutered unis. (Uni Watch imagined the lame censored version here.)
It's two games. It's one gun.
Baseball should either remember history right or it shouldn't remember it at all.
Re: The MLB Thread
What a fuckin' joke. What an epic joke.
So we have kids who still play with water pistols, a sport that CONSTANTLY advertises beer/drinking, and an entire generation of kids who see constantly gun-related violence on TV and video games like "Grand Theft Auto", but a smoking gun on an old uniform is 'offensive and distasteful'.
IN TEXAS! A state that prides itself on supporting the 2nd Amendment.
Unfreakingbelievable. 
If you're not gonna bring back THE ACTUAL compete uniforms, just leaves them in the dusty cardboard box.
Re: The MLB Thread
Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield retires; two-time World Champ with Red Sox
by Ian Browne / MLB.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Tim Wakefield came to the Red Sox as a reclamation project. Nearly two decades later, he departs as one of the most successful pitchers and respected individuals in team history.
The venerable knuckleballer formally announced his retirement during a 5 p.m. ET news conference Friday at JetBlue Park, Boston's new Spring Training facility.
Wakefield's voice cracked at times while he spoke, and his young son Trevor fought back tears.
"This has been the hardest thing I've ever had to do," said Wakefield. "So it's with a heavy heart that I stand here today, and I'm saddened to say that I've decided to retire from this wonderful game of baseball."
Wakefield had hoped to extend his career for another season, and said that he badly wanted it to be with the Red Sox.
However, the team didn't have a defined role for Wakefield, and the club wasn't comfortable with a player of Wakefield's stature coming to camp and competing for a job.
A few weeks back, Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington told Wakefield the club could not offer him a guaranteed contract. At that point, Wakefield's options narrowed: He could try to latch on with another team, come to Boston's camp as a non-roster invitee or retire.
"I've been wrestling with this decision for a long time this whole offseason," Wakefield said. "I think the final deciding point was when [wife] Stacy and I sat our two kids down and asked them what they wanted me to do. I never wanted to regret missing any part of their lives. I just think the time is now. I never wanted to pitch for another team. I always said that I wanted to retire a Red Sox, and today I'm able to do that."
A large contingent of teammates attended his press conference, including Josh Beckett, Kevin Youkilis, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Daniel Bard and Clay Buchholz. Indians right-hander Derek Lowe, who won a World Series with Wakefield in 2004 and lives in Fort Myers, was also on hand.
Red Sox chairman Tom Werner began the press conference with an eloquent recap of Wakefield's career, and called the pitcher one of his closest friends.
"Tim Wakefield has been the epitome of class and determination in his remarkable career," said principal owner John Henry. "He will be known as much for his character, dedication and perseverance as he will be for his knuckleball, his victories, and his key contributions to two World Series championship seasons."
It turns out that Wakefield's 200th career victory, accomplished Sept. 13 at Fenway Park, was the last of his career.
"His career here has been pretty legendary," said Bard. "I think you look at the career records, he's up there in everything. I won't remember him for that so much as for the teammate and friend he became after playing three years with him."
Over 19 seasons in the Majors, the 45-year-old Wakefield went 200-180 with a 4.41 ERA. Wakefield pitched all but two of those seasons for the Red Sox, the team that signed him in 1995 after his release from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Wakefield made the low-risk signing look like a smart one right from the outset, winning 14 of his first 15 decisions during that 1995 season and playing a leading role as the Red Sox won the American League East.
"Tim Wakefield has an exceptional place in Red Sox history and lore," said Werner. "He has made more starts and pitched more innings than any other pitcher in our history. What's more, his sense of sacrifice and his team-first attitude were pivotal in our stunning comeback to win the 2004 pennant, and the historic World Series championships that followed.
"Yet, when it comes to Tim Wakefield, we will remember with equal regard his extraordinary devotion to the Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston, the Space Coast Early Intervention Center in his hometown of Melbourne, Fla., and his tireless fundraising for Pitching In For Kids, the Jimmy Fund, and the Red Sox Foundation. Those contributions, which earned him Major League Baseball's Roberto Clemente Award in 2010, mean as much to us as his many memorable moments in our joyous championship seasons."
Wakefield said that the Red Sox Foundation and the cancer-fighting Jimmy Fund have already contacted him about doing work with them now that he's done playing.
With 186 wins in a Boston uniform, Wakefield retires trailing only two pitchers in team history, Cy Young and Roger Clemens, who both recorded 192 victories for the Sox.
Surpassing Young and Clemens is about the only goal Wakefield didn't reach during his time in Boston.
"Ultimately, I think this is what's best for the Red Sox," Wakefield said. "Honestly, seven wins aren't going to make me a different person or a better man. My family really needs me at home. This is a very special time in my kids' life, and I never wanted to regret missing it."
To a man, Wakefield's teammates appreciated the way he called it a career.
"I think looking 10 years down the road, he's going to look back and realize he walked away the right way," said Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia. "He didn't have to go back to win 193 to realize who he is. He knows who he is. He doesn't have to accomplish anything else to be happy with himself."
While Wakefield's situation is now resolved, his long-time teammate Jason Varitek is still trying to decide if he will retire. The catcher weighed in on Wakefield's retirement by issuing a statement through the Red Sox.
"There is so much to say about Wake," said Varitek. "He's been a part of so many things, and he's meant so much to the game, the organization, the community, and personally as a friend and teammate for 14 years. He is a consummate professional with a one-of-a-kind talent that allowed this team flexibility, dependability and endurance for 17 years. His competitiveness will be missed, but his legacy and friendship will last a lifetime. It's sad to see it end, but this will be an exciting new chapter for him in his life."
Aside from becoming a dependable and durable pitcher for the Red Sox under five managers, Wakefield also became one of the team leaders in the community. In 2010, Wakefield won baseball's Roberto Clemente Award, given to the player who best exemplifies a combination of on- and off-field excellence.
"Good guy -- unbelievable in the community," said Bard. "He cares about other people and never forgets to give back, and I'm sure he'll keep up with that stuff."
Wakefield was drafted by the Pirates as a first baseman in 1988, but struggled at the plate in his early days as a pro. He used to throw a knuckleball on the side just for fun. His manager at the time, Woody Huyke, suggested Wakefield convert to a knuckleballer.
By 1992, Wakefield got a chance to display just how well that switch in roles went, as he went 8-1 with a 2.15 ERA for the Pirates, and went 2-0 against the Braves in that year's National League Championship Series.
"Tim had a long and tremendous career," said Jim Leyland, Wakefield's manager in Pittsburgh. "I'm proud to have been his first manager, and I've enjoyed watching his success over the years. I wish him nothing but success in retirement."
For a while, it all fell apart. But everything changed when Dan Duquette, then the general manager of the Red Sox, called Wakefield in the spring of 1995 and told him to get to Fort Myers and he had the Niekro brothers -- Phil and Joe -- ready to tutor him.
"We have been friends from the first day we met," said Phil Niekro, a Hall of Famer. "I don't know where the Red Sox would have been without him."
It was in Boston where Wakefield was able to have sustained success.
"For 17 years, Tim Wakefield has been the Red Sox rock of consistency," said president/CEO Larry Lucchino. "Reliable, available, and versatile, his contributions to this franchise are innumerable. Each of us can name a 'Wakefield Moment' that touches our heart. He is as much a part of our storied history as any player who has worn the Red Sox uniform. We thank him and salute him."
The low point of Wakefield's career occurred in Game 7 of the 2003 AL Championship Series, when he gave up a walk-off homer to Aaron Boone in the 11th inning that sent the Yankees to the World Series.
Wakefield feared at the time that he was going to be looked at as a goat in Red Sox lore, along the lines of Bill Buckner. However, it became clear that wouldn't be the case when, three months later, he received a rousing standing ovation at the Boston Baseball Writers' Dinner.
In 2004, Wakefield helped the Red Sox win their first World Series in 86 years. During the epic Game 5 of the ALCS against the Yankees, Wakefield fired three shutout innings in relief to get the win in a 14-inning game that helped Boston become the first team in history to overcome a 3-0 series deficit.
Of course, one of Wakefield's most selfless acts came in Game 3 of that ALCS, when the Red Sox were getting blown out and he offered his services in relief to save the rest of the bullpen. By doing so, Wakefield gave up his start for Game 4. Without that gesture, the Red Sox might not have been able to come back against the Yankees.
"I think Wake's career can be embodied by Game 3 against the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS," said his former manager Terry Francona. "With the team down, he came to me in the fourth inning and asked what he could do. He pitched more than three innings that game, sacrificing his start the next day for the good fo the team. A lot of what he did went under the radar. I wish him congratulations on a wonderful career and hope his second career is as good as his first."
Three years later, when the Red Sox won another World Series, Wakefield was a 17-game winner.
"Congrats to Tim Wakefield on a great career!" tweeted Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury. "It was a privilege being your teammate."
Wakefield became an All-Star for the first time in 2009.
The past two seasons, Wakefield bounced between the bullpen and the rotation.
"I was just glad and fortunate that I was able to play with a professional like him. It kind of feels right," said Saltalamacchia. "He had plenty left in him. I think he definitely could've played a couple more years, but he's at the time of his life, I think, where family's important, [his] kids are getting older, and he's accomplished everything anyone could want to accomplish in this game. It seems right after 200 wins, getting that, to kind of be with the family right now."
It's hard to imagine another pitcher will ever quite duplicate the path Wakefield took over his 19-year career.
"You look at his career and sit back and say, 'this guy got released.' To play 19 years and be third in wins in Red Sox history. That's something to be proud of," said Lowe.
As for his legacy with the Red Sox, Wakefield is still a little awed by it.
"It's a little surreal for me still," Wakefield said. "Once I get home and start to digest everything, it's pretty cool to have your name up there, but it doesn't change who I am as a person, or a man. I'm grateful I've had the opportunity to achieve a lot of those goals and be high on the list of a lot of those records. Hopefully one day they can be broken, because that's what records are for."
Re: The MLB Thread
A's still pursuing slugger Manny Ramirez despite Cespedes signing
by Janie McCauley / AP Sports
PHOENIX (AP)—The Oakland Athletics still have strong interest in signing slugger Manny Ramirez, who presents a low-risk investment for the rebuilding franchise.
If things come together, the 39-year-old would sign a deal for slightly more than the league minimum of $480,000.
He first must serve a 50-game suspension without pay for violating baseball’s drug policy for the second time. With no rainouts, the first game Ramirez would be eligible to play is June 2 at Kansas City.
The sides could reach agreement as soon as the next few days or sometime next week, and Ramirez then likely would travel from Florida to Arizona to undergo a physical before joining Oakland’s spring training camp for full-squad workouts starting Feb. 25. Pitchers and catchers report to camp Saturday.
Oakland recently sent representatives to Florida to observe workouts by Ramirez, who retired from the Tampa Bay Rays last season rather than serve a 100-game suspension. For Ramirez, this could become a chance to help repair his reputation and serve as a positive clubhouse influence on a young team—that’s sure what the Oakland brass hope, anyway.
The A’s last week agreed to terms on a $36 million, four-year contract with highly sought after outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, a Cuban defector who has expressed interest in playing with Ramirez.
At baseball’s winter meetings in December, it was announced that Ramirez had applied for reinstatement. He had his suspension for a second failed drug test cut to 50 because he sat out nearly all of last season. MLB had announced his retirement on April 8, saying he was notified “of an issue” under the drug program.
Ramirez, who will be 40 on May 30, ranks 14th on the career list with 555 home runs. He went 1 for 17 (.059) in five games last season for Tampa Bay, which had signed him to a one-year deal worth $2.02 million.
This would be the 20th major league season for Ramirez, a career .312 hitter with 1,831 RBIs. Oakland, which traded away its top three pitchers this offseason including two starters, sure could use a power bat in the middle of the order in a tough AL West that already has seen the key additions of Albert Pujols on the Los Angeles Angels and star Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish for the two-time reigning AL champion Texas Rangers.
The A’s haven’t reached the playoffs or had a winning season since being swept by the Tigers in the 2006 AL championship series.
Re: The MLB Thread
In Memory of Gary Carter: Empire State Building goes Met blue & orange
by Mark Townsend / Big League Stew-Yahoo! Sports
The state of New York paid tribute to the late Gary Carter on Friday evening with a special blue and orange lighting display at the very top of the Empire State Building,
The tribute was announced on the Empire State Building Observatory's twitter page late this afternoon, and when darkness fell over Manhattan, the Mets' blue and orange lit up the sky as a symbol of recognition not only for the Hall of Fame catcher's contributions to the New York Mets organization over his five year stint — which included a World Series Championship in 1986 — but his even bigger and more meaningful contributions to the surrounding area off the field.
Indeed a very special and fitting tribute to a very special and inspirational human being.
Well done, New York.
