Spring training cliches

Here's a good post from the folks at rotoauthority.com. Every sport has their cliches and baseball is not immune, especially with spring training beginning today.

Enjoy the post and watch for these cliches over the coming weeks.

http://www.rotoauthority.com/2009/02/spring-training.html

No settlement in sight in McLouth case

It appears as if the Pirates and All-Star, Gold Glove outfielder Nate McLouth are headed for an arbitration case.

The hearing is set for Tuesday, Feb. 17, the same day the first full-squad workout is scheduled in Bradenton, Fla. for spring training.

The gap between the two camps is quite large. McLouth asked for $3.8 million while the Pirates offered $2.75 million.

The names don't need to come out

It's been yet another bad week for baseball. First, Alex Rodriguez tells the world he used a "banned substance," and today Miguel Tejada will plead guilty to lying to Congress about his knowledge of steroid use.

The next step in this saga is the list of 104 anonymous names on the list with Rodriguez when they took anonymous tests earlier in the decade.

Yes, not only as a journalist but for my own curiosity, I would like to know the rest of the names on that list. A number of those players are probably retired by now, and the ones that aren't are getting close to retirement, but that doesn't make their names any less relevant in today's baseball. For they likely influenced a great number of today's players, be it directly or indirectly, with their actions.

But just because I, along with a lot of you I'm sure, would like to know the names, doesn't mean they need to be released nor should they be.

These tests were taken so that the results, and the players who took them, would remain "anonymous." That is probably the only reason so many players, including Rodriguez, agreed to take the test.

It was one thing for the Mitchell Report to be released, and the government has some right to question this matter, especially because steroids are still illegal. But leaking the names and creating more of an uproar isn't just unethical it's morally wrong.

These tests were taken under the agreed umbrella of anonymity and the results should remain that way. If the government continues to pursue this matter and leak more names, than it, not some baseball players, should be the ones investigated.

T.J. beam gone, is Steely McBeam next?

The Toronto Blue Jays claimed pitcher T.J. Beam off waivers from the Pirates Thursday.

Beam was designated for assignment and placed on waivers when the Pirates signed outfielder Eric Hinske late last week.

Beam, 28, was 2-2 with a 4.14 ERA in 32 games with the Pirates last season. In 45 2/3 innings he struck out 24 and walked 20. He was signed as a free agent in January of last year.

Coonelly chats with fans

Pirates president Frank Coonelly chatted with fans online earlier today and had a few interesting things to say.

On trading shortstop Jack Wilson: "I do not see a scenario at this time in which we will trade him. I expect Jack to be our opening day shortstop this year."

On 2009 expectations: "I am confident that we will play better than we did in 2008 and surprise a lot of people with our performance."

On a long-term contract for outfielder Nate McLouth: "We have not had any discussions on a long-term contract with Nate's representative since we exchanged arbitration numbers. It looks like those discussions have ended for this year and we will likely have a one-year deal with Nate."

On Andrew McCutchen's chances of playing: "We will not rush Andrew to the majors before he is ready simply to 'gain experience.'

For a full transcript of the chat go to the link below.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090204&content_id=3799490&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb&partnerId=rss_mlb

Do Pirates have options with options?

There are six Pirates on the 40-man roster who are out of options and have less than five years experience.

They are pitchers Phil Dumatrait, Sean Burnett, Craig Hansen and Tyler Yates; infielder Andy LaRoche and outfielder Brandon Moss.

Being out of options means that if any of these players do not make the 25-man roster out of spring training, the Pirates must risk losing the player on waivers before sending them to the minors.

As the Pirates stand now heading into spring training in less than two weeks, Burnett, Hansen and Tyler Yates should be locks for the bullpen, LaRoche is a lock at third base and Moss (if healthy) is a lock to earn an outfield spot.

Dumatrait is an interesting case. He is in a group of at least four pitchers battling for the last two rotation spots, assuming that Paul Maholm, Ian Snell and Zach Duke are locks for spots. If Tom Gorzelanny returns to 2007 form, and he appears in great shape, then he will also likely have one of the five spots.

That leaves Dumatrait, Ross Ohlendorf and Jeff Karstens fighting for the fifth spot with perhaps another name or two thrown into the mix. Add to that Dumatrait's health problems and he already appears to be an underdog for the last spot.

I know the organization was very happy with what Dumatrait gave them last season before he got hurt. For a time he and Maholm were the Pirates most consistent starters. If his injury persists, that would scare off any other team willing to take a chance and would likely keep Dumatrait in the system.

He could go for a spot in the bullpen as a long reliever, but he would have to be fully healthy to to accomplish that. His case will be one to watch as the spring wears on. He better be perfectly healthy if the Pirates are to give him a roster spot. If not, they would be better to take their chances putting him on waivers for the likelihood that he clears and he can build himself back up in Class AAA.

Pirates sign Maholm, Hinske

The Pirates officially signed pitcher Paul Maholm and outfielder Eric Hinske on Friday.

Maholm got a three-year deal with a club option for the 2012 season while Hinske singled a one-year deal.

Maholm reportedly will get $3.5 million in 2009, $4.5 million in 2010, $5.75 million in 2011 and a $9.75 million club option in 2012 with a $750,000 buyout. The option could be as much as $11.05 million based on performance.

Hinske's deal is for $1.5 million though he can earn another $1 million in performance bonuses.

Though the Pirates are behind the times in terms of signing young players to long-term deals, the fact that this administration is doing so is a good sign. The club has been very careful in picking and choosing who gets the long-term deals but so far, it seems like the money is going to the proper places.

When your top two starters (Maholm and Ian Snell), closer (Matt Capps), All-Star second baseman (Freddy Sanchez) and catcher (Ryan Doumit) have all received deals buying out most, if not all of their arbitration and some of their free-agent years, it is a step in the right direction.

The Hinske signing puzzles me a little bit because Huntington had said he was looking for a right-handed bat in the outfield but Hinske is left-handed. Still, a 31-year-old who hit 20 home runs last season and who could use the short porch in right field at PNC Park could spark the Pirates' offense.

Maholm agrees to long-term deal

The Pirates and pitcher Paul Maholm have reportedly agreed to a three-year contract with a club option for a fourth year.

The deal would buy out Maholm's three arbitration years and the club option would allow the Pirates to control his first year going into free agency.

Maholm, 26, was 9-9 with a 3.71 ERA last season. He struck out 139 batters and walked 63 in a team-high 206 1/3 innings.

Vasquez claimed off waivers

The Pirates claimed right-handed pitcher Virgil Vasquez off waivers from the San Diego Padres and added him to the 40-man roster.

Vasquez, 26, spent all of last season with Toledo, Detroit's Class AAA affiliate. He went 12-12 with a 4.81 ERA and 115 strikeouts and 37 walks in 159 innings. He has a 54-48 career minor-league record with 610 strikeouts and 185 walks in 840 innings.

Vasquez's only major-league work came with the Tigers in 2007. He went 0-1 with an 8.64 ERA in five games, three of those starts.

Since the end of last season, Vasquez has been claimed off waivers by Boston (Oct. 28) and San Diego (Jan. 9) before being claimed by the Pirates.

"The Mayor" hangs it up

Sean Casey, an Upper St. Clair graduate who spent 12 seasons in the major leagues, is retiring.

WEEI.com in Boston reported that Casey, 34, has signed on with the MLB Network, thereby making his retirement official.

Known as "The Mayor" for his outgoing personality and for being one of, if not the, nicest players ever to put on a uniform, he always seemed to have a smile on his face.

He was drafted by Cleveland in the second round of the 1994 draft and made his debut at the end of the 1997 season. he was traded that offseason to Cincinnati for pitcher Dave Burba and spent the next eight seasons as the starting first baseman for the Reds. His best season was 1999 when he batted .332 with 25 home runs and 99 RBI and made the first of his three All-Star games.

In 2001, he hit the first home run during the first game at PNC Park. Ironically, a collision at first base Sept. 16, 2005 at PNC Park ended that season as Casey had to be taken off the field on a stretcher.

Casey was traded to the Pirates during the winter meetings on Dec. 8, 2005 and was looked upon to revive the moribund franchise. But a back injury hobbled Casey and he only played in 59 games before being traded to Detroit for pitcher Brian Rogers at the trade deadline. He helped Detroit make it to the World Series that year and was 9-for-17 at the plate in the series but the Tigers lost to St. Louis, four games to one.

He played one more season in Detroit before playing last season in Boston.

Casey finished his career with a .302 average, 130 home runs and 735 RBI.

Good luck to one of the truly good guys the game has ever known.

Hot Stove odds and ends

Here are some things I took away from this afternoon's Hot Stove Luncheon besides what will be in Saturday's Observer-Reporter.

* While GM Neal Huntington isn't going to drop any big money on one guy (i.e. a Ben Sheets or Oliver Perez), don't be shocked if the Pirates sign another player or two of at least name value before spring training or during the early parts. While I don't believe the Pedro Martinez thing is going to work out, I do believe they will sign at least another outfielder (Emil Brown?). The outfield is too unsettled not to give somebody else, particularly another veteran on top of Craig Monroe, a look.

Image courtesy of pirates.com

* Paul Maholm seemed more sure than Nate McLouth that he won't be going to an arbitration hearing. Neither player is against the hearing, though neither wants to go because of the animosity involved. Maholm seemed secure that at least a one-year deal, if not a multi-year one, will be in place by the start of the season though he didn't come out and say it.

* Tom Gorzelanny and Zach Duke both appeared to be much leaner and in much better shape than the last couple of years, as did Maholm. Maholm said he wanted his personal trainer to "kill him" as did Duke. Gorzelanny didn't say that, but he said he hasn't stopped working out since the end of last season and has put in a lot of time with trainer Frank Velasquez.

* All indications are from management that outfielder Brandon Moss (knee) will be ready for spring training and the start of the season.

*Huntington and new pitching coach Joe Kerrigan said up to 10 pitchers could be in the mix for the starting rotation, though Maholm is a lock and Ian Snell and Duke have the inside track for spots.

* As for the new uniforms, the all-whites at home are OK, the all-grays on the road are better and the new alternate black is much better than that putrid red one from the last couple of years. The "P" emblem is a bit too large for my taste though, could be a little smaller. Personally, I like the pinstripes that are worn on Sunday home games.

What do you think about the uniforms or anything else related to the Pirates or Major League Baseball? Let me know, would love to hear from you.

From six to two

Now that four of the six arbitration-eligible players on the Pirates - pitchers Zach Duke, John Grabow, Tyler Yates and first baseman Adam LaRoche - have settled before going to arbitration, the usual red flags are being raised for the other two who haven't signed yet.

Take the flags down and put them away.

The two remaining players on the Pirates' list - outfielder Nate McLouth and pitcher Paul Maholm - will both almost assuredly sign even though both are over $1 million apart between the numbers they filed and the ones the club filed.

For starters, Maholm could very well be signed to a long-term deal by the time his hearing comes around. There are grumblings that talks are smoldering but there is still some heat in the discussion.

As for McLouth, while there is no talk of a long-term deal, I don't think he will go to a hearing either. The thought here is that the two sides will reach a settlement on a one-year deal this year for slightly over the midpoint of the two numbers. My guess is around $3.4-3.5 million range. The Pirates probably want to see if McLouth can repeat his0play from last year and, if he can, will then sign him to a long-term deal next offseason.

Six Pirates file for salary arbitration

Six Pirates - starting pitchers Zach Duke and Paul Maholm, first baseman Adam LaRoche, outfielder Nate McLouth and relief pitchers Tyler Yates and John Grabow - have filed for salary arbitration.

The teams and players will formally exchange salary numbers Tuesday.

None of the five Pirates eligible for arbitration made it to a hearing last as all were signed to contracts prior to their scheduled hearings.

Hearings this year will be held between Feb. 1-21 if the team and players can't come to an agreement.

LaRoche made $5 million last season and Grabow made $1.135 million. Both are in their final years of arbitration.

Yates ($800,000 last season) is in his second year of arbitration while McLouth ($425,500), Maholm ($424,500) and Duke ($400,000) are each in their first year.

Hall voters still miss mark

In what has become an annual rant of mine for anyone who will listen, how Bert Blyleven was once again not voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame is ridiculous.

The voters got the easy one Monday when Rickey Henderson was voted in with almost 95 percent of the vote (75 percent is needed for induction). But they once again missed the boat on Blyleven, who, upon further examination, had some of the best stats for a pitcher in the history of baseball.

Blyleven won over 280 games and won 15-plus games in a season 10 times. He also ranks in the top 15 all-time in a number of key categories, including innings pitched (4,970 – 14th), strikeouts (3,701 – 5th), games started (685, 11th) and shutouts (60, 9th). Of the pitchers with 50 or more shutouts in the Hall of Fame of which there are 20, Blyleven is the only one not to be inducted.

Of course, the voting process is somewhat flawed. Though voters can put up to 10 players on a ballot, who does the voting needs to be re-examined. The qualification is if someone is a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America for 10 consecutive years, that person can vote provided they keep their membership.

So why is this flawed? It's because there are people who haven't been baseball writers for years who continue to vote for the Hall of Fame. Two I know of in this area are Dave Fennessy, who used to cover the Pirates for The Daily News in McKeesport, Pa. but hasn't for close to 15 years, and Ed Bouchette, yes the same Bouchette who has covered the Steelers for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for the last 25 years or so. He, too, covered baseball back in the 1970's and gained his membership then and, because he keeps it up to date, votes for the Hall of Fame each year.

I do not have a vote for the Hall of Fame. I have requested admission into the Pittsburgh chapter of the BBWAA but have not been allowed to join as of yet, therefore I don't have a vote.

If I did, I would have put four players on my ballot this year, down from an average of five in past years.

I would have put Henderson on but NOT Jim Rice, the other players elected to the Hall Monday. I always thought of Rice as a very good player, but not a Hall-of-Famer.

I also would have selected Blyleven and Lee Smith. Smith was the dominant closer mainly in the National League, throughout his career. His 478 saves were first all-time when he retired and he currently ranks third, which he should stay at for a number of years. The closer position became as much of a fabric of the game as it evolved throughout the 1980's and 90's and Smith was one of the top five in history. Therefore, he deserves to be elected though he was fifth in the balloting this year with 44 percent of the vote.

I also would have voted for Andre Dawson, one dominant players of his time. He hit 438 home runs in the pre-steroid era and is in the top-50 all time in hits (2,774 – 45th), home runs (438, 36th) and runs batted in (1,591 – 34th). He also had 503 doubles and was an eight-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove winner. He finished third in this year's balloting with 67 percent of the vote.

Baldelli signs with Boston

The Boston Red Sox signed outfielder Rocco Baldelli Thursday to a one-year contract. It is worth a base of $500,000 but with incentives could reach as much as $6 million.

The Pirates were in on Baldelli until the end but, like so many other free-agent acquisition attempts, it failed.

Besides being a much better team, it also helped the Red Sox that Baldelli is a Rhode Island native.

Pirates high on Baldelli

The Pirates are on a short list of teams interested in acquiring outfielder Rocco Baldelli, formerly of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

While the organization doesn't usually comment on specific free-agent targets, team president Frank Coonelly acknowledged the team's interest in the former No. 1 draft pick.

"We agree that Rocco Baldelli could be a very good fit in our roster, and we are excited about the possibility of adding Rocco to the Pirates," Coonelly said Wednesday on a chat with fans on www.pirates.com.

"As you know, Rocco has had to deal with medical issues that have limited his playing time in recent years. We are continuing to review his medical condition and have kept in close contact with his representative, Casey Close."

Baldelli is a Rhode Island native and the Boston Red Sox are also on the list of teams interested in Baldelli.

Baldelli was once a coveted five-tool player and had 27 home runs in his first two seasons in the majors (2003-04). He missed the 2005 season after tearing the ACL in his right knee.

After rebounding with 16 homers again in 2006, injuries have plagued Baldelli the last two seasons. A mysterious muscle disease which led to extreme fatigue was eventually diagnosed as channelpathy.

In five seasons, Baldelli has 52 home runs and 234 RBI with a .281 average.

End of the road for McClatchy

The Pirates announced Wednesday that former CEO and managing general partner Kevin McClatchy sold his remaining shares in the team and stepped down from the team's board of directors.

"I care deeply about this organization, the City of Pittsburgh and the people of this region. While i will no longer play a role with the club, I will always passionately support the team in any way that I can. I have a great amount of faith in Bob (Nutting) and his new leadership team. They are committed to restoring the organization to its rightful place among the elite franchises in Major League Baseball."

McClatchy certainly had his critics and I was one of them. From not putting any money into the team to raising ticket prices after a 100-loss season, McClatchy made his share of gaffes during his tenure.

I thought his biggest one was his continuing reluctance to stand up to the larger franchises in the hopes of bringing a more even economic playing field. But McClatchy followed the herd and, therefore, the Pirates still languish today.

But make no mistake, there likely wouldn't be a Major League Baseball team in Pittsburgh without McClatchy. He was THE main reason the team was able to stay in Pittsburgh in 1996 and continues here today.

He also helped getting PNC Park built. Again, though the team that resides in it stinks, it remains one of the top stadiums in the country.

It will be interesting to see who gets his seat on the five-person board, as that will have a big impact as to what direction the Pirates take toward the future.

Say what you will about McClatchy and how he ran the Pirates during his tenure. But if it weren't for him, there wouldn't be a team here to run. And for that he deserves thanks for keeping baseball in Pittsburgh.