2015-16 MLB Off-Season/Hot Stove
Former Braves/Angels pitcher Tommy Hanson dies at 29. Not much detail as to what really happened. Way too young. RIP
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/14095292/tommy-hanson-former-atlanta-braves-losangeles-angels-pitcher-dies
Calico696 
Metsman The rumor mill is already running (no surprise) and saying it may have been cocaine related.
LAS We really don't know yet.
On the managerial front, interesting to see Washington named Dusty Baker as their manager ... Baker has been around, and managed SF in a good World Series in 2002 ... they were six outs away from winning it when the Angels rallied ... this year's KC team has been compared to that Angels team --- speedy and athletic, productive outs, keep the line moving.
Nationals' problems were mainly injuries and poor performances from the 7th-8th inning guys ... wonder what Baker would change?
Remember seeing Baker when he came up with the Braves, batting fifth behind Henry Aaron ... later played in a coupe of WS with the Dodgers.
Andy Loigu How much lower can it be then the other 50 channels I NEVER watch.
http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2015/11/some_nj_residents_may_lose_the_yes_network_yankees.html
Old Gent 
MK 
MeisterNJ It official.
http://web.yesnetwork.com/carriers/comcast/index.jsp
I moved to mlb.tv last year, but the blackouts stink.
sackBad move by Comcast. How could they be that stupid to do that especially in this area...
Maddon deserved it. He managed in the toughest division in baseball.
YES demanded a 33% increase in fees. Can't say that I blame Comcast for telling them to pound sand. I personally don't watch it and I'm not willing to pay $5 a month for the privilege of not watching it.
ianimal I have DirecTV, so no worries. Usually around this time they offer the NFL ticket for 75% off. Haven't heard from them. hmmmm
Yea, DirecTV just passes it right along to the consumer. This year, my "Regional Sports Fee" is $5.64 a month. I'm curious to see how much it will go up next year due to YES's extortion....
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/rsn_fee
I actually have my DirecTV bill down under a $100. They got rid of channels that I don't watch (like ESQ), and finally got rid of the $10 HD charge, which was crap because HD is the standard now. And I still have HBO. Much better than $160. Think they're starting to get the picture with the cord cutters. I have 3 tv's.
I actually like the Esquire network... Brew Dogs, Best Bars in America and Six Million Dollar Man reruns... it's certainly worth a lot more than the YES network to me (-;
I have watched Brew Dogs. Decent show and still have a bunch of episodes DVR'd. Those guys are pretty funny and they have one of the best jobs in the world, right? I actually made their Big Apple beer. Came out great. But if cutting that channel saves me a few bucks a month, I can't keep it for one show.
They've been announcing post-season honors. Have not seen Manager of the Year awards yet -- curious to see how the Mets fans will react if Terry Collins gets it.
Collins pushed, pulled, cajoled and inspired an ever-changing lineup of rookies, journeymen and rentals to the National League playoff championship --- only supernatural forces that decided they will make the Mets wait through an unspecified number of decades without winning a World Series, and a hustling, contact-hitting Kansas City team, kept them from the ultimate prize.
Dealing with fractious agents, penny-pinching ownership, and myriad inconsistencies convinced me Collins is a genius --- doesn't hurt to have starting pitchers who throw 100 mph with dazzling secondary pitches, plus a closer having a career season.
Thanks, I can be glad for a Lafayette grad winning a big award.
So the Cubbies at least got SOMETHING, Rookie of the Year and Manager.
Right, a former mediocre Oriole ... thought Greinke deserved it, for his work over a FULL SEASON.
They'd trade those awards in for a ring, though, I'm sure.
How about those beards on the Cy Young winners? WOW.
Trivia question regarding the Cy Young Award.
This year's NL winner (Jake Arrieta) was a guy who was "run of the mill" as an Oriole and became great with the Cubs.
There was an Oriole who won the AL Cy Young after he'd struggled as a Cub.
For 15 minutes of fame, who was he?
Zach Greinke and Shelby Miller to the D-Backs... will it be enough to overcome the 13 games behind they finished last year and make them contenders in the NL West?
Cubs sign Ben Zobrist (4 years, 56 million) and trade Starlin Castro to the Yankees for P Adam Warren and 2B Brendan Ryan. Not sure if this makes the Cubs better or not. Looks like a good move for the Yanks, although Adam Warren will be missed, I'm sure.
Castro is young and a good defender, possibly even plus at 2b. Has upside with the bat, if he can improve there, pretty good gamble for the Yanks.
Boston getting Price and Kimbrel shows they are wicked serious about getting back into contention. Why don't the Orioles make moves like that?
Good move for Yanks to get Castro ... even if he's not the next Robbie Cano (don't you know) he's still a building block for the future on a team that needs an infusion of youth.
The Diamondbacks should be in the mix --- lots of teams have finished out of the running by double digits and won the next year.
The 86 Cardinals finished over 20 games behind the Mets --- went to the World Series the next year, and did not even make any blockbuster moves --- simply played better. That's just one example of many.
I like the Castro deal. His fielding has definitely improved, so maybe his hitting can as well.
Oh, going back to the unanswered trivia question, the former Cub who won a CyYoung with the O's was Steve Stone in 1980, if anybody cares.
Thought it was a good question since Arrieta was a former Oriole who won the Cy award with the Cubs this year.
Andy, the name Steve Stone means absolutely nothing to me. I never would have gotten that one in 100 years.
35 years from now someone will probably say the same thing about Arrieta.
Fame is fleeting.
Since mid-season rent-a-player moves worked out well for the Mets last year, they may go down that road again.
Why not? With those pitchers, they will contend for the next few years, whatever they do. Why overpay for a long-term contact?
Orioles offered Chris Davis 7 yrs/150 million? Good Gaawwwd as Waldman might say.
Mets traded Jon Neise to the Pirates for Neil Walker. Good move. It gives Herrera another year to develop in AAA.
How could the Pirates trade Neil Walker? Hometown kid made good. Feel good story. Fan favorite.
Wait... he's a switch-hitter who can't hit left-handed pitching. Kind of like Robbie Alomar at the end with the Mets, IIRC. I guess they want to get Mercer, Kang and JHay in there every day.
As for the Mets, I can't imagine he's going to be more than an $8M platoon guy at 2B. Do you send a guy out there against lefties with a .290 slugging percentage?
His splits have varied year to year ianimal. He's only a 1 year investment. I like the deal. It's better than overpaying for Zobrist.
I wish him the best. Class-act all the way; he'll be missed in the community more than on the field, I think.
Got some bonus hockey tonight, Lehigh Valley Phantoms trailed Hershey 2-0 after two periods, but came back for a 3-2 overtime win at the PPL Center.
Exciting!
OH yes, it's a baseball thread ---
Chris Davis strikes out an awful lot. His homers come in bunches, his droughts are dreadful. He is a good fielder, though, he's impressed me with the glove.
But, if there is another team that's willing to pay him $150 mil for seven years, let him walk. Better to spend that kind of money on pitching.
Mets further solidify their middle infield defense with Asdrubal Cabrera .
http://nypost.com/2015/12/09/mets-land-ss-asdrubal-cabrera-in-whirlwind-rebound/
Zombo 
Tyler Flores will probably play a lot of third base. I wonder if Wright will be able to play 100 games this year, a shame since he's one of baseball's good guys.
Michael Cuddyer retires from the Mets .He left 12.5 million on the table because he says his body is just worn out after 15 years in MLB . A class act . Now go get a righty power bat Mets .
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/14346196/michael-cuddyer-new-york-mets-retiring
The steroid era is over. Thank God.
Not saying he ever was on roids, I know how people read into things on this site.
Just saying, players that age, faced with an uncertain future, used to keep their careers going by doing roids and suddenly putting up legendary numbers.
Anyone who is looking for a baseball coach should give Cuddyer a call RIGHT NOW. Yes, he is a class act.
Mets better re-allocate the $12.5 million they are saving from not paying Cuddyer...
Todd Frazier to the White Sox... damn, would have loved to see him in Steeltown with Kang at SS and JHay at 2B with Mercer as a utility guy. That's a lot of production for $7.5M a year. Not surprised that Cincy shipped him to the Junior Circuit, though...
Fifty years to the month, after trading Frank Robinson to the American League, the Reds ship another All-Star to the junior circuit.
Not saying Frazier will win the Triple Crown and lead his new squad to the promised land the way Frank did, but he's a Jersey Shore guy and I hope he has a great season.
RIP Dave Henderson.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/14442761/dave-henderson-dies-age-57
Some trivia -- who was the only base-runner to ever get picked off twice in the same World Series game?
There's something to be remembered for (-:
Mets open up the wallet to pay Cespedes , then immediately after the biggest snowstorm in years happens . Coincidence ? I think not !
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/harper-mets-strike-rich-yoenis-cespedes-deal-article-1.2506858
Maybe Yoenis will match the WS record Max Flack set with the Cubs in 1918 and get picked off twice in the same game (answer to that trivia ? that sat there for three weeks.)
Looks like Lagares has been labeled a fourth outfielder and will be such the rest of his career, no matter how much he improves.
Many Met fans would have freaked out and stayed away from Citi if they let the Nationals get both Murphy and Cespedes ! Lagares was actually doing well in winter ball and could be trade bait . Cespedes should be motivated for a better contract , Lagares should be pushed by his presence , but now the De Aza signing makes even less sense than it did to begin with - and it never made any sense at all to me .
De Aza may spend the season in Triple-A ... teams like to have a veteran or two available just in case a regular has to go on the DL for awhile.
With a rotation loaded with pitchers who rarely give up more than two runs a game, I'd think Mets tickets would be a hot commodity this winter, they should be.
July 30th they will retire Piazza's number 31 . But Friday through Sunday will be a Mike Piazza weekend with everyone attending Friday getting a Pizza replica jersey , the number retirement taking place before the Saturday Rockies game , and a Piazza bobble head will be given to the first 15,000 fans on Sunday .
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/mets-retire-mike-piazza-no-31-jersey-season-article-1.2508692
I wonder if the Pizza replica jersey is sponsored by Papa John's? LOL
I'm good at spelling and proofreading, but lousy at Microsoft Word.
Can't figure out how to get this photo into "my photos" so it can appear with all my posts when I hit browse. Oh well, maybe it's a sign the Orioles aren't going anywhere this year in the 50th anniversary of 1966.
There are two kinds of people in this world .... 1. the ones who would just laugh at this computer challenged old timer ... 2. somebody who would help me learn how to do it,
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4evt_yR1gMU/UzTdlP6fzzI/AAAAAAAAA-c/aQl2QKl01Gk/s1600/Orioles3.gif
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