On the Yankees beat

Kat, pleased to be the first to say darned great job, and thank you.

You're top notch, and we can always count on you.

Now go hibernate until the off-season begins.

great job Kat!
I love reading the blog and I love this little community

Now ON TO OCTOBER!

Congrats on your sox, Sully, and on being a good sport with interesting comments throughout the year.

Kat,

Thanks for a fun season (troll filled though it was). I'm sure most of us will be hanging around for the next few months. Just think, a month from now the free agency period starts and we're only 5 months away from pitchers and catchers reporting.

ESPN is reporting that Beckett suffered a strained oblique and won't be able to pitch until Game 3 of the ALDS - could be crushing for Boston to have him only available once in a short series with the Angels.

What will happen with the Yankees - my theories:

In the ideal they sign CC, AJ, and Tex and work a deal for Matt Holliday. In reality, of those 4 the only one I really see coming here is AJ. I think CC and Tex will sign in Cali and don't think the Yankees will want to have both their corner outfielders be impending free agents in their primes represented by Scott Boras.

Departing:
Giambi (to Oakland)
Abreu (to NYM)
Moose (retire)
Pudge (to NYM)
Betemit (couldn't tell you)
Melky (trade)
Ian (trade)

New Faces:
Mike Cameron (1 year 10 mil)
AJ Burnett (5 years 75 mil)
Derek Lowe (3 years 39 mil)
Garrett Atkins and (via trade for Melky, IPK, and a prospect - call him Jeff Marquez for the sake of argument)

I think we'll hear rumors about Cano, Damon and Hughes all winter long, but nothing will materialize.

Thanks Kat and everyone else who helped blog day in and out on here. This is one of my favorite blogs to look at and post on when I can.

Things didn't go the best way for the Yanks this year and I think them missing the playoffs is going to put a spark under them in the off season and then right through next season.

Farewell to Giambi since there is a 95% chance he won't be re-signed and that is the best move. It took me a lot of years to warm up to the guy but he really has been entertaining and a good guy to have in the clubhouse. Def going to be missed.

So here is my off season wish list in no particular order:

1) Sign Teixeira
2) Sign CC Sabathia
3) Re-Sign Mussina to a 1 year deal with a player option
4) Re-Sign Pettitte to a 1 year deal with a player option
5) Convince Abreu to accept arbitration and come back for a year (haha thats why its a wish list)
6) Re-Sign Cashman

Chip...

Derek Lowe?

(Sully bursts out in laughter)

He'll be great in a Yankee uniform... for the Red Sox

You want to give 3 years to a guy in his mid 30s who is finally relaxed in a Dodgers uniform after having the emotional stability of Crispin Glover in Boston?

Plus 5 years to a pitcher with an injury history like Burnett...

Really?
This is the solution for an injury riddled staff?

The Yankees made their bed with young kids now they have to lay in it.

Wang/Hughes/Joba (if they want him to be a starter, put him in the rotation IN SPRING TRAINING) and try Aceves again

Go for Sabathia obviously... but there is no consolation prize.
You are better off bringing Mussina or even Pettitte back who you know than see Lowe, Burnett or Sheets wilt in New York

Remember how Kevin Brown was thought of as a tough ornery bad ass who was not going to be bothered by anyone?

In the end he made Ed Whitson look as beloved as Thurman Munson.

I wouldn't trust Lowe, Burnett or Sheets in New York any further than I throw them

This is what a rebuilding team looks and feels like
(Although I agree that Kennedy is trade bait)

If the consensus that spending on free agents that don't work is what got the Yankees into this mess, then devoting a combined 8 years and $114 million on two 30 something pitchers... one wth injury issues and one with emotional issues... seems kind of like the same ole thing

Well, I will take some positiveness from the play at the end of the season because most clubs were inking their starting nine and the Yanks ran off some wins.

Realistically, I see more attrition from the Yanks than high profile FA signings. My first wish is pitching, second an everyday CF who can hit with some authority and has a better than average arm. First base maybe filled by a repositioned player from this the 40 man roster as opposed to Tex. who I don't see coming back East after is LAA team gives it a good run in the playoffs IMHO to good of a situation out there with team, org., manager and money.

If theYankees go for broke it should be pitching, front end all the way guys who have pitched in the AL. Its a different ball game than NL. There maybe some trades with guys who we like going different places but one guy who I believe will stay or hope will stay is Cano just too much talent to toss away at age 25. But Abreu, Giambi should have seen there last game in pinstripes. Its time to move on and get younger with more athletic ability. The package that the Yankees have in my eyes is Kennedy, Melky, Ramirez and some pitching from the minors for some pitching or CF/firstbase.

The Hot Stove league will be hear sooner then later and the rumors will be flying. To put this all in place I hope the Yanks renew Cashman's contract with authority to continue his thought process on getting the Yankees back in order after years of winning but losing with the depletion of their farm system.

as for Beckett... oh well
Down the stretch Lester was the best pitcher anyhow so maybe this will work out.

Either way I think the Angels are winning the series.
They are a more complete team

The Yanks need to play the "New Stadium" card as much as possible. I think that is a major enticement to get Moose and Pettitte back for another year, it will also help get CC and Teixeira.

This new stadium is going to generate so much new revenue they are going to be able to afford paying absurd amounts of money for Mark and CC.

Now that the season is a wrap here's a list of the best and worst moves of 2008:

Best

1. Brewers get CC Sabathia
He might not get Cy Young but he deserves to be in the MVP conversation. What player in the NL had more to do with his team's success than Sabathia. Especially in crunch time. I don't think he's a better pitcher than Santana, but I don't think Santana would have been able to do what CC did down the stretch. Even if CC leaves this winter, he got the Brewers to the post season for the first time in 26 years.

2. Mets get Johan Santana
He should be the Cy Young award winner and the Mets got him for a song.

3. Dodgers get Manny Ramirez
Manny put the Dodgers on his back and got them into the post season. What's more, the Red Sox are paying his salary and it didn't cost the Dodgers any of their core prospects.

4. Angels get Tex (and sign Torii Hunter)
Now the Hunter signing will look bad by the time the contract runs out but his signing showed that Arte Moreno isn't afraid to admit his mistakes and pay to rectify them (Gary Matthews). As for Tex, I believe he's going to wind up staying in LA and if he does, he's the perfect player for that team. What's more, he's a significant upgrade over Casey Kotchman at the dish.

5. Rays get Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett
Not only did moving Delmon Young (and Elijiah Dukes) provide a breath of fresh air for the Tampa clubhouse but it also gave Tampa another bookend for their rotation. Bartlett is the forgotten man in this deal but ask anyone in Tampa and they'll tell you that he has solidified that team's infield defense.

6. White Sox get Carlos Quentin
NOTE I was a big Carlos Quentin fan before the D'backs traded him and would have loved for the Yankees to find a way to get him. Another case of a guy who wasn't a finished product when he hit the majors but has developed into a force. Had he not gotten hurt down the stretch we would be talking about Quentin as the AL MVP.

7. Baltimore gets Adam Jones
This trade is going to fall into the best and worst categories. Believe me when I tell you that Adam Jones (along with Youk, Longoria and Rios) will be among the players that we - as Yankee fans - will hate for the next 10 years.

8. Edinson Volquez for Josh Hamilton
Neither team did anything but the trade has opened the door for teams to deal young players for baseball reasons not just as salary dumps.

9. Phillies get Brad Lidge
All due respect to K-Rod, Lidge has been better. They gave up nothing for him.

10. Red Sox get Jason Bay
Given the position Manny put Boston in they did as well in this deal as they could. It's true that they gave up 10 mil and 2 prospects to downgrade from Manny to Bay, but the departure of Manny, I think, makes this team more like the old Yankee teams where they had a ton of good players but no lone star to cast a shadow on the rest of the team.

Honorable Mention: Yankees get Nady and Marte for nothing.

Worst

1. Mariners get Erik Bedard
Bedard was a total bust this year and will be out all of next year. In return the Orioles got Jones, George Sherrill and another prospect pitcher.

2. Houston gets Miguel Tejada

3. Pitt dumps Bay and Nady and Marte - they made the move for financial reasons but, at least in the case of Nady and Marte, they could have done better.

4. Yankees sign Jorge Posada for 4 years.
The presence of Xavier Nady will prevent the Yankees from making the same mistake with Abreu that they made with Posada. Giving an older player in such a demanding position a contract that long was making all of us nervous - the fact that he got hurt in year one may have not only killed our season but also set the Yankees up for some serious issues going forward

5. A's dump Harden, Haren, Blanton.
I'm tired of hearing what a great GM Billy Beane is. At some point a team that is so good at developing talent has to actually use that talent to win right? Rather than just serving as a farm club to the rest of baseball.

6. San Fran signs Aaron Rowand
They gave a role player Star Player money. This organization is in complete disarray

7. Detroit trades for Miggy Cabrera and Dontrell Willis.
Miggy is one of the most prolific hitters in baseball but he's already too fat to play the field. Giving Willis a 3 year extension was nuts - you have to trade for Cabrera when you can, I get that, but the Willis part of this deal was a bonehead move by a generally good GM.

8. Mets send Lastings Milledge to Washington
This looked like a great move early in the season, but the bottom line is that Schnieder can't hit. Church can't stay healthy, and Milledge could grow into a star.

9. Indians don't get a closer
The Cleveland Indians went into this season believing Joe Borowski would be the answer at closer - they decided to look at his 58 saves rather than his 5.01 ERA. Is it any surprise that their pen issues early on doomed their season?

10. Yankees don't trade for Johan
I still believe Phil Hughes will be a star in this league, but it's hard to sit here and realize that there are two guys playing for the Mets who the Yankees could have had (Beltran being the other) and if they were Yankees we would probably be talking about our upcoming playoff games.

Kat: Thanks for running a great blog, as you can tell we have a lot of fun here and it will only get more interested and heated as the hot stove season approaches.

We can all predict what moves the Yanks will make but in the end, we're all Steve Phillips and nothing we say may come true. There will be surprises and gut wrenching decisions too so I say bring it on, I can't wait to see what happens.

As McCarthy says, I would play up the new stadium when talking to any and all free agents the Yanks have interest in if I were them.

If I were a free agent and I had a chance to go to the Yanks and throw the first pitch in "The House That Jeter Built", you bet I'd want to do it (are you reading this CC?).

I have to agree with Sully on Lowe and Burnett, while I like Burnett and he pitches well against the Yanks, I wouldn't give him 5 years and I just don't care all that much for Lowe at any length of contract, but if he is all that is out there as a fifth starter option I guess I'd have to live with it.

I'm a Yankee fan, I'll rationalize anything they do eventually :)

Sully -

I've been arguing with Viper for weeks about Burnett - take a look at his splits - he hasn't just been good against the Yankees but against all AL East teams since coming to Toronto:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/splits?playerId=4153&type=pitching3&three=1

Forget Sheets - I love the talent but he's only ever pitched in the NL and he's an injury machine.

As for Lowe - you would know him better than I would, but he's always been good in a big spot (either for Boston or the Dodgers) and if Andy and Moose both retire (as I expect they will) the Yankees will need a veteran presence in their rotation.

We're fans so naturally we're excited about the new Stadium, but I'm not sure how much difference it makes to people planning their career moves. The media coverage here was already off the charts if getting famous is the attraction. And the old Stadium was sold out all the time -- if they want to get in a situation where there's a big fan base and plenty of money to spend, the Yankees already offered that. New concrete? Not sure how much of an added increment it offers to the old attractions of NYY in career terms. Yes, somebody like Andy who already has a sentimental attitude, but somebody 'out there' I would think not so much.

Diane,
Baseball players love history and being the "first" to do anything in a new stadium would really appeal to a lot of baseball purists. Plus, it's a shot of adrenaline knowing the place will be mobbed every night by the greatest fans on earth. If a player can't see that he can stay where he is.

What do Free Agents want and what can the Yanks offer:

1. Play on a winning team: Check

2. Make a lot of money: Check

3. Play in front of a packed house every night: Check

4. Play for a manager who will protect them: Check

5. Play on a team with the resources to make changes if things are going well: Check

6. Make even more money in commercials, etc: Check

7. Play on a team with a history of success: Check

8. Play in a brand new stadium (maybe even get your own box if your name is CC or Tex?): Check

9. Play on a team that still holds "Oldtimer's Day": Check

Sure, other teams offer some or most of the items on the list, but come on this is THE YANKEES!

The negative being:

1. Get strangled by the media and treated like crap by the fans (and media) when you don't perform up to their standards: (sigh) Check

Random question - if the Braves don't bring him back do we have any interest in John Smoltz on a 1 year deal?

Jim - I worry a little that some of the reports that have leaked about Girardi and the veterans not getting along might take some of the luster off the "protection of the manager" thing.

In the end, I think you're right. We're a long way from the late 80s early 90s where no one wanted to play here.

I think if it comes down to pure money - then the Yankees will open with Tex and Sabathia next season. My question is whether or not it comes down to pure money. With Tex it probably will (given his agent) with CC I just don't know.

If CC, AJ and Tex share Jim A's feelings, we'll see them all standing up in pinstripes next season, because with all the money coming off the payroll I can't see expense standing in the way.

The New Yankee Stadium has the ability to attract players to the Yanks in more ways than one.

This stadium has the ability to return in upwards of 1 billion dollars a year. With the design having less seats, but more luxury.

Retro park similar to Camden Yards with its outer stone wall and the more open walkways and views to the field. 5 ft, by 380ft digital ribbon board running along the inside of the stone wall
A Yankee Museum will also be in the stadium.

63% larger than the old one. (500,000 Sq/ft larger)
*4-10inch increase in leg room
* Cup holders in every seat
* 37 more luxury suites
* 1 Bathroom for every 60 fans (1 to 89 in the old stadium)
* A concourse with twice as much width
* A jumbotron that is 6 times larger than the current one.
*Bleacher Sports bar and food court with seats out in the bleachers.

Other amenities:

* 2 new year around restaurants (Hard Rock Cafe, NYY Steak)
* State of the art conference rooms/areas companies can rent out
* A bar/club open year around
* State of the art "Oval" shaped club house with everything you can imagine for the players. There is going to be a lot more rooms, gym equipment, and space for the players.

This is going to be one of the most anticipated stadium openings ever. The Yanks did their research and made the right business and structural decisions going forward with this stadium.

I think the players are excited about it and will settle in nicely in the new park. Mussina and Pettitte will end up coming back because of it.

Lets hope we can get CC and Tex to come too.

I want to add my thanks to Kat also. She worked with her IT staff to come up with ways to make the blog more enjoyable for us by doing her best to keep the trolls out. Gracias! :-)

Jim A,

Two things: First, nice game by the Skins yesterday and i was thinking about you while i watched it. It sure did look like a different team than the one the Jints played on opening night.
Second, add to your list and Diane's list of reasons to come here: The Yanks are going to have this HUGE club house in the new Stadium and players can hide from the media if they want to.

I don't agree with Sully at all on Derek Lowe. I think that he can help the Yanks as he's AL East "battle tested". He pitched some really good games when Boston won the title in 04. I do agree with him on Burnett. Both him and Sheets should be hands off.

I think the direction of the team and cold hard cash is more important to any free agent than the new Stadium.

It seems the new Stadium has more importance to the players already with the team, especially the new clubhouse and that sort of thing.

The new restaurants/bars/conference rooms and luxury suites won't mean jack to the players because those amenities are being built for the fans and corporations - not the Yankee players.

Viper,

It was just the amenities type of thing when I brought up the clubhouse. Some players like that type of stuff.

But having said that, I agree with you in that it will be the direction of the team that will help determine who wants to play here.

In case none of you read Madden's column in the News, here's the link:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2008/09/28/2008-09-28_yankees_have_many_questions__a_long_wint.html

Not sure how to comment on it. Maybe you guys have some opinions.

The only aspect of the new stadium that I think will matter towards recruiting FA's is the fact that because of the stadium (its ticket sales and the fact that the team is out from the revenue sharing) the Yankees will have even MORE money than they usually do.

There's about 170 mil in salaries and revenue sharing coming off the books - look for at LEAST half of that to be reinvested on the field.

As I said earlier - I just don't know if money alone will get CC in pinstripes. All signs point to him taking less money (a Carlos Zambrano/Mark Buhrle type of deal) to play for the Dodgers or Cards.

Someone looking for a place to play is going to look at the negatives as well as the positives, and high expectations from the media and public are not the only negatives. An underachieving team with an inexperienced manager and ownership that seems at odds with itself, coaching staff due for a big makeover, and rumors creeping around that the manager has lost the clubhouse -- all are significant question marks. If Cashman doesn't return, add a newbie GM. The Yankees do have great positives, as listed above, but we have to be realistic and admit that they have some issues that could be of concern as well.

Thanks for the link, John G, I'll check out the article.

I'd sooner listen to John Madden's take regarding the Yanks than Bill Madden.

Madden knows absolutely nothing about the young kids on the farm.

He still puts stock into what Hank Steinbrenner says when it's been clear for months than Hank doesn't even run the team.

He still says Joba needs to be in the bullpen full time.

Bill Madden is good for telling stories about the past - like the old days when Joe D, The Mick, were Mr. October playing ball.

But he's horrific analyzing the present and the future.

Viper -

So that's Heyman, King and now Madden - any sports columnists you like (besides Kat of course)

Incidentally, I read the Madden thing and the only thing I disagree with is worrying about Jorge having to move over to first base.

Odds are he's going to be the catcher next season - after that, Matsui and Damon are both gone and so Posada can DH if he can't stay behind the dish.

John G: Yep, I was happy yesterday as The Skins beat the boys and the Yanks beat the Sawx in the only game that mattered to me (although that 90th win would have been nice).

Also, good point not only about the clubhouse, but all the modern amenities that the new stadium will offer players such as the modern workout and video facilities.

Madden didn't say anything we haven't said here for quite a while.

Chip: Regarding your 11:37 comment. You have to think that it really does come down to money 98% of the time because it's not only the players' decision because it is heavily influenced by the players union. The union would really not be happy if, for example the Yanks offered CC 6 yrs/$130M and he took something less from another team. The union makes sure the players understand the deal they get today affects their union brother tomorrow (the next big FA pitcher).

If CC still has an arm after Milwaukee's run is over, the Yanks have to pull out all the stops to get him. The man has tremendous heart and we Yankee fans love that in a player don't we?

I have not seen any of the articles that hint of friction between Girardi and the players, can someone post a link? This would be a problem if it's true. Thanks in advance.

Jim,

You're absolutely right - the Yankees should pull out all the stops to get him.

You're also right that in many cases the players try to do right by the union, but we've seen cases (Carlos Zambrano, Mark Buhrle are two that come to mind) where guys take less money to play in a situation where they're more comfortable.

Also, there's a pitcher who quietly had a bounce back year and it wouldn't shock me if the Yankees make a run at him this winter: Roy Oswalt. He finished the year with over 200 IP, 165 K, 47 bb, 199 hits and a 3.54 ERA.

Diane,

I'm not going to believe those stories about Girardi losing the clubhouse. I do believe that his style of managing was a wakeup call for this team, but all in all, he did his best to defend his players. I don't recall him leaving any of them out to dry. Plus, he did a good job in managing the pen this season. If the Yanks had made it, the pen would have been a strength. I also feel that Girardi learned a lot this season. I think that he'll be a better manager for it. (at least I HOPE that he will).

I'm waiting for any of the NY papers to give Viper a job. I'll be looking for "Viper's Vibes" in the near future. Then Viper can trash himself for writing a column that he didn't like. LOL.

Joking aside, did any of you see Baseball Tonight yesterday? The man that we all know and love, Steve Phillips, said that if he was still a GM he would give Sabathia 6 years and all the money that he wants to sign with his team. The fact that Milwaukee has used him with 3 days rest means nothing to him along with CC's girth. he feels that his power comes from his waistline. Kruk the doughnut says that he's a horse.

"Hail to the Redskins,
Hail victory.
Braves on the warpath,
FIGHT FOR OLD DC!!!!!"

Chip,

Good to excellent:

Sweeny Murti, Tyler Kepner, Jack Curry, Mark Feinsand, Chad Jennings (Scranton), Buster Olney, Pete Abe, Ken Davidoff, Jim Baumbach, Pete Caldera, Ed Price, and Kat.

Pedestrian to downright horrific:

Joel Sherman, George King, Mark Herrmann, Jon Heyman, Bill Madden, and Mike Lupica.

Does this answer your question? Even you would have to agree with me on some of these.

Obviously, I'm not going to agree with everything the good columnists say or write - but they know what they're talking about and are pretty reliable sources.

But the others listed seem to be talking out of their arses more often than not if you ask me.

I'm sure there are names I'm missing on both sides but that's a good start off the top of my head.

Viper - I take all of them, the good, the bad, the indifferent with a grain of salt. For the most part they're all doing the same thing - throwing darts against the wall, hoping to hit and make their names.

Take Keith Law for example - I read a chat of his the other day where he insists that Phil Coke has at best an 88 mph fastball - we've all seen the gun readings and, while I agree that the gun often lies, I doubt it lies for one pitcher by 10 mph. Law is trying to make his name as a contrarian - and so be it.

Viper,
Lupica belongs in a category all by himself and that category should be labeled: Hateful little gnat. I'd like to see Jason Whitlock sitting on him.

What about Ken Rosenthal? He seems to be right quite a bit and while I have gone back and forth with Heyman through emails, he has been the man to get the scoop the last few months so it seems.

Chip: I don't think the union has as big a problem if a player stays with their original team and resigns before their deal is over, but CC will be a FA and it is clear he is not going back to Milwaukee so I would think there would be some pressure from the union to take the best financial package on the table....at least I hope so.

Baseball America's list of Top 20 players from the FSL (High A) has been released. The only Yankee on the list is Zach McAllister:

McAllister's 1.83 ERA easily would have led the FSL had he pitched enough innings to qualify, and his 2.09 overall mark ranked seventh in the minors. His success comes from his ability to pound the bottom of the zone with a 91-92 mph sinker, an above-average changeup and a promising if inconsistent slider. Thanks to a tweak the Yankees made after signing him in 2006, he now throws downhill from a high arm slot that takes advantage of his 6-foot-5 frame.

McAllister is a groundball machine with an outstanding feel for setting up hitters. He projects as a No. 3 or 4 starter, and his ability to induce grounders also could make him an effective late-inning reliever.

Great, great job Kat. Thank you for everything - You RULE!

Speak to you and my fellow Yankee fanatics during the Hot Stove meetings.

Mike from Jersey : v )

Side note: Mets owner Jeff Wilpon said (of the end of this season), "I feel totally different than last year. I think last year we underachieved. This year we overachieved.''

Overachieved? Really? You upgrade the rotation by adding Johan, miss the playoffs again by falling apart down the stretch and not being able to win any games Johan didn't start and your team overachieved?

Either he's drunk or he set the bar very very low.

Chip,

That's fine whether you "take them with a grain of salt" or not, but you clearly put some credence in their columns because you often cite them on this blog when making an argument, especially potential offseason happenings.

You may not want to admit it but there are columnists that you certainly trust more than others and I just listed some of the good ones in my opinion as well as the bad because you asked.

BTW, I'll add Keith Law and Tom Verducci to that list of good ones on a national scale.

The difference between Keith Law and Bill Madden, for instance, is that Law's specialty is to analyze the young kids by actually watching them play. What a concept.

Madden really dissed Austin Jackson the other day when he's never seen the kid play a single minor league game and only looked at his stats.

He discounted the kid entirely because of his .285 average this season and that was it. Keith Law has seen the kid play a lot of games and thinks he's going to be a star.

Sure, when it comes down to it - all of these guys are just stating an opinion because we don't know how things will shake out.

But I tend to put a lot more credence in what Law has to say over a chump that's never seen the kid play. In fact, Madden knows nothing about any of the Yankee kids - not just Jackson - and I tend to discount anything he says regarding the farm system for that very reason.

One guy has credibility in that department and the other does not. Period.

Guys like Heyman, Francessa, and King are the very same way because they often make asinine remarks about players that they've never seen swing a bat.

Viper -

the only defense I'll offer for the guys who dismiss the prospects is how often do we hear about this stud prospect or that can't miss kid and then he never materializes into anything?

Last year Jose Tabata was the next Manny - this year he's a 19 year old with emotional issues. Lastings Milledge was supposed to be the best outfielder the Mets produced since Darryl - this year he was cast aside for Ryan Church and Brian Schnieder.

That may be true, Chip - but it undermines their overall argument when analyzing the organization this offseason when their first instinct is to discard the potential impact of all young players on the farm.

Here's a perfect example what I'm talking about regarding Madden from Sunday:

----------------------

And, please, enough about Austin Jackson. The guy hit .285 with nine homers in Double-A ball - hardly superstar-in-the-making numbers.

---------------------

Never mind that Jackson is played in a pitcher's league, he's one of the youngest players in that league, and he was a basketball player with very raw tools who is still learning how to play baseball.

But Madden simply looks as his numbers - nothing else - and essentially calls the kid a bust when he doesn't know a damn thing about him.

The good columnists like Murti and Kepner don't do that. If they don't know something, they write what other people say who are supposedly "in-the-know."

They don't speculate on topics or specific players they know absolutely nothing about.

That's the difference between good reliable columnists and ones who simply talk out of their arses.

Back again and though the discussion has moved on, John G -- I do agree that the rumors in the blogosphere that Girardi has 'lost the clubhouse' are probably exaggerations. I suspect it's nothing more than a certain degree of dissension/dissatisfaction. My point was that players in search of their next professional home may be at least as much influenced by the various factors I mentioned as by whether the large, full, money-generating Stadium is new or not.