Nerd Alert

Taking a holiday interlude from all things baseball for a minute, I was noodling around with the idea of top Five lists and came up with a bunch to share with you, just cause, well, I like to stimulate conversation, what can I say?

Five Great Stones Songs to Crank:

1. "Monkey Man" Scorsese was so cool to use it in "Good Fellas"
2. "Midnight Rambler"
3. "Stray Cat Blues"
4. "Doo, doo (Heatbreaker)" Organ riff is stupendous.
5. "Rocks Off" "The sunshine bores the daylights outta me..." Great moment.

"Can't You Hear Me Knocking?" is pretty damn slammin' too. I especially like the first three minutes.

Five Fun End Title Movie Sequences:

1. "Diner" Could listen to those dicks yenta-it-up all day...
2. "Liar, Liar" Carey is hilarious but Swoozie Kurtz gets the biggest laugh. To his credit, Carey is a good sport about it too.
3. "Cannonball Run" Classic, Burt and Dom schtick.
4. "Grumpy Old Men" Burgess Meredith steals the show with his "blue" material.
5. "Married to the Mob" At the very tail of the credits is a small scene, an epilogue of sorts, between Mathew Modine and Michelle Pfieffer. They dance together along the steps of a courthouse or a museum to a latin tune. She slowly moves backwards and he inches closer. Just as he gets to her, she backs into the handrailing, and quickly tumbles backwards. He lurches forward to grab her and just as he grabs her, she's far back enough to smack her head and...freeze. They freeze the frame. And you're just like, damn, no way that fall wasn't going to hurt. But Pfieffer totally gave herself to the scene. Got to give her credit. Onions!

Five Great New York Movies ('70s, '80s Edition)

1. "Dog Day Afternoon" Is Brooklyn in the house?
2. "Taking of Pelham 1, 2, 3" Every pastrami-on-rye-character actor in New York is in this movie. With Mathau in the lead, how can you go wrong?
3. "Tootsie" Not really thought of a New Yorkk movie but was in every way. Murray is a monster in the supporting role. It's my favorite Dustin Hoffman performance.
4. "Annie Hall" Classic Woody, filmed all over the city.
5. "Moscow on the Hudson" One of Robin Williams' best, from uptown to the lower east side, this is an over-looked New York flick.

Five Great Baseball References in non-Baseball Movies

1. "The Odd Couple" Oscar misses a triple play because Felix gets him on the phone asking some old wifey questions.
2. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" Nicholson narrating Koufax pitching against the Yanks in the 1963 World Serious.
3. "Woman of the Year" Tracy takes Hepburn to a baseball game. Her interactiion with the fan sitting behind her is the highlight of the sequence.
4. "The Cameraman" Buster Keaton's first movie for MGM. Keaton plays a cameraman who goes to Yankee Stadium one afternoon only to find that the team is out of town. So Keaton plays and imaginary game of baseball--pitcher to the hitter--and ends up swinging and circling the bases. It must have been filmed in 1927, and the footage looks great.
5. "In the Bedroom" I haven't seen the whole movie, but I did see a sequence toward the end of the film where the father of the dead boy captures the boy's killer, and is driving him in a car to a place where he plans to kill him. And as they drive there is a Red Sox game playign on the radio. They let the radio call go on and it adds a good deal of subtle--even comic--distraction to tension at hand.

Honorable Mention:

"Ferris Bueller" The classic chant. I was never really down with that chant, but it caught most everybody's imagination for a minute there.

"Mystic River" Opening scene, dudes talking about Tiant and the Sox.

"The Bad Lieutenant" New York city sports radio talk show legend Chris Mad Dog Russo is the voice over during the opening credits and sports gambling--during a fictitious Mets season---plays a part throughout the movie. The Russo rant at the begining is a classic.

Five Great Jeff Bridges Movies

1. "The Last American Hero" The Junior Johnson story.
2. "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" Clint Eastwood buddy picture.
3. "Tucker" Failed Coppola epic.
4. "Cutter's Way" Cult California art house movie, early 80s.
5. "American Heart" Gritty, disturbing drama with Edward Furlong.

Five Best Movies I Last Saw in the Theater

1. "The Squid and the Whale"
2. "Syriana"
3. "Good night, and Good Luck."
4. "A History of Violence"
5. "Batman Begins"

I don't know that any of them were great necessarily, but it just so happens that the last five movies that I've seen in the theater have all been worth the price of admission to me. They all had something going for them, enough for me to say they were worth the dough. And what more can you say?

The Yankees have signed utility infielder Miguel Cairo and relief pitcher Octavio Dotel to one-year deals.

According to Anthony McCarron in The Daily News, the Yankees worked the phones in order to land Dotel:

A deluge of calls may have been most effective in landing a lesser name - reliever Octavio Dotel. The Yankees, who reached an agreement with Dotel on a one-year deal worth $2.25 million last week, announced the contract yesterday, giving them what they hope is a second power arm along with Kyle Farnsworth to set up for Mariano Rivera.

There was a lot of competition for Dotel, so GM Brian Cashman said calls from first base coach Tony Pena, Torre and Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson were exceptionally meaningful. "We had more people talk to him than anybody, to be honest, and it may have taken all of that because the competition on the player was so heavy and I had to drag my price up, too," Cashman said.

Dotel is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery. The Bombers hope he will be a critical part of their bullpen come the second half of the season.

Lo and behold, there is a positive story about Alex Rodriguez in a New York paper this morning.  Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes:

He is a winner in nearly all the ways our society keeps score, notably in the areas of incredible riches and talent.  Nevertherless, he often feels as if he cannot win.  So his answers during a half-hour call are, as usual, long and full of insight.

...But almost all come with disclaimers that he is responding to questions because they have been asked...At this point, A-Rod recognizes his sincerity and motives are challenged enough that there is no such thing as a simple answer to a simple question.

Rodriguez is enthusiastic about the arrival of Johnny Damon.  "He fits our team like a glove."  Furthermore, Sherman writes:

There is nothing cosmetic about A-Rod's zeal during the conversation.  The AL MVP loves baseball.  Trust me, most players have no idea what transactions their own team have made.  Rodriguez is not only aware of every move of every club, but is able to contextualize it better than most GMs I speak to.  In some ways, A-Rod has the soul of nerd fantasy-league player.

It is interesting how loathed Rodriguez is for being "insincere."  There is something intense going on with him--more than just his contract--that grates on people's nerves.  For someone who can make the game look effortless in spite of all his hustle, perhaps fans are offended by how hard Rodriguez seems to try and do or say the right thing.  His game appears flawless but off-the-field, he comes across as hopeless at times, and many, sensing a chink in the armor, are ready to pounce.  Fans generally tolerate a star who is offensive or egotistical like Reggie Jackson (or a straight-up ditz like Manny Ramirez) because they are perceived to be honest.  Like them or not, they are accepted, sometimes embraced. 

Maybe all Rodriguez has to do is last: remain healthy and continue to play into his late thirties (being part of a championship team would certainly help) before the public at large truly accepts him--at which point he can have his Sally Fields moment.  But it's odd for a guy who is bright, articulate, self-aware, and an incredibly hard-worker--everything we supposedly want in a player--to be so awkward in a sense.   Anyhow, say what you want about him, but along with Mike Piazza, he's one of the few star players that you could actually sit down and talk baseball with.  That, in and of itself, is notable.

Word has it that the Yankees will ink utility infielder  Miguel Cairo to a one-year deal this week.  Cairo was a popular role player with the Yanks--both in the clubhouse and with the fans.  He may have played over his head in 2004, but he should still be durable and useful off the bench for the Bombers in '06.   

No, not Godzilla Matsui's decision not to play in the upcoming WBC games, but the Murray Chass' characterization of Bernie Williams this morning in an article about Yankee centerfielders:

Williams was the center fielder in the second halves of 1991 and 1992, then took over the position through last season, when he surpassed Mantle to become the Yankee with the most games played in center - 1,828 to 1,745.

Still, as important as longevity and popularity may be, they don't earn Williams a place in the line of royal succession.

Williams has been a solid player - he hit better than .300 for eight consecutive seasons - and he contributed significantly to the Yankees' postseason successes. But he was not the Gold Glove outfielder he was voted to be from 1997 to 2000, and he was not a dominant hitter in the American League.

Williams was never a great fielder but he was the Yankees' best offensive player during their 1996-01 championship run (you could look it up).  Of course, he's not as great as DiMaggio or Mantle, but he's a boderline Hall of Fame candidate at worst.  Other than Ken Griffey Jr and Jim Edmonds, who has been a better center fielder than Williams over the last 10-15 years (and yeah, Andruw Jones was a great fielder but he hasn't even been close to Williams as an offensive player)? 

So, did everybody get what they wanted (anyone score a GI Joe with the Kung-Fu grip)? Or at least one thing that they really wanted? My favorite present is a cookbook, Alfred Portale's "Simple Pleasures." But the best gift was being able to enjoy the day with my gal Emily--our fourth holidaze season together--and the rest of my fam, including my two snot-nosed, adorable nephews, Lucas and Eoin. Man, childrens is a beautiful thing.

Hope everyone had a great day, whether you celebrated Christmas or kicked off the eight days of Chanukah.

Following-up on the story I did a few days ago celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Andy Messersmith/Dave McNally/Peter Seitz decision, here is the transcipt of a conversation I had about the topic with the former executive director of the Players Association, Marvin Miller, early last week:

A Chat with Marvin Miller

Bronx Banter: When did you first become aware that Andy Messersmith might be the case you were looking for to challenge the reserve clause?

Marvin Miller: We always kept one eye on newspaper clips about players who had not signed contracts, or so-called 'hold outs', and usually follow along to see what would happen. Somewhere during the season, I don't remember exactly when, I began to have conversations with Andy. Mostly asking where his negotiations with the Dodgers and O'Malley stood. And you know, things happen and his answers weren't always the same because there'd be developments in their negotiations. I think somewhere around the late part of the season I'd had a rather crucial conversation by telephone. I think he had called me. And because he's an upfront guy, he called me because he said that O'Malley and the Dodgers had met his salary proposals. And he just wanted me to know that the only thing that stood in the way at the moment was his feeling that he would have liked to have finished his career with the Dodgers and he therefore wanted a no-trade provision that so far the Dodgers refused to give to him. And he was a little disturbed because they were giving him different reasons. Like Busch…he-heh, first it's weapons of mass destruction, and then it's connection with Al-Qaeda, and then it's, 'Oh, I forgot, it's not really any of those things. It's because we wanted Democracy over there.' Well, he was getting those kind of answers about why they couldn't give him a no-trade clause.

But he said, you know, negotiations change things and he wanted me to know that if they met all of his proposals including the no trade clause, he would feel honor-bound to sign. And I understood. He had made proposals in good faith and if they were going to meet them, I agreed with them. After that happened I discussed the matter with Richard Moss and we knew that McNally was really in the same category even though he wasn't playing anymore. He had left the team in the early part of the season because he wasn't happy with his own pitching, nor was he happy with the Montreal management. So, after discussing it with Rick I decided to call Dave McNally and I did. And I explained the situation to him in some detail. McNally was a bright man and understood things about the union and before I could elucidate on what I was proposing to him he said, 'OK, you think I ought to be part of this grievance in case Messersmith signs.' And I said, yeah I do because I think the basis for this is important and since you have decided that you are not going to play anymore anyway, it didn't matter to you. And he said, 'Well, if you think I can help, you got it, okay.' And that's Dave became part of the Messersmith/McNally grievance.

BB: McNally was your insurance run.

MM: Yes, and we were frank with him and he understood it. He had been a player rep at Baltimore.

BB: With Brooks Robinson?

MM: No, this was before Robinson was a rep, this was in the early days of the Players Association. Early days after I came.

BB: So you were familiar with him when you approached him in this case.

MM: Oh yeah, oh yeah.

BB: What kind of a man was he

MM: I think he was a man of great integrity. Bright. I'm trying to remember the circumstances…he became player rep…he had been, if I remember correctly the alternate player rep. When their second baseman--who was the player rep got traded?

BB: Davey Johnson.

MM: Right. Traded to Atlanta?

BB: Yes.

MM: And that's how McNally became player rep. And I don't think he was a player rep for a long time, I've forgotten the circumstances of when it was…Andy was, well, Andy was Andy. Andy was a very serious guy. He has a good sense of ethical principles. He called me and wanted me to understand if he did sign it was because he felt honor-bound to do so. I go back a little further with Andy than that. Are you familiar with the Alex Johnson case? Well, Andy was with the Angels at the time that the Johnson case came up, and he was, according to Alex, one of the few players on the Angels at that time that was at all sympathetic with the things he was going through. He said he hadn't known Messersmith particularly well but Andy went out of this way to talk with him and sympathize with him and discuss the whole thing. So I knew about that too, and I just think he was a great guy.

BB: Though they might be different I can't help but notice the similarities between Messersmith and a guy like Curt Flood, both thoughtful, sensitive guys.

MM: Right, that's true.

BB: Okay, before I let you go, I have to get your take on what has transpired in the last year between the Players Association and MLB.

MM: Well, it's almost like we're in a different country and a different century from that. The actions, and what's going on…It's interesting that you bring up the steroids thing in the same breath as Messersmith/McNally because the approach of the union in each case could not have been more different. The Messersmith/McNally period was one of great principle. And I include Flood in that, and I include Catfish Hunter in that---

BB: And Ted Simmons…

MM: And Ted Simmons, and all of them. I think that there was a greater tendency to understand what the relationship with the owner was.

BB: Is that because the players of that generation never knew anything but the reserve system and were involved in the fight for players rights, where as the modern player has come after the boon, when they don't know anything but the rights that the previous generation fought for.

MM: It's an interesting theory and I don't have any facts on that, but it's I agree that that's a possibility. I have said a number of times now that I'm not trying to minimize the problem because it's a problem that I did not have, but one that Don Fehr has had to wrestle with. Staring a few years back, I forget exactly when, Don has not had a single player in the union who had any major league playing experience before the union. Not one.

BB: Do you remember the last to go?

MM: (laughing) I don't. But in my time, there was no such thing. Sure there was turnover, there were some that were leaving and rookies coming up all the time, but

BB: There was the consistency. Now, it's a different generation.

MM: Yes. And I don't minimize that problem. To have a membership that doesn't fully understand what the union had meant and does mean. There is a terrible problem.

BB: So you feel real disappointment when you think about the union these days?

MM: I do.

BB: Have you expressed that to Don Fehr?

MM: I have, but I don't go around lecturing him either. He knows how I feel.

There was a press conference at Yankee Stadium yesterday welcoming Johnny Damon to the Bronx. The day before, Damon got a new look at a chi-chi hair salon in Manhattan. I wouldn't exactly call it a buzz cut, but when in Manhattan...Damon's hair is still very stylized, he's still sporting the trendy (for ballplayers, anyway) side burns--though he did get a shave. With his cutsie wife standing by his side, a bottle of evian in his hand, I couldn't tell who is prettier: Damon or his old lady. Not for nothing, but the Bombers have some kind of Tiger Beat Beefcake at the top of the order, with Damon followed by Jeter and Rodriguez.

Murray Chass writes:

The Red Sox had wanted to re-sign Damon, but John Henry, the principal owner, said this week that they weren't prepared to pay him $13 million a year, which is what the Yankees gave him for four years. To hear Damon tell it, though, the Red Sox might not have lured him back even if they had matched the Yankees' offer.

Asked if he had been influenced by the Red Sox front-office shuffling and the player exodus, he said, "It's something I definitely thought about, but what really opened my eyes was their first initial offer a month after the season."

In the Daily News, John Harper opines:

That may sound simplistic, and as Damon, the self-proclaimed "idiot," is the first to admit, he is not a deep thinker. But as he pointed out indirectly, part of having fun as a team is coming to grips with the responsibility of dealing with the media - a task the Yankees liken to prison detail.

"We made everyone (in Boston) realize they had a responsibility," Damon said. "I made myself very accessible to the media."

There is a fine line in the clubhouse in that regard. Often players who give too much time to the media are judged and resented by teammates as self-promoters, but Damon has an innocence about him - in addition to a well-earned reputation as a gamer - that made him as popular with his Red Sox teammates as he was with the fans in Boston.

Yes, it seems that everybody likes Johnny Damon, and it wasn't hard to see why yesterday, as he handled the big-event press conference with an ease and friendliness that clearly wasn't staged. He played to the media, rubbing his hairless chin while asking how everyone liked his new look. He responded to the blinding flash of cameras in his face by saying, "Thank you, and obviously, keep on snapping away."

The reaction to the Damon signing has been mixed. Regardless, the Yankees have a new center fielder, just in time for Christmas. This has been a very active off-season, and there will continue to be changes around and about before Opening Day rolls around. Anyhow, hope everyone enjoys and/or survives the holidays with their loved and/or related ones.

Anyone need a last-minute baseball book ideas for the holidays? Looking back on 2005, there are some good ones to choose from. Our pals Will Carroll, Jon Weisman and Steve Lombardi all released books. I also liked Howard Bryant's "Juicing the Game," Baseball Prospectus' "Mind Game," Steven Goldman's "Forging Genius," "The Hardball Times: Baseball Annual, 2006" (which features an article on the '05 Yanks by yours truly), Stephen Borelli's "How About That!," "The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers," and Matthew McGough's "Bat Boy." I didn't get around to reading Jerry Crasnick's "Lisense to Deal," but it looked like an engaging read too. In addition, Alan Schwarz's "The Numbers Game," and Buser Olney's book about the Yankees were both released in paperback.

I never got a chance to write a review of McGough's charming memoior of being a bat boy for the Yankees in the early nineties, but that wasn't because I didn't like it. I thought it was very well-realized, and think it's an ideal holiday gift for fans of any age. (As an aside, I love the memoir genre. Two other classic coming-of-age books if you haven't read them are Willie Morris' "North Toward Home," and Nat Hentoff's "Boston Boy." )

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Today marks the 30th anniversary of Messersmith/McNally ruling that would mark the end of the reserve clause and initiate the begining of the free agency era. I've got a piece commemorating the anniversary over at SI.com.

While Dave McNally, whose role in the affair is often over-looked, retired, Andy Messersmith was granted free agency. Though he ultimately signed a 3-year, $1 million deal with Ted Turner to play for the Braves, he almost became a Yankee.

"Messersmith, of course, almost played for the Yankees. If he had, though, he would have played under an agreement that, in part, would have been illegal.

The illegal portion of the agreement Messersmith nearly signed was a side letter the Yankees didn't intend to include with the uniform player's contract that was to be filed with the American League office. It covered two points, one dealing with the pitcher's dress and grooming, the other with an agreement under which the Yankees, at George Steinbrenner's suggestion, would have received 40 percent of all fees Messersmith would have earned for advertising and commercial endorsements.

The side agreement, illegal under baseball law, was part of the evidence introduced earlier this month in the two day hearing held before Commissioner Bowie Kuhn into the disputed between the Yankees and Messersmith..."

Murray Chass, New York Times. April 25, 1976.

Kuhn would declare the deal void, paving the way for Ted Turner. But after a difficult 1976, and an injury-riddled '77, Turner shipped Messersmith to the Yankees.

Here is what Sparky Lyle had to say about it. From his book, "The Bronx Zoo":

Monday, March 6 (1978):

I got myself worked up so much that I finally went in to talk to George. I told him, "You bought Messsersmith's contract from Atlanta from $333,333. The man has just had an arm operation, you don't know whether he can throw, and if he can throw, you don't know whether he can make our pitching staff, it's the final year of his contract, and next year he'll be a free agent again." I said, "I'll be a son of a bitch if after performing like I have for you since you've taken over this ball club and after you give him double the money I'm making, I don't get what he's making." In baseball, owners and general managers are always telling players that how valuable you are to the ball club is determined by how you perform and how many years you're with the club. But then a new guy is signed, and none of that crap matters.

And then, a few weeks later:

Thursday, March 16:

All spring Andy Messersmith had been pitching real well, super for a guy who had just had his elbow operated on. His fastball was moving, he had good control, and it was looking like George's gamble might have paid off, until today. We were playing the White Sox in an exhibition game, and in the fourth inning, Ralph Garr hit a grounder to Cliff, who was playing first. Andy ran to cover the bag, and when Cliff threw behind him, Andy fell trying to reach back for the ball. He fell hard on his shoulder, and now doctors think it might be separated. He may miss the rest of the season.

Messersmith would start five games for the Yanks, going 0-3 (and allowing seven dingers), in a total of 22 innings. But he was hurt for the majority of the season and was released in November. Messersmith ironically ended his career the following year with the Dodgers, the team he never wanted to leave in the first place. But he only pitched in 62 innings was was cut at the end of August.

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After reading through the comments to the last two posts on the Damon signing, I felt the need to generate a new post in response to the many misconceptions that are being tossed around:

To begin with, George Steinbrenner isn't spending his money. He's spending the Yankees' money. There are many major league owners who are richer than Steinbrenner, but no major league teams that generate more revenue. That said, when the Yankees expenses increase, it does come out of the fans' pockets. In addition to the cost of concessions at the Stadium, consider the fact that ticket prices have gone up each of the last two years as the Yankees have slipped into the red.

All of which is proof that the luxury tax is working. Since the new basic agreement went into effect in 2003, the Yankees have exceeded the luxury tax threshold each year and in 2005 paid more than $30 million in luxury tax alone. In 2006, they'll owe forty cents on every dollar they spend above $136.5 million. As of this morning, Hardball Dollars estimates the Yankees' 2006 payroll at $186.2 million. That figure does not include the league-minimum salaries of Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Phillips or Bubba Crosby, nor does it include the still-undetermined arbitration awards due to Shawn Chacon and Aaron Small. Chacon earned $2.35 million in '05 and finished strong. Let's round him up to $4 million. Small earned the league minimum, but went 10-0, so let's give him $1 million (both are likely lowball estimates). Wang, Phillips and Crosby make up another million. So that's a $192.2 million payroll, $55.7 million more than the tax threshold, meaning the Yankees already owe $22.28 million in luxury tax. Any further additions, such as a designated hitter, will actually cost the Yankees 40 percent more than the actual 2006 salaries of those players.

Also, for those counting the big salaries that have come off the books, don't forget that Jason Giambi and Randy Johnson will earn a combined $8 million more in 2006 than they did in 2005.

At any rate, for readers such as Debris to pin the Damon signing, or any other, on the Yankees' "economic advantage" over the Red Sox is simply absurd. Now that the Red Sox are bouncing around in John Henry's deep pockets and the Yankees are cutting payroll, that advantage no longer exists.

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One week ago today, our pal Murray, a long-time Bronx Banter reader wrote, "I consider a transit strike in New York more likely than Johnny Planet of the Apes signing with the Yankees."

2-2, whatta ya say? All praise Murray the Sage!

While we were busy yesterday fretting over possible non-tenders such as Corey Patterson, Russell Branyan (both of whom were tendered after all), and Hee Seop Choi (who was re-signed by the Dodgers), Brian Cashman was cooking up a much tastier treat. Never mind Jason Michaels, Johnny Damon is coming to the Bronx. Get that barber's chair ready.

Pending a physical and the hammering out of a few details, the Yankees will pay Damon $52 million over the next four years. My initial two bits:

• That's the exact same deal the Yankees gave to Hideki Matsui, who is just seven months Damon's junior.
• Damon will be 35 when his contract expires, which is how old Bernie Williams was in 2004.
• Damon's home/road splits have been striking during his four years with the Red Sox. Fenway has added some thirty points to his batting average, but negatively effected his power:

  2005 Home: .334/.391/.440 - .106 ISP
  2005 Road: .298/.342/.438 - .140 ISP

  2002-2004 Home: .318/.388/.448 - .130 ISP
  2002-2004 Road: .278/.340/.433 - .155 ISP

  As nearly all of Damon's home runs are shots pulled down the right field line, expect Damon's power numbers to improve as a result of the move from Fenway to Yankee Stadium.

• Not only have the Yankees just added one of the five best center fielders in the game, but they've subtracted that same player from their closest rivals, sending that gaping hole in center to Boston in exchange for Damon. Jesus Caveman was worth 5.5 wins to the Red Sox last year according to WARP. That's an eleven-win swing in the division as the result of a single move.
• Say what you want about the likelihood of Damon remaining above average in his age 35 season, this 2006 Yankee line-up is mighty impressive:

  R - Derek Jeter (SS)
  L - Johnny Damon (CF)
  R - Alex Rodriguez (3B)
  L - Jason Giambi (1B)
  R - Gary Sheffield (RF)
  L - Hideki Matsui (LF)
  S - Jorge Posada (C)
  L - Robinson Cano (2B)
  R - Andy Phillips (DH)

  Now if the Yankees were to sign Mike Piazza and bump Phillips to the bench . . .

As I write this, Becky is furiously wrapping gifts after a long day of holiday shopping. I myself finished (and started) my shopping yesterday, though I still have to do my wrapping and send out my half of the cards. At work, our accounts department is besieged by requests from authors desperate to get their checks before the new year for tax purposes, and the rest of us are working to tie up loose ends before before the office shuts down (or the transit system does, whichever comes first).

Things are no different in Yankeeland as the past two days have brought a pair of deadlines forcing certain personnel moves. Yesterday was the deadline for free agents offered arbitration to decline or accept their team's offer. As expected, all three players the Yankees offered arbitration--Bernie Williams, Al Leiter and Ramiro Mendoza--declined. Mendoza, who would have had very little to gain by accepting arbitration coming off a year of injury rehab played under a minor-league contract, signed another minor league deal with the Yankees and will again be a non-roster invitee to spring training in 2006. Unlike last year when he was unable to play until August, however, Mendoza will be expected to compete for the final spot in the bullpen this upcoming spring.

That Leiter and Williams declined arbitration is much more significant news for the Yankees. Even though both were likely offered arbitration with the understanding that they would decline it, had either had a last-second change of heart, the Yankees would have been on the hook for a multi-million dollar one-year deal with a player with very little chance of earning such a salary (given the 20 percent maximum pay cut, Leiter would have been guaranteed a minimum of $5.6 million for 2006, Williams $9.6 million). With Williams and Leiter having declined arbitration, the Yankees now have until January 8 to re-sign either if they so desire, otherwise they will lose the right to sign them until May 1.

Word has it that the Yankees are still trying to bang out a one-year deal with Williams, with $2 million being the currently rumored price tag. That would be a $10 million pay cut for Bernie, but would also be a half-million more than Ruben Sierra earned last year to fill the same role. Sierra was not only useless as a part-time DH/pinch-hitter in 2005 (posting a WARP2 of zero), but was overpaid even by the standards of his 2004 season (Tony Clark, who had an almost perfectly identical 2004 to Sierra's, but with the added advantage of being able to contribute on defense, signed for half as much with Arizona prior to 2005). Bernie posted a .255 EQA last year (compared to the .262 mark posted by Sierra in 2004) and has suffered a steep decline in two of his last three seasons. There is no reason to believe that he will be able to contribute anything more than the occasional pinch-hit walk to the Yankees in 2006. Much as it pains me to say so, and not just because it might get me stabbed by the woman wielding scissors to my left, I do not think the Yankees should resign Bernie Williams at any price.

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Man, Monday mornings round this time of year seem to be the worst for baseball news. The papers are replete with football scores and basketball and hockey news. For a true baseball nyerd, you just pray there are some scraps for us. On my crowded subway ride into Manhattan this morning I saw an older Spanish man standing a few feet away, a rolled up newspaper in his back pocket. There was a photograph of a baseball player swinging a bat on back page of the paper. I couldn't tell who the player was (I could only see from the waist down), or what team he played for. But what did that matter? It was nice to see something, anything related to baseball. And it was a comfort to know that for some papers (i.e., the Latin ones), baseball is year-round back page news.

Today gives bubkus in New York, the bubkus being Nomar and the Dodgers, Paul Lo Duca and the Mets, and the Yankees' interest in taking a chance on injured relief pitcher Octavio Dotel.

ESPN reports this morning that Nomar Gaciaparra will sign with the Dodgers:

Garciaparra, who still needs to take a physical and finalize contract details, will likely play first base for the Dodgers. The deal has a base salary of $6 million and could be worth as much as $8 million, the New York Post reported.

Phone calls from Joe Torre and Jason Giambi proved fruitless for the Yanks, as it appears that home is where the heart is for Nomar.

Though he has yet to make a decision, ESPN reports that Nomar Garciaparra is leaning towards accepting a one-year deal to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Our Dodger voice at Baseball Toaster, Jon Weisman, doesn't think Nomar would be desirable option to play first base in L.A. next year.

His humor was so much larger than the comedy today. Today's comedy is all about divisiveness. But as edgy and scathing and biting as he was, he was never oppresive. The laughter came from that interior recognition.

...Richard was okay not being on top of it all. Pain, sweetness, rage--when he came on stage, you felt his essence. there are some people who are just...open. And he was open.

Lily Tomlin

Just a few last thoughts on Richard Pryor, who passed away last weekend. There was a nice appreciation of the legendary comedian by Jesse McKinley in the Times earlier this week (I don't have the link but it appeared in Tuesday's paper), and Jerry Seinfeld of all people had some insightful comments:

Jerry Seinfeld, for example, who worked the same clubs as Mr. Pryor in the late 1970's and early 80's, said he distinctly recalled nights when Mr. Pryor would "walk the room," comedian lingo for driving patrons out into the streets.

"I remember people talking, saying Richard bombed last night," Mr. Seinfeld said. "Guys with reputations like that, they stay to the tried and true. You risk a little bit, but Richard risked everything all the time. He was the ultimate bullfighter on stage. He never let his instinct for self-preservation get in the way."

..."He started with what he knew and brought you to it," Mr. Seinfeld said. "He made you fall in love with him. And he did it so that you would relate to things you didn't think you could relate to."

Pryor hosted an early Saturday Night Live and it remains one of the show's best broadcasts.

"The truth was an incredibly hot commodity in 1974-75," said [SNL creator, Lorne] Michaels, who watched as Mr. Pryor did two long monologues that night, exactly 30 years ago today. "The distrust of authority was at its absolute peak, with Watergate and the war, and he caught the wave."

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The Yankees traded minor leaguer Ben Julinel to the Marlins in exchange for left-handed relief pitcher, Ron Villone. This is the sixth time Villone has been traded and the ninth team he's been on since he broke into the Majors in 1995.

Nothing stirs up a good debate like discussing who belongs in the Hall of Fame. I've got a column over at SI.com about some of the best players not enshrined up in Cooperstown. Would you believe I had the nerve to go with Mex Hernandez over our own Donnie Baseball? Well, head on over and give it a look. Then come back and let the arguments begin!

According to George King in The New York Post, Alex Rodriguez will not participate in the WBC games for either the U.S. or the Dominican Republic. Rodriguez told King, in part:

"When faced with the decision to choose between my country, the United States of America, and my Dominican heritage, I decided that I will not dishonor either."

Classic Rodriguez, not wanting to offend anyone. But honestly I couldn't care less about about his reasoning. As far as I'm concerned the fewer Yankees playing in this cockamamie tournament the better. It's not that I'm against the idea of the WBC in theory, but it feels almost inevitable that someone, somehow is going to get injured during the course of the games, and brother, I sure don't want it to be anyone on the Yanks. Can you relate?

While Joe Torre vacations in Italy--he carried the Olympic torch for 400 yards in Florence yesterday--his first baseman Jason Giambi reached out to Nomar Garciaparra according to Sam Borden in The Daily News. Giambi and Garciaparra share the same agent. Nomar is said to have narrowed his choices down to four teams and is expected to make a decision shortly. Tyler Kepner reports that "if Garciaparra signs with the Yankees, he would probably receive a one-year contract with a base salary of $5 million or $6 million and incentives."

The fellas over at NoMaas believe inking Nomar would be a steal for the Bombers. Here is how they envision him in pinstripes:

Give Sheffield 20 games at DH and stick Nomar in RF. Give Matsui 15 games at DH and stick him in LF. Give Giambi 50 games at DH and stick Nomar at first. Give Rodriguez 10 games off at DH and stick Nomar at third, Give Jeter 10 games off at SS and stick Nomar at short. Give Cano 10 games off and stick Nomar at second. That's 115 games in the field.

I'm still skeptical that it'll happen, but if Garciaparra comes to New York, it sure will be something to write about.

So far Joe Torre is 1-3 in his recruiting phone calls this winter (Farnsworth, check; Giles, Eyre, nope). Torre told reporters yesterday that he had a general conversation with free agent Nomar Garciaparra. Newsday is reporting that Torre also spoke with Johnny Damon. I don't expect either of 'em to end up in New York, do you?

Meanwhile, the Bombers aren't thrilled about Chien-Ming Wang pitching the WBC this spring, but they may not have a cherce in the matter.

As the Red Sox front office soap opera continues, all remains relatively quiet in the Bronx, where it is brick cold this morning. Oh, Brian Cashman, who maintains that he has no interest in dealing Carl Pavano, reportedly took in a meal with relief pitcher Julian Tavarez yesterday up in Washington Heights (insert snide remark here), but that's not exactly a banner headline. What did make the back page of the New York Post today is a rumor that the Yankees have made an offer to free agent Nomar Garciaparra to play first base in New York. George King writes that the Bombers are one of several teams that have inquired about Nomar. Nothing more specific is available at this time. Meanwhile, Newsday's Jon Heyman, who has a habit of writing about Scott Boras' clients, reports that if Johnny Damon considers a four-year deal, the Yankees will be in the mix.

There has been no official word yet about Bernie Williams' return next season, though I assume he'll be the team's fourth outfielder. In a recent chat over at Baseball Prospectus, Joe Sheehan opined:

As frustrating as it is to watch Williams play center field, I don't think the team currently listing Bubba Crosby as its #1 center fielder has much room to complain about the marginal HoFer with fourth-outfielder skills wanting to stick around.

Evaluate Bernie against fourth outfielders and you'll see that he can still help a team. If the money is right, he'd be a good fit for the Yankees next year, and for 20 or so other teams.

Phil Allard and Larry Mahnken see things differently.

Round the Web

Rich Lederer has been making the case for Bert Blyleven: Hall of Famer for some time now. He's both committed and convincing. This year, he's pulled out all the stops, hosting a Bert Blyleven Week over at The Baseball Analysts. Rich kicked it off yesterday while Rob Neyer guest stars today. Dayn Perry is up tomorrow. By the end of the week, you too will be persuaded--if you aren't already--that Blyleven belongs in the Hall of Fame.

Also, for a touching non-baseball story, please slide on over to Catfish Stew and dig the latest from our own Ken Arneson. A lyrical piece accompanied by some great images.

Miguel Tejada kept pipe dreams warm from Boston to Chicago to Queens this weekend. (The Sox and Yanks have also reached out to Roger Clemens' agents too.) After all, who wouldn't love to add Miggy to their team? But for now, it's just fodder, as the Orioles seem intent on keeping their star shortstop.

Meanwhile, in a bit of in-house intrigue, according to an ESPN report, the Yankees will not permit catcher Jorge Posada to play in the World Baseball Classic this spring. Steve Lombardi thinks this is fishy:

It's a three week tournament being played the same time as Spring Training. I don't see how it's OK for Jeter, Cano and A-Rod to take on this work, but, it's an extra hardship for Jorge.

Every once in a while I hear whispers about how some in the Yankees front office do not like Posada. I'm not sure why and/or over what. But, because I have heard this more than once, I have to wonder if this objection is a way to give Jorge some grief. If so, it's a story that I hope gets told someday. It would be interesting to know.

I have to say that I've got very little interest in the WBC tournament. That could change, of course, but right now, I'm most concerned about a star player hurting themselves, and subsequently gumming-up the works for his Major League team as a result.

With little to nothing cooking with the Yanks this weekend, please indulge me in remembering Richard Pryor. (And if you aren't interested, that's cool, check back tomorrow.)

"I've been trying to figure out the analogies to what Richard Pryor meant, and the closest I can come to is Miles Davis," said Reginald Hudlin, the film and TV director and president of entertainment for Black Entertainment Television. "There's music before Miles Davis, and there's music after Miles Davis. And Richard Pryor is that same kind of person.

"Every new piece kind of transformed the game," Hudlin said. "He was a culturally transcendent hero. His influence is bigger than black comedy; it's bigger than comedy. He was a cultural giant."
(L.A. Times)

Kudos to Mel Watkins at the New York Times for a fine obituary on Richard Pryor today.

Here are some of the highlights:

"Comedy," [Pryor] said, "is when you are driving along and see a couple of dudes and one is in trouble with the others and he's trying to talk his way out of it. You say, 'Oh boy, they got him,' and you laugh. I cannot tell jokes. My comedy is not comedy as society has defined it."

On his mid-career change of direction:

"I made a lot of money being Bill Cosby," he recalled, "but I was hiding my personality. I just wanted to be in show business so bad I didn't care how. It started bothering me - I was being a robot comic, repeating the same lines, getting the same laughs for the same jokes. The repetition was killing me."

..."There was a world of junkies and winos, pool hustlers and prostitutes, women and family screaming inside my head, trying to be heard. The longer I kept them bottled up, the harder they tried to escape. The pressure built till I went nuts."

I like Watkins' take on Pryor's masterpiece:

Mr. Pryor probably reached the pinnacle of his career in 1979 with his first concert film, "Richard Pryor, Live in Concert," a movie, filmed during an appearance in Long Beach, Calif., that more than a quarter of a century later remains the standard by which other movies of live comedy performances are judged.

The film, which was to inspire others to make their own comic performance movies, caught Mr. Pryor at peak form. He reflected often about his own tumultuous life, with monologues about a domestic quarrel in which he shot his wife's car, the death of his pet monkeys and a near-fatal heart attack, which ended with: "I woke up in the ambulance, right? And there was nothin' but white people starin' at me. I say . . . I done died and wound up in the wrong heaven. Now I gotta listen to Lawrence Welk the rest of my days."

I'm sure we'll see a bunch of Pryor's movies, and hopefully, "Live in Concert" pop up on cable in the coming weeks and months.

Richard Pryor, one of the most famous and influencial comedians of them all, died today of a heart attack. He was 65. Pryor suffered from MS for years now. Considering the kind of hard living and abuse he put his body through over the course of time, the news of his passing doesn't exactly come as a shock. Still, it is a sad moment because Pryor took the art of stand-up comedy and elevated it to a level of social commentary and personal vulnerability that few, if any, performers have ever reached. I think he the natural heir to Lenny Bruce, but he remains in a category of his own. In his prime, during the late 1970s, he was arguably the greatest comedian of all-time. All the black comedians who have come after him--Eddie Murphy, the Wayans brothers, Bernie Mac, Dave Chappelle, are in a sense, his children. He is to stand-up what Bob Dylan was to rock and roll.

After the crossover hit "Silver Streak," and then his rousing concert film "Live in Concert," Pryor became the first black actor to be the number one box office draw ever. It was capped off by his second feature with Gene Wilder, "Stir Crazy," in 1980. But Pryor's moment on top would be fleeting, as his struggles with cocaine overwhelmed him. In a free-basing accident not long after "Stir Crazy" had been released, Pryor set fire to himself, and in some ways, his career never recovered.

During his early days, in the mid 1960s, Pryor had made a name for himself on the talk show circut, essentially doing the kind of clean act that had made Bill Cosby a star. But by the end of the sixites, Pryor, like many other African Americans at the time, became increasingly politicized. He stopped doing his Cosby routine and went back to the drawing board. Over the next several years he developed a routine that was far more personal, and far more political. Pryor stopped doing jokes in the traditional sense and began acting out scenes and characters.

"Live and Smoking" is a concert film of these transitional years, and the material is often unfunny, with Pryor and the audience not quite sure what to make of his new approach. They are still feeling each other out. Yet is a fascinating recording when you consider the heights he would soon achive with his best work: "That Nigger's Crazy," "Is it Something I Said?" and "Wanted: Live in Concert."

The film critic Pauline Kael wrote in 1982:

When Chaplin began to talk onscreen, he used a cultivated voice and high-flown words, and became a deeply unfunny man; if he had found the street language to match his lowlife, tramp movements, he might have been something like Richard Pryor, who's all of a piece--a master of lyrical obscenity. Pryor is the only great poet satirist among our comics. His lyricism seems to come out of his thin-skinned nature; he's so empathic he's all wired up. His 1979 film "Richard Pryor Live in Concert" was a cosummation of his years as an entertainer, and then some. He had a lifetime of matieral at his fingertips, and he seemed to go beyond himself. He personified objects, animals, people, the warring parts of his own body, even thougts in the heads of men and women--black, white, Oriental--and he seeemed possessed by the spirits he pulled out of himself. To those of us who thougt it was one of the greatest performances we'd ever seen or ever would see, his new one-man show "Richard Pryor Live on the Sunset Strip" may be disappointing yet emotionally stirring.

Pryor was raw but what distinguished him was his vulnerability. It was this quality that helped make him a terrific actor. He was mostly in crappy movies, but he had a great turn in "Lady Sings the Blues" and later in Paul Schrader's "Blue Collar." Pryor was too unhinged to sustain a steady career in movies. He also did a great turn for a Lily Tomlin TV special in the late 70s and his short-lived NBC variety show has its moments and is now available on DVD.

I highly reccommend "Live in Concert" and the three albums I mentnioned above. (Rhino has an excellent compilation "And it's Deep Too," which features all of his classic routines--Black Ben the Blacksmith, Wino and the Junkie, as well as his incomperable storyteller, Mudbone.) I know them all by heart and think they display a kind of brilliance--both moving and threatening, compassionate and hiliarous--that is unique.

Considering all the pain that Pryor experienced in his life, I hope he is in a calmer, more peaceful place now. He was one of the true legends of our time.

The Bronx is covered in snow this morning. As I trooped my way to the subway, a heavy snow was falling and everything was white. But the subways were still running on time (word to the MTA). When I arrived at 50th street and Broadway, things had gotten wetter. Maybe the streets are just hotter in midtown. Regardless, the slush-a-thon was in full-effect. But the snow was still falling--big, fat, raggeded flakes, as if someone up there tore open a pillow and all the feathers were falling out on our heads. Traffic is moving slightly more cautiously than usual, but only slightly. The snow is lining the trees and it all looks lovely.

The winter meetings came to a conlusion in Dallas yesterday. After trading Tony Womack (and $900,000) to the Reds yesterday, the Yankees signed southpaw reliever Mike Myers to a two-year deal believed to be worth $2.4 million (SG, over at the Replacement Level Yankees Blog considers how effective Myers will be). Tyler Kepner suggests the Womack trade demonstrates Brain Cashman's newfound control over things:

The deal symbolized the changes in the Yankees' front-office hierarchy.

Discuss the Postseason General Manager Brian Cashman did not want to sign Womack last December, but the move was forced on him by the Tampa, Fla., headquarters of George Steinbrenner, the principal owner. This December, Cashman, asserting himself in the first winter of his new three-year contract, essentially dispatched with a spare part to add a veteran left-handed reliever.

..."Talking to Brian, it's noticeable that when you ask him, 'What about this, what about that?' you get a much quicker response," said Kevin Towers, the San Diego Padres' general manager. "It doesn't seem like you have to run it up two or three different flagpoles."

Robinson Cano, who visited with cancer patients yesterday at Sloane-Kettering, said he's happy that he's still a Yankee:

"I don't care, I just want to play every day...If it has to be center field, that's OK," Cano said with a smile at a midtown press conference to announce his endorsement deal [with Spalding]. "If they ask me, I'll do it."

Brain MacMillian links to a rumor that would send Sean Henn and Taynon Sturtze to the Phillies for center fielder Jason Michaels, while Steve Lombardi looks at what Bernie Williams' 2006 could be like.

As expected, the Rocket rumors are keeping writers warm as they return east. In his latest column, Bob Klapisch writes:

A.J. Burnett said this week that Pavano is "miserable" pitching in New York, and has told a number of friends - including Burnett, his former teammate in Florida - he wants to be traded. Clemens' presence would make Pavano expendable, assuming someone would actually pay $10 million for an injured sinkerballer with diminished velocity.

If Cashman can pull off a deal for Pavano, he deserves early consideration for Executive of the Year. But the Yankees clearly need a pitching response to the Red Sox and Blue Jays, both of whom are now stronger at the front of the rotation.

Clemens and Randy Johnson are obviously fragile fortysomethings, but The Rocket was arguably the National League's best pitcher in 2005. If healthy, he would create a match for Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett, as well as Roy Halladay and Burnett.

Clemens would give the Yankees a boost in the clubhouse, where he's still popular two years since his departure. The Rocket stays in touch with Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada, who e-mailed him advice about pitching to the White Sox during the World Series.

My hunch is that Clemens is done, and even if he isn't, he won't return to New York. But what do I know? Hope everyone in the tri-state area stays safe and enjoys the snow today.

The Yankees have officially announced the trade that will at long last send Tony Womack hurtling into the sun, or at least Cincinnati. It's a minor deal, with the Yankees unloading an unwanted, unproductive player for a pair of minor leaguers, but as far as I'm concerned, it's a minor miracle.

Not only have the Reds agreed to take Womack and his $2 million salary off the Yankees hands for 2006, but they've sent, not one, but two able-bodied young men back to the Bronx for the privilege. Were these kids ticket takers or pretzel vendors (seriously, the Stadium is in dire need of more pretzel vendors, I can never get a pretzel without having to retreat into the concourses) it would have been a steal, but they can actually play baseball.

The lesser player, outfielder Ben Himes, is too old for his league, having failed to advance beyond A-ball at the age of 24. But he did hit .320/.372/.533 for Sarasota in the Florida State League last year. Himes is a fourth outfielder at best, but given that strong showing and the fact that he got a late start (he was drafted out of college in 2003), there's no reason to write him off just yet.

Kevin Howard, meanwhile, was ranked by both Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America as the top player available in today's Rule 5 draft. A 24-year-old, lefty-hitting second baseman who spent all of 2005 in double-A, Howard doesn't have a whole lot of power, but gets his hits and knows how to draw a walk (his .296/.346/.428 line in Chattanooga last year is fairly representative of his abilities at the plate). Howard played 3B in college and returned there in October in the Arizona Fall League where he crushed to the tune of .409/.475/.557, winning the AFL batting crown. A left-handed hitter, Howard's never had a great defensive reputation, but his offensive skills and ability to play multiple positions (it's thought he could also be used in the outfield) could make him a useful utility player as soon as the latter half of this year, which means he's probably already more valuable than Womack. Best of all, the Yankees got him without having to keep him on the 25-man roster all year.

That's a hell of a take for a player who is almost guaranteed to cost the Reds both wins and a couple mil. Indeed, between this trade and the list of players not offered arbitration last night, the Yankees have drastically improved their ballclub in the last 15 hours simply by deleting deleterious players. Check out the dearly departed and their 2005 VORPs:

John Flaherty -9.6
Kevin Brown -9.5
Tony Womack -8.9
Darrell May -8.5
Tim Redding -5.4
Alan Embree -4.8
Matt Lawton -3.5
Ruben Sierra -2.3
Mark Bellhorn -1.0
Rey Sanchez -0.5
Mike Vento -0.5
Russ Johnson -0.3

No, those aren't dashes, those are negative numbers. If the Yankees can replace those twelve men with replacement level players--the sort that can be acquired via the waiver wire or promoted from the minors--they stand to improve by nearly 55 runs in 2006, that's five and a half wins. For example, John Flaherty's replacement, Kelly Stinnett, had a VORP of 5.3 in 2005, that's a net improvement of 14.9 runs, or a win and a half in the back-up catcher slot alone. Oh, Glorious Day!

Tony Woemack, or Mo-wack, or whatever the heck you like to call him, has been shipped out of New York on the Davey Collins express to the Reds for a minor league player. CBS Sportsline reports that the player is Kevin Howard, a second baseman.

One of the many reasons I love baseball more than any other sport is the strategy. Not that there isn't strategy in other sports, but constant-action games such as basketball, hockey, soccer and tennis don't provide moments of stasis in which the viewer can think along with the coach or the players. Football comes close, with the breaks between downs giving fans a chance to contemplate a run versus a pass, how to manage the clock, or what to do on forth down (which is why it's my second favorite sport), but the playbooks are top secret and I can't remember ever hearing a football fan scream in anguish "agh! They should have run a reverse there!" To oversimplify somewhat, it seems the only time football fans truly get to make the call is when the coach is deciding to kick or not to kick.

Baseball is different. The tuned in fan can call pitches, advise the batter on what to look for and whether or not to swing, position the fielders, send or hold the baserunners, get a reliever warmed up, make a pitching change or send in a pinch hitter or runner, issue an intentional walk, even choose where a fielder should throw a batted ball. It's a game of constant contemplation, strategy, logic, discussion, and argument, which is exactly why it appeals so strongly to scholars and writers.

The offseason is no different. Take for example the events of last night and today. On their face, the arbitration deadline and the Rule 5 draft couldn't be more boring, but when one considers the strategy involved in each, they suddenly become extremely compelling for the hardcore baseball fan.

Let's look at the arbitration deadline first. Teams had until midnight last night to offer arbitration to their eligible free agents or lose the ability to re-sign them until May 1, a full month into the 2006 season. Given that statement alone, one would be tempted to say that teams should always offer their free agents arbitration so as to keep their options open. But it's not that simple.

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While Matt Cerrone is keeping steady tabs on all the hub bub down in Big D, our pal Steve Lombardi is killin' it from the Yankees side of things. Head on over to Was Watching for the latest on Gary Matthews Jr (update: ESPN is reporting that Juan Pierre has been dealt to the Cubbies), Tony Womack, and players the Yanks could dangle as trade bait. Meanwhile, Brian MacMillian has a series of links detailing how the Bombers' blue-chip prospect Eric Duncan won the MVP of the Arizona Fall League.

A bunch of things are brewing in Dallas. I caught ESPN last night and Peter Gammons expected a flurry of activity later today into tomorrow (winds light to variable). The question for us in the Bronx is will any of it involve the Yanks?

If the Yankees don't offer Bernie Williams a new contract by midnight tonight, his career with the team will be over (they certainly have no plans to go to arbitration with him). Yankee general manager Brian Cashman will reportedly meet again with Williams' agent Scott Boras today. If Williams were to return, it would presumably be in the kind of reserve role that Ruben Sierra has filled for the past several years. Mike Lupica, who is one of the Yankees' most vocal critics, pays tribute to Williams today in the Daily News:

Nothing lasts forever. Joe DiMaggio limped away from center field at the Stadium at the age of 36, a year younger than Bernie is right now. Mickey Mantle limped away. If Williams leaves the Yankees today, he will leave in better shape than either one of them, even if he isn't close to what he used to be. It doesn't change that when you talk about all the center fielders in the history of the New York Yankees, there is DiMaggio, there is Mantle, there is Williams. It is not such a terrible way to run third.

You said it. Although the Yankees long expected great things from Williams, he was scrawny and a late-bloomer, and did not possess the kind of natural baseball instincts that Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter have. But when all was said and done, he was the team's best offensive player during the team's glory years (1996-00), and he put together a near Hall of Fame career. Not bad indeed.

Speaking of which, another unassuming but admirable player, John Olerud is retiring. Olerud was a wonderful first baseman and an excellent hitter. Alex Rodriguez has called him the best teammate he's ever had. Olerud wasn't a great player, but like Williams he was a very, very good one--one that you'd generally love to have on your team. Olerud had a reputation as a hard worker, but for a large man, he was remarkably fluid, from the way he played first, to his uncomplicated swing. In 17 big league seasons, Olerud had a lifetime .295 battting average, .398 on base percentage (1275 career walks to 1016 career whiffs), and .465 slugging percentage.

There was something serene, even removed about Olerud. He had a kind of quiet intensity that is easy to overlook. But I found that quality exceedingly appealing. Of course, he'll probably be best remembered for wearing a batting helmet in the field, but I'll always recall that far-away, but peaceful look he'd have on his face while sitting in the dugout. When I'd watch him like that I always wondered what he was thinking (he almost suggested a benign Travis Bickle at times). Sometimes, my brother once commented, he just looked content, like the wind blowing through his ears. Olerud seemed very comfortable in his own skin, so even though he gave the impression of being internal or distant, he always seemed so grounded and sure that it isn't difficult to see why his teammates loved playing with him.

I loved how he embraced New York when he played for the Mets, even occasionally taking the 7 train to work. Hopefully, there will be some tributes to him around the 'Net in the coming days. I'll make a point of linking to them when they are up.

Nomar in New York? Don't hold your breath. Manny movin' on? M'ehh, could be. One thing is for sure: A.J. Burnett is now a Toronto Blue Jay. It is a high-risk deal, what with his injury history and all, but the guy can bring it. Don't know if he can pitch, but he's got dynamite stuff. The AL East just got more interesting.

Matt Cerrone is doing a bang-up job of updating all the latest from Dallas over at Metsblog.com. Check him out (again and again).

As I type this, my commuter train is rolling slowly past Riverfront Stadium, the home of the Newark Bears. The field and stands are covered in a thin layer of snow. There are trucks on the field, likely carrying workers there to prevent the snow from killing the sod, and thus there are some lights on in the park that give the field a cozy yellow glow. During the summer I often roll past the stadium as the players are taking batting practice or even as a game is starting. From my seat in the train, I can see the scoreboard, though I usually don't have my glasses on and thus can't read the name of the Bears player at bat. A couple of years ago, I used to look through the crack in the wall between the left field corner and the stands along the third base line and catch a glimpse of Rickey himself in his purple pinstripes accessorized with dark shades, his elongated outfielder's glove twitching at his thigh waiting to snatch a fly ball out of the air. Tonight, while the outfield wall remains covered in advertisements, the scoreboard is dark and there's not single a blade of grass visible through the snow.

Tonight I'm taking the train a few stops past my usual departure point because my mom has invited Becky and me over for dinner. In about an hour or so I'll be stuffing my face with roast beef and brown gravy, home made mashed potatoes, biscuits and something green (to create the illusion of a healthy meal). Nothing like home cookin' on a snowy winter's day to compensate for the sight of a ballpark in hibernation.

Fortunately, while the fields on which they play may be in mid-winter slumber, the teams themselves are keeping busy by cooking up a feast of their own. Be they collecting hard-throwing nuts or coveting a choice cut of meat, the hot stove has come to a boil. I think it's about time I sink my teeth into this offseason's first few courses.

Soup's On!

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Because of the Internet, fans don't have to wait for the evening news or the morning papers to catch the latest sport updates. That's especially helpful now with the winter meetings underway and fans from coast to coast all gibbed up like Bevis on a sugar fix. Buster Olney's blog will be essential reading for those of you who subscribe to ESPN's Insider, while Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci will keep us up-to-date. I'm sure Joe Sheehan and Will Carroll will have the dish for Baseball Prospectus as well. Regionally, make sure to tune in to WFAN to catch Sweeny Murti's reports, and head on over here for the Journal News' Pete Abraham's daily log.

The Mets made another trade with the Flordia Marlins over the weekend, acquiring catcher Paul LaDuca. While the Yankees weren't up to much--the most notable news involved a Daily News report detailing how the organization lost money in 2005--they figure to be one of the many teams involved in the flurry of activity this week at the winter meetings in Dallas. Will Manny get his Christmas present and wind up in California? Will Barry Zito leave Oakland? Will the Yankees trade for Juan Pierre? Let the rumors begin!

Earlier this year, Steven Goldman, and my co-host here at Bronx Banter, Cliff Corcoran characterized last off-season as "the worst in Yankee history." When I later pressed them on their methodology they confessed that they hadn't actually done a thorough comparison. Now, educated guesses coming from the likes of these two sure ain't nothing to sneeze at. And while I don't necessarily doubt that last year could have been the worst Yankee off-season, I want to know exactly how much worse it was than say, the 1981-82 off season, or the '82-83 debacle, and why. Goldman plans to take up the conversation this winter over at the Pinstriped Bible. (To be reasonable, I think it's better to ask what has been the worst off-seasons since George Steinbrenner has owned the team; as Goldman has already mentioned, we should not count the Collusion winters of the mid-eighties.)

While I'm not attempting to answer the question myself in this space, perhaps you guys have some suggestions of your own; feel free to leave 'em in the comments section below. More to the point, this topic brings to mind some of the worst free agent signings in team history. Certainly, Carl Pavano, Jaret Wright and Tony Womack are among the most dubious dealsthe team has ever made--particularly because they prevented the Bombers from inking Carlos Beltran, a move that continues to haunt the organization this winter. (Should Pavano, and Womack go in the "Bad" category, or the flat-out "Ugly" one?)

Anyhow, I thought it might be fun to look back at some of the best and worst Yankee free agent signings. This is an informal list--and I'm going to skip over those free agents like Bernie Williams who were re-signed by the team (as well as all amateur free agent signings). Tell me what you think, and feel free to add to the list. I tried to get all of the contract information right, but if I've made any mistakes, please, I'm here to be corrected.

The Best

Catfish Hunter (December, 1974: five-years, $3.35 million)

Hunter's best season for New York came in 1975, which shouldn't come as a huge surprise because that was the team's second (and final) year playing home games at Shea Stadium. Man, talk about the Yankeeography we'll never see. I was too young to remember those years, but heck, I've rarely even seen still photographs from that time. If there was enough material, "The Yankees in Queens" would make a good documentary or book, or even just article.

Reggie Jackson (December, 1976: five-years, $3.5 million)

It was sometimes difficult for us to comprehend "the magnitude of me," that was Reginald Martinez Jackson. Or just vexing. The man whose sole pal on the '77 team was reserve, reserve catcher Fran Healy, wasn't ever going to win any popularity contests in the Yankee locker room, but while in New York, he produced. His best season came in 1980.

Dave Winfield (December, 1980: ten-years, $23 million)

Winfield was unfairly dubbed "Mr. May" by George Steinbrenner in 1985. But Winfield was a tremendous player in New York and had the numbers to show for it. He was also just a marvel to watch--those long arms and legs. I remember him making a habit of robbing home runs that were sure to go over the left field fence. It was like he was sitting under the basket waiting to gold tend. His arm wasn't half bad neither, and man could he ever pick up speed as he rounded first base. Hit more hard line drives than any Yankee right-hander until Gary Sheffield.

Goose Gossage (November, 1977: six-years, $2.75 million)

One of the handful of great relief pitchers of 'em all, Gossage was a force to be reckoned with during his years in New York. Possibly the best relief pitcher signing in history. Somehow is not a Hall of Famer...yet.

Tommy John (November, 1978: four-years, $1.42 million)

Next to Guidry, my favorite Yankee starting pitcher as a kid. I was right-handed but tried to immitate his laconic delivery all the time during whiffle ball. Won 43 games in his first two seasons in New York ('79, '80). Sinker, sinker, sinker: slow, slower, slowest.

Don Baylor (December, 1982, four-years, $3.37 million)

The veteran slugger was steady and productive during his years in New York. Loved his imposing stance at the plate. Short, compact swing for a big guy.

Phil Niekro (January, 1984: two-years, $1.1 million)

Won 16 games twice for the Bombers, when he was 45 and 46-years young. (Actually, I was told by an older guy recently that that term is endlessly annoying. "There are three stages in a man's life," he told me. "Youth, middle age, and 'Gee, you look terrific.'") Niekro won his 300th game on the last day of the 1985 season against the Blue Jays in Toronto. It would be his final game for the Yanks.

El Duque Hernandez (March, 1998: four-years, $6.6 million)

Just as 1998 didn't seem like it could get any better for the Yanks, in swooped the modern baseball version of Yul Brenner, the Bombers' International Man of Mystery. Hernandez distinguished himself as a playoff performer, and his Game 4 performance against the Indians in '98 may well have been the most crucial game of the year for the Yanks.

Mike Stanley (January, 1992: four-years, $2.3 million)

I suppose Joe Girardi, the man who would replace Stanley, could fit nicely here too. Stanley was the superior offensive player, and had some fine seasons in New York, where he was a great fan favorite.

Jimmy Key (December, 1992: four-years, $16.8 million)

A key aquisition--along with trading Roberto Kelly for Paul O'Neill, and signing Wade Boggs--in rebuilding the Yankees. Key had stellar seasons in 1993 (18-6, 3.00 ERA in 236 innings) and '94 (17-4, 3.27 ERA in 168 innings). Pitched for the World Championshiop team in '96. Was not re-signed after that, and moved to Baltimore, whose free agent southpaw, David Wells, inked with the Yanks.

Mike Stanton (December, 1996: four-years, $5.5 million)

Solid southpaw out of the bullpen for the Yankees, Stanton had an especially good post-seaason career, with a 2.10 ERA in 55.7 innings (21 walks, 47 Ks).

David Wells (December, 1996: three-years, $13.5 million)

The man who loved the Yankees so much that he actually wore one of Babe Ruth's old caps (which he had won in an auction) during a live game (at least for an inning or so before a not-so-pleased Joe Torre told him to remove it). Wells loved playing in New York, and the fans loved him back. Pitched very well in 1997 and 1998, especially '98.

Hideki Matsui (December, 2002: three-years, $21 million)

The most famous athlete in Japan didn't have too much difficulty adapting to the Major Leagues. While he's no superstar in the states, he's been a reliable player in every sense of the word. He's not spectacular, but he's durable and solid. His good fundamentals help cover his inadequacies as a fielder. Curiously though, he has the ability to look like a Little Leaguer out there too.

The Bad

Don Gullett (November, 1976: six-years, $2 million)

Injuries were the key in making Gullett an expensive flop in New York.

Rawly Eastwick (December, 1977: five-years, $1.1 million)

Ah, we hardly knew ye. Lasted less than three months in the Bronx.

Dave Collins (December, 1981: 3-years, $2.475 million) The point man in George's doomed speed experiment, Collins was lost in New York. According to "Damn Yankees, " Collins asked reporter Moss Klein, "Why do they want me hear?" There's no role for me here. This is the craziest team I've ever seen."

Collins urged Klein to ask manager Bob Lemon about what was going on.

"I guess he's gonna play somewhere," Lemon said. "Will he be traded? You got me, Meat. They don't tell me what's going on here. I'm just the manager."

Collins was traded in the off-season. Steinbrenner, in his haste to dump him, also included minor league prospect Fred McGriff in the deal. Ouch.

Steve Kemp (December, 1982: five-years, $5.5 million)

An overachieving, huslting kind of ball player, you would have thought Bill Martin would have loved him. But the Yankees had a logjam of talent to play in the outfield in '83, and when Kemp tried to play through injuries, his performance suffered. He was KO'd by a freak batting practice accident late in the season. 1984 was even worse and he was shipped to the Pirates that winter. He played in only 92 games in '85, and then a handful more in 86 and then a couple in '88 for the Rangers before calling it quits.

Kenny Rogers (December, 1995: 4-years, $20 million)

Rogers pitched like a head case in New York, and lost the faith of manager Joe Torre. By the time the team won the World Series in '96, Rogers had been buried. I'll never forget watching the victory parade and seeing Rogers on top of one of the floats, waving his cowboy hat like Slim Pickens about to ride the Bomb into oblivion. That cracked me up. I thought that it was cool that he was enjoying himself so thoroughly considering how little he had contributed.

Hideki Irabu (May, 1997: four-years, $12.8 million, plus $8.5 million signing bonus--not to mention the $3 million they paid the Padres for the rights to negotiate with Irabu in the first place)

One of my favorite Yankee misfits of 'em all. The Golden Boy team of the Joe Torre era needed at least one screwjob and "Boo Boo" Irabu fit the bill. He looked like a combination of Jackie Gleason and a Japanese Elvis impersonator. Had a horrible disposition on the mound. If he would miss with his pitches in the first inning or so, he'd get so upset with the umpires, that he'd act like a spoiled kid and say, "Fine, if that's how you are going to call them, I'm going to keep pitching just off the plate." Best Yankee moment came against the Blue Jays at the stadium. After a Yankee batter had been plunked, Irabu retaliated and hit a Toronto batter. When the hitter didn't make a move to the mound, Irabu charged the plate, and the benches cleared. All I can remember is Mike Stanton holding Irabu back around home plate. Stanton couldn't help but smile.

Jose Contreras (December, 2002: four-years, $32 million)

Pitched unevenly for a year-and-a-half in New York. Would vary between unhittable and unbearable. The Red Sox just feasted on him during this period. Traded for a half a season of Esteban Loiza. Of course, Contreras finally got his act together in the second half of this season, and was the ace pitcher for the World Champion Chicago White Sox. He pitched brilliantly in the post-season.

Jack Clark (January, 1988: 3-years, $5.5 million)

Ding-Dong, Collusion's Dead, says George. Clark, a big lug if there ever was one, thought he'd have a better time of it in the Bronx than in St. Louis. He didn't. Probably a huge mistake to leave Whitey Herog so soon. Clark did hit 27 dingers for the Bombers in '88 but was traded in the fall to the Padres.

Ed Whitson (Fall, 1984: 5-years, $4.4 million)

Famous for hating pitching in New York. Actually, really famous for getting into a brawl (which was really two seperate fights) with manager Billy Martin. Whitson was declared the winner by TKO.

Steve Karsay (Fall, 2001: four-years, $22.25 milion)

A high-priced set-up man, Karsay had a good season for New York in 2002. After that, the Queens-native was ravaged by injuries and amounted to an expensive bust.

Pascual Perez (November, 1989: 3-years, $5.7 million)

A fitting symbol of the Yankees' bottoming-out in the late eighties, early nineties. Perez, who came with a big mouth and lots of controversy, wound up pitching less than 90 innings over two years before it was all over for him.

Danny Tartabull (January, 1992: five-years, $25.5 million)

A relatively erodite player who enjoyed Broadway shows, it might be unfair to categorize Tartabull as a disaster. His numbers were decent for the Yanks, but they weren't superstar stats. He was the last of the Jesse Barfield/Mel Hall era, as the Yankees moved into the Buck Showalter/Stick Michael/Joe Torre era.

Of course there are other notable signings that didn't make the cut, but maybe you'd have 'em up there. I didn't include Mike Mussina or Jason Giambi. Perhaps that is unfair to Mussina who has been excellent if expensive for New York. When healthy, Giambi has been pretty good too. But oh, you remember some of these other cats: Mike Gallego, Joe Girardi, Steve Sax, Rudy May, Luis Tiant, John Candelaria, Tony Fernandez, Bob Shirley, Ken Griffey Sr., Wade Boggs, Steve Farr, Gary Ward, Mariano Duncan, Steve Howe, Jon Lieber, Rondell White, Dave LaRoche, and Al Holland.

In my first effort for SI.com (which appeared yesterday afternoon), I detail ten landmark free agent signings. It was a chore widdling the choices down to ten, but with a little help from pals like Maury Brown, Rich Lederer and Steve Treder, I felt like I was able to put together a representative list.

I'm sure we all can all throw out some memorable free agent deals over the years, both good and bad. How about Larry Hisle, Bruce Sutter, Bill Campbell, Mo Vaughn, Bobby Bonilla, Darren Dreifort, Chan Ho Park, and Manny Ramirez for starters? Oh, there are too many juicy ones to count. However, in trying to keep the piece as succinct and punchy as possible, there was naturally a lot of good stuff that didn't get mentioned. For instance, Reggie Jackson may be the most celebrated deal that helped put a good team over the top, but Pete Rose's four-year, $3.2 million deal (which, at the tender old age of 37 made him the highest-paid player in the game) in 1978, and Kirk Gibson's three-year, $4.5 million contract with the Dodgers in 1988, also fit nicely into that category.

George Steinbrenner and Angels' owner Gene Autry were two owners who embraced free agency with open arms. Remember those Angels teams of the late seventies and early eighties? One of the more interesting developments occured when Lyman Bostock, a promising young center fielder, was lured away from the Twins by Autry to play in California. Bostock hit .150 in April of '78 with the Angels and was so distraught that he went to Autry and offered to give back his salary for the month. Autry wouldn't hear of it.

Continue reading...

The Yankees came to terms yesterday with free agent relief pitcher Kyle Farnsworth to a three-year deal worth $17 million. Farnsworth is much younger than Flash Gordon, but, as Tyler Kepner reports in the New York Times, there are questions about the young gun's mental and emotional make-up:

In his conference call with reporters yesterday, Farnsworth was asked how he knew he would be able to adapt to the intense environment of New York. He answered candidly.

"I really don't know," Farnsworth said. "That's another reason why I wanted to come to New York and really test how good I really am. I think I did good enough last year to be able to pitch anywhere."

SG, up at The Replacement Level Yankees Weblog details why he likes the signing.

The Yankees have stated that Bubba Crosby will be the starting center fielder in 2006, but quite frankly, that's just hard to believe. Steve Lombardi takes a look at the possibilities. Perhaps there will be some movement this coming week in Dallas at the Winter Meetings.

It should come as no surprise that our pal Steven Goldman is wary of Florida's diminutive center fielder, Juan Pierre. Over at the Pinstriped Blog, Goldman opines:

Pierre is not a great player. Last season he was not even a good player. He has no power. Neifi Perez has a higher career slugging percentage. Luis Rivas has a higher career slugging percentage. Deivi Cruz. Scott Bloody Podsednik. He is, EMPHATICALLY, not a better leadoff man than Derek Jeter. Yes, he steals more bases. He also gets caught quite frequently, and doesn't get on base very often. Thought a .305 career hitter, he doesn't walk. He ranks 89th among active players in OBP (Jeter is 21st). He is also not a good outfielder. Baseball Prospectus has him as six runs below average in 2005, 11 runs below average in 2004, 14 runs below average in 2003.

The Yankees got nothing from their center fielders last year. As such, almost anyone would be an improvement. Unless Pierre hits .330, which he has never done, not even in Colorado, he will not help the situation dramatically. If the Yankees make him their leadoff hitter and give him over 700 plate appearances, he will actually hurt the team.

There is no logical reason, no matter how fast a player is, to give him over 10 percent of the team's offensive playing time when he will never hit a home run and get on base at, at best, an average rate. Further, let us throw down this gauntlet: any sportswriter — reporter or columnist — who writes that the acquisition of Pierre would give the Yankees the "pure leadoff hitter" they have been missing is guilty of dereliction of duty and of disseminating misinformation to the public.

So put that in your pipe and smoke it.

As expected, Flash Gordon is leaving New York so that he can be a closer once again. Reports have it that Gordon has agreed to a 3-year, $18 million deal with the Phillies. The Yankees would have liked to sign both Gordon and Kyle Farnsworth. They still haven't finalized a contract with Farnsworth, and now appear to have some healthy competition for his services from the Texas Rangers.

Meanwhile, according to the New York Post, the Marlins have asked the Yankees for Sean Henn and Scott Proctor in return for center fielder Juan Pierre.

"We offered a three-year deal and were prepared to stay engaged in the negotiations, but we were told that he had decided to go to New York as a setup guy."

Braves general manager John Schuerholz on Kyle Farnsworth

Still no definitive word on the Farnsworth deal, though it appears that it is simply a matter of time now. Steve Lombardi points out that while Farnsworth may not be great, he won't be horrendous either. The Bombers are still interested in Flash Gordon too. Gordon's agent says that he's likely to make a decision in the coming days.

As for center field, it looks as if the Yankees are sticking with their Bubba for now. According to Tyler Kepner in the Times:

"Center field is not easy to fill," Cashman, the Yankees' general manager, said yesterday. "That's why I continue to say that Bubba Crosby could very well be that guy. I know he's sitting at home somewhere saying, 'I hope they don't do anything.'"

Bubba must be pleased to hear that Brian Giles has reportedly come to terms with the Padres.