Kyle Hale

Uhh, yeah…much in the same way Dee Dee Warwick didn’t heed the sad, cautionary tale of Dee Dee Ramone. My mom noted Whitney sang from a place so deep inside there was no color, and all any of us could hope for was to find something we did as well as Whitney Houston sang. That thought has stayed with me as I watched talented athletes unable or unwilling to go into the hard areas necessary to win and singers who have to be synthesized into listenable. There seem to be more of them, the lip-synchers and athletes for whom giving everything is too much. And I judge them, just a little, because I know more is possible. What they also do is make it easier to spot the genius. And Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton plays baseball the way Whitney sang, every last morsel of his body going into diving for baseballs and swinging. It was impossible to miss as he hammered home run after home run in the derby in New York during the 2008 All-Star Game. Even hardened New Yorkers were on their feet... - Kyle Hale

Everyone groans. “Put a Milo on him”... Astros announcer Milo Hamilton, who came to Houston at mid-career in 1985 and has remained through changes in owners, managers and ballparks to become the team’s longest-tenured broadcaster during the period of its greatest on-field success, will announce Wednesday that 2012 will be his final year to call games on radio. The Astros have called a 2:30 p.m. news conference Wednesday at Minute Maid Park, apparently to announce Hamilton’s intention to leave the radio booth after his 28th-year in Houston and his 57th-season calling Major League Baseball games for seven ballclubs. Hamilton, 84, is expected to remain associated with the team in a variety of promotional activities and other duties in 2013 and beyond, but the Astros’ last year in the National League will be his final season behind the microphone. Hamilton declined comment Tuesday afternoon, and the Astros did not specify the nature of Wednesday’s news conference other than noting that... - Kyle Hale

The Lawrie siblings don’t like losing at anything, and they especially dislike losing to each other. They may be close, they may love and support each other, but as Danielle recalls Arencibia telling her, “Your brother’s No. 1 thing in life is if he competes against you, it is to beat you. You do not win.” Not that Danielle is much different. Two Christmases ago, Brett beat her at pingpong and she didn’t talk to him again for 45 minutes. Remember, this was a game of pingpong. On Christmas Day. ... Indeed, training together as kids and competing passionately against each other is what made each sibling so good. Always needing to win every contest—whether it was baseball, basketball, running, pingpong, cornhole, anything—is the drive that helped Danielle become an Olympian, a two-time national college player of the year, a national champion and one of the world’s best softball players. It also is what made Brett, 22, an Olympian, a first-round draft pick and one of major league... - Kyle Hale

Hall of Fame outfielder Tony Gwynn was scheduled to have surgery on a cancerous tumor in his right cheek, the same place he had a growth removed 18 months ago, ESPN.com reports. Gwynn’s wife, Alicia, told Friend the doctors didn’t believe the cancer had spread beyond Gwynn’s salivary glad, but they expect to know more after the surgery. Alicia Gwynn said doctors may also perform a nerve graft to preserve his facial functions. Gwynn, the baseball coach at San Diego State, was diagnosed with cancer in his mouth in August of 2010. He’s blamed the cancer on his smokeless tobacco habit. Gwynn used smokeless tobacco for his entire 20-year big-league career and beyond. However, he said he has not used since his 2010 surgery. Thanks to emil. - Kyle Hale

My definition of a bad swing is not a swing where the hitter trips and falls or lets go of the bat or something. Rather, I’m looking for swings at pitches the furthest away from the strike zone. Swings that were poorly conceived. Swings where the hitter falls or lets go of the bat are bad swings, too, but they’re not bad swings for our purposes. There isn’t data for sloppy or mechanically improper swings. There is data for swings at wild pitches. - Kyle Hale

The Chicago White Sox and free-agent outfielder Kosuke Fukudome have agreed to terms on a one-year, $1-million contract which includes a club option for the 2013 season. Under terms of the agreement, the ex-Cubs outfielder will receive $500,000 in 2012, while the Sox hold a $3.5-millon option for 2013, including a $500,000 buyout. “Kosuke adds to our outfield depth and gives Robin another left-handed bat to mix into the lineup based on matchups,” said Rick Hahn, White Sox vice president/assistant general manager. “He can play center field and right and provides flexibility to our roster.” Fukudome, 34, combined to hit .262 with 27 doubles, eight home runs, 35 RBI and 59 runs scored in 146 games between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland in 2011. He was traded by the Cubs to the Indians on July 28 in exchange for outfielder Abner Abreu and pitcher Carlton Smith. Thanks to Wimms. - Kyle Hale

Having a cake jump out of Jeremy Brown is a great idea! It may not be baseball season quite yet, but you can get that feeling if you throw an Oscar viewing party and let best picture nominee Moneyball be your inspiration. How to decorate: Bring out baseballs, bats, gloves, and any other sports memorabilia you may have. String up streamers in green and yellow (the Oakland A’s colors), and nod to the movie’s financial theme by decorating with fake dollar bills. If you really want to tie in the film, get a life-size Brad Pitt cutout (which wouldn’t be a bad thing to have around, anyway). How to dress: Wear the shirt of your baseball team of choice, but to really mirror the film, rock Oakland A’s gear, or at least their colors. What to serve: Traditional ballpark fare like hot dogs, beer, cotton candy, and peanuts in the shell, of course. Bake cookies or cake pops and frost them to look like baseballs. - Kyle Hale

Brian Kenny lists the 6 best deals of the off-season, with a couple of unexpected transactions making the list. - Kyle Hale

Dunno, but Andrew Sarris had Buster Keaton on his Pantheon list…if that’s any help. All the memories of A.J. Burnett home run balls, hit batsmen, wild pitches, the few big playoff performances, and the pies-in-the-f following walk-off wins seem about to become just another part of Yankee history. Burnett is on the trading block and the Yankees are working on a deal that could send the much-maligned starter to the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to persons involved in the negotiations. If his Yankee career is over after three years, a 34-35 record, and a 4.79 ERA, then we can finally assess Burnett’s place in the Yankee pantheon—of free agent busts. Before the 2009 season, the Yankees promised Burnett $82.5 million over five years. Various reports indicate that the Pirates could pick up between $10 million and $13 million of the remaining $33 million the Yankees owe Burnett—meaning the Yankees will pay Burnett roughly $70 million for a total of 3.4 Wins Above Replacement, a stat that... - Kyle Hale

Cespedes is precisely the type of player you never would have found in Paul DePodesta’s computer — or Peter Brand’s spreadsheets, for those who have seen “Moneyball.” Then again, it’s not as if he is a complete mystery. Sabermetricians at both the club level and in the media have attempted to translate his numbers from Cuba to the major-league game. Dan Szymborski, editor-in-chief of Baseball Think Factory, contributor to ESPN.com and creator of the ZiPS projection system, forecast Cespedes’ numbers through 2019 and came up with this line for his first season — .270/.331/.435 with 23 homers and 86 RBI. Matt Kemp, Jacoby Ellsbury, Melky Cabrera and Shane Victorino are the only regular center fielders who had better rate stats in 2011. Kemp, Ellsbury, Curtis Granderson and Andrew McCutchen are the only ones who had better home run and RBI totals. The unknown, of course, is how quickly Cespedes will adjust to the North American game — and whether he adjusts as successfully as the... - Kyle Hale

New York Tribune, February 14, 1912:True to his promise, Charles Victory Faust…appeared bright and early yesterday at the Waldorf-Astoria to offer his services to the highest bidder among the National League owners. For some reason or other, the aforesaid owners did not fall all over one another in an effort to sign Charlie, and…the demon jinx drifted down to a room where sundry liquids are dispensed to compose his thoughts and plan his next move. Before he could realize what was going on, an auction was in progress. “Representatives” of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Seattle, San Francisco, and many other clubs were introduced to Charlie, and the price for his services was run up to $21,000. Fifty cents, according to [Christy Mathewson], was required to be deposited as an evidence of good faith. ... Among the bidders and interested spectators were Iron Man McGinnity, Rube Marquard, Cy Seymour, Roger Bresnahan, McGraw and numerous scribes and “fans”. ... When the price had been forced up... - Kyle Hale

Even if you don’t follow the NBA you’ve been unable to ignore the amazing story of New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin. Whether the story would be getting the same amount of attention if Lin played for the Sacramento Kings or Charlotte Bobcats is a question we probably know the answer to, but Lin’s rise got me thinking of similar episodes in MLB history. Here are five guys who seemingly came out of nowhere to spark the baseball world. Bonus points if the player has an interesting back story. - Kyle Hale

Mass Arrival X-treme? What is that…Andy Pettitte’s church entrance music? Kirk Radomski stands impatiently next to his partner’s black SUV, impervious to the breeze that blows through the parking lot of a Long Island factory on a cold and sunny afternoon. A seagull lands on the roof of the factory and squawks. A man wearing a blue lab coat and a shower cap pushes a hand truck loaded with 249 boxes of dietary supplements out of the factory loading dock and toward the GMC Acadia. The next chapter in the life of Kirk Radomski — the man who supplied steroids and human growth hormone to dozens of major leaguers for 10 years — has begun. “I want to see people lose weight,” Radomski says as he and his partner, Steve Cohen, loaded boxes of “Mass Arrival X-treme,” a supplement that boosts testosterone levels, into Cohen’s vehicle. “I want to see people get bigger muscles. I want to see them live healthier lives.” ...His products won’t be for everyone — the testosterone booster includes DHEA,... - Kyle Hale

Baseball and basketball officials on Tuesday were scrambling to find evidence of match-fixing attempts in their professional leagues, following recent testimony by a gambling broker, who has been arrested for an alleged connection with volleyball match fixing, that other leagues also had match-rigging issues. Prosecutors in Daegu, who are investigating a snowballing match-fixing scandal in the top pro volleyball circuit called V-League, have expanded their probe into baseball and basketball. According to prosecutors, the arrested broker, surnamed Kim, said on Monday he heard about match-fixing schemes in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and the Korean Basketball League (KBL) games, from another broker surnamed Kang. Kim has already been indicted for his role in football match fixing last year and received a four-year sentence in his first trial, prosecutors said. The broker named KBO ball clubs and active pitchers in his testimony, they added. Baseball, basketball, football and... - Kyle Hale

Eugene Field to Safeco Field…Winking, blinking, and nodding off. Last year, Ichiro’s WAR was -0.4. That is a time-to-retire number. Many players of Ichiro’s historical profile have either shuffled away voluntarily or been shown the door after producing a WAR higher than -0.4, and approximately at the same age as Ichiro (38). Ichiro’s WAR numbers, especially if you have marveled over him for the past decade, paint an inevitable decline that no shift in his place in the batting order is likely to stem. According to WAR, Ichiro hasn’t been an All-Star since 2009 (although he made the 2010 All-Star team), and actually peaked as a player in 2004, when he produced an 8.1 WAR at 30. ...If Ichiro doesn’t tie himself in knots trying for 200 hits, maybe he can make a more positive contribution than in 2011. But it doesn’t appear any upward bounce will be very high, problematic for the Mariners who owe him another $18 million in what will be the final year of his contract. Ichiro has often said... - Kyle Hale

Checking out Hiroki Kuroda with Alex Belth. Kuroda will pitch in a new league, against a DH, and work in smaller ballparks than he did in the NL West. He’s coming off his two most durable years and is at his peak just when physical decline is set to take effect. Oh yeah, he’s also pitching for the Yankees, where the pressure to win is unrelenting. “The pressure is more than double,” says Yamakawa, who told me that Kuroda went to a doctor last summer when he was having trouble sleeping at night. Unbeknownst to his teammates Kuroda spent two nights in the hospital. The doctor said that stress was keeping him awake. “But he is good at switching his mind when he’s on the mound,” Yumokura said. Although Robert Whiting predicts that “Kuroda will suffer from the Yankees weak infield defense on the left hand side of the diamond and the home run jet stream to right center,” the pitcher will be reunited with his old catcher Russell Martin. “He was sad when Martin left,” says Yumokura. He said... - Kyle Hale

Over at Hardball Times, they are keeping track on who is in the Best Shape of Their Lives. They have now confirmed Phil Hughes is in the Best Shape of His Life. - Kyle Hale

Doylealexander4444 ~ (louder please) DOYLEALEXANDER4444! ~ (a little louder please) DOYLEALEXANDER4444!!!! That June, Beckett Baseball Card Monthly senior editor Pepper Hastings finally had enough of this medieval situation and decided to do something about it. In that month’s “Back Page” column, he wrote: Our Mission: To obtain the number of a pay phone in each of the 26 major league stadiums. The Ground Rules: The pay phone location *must* have a clear view of the stadium scoreboard. That way, the person answering can relay the current score and situation of the game to the caller. … Our Goal: To publish - before the beginning of the pennant races - a complete list of stadium pay phone numbers where up-to-the-sec game information can be obtained from on-the-scene game correspondents (a guy on his way back from the snackbar, a conscientious usher, a kid on his way to the souvenir stand). … Our Rewards: Instantaneous scores during heated pennant races. Verbal interaction with real... - Kyle Hale

#Athletics about to sign Cespedes for for four years, $36 million. - Kyle Hale

2012 Top 101 Prospects 1. Matt Moore, LHP, Rays 2. Bryce Harper, OF, Nationals 3. Mike Trout, OF, Angels 4. Jurickson Profar, SS, Rangers 5. Julio Teheran, RHP, Braves 6.Dylan Bundy, RHP, Orioles 7. Jesus Montero, C, Mariners 8. Manny Machado, SS, Orioles 9. Gerrit Cole, RHP, Pirates 10. Shelby Miller, RHP, Cardinals 11. Trevor Bauer, RHP, Diamondbacks 12. Miguel Sano, 3B, Twins 13. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Pirates 14. Taijuan Walker, RHP, Mariners 15. Jacob Turner, RHP, Tigers 16. Travis D’Arnaud, C, Blue Jays 17. Francisco Lindor, SS, Indians 18. Gary Brown, OF, Giants 19. Wil Myers, OF, Royals 20. Nolan Arenado, 3B, Rockies - Kyle Hale

#Athletics about to sign Cespedes for four years, $36 million. - Kyle Hale

David Ortiz has agreed to a deal with the Boston Red Sox, avoiding an arbitration hearing scheduled for later Monday, a team source told ESPN The Magazine’s Buster Olney. The sides settled for $14.575 million, the midpoint between what Ortiz had asked for and what the Red Sox offered, the source said. Ortiz had one of his best seasons in years in 2011. He batted .309 with 29 homers, 96 RBIs and a .952 OPS. - Kyle Hale

David Ortiz has agreed to a deal with the Boston Red Sox, avoiding an arbitration hearing scheduled for later Monday, a team source told ESPN The Magazine’s Buster Olney. The sides settled for $14.575 million, the midpoint between what Ortiz had asked for and what the Red Sox offered, the source said. Ortiz had one of his best seasons in years in 2011. He batted .309 with 29 homers, 96 RBIs and a .952 OPS. - Kyle Hale

FIND THE FATAL FIVE…OR THE BASEBALL UNIVERSE DIES! Will Harper make the club out of spring training? Time will tell. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him playing for the Nationals against the Red Sox in an April 3 exhibition game at Nationals Park just to give the home fans a taste of what’s to come. But if Harper is going to make the 25-man roster, here are five things he’ll have to do: Dominate offensively during Grapefruit League play: Listen and learn: Keep a low profile: Handle disappointment like a pro: Learn to be himself: - Kyle Hale

THE ONLY FANTASYLAND I KNEW OF WAS ON 42nd ST., MR. PRESIDENT The Cardinals turned more to statistical analysis after Luhnow joined them. In fact, Walt Jocketty, the general manager at the time, was not a big believer in statistical analysis, preferring the scouting way, and wound up leaving – or being pushed out – only a year after the Cardinals won the 2006 World Series. “Look at what the Cardinals have done,” Luhnow said. “The Astros and Cardinals were similar in those years. Then the Cardinals went one path and the Astros another. The Cardinals won the World Series again. They have continued to win and maintained a pipeline. I’m familiar with it because I was there.” And now he’s in Houston eager to build his own pipeline – of fans as well as players. The two goals are linked. ...Can second baseman Jose Altuve, third basemen Jimmy Paredes and Brett Wallace, catcher Jason Castro and outfielders J.D. Martinez, Jordan Schafer, Brian Boguzevic and Jason Bourgeois get the Astros moving... - Kyle Hale

Didn’t know Francesspool carried that much weight. No one seemingly has a problem with Justin Turner playing second base. While he’ll never be confused with Bill Mazeroski, most people think that Turner handles the position just fine. But Turner is simply more experienced playing second than Murphy and knows how to avoid getting hurt. While that’s a valuable skill, it doesn’t make him athletic or a good second baseman. In 642.1 innings at second base last year, Turner had a -11 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS). By comparison, Murphy had a -2 DRS in 168.1 innings. If you gave Murphy the same number of innings as Turner, he would have saved three more runs in the field than Turner – who no one complains about. And I did not choose DRS to portray Murphy in his best light defensively. UZR is much more favorable. Last year Murphy had a 1.8 UZR and a 12.0 UZR/150 at second base. Compare that to Turner, who had a -10.4 UZR and a -19.7 UZR/150. Again, no one complains about Turner being athletic... - Kyle Hale

FIND THE FATAL FIVE…OR THE BASEBALL UNIVERSE DIES! Will Harper make the club out of spring training? Time will tell. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him playing for the Nationals against the Red Sox in an April 3 exhibition game at Nationals Park just to give the home fans a taste of what’s to come. But if Harper is going to make the 25-man roster, here are five things he’ll have to do: Dominate offensively during Grapefruit League play: Listen and learn: Keep a low profile: Handle disappointment like a pro: Learn to be himself: - Kyle Hale

Didn’t know Francesspool carried that much weight. No one seemingly has a problem with Justin Turner playing second base. While he’ll never be confused with Bill Mazeroski, most people think that Turner handles the position just fine. But Turner is simply more experienced playing second than Murphy and knows how to avoid getting hurt. While that’s a valuable skill, it doesn’t make him athletic or a good second baseman. In 642.1 innings at second base last year, Turner had a -11 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS). By comparison, Murphy had a -2 DRS in 168.1 innings. If you gave Murphy the same number of innings as Turner, he would have saved three more runs in the field than Turner – who no one complains about. And I did not choose DRS to portray Murphy in his best light defensively. UZR is much more favorable. Last year Murphy had a 1.8 UZR and a 12.0 UZR/150 at second base. Compare that to Turner, who had a -10.4 UZR and a -19.7 UZR/150. Again, no one complains about Turner being athletic... - Kyle Hale

THE ONLY FANTASYLAND I KNEW OF WAS ON 42nd ST., MR. PRESIDENT The Cardinals turned more to statistical analysis after Luhnow joined them. In fact, Walt Jocketty, the general manager at the time, was not a big believer in statistical analysis, preferring the scouting way, and wound up leaving – or being pushed out – only a year after the Cardinals won the 2006 World Series. “Look at what the Cardinals have done,” Luhnow said. “The Astros and Cardinals were similar in those years. Then the Cardinals went one path and the Astros another. The Cardinals won the World Series again. They have continued to win and maintained a pipeline. I’m familiar with it because I was there.” And now he’s in Houston eager to build his own pipeline – of fans as well as players. The two goals are linked. ...Can second baseman Jose Altuve, third basemen Jimmy Paredes and Brett Wallace, catcher Jason Castro and outfielders J.D. Martinez, Jordan Schafer, Brian Boguzevic and Jason Bourgeois get the Astros moving... - Kyle Hale

Tiempos Modernos! Moronists Unite! We are in the midst of the abyss. The World Series ended ages ago, all of the major free agents have found homes, and Spring Training will not kick off for another couple of weeks. So, it sounds like the perfect time to throw out an entertaining, mysterious — and possibly false — baseball conspiracy theory to tide us over until the game returns in the spring. Today’s theory revolves around Angels owner and Tucson native Arte Moreno. More specifically, the theory centers on the belief that Moreno played one of the greatest hands of proverbial poker over the last several seasons in order to enhance his team’s chances of acquiring free agent of the decade Albert Pujols. In my opinion, the Angels’ achievement of reeling in Pujols has as much to do with Moreno’s business acumen as it does with his wallet. Sure, the Angels offered the superstar slugger a monstrous deal (10 years, $240 million plus incentives). However, through an artful and devious scheme,... - Kyle Hale