Peter Gammons

ESPN's Peter Gammons suffered a braim aneurysm today and had to have major surgery. Currently he's resting in intensive care. The aneurysm occured close to his home in Cape Cod and he was air lifted to Boston for the surgery.

I don't know what to say about this. I mean the guy was on TV two days ago on Sunday's nationally televised game. I have a great deal of respect for Peter Gammons and his writing. He's one of the people that I can't imagine the world without. I remember as a kid waking up on Sunday's and getting the Boston Globe and if Peter Gammons didn't have a column in it, it was like waking up on December 25th and finding out Christmas had been cancelled.

I have had some problems with some of Gammons reporting over the years. The biggest thing was in either 2002 or 2003 when Gammons reported the possibilty of a trade between the Red Sox and Rockies for Manny Ramirez going to Colorado for Larry Walker. My problem was that no one else was even reporting this story. It was just Gammons saying this was going to happen and was being seriously being discussed. However no one else including the Red Sox and Rockies appeared to be even remotely discussing this. Yet for weeks Gammons was the only person put it out there and even referencing his earlier reports on it as evidence that it could happen.

But forget that, Peter Gammons has been the Babe Ruth of sports writing and I wish him and his family the best and fully am pulling for his recovery. Whenever I go on a job interview and someone asks what I want to do with my life my answer is always to be the next Peter Gammons. God Bless Peter.

Wow it's been awhile

Twenty Days since I last posted. I've been running around between going to Connecticut for a friends' wedding (Chris and Beth Brown)great time and moving from my place in Chicago. Don't really know what I'm doing or where I'm going. But I'll be backin a couple days with some posts. Most likely I'll have an insanely huge one tomorrow.

Facts

Wow that last one was a rambling incohrent post. My point was because of the GM mishandling the Royals went into this with three opinions about who they should draft Allan Baird who it's believed wanted Andrew Miller, a young power lefty from North Carolina, new GM Dayton Moore (still working for the Braves) who wanted Drew Stubbs, a Texas outfielder with huge power but with a hole in swing that's allowed him to strikeout 205 times in 204 college games, and teamowner David Glass who wanted Luke Hochever, a holdout from last season and a Scott Borris client. So what does the samll market team do? It makes the short term more expensive deal to get a high profile pitcher that people have heard of so people in their town don't hate them. The only good part of this is that it can't be blamed on Baird who has been taking the lumps for Glass's meddling for years. (Not Baird was a great GM). This is the type of thing that could hurt a team for years. Luckily for the Royals I think it's impossible that they could get any worse.

The Red Sox had the steal of the draft when they picked Daniel Bard with the 28th pick of the first round. Out of North Carolina wasn't rated as high as his teammate Andrew Miller was. The reason for that didn't have to do with just pitching talent but also concerns about his makeup and focus do to his inconsistency this season. But facts are facts. This kid has as much talent as anybody taken in the first five picks. He was great in the Cape Cod League last season and has two plus pitches. The Red Sox got this pick from the Yankees for Johnny Damon and the Yankees may one day regret it. Oddly enough it was the Yankees who had drafted Bard in the 20th round in 2003. He throws in the upper nineties and has all the tools for success. the draft is such a crap shout that if a kid like this with so much talent is available why not take a role of the dice and see if it pans out.

I don't know if I understand what exactly the Devil Rays are thinking because by drafting Evan Longoria they are essentially cutting a position out of the possible places fror B.J. Upton. Upton is a huge talent and has to play somewhere and it's become pretty evident to everyone not in the Devil Rays front office that that's not shortstop. With a young crowded outfield that limits Upton to second. I don't know if that's the way to go but that's where they're headed. Longoria at least is a patient hitter who hit .353/.468/.602 with 11 HRs and 40 RBI with Long Beach State. No relation to Eva Longoria, Evan was the best college position player in the draft (more a reflection on the lack of position player talent). He's not a basher and how good he turns out to be will be determined by where he plays. He's played 2B, SS, and 3B. He's better suited for third but his offense probably won't stand out playing there.

Draft Day Thoughts:Winners and Losers

Umm…….just what the fuck did Royals owner David Glass think he was doing? Between firing his former GM Allan Baird and before his incoming GM Dayton Moore, formerly of Atlanta Braves fame, officially takes office Glass had a little thing called the First Year Player Draft to deal with. With n one else to rely on I imagine Glass had a lot of say in who the Kansas City Royals would draft with their first overall in pick in history. He chose former University of Tennessee pitcher Luke Hochevar. So maybe Glass can argue that he was jusunfamiliarar with having the first pick and that’s why he made such a huge mistake. Don’t get me wrong Hochevar is an excellent pitcher. Last season he was taken by the Dodgers with 40th overall pick but being “advised” by Scott Boras he refused to sign and reentered the draft this season. Instead the 6-5 pitcher played for the Independent Fort Worth Cats. So far this year Hochevar was 1-1 with a 2.38 ERA . He is a complete pitcher with a good fastball in the nineties, a good slider and an awesome 12-6 curve.

So what's the problem? Well the answer to that is long term. Last year Hochevar didn't sign with the Dodgers despite an offer of two million dollars. Over the course of one night Hochevar fired his original advisor Boras and signed with new advisor Matt Sosnick. Sosnick then negotiated the two million dollar deal with the Dodgers that Hochevar agreed to sign. The next morning after speaking to Boras and figuring out he could get more money by sitting out this year and reentering the draft Hochevar fired Sosnick, rehired Boras and stiffed the Dodgers. As you can imagine this didn't sit well either the Dodgers or Sosnick. The point is this kid is a mercenary. He's already shown it and he has the biggest agent pit-bull negotiating for him. So what is Glass facing? Well it pretty much goes without saying that Boras is going to demand a major league contract meaning he has to go immediately on the Royals 40 man roster. Royals: "No problem. Looking at the collection of stiffs the we currently have on our roster no problem, welcome aboard,". Boras: "Wait a second. We want alot of cash for Hochevar to sign with you guys. I mean alot. Maybe $5-7 million guarneeted,". Royals: "Wow! Well, we knew it wasn't going to be cheap. But we want to prove to our fans that we're serious about winning. How about we double what the Dodgers offered you last year and give you $4 million,". Boras: "You're starting to make me angry. You wouldn't like me I'm angry,". Royals: "OK, OK we'll give you $5 million,". Boras: "Why not make it $7 million just to keep everyone happy,"? Royals: "Well that's an awful lot of money for us, you know we're a small market team,". Boras: "Well you drafted him you should have known what it would have taken,". Royals: "Here's the thing we didn't have a GM that day so it was pretty confusing,". Boras: "Every minute you don't give me what I want I'm going to raise the price a million dollars after all you want to prove to your fans that you're ommitted to winning don't you? Then you shouldn't let a few million stand in your way,". Royals: "Well we did make that promise to our fans, but you see the Kansas City market......,". Boras: "It just went up to eight million,". Royals: "Fine. We'll give you what you want. $8 million,". Boras: "And you have to promise to call him up to majors this year whether he's ready or not,". At this point the punchdrunk Royals reply: "But he hasn't even pitched in the minors yet,"? Boras: "Don't make me go to $9 million,". Royals: "Fine. Fine whatever you want,". Boras: "And since we're committed to winning in Kansas City we'll naturally want a no-trade clause,". Royals: "Umm....so that means he'd stay here right,"? Boras: Yes, unless something that's mutually agreeable both in location and finances can be worked between us. But I've never had to go through anything like that before so I wouldn't expect to have to now,". Royals: "Well...OK because we want him on our team,". Boras: "And of course if Luke has any problems I can talk directly to Mr. Glass, correct,"? Royals: "Well......you see we have this new GM coming and he's going to be in charge.....,". Boras: "Well we have to know that the team in committed to winning and that's going to come from the owner, so that's important, I don't want to have go through some intermidary,". Royals: "Well I'll have to ask Mr. Glass,". Boras: "Fine tell him that's the final sticking point in this deal and if he agrees his name will some being dragged threw the mud in Kansas City,". Royals: "He said that's fine and we should wrap this up as quickly as possible. Are we done yet,"? Boras says smiling: "Just have to cross some T's and dot some I's,". Royals official collaspes against the table in defeat.

Two days later as new GM Dayton Moore makes his first appearence as Kauffman Stadium he is greeted by team owner David Glass this how I imagine this conversation going. Glass: "Welcome Dayton it's good to have you here,". Moore: "Thanks Mr. Glass.....you did manage to put in writing that I'm in charge of all baseball operations and you're not going to interfere right,"? Glass: "Of course it's somewhere up on my desk or something,". Moore: "Can I get that as soon as possible,"? Glass: "Sure, sure no problem,". Moore: "How did the draft go by the way I was busy working for the Braves,". Glass: "Great, Great we got Hochevar,"! Moore: "Really? How did you do that? What did you have to give up,"? Glass: "Well we had to give a mjor league contract,". Moore: "Well I figured that. For how much $4-5 million like the commisioners office mandated,"? Glass: "Close. Actually I think the final number was $8 million,". Moore stops walking and stares at Glass:"You gave him $8 million? We can't afford that,". Glass:"I had to agree to that Boras was raising the price a million dollars for every minute I didn't agree,". Moore: "You're kidding me right,"? Glass: "No, not really,". Moore:"Why don't you let me deal with agents from now on". Glass:"Sure, Sure no problem. Except for Boras". Moore: "What"? Glass:"Well I told him that if there were any problems he could call me directly". Moore: "But that's baseball operations that's what I'm in charge of". Glass:"And you are, trust me. It's just that if they have problem I told them they could call me to make sure I was as committed to winning as they are. They're so committed I gave them a no trade clause". Moore begins to walk behind and punchs up John Schuerholz's cell number. Moore: "You gave them a no trade clause?" Glass: "Yes, because this is a player that wants to win so badly to win with us that I promised him we'd call up this season". Moore in a low hushed voice into his phone: "Mr Schuerholz I'm going to be a little late this afternoon..........What do you mean I quit I don't remember that,".

The point is that by the time the Royals are ready to compete four or five years from now Hochevar will be on his way out the door. His service time starts as soons he gets called to the big leagues and seeing the putrid state of the Royals they won't be ready to compete until 2010 and they'll only have Hochevar for two years afterwards. Hochevar is going to hate it in Kansas City. And he's going to complain about it bigtime after sitting out last season. This is going to divide the clubhouse and management. Hochevar will be Glass's boy, not Moore's and not Baird's. There will be seperate rules for Hochevar which will cause huge problems. It would of made far more sense for the Royals to have drafted younger, better, cheaper Andrew Miller for baseball or economic reasons. But this was never about either. This was about Glass proving something to fans. Congradulations Mr. Glass you've proven that you're a short-sighted moron.

Oh to be a Tampa Bay Devil Ray. At first look you see that you've drafted Evan Longoria. Suddenly all the losing streaks and shame associated with being a Devil Ray are gone. It's worth it because now the Rays have drafted Eva Longoria's little brother. Maybe she'll come to games. Maybe when we go to LA we can visit the set of Desparte Housewives. Eva Longoria! Yes Evan great pick that Evan he's going to be a fine........what position does he play? Oh yeah third basemen. But alas it turns out that they're not even related. It's sad really because the Rays should have strunk this along for as long as they could it probably would have helped attendence.

Be afraid, very afraid of.................Detroit!

No, not the Tigers. (Though the Tigers do appear to be the real deal.) I mean of the city itself. Detroit is without a doubt the worst major city in the world. It's ugly, boring and unbarely unfun.



I was there with some friends this past weekend for the Red Sox/Tigers series and I just hated the city itself. Comerica Park was itself gorgeous but the rest of the city just didn't cut it. One of the people I was with described Detroit as wall-to-wall ghetto. I don't think that was accurate enough for me. I describe it as a ghost town. For those you sci-fi fans out there I'll compare to examples. For those of you out there who have seen the movie Serenity it's like when the crew reached the planet, Miranda, locked in Summer's mind to find everyone their dead and putrified. No one living, it's just empty. (Pictured below as the crew walks among the ruins)



Or when in Star Trek the crew landed on the planet and found just the kids there and no parents because the kids had killed them. Seriously walking to the park on Sunday morning we didn't pass more then four people and there weren't cars driving everywhere. It was just plain weird. And Detroit is in the middle of nowhere on top of it. All I could think about was how many jobs have been lost since the auto industry tanked. It was just really really depressing. There weren't any good restraunts or bars accept for around the stadium. I just couldn't wonder why anyone would want to live there. Even the casino's were depressing. Actual stuff coming tomorrow. (I can't say it won't be any less depressing then this because the score in the Red Sox/Yankee game is now 8-2 Yankees.)