Today, Kenny Williams should be out sending a thank you letter to the devil incarnate who is Players’ Association Counsel Gene Orza. Gene’s Gestapo like stance on the reworking of Alex Rodriguez’s contract likely put the final kiebosh on Williams’ woefully bad trade of Magglio Ordonez for Nomar Garciaparra. With the A-Rod trade in serious doubt, so is Williams’ trade.
I’m not saying Nomar’s not a good player. I’m not saying that Magglio Ordonez is a great player. But I am saying that trading Ordonez for Nomar and the erratic Scott Williamson is pretty dumb. Even for Kenny Williams.
What you need to remember is what the supposed motivation for this trade was for the White Sox in the first place. They managed to let Flash Gordon and Scott Sullivan sign with other American League teams for a pittance, opening a gaping hole in an already erratic bullpen. They also consider Ordonez’s asking price of $14 million a year an insult and they expect him to walk after the 2004 season.
So why trade for Nomar, who will want more than that per year, and who wouldn’t re-sign with them unless they moved the club to Santa Monica?
But it goes beyond that.
Remember a few years back when Nomar was a stud? Back when there really was a question about who was better in the Jeter-ARod-Nomar competition?
In his first full season (1997) he hit .306 and hit 30 homers. In his third and fourth seasons he hit .357 and .372 to win batting titles. He was 27 years old and a superstar, and a shortstop. You could hardly come up with a better combination.
Then, in the spring of 2001 he hurt his wrist in spring training. He missed all but 21 games. He hasn’t been the same.
He has hit better than .300 both years and driven in 100 runs, so he’s still good. But check out his home and road splits since the injury.
Home: Ave.- .343, OBP.- .384, Slg.- .586, OPS.- .970
Road: Ave.- .266, OBP.- .314, Slg.- .459, OPS.- .773
Last I checked, the Sox don’t play their home games at Fenway.
To be fair, let’s look at the home and road splits for the player he’d be traded for Magglio Ordonez, over the same time period.
Home: Ave.- .304, OBP.- .368, Slg.- .572, OPS.- .940
Road: Ave.- .324, OBP.- .393, Slg.- .545, OPS.- .938
Hmmm.
One other thing about trading Magglio for Nomar. Check out what everyday American League shortstop put up a .776 OPS last year, the equivalent of what a no-Fenway Nomar will be likely to put up in 2004.
That’s kind of sobering.
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This has been a real doozy of a year for rumors so far. The Score reported as fact a report out of an Arizona TV station that the team had come to a contract agreement with Pudge Rodriguez before the winter meetings even started. Not only did it turn out to be false, but then The Score tried to spread another rumor that the deal had fallen through because the negotiations were top secret. They were apparently so top secret that neither Jim Hendry or Scott Boras knew about them.
Then, both local radio stations reported that the White Sox were going to sign free agent fatty Sidney Ponson to a three-year $18 million contract. It turned out that the guy who got the three years and $18 million was Mark Bueherle. Oops.
In other words. Don’t believe what you read in the paper…but really don’t believe what you hear on the radio.
But you can believe everything you read here.
OK, at least the stuff Karry Ling writes.
Look at this story that apparently made it into today’s San Diego Union-Tribune:
(They pulled the story offline, which is why I link to the "cached" version.)
Before you start laughing at Gene Keady for this enormous blunder, you might wonder if this might be some kind of joke.
Turns out it was. The same story was "run" by some Internet site that fashions itself as sort of the "Onion" for Indiana.
http://www.hoosiergazette.com/Sports/sports003.htm
Too bad for that Union Tribune sportswriter. Maybe they’ll put him on the Padres beat.
Ouch, that’s got to hurt. Maybe we can let the guy intern here or something until he finds a new job.
Oh, by the way, the Cubs signed Kent Mercker to play the role of Mark Guthrie (good early, then hurt, then decent, then terrible) for 2004. Whoop de damn do.
For what it’s worth he did have a 1.95 ERA last year, and a 1.06 ERA in 17 games after the Braves got him from the Reds.
He’s no Shawn Estes. Thank god.
This was so last nights Law and Order. Anyone check to see if this guy killed anyone??
Kent Mercker on his worst day is better than Jeff Suppan or Jason Marquis.
"Hoosier Gazette"? zzzzzzz. Name it "Hoosier Daddy" and maybe I’ll read it.
And no writeup of the Bears 3 Pro Bowlers??
And for those that missed SNL…
TINA FEY: Paris Hilton’s name has been on everyone’s lips these past few weeks. Here now in an exclusive interview with Jimmy Fallon is Paris Hilton.
JIMMY FALLON: Thanks for coming on. As we agreed, we won’t be discussing the scandal that’s been in the papers these past couple weeks. We just want to find out about you, Paris Hilton. So, your family, the Hiltons, own hotels all over the world, right?
PARIS HILTON: Yes, they’re in New York, London, Paris.
FALLON: Oh wait, so there actually is a Paris Hilton?
PARIS: Yes, there is.
FALLON: Is it hard to get into the Paris Hilton?
PARIS: Actually, it’s a very exclusive hotel, no matter what you’ve heard.
FALLON: I hear the Paris Hilton is very beautiful.
PARIS: I’m glad you’ve heard that.
FALLON: Do they allow double occupancy at the Paris Hilton?
PARIS: No.
FALLON: Is the Paris Hilton roomy?
PARIS: It might be for you, but most people find it very comfortable.
FALLON: I’m a VIP. I may need to go in the back entrance.
PARIS: It doesn’t matter who you are. It’s not gonna happen.
FALLON: Fair enough. Now, I throw a lot of events. Do they have a ballroom there?
PARIS: We do.
FALLON: Great. I’d love to have my balls held by the Paris Hilton. Sounds awesome. I’d like to check into the Paris Hilton.
PARIS: I don’t think you can.
FALLON: Really? Cause I’ll only be able to stay there like a minute and a half, two minutes tops.
PARIS: Good luck.
FALLON: Paris Hilton, everybody.
I love it when celebs poke fun at themselves
If you’re signing washed up former Braves pitchers – I’m sure I’m available!
So am I
Why restrict yourself to just pictures? I’m younger than Franco too!
I promise that "pictures" instead of "pitchers" is not an indication of my senility.
Forget those guys. The sight of me roaming left field in a Cubs uni would "cheese" off Wisconsin more than thoughts of Brett Favre in orange and blue or Richie Sexson toiling in Chicago.
I was, too, until just recently. Damn shame, too, since I’m a lefty and all that.
Shoot…I could’ve solved the perpetual third base problem. Except for the fact that I’m dead.
You’d still be better than me, Eddie.
Hello? Mr. Hendry? I hear you’re looking for a catcher?
Who am I? I’m Bob! Your old friend Bob!
Uecker!
No, not the card game, I’m your solution behind the plate!
So, what do you say? I’ve got to be one of the best catchers available!
You’ll get back to me? Great!
I’ll talk to you soon, Jimmy!
Ah, I should probably get on the phone with my agent. I can see a 5-year $50 million deal!
Hey, Kenny! You want to cut salary? Have I a deal for you!
Trade Magglio, Konerko, Big Frank, Carlos Lee, Jose Valentin, Mark Buerlhe and Stevie Loaiza to Texas for … me!
I’m better than Nomar!
I’ll attract the big crowds!
Whaddaya say?
What about me?
This isn’t fair.
I signed with the Cubs today and I want my share
Can’t you see
I wanna live
But you just take more than you give
What about me?
I’m better than Hollandsworth. I was on a team that was only five outs away from the World Series last year.
Oh, wait.
Troy, you had like one hit last year. Granted, it helped us win that game against tHom Brennaman’s Arizona team, but still… ONE HIT?!?!?
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Actually, Troy had 2 hits. One was a meaningless homer in game 7 of the NLCS. It’s worth having Hollandsworth on our team, if only because he hit the crap out of Borowski last year.
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Wasn’t Game 7 of the NLCS like the most insignificant playoff baseball game ever? We all knew what was going to happen after the previous night’s game… I know there was no doubt in my mind the Cubs were going to lose the game. Maybe the only playoff game more insignificant was Game 7 of the 1986 World Series, if only because the Mets were involved winning it and the Red Sox fans also knew what was going to happen.
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