End of the week news update...

The fantasy baseball league is at 7 confirmed players with 1 pledge.  If you have any interest, you can post here or at wonderduck.mu.nu, or email me at midnitetease at hotmail dot com.

Beyond the Box Score has an article up on baseball game attendance since the 1950s.  While attendance is technically down a bit from the peak years of 2006-2008, baseball is still averaging around 30,000 fans per game.  BtBS's conclusions are that this is due mostly to:

The aging of the Baby Boom Generation, those people born between 1946-1964. By the time the 1980s began they were entering their 20s and 30s.

The economic expansion of approximately 1982-2007, which created new wealth and disposable income, allowing for greater spending on items like baseball attendance.

An increased corporate presence and expanded advertising opportunities.

A college football player announced this week that he was gay, and that he was entering the NFL draft next season.  NFL executives and coaches say his sexual orientation is going to be a problem.  Fox Sports asked seven baseball general managers what they though about drafting a gay player, and all seven said (I'm paraphrasing):  "Can he play?  Will he help us win?  Is he healthy and a person of character?  That's what we're concerned with.  Not whether he's gay or not."  Ranger Michael Young, in an ESPN radio interview, said he's never played with an openly gay player, but he *has* had gay teammates.  He echoed the GM's comments by stating that the players he has known would be mostly concerned with the player's sportsmanship and commitment.

Nolan Ryan, former CEO of the Texas Rangers, has accepted a "special assistant" position with the Houston Astros.  Before becoming part of the ownership team of the Rangers, Ryan had worked in various roles with both the Rangers and Astros since his retirement from playing, so this isn't too shocking.  While some have been looking for jabs at the Rangers since his departure, it's Angels fans that get the cold shoulder in his recent comments:

"I have so many close friends and good friends still with the Rangers organization that I’ll certainly follow them on a regular basis as I have the Astros. These are really the two teams I consider my teams that I’m associated with and will always feel about.”

Ironically, a recent post at Halos Heaven showed Ryan winning a ranking of Angels' pitchers hands down.

Following Lance Berkman, Roy Oswalt has announced his retirement.  Also like Berkman, Oswalt is a player who excelled beyond many of his peers but ultimately falls a few degrees short of the Hall of Fame.  The Crawfish Boxes re-posted an essay from 2010 about the trading of Oswalt and Berkman to Philidelphia and St. Louis.  They were the last vestiges of the last *good* Astros team.  Houston is planning one-day contracts for both players to allow them to retire as Astros, which is fitting.  While Berkman ended his career with the Rangers and Oswalt spent half of 2012 with the boys in Arlington, Rangers fans are still looking to assign blame rather than credit for both signings.  It has been generally assumed that Nolan Ryan, who has favored signing older veterans and has close ties (obviously) with Houston throughout the 1990's and 2000's, was the driving force behind both players, but we really don't know for sure.

David Pinto at Baseball Musings discusses the Royals' interesting position.  Nevada odds-makers have the Kansas City team treading water (not a bad thing when you're over .500).  This means that with a little luck or the right signing, the Royals could hit the 90 win mark.  Of course, the opposite could have them fall under .500 again...

The Baltimore Orioles have finally done something, and it's interesting.  In a head-scratching way, more than anything.  They signed Korean pitcher Sook-min Yoon.  As Fangraphs puts it:

The good: Yoon’s 27, and he’s been able to get his fastball into the 90s, and a few years ago he was Korean Baseball’s most valuable player. He has a full arsenal, and while people like his slider and changeup the most, he’s also been said to throw a curveball and a forkball.

The bad: Yoon’s come down from his MVP season. He split last year between the rotation and the bullpen, due in large part to a recurring shoulder issue that some have characterized as serious. Yoon isn’t thought to be on the same level as Hyun-jin Ryu, and there’s not even a consensus on whether he’s a future starter or reliever. It should be noted again that Yoon signed for considerably less money than Garrett Jones did.

The details of the contract show that the Orioles expect Yoon to face health challenges, and probably expect him to be a middle reliever for the next few years.  This plays a bit into an article I linked a few days ago about Baltimore intentionally *tanking* 2014.  However, it contradicts the team's botched signing of Grant Balfour.  The one way it could all fit together is if Baltimore was ginning up some minor health issues to try to drive Balfour's price down a bit; they just wanted a lower price than even Tampa Bay got.  With the Yoon signing, the Orioles are showing that they are willing to sign an injured player, they just want to defer a lot of the contract into incentives.  I would bet Balfour argued that his physical didn't show any justification for such restrictions.  In my opinion, the fact that Balfour hasn't filed a grievance indicates that there *are* health concerns...just not really serious issues that would allow a team to give him a "reclamation project" contract.

The Seattle Mariners have not had a good spring training so far.  Jesus Montero showed up at camp at least 20 pounds overweight.  Following his PED suspension with this bit of news, Balls and Strikes writes:

I don’t think Montero gets it. A young kid with the opportunity for a major league career , everything in front of him for the asking and he gets suspended for cheating. Instead of devoting himself to rebuilding his reputation by working out, staying in shape, having a goal of making the Mariners by impressing them with his hitting skills, he spends the offseason getting fat. He simply does not care. He is immature. By the time he gains maturity-if he does-it may be too late. He threw away last season and it looks like he may throw away this season. Send him to A-ball and see if he gets the message and wakes up.

Also, outfielder Franklin Gutierrez will miss all of 2014 with his mysterious gastrointestinal problem.  He's been placed on the "restricted" list, which means he draws no salary and is not on any roster.  However, his rights will be retained by the Mariners if he is able to return to the field.

If if that wasn't enough, number two pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma has injured a finger and won't even throw a baseball for another 4 - 6 weeks, which could mean he may not be ready for the start of the season.

Jeff Sullivan is ticked off that so many people are focusing on Robinson Cano as the M's only "good" player and team leader.  After all, they've had Felix Hernandez for years now.  Jeff should know by now, you have to be a middle-infielder from New York to be team leader.  Which means there won't be a single team leader in baseball next year.

Nelson Cruz is going to sign with the Mariners any minute now.  Annny minute now...

Presumptive Rangers' second baseman Jurickson Profar has shoulder tendonitis and will be limited from throwing for the first week or two of camp.  And the warning signs start flashing....

Rangers first baseman and designated hitter Mitch Moreland has agreed to terms in pre-arbitration.  Texas and Moreland basically split the difference on the contract terms being discussed, with a couple of minor incentives thrown in.

Prince Fielder has changed his workout routine to try to get in better shape.

The Rangers have officially signed Tommy Hanson to a major league deal.  Most pundits expected a minor league contract after Hanson's poor performance in Anaheim, but it looks like Tommy wants to try to catch on at the back of the rotation or be cut.  His contract terms include an almost ridiculous (for major league baseball) guarantee if he's released:

Per Evan Grant on Twitter, Hanson is guaranteed only $125,000 if he is released...

This is actually kind of bummer news to me.  I had expected a deal that would allow Hanson to work with Greg and Mike Maddux, which would hopefully get him back into good form.  This deal, on the other hand, seems to be Hanson saying "I want the #5 spot, and if I don't get it I'm going home."  Fangraphs lays out the good and bad of the future of Tommy Hanson.

The Rangers get to work in earnest on Monday, so expect more frequent updates starting then.

Posted by: Ben at 09:45 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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