The World of Baseball

Yankees Will Lose Japanese Attention If They Let Matsui Walk

2009-11-21T08:08:00.000-08:00

The Yankees have an important decision to make regarding World Series MVP Hideki Matsui and his play on the field is only half of it.

Roughly twenty news outlets from Japan cover the Yankees on a daily basis because of Matsui.

He has helped the Yankees build a presence in Japan during his time with the team, prompting Asian companies to even buy advertising space at Yankee Stadium.

"He's very important over there because he enhances the Yankee brand in Asia significantly," said a baseball official.

"They've done well there. Does he get some of the credit? Yes. All of it? No. It's hard to quantify. It's no giant amount of money. The business part is not going to be a factor in this. This is a baseball decision, not a business decision."

Estimates of the money Matsui has helped contribute range from $15 million to $20 million.

Baseball attendance drops 6.7 percent

2009-11-20T13:26:00.000-08:00

Some teams lost money in 2009, baseball commissioner Bud Selig said after the final owners meeting of the year.

Selig said final figures for this year are still being calculated and everyone is living in the most difficult economic times since the Great Depression. He declined to identify the teams.

Major League Baseball's average attendance dropped 6.7 percent last season from an average of 32,528 in 2008 to an average of 30,350. Total attendance of 73.4 million was baseball's fifth-highest.

SEMENYA C AN KEEP GOLD MEDAL: South African runner Caster Semenya will keep her 800-meter gold medal from the world championships, and the results of her gender tests will be kept confidential, the South African sports ministry said.

However, the question of whether she remains eligible to compete as a woman remained uncertain.

The ministry also said that the International Association of Athletics Federations has agreed to allow the 18-year-old Semenya to keep her prize money.

The IAAF did not confirm the South African ministry statements.

DUNGY TAKING NFL ADVISORY ROLE: Tony Dungy is taking a lead role in improving communication between the NFL and its players.

Dungy will lead a new NFL player advisory forum that will meet with players about league policies, programs and issues that affect their lives on and off the field. Those subjects will include player health and safety, personal conduct, game rules and procedures, career transition and player development.

Dungy, who retired as coach of the Indianapolis Colts after last season, is a special adviser to commissioner Roger Goodell.

IRELAND APPEALS FOR PLAYOFF REPLAY: Ireland appealed to France and FIFA to replay their World Cup playoff after an obvious hand ball by Thierry Henry set up the deciding goal.

Ireland's government and soccer association asked for Wednesday's 1-1 draw in the second leg at Stade de France to be replayed.

France advanced to next year's World Cup in South Africa 2-1 on total goals.

FIFA said it received Ireland's request for a replay, though it was unclear if the governing body of soccer would seriously consider it.

Baseball still faces tough economy: commissioner

2009-11-20T05:24:00.000-08:00

Major League Baseball still faces an uncertain U.S. economy that led to lower attendance and financial losses at some clubs this year, the commissioner of the U.S. sports league said on Thursday.

(One of my son's favorite books, I hope someone gets the reference.)

"I've said this all year and I'll say it again, we're living in the most difficult economic environment since the Great Depression," Bud Selig said to reporters at a meeting of owners in a hotel here.

"We don't live in a bubble," he said, acknowledging that some clubs he would not identify lost money this season.

The league's regular-season attendance fell 6.6 percent to 73.4 million in its recently completed season as consumers dialed back spending in the weak economy. The teams with the biggest declines were in markets that suffered from high unemployment, including Detroit, Cincinnati, San Diego, Oakland and the Florida Marlins in Miami.

Over the past year, most sports have been hurt as corporate backers also cut spending on tickets and sponsorships.

Selig did not say where league revenue would finish compared with last year's $6.5 billion, saying some areas of the business were down and others were flat. Helping baseball was the January launch of its TV channel, MLB Network.

However, a source familiar with league finances, who asked not to be identified, said revenue would likely finish about flat.

Selig said it was too early to say what demand was like for next year's tickets, but said his concerns about the economy have not eased.

"I haven't talked to an economist yet ... who would tell me why I shouldn't be as concerned," he said when asked to compare his feelings with last year at this time.

When asked about the sales process of the Texas Rangers, Selig said he is awaiting bids, which are due on Friday. He declined to discuss whether baseball would support owner Tom Hicks reconstituting his ownership group to maintain control of the team.

Three groups are interested in buying the team and analysts expect bids in the range of $500 million to $550 million.

Billionaire sports tycoon Hicks is working to satisfy creditors who in April declared his sports group, which also owns the Dallas Stars National Hockey League team, in default on $525 million in loans. Hicks separately owns half of the English Premier League's Liverpool soccer club.

Selig: Baseball to change playoff schedule

2009-11-19T14:13:00.000-08:00

(Hard of hearing Bud Selig)

Commissioner Bud Selig says major league baseball will have fewer open dates during its 2010 post-season schedule

Following a meeting of his executive council Wednesday in Chicago, Selig said a plan finalizing the likely changes will be ready to present to team owners by next spring.

"We're going to change it for next year," Selig told reporters, responding to complaints by Los Angeles Angels Manager Mike Scioscia. "I've been looking at it every day, looking at what days we can eliminate."

Scioscia felt off-days in the current post-season schedule made the schedule too long and cumbersome before the World Series.

"I'm very hopeful and confident that they're going to tighten up that schedule a little bit," Scioscia said during a conference call.

The Angels and the eventual World Series-winning New York Yankees had four days off between the first and second rounds following three-game sweeps in the American League Division Series.

Sammy Sosa: is he the new Michael Jackson?

2009-11-19T06:23:00.000-08:00

Sammy Sosa white face: IS he the new Michael Jackson? Former baseball star Sammy Sosa was spotted at Miami Beach's famed Fontainebleau Hotel with his wife Sonia to celebrate his 41st birthday. Since his appearance at a Latin Grammy Awards party with a lighter complexion, he has attracted attention of fans and doctors.

(THIS IS IT!)

They are trying to figure out the reason behind his lighter complexion.

Even his recent statement that his new looks is the result of "bleaching cream that I apply before going to bed and it whitens my skin" has failed to satisfy the curiosity of his hard core fans.

They insist that the baseball slugger to look like pop king Michael Jackson is going through all this process.

However, showbiz watchers have a different story to share. They say that he might be suffering from pigmentation, a type of skin disease. The most controversial baseball player is the talk of the town. His new look has generated a lot of debate in the country with several night show hosts discussing it.

Coming to his birthday bash that is to be held at the swanky resort is expected to be a big occasion with Mexican pop star Paulina Rubio performing at the invitation-only gala in front of selected guests.

Tyler Keppenrs Review

2009-11-18T14:45:00.000-08:00

As expected, the baseball cognoscenti has gone ga-ga for Tyler Keppners NYT piece on AL Cy Young winner Zack Greinke. And why not? Here's Greinke telling Kepner how his increased interest in advanced baseball statistics helped him run roughshod over hitters this season.

Kepner also notes how Greinke learned about Fielding Independent Pitching and Ultimate Zone Rating from stats-savvy teammate Brian Bannister. So influenced was Greinke from these pow-wows with Bannister that he began purposely trying to induce batters to hit flyballs to left field, knowing that vacuum cleaner David DeJesus would track down almost any ball that wasn't hit over the fence. It's no surprise then that everyone from Dave Cameron to Patrick Sullivan to Rob Neyer (the only one of this trio who hasn't joined me for a meal at epic Boston brunch/lunch spot The Friendly Toast, though hopefully that will change some time soon) was all over the story. (It's doubly interesting because Kepner and Neyer engaged in a playful argument earlier this year over UZR as it pertained to Mark Teixeira, with Kepner taking the position that UZR, especially when viewed through just a few months worth of data, doesn't tell you everything--a position I agree with, by the way.)

All well and good. Except the masses seem to have missed the most interesting and relevant part of the whole article.

The award will raise Greinke's profile, which he does not want. When Oakland's Andrew Bailey won the A.L. rookie of the year award Monday, he said he was happy to be asked for an autograph in a mall. Greinke has the opposite reaction to fame.

"I haven't really gotten a whole lot of attention from people, which has been nice," Greinke said. "I hope it doesn't get that way, where everybody's like, 'Oh, hey, Zack, hi,' and they talk to me a bunch."

As my buddy Ben Kabak of River Avenue Blues (yes, I'm going to name-drop every intelligent writer in the Western Hemisphere by the time this post ends) notes, there's an excellent chance that Greinke might be the rare superstar who chafes at going to New York or Boston when he reaches free agency, or gets close enough to where the Royals will want to trade him. Ben's almost certainly right. Earlier in his career, Greinke took time off from the game to get treated for Social Anxiety Disorder. While he's obviously progressed enough to become a knockout major league pitcher who can take the mound every fifth day without a hiccup, Greinke's never going to be confused with any kind of social butterfly. There's a very real chance that the Royals might be able to retain Greinke for well below market value, since Kansas City is a place that's more comfortable and far less visible for someone who fears the public eye. (In fact, the Royals have already done this, giving Greinke a bargain four-year, $38 million contract last off-season). If Greinke thinks "Oh, hey, Zack, hi" is bad, imagine what would happen in New York if he gained a fraction of the fame and infamy of, say, Alex Rodriguez.

Granted, Greinke is an extreme example, and Social Anxiety Disorder is no laughing matter. Still, you can see where this is going, right? Small-market teams could benefit from performing rigorous personality tests on potential draft picks, screening for signs of introversion. If two pitchers profile as close to identical in talent and smarts, a team like the Royals or Pirates could choose the homebody over the gadfly, wrap him in a Snuggie every day, hand him hot cocoa before every start, and tell him horror stories about the big city and all the dangers that lurk there behind every corner.

With the deck so heavily stacked in favor of teams like the Yankees and Red Sox, it's time for smaller-market teams to exploit an edge of their own. Forget statistical analysis, on-base percentage, defense, new medical technology, advanced training methods or any other edge lower-revenue teams try desperately to find. Shy guys are the new market inefficiency.

How about this?

2009-11-18T09:48:00.000-08:00

Sandy Alomar Jr. is coming home.

Alomar, 43, was named manager Manny Acta's first base coach today. The former All-Star will also instruct Indians catchers. With Class AA Eastern League MVP Carlos Santana knocking on the door to the big leagues, what better tutor for him than Alomar?

Last week at the general managers meeting in Chicago, Mets GM Omar Minaya said Alomar was staying in New York. He hadn't been officially named to the Mets big-league staff, but Minaya made it clear he was going to keep him.

Something changed between last week and today.

Alomar was a intregal part to the Indians rebirth. Obtained from San Diego with Carlos Baerga and Chris James for Joe Carter after the 1989 season, Alomar won the AL Rookie of the Year in 1990. He also won a Gold Glove.

He played 11 years with the Indians (1990-2000), going to six All-Star games and helping win five division titles and two pennants. The Indians inducted Alomar into their Hall of Fame last season at Progressive Field.

Acta's staff is almost complete. All he needs is a hitting coach. He'll interview Jon Nunnally and Dave Hudgens for the job in Venezuela. Hudgens is managing Caracas and Nunnally is his hitting coach.

The World of Baseball!

2009-11-18T09:29:00.001-08:00

It's not too soon to start think about Spring Training.