Major League Baseball 2007 Season Predictions, Part 1

By David
Kaye

After reading the predictions by Yahoo! Sports columnist's Jeff Passon, Mark Pesavento and Tim Brown, I agree with them on many predictions and also disagree with some of their selections.

There were a plethora of predictions made by all three men, ranging from who the MVP's will be to who the first general manager to be fired will be. So in an effort not to bore everyone , I will divide each column into different parts.

Al MVP is very difficult to choose. There are many great power sluggers and other hitters who make tremendous impacts on their team. I will count out Travis Hafner, reigning MVP Justin Morneau and David Ortiz. The runner up to Morneau in last year's balloting, Derek Jeter, will once again lead the Yankees to the playoffs, but I don't feel that it's his year to take home the hardware. My choice for Al MVP is Gary Sheffield. It might seem like an unlikely pick, but he will be the leader of the Tigers team and with an excellent offense he can guide his new team to another World Series appearance.

The choice for NL MVP is a lot simpler than the American League, but there are still many players who make a significant impact on their club. While Ryan Howard can win the award, he has too many great players on his team[most notably Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins], who will both overshadow his success. While Lance Berkman is a monster with the bat, his team will not post an impressive record. Likewise, the Cubs will not be so improved that either Derrek Lee or Alfonso Soriano can make an argument for the award.

So, my choice for NL MVP is Albert Pujols. He is lethal with the bat and is unquestionably the most valuable player on his team. Without Albert the Cards would not be competitive and would not have won the World Series last year. My only concern is that recently the award seems to be going to the player who had the most outstanding season, not the player who had an outstanding season and was extremely valuable to his teams success.

The race for CY Young in both leagues will be very competitive, but in the end there are a select number of pitchers who quickly stand out from the rest. For example, Johan Santana is a beast on the mound and is by far the best pitcher in baseball. While I think his team could struggle this season he will still be the AL Cy Young award winner. Roy Halladay, John Lackey, C.C Sabathia and Jeremy Bonderman are all amazing pitchers, but they take a step back to the talent level of Santana.

In the NL, Brandon Webb is very capable of being a repeat winner of the award. He not only has a better team than he did last year, but he has Randy Johnson to help him out on a daily basis. With that said, I believe Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter will be taking home this year's award. After seeing him pitch in Spring Training the 2005 winner is on top of his game and will be counted on heavily this season to lead an inexperienced pitching staff.

I fully expect Jake Peavy to have a bounce back season and once again be regarded as an elite pitcher. It would also not surprise me if Houston's Roy Oswalt was the Cy Young winner and if the Cubs Carlos Zambrano straightens out his control issues he could be adding another award to his resume before he enters the free agency period.

In my next column, I will reveal who this season's Rookie of the Year's and home run leaders will be in each league.

Baseball charts new course on seating- latimes.com

A major fact that stands out to me in this article is that 40% of baseball tickets go unsold every season. That number seems staggering considering that each year fans' continue to shatter the attendance records.

Simple, 'one size fits all' ticket pricing has become a thing of the past as teams use the Internet and other avenues with an eye on increasing revenue. The Dodgers now sell 24 categories of seats

By Bill Shaikin, Times Staff Writer
March 27, 2007

It used to be so simple. Walk up to the ticket window at the ballpark, buy a box seat.

Ask for a box seat these days, and you get more options than voice mail. As seating charts evolve into color-coded mazes and teams charge an assortment of prices for the same seat, some box seats are more equal than others.

The Dodgers sell 24 categories of seats, 11 with "box" in the name, with box prices ranging from $20 to $100 a ticket.

"It is a bit confusing," said Joe Sciuto, a Dodgers fan and the principal at the Buckley School in Sherman Oaks. "The box seats used to be the field level. Now you've got seats in the second deck being called box seats."

And you might pay more for your seat than the fan seated next to you. The Dodgers sell tickets in the field box section for $20, $30, $35, $37, $40 and $45, depending on whether you buy on game day, before game day or as part of a full-season, partial-season or group ticket package.

What's the ticket price? The Dodgers offer you 104 answers in all.

From Dodger Stadium to Angel Stadium and all across the major leagues, teams have scrapped traditional pricing structures and borrowed from airlines, hotels, theaters and college sports, dividing the ballpark into an ever-increasing number of sections and charging more, much more or a lot more for the seats in greatest demand.

"It's not all about making it easier for the consumer," said Dennis Howard of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon. "It's largely revenue-driven.

"If they can slice and dice their inventory and they can create rational price differentiation, you'll pay more. Teams are trying to create compelling reasons to justify charging more for tickets and driving the revenue engine."

In 1987, the Angels sold tickets for $8, $7, $5 and $3 and the Dodgers for $7, $6 and $4, with every seat on the same level at the same price.

"Whether you sat behind the backstop or you sat beyond the bases, it was one size fits all," said Robert Alvarado, the Angels' director of marketing and ticket sales. "There has been more pressure to increase revenues in creative ways."

It is no longer enough to charge more for a seat behind home plate than for one next to the foul pole. The latest round of slicing and dicing comes into full view this week, as baseball returns to Southern California with the annual Freeway Series exhibition games, at Dodger Stadium on Thursday and Friday and at Angel Stadium on Saturday.

In 2007, the Angels sell 23 categories of seats, with premium areas divided so finely that the first row sells for one price, the second row for another and the seventh row for yet another.

And, two decades after selling tickets for three prices, the Dodgers sell tickets for 83 prices, depending not only on where you sit but on when you buy your seat and whether you buy it for one game, some games or every game. If you want to take your group to the ballpark, the Dodgers offer another 21 prices, charging more for better seats and more popular games.

"You almost feel like someone is going to open up their jacket pocket and say, 'I've got a price for you,' " said Rich Sperber, a Dodgers fan and a vice president at an Anaheim home design company.

That's exactly right, teams say, so long as you substitute an authorized ticket seller for a shady-looking guy on the corner.

The best seats in the house seldom turn over, no matter how steep the annual price increase.
With the unintended help of such websites as StubHub and EBay, teams have learned that the market will support prices for premium seats that previously might have been considered unimaginably high.

"It's like real estate," Alvarado said. "They're in the high-rent district."

By dividing seats into so many categories, teams can define the ones in highest demand and attach stiff price hikes. But teams also can define the seats that do not sell so well and offer discounts or package deals to fans.

"If they're looking for value, I've got value," Alvarado said. "If they're looking for seat locations, I've got seat locations."

Said Marty Greenspun, the Dodgers' chief operating officer: "We're trying to offer multiple options for our fans."

No longer do you have to decide between buying the whole season or one game at a time. The Angels, for instance, sell a 27-game package in which you pick the games you want to see and a nine-game package with a more limited selection. The Dodgers sell packages for as few as four games and as many as 62.


Although the Angels and Dodgers each sold a record number of tickets last season, Howard said 40% of major league tickets go unsold every year.

Every unsold ticket also represents a lost opportunity to sell hot dogs, peanuts, beer and T-shirts.

By dividing the seating area into so many categories and analyzing demand for each one, teams can adjust prices to drive ticket sales.

The Chicago White Sox sell some seats at half-price on Mondays but slap a $4 surcharge on tickets for some summer weekends and a $14 surcharge when the Cubs come to play. The St. Louis Cardinals add $5, $10 or $20 to the ticket price on opening day, on Saturdays and for games against the Cubs.

The Colorado Rockies feature a $4 general-admission ticket, but the best seats jump from $47 to $75 when the New York Yankees visit Coors Field. The San Francisco Giants charge a base price Monday through Thursday, with increases ranging $4 to $9 on weekends and holidays and $10 to $20 for opening day and games against the Dodgers, Yankees and Oakland Athletics — except for a Dodgers series in chilly April.
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And, thanks to the power of the Internet, teams can adjust prices even after the season starts, in much the same way airlines discount unsold seats at the last minute.

When the Dodgers realized they had a few too many seats left for midweek games against the Pittsburgh Pirates last September, they sent a half-price offer to fans who had registered their e-mail address with the team.

"It gives us much more flexibility to make unique offers, one-time offers, time-sensitive offers," Greenspun said.

With the Internet, he said, fans need not be confused or overwhelmed by so many choices at the ticket window. By clicking onto the Dodgers or Angels website, fans can study the numerous seating categories at their leisure, check the view from any section in the ballpark and print tickets at home.

The Angels sold almost half of their single-game tickets online last season, Alvarado said. The Dodgers sold one in three online, Greenspun said.

To further use the Internet to their money-making advantage, Alvarado said, league executives have encouraged teams to conduct online auctions for some premium seats.

For the Angels and Dodgers, that appears to be a pricing line they do not intend to cross any time soon. Greenspun said the Dodgers had "no plans to go that way in the near future," and Alvarado said the Angels would not disregard a listed price and open seats for bidding."

I feel it's the wrong message," he said. "It looks like we're just trying to get as much revenue as we can get. You're not sitting there trying to do a bait and switch on people."

bill.shaikin@latimes.com

Senate holds hearing on TV deal- MLB.com

By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With four days remaining in Major League Baseball's negotiating window, a U.S. Senate committee put increased pressure on the sport on Tuesday to find a way to offer its Extra Innings package to a broader audience served by cable providers.

If not, DirecTV, a satellite-only provider, will have exclusive rights to the package for seven years and a 20-percent stake in the Baseball Channel, which will be offered on its basic tier beginning in 2009. DirecTV has agreed to pay $700 million for that exclusivity.

Acceding to a request by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who chaired the session of the Senate Commerce Committee, Bob DuPuy, MLB's president and chief operating officer, agreed to set up a meeting with the cable providers -- iN DEMAND and EchoStar Satellite LLC -- before the agreement with DirecTV finalizes in time for Sunday night's season opener between the Mets and Cardinals in St. Louis.

"It's possible to get the best of both worlds here if there's a good-faith effort," Kerry said near the close of the two-hour hearing.

DuPuy, seated next to the heads of the cable providers and DirecTV at the witness table, nodded in agreement.

"We're willing to meet with them," DuPuy said.

In an interview after the session, DuPuy was clear that he didn't expect the negotiations to go beyond four days and into "extra innings."

"We can't," he said. "We have a contract."

Earlier in the proceedings, DuPuy told a thin panel of senators that baseball is well within its rights to sign an exclusive deal with DirecTV.

"There's nothing sinister, illegal, wrongful or frankly unusual about that form of business negotiation or results," DuPuy said. "This is not a matter of fans being unable to view MLB's out-of-market games. It's a matter of not being able to watch those games on a particular system."

The committee is the same one that began investigating the use of performance-enhancing drugs in professional and scholastic sports five years ago before baseball had a collectively bargained drug policy at the Major League level.

There was far more interest in that topic. Of the 23 senators who are members of the committee, only two were in attendance as the hearing began at about 10 a.m. ET: Kerry and Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), the vice chairman. Five other Senators joined in at one point or another, including four committee members. But near the end, only Kerry, the 2006 Democratic presidential nominee, and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) were left sitting at the horseshoe-shaped front table. Neither could correctly pronounce DuPuy's name.

Facing them at a rectangular table were DuPuy; Chase Carey, the chief executive of DirecTV; Rob Jacobson, the president of iN DEMAND; Carl Vogel, the president of EchoStar, and Stephen Ross, a professor at The Dickson School of Law.

Kerry has voiced the most vociferous opposition to MLB's deal with DirecTV and repeated his argument throughout the morning. He said that because MLB continues to enjoy an anti-trust exemption and that taxpayers have spent $3.7 billion on new ballparks in the past decade, baseball should be more responsive to its fan base.

"We're not here because anybody asked to intervene in a contract," Kerry said. "We're here because our constituents -- the people we represent -- leaped up at us. The economics of the deal has to be balanced by the broader public interest and have something truly seamless. I also believe that that's in the best interest of MLB, ultimately."

When MLB announced the seven-year deal on Feb. 28, DuPuy said that the cable providers had until the opening of the regular season to match DirecTV's offer "at consistent rates and carriage requirements." EchoStar and iN DEMAND had been providers of the Extra Innings package in the past.

The sides haven't met face-to-face since March 9, and neither provider has made an offer acceptable to MLB, which rejected a proposal from iN DEMAND last week.

Under questioning, DuPuy said that the Baseball Channel -- "which has been considered for 10 years," he said -- was the crux of the issue. Neither iN DEMAND nor EchoStar have been willing to match DirecTV's commitment to offer the channel to all of its 16 million subscribers by placing it on a basic tier.

In addition, neither cable provider has been willing to pay an across-the-board fee for the Extra Innings package, preferring to pay on a subscriber-by-subscriber basis only. In its exclusive deal, DirecTV is paying a flat fee regardless of how many of its customers subscribe to the Extra Innings package.

Kerry asked DuPuy if there was a chance of negotiating into next week, "three weeks if you can negotiate a fair deal," the Senator said.

"We've been trying to do that for nine months," DuPuy said. "That's why we've continued to leave the door open."

The committee hinted that Congress might have to step in and regulate the deal. MLB has enjoyed an exemption from the anti-trust laws governing interstate commerce since a Supreme Court decision in 1921 and Congress has often threatened to repeal it even though the high court has not.

"When folks around the country realize they can't watch games on television, there's going to be a tremendous reaction," said Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), who's not a member of the committee but spoke at the hearing. "And when those fans react, Congress may react. And if Congress reacts you may be well-advised to act expediently."

Afterward, DuPuy said that MLB had been treated well by the panel.

"I think it was a fair and open discussion of our desire to launch a Baseball Channel and our desire to make as much product available to as many fans as possible," he said. "It was well received."

Barry M. Bloom is a national reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Spring Training 2007 - Hooters Girls and Drunk Fan

Spring Training 2007 057, originally uploaded by thebrassbrazilian.

Well, right on cue, this fan probably in search of Arizona Diamondbacks Tickets decides to show these Hooters Girls and us just how snockered he really is! Here comes baseball!

Spring Training 2007 - Beer, Fan, Hooters Girls

Spring Training 2007 058, originally uploaded by thebrassbrazilian.

I guess this is what it's all about -- Hooters Girls, Beer, and one rather snockered fan. Here comes baseball.

Marlins, D-backs Swap Pitchers

By David
Kaye

With a week remaining until opening day the Florida Marlins have finally found who their closer will be. He is 28-year old flame thrower Jorge Julio who was acquired by the Fish this afternoon from Arizona. In return, the Diamondbacks receive 22-year old right hander Yusmeiro Petit.

While Julio has not enjoyed great success in the majors [13-28, 4.20 ERA in six seasons], he does come to South Florida with some upside. The right-hander saved 15 games last season and posted a career-best 3.83 ERA in 44 games for the D-backs.

Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest confirmed the trade by saying Julio ''is our closer.'' Beinfest went on to say that ''we love the arm, we have for a for years.'' While Julio might have a great arm he is also very erratic at times and can quickly lose control of the game. Trust me I saw him pitch with the Mets and in the 21.1 innings he pitched for the Amazinzs he posted a 5.06 ERA. After pitching for the first five years in Baltimore Julio will now be on his third team in the last two seasons.

Luckily, Julio will be a major upgrade over the likes of Kevin Gregg, Matt Lindstrom, Henry Owens and Randy Messenger. I was at Marlins camp last month and it seemed that the leading candidate to take over the closers role would be Taylor Tankersley. The young lefty looked impressive, but the fish envision him as the set up man, not the closer.

Over the past three seasons Florida has been very fortunate in finding the perfect late inning relief. Veterans Armando Benitez, Todd Jones and Joe Borowski all pitched great baseball in their one-year stints in South Florida. Each man recorded at least 36 saves and Benitez saved a team-record 47 back in 04'.

While Julio will not attain the success these men had, he will be a quality reliever down the stretch for the Marlins. Only time will tell if he can contend with the high octane bats the NL East has to offer.

St.Louis Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa Arrested on DUI Charges

By David
Kaye

Cards manager Tony La Russa was arrested Thursday morning after he was found to have a bac of .093. The legal limit in Florida is .08. The reigning World Series Champion manager was stopped in the middle of the road at midnight in his blue ford explorer. The 62-year old La Russa posted $500 bail and was then permitted to leave.

This is very uncharacteristic of La Russa who has gained the reputation of being an outstanding citizen and manager during his countless decades in baseball.

This story was extremely saddening to me because just last month I was at Cardinals spring training in Jupiter and had the opportunity on three separate days to meet Tony. I perceived him as being a mild mannered man who was kind to the fans and went out of his way to sign autographs even when he didn't have to.

Initially after discovering the news I was shocked to see that La Russa would be involved in legal matters where he was on the wrong side of the law. The Cards manager did release a statement where he said ''It was an embarrassment, so I apologize to anyone that's close to me, members of the Cardinals organization, our fans. I regret it. I take responsibility, and I'm not sure there's anything else I can say.''

The words ''I take responsibility'' and ''I apologize'' were enough for me to hear and I expected that a man who has such a strong character would admit to his wrong doings. Unlike many players, he did not avoid the media because he knew his actions were wrong and he was even ''cooperative throughout the investigation.''

I hope that I never have to associate the words arrested with the Cardinals skipper because he is too much of a good person. Maybe yesterday served as a reality check in that even the best of people can experience road blocks in their lives and maybe La Russa will come out as a better person from this experience.

I hope that for the upcoming season fans don't think of Tony La Russa as the manager who was arrested for DUI, but rather as one of the best managers baseball has ever seen and a person who will one day be inducted into Cooperstown.

Shapiro agrees to 5-year extension with Indians- AP

Mark Shapiro has been the architect behind the reconstruction of the Indians. Cleveland is a young and very talented team that will be immenseley improved from last season. I expect the Tribe to compete for the Al Central crown.


By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer
March 15, 2007

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (AP) -- General manager Mark Shapiro agreed Thursday to a five-year contract extension through the 2012 season with the Cleveland Indians, a team he has dismantled and rebuilt into a playoff contender.

Shapiro was only signed through this season -- his sixth as Cleveland's GM -- before working out a new deal with president Paul Dolan.

"We are extremely pleased with the leadership, direction, passion and pride Mark has instilled in the Cleveland Indians organization," Dolan said in a statement. "It's crucial for Mark to remain in this executive role to ensure the continued success of the Cleveland Indians franchise."

Shapiro's duties will remain the same. There had been speculation that his role with the club might expand.

Shapiro, who finalized the contract during spring training, had signed a two-year extension in 2004.

The 39-year-old Shapiro -- he'll turn 40 on April 3 -- has been the driving force behind the Indians' resurgence in the AL.

In 2002, with the Indians unable to contend and rebuild simultaneously, Shapiro traded top pitcher Bartolo Colon to the Montreal Expos for outfielder Grady Sizemore, pitcher Cliff Lee and infielder Brandon Phillips.

The deal signaled the beginning of Shapiro's massive reconstruction of the Indians, who had been one baseball's top franchises since 1995, winning six AL Central titles and two pennants under GM John Hart.

After winning only 68 games in 2003, the Indians jumped to 80 wins in 2004. The following season Cleveland went 93-69 but missed the playoffs when they collapsed in the season's final week. However, Shapiro was named baseball's top executive by the Sporting News.

The Indians were expected to contend last season, but a poor start coupled with baseball's worst bullpen resulted in a 78-84 record and fourth-place finish in their division.

This winter, Shapiro put off working on his own contract to rebuild Cleveland's bullpen and add championship-caliber players to compliment a roster of young stars like Sizemore, Travis Hafner and C.C. Sabathia.

Shapiro joined the Indians in 1992 as an assistant in baseball operations.

Updated on Thursday, Mar 15, 2007 12:58 pm EDT

Rose: 'I bet on my team every night'- AP

This case is just another blunder to add to the tarnished career of Pete Rose.

March 14, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) -- Pete Rose bet on the Cincinnati Reds "every night" when he managed them and, despite his lifetime ban because of gambling, would like another chance in a major league dugout.

"I bet on my team every night. I didn't bet on my team four nights a week," Rose said Wednesday on "The Dan Patrick Show" on ESPN Radio.

"I bet on my team to win every night because I love my team, I believe in my team," he said. "I did everything in my power every night to win that game."

In a wide-ranging interview, the banned Rose said he thinks he should be reinstated because "I believe I'm the best ambassador baseball has." He hopes a new exhibit in Cincinnati is a sign baseball will soften its stance toward him.

If reinstated, the 65-year-old Rose said he would like to again manage in the majors.

The career hits leader also said he supported Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire, who fell far short in his first time on the Hall of Fame ballot.

"Don't penalize McGwire because you think other guys are taking steroids," Rose said.

Rose finished his career in 1986 with 4,256 lifetime hits. He was managing the Reds in 1989 when he agreed to a lifetime ban after an investigation of his gambling.

The new Rose exhibit at Great American Ball Park includes more than 300 items and will be up for nearly a year. Major League Baseball had to give permission for the display.

"When you're in my position, you're happy with anything," Rose said.

Rose, however, said he would not be thrilled if a future reinstatement did not also include him becoming eligible for the Hall of Fame. Making it into Cooperstown, he added, was no longer on his mind.

"I quit worrying about it," he said.

Updated on Wednesday, Mar 14, 2007 6:56 pm EDT

A Great Photo Of Detroit Tigers' Comerica Park

Comerica Park, originally uploaded by SOUTHEN.

This is a photo that's more a painting than a clip. The photographer explains:

"This photo is a shot of Comerica Park while the Tigers were taking on the Yankees. It was taken from the roof of the nearby David Whitney Building during an exploration.

"I really like this because when you combine the HDR with a view that nobody ever gets to see, you get a very cool shot. A few people have already inquired about purchasing this photo so Im thinking about tapping into the Detroit sports market and selling some prints.

"Oh and if you're wondering the outcome of the game, the Tigers rallied to force extra innings only for Todd Jones to blow it by giving up a few in the 11th.

Honus Wagner card sells for $2.35 million- LATIMES.com

Every person in the world wishes they were Brian Seigel right now. He has made one of the best transactions of 2007

Unnamed Orange County businessman pays record amount for 1909 card

By Bob Pool, Times Staff Writer
February 28, 2007

Call it the first home run of 2007.

Brian Seigel knocked one out of the park Tuesday by selling the world's most famous baseball card for a record $2.35 million — nearly doubling the price he paid for it six years ago.

The sale of the 1909 Honus Wagner card to an unnamed Orange County businessman was revealed in a ceremony at Dodger Stadium. Its buyer, however, remained a mystery.

Seigel didn't even have to make a pitch to sell the mint-condition slice of baseball history.

"The guy just called me out of the blue and offered to buy it," said Seigel, who heads an asset management company and lives in Las Vegas. "I wasn't planning on selling it."

He described the buyer as a businessman who lived six miles from him when Seigel lived in Tustin.

He speculated that the buyer requested anonymity because he doesn't want his business clients to know that he spent more than $2 million for a 98-year-old piece of cardboard that measures 1 1/8 inches by 2 5/8 inches.

The card — once owned by Wayne Gretzky and Bruce McNall, the former Kings owner, and later by Wal-Mart — is encased in Lucite and mounted in a leather-covered book-like box. It depicts the Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop sitting stiffly in front of a bright orange background.

The card was displayed for reporters at the Stadium Club. As an armed guard watched from a few steps away, executives of a sports memorabilia auction company who acquired a small share of the card from the new owner told of hopes to display it at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington.

"It's long been recognized as the most iconic and highly coveted object in the field of sports memorabilia," said Dan Imler, managing director of SPC Auctions Inc. of Mission Viejo. The card has changed hands four times in the last 10 years, doubling in value on three of those occasions, he said.

It is one of about 50 known Honus Wagner cards and is in the most pristine condition of any of them, Imler said.

SPC President David Kohler, who described it as "the Mona Lisa of baseball cards," said it has a colorful history — including its brief ownership by Wal-Mart.

The huge retailer acquired it to give away in a promotional drawing in the mid-1990s as part of a marketing campaign for a line of baseball cards it was selling. The winner, a Florida postal worker, could not afford to pay the taxes on it, however, and ended up selling it at auction in the mid-1990s for $640,000, Kohler said.

It was acquired by collector Michael Gidwitz, described by Seigel as a Chicago businessman.

Seigel acquired it at auction in mid-2000, paying $1,265,000, he said.Seigel mostly kept it in a vault at a Santa Ana sports memorabilia grading company, Professional Sports Authenticator. But it was frequently shown in public, such as at a 2003 cancer fund-raiser at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, and at collector shows.

A 1983 graduate of Cal State Fullerton, Seigel twice took the card to baseball games there.

"It was Little League day and kids and others filed through to look at it for all nine innings," said Seigel, 46. "They were blown away. I took it to a number of elementary schools, along with Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle cards. I did a slide show about baseball card collecting.

"Its previous owner never displayed it. It was just kept locked up. I wanted it to be seen and appreciated. I wanted to get fun from the card."

The auction company's Imler said the high value of the Honus Wagner card comes from its limited production between 1909 and 1911. The cards were inserted in packs of cigarettes — in this case the long-defunct American Tobacco Co.'s Piedmont brand.

But Wagner objected to his picture being used to promote tobacco and ordered it removed from Piedmont and a companion cigarette brand, Sweet Caporal, Imler said."

Honus Wagner was pretty vehemently opposed to smoking. That's well-known," said Mark Roesler, who heads Indianapolis-based CMG Worldwide, which represents the Wagner estate and Wagner's granddaughter, who lives in Florida.

There is no dispute that the Wagner card is authentic, said baseball card expert Mike Berkus, a sports radio show host and director of the National Sports Collectors Convention. But the anti-tobacco claim could be questionable. Some experts have suggested that Wagner simply felt cigarettes were too feminine and did not want to be associated with them.

A 1940s Leaf Candy Co. baseball card pictured Wagner with a hunk of chewing tobacco in his mouth that was so huge "that his head was round," said Berkus, of Villa Park. "He was still alive at the time. And he didn't object to that card."

Berkus speculated that as few as 25 or 30 Honus Wagner cards still exist. Even the most tattered is probably worth as much as $150,000, he said.

Wagner, a baseball Hall of Fame member who had a lifetime batting average of .327, is generally considered one of baseball's greatest players. He died in 1955 at 81.

Pressed as to the identity of the new main owner of the card, the auction company's Kohler jokingly pointed to the armed guard, off-duty Los Angeles Police detective Lt. Michael Florio."

Actually, he's the anonymous buyer," Kohler said.

Florio cracked a giant smile. But he didn't take his eyes off the $2.35-million prize.

bob.pool@latimes.com

Senators to examine baseball deal with DirecTV- AP

March 9, 2007

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Two senators plan to examine baseball's $700 million, seven-year deal with DirecTV to determine its impact on fans.

Under the agreement announced Thursday, the deal contains a provision that allows its "Extra Innings" package of out-of-market games to remain on cable television if the other incumbent providers -- iN Demand and EchoStar Communications Corp.'s Dish Network -- agree to match the terms.

But Robert Jacobson, president of iN Demand Networks LLC, said those terms for the "Extra Innings" package of out-of-market games were impossible for his company to agree to and called it a "de facto exclusive deal."

"I will review this deal to ensure it benefits consumers," said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. "I'm encouraged that Major League Baseball may be willing to provide broader access to their games than what was initially proposed. I will be watching closely to ensure the league works in good faith so that America's pastime is available to all fans. My concern all along has been that fans continue to have the ability to enjoy baseball on television."

The agreement also drew the attention of Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"I will be analyzing the commitment to see ... if the conditions for other carriers are satisfactory," Specter said. "This arrangement should motivate the NFL to reconsider broader coverage on its Sunday ticket and Thursday/Saturday programming to make such games available to other carriers beyond DirecTV.

"It may be necessary for the Senate Judiciary Committee to have further hearings on the antitrust implications of the NFL and MLB TV programming and whether it is in the public interest to allow the antitrust exemptions of the NFL and MLB to continue."

Gary Jr.'s woes are growing- NYDailyNews.com

Outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. might see his five-year, $50 million contract go crashing through the wall if the Angels organization gets their way.

Clearly, if he had nothing to hide he would have come out by now and explained his side of the story. With a little more than three weeks remaining until Opening Day it will be interesting to see if the Angels take any course of action.

Angels may void deal

BY MICHAEL O'KEEFFE and T.J. QUINN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITERS

Prosecutors may not be going after users in the ongoing nationwide steroid and HGH sweep, but Major League Baseball is ready to. Los Angeles Angels officials may move ahead with plans to suspend Gary Matthews Jr. or void his five-year, $50 million contract if the outfielder doesn't come clean on his alleged purchase of human growth hormone, according to a major league source who spoke to the Daily News about the standoff.

Matthews, who retained top-flight attorney Robert Shapiro, has deflected questions since he was identified last week as having received drugs from a Mobile, Ala., pharmacy raided by law enforcement agents in August. Albany County district attorney David Soares has led a wide-ranging investigation into a nationwide prescription drug ring in which a dozen people have been indicted in an alleged scheme to traffic steroids and growth hormone over the Internet.

Angels spokesman Tim Mead downplayed punishing Matthews, saying "we're not going down that road now," but the team is open about its frustration. "We want as much information as Gary can provide, but he can't or won't tell us anything," Mead said. "There is a sense of frustration here because of the lack of information. Everyone understands this is a legal issue but there is a sense of frustration. We feel like this is hanging over our heads.

"We'd like this resolved by Opening Day."

Mead wouldn't say what the team would do if Matthews does not cooperate, but the major league source said the Angels are expected to take action. As was the case with Barry Bonds before he finally agreed to his contract at the start of spring training, MLB officials are eager to find a legal tool that will let them chip away at guaranteed contracts, as well as take a hard-line stand on drug cheats. Any attempt to void Matthews' contract or punish him will be met by a union grievance and most likely will end up before an arbitrator, but MLB wants to test contracts any way it can. The Angels and MLB don't think Matthews has a legitimate reason to stay silent.

"There's no reason for him not to say something," the source said. "If he had a prescription (for HGH) and he took it before it was banned, then he doesn't have to worry about anyone punishing him."

Human growth hormone was not banned by Major League Baseball until 2005 but it was illegal to possess without a prescription, although prosecution of users is rare and prosecutors in the current investigation have said they are only targeting suppliers and distributors.

Former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell, leading an investigation into baseball's doping past, is also trying to gather information on Matthews and other current and former players named last week, including Jerry Hairston Jr., John Rocker, David Bell and Jose Canseco, and wants to meet with the Albany prosecutors leading the investigation, an Albany County District Attorney spokeswoman said.

MLB and National Football League officials also met with Soares' office yesterday. "They said they were interested in helping the investigation move forward," DA spokeswoman Heather Orth said. "They said they would do anything to help, and they wanted the district attorney to know they wanted to establish a relationship with his office."

League officials did not ask for the identities of players implicated in the alleged steroid ring, or how many players from their sports may be involved, Orth added. Soares said earlier this week that investigators uncovered the names of "many" professional athletes during the course of the probe.

"Our security people were there to listen, to see if there is anything we should know," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.

So far all of the names that have emerged from the ongoing investigation have been connected to Allied Pharmacy in Alabama, not Signature, the Orlando pharmacy raided last week, or any of the anti-aging clinics connected to the case.

Originally published on March 8, 2007

Vazquez gets $34.5 million, 3-year extension from White Sox- AP

I find it amazing that a pitcher who posted a 4.84 ERA last season and is five games under .500 for his career can receive a contract worth $34.5 million. Does it make any sense to you?

March 6, 2007

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Pitcher Javier Vazquez and the Chicago White Sox agreed Tuesday to a $34.5 million, three-year contract extension through 2010.

Vazquez will get $12.5 million this season, the final year of his current contract, and $11.5 million in each of the following three seasons.

The right-hander, who went 11-12 with a 4.84 ERA with the White Sox a year ago, is 100-105 overall in 10 major league seasons. He pitched three innings Tuesday against Colorado, giving up four runs and six hits.

"Javier and his representative made a proposal that we felt was fair and made sense for us over the next several seasons," White Sox general manager Ken Williams said in a statement. "Javier has expressed a desire to remain in Chicago, and based on what he has accomplished in his career and the familiarity and stability he has found with the White Sox and he city of Chicago, it's a win-win situation for both sides."

Over the past nine years, Vazquez ranks among the major league leaders in strikeouts (fifth), starts (sixth) and innings (eighth). He is the only pitcher with 10 wins, 30 starts and 150 strikeouts in each of the last seven seasons.

Updated on Tuesday, Mar 6, 2007 5:11 pm EST

Michael Young Receives Large Contract Extension By The Texas Rangers

By David
Kaye

Shortstop Michael Young agreed to a 5- year, $80 million dollar extension with the Rangers'. The three time All-Stars' deal will run through the 2013 season. He now secures himself as the face of the franchise for many year's to come.

In seven seasons with Texas Young has gained the reputation as one of the elite shortstops in all of baseball. Last season he batted .314 with 14 homers and 103 runs batted in. Young was also awarded MVP honors at last year's ''Midsummer classic''. If that wasn't enough he set a club-record for doubles with 52 and has had 4 straight seasons of 200-hits.

Jon Daniels, Rangers general manager, said ''Michael represents exactly what the Texas Rangers stand for, both on and off the field'' . Jamey Newberg of the Newberg Report said that ''Young is committing $500,000 for the Texas Rangers Foundation, which funds local charities''. It is great to see one of the top players in baseball spending his time to aid a worthy cause.

The next step for Young and his teammates will be to reach the playoffs. With the A's losing ace Barry Zito and the Angels not improving their offensive[despite getting Gary Matthews Jr.] the Rangers' have a substantial shot at winning the AL West. They will not win the wild card so their playoff berth must come through the division. It won't take more than 90 games to get it done and most importantly they have a terrific manager leading them in Ron Washington.

Do The Phillies Have The Best Pitching Staff In Baseball?

By David
Kaye

The Phillies made a multitude of changes to their starting rotation this off season, but not enough to win best pitching staff in baseball. Still, Philadelphia does have the best pitching staff in the NL East and in my estimation they are the team to beat in that division.

During the off season, Phili traded for right-hander Freddy Garcia and the Venezuelan native comes to the city of brotherly love with an abundance of talent. Last year he won 17 games, but posted a disappointing 4.53 ERA. His ERA increased by over half a run from the previous season. One of the positive attributes of Garcia's game is that he's a work horse. The 30-year old has pitched 444 innings during the past two seasons. In acquiring Garcia, Philadelphia is looking upon him to be their ace and that will be a lot of pressure for him to handle.

Righty Brett Myers will be entering his sixth season with the Phils and the team is looking upon him for a breakout season after giving him a large contract extension. Myers agreed to a three-year, $25.75 million extension during the off season. He won 13 games in 05' and 12 games last season. This needs to be the year when he wins 15-16 games and has an ERA under 4.

Cole Hamels is the gem of the Phillies pitching staff and at 23, he will be an intrical part of the teams success for years to come. He is regarded as one of the best young left-handers in the game and if he can demonstrate his talent this season, Philadelphia could make it to the playoffs for the first time since 93'.

Adam Eaton signed a three-year, $24.5 million contract during the off season. After a disappointing 2006 campaign with Texas where he only won 7 games and had an ERA above five, there will be many question marks surrounding Eaton. He has never won more than 11 games in a season or have an ERA under 4. Pitching at Citizens Bank Park won't aid his cause either.

Left-hander Jamie Moyer is the veteran of the staff at 44, but despite his age he can still help the Phillies win. More importantly, he can help out youngsters Brett Myers and Cole Hamels become better pitchers. Lastly, Jon Lieber is officially slatted in as the sixth starter on the team but management would love to trade him before the season starts.

Do The Dodgers Have The Best Pitching Staff In Baseball?

By David
Kaye

Right off the bat the answer to this is no. The Dodgers do not have the best pitching staff in baseball, but they are the class of the NL West. Still, L.A. has a formidable staff and one that can compete with the best in baseball.

Anchoring the staff is the newly acquired Jason Schmidt who signed a three year, $47 million contract during the off season. He will be entering his 13th season in baseball and recently enjoyed great success during his six seasons with the rival Giants. He won 78 games in San Fran and only posted an ERA higher than 3.59 once. In terms of durability, Schmidt has pitched at least 172 innings the past five seasons and during that span he has compiled 14 complete games and 9 shutouts. The right-hander will fit in nicely to an already strong rotation.

Righty Derek Lowe is coming off of a 16 win year in which he posted a stellar 3.63 ERA. Lowe will be the opening day starter for the Dodgers this season. The trust that manager Grady Little has installed in Lowe displays how important he is to the team. Over the past two seasons he has racked up 420 innings of work.

Brad Penny will most likely be the number three starter this season and like Lowe, he amassed 16 wins last year. I'm not a big fan of Penny, but if he's on his game the Dodgers will be in great shape. He didn't do much during his first two seasons in L.A., but he demonstrated last season that he can still pitch well.

The back end of the rotation might end up being the Achilles heel for the Dodgers or it might end up being a strong point. Is left-hander Randy Wolf healthy and will Chad Billingsley have his break out season? Randy only started 12 games last season and has won a total of 15 games the past three years. That is less than the total amount of games[16] that he won in 2003 as a member of the Phillies.

Wolf, an 8-year veteran, is a resident of Calabasas, California and is hoping that a return home can resolve his pitching woes. If his elbow is healthy he can have a bounce back season and make a difference in the NL West.

Maybe the biggest wild card for the Dodgers rotation is 22-year old Chad Billingsley. He is one of the bright young stars on the roster and can turn out to be the ace of the staff in years to come. Currently, L.A. needs him to continue where he left off from last season as he won seven games with a 3.80 ERA in 18 games.

If the back end of the rotation can perform the Dodgers can compete with the best that the NL has to offer. If not, they will manage to win a mediocre NL West and lose in the first round of the playoffs. One of the positive attributes of their pitching staff is that they have veterans in the bullpen who can step in and be starters. Those players are Elmer Dessens, Brett Tomko and Mark Hendrickson.

My Experience from Marlins Spring Training

By David
Kaye

Today epitomized what Florida weather is like. The skies were clear, there was an abundance of sun and the highs reached the low 80's. It was the quintessential day to watch baseball and what better team is there to see workout than the young and energetic Marlins?

Young and energetic might be an understatement when describing the Fish because as they were stretching they are laughing, cracking jobs, high fiving each other and having a grand old time. To the contrary, Cardinals camp is conducted in a professional business like manner and you could never tell that these two teams share the same stadium.

I was fortunate to meet one of my buddies from school while watching Florida practice and we proceeded to spend the next few hours talking, comparing autographs and going from field t0 field in search of new autographs.

Taylor had told me that up at Nationals camp it is very easy to receive autographs and he happened to receive the signature of Barry Larkin. Likewise, Dodgers camp up in Vero Beach is a great place to snag autographs of veterans and many up and coming players.

He went onto say that it was simple to acquire the autographs of Nomar, Jeff Kent, Jason Schmidt, Luis Gonzalez and many of the bright young stars on L.A's roster. That was a nice thing t0 hear as next year I look forward to visiting these camps.

While at Marlins camp, I acquired the autograph of slugger Miguel Cabrera. Miggy is a very nice young man and on numerous occasions while walking from field to field he would stop to sign. He even took a picture with my friend. It was a great experience to watch the great Dontrelle Willis pitch off of a mound. Finally, I was only feet away from electric left-hander and you could see why he's regarded as one of the best pitchers in all of baseball.

Unfortunately, shortstop Hanley Ramirez was not as receptive as the other players and he refused to sign. I even walked along side of him from one practice field to another, and while he talked to us he did not sign. I was surprised, but I still discovered that he was an overall nice guy.

Lastly, I was bummed out that I did not receive the autograph of Hall of Famer Tony Perez. While I was walking along side Ramirez I could have been meeting the great Tony Perez. Luckily there is always next year, and I can't wait to go back to Roger Dean Stadium next February to watch the Marlins and World Champion Cardinals workout.

Do The Tigers Have The Best Starting Pitching In Baseball?

By David
Kaye

After guiding their team to a World Series berth, what will the Tigers starting pitchers do for an encore? Will their young pitchers continue to improve and can Kenny Rogers still lead the staff at 42 years young?

After leading the league in ERA [4.00] last season I believe that there will be a slight drop in performance for the starter's, but that fall will only be marginal. Still, one of the main things going for Detroit is age. Four out of their five starters are 29 or younger. Currently, the AL Champion Tigers have the second best starting rotation in all of baseball.

42-year old Kenny Rogers continues to shock the baseball world as he improves with age. Since turning 39, Rogers has won 49 games. This is more wins than he had in his first five seasons in Texas combined. If Rogers can win another 15 games this year the Tigers will be in excellent shape.

Justin Verlander, last years Rookie of the Year, is a star in the making and will pitch better than he did last season. Likewise, right-hander Jeremy Bonderman continues to improve season after season. He has won at least 14 games the last two years and struck out over 200 batters for the first time in his career last season. The 24-year old is also coming off of a very impressive postseason.

Lefty Nate Robertson is coming off of his best season in the majors. He posted 13 wins and had a stellar 3.84 ERA. He is a pitcher who possess great talent and fits in nicely in the Tigers starting rotation.

Mike Maroth will be slatted in as Detroit's fifth starter this season. The Orlando native is coming off of a disappointing 2006 campaign where he suffered from elbow pain. He only won five games last year and will be counted on heavily in the back end of the rotation. If he can remain healthy the Tigers will be able to capitalize on their 2006 success.

Tigers, Red Sox's, Dodgers, Phillies and Marlins - Best Starting Pitching In Baseball?

By David
Kaye

The Tigers, Red Sox's, Dodgers, Phillies and Marlins all have potent starting rotations, but who has the best? Is it the young arms of the Tigers or Marlins, depth of the Red Sox's and Dodgers, or the revamped staff of the Phillies?Each day this week I will make a case for every team and then evaluate who's starter's are number one.

The Red Sox's possess baseball's best starting rotation, but at any time that can change. Boston comes into this season with six starter's, four potential aces, two new guys in the rotation and a plethora of expectations.

Boston spent $103.1 million on right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka and he is expected to wow the baseball world with the array of pitches that he throws. If he pitches even close to expectations, the Boston fans will be in for something special.

After having an outstanding season as Boston's closer, Jonathan Papelbon will join the starting rotation. The key for him this year is to remain healthy because he suffered from a tired shoulder towards the end of last season. Still, if Boston can't find a closer Papelbon will be back to doing what he did last season. Granted, he posted a ridiculous o.92 ERA last year and converted on 35 save opportunities.

Josh Beckett, 26, is coming off of a 16 win season, but he won those games by posting a 5.01 ERA, surrendering 74 walks and giving up the second most home runs [36]. Beckett will be in his second season as a member of the Red Sox's and the team is hoping that he is now adjusted to AL hitters and is ready for a strong season.

Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield has been a staple in Boston's starting rotation since 1995 and has started at least 15 games every season. There is still the uncertainty of where he might fit in when John Lester returns to the rotation. Will Papelbon then become the closer if the job is still open or will Wakefield be shifted to the bullpen? Still, Tim throws a devastating knuckleball that is extremely hard for batters to hit.

Lefty Jon Lester is the wild card in the Red Sox's rotation. He suffered from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma last season, but his cancer is luckily in remission. In 15 games last year, Lester won 7 games, but did post a 4.76 ERA. One of the main things going for him is that he's the lone left-hander on the staff and it would be a sure fire thing that manager Terry Francona will find room for him somehow.

Curt Schilling is the ace of the Red Sox's pitching staff, but at 40 years of age how much left does the future Hall of Famer have? He will be entering his fourth season as a member of the Red Sox's and he is gunning for his second World Series ring with the team. Despite winning 15 games last year, Schilling surrendered 28 home runs and 220 hits in 204 innings of work. He should probably win another 15-16 games this season and if he does he would pass the likes of Vida Blue and Don Drysdale on the all-time list.

Getting To Meet ESPN's Tim Kurkjian at Cardinals Spring Training

By David
Kaye

As I was minding my own business watching the Cardinals workout I happened to see ESPN's own Tim Kurkjian walking by. Tim is both a reporter for Baseball Tonight and a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. Most importantly as I learned, he is a great person.

I was shocked to see one of the people that I love watching on ESPN at the same spring training camp that I was at. I quickly sprinted over and screamed out his name. He abruptly stopped and we struck up a conversation for the next five minutes.

After receiving Tim's autograph, I began to pick his brain about the upcoming season. He told me that he predicted a Mets vs. Yankees World Series, that the Brewers and Indians will be the two surprise teams if they can remain healthy, that Arizona's shortstop Stephen Drew will have a strong season, that it will be immensely difficult for the Cubs to go from 96 losses to 96 wins and much more.

Tim went on to say that he doesn't believe San Diego can duplicate the success they had last year and that the Dodgers are the class of the NL West. Tim concurred with me that the Phillies are vastly improved from last season and just like the Padres, Minnesota will not enjoy the same success that they did last year.

Lastly, I asked Tim if there was a player who would surprise the baseball world like Ryan Howard did last season and he replied that there will be many great players who do well, but no one can have the MVP season that Howard did.

It was a great honor to meet a recognizable and distinguished sports journalist like Tim Kurkjian and I hope to meet more people as I continue my journey through spring training.

Cabrera gets just what he wants- MiamiHerald.com

This is a well written article because it explains the process of arbitration and goes into detail about what the ramifications of this ruling could mean for the long-term future of Miguel Cabrera in a Marlins uniform.

Miguel Cabrera was awarded a $7.4 million salary in arbitration

from the Marlins, who offered $6.7 million.

BY MIKE PHILLIPS
mphillips@MiamiHerald.com

JUPITER - Miguel Cabrera 1, Marlins 0.

Well, actually it was a little more. Cabrera was awarded $7.4 million by winning his arbitration hearing with the Marlins, who wanted to pay the National League's second-leading hitter from last season $6.7 million in 2007.

It was the third-highest amount awarded in an arbitration case. Outfielder Alfonso Soriano lost his arbitration hearing last year against the Nationals and settled for $10 million, and Braves center fielder Andruw Jones was awarded $8.2 million in 2001.

A panel of three arbitrators listened to both sides Friday in Arizona and handed down their decision Saturday afternoon. Cabrera would have been the Marlins' highest-paid player regardless of the decision. Pitcher Dontrelle Willis' $6.45 million salary this season is second-highest.

The bigger question is how much did it really cost the Marlins? The Marlins were not only upset with Cabrera when he failed to show up at the team's FanFest last Saturday, but Marlins president David Samson was vocal about it.

Many teams try to avoid arbitration by offering multiyear deals because of the fear of bad blood between player and management. During Dave Dombrowski's tenure as the Marlins' general manager and president, the team had only one arbitration hearing in 10 years -- Charles Johnson in 1998. They had two arbitration cases this year.

That backfired on the Marlins in 2001, when several players were given multiyear deals that proved to be too expensive for the production on the field.

Cabrera, 23, has three years and 101 days of big-league experience and will be eligible for free agency after the 2009 season. It is uncertain if he will have a future with the Marlins at that point. Management hopes there are no lingering effects from the arbitration hearing, which came less than a week after the FanFest incident.

''The FanFest is old news,'' Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest said.

``It's mutually exclusive from this [arbitration].

``I don't believe there's any bad blood at all. We're respectful of the process. I have a good relationship with Miggy.''

Pitchers and catchers were scheduled to report Saturday, and many of the Marlins' position players showed up early. Beinfest said he expects Cabrera to report to spring training on time for the team's first full-squad workout Wednesday.

Beinfest said Cabrera would ``be here on Monday, get a physical on Tuesday and be ready Wednesday.''

Cabrera received got the highest signing bonus for a 16-year-old undrafted free agent in 1999 when the Marlins gave him a then-record $1.8 million bonus. He reached the big leagues in 2003 and has been one of the best bargains.

Because ownership controls salaries during the first three years of a player's career, Cabrera made only $472,000 last year while batting .339, with 26 home runs and 114 RBI. This was his first year of arbitration eligibility, and he became the first player to win a hearing this year. Owners had been 4-0.

In arbitration, each side presents a number and there is no compromise -- just a winner and a loser.

''The arbitrators decided his way, and that's the way the process works,'' Beinfest said. ``We had budgeted either for a loss or a win. Miguel is a great player. He's up in the elite-type players. He's one of the elite first-time players ever.

``We're respectful to the process and welcome him into camp. . . . We move on.''

My Experience from Cardinals Spring Training

By David
Kaye

2007 is the first year that I can say I attended spring training for a World Series Champion. The St.Louis Cardinals are the team, and on Saturday I made my way over to the Cardinals side of Roger Dean Stadium after meeting a plethora of Marlins players.

Unfortunately, it was noon time and practice was winding down. I figured that it would be to late to take the trolley over and I might as well stand by the teams parking lot in the hopes of acquiring a few autographs.

I stood there patiently with 5-6 other fans who were awaiting the arrival of the players. 12:15, 12:30 and 12:45 ticked by without any Redbird leaving the parking lot. Finally, Albert Pujols approached us in his Cadillac, but instead of stopping he quickly drove away.

It wasn't a surprise that baseball's best player didn't stop because he has gained the reputation from many autograph seekers to be selfish and to ignore fans. The one thing that ticked me off the most was that there was four, yes four measly fans standing there waiting for his autograph. It might have taken him a minute at the most to roll down his window and sign four baseballs. That impression of Pujols will stay with me until I see his behavior reform.

Luckily, the majority of players stopped for the fans. The first person to sign was outfielder Skip Schumaker and following him were Yadier Molina, Anthony Reyes, Josh Kinney, Josh Hancock, Ricardo Rincon, Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, Eli Marrero and pitching coach Dave Duncan.

Unfortunately, Dave's son Chris sped away in his Cadillac, and following him in that process were Aaron Miles and Mark Mulder. Manager Tony La Russa was busy and did not sign, but he has gained the reputation for being a very nice person.

Many of the Cards players including Josh Hancock, Josh Kinney, Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter were especially nice. Carpenter receives the award for nicest Cardinal, but Wainwright is not far behind.

He came off as being a very kind young man and a player who will go the extra mile to do something nice for a fan. Carpenter, the ace of the Cardinals staff, was one of the last people to leave, but not only did he sign my baseball, he took a picture with me.

I was very surprised that the best pitcher in the National League could be so approachable and it seemed like he was just another player on the team. I hope that his teammate Albert Pujols could learn a few lessons from him in the hospitable category.

I can't wait to attend Cardinals spring training later this week as the rest of the position players will be there.

My Experience from Marlins Spring Training

By David
Kaye


I returned from Jupiter, Florida two hours ago and while ArtiGras was taking place just a few blocks away, I was attending Cardinals and Marlins Spring Training at Roger Dean Stadium.

I arrived at approximately 10:30 A.M. to see many Marlins Pitchers begin to file in. Today was the day for pitchers and catchers to report, but many players including Dontrelle Willis have been at the complex for a few days.

I had attended Cardinals Spring Training last season but never have I had the opportunity to check out the Fish. Temperatures might have been in the low 50's, but the sun was beaming down and I was ready to snag a few autographs.

To my surprise, I received a plethora of signatures and through this experience I began to learn how amiable many of the players are. The first person to sign was starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez, but that was followed by Josh Johnson, Mike Jacobs, Dan Uggla, Miguel Olivo, Dontrelle Willis, Renyel Pinto, Reggie Abercrombie, Eric Reed, Joe Borchard, Josh Willingham and manager Fredi Gonzalez all coming over graciously to sign for the 10-15 fans who were stationed with me.

The ace of the pitching staff Dontrelle Willis greatly shocked me because he stood there for a good 15-20 minutes signing for any fan who wanted to meet him. You would think when you're such a high profile pitcher you wouldn't be so nice, but that wasn't the case with Willis. He receives the award for nicest Marlin.

It was a fantastic experience from Marlins camp and I look forward to going back later in the week to meet more players.

My Experience from Baltimore Orioles Spring Training

By David
Kaye

As I took Tri-Rail[South Florida's train system] down to Ft.Lauderdale yesterday I was filled with anticipation. This would be my first visit to O's camp and even though only pitchers and catchers were there I knew it would be a terrific experience.

Unfortunately, it was a gloomy day with highs only in the mid 50's and off and on showers. As I entered Ft.Lauderdale Stadium I was greeted by a kind elderly man who handed me a team roster, pocket schedule and pamphlet about ticket information.

The stadium was pretty empty with about 20-30 fans watching the team work out. Starting pitchers Daniel Cabrera and Adam Loewen got their work in and then it was time for several relief pitchers including closer Chris Ray to work out. After they were done pitching, the players grabbed bats and worked on bunting.

At O's camp, the fans are very close to the players and this permits for easy access to receive autographs. Chris Ray, Ramon Hernandez and Paul Bako were nice enough to come over, but it would be later in the day when I acquired the bulk of my autographs.

I discovered that the key to snagging autographs is to wait patiently by the players parking lot, and as they exit the majority of them will role down their windows to sign for the fans. I happened to be one of 7-8 eager fans who were standing and waiting for the players to come out.

In the 60-90 minutes that I was out there, I was able to receive the signatures of John Parrish, Jamie Walker, Daniel Cabrera, Erik Bedard, Ramon Hernandez[for the second time], first base coach Sam Mejias, third base coach Juan Samuel, manager Sam Perlozzo and pitching coach Leo Mazzone.

Unfortunately, the only players who were outright rude were relievers Danys Baez and Chad Bradford who sped away without stopping to sign a few baseballs. I was also able to see pitcher Steve Trachsel step onto the field for the first time as a Baltimore Oriole.

The majority of the players were very nice, but Paul Bako receives the award for nicest Oriole because he stood there signing autographs for a good 10 minutes.

I look forward to going back to O's camp next week when the entire roster will be present.

MLB Commissioner "Bud" Selig's Speech At Fox Sports Baseball Lunch - Part One and Part Two

This is a video I develped and edited after attending this event. It's divded into two parts of the full speech of MLB Commissioner Alan H. "Bud" Selig, before the San Francisco Bay Area media at the Fox Sports Net Bay Area Annual Baseball Season Kickoff Luncheon on Thursday, February 8th, 2007.

The Commissioner gave a wide ranging talk starting on the success of major league baseball in attendance, and reporting that baseball has 22 new stadiums, but is interested in seeing teams like the Oakland A's get new facilities, soon.

I recommend turning the sound way up, because The Commissioner has the habit of turning his head away from the mic as he talks, thus making it hard to understand what he's saying at first listen.

In Part 2, we hear the Commissioner explain that in 10 years, we will not recognize baseball because it would have spread internationally. He points with pride to the success of the World Baseball Classic as a picture of the sport's future, even though he was initially nervous that it would not do well.

Then the Commissioner revisits the steroids subject, assuring that the game is just fine and that Barry Bonds will be treated just like any other record-breaking player, should he shatter the home run record.

Finally, the second video also covers most of the question-and-answer session that followed, feauring a very long question asked by KNBR radio's Ralph Barberi and notable because his agression in asking the question and his follow-up questions which pissed off a number of patrons. (I'm sorry, but there's no other way to put it.)

Ralph's concern was if baseball would let a player into the Hall of Fame that had tested positive for steroids, or was believed to have used them. But the question came as more of a long speech, followed by two other questions he asked without the aid of a mic. The Comissioner's eventual response was that who gets in to the Hall of Fame was the decision of the Baseball Writers Asssociation and not him.

The video contains some titles to help you understand what the Commissioner is saying. Use this video set as a guide to determine the consistency of his answers as the baseball season wears on.

Here's Part One:



Part Two:

Report: Time Warner sells Braves- MLB.com

MLB must approve purchase by Liberty Media Corp.
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com

ATLANTA -- After a year of negotiations, it appears Liberty Media Corp. has agreed to terms on a deal to purchase the Braves from Time Warner Inc.

By Monday night, The Wall Street Journal and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution had both reported that they received confirmation of the deal.

When first reporting the transaction, The Wall Street Journal indicated that Time Warner would transfer the Braves, a selection of craft magazines and $1 billion in cash to Liberty Media in exchange for 60 million shares of Time Warner stock.

Major League Baseball must approve the transaction before it can become official.

"This is a very complicated deal that will take baseball some time to review and consider," Braves chairman and team president Terry McGuirk said in an interview Monday night with the Journal-Constitution. "Until we hear back from baseball, there is nothing further to do."

As negotiations went on for nearly an entire year, some got the feeling that the transaction wouldn't be completed. But in mid-January, one top Braves official indicated that a deal was imminent.

Because of a new federal tax law, Liberty Media wants to complete the deal by the middle of May. According to a Braves source, not doing so could cost Liberty hundreds of millions of dollars.

Bob DuPuy, MLB's president and chief operating officer, said on Tuesday that the deal hasn't even gone to the ownership committee yet, which must vet and approve the transaction before it is submitted for a final vote of the collective owners. The next quarterly owners meeting isn't until May.

"This is just the first step," DuPuy said.

According to the Journal-Constitution report, inclusion of an operating asset -- the Braves -- in the deal can make the transaction tax-free. This would allow Liberty to save hundreds of millions of dollars in capital gains tax on the appreciation of its Time Warner stock.

McGuirk and other Braves officials have indicated that this purchase won't cause major changes in the management structure.

"My enthusiasm for this deal is the transparent way in which it will affect current Braves management," McGuirk told the Journal-Constitution. "The expectation is that the entire structure of management will stay in place. [General manager] John Schuerholz and [manager] Bobby Cox and everyone else who operates the Atlanta Braves will operate no differently, and that'll be the magic in this deal."

Several sources have indicated that Major League Baseball won't approve the deal unless there is assurance that McGuirk will continue to run the club in the same capacity. According to The Wall Street Journal report, Liberty Media's decision to transfer 60 million shares would drop their stake in Time Warner from 4 percent to approximately 2.6 percent.

Time Warner announced its intentions to sell the Braves in December 2005. Within two months, it became apparent that Liberty Media had definite interest in obtaining ownership.

Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. MLB.com national reporter Barry M. Bloom contributed to this story. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Crushing blow to the Orioles: Kris Benson out indefinitely with torn rotator cuff

By David
Kaye

Just when you though Baltimore had enough pitching problems they suffered an immense blow to their starting rotation. It was reported today by FoxSports.com and the Associated Press that righty Kris Benson is expected to miss the entire season with a torn rotator cuff.

Benson suffered from tendinitis in his pitching elbow last season, but he still managed to go 11-12 with a 4.82 E.R.A. Benson has been in the league for seven years and has spent time with the Pirates, Mets and Orioles. There was a tremendous amount of expectations for him this year as he was supposed to be an intricate part of the O's rotation.

Now Baltimore will have to count on left-hander Erik Bedard to lead the staff. Bedard, 27, had a strong 2006 campaign as he went 15-11 with a 3.76 E.R.A. The Orioles will most likely look to 22-year old Hayden Penn to fill the spot of Benson. Luckily for the O's, they have one of the best pitching coaches all-time in Leo Mazzone to help them out.

I look forward to going to Orioles spring training next week in Ft.Lauderdale and seeing players such as Miguel Tejada, Melvin Mora and Ramon Hernandez.

The end of an era in the Bronx

By David
Kaye

Bernie Williams, a staple in the Yankees lineup since 1991, will not be headed to Spring Training this season with New York. As a result of a congested outfield, there is no room on the Yankees roster for the 16-year veteran.

The best that New York could offer him was a non-guaranteed Minor League contract, but Bernie was not enticed by the proposal. Williams has only played for the Yankees during his illustrious big league career, but it seems that he will be moving onto another organization.

The five time all-star told reporters ''I think if they wanted me, they probably would have signed me already.'' That estimation is probably true, but it's still difficult to imagine Bernie not wearing pinstripes.

Last season there was speculation that he might not sign with the Yankees, but he made the team and produced exceptionally well. In 131 games, he batted .281 with 12 home runs and 61 RBI's. The leadership that he brought to the clubhouse will be greatly missed. Bernie was the type of player who was popular with the fans, did not cause trouble and went out and performed every night. He was the quintessential teammate to have. Now, another team will greatly benefit from his services.

Even if he struggled during the regular season, it was a guaranteed fact that he would come through in the playoffs. Williams will leave the Yankees as ''baseball's all-time leader in postseason home runs [22] and RBI [80].''

Bernie also ranks very high on the Yankees all-time leaders list. He is fifth in games played, third in at bats, fifth in runs, fourth in hits, second in doubles, sixth in home runs and sixth in RBI.

Bauer passes away at 84- MLB.com

Former Yankee was part of seven World Series title winners
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Hank Bauer, a key component of seven New York Yankees World Series championship clubs, died Friday after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 84.

Bauer played 14 seasons in the Major Leagues from 1948-61, his first 12 with the Yankees. A three-time All-Star outfielder, he batted .277 with 164 home runs and 703 RBIs in 1,544 games, and helped the Yankees to nine American League pennants.

"Hank Bauer is an emblem of a generation that helped shape the landscape of our country," Yankees principal owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement.

"He was a natural leader and a teammate in every sense of the word, and his contributions went well beyond the baseball field. His service to the Yankees, his country, and his family shows why I have been so privileged to call him a friend."

A strong runner and fielder with a powerful arm, Bauer became an accomplished Major League manager after his playing career. He earned Manager of the Year honors at the helm of the Baltimore Orioles in 1964 and 1966, including one World Series title.

Bauer was traded to the Kansas City Athletics as part of a deal that brought Roger Maris to the
Yankees prior to the 1960 season. While Bauer's association with the club ended, his friendships with many Yankees teammates endured for decades.

"I am truly heartbroken," Yogi Berra said. "Hank was a wonderful teammate and friend for so long. Nobody was more dedicated and proud to be a Yankee, he gave you everything he had."

Bauer guided the Kansas City Athletics in 1962 and 1963, then moved on to spend five years with the Orioles before finishing his managerial career with Oakland in 1969. In eight seasons as a big-league manager, Bauer compiled a record of 594-534.

The youngest of nine children, Bauer was born to a blue-collar background in East St. Louis, Ill., and went on to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps. Battling malaria in the South Pacific, Bauer earned 11 campaign ribbons, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts in 32 months of combat.

His gruff military background translated to his playing career, which delivered him to the Yankees for a 1948 debut.

As a tough presence in the clubhouse, Bauer is said to have chastised a young Mickey Mantle for not running out a ground ball, yelling, "Don't fool with my money" -- a reference to the regularity with which Bauer cashed Yankees World Series checks.

Indeed, many of Bauer's most memorable moments with the Yankees came in October. Bauer contributed a game-saving catch to rob the Giants' Sal Yvars in the 1951 Fall Classic, and set a World Series record with a 17-game hitting streak from 1956-58.

"Maybe I bore down a lot more in the Series," Bauer told the Kansas City Star. "I had my luck. I had my good days and bad ones. I played for the right organization."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Bronson Arroyo receives a two-year contract extension from the Reds

By David
Kaye

After an impressive 2006 campaign, Bronson Arroyo was given a two-year contract extension, worth $25 million. He will remain a Red through the 2010 season and there is a team option for the following year.

After being acquired via a trade with Boston, the 29-year old right-hander had the best year of his career. He went 14-11 last season with a 3.29 E.R.A. Arroyo also lead the league with 240.2 innings pitched.

Arroyo's contract extension comes two days after teammate Aaron Harang signed a four-year deal with the team. Arroyo and Harang create a formidable one-two duo that will be able to compete with just about any teams offense. By locking up both players through at least the 2010 season, owner Bob Castellini is telling Cincinnati fans that he is committed to winning.

The Yankees surpass 3M ticket sales mark- MLB.com

The Yankees continue to prove why they are the elite franchise in MLB. Ticket prices might be extremely expensive, but the aggregate demand for tickets increases every season.

Club one month ahead of sales schedule from a year ago
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Games at Yankee Stadium are in greater demand than ever, as the organization has already surpassed the three-million-tickets-sold mark for the 2007 season.

Club chief operating officer Lonn Trost said Friday that the Yankees shattered their previous record for reaching the three-million milestone, set last March 2.

"It's kind of amazing," Trost said. "We're a month ahead of last year. Hopefully, the fans like the product we're putting on the field, and the fun they have coming here.

"It's a great place to watch a game. There are 162 games left, and you've got to be here to see it before we move into an even greater stadium."

A variety of ticket plans and options in all price ranges are available, including purchasing online at yankees.com.

Of the three million tickets sold, Trost noted that the Yankees have already sold in excess of 33,100 season tickets. In 2006, the Yankees completed the season with 33,682 season-ticket holders.

"We're really doing well, but we still have loads of great tickets to sell," Trost said.

While nearly every game at Yankee Stadium has already sold more than 30,000 seats, Trost said even premier games against the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets are still available to fans who want to experience the next-to-last season at the current facility.

Fans who arrive in the Bronx for the Yankees' home opener on April 2 against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays will also be able to check out the progress on the new facility, being constructed just to the north of the Yankees' current home between 161st and 164th streets, and between Jerome and River avenues.

Trost reported that concrete is being poured at the new stadium site, and in some locations, workers are already up to the second deck in poured concrete. Within 60 days, the structural steel phase of the project is expected to begin, and progress is on schedule.

"Anybody who comes to the stadium starting Opening Day will see an unbelievable sight when they see how much has been built already of the new stadium," Trost said.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Kerans, Washington avoid arbitration and agree to a new long-term contract

By David
Kaye

The Nationals and OF Austin Kearns agreed on a three-year contract extension, worth $16.5 million. There is a club option for the 2010 season that would pay the 26-year old $10 million.

Kearns was acquired via a trade back in July with the Reds and in 63 games with the Nats he batted .250 and belted 8 home runs. In 4.5 seasons in Cincinnati, Kearns never lived up to their high expectations. He is a player with a good amount of power, but he has yet to hit more than 24 home runs or drive in 86 rbi's in a full season. Maybe he needed a change of scenario, but wherever he goes there will always be a great amount of pressure put on his shoulders to perform.

Team president Stan Kasten said ''we are eager to invest in long-term building blocks'' and Kearns will definitely be part of the long-term project that Washington has in mind. When you look at the Nationals roster, they have a plethora of young players.

Their infield consists of the reigning NL Rookie of the year Ryan Zimmerman, shortstop Cristian Guzman who has not played in the big leagues since 2005, second basemen Felipe Lopez who came over from the Reds with Kearns and first basemen Nick Johnson who in my estimation is turning into one of the best first basemen in the NL. Catcher Brian Schneider won't scare you offensively, but he calls a good game from behind the plate.

The real conflict for the Nationals is their starting pitching. This will be the major reason why the Nats don't reach the playoffs this season. Their ace John Patterson is a solid young pitcher, but he only played in eight games last season. Fourth and fifth starters Michael O'Connor and Shawn Hill combined to pitch in 27 games last season. Both men combined only won four games.

Jerome Williams and Tim Redding, who can be called the veterans of the staff because they have 11 years of big league service between them, are not that impressive either. Redding didn't pitch last year and Williams did not muster up a win last season. Redding has also not won a game since 2004 when he pitched for the Astros.

It's a serious problem to have such a shaky starting rotation when you are hoping to compete in the NL East. It's unfortunate because they have one of the best closers in baseball in Chad Cordero. It will be another long season for the Washington Nationals, but many young players will gain valuable playing experience.