Next On The Agenda

As I continue this little fall-in-review, next I'll take a look at what's happened in the MLB since last I posted. A brief recap:

1. Playoffs happen. Rays beat Red Sox in close, but ultimately surprisingly unexciting ALCS. Despite the Rays near-epic collapse in Game 5, blowing a 7-run lead when needing only 7 outs to advance to the World Series, and seeing them rally and give the ball to a rookie closer in the ninth inning of Game 7 to win it, the lack of history in this "rivalry" really hurt the dramatic impact of an otherwise quality matchup. On the other side, the Phils made quick work of the Brew-crew and Manny's Dodgers on their way to the Fall Classic.

2. Wet and Wild World Series. Rays/Phillies. A classic matchup! Despite Tampa Bay being everyone's darling this year, the signs were quite clear that they had little chance going into this series. The Phillies' hitting was simply too good, their pitching was good enough, and the Rays' lack of experience and on-base percentage looked to be their ultimate downfall. What followed was an entertaining and bizarre World Series, as Game 5 (with the Series on the line) was broken up over 3 days due to a huge storm hitting Philadelphia in the middle of a "tie game" (Phillies fans will argue that the Rays' tying run was gift-wrapped by the umps so the game couldn't be called final). In the end, the Phils finished the game with a win and closed out the series 4-1. And as Chase Utley do eloquently put it, the Phillies are now the "World f***ing Champions!"

3. The US economy takes a dump. This story has obviously received a ton of publicity, but the surprising and somewhat lesser-reported aspect of the economic downturn is its impact on the pro sports. When even the all-powerful NFL is cutting employees and taking out loans, you know things are dicey. In the MLB, the impact is being felt in the league's offseason as free agents are forced to wait out teams for their ridiculous 8- or 9-figure contracts. Teams like the Mets and Yankees are taking advantage of the rest of the league's tight budget by signing whomever they want, and some even at slight discounts. (In the case of the Yankees' new defensive tackle... er, starting pitcher, they're actually paying a huge premium to pry Sabathia away from the West Coast. Hopefully CC gets closer to 350 wins than 350 pounds during his time in New York, because he doesn't seem like he has the sensibility to survive the media onslaught if he lands in the doghouse. Let's just say I'm predicting he'll be exercising his option after 3 years and running as far from New York as possible, to the Angels' or Dodgers' benefit.) Meanwhile, teams like my hometown Astros and Rockies are forced to shop their pricier players and let their free agents walk due to growing budget constraints. In other words, in the only major sports league in the US without a salary cap, the rich again get richer while poor, and their fans, get the shaft.

4. Nobody wants Manny. Thanks in part to the economy, Scott Boras (Manny Ramirez's agent) and Mr. "Manny being Manny," one of the top right-handed hitters in MLB history is having trouble finding a home. Teams around the league are wondering if bringing on a personality like ManRam would bolster or devastate their clubhouse, and this is before checking the price tag ("if you have to ask, you can't afford it"). MLB executives with ever-tightening budgets are growing more and more leery of dealing with an agent like Boras, and guaranteeing 4-years, $80-$100 million for a player that has a history of quitting on teams when things don't go his way seems like a shady proposition. My guess: he either takes a big contract to play for the Yankees (unlikely, but no one else seems to have the money to throw around) or else (more likely) takes a "hometown discount" (i.e. no one will actually pay him more, but Boras has to save face) to stay with the Dodgers.

5. Mark Texiera sweepstakes are becoming silly. It seems everyone has thrown their hat in the ring for Tex, the premier offensive weapon in this year's free agent class not named Manny Ramirez. From the Red Sox to the Nationals to the Orioles to the Angels and maybe even the Braves, Tex has more money being thrown at him than an AIG executive. (Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration. No one has THAT much money being thrown at them.) The question is, will the "lucky" team that lands Tex be getting the same performance out of him as AIG has gotten from said executives? Maybe, maybe not, but I can assure you that he's not the missing link in Baltimore or D.C., so don't be surprised if there ends up being a bit of buyer's remorse if he ends up on an also-ran like them.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.