Joel Sherman thinks you might be clinically insane

From The Post's own Joel Sherman, via his blog (as opposed to his column):

This is my rule: I try not to read the comments in the blog daily for several reasons, but mainly because I have several friends who do blogs and get lost in the nastiness and criticism of the postings of readers. I try to pick one day a week, usually Sunday, to try and read as many of the comments as possible finding that doing it with some distance and all at once tends to help me process the comments and separate the clinically insane from those making valid points. Really, sit back and read these comments some time and tell me what has happened to civil debate and just general decency. Anonymity plus anger is really some brew.

Awwww, he doesn't dig the criticism. That's the very nature of a blog, the gives and takes. Even if it gets nasty. Oftentimes, it gets nasty on a high-profile blog when the author has such disdain for the very readers who make his job possible. We, the readers, don't want to be ignored; we want to be heard.

My free advice: Joel, stop acting all high and mighty and jump into the pool with your readers. You might find that engaging them on a 1:1 basis goes a long way. Heck, you might even ENJOY it. Don't let your platform be a barrier. Some of us/them, while likely clinically insane, might have some good points to make, even if they are contrary to yours.

--------------

Of course, this gives me a reason to run the picture on the top-right, which has been gathering dust and lint in my back pocket for more than a year!

Baseball's coming soon!

Just ask Sal Fasano, who's already in mid-season form:

More breathless anticipation of Strasburg

The Strasburg Watch is fully manned and there are plenty of seats on the bandwagon. Just check the gushing comments from a NL scout:

“The scary thing is he could develop a little more velocity in the next couple of years,” said a scout from a National League team. “He absolutely could be recognized as the fastest pitcher ever, at least since pitches have been clocked."

However, this article is not just a massive ego-stroke for Strasburg's brag book; there's a pretty good story about how he came into college unheralded and soft and turned himself into what he's quickly becomming.

Strasburg wasn’t always in such fast company. He’d been at San Diego State all of a week in 2006 and he was doubled over in the corner of the dugout, heaving and vomiting after a routine conditioning workout.

Tony Gwynn, the Hall of Famer and the Aztecs’ coach, shook his head. The sorry spectacle confirmed everything he feared about the freshman pitcher. Filter had convinced Gwynn to give a scholarship to Strasburg, a local kid nobody else wanted.

One thought kept coming back to Gwynn: How can somebody who throws so hard be so soft?

Sure, Strasburg could throw 91 mph, but he was a good 30 pounds overweight. He couldn’t run a few laps without getting sick. He didn’t know how to bench press. The school’s conditioning coach nicknamed him “Slothburg” and told him he ought to quit on the spot.

In addition, there's some comparison to other hard-throwing guys and the fates that befell them.

If Strasburg knows anything about Zumaya, Wohlers or Anderson, he doesn’t let on. If he realizes that none of them accomplished much more than a record reading on a radar gun, he doesn’t say. Zumaya is out again with another injury in a never-ending string. Wohlers lost his control and flamed out quickly. Anderson, the first pick in the 1997 draft, lost his velocity and career to a bum shoulder.

Schilling vs. Mussina

A random thought occured to me driving to work this AM: besides the big sluggers and PED-tainted players (Clemens, Bonds, Sosa, Piazza, etc.) who will be either on the HOF ballot for the first time or remaining on the ballot, two well-respected pitchers will also make their debuts: Curt Schilling and Mike Mussina. Their candidacy will be well debated from here on out.

Disclaimer: While I dabble in and thoroughly support advanced statistical analysis, I won't pretend I speak the language fluently. For the sake of this discussion, I won't delve into the HOF worthiness of Bert Blyleven and Jack Morris, or any other well-discussed pitchers. All data referenced herein comes from the incredible Baseball-Reference.com.

What I thought about was how the voters will look at these two accomplished pitchers.

• How will they tell them apart?
• Will Schilling's stellar post-season efforts outweigh Moose's longer and more consistent years and greater win totals?
• Will each of their lack of milestone win totals preclude both of them, given there are pitchers with greater win totals still having to buy a ticket to enter the HOF?
• Were they truly great or just very, very good?
• Will their 'seemingly' PED-free career in a the "Steroids Era" help them or will they be caught up under the blanket of "presumed guilt until proven innocent"?

Let's compare these two horses side by side and see what the numbers begin to tell us. Remember, this is just the beginning of a discussion/debate, not the end. Just ammo in the war. {Sorry for the small data; that's the way it presents for some reason. Click on each to see a larger view!}















Some definitions about the HOF Monitoring stats:
Black Ink: Average HOFer ≈ 40

• Pitching Statistics
  Four Points for wins, earned run average or strikeouts
  Three Points for innings pitched, win-loss percentage or saves
  Two Points for complete games, lowest walks per 9 innings or lowest hits per 9 innings
  One Point for appearances, starts or shutouts

Gray Ink: Average HOFer ≈ 185

• Essentially the same as the Black-Ink above, but it counts appearances in the top ten of the league. For each appearance the values are below. As with the Black Ink, this method penalizes more recent players as they have 14-16 teams per league, while the older players had just 8. To get a point you must be in the top 10 in the league in that category.
• Pitching Statistics
  Four Points for wins, earned run average or strikeouts
  Three Points for innings pitched, win-loss percentage or saves
  Two Points for complete games, lowest walks per 9 innings or lowest hits per 9 innings
  One Point for appearances, starts or shutouts

HOF Standards: Average HOFer ≈ 50

• Pitching Statistics
  One point for each 10 wins over 100, limit 25.
  One point for each 20 games over .500, limit 10.
  For each of the following a minimum of 500 innings is required before these points are added.
  One point for each .013 of winning percentage above .500, limit 15.
  One point for each .20 of ERA below 4.00, limit 10.
  One point for each 200 strikeouts over 1000, limit 10.
  One point for each .30 of BB/9IP below 4.00, limit 10.
  One point for each .30 of H/9IP below 10.00, limit 10.
  One point for each 1000 innings above 1000, limit 5.
  One point for each 100 complete games above 200, limit 5. Changed from James's slightly
  One point for each 30 shutouts, limit 5. Changed from James's slightly

HOF Monitor: Likely HOFer > 100

• Pitching Rules
  15 points for each season of 30 or more wins, 10 for 25 wins, 8 for 23 wins, 6 for 20 wins, 4 for 18 wins, and 2 for 15 wins.
  6 points for 300 strikeouts, 3 points for 250 SO, or 2 points for 200 or more strikeouts.
  2 points for each season with 14 or more wins and a .700 winning percentage.
  4 points for a sub-2.00 ERA, 1 point if under 3.00.
  7 points for 40 or more saves, 4 points for 30 or more, and 1 point for 20 or more.
  8 points for each MVP award, 5 for a Cy Young award, 3 for each AllStar Game, and 1 point for a Rookie of the Year award.
  1 point for a gold glove.
  1 point for each no-hitter. This is not currently included.
  2 points for leading the league in ERA, 1 for leading in games, wins, innings, W-L%, SO, SV or SHO. Half point for leading in CG.
  35 points for 300 or more wins, 25 for 275, 20 for 250, 15 for 225, 10 for 200, 8 for 174 and 5 for 150 wins.
  8 points for a career W-L% over .625, 5 points for over .600, 3 points for over .575, and 1 point for over .525, min. 190 decisions.
  10 points for a career ERA under 3.00, min 190 decisions.
  20 points for 300 career saves and 10 points for 200 career saves.
  30 points for 1000 career games, 20 for 850 games and 10 for 700 games.
  20 points for more than 4,000 strikeouts, and 10 for 3,000 SO.
  2 points for each WS start, 1 point for each relief appearance, and 2 for a win.
  1 point for each LCS or LDS win.

Excerpt: The Rocket That Fell To Earth

Jeff Pearlman posted on Yahoo! an exerpt from his book that was released today. There's a lot to read there, but here's a snippet:

Before long, Roger came to lack this perspective, too. Although [older brother]Randy was no longer living at home, having graduated from high school in 1971 and accepted a basketball scholarship to Division III Bethel College in Mishawaka, Indiana, his influence on his brother remained profound. As he advanced from elementary school to junior high to high school, Roger turned increasingly combative. Though he was still a chunky kid through his early teens, on the courts and fields Roger carried himself like a scowling, trash-talking 20-game winner.

He even promised those around him that one day he would start the All-Star Game, win the final game of the World Series and wind up on the cover of Sports Illustrated. In football, he was a stout defensive and offensive lineman. In basketball, he was a physical power forward and center. And in baseball, he was a gap-hitting third baseman and a soft-tossing control artist.

Yes, Roger Clemens was a soft-tossing control artist. Though Roger was usually one of the better pitchers in the various leagues in which he participated, intimidation was not his game.

For my interview with Pearlman on this subject, please click here.

Pearlman on MLB on XM right now

Jeff Pearlman is on MLB on XM radio right now talking about his book. Listening now...

• I know someone from XM visited my site earlier today (thank you, StatCounter) and their first question was almost verbatim my first question! Sneaky, XM, sneaky, but I am onto you.
• Second question was essentially my "what surprised you the most" question.
• Fourth was the "famed workouts" question.
• Fifth was about Piazza and his PED usage and why Pearlman decided to "go down that road". Joel Sherman is clearly enjoying the dulcet tones of his own voice, implying that Piazza wouldn't have gotten as many HOF votes as we might have otherwise thought due to the quiet whispers that surround him.

Yankee Stadium debuts new dining options

Let's face it: Dining at the "old" Yankee Stadium pretty much sucked. A dog and a beer, fine. After that, all bets off. Any semblance of a sandwich/burger/chicken-esque product was simply gawd-awful. For me, there was a deli just up 161st past River (past the Chase Bank and pizza joint) that made some incredible sandwiches. I'd grab a huge hot chicken teriyaki sub for about $5-$6 and head in with some real eats and be thrilled. They even had clear plastic bags to help you get thru security easier.

Now, with the Yanks new self-owned Legends Hospitality business, we're going to see quite a few changes in TNYS (in addition to their old stand-bys):

Stadium Debuts:

• Boar's Head made-to-order deli sandwich stand, including soups and salads
• Brother Jimmy's BBQ
• Dunkin' Donuts Coffee
• Highlanders traditional ballpark food with a New York flair, including hot dogs with sauerkraut and "pushcart" onions
• Johnny Rockets
• Lobel's of New York
• Moe's Southwest Grill
• Otis Spunkmeyer
• Pepsi Cola Products, including Lipton Iced Tea, Tropicana Lemonade and Gatorade
• Tommy Bahama's Bar serving mixed drinks
• Turkey Hill Ice Cream

New Cuisine:

• Garlic Fries stand, a staple of West Coast ballparks
• Latin Corner, serving hot-pressed Cuban sandwiches, nachos and burritos
• Noodle Bowls stand with other Asian-inspired items
• Soy Kitchen sushi and salads
• Triple Play Grill, offering beef and chicken sliders, and Lobel's steak sandwiches

Healthy Alternatives and Specialty Items:

• Melissa's, a traditional farmers market, carrying fresh fruits and vegetables
• Various Glatt Kosher options

Child-Friendly Options

• The Big Apple stand, offering candy, caramel and chocolate-dipped apples
• Dale and Thomas popcorn stand
• Kids Cart with school-lunch favorites and smaller-portion items, such as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, milk, small hot dogs and Kozy Shack Pudding

Personally speaking, I am thrilled that Bro Jimmy's will be there. Their "burnt ends" sandwich is awesome. Of course, it will probably cost $15 so I'll be back getting my gigantic chicken teriyaki hero outside anyways. I'll try to bribe some kid for their Kozy Shack Pudding too, because I sure do love me some pudding.

One other thing made me chuckle and the bold here is directly from the press release:

VALUE
The Yankees continue to offer exceptional value on food and merchandise. They are offering a $3 hot dog, a $3 soft drink and a $6 beer. Traditional Stadium fare, such as hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, sausages and Cracker Jack, remain the same price as last season. New sizes of soda, many including a souvenir cup, are offered at a variety of prices. In addition, a Family Value Line of merchandise has been created with low-priced items, including pennants, Yankees T-shirts, key chains, and more.

Isn't "exceptional value" a bit much here?

As soon as I get to a game, I will be happy to fill out a first report. And if any of you get there before me, report in, please!

This might get my fan card revoked

This might get my Yanks fan card revoked: I agree with Jim Caple. There, I said it. (Two WBC posts in one day? Deal with it, please.)

Errors certainly are part of the game. These things happen. But the question is why was Jeter playing shortstop ahead of Jimmy Rollins in the first place?

Yes, I know. Jeter is a true Yankee, a future Hall of Famer, one of the game's most respected players and a proven winner who won a World Series as recently as the dawn of the century. And if your goal is to not hurt anyone's feelings, then you start him at short. But if your real goal is to reach the championship -- and isn't that supposed to be the point of playing in the WBC? -- then your starting shortstop is Rollins, the much superior fielder. You start Rollins at short and have Jeter DH, not the other way around.

I mean, that's what you do if you really care about winning.

It's not like the Yanks have a player of Rollins' caliber waiting to get some PT; they don't. But in this instance, with a superior defensive player in Rollins waiting to grab his glove, there's no reason that Jeter should be on the field at this point in the game/series. Jeter should have been DH-ing the whole game, or if you wanted to try something, put Jeter at 1B instead of DeRosa.

I loathe Caple as a "typical Yanks basher" who will write anything so long as it's anti-Yanks. Sure, ESPN has a huge audience who likes that sorta thing, but I find it lazy and hackneyed. But in this case, he's spot on.

Ken Rosenthal notes today that there are two prospects emerging in the Yanks farm system that could eventually take over when Jeter abdicates his spot, no matter how ugly that's gonna be.

Just as the emergence of shortstop Elvis Andrus persuaded the Rangers to move Michael Young to third base, the rapid development of two young shortstops eventually might compel the Yankees to approach Derek Jeter about a change.

The issue could not be more sensitive — Jeter, who turns 35 on June 26, wants to continue playing short, and he will be a free agent at the end of the 2010 season.

Scouts, however, have been buzzing all spring about Ramiro Pena, 23, and Eduardo Nunez, 21, both of whom have received increased exposure with Jeter participating in the World Baseball Classic.
[...]
"They're two of the better young kids I've seen ... two legitimate core players for the future," one scout says. "They're not that far from being major-league ready — they have some tools and they know how to play."

Will they hit?

"Their offense will not keep them from playing — they have at least survivor skills with the bat," the scout says. "I enjoy watching them. They're exciting players. They bring a lot of energy."

"Survivor skills"? Nice backhanded compliment!

NYY: 5 things to look forward to

Thanks to Josh at Jorge Says No!, here are his top 5 things the Yanks can look forward to in 2009. You'll have to click thru to read his rationale.

1. Joba in the rotation...finally
2. What next for A-Rod?
3. Brett Gardner
4. A healthy Jorge Posada
5. CC

I really have no idea what to expect with ARod this season. Not a freakin' clue. He could struggle with his hip and his incredible distractions all year. He could come back focused on the game and being a better teammate and have a typically huge year. Neither would surprise me. Silence, on the other hand, would.

And I am totally excited to see CC take the hill. And if Gardner can put a hammerlock on the CF gig, can he at least approximate what Ellsbury is in Boston? 10 HR power, 40 SB, solid BA/OBP, solid D. I think it's possible.

ShysterBall/FackYouk: Can you charge for content?

ShysterBall and FackYouk have a good discussion going today about the 'charging for content' dynamic as traditional print media continues to slide into the abyss. Craig's main point:

I fear that charging for content would lead to me getting a solid income stream of, like, $500 a month with everyone else abandoning me for freer content. And really, that would be the worst of both worlds: not enough money to live on, not enough eyes to feel like I'm contributing to the greater baseball conversation out there.

Worth looking at each link above. Then feel free to paypal me some cash.

WBC thought

I've been largely silent on the WBC for a number of reasons, including the lack of best US-born players competing. The USA squad lost to reigning champ Japan last night in the Semi's and at least on MLB on XM, there seems to be a bit of discussion on "how to fix the WBC". My 'deep thought' of the day is: "Why does the WBC need fixing"? Does it need to be fixed only because the US didn't win? What's the problem with the Japan (or Korean) team winning? Is it because their style is different than ours but seems to work well in a short format series?

Much is made about the timing and maybe the Latin American players have been playing Winter Ball and therefore more game ready and the teams from the Far East have been playing for a while already. Would moving the WBC to November help? I don't know but the constant "we have to fix the WBC" stuff simply smells of "it needs to be fixed because we're not winning".

Honestly, if the WBC simply dried up and went away, I'd be OK with that as much as I'd be OK with it continuing in its current incarnation. It's just an exhibition and while it'd be great if the US won it, I won't lose a wink of sleep over it. I was giddy watching the US come back against Puerto Rico last week but I didn't shed a tear losing to Japan.

The views on the WBC are mixed. I'll run a poll to the upper lefthand side of the site to gauge your thoughts. Vote early and often.

Movin' on to the Sweet 16

Sweet!

ARod dabbles with the oldest profession

Why not? Everyone with an ARod connection is coming out of the woodwork to heap the slop on this guy.

[Kristen] Davis told a friend the then-married Rodriguez asked her, "What are you doing tonight?"

The shapely madam didn't know who A-Rod was but found him "hot as hell," she told the friend. "I said, 'I'm having dinner with my boyfriend. But if you're looking for someone to hang out with, here's a number.' I gave him my agency's card."

That night, Davis told a friend, Rodriguez booked a two-hour "date" with one of her girls, who met him at the Four Seasons on Rittenhouse Square.

"He gave his real name," Davis told the friend. "The next day we found out who Alex Rodriguez was. The girl we sent freaked out. Her father (works for) another Major League Baseball team."

Here's the thing: Much like PED use, I don't put this sorta thing (cheating at every opportunity) past any professional athlete, not just baseball players. I just wish we didn't have to hear about it. Of course, I am being totally hypocritical by linking to it. I know I promised I'd ease up on the guy, but his stupidity is transcending, captivating, ethereal.

That said, there are two things that really made me laugh in that clipped text above:

1. That ARod would give his OWN name. Is that due to vanity or stupidity?
2. That his 'date' has a father working for a MLB club. {How hard to I have to pray that her last name is 'Lucchino'?}

Brilliant!!!!

Then there's this tidbit, which I find highly suspectible. No one, not even ARod is THIS dumb, right? RIGHT?!?

A source said A-Rod confided the pressures he felt as a player.

"He told her that he'd used steroids," the source claimed. "He said a lot of players did. He just wanted to be a good ballplayer."

Stubhub sellers: What is this thing you say, a Recession?

After reading Biz of Baseball's commentary about the highest priced Yanks tix at $2,625 and how over the top expensive they are compared to other MLB tickets, I sauntered over to Stubhub.com to see what some good Opening Day tickets would cost by comparison. Let's just say it this way: Stubhub sellers either have never heard of this thing called "a Recession" or are in the same denial that Yanks officials appear to be...

Maybe I am totally wrong. There are some fabulously weathly people in this world and many of them either live in this area or travel here frequently. While their fortunes might have been whacked by the market's downturn, half of a billion dollar fortune is still pretty darn wealthy.

Famous people, like actors and actresses, and not-as-famous-but-still-filthy-rich folks like AIG's bonus babies. THE place to been seen on April 16, 2009. I can see all of the Fox "plants" on TV now...

Wall Street titans still making ten digits a year.

Maybe someone will make me look foolish for questioning these prices and end up paying full asking price for these babies, but I'm betting we'll see some re-pricing as we get closer to Opening Day.

Did I mention I am looking for tickets? Anyone have a few cheapies that they can't use? Anyone with media connections? I am happy to write a 10k word story about my experience at the New Yankee Stadium, complete with pictures and other goodies if you can land me tickets.

If you got 'em, I want 'em.


Then again, it could just be The Greater Fool Theory in full effect!!!!

...the assumption that they will be able to sell it later to "a bigger fool"; in other words, buying something not because you believe that it is worth the price, but rather because you believe that you will be able to sell it to someone else for an even better price.

The "Manny Clause" is challenged

Remember that "Manny Clause" I discussed the other day? Well, it appears the lawyers for the MLBPA are now on the case:

The MLB Players' Association has filed a grievance on behalf of players who have a provision in their contracts under which they agree to make a donation through his club to a charitable organization, MLBPA chief operating officer Gene Orza told ESPN's Karl Ravech.
[...]
[Dodgers owner Frank] McCourt sounded surprised by the union's litigation.

"I have not seen the grievance, but I find it odd that in these challenging times, that we encounter a complaint against the idea of players giving back to the communities that support them," he said in a statement. "We believe there are qualities that represent the Dodger way. The player's contributions to the team, appreciation of the fans, and impact on such a supportive community all combine to help our organization live up to our core values. We seek players who embrace these values. The Ramirez provision is a blank line to be filled in with whatever number a player chooses."

Then again, it's not always about the money

Here's wishing Corey Koskie a long and symptom free life away from the game as he calls it quits due to continued post-concussion problems.

He took himself out of Thursday's spring training game against Seattle in the third inning. Koskie batted twice in the game and fielded a pair of grounders. But he said he began feeling ill after diving for another grounder.
[...]
Koskie said he made his decision to end the comeback bid after talking with the Cubs' medical and training staffs and with his own doctors. In the end, he said the risks didn't make the potential rewards worth trying a comeback.

"I wanted to get back out there," he said. "I wanted to play. It might have been a little too soon. I might not have been prepared. I kind of decided, I said, 'You know what? Really, is it worth it? Is it worth the risk to go out there and play a couple more years versus having the rest of my life, living a normal life?' That's one of the biggest questions with a concussion because you try to minimize your symptoms, and you always feel you can do it.

"I know I can go out there and do it. But there is a little more head risk. Is it from my neck? Is it from my head? Is it really worth the risk to go out there and find out?"

I discussed this topic back in February 2008 and it's a shame that these problems still persist for Corey. While I commend him for giving it another shot, it's much better to see him making a decision that will hopefully help him his whole life rather than put everything at risk for maybe another year or two in the game. I am sure he will have a role in the game down the road should he choose, be it in broadcasting, coaching, managing or opening some "training acadamy". I wish him well.

The Strasburg Watch

Looks like uber-prospect Steven Strasburg keeps humming along:

• Yesterday: vs. BYU at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
• His line: 7 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks, 15 strikeouts.
• Result: No decision in 4-2 loss (left with 2-0 lead)
• For the season: 4-0 record, 1.57 ERA, 34 1/3 innings, 21 hits, 7 runs, 6 earned runs, 7 walks, 74 strikeouts

This guy cannot be for real! More than 2 K's per IP? That's just silly, cartoon stuff.

Thanks to our own Ed Werder-like "Strasburg Correspondent", Dan in San Diego, for the tip.



UPDATE: Guess who Strasburg's agent is and guest what he's already floating out there (emphasis mine):

ESPN.com's Peter Gammons heard from some club officials that top amateur pitcher Stephen Strasburg and his agent, Scott Boras, could demand $50MM over six years if he's selected first overall by the Nationals in the June draft. If the Nationals pick Strasburg and seem unwilling to pay him as much as he wants, Boras could threaten to send the prospect to pitch in Japan for a year. If the Nats are scared off, the Mariners and Padres are next in line for Strasburg.

Seriously? This will create havoc and such an uproar, trying to get a college kid FREE AGENT dollars....

Lackey: It's GONNA be about the money

Oh yeah, this is gonna be fun.

Lackey has made it clear from the day he arrived in camp that he is keenly aware of where the market for premium starting pitchers has gone, having studied intently the signings of CC Sabathia (seven years, $161 million), A.J. Burnett (five years, $82.5 million) and Derek Lowe (four years, $60 million) over the winter.

Lackey considers himself a cut above Burnett -- and the numbers support that belief -- so it generally is believed he's seeking at least what Burnett drew from the Yankees.

Not that long ago I professed my love for and admiration of John Lackey. Some team is going to go hog wild for Lackey and give him a whopper of a contract. And it seems that it will be totally about the money, as it always is.

Projecting the Yanks' 2009 staff

SNY compiled three major sources who project all sorts of stuff like this and here are the Yanks' 2009 projections, including this preamble (you'll have to hit the link for the details):

Again, don't let the stats blind or bias you. Everyone who is serious about projecting players knows it's an inexact science. In their best years, the various systems struggle to project even 1/5 of the players to within 10-percent accuracy.
[...]
CC Sabathia: Shandler: 218 innings, 201 strikeouts, 3.02 ERA; James: 240/205/3.48; ZiPS: 223/204/3.07.

Andy Pettitte: Shandler: 194/149/3.99; James: 192/147/3.90; ZiPS: 195/138/4.43.

A.J. Burnett: Shandler: 183/186/3.89; James 224/218/3.62; ZiPS 179/170/3.97.

Chien-Ming Wang: Shandler: 189/101/3.92; James 200/92/3.70; ZiPS 149.3/71/3.92.

Joba Chamberlain: Shandler 199/236/3.12; James: Not projected; ZiPS: 131.3/129/3.77.

Ian Kennedy: Shandler: 123/103/4.11; James: Not projected; ZiPS: 128/94/4.57.

Phil Hughes: Shandler: 149/127/4.59;, James: 125/122/3.35; ZiPS: 59/42/4.27.

Mariano Rivera: Shandler: 73/67/2.73; James: 70/66/2.07; ZiPS: 67/65/2.28.

Damaso Marte: Shandler: 58/64/3.72; James 56/60/3.40; ZiPS: 53/62/3.58.

Edwar Ramirez: Shandler: 58/68/3.57; James: 53/74/3.38; ZiPS: 56/66/3.86.

(h/t to WasWatching.com)

The "Manny clause"

Believe it or not, it's NOT what you might THINK it is:

Players signing with the team will be required to donate a portion of their salary to the Dodgers Dream Foundation, team owner Frank McCourt said Thursday.

"Every future Dodger will be asked to fill in a blank line,'' he said in remarks to Town Hall Los Angeles. "They're making a lot of money, these players. We won't tell them how much to contribute, that wouldn't be right.''

Ramirez agreed to make a $1 million donation when he accepted a $45 million, two-year deal earlier this month to return to the NL West champions. He can void the second season of the deal and again become a free agent.

"He reacted extremely positively to a Manny clause,'' McCourt said. "He really liked it.''

Good stuff. I am obviously in favor of an organization taking a position with regards to both local and national charities. So long as the players are NOT being forced, but only "encouraged", even with a slightly twisted arm to do so. Better to twist an arm and get a donation than get nothing at all.

UPDATED: This is being nicely debated at ShysterBall's house, with most people against a team "forcing" players to make a donation. I understand and respect that, but teams are as much of a local trust/institution as they are a private enterprise and I don't think it's bad that ownership expects its employees to make a donation that will (hopefully) benefit localities. It's not like being forced/"encouraged" by your company to make a donation. I think the public nature of a professional ball club changes the dynamic.