Mets search for character via an OF fence: FAIL

Disclaimer: I have not been to CitiField.

I have, however, spent the weekend watching the games played at CitiField. What they have seemingly tried to do, by creating a stadium with "character" via kooky OF lines, is just stupid. Mets fans, if you know this already, please allow me to be the last seat on the bus since it's not exactly new.

From all I have heard, CitiField is great. Except for the fact that the entire front lobby/theater is dedicated to the Dodgers, not the Mets, of course. I'm supportive of deeper dimentions to suppress offense; Yankee Stadium is playing ridiculous so far.

What's absurd:

1. The OF lines that have sought to create an artificial "character" to the park. You can click on the blueprint to the right for a larger view of just how silly these lines are. I'm good with a big park, but these angles and nooks are just silly.
   
2. The equally wacky, random and varying OF wall heights.

If you click on the aerial shot of CitiField or the NY Times diagram, you will get a pretty good view of these random and varied OF wall heights. This has to be the reason why Instant Replay MUST remain in the game. Just look at this stupidity. Starting at the left field pole, you come out a few feet horizontally, then dip down. After that dip, you have an angling wall height for a seating section-and-a-half, from 12 feet to 15 feet. The wall remains the same height until you approach center field, where it dips down a few feet (to 11') again until it gets to The Apple (16'), where it rises back to the previous height (11'). After The Apple, the wall again dips (8') and seemingly follows the same height as the right field begins to jut out and then recede for no good reason. As you get to that right field depression, the fence rises to (18') make room for the Modells sign. Nice work, Modells, getting some prime real estate. It actually looks like the park's dimentions were modified to fit advertising, not the other way around. As you get to the right corner, the wall angles inward while the height becomes quite low (8').

This makes sense why? Just to be different? To add character? The ballpark didn't have to be cookie-cutter and uniform, but why take it to an extreme like this? They could make it deep and have character without these "additions". Just dumb. Why, too, are the poles and boundary lines in a reddish orange, not yellow?

The rest of the park looks great. I love the dark brickwork. Love the overall look of the stadium, but I just can't get used to these walls and lines in the OF.

FAIL.

Congrats to Mo! How sweep it is!

Huge congrats to Mo on his 500th save. Getting it against the Mets, after getting his first career RBI was especially fun.

It was Rivera's first career RBI Sunday night that really captured his imagination, coming on the same evening that the 39-year-old closer became the second member of baseball's most prestigious club for closers by recording the final four outs of a 4-2 Yankees victory over the Mets at Citi Field.

"The RBI is the best," Rivera said. "It was my first RBI. It was my 500th save."

Of course, this 500th save came to close out the 3 game sweep against the team that we used to know as the Mets. Now, they look like a minor league affiliate wearing big league laundry.

I almost feel bad for my Mets fans friends, who have to slog thru a terribly injury-riddled stretch. This team is just no good. Errors, mistakes, mediocre pitching, little offense. More errors. The best part of it for me was watching it with my older son, who even said at one point: "We make errors like that in my league". He's nine. Yep, your New York Mets.

As for the sweep, it was certainly nice and fun, but I won't get overly giddy about it. Clearly, this team, as currently constituted, is a mess fundamentally. They have trouble catching and throwing, knowing situations, etc. In other words, a team the Yanks SHOULD sweep. Just as they should have swept the Nationals (but lost 2 of 3). The Mets are, to me, like a kid brother, six years younger than you. Annoying, not a serious threat, wanting to be all tough and cool like you (think you) are, something you can brush aside, yet someone you root for when they face a team you really dislike. I don't hate the Mets. I want them to do well, only if the Yanks aren't, if only to keep the morale around the metro area higher. But, when we sweep them, I delight in the suffering of my Mets fans friends. They take it so personally, so emotionally.

It's wholly different than the RedSox. With the Sox, a sweep is golden. Euphoric. And getting swept is reason to not watch/listen to sports talk radio for a few days. The Sox are the team I take seriously, not the Mets. Losing to the Mets is aggrivating, but losing to the Sox hurts.

Good to get the sweep. Makes Monday a bit more palatable.

Sunset over CitiField

Walk-off WTF?

That's about as absurd a way to win/lose a game as I have ever seen.

A walk-off WTF?

Wow.

What a mess

By now, you've read/heard/seen about the Mets debacle last night. Just ugly. What I really enjoyed, in a schadenfreude sorta way, is Neyer's take on where the Mets are right now:

You know what's worse, though? When Tim Redding is your fifth starter. Because you know what that means, don't you? It means that Livan Hernandez is your fourth starter. I happened to be at the ballpark in San Francisco last Friday night, and I just sat there in the first inning, dumbfounded, as Hernandez gave up hit after hit after hit. I can't say that I exactly felt sorry for Hernandez -- after all, nobody forced him to take the Mets' money this spring -- but I couldn't quite help myself.

More, though, I felt sorry for Mets fans who have to put up with a pitcher like Livan Hernandez every five days (particularly if he really is the club's fourth starter, and really will pitch every five days). Frankly, there's simply no excuse for a team with a new ballpark and a $150 million payroll to trot Hernandez out there regularly, and wind up with Jeremy Reed at first base in a close game, and Angel Pagan in left field at the same moment, and ... Well, you get the idea. I can't feel sorry for the Mets, and I can't feel too sorry for their fans. Not with that payroll. As a guy who just likes to watch good baseball, though, I find this odd collection of
talent just a little bit offensive.

Just to remind you, don't forget who was the suckiest pitcher of the 00's. At least a panic hasn't totally enveloped the Mets. Said me, then:

And Livan? Did ANYONE think that would, you know, actually work out well? Even the most bullish of Mets fans (and by 'bullish' I mean 'not fatalistic') were down on Livan. At least he eat innings, right? Yesterday: 7 runs in 4.1 IP. Eat that.

Panic envelops the Mets

Of course it's still incredibly early in the season (not yet 10% of the way thru), but it's always fun to see which team panics first. Aside from Boston being in a 2-10 hole, watching the Mets and their ever-pessimistic fans gag first is just damn fun stuff.

A team insider later elaborated that no one, aside from Johan Santana, has immunity. Translation: Perez or Pelfrey, who can be optioned to the minors without passing through waivers, could be ticketed for the minors, while Livan Hernandez's standing as fifth starter could be on shaky ground. Perez would have to consent to a minor-league assignment, like Steve Trachsel did in 2001, since he has more than five years of major-league service time. Maine, who is 0-2 with a 7.47 ERA, is out of minor-league options and needs to stay on the roster, but - like Perez and Pelfrey - could be sent to the pen.

This is the same Mets team who lavished a nice multi-year deal on the same Ollie Perez... the same Ollie Perez who has NEVER, EVER lived up to his hype, expectations and raw talents. Three years, $36m for Perez. Good luck with that, Mets fans. I am sure he'll get his stuff together... in the last 3 months of the 3rd year of the deal.

And Livan? Did ANYONE think that would, you know, actually work out well? Even the most bullish of Mets fans (and by 'bullish' I mean 'not fatalistic') were down on Livan. At least he eat innings, right? Yesterday: 7 runs in 4.1 IP. Eat that. Naturally, everyone with a microphone and a radio show is talking about bringing Pedro back to the Mets. Yee-haw. I can't wait for that one.

Of course, once Pedro signs with someone else, he'll actually be good, but on the Mets, the funk would simply envelop him as it has with everyone else.

At least the Mets can gaze longingly at Johan. He's pretty amazing.

Mets might exist in NY, not sure

It's almost as tough as a "Where's Waldo" book, but try to find the mention of the Mets on the back cover of The Post. Remember, too, that this was after their first win ever at Citi.

Imagine that: NY's new stadiums have Mafia links

Shocking as this may all seem, turns out several companies with links to organized crime were utilized in the construction and demolition of both Yankee Stadium and Shea/CitiField.

The roughly $17 million demolition of Shea Stadium, which cleared the way for the new Citi Field in Queens, was largely done by Breeze National Inc., whose vice president, Toby Romano, was convicted on federal bribery charges in 1988 and whom law enforcement officials have identified as having ties to organized crime.

Much of the electrical work at the new Yankee Stadium was done by Petrocelli Electric, a company that since June 2006 has been on a list of contractors that New York City cautions its agencies against using.

The owner, Santo Petrocelli Sr., was indicted this month on charges that he had been bribing a leading union official for more than a decade.

Wonder what else is buried in the cement besides a Big Papi jersey?

Gotta love this

Guessing this is what Spring Training is for, since clearly Johan has the pitching thing down to a science:

Tales from the New Stadium

Wish I was there this weekend to help give the new Stadium a test drive, but luckily we have some FOTB's who were good enough report in.

One is from Ross from New Stadium Insider, who delivers a wonderful (and brutally honest) review of his thoughts from the game. Most disappointing for me:

Views from the entire Grandstand are terrible. Moving things back by 30 feet has made all of the difference in the world. The Grandstand evokes memories of Shea Stadium - don't count on a baseball, fair or foul, ever reaching there. This may be a positive for some who are scared of getting hit with a foul ball, but it also really removes you from the action. The seats in the outfield sections are far, far away. I would trade those $20 tickets for $12 tickets in the bleachers STRAIGHT UP - no questions asked. Any takers?

I noted this way back when as the profile of the stands has become more bowl-like (like Shea used to be) rather than closer to the field and more vertical. Said me:

I love how the upper deck in the current stadium is so close to the field. It's not a big bowl like Shea or some other stadiums. The fans are closer and louder. Now, as it seems, the new stadium will be a bigger bowl with the fans further away. Maybe the seats will be nicer or have a better "view", but I'd easily give up the perfect sightlines to be closer to the field, louder for the opposition.

Next, a first-hand report from reader Alex, who's views about the Grandstand differ from Ross' and my fears:

In case you didn't get a chance to make it to either of the exhibition games this weekend.

The new stadium is VERY nice. We sat in the Grandstand level on the infield. Even though we were in the highest deck it didn't feel like we were that far away from the action. I always felt like the old stadium was way too steep when you got to the higher levels, but this one just felt more sloped and not as dangerous.

As for the food, we just ate some Johnny Rockets burger and fries since that and a "snack" stand were closest to our seats (I'm not a big fan of carrying food all over the place). There was a stand near us that had all kinds of nicer beer though (Heineken, Blue Moon, Bass, etc.). On the field level is where all the good eats are. There is an area I would call a food court where the Sushi, BBQ, and noodle bowl places along with others are. They have small tables set up for you to eat at as well. My real gripe with (both) the stadiums food was the lack of packets (or even cups) of condiments. You have to glop a pile of ketchup or mustard into your food container, very messy.

The entrance at gate 6 (under the Yankee Stadium sign) was very cool. There are pictures of different former (and current?) Yankee players. When you walk through it you get the feeling you are walking into somewhere special.

Other than the the Cubs not hitting or pitching well, the experience was very good. They seemed to pull off having the feel of the old historic place but with all the new modern comforts.

We also made it to Citi on Friday, we didn't explore as much because the wife and I got there at different times (her after the game started) and the weather didn't make it that fun to get out from under the overhang we were under. My overall feeling of the place was that it didn't have much character. It didn't seem all the dissimilar to Great American Ballpark in Cincy. The one thing they just absolutely NAILED with Citi is the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. That area is totally awesome. When I walked into the place I was in awe of how nice it was. I actually thought it was the coolest place in either of the new places.

Thanks for the iReport, Alex!

Another from Scott Proctor's Arm: Back from the Stadium: Initial thoughts.

And one from Alex Belth: Scenes from a Mall

As if you didn't already know this

Not new news here, but the average (non-premium, whatever that means) ticket prices are in:

• According to Team Marketing Report, the Yankees' average, non-premium ticket for 2009 is $72.97 and their Fan Cost Index to take a family of four to a game is $410.88.
• The Red Sox had topped the ticket cost list since 1996 and the FCI standings since 2001. For 2009, their average ticket is $50.24 and their FCI is $326.45.
• TMR said the Mets' non-premium tickets average $36.99 and their FCI is $258.97.

That's just silly. On average, it will cost 45% more to see a game at Yankee Stadium than in Fenway. Let that roll around in your head for a bit. While you do that, I will continue to curse Randy Levine.

Wallace: RP more important than SP

Wallace Matthews, a favorite to be sure, has a general theory: A great 2 inning RP is more valuable than a 6 inning SP. He uses this theory to support claims that Joba Chamberlain would be better off (and more valuable) at a set up man to Mo than as a starter.

The Yankees, who have an abundance of guys to start their games this year, think it's a good idea to take the greatest two-inning pitcher since Mariano Rivera, circa 1996, and turn him into just another starter.

I think they're nuts.

The reality with starters is that they are six-inning pitchers on most days, seven- and eight-inning pitchers on their best days.

In four out of every five starts, they are going to need a guy to come charging out of that bullpen in the seventh inning to hold the game until the closer gets there.

With all due respect, I think Matthews is nuts. There are so many ways to dissect this, but I will stick to my basic mantra: Follow the money.

Top starters signed this off-season:

1. CC Sabathia, NYY, 7 years, $161 million
2. AJ Burnett, NYY, 5 years, $82.5 million
3. Derek Lowe, ATL, 4 years, $60 million

Top closers/set-up men signed this off-season:

1. Frankie Rodriguez, NYM, 3 years, $36 million
2. Kyle Farnsworth, KCR, 2 years, $9.25 million (sorry, I had to include him)

Follow the money. If closers (or, gasp) set-up men were so valuable, they'd be signing the big contracts. But it's the horses in the rotation that pull the sled and are paid accordingly. The Yanks have developed/found a solid bullpen this year that could do the job at least as well as Joba could. Maybe not better, but close to on par. The total cost of the entire bullpen, minus Mo, is less than they are paying for Andy Pettitte, by far. And by all accounts, they are a pretty darned good bunch. Their 2008 bullpen was among the best in the game and they return largely intact. K-Rod set the all time record for saves in a season last year and had to settle for a contract half the value as he imagined. Blame it on the economy if you wish, but the truth is, closers are not as rare as true ace pitchers. Perhaps Joba won't evolve into an ace, but if he can be a solid #2 or #3 for a decade, to me, that's worth more.

At some point in the not-to-distant future, Mo will retire. Could Joba elevate himself to closer at point? Absolutely. But what if, in the course of the next 2-3 years, Joba really finds himself as a starter? What if he becomes the pitcher many think he can become? Would Matthews then think moving him to a closer role would be better solution for the Yanks? What if farmhands like Mark Melancon continue to develop and become the logical heir apparent to Mo? If Joba does mature well, I think he has significantly more value as a starter than a closer.

I say that's like hiring Picasso to paint your garage door or asking Mozart to come up with a toothpaste jingle. Many can start; few can finish. Joba can finish. He was a great setup man, and someday he'll be a great closer. Those commodities are a lot scarcer on the market than starting pitchers.

No!!!! Many can set-up, few can be an ace starter. Mo Rivera and guys like Trevor Hoffman are the exceptions, not the rule. Closers generally last a handful of years then flame out. Rare are the guys who can do it as well and for as long as Mo and Hoffman.

All of this said, my stance will change if Joba proves that he can't handle the rigors of making 33 starts a year. If he's more fragile than the Yanks envision, I will change my tune. But if he is simply in the learning process of what it takes to be a consistent and reliable starter, we have to at least find out, don't we? Simply taking a small sample from the yo-yo 2008 season and applying it to the balance of Joba's career life expectancy is foolish.

Last year, freed from the stifling caution of The Joba Rules, he broke down about 90 innings into his first year as a starter. Even before the injury, he went beyond six innings only once in 12 starts. This spring, his velocity has fluctuated from the mid-90s down to the high 80s.

Joba has the tools and the mindset to start and to close. His greatest value to the team and to himself is as a starter. I think the Yanks are correct in giving Joba the chance to find himself as a starter before panicking and dumping him into the 'pen.


UPDATE: Several others had good takes on this today, either linked directly or not:

• Neyer's take (which reads awfully close to mine!)
• ShysterBall (linked here, thank you)
• The Common Man (also linked to here)
• New Stadium Insider (linked here)
• MLB Notebook (linked here)
• Rivera's Cutter (not linked here, but similar theme)

Lasorda refuses to consider Piazza & PEDs

I hate to come across as simply bashing Lasorda just because he so far past his prime, but man, he is just so off base here.

"I don't believe that at all," said Lasorda, the longtime Dodgers manager. "He worked so hard. I saw him in the weight room working out all the time. Whatever (is in the book) is hearsay. I just don't believe it. He comes from a family that's full of good people.

"I wouldn't comment on it if I didn't feel strongly about it. He has too much to lose. And he's such a nice young man. He goes to church, he's got a nice family. I know him. I know what kind of man he is and I just don't believe it."

So if you're nice, go to church and have a family full of good people, there's NO WAY you could do PEDs? Is that so, Tommy? What say you about Pettitte? Wasn't Chad Curtis the biggest bible-thumper for years? By all accounts, the Giambi brothers are good guys, too. And Italian!

Tommy, this sort of argument is what the stat guys have been facing with regards to the scouts for years: spare me your stories and tales and show me the data. Right now, Pearlman is putting up the data with at least one named player shining the light on Piazza.

Saying that "he worked too hard" to use PEDs is silly and beyond basic as a defense. PEDs don't turn a bad ball player into a HOFer, but they will boost a good player into something more. You still have to hit a round ball squarely. Tommy, my suggestion for you: You can tell everyone you doubt the claims but don't sign on as his defense attorney.



Thanks to The Common Man for the "Grandpa Simpson" idea via the comments.

Oh yeah, well Mom loves ME more

Still a silly sibling rivalry, the battle for the heart of New Yorkers:

Among the New Yorkers who expressed interest in big-league baseball, more than half - 56% - pledged alliance to the Bronx Bombers and only a third said they root for the Mets, a Quinnipiac poll found.

In a theoretical Subway Series, the Yanks are fan favorites, 55% to 42%, holding an edge in every borough but Queens, where the Amazin's play.

Let me ask: is ANYONE surprised?

Nothing beats a 9th inning rally

I haven't written much (anything?) about the WBC simply because I wasn't that "into it". I watched bits and pieces here and there but it wasn't must see baseball for me. I kept track of the standings and who advanced. I was geeked by the Netherlands beating the DR twice. But, I caught the end of the do-or-die game last night between the USA and Puerto Rico.

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, beats a 9th inning rally to survive and move on.

[David] Wright looped a two-run single into right field off Fernando Cabrera to finish a three-run ninth inning and vault the United States to a dramatic 6-5 victory in the World Baseball Classic. The Americans advanced to the semifinals while the stunned Puerto Ricans were eliminated.

Mets, Yanks, RedSox, Phillies...hated rivals during the season, dogpiling in March. Good stuff.

And I won't even discuss how Jeter failed to keep a ball hit to his left IN the infield to let the 5th run score in the top of the ninth. That the team won will forever bury this factoid.


And also, I found it, um, interesting that JC Romero was allowed to play given that he'll be serving a 50 game suspension for PED use.

What's the difference?

Jay at Fack Youk asks a great question today:

What's the difference between A-Rod's comments regarding Jose Reyes and Derek Jeter's in reference to David Wright?

A-Rod: I wish (Reyes) was leading off on our team or playing on our team. That’s fun to watch.

Yes, he said he wished Reyes was playing for the Yankees, but listen to Jeter talk about Wright (emphasis mine):

The thing with him, I respect the way he handles himself in New York. I think he shows all the right leadership skills - he leads by example and he's not phony. What you see is what you get from him. It's not an image he's trying to portray; I think that's how he is as a person.

If that isn't a blatant shot aimed squarely at A-Fraud, I don't know what is. (Well, maybe this.)

Well, go over there and get the answer, if there is one.

Admiring the comedic genius of MLB contracts, part I

First in a series of posts that shed some light into the nuances and comedic genius of MLB contracts, incentives and bonuses.

In honor of Freddy Garcia's latest craptastic outing, I present his 2009 contract details, including bonuses and incentives:

• National Association contract for $15,000/mo.
• Letter Agreement for Major League contract for $1,500,000.
• Plus: $250,000 for 120ip; $250,000 for 130ip; $250,000 for 140ip; $250,000 for 150ip; $250,000 for 160ip; $500,000 for 170ip; $500,000 for 180ip; $500,000 for 190ip; $500,000 for 200ip;
• $250,000 for 10gs; $250,000 for 15gs; $250,000 for 20gs; $500,000 for 25gs; $500,000 for 30gs.
• Plus: $100,000 for Comeback Player of the Year;
• $50,000 for All Star;
• $100,000 for Cy Young ($25,000-2nd; $10,000-3rd);
• $25,000 for Gold Glove;
• $25,000 for LCS/MVP;
• $100,000 for WS/MVP.
• Plus for each on the active 25-man roster: $250,000 for 30 days; $250,000 for 60 days; $250,000 for 90 days; $250,000 for 120 days; $250,000 for 150 days; $250,000 for 180 days.

I know that some of those "award" bonuses are standard in most contracts, but it sure is fun to read it with respect to Freddy Garcia (especially for 2009). All of this might be moot if he continues to pitch like he did yesterday.

Garcia, who is trying to come back from reconstructive shoulder surgery, lasted just two innings in his second spring appearance. That was an improvement, considering he lasted just two-thirds of an inning last Friday, but apparently it was not enough to impress manager Jerry Manuel.

"With the numbers we have in that spot and his situation of not being active for a while, [that] will probably make it very, very difficult for him to leapfrog some of those other guys that are in that spot and have pitched recently," Manuel said of Garcia's chances at the No. 5 role.

Pedro feet firmly planted in the clouds

Headline: Pedro Martinez wants big contract or he'll retire and 'go fishing'.

"No chip on my shoulder," [Pedro] said. "I understand business, and I understand the ugly face of baseball, which is the business of baseball. Whether you like it or not, the last few years I'll be the first one to tell you I haven't been the Pedro Martinez that I'm used to being. If nobody takes a chance, well, I'll go fishing. If I'm healthy and I'm able to do the things that I used to do, I think a lot of people are going to probably regret not taking a chance."

Does he even realize that he was hurt a LOT the last few years? That he wasn't terribly effective even when he pitched the last two years?

Martinez, who was 5-6 with a 5.61 ERA last year in 20 starts for the Mets, in his first full season since returning from shoulder surgery...

If he understands business, even a little bit, he should know that teams are not placing anything more than a nominal bet on older, oft-injured pitchers, regardless of their histories (good or bad). Mike Hampton, Brad Penny, Tom Glavine, Carl Pavano, etc. Even John Smoltz got a contract below his stature. But Pedro thinks he's worth more.

In the sister-story on Newsday:

Q: Would you do what Tom Glavine did -- sign a low base contract with incentives?
PM: If I wanted to pitch that bad, I probably would. But I don’t think I’m in that stage. I believe I’m very comfortable. I’m not going to let anybody disrespect my abilities the way I am. I’d say no, that’s it. I wouldn’t say I want to pitch that bad.

Time to grab the bait bucket, Pedro.

Fool's errand: Separating clean from dirty

Talk about a fool's errand, trying to read skull growth, acne, bicep size and temprament to ascertain who was "clean" and who wasn't during the Steroid Era is nearly impossible. We know of many, many names. Some obvious, most less so.

I didn't give Rick Reilly's crapfest of a "let's give Pujols 5 MVP's" article any pub because it's silly and based upon a house of cards worth of logic (I'm not even linking to it). So when I read Tom Verducci (a writer who I really think very highly of) discuss the stature of Carlos Delgado, I thought it was worth pointing out. Verducci ran the list of HR hitters from 1996-2003 (graphic below).

So I ran the numbers for the greatest home run hitters of the heart of the Steroid Era to find the lost slugger. This list is a terribly sad one, because it is a veritable rogues gallery. It is likely that anywhere from nine to 11 of these top 14 home run hitters from 1996 through 2003 were dirty -- at best, a crime rate of about two-thirds.

When I ran down the list, Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado stood out as the guy most pushed into the shadows. This season, be it anything close to ordinary for him, Delgado will become only the 11th player in baseball history with 500 home runs, 500 doubles and 1,500 RBIs. It is a club with no back door. The others: Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Frank Robinson, Eddie Murray, Griffey, Ramirez, Palmeiro and Bonds. And yet Delgado never is talked about as a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and is rarely discussed as a Hall of Famer at all. He started only one All-Star game (and made only one other, while a juiced Giambi started three), never won an MVP award (he was robbed of one by a juiced Rodriguez) and never won a home-run title (he once finished second to a juiced Rodriguez), even though he hit between 38 and 44 home runs seven times.

I am firmly in the guilty party who have never been a huge Delgado supporter. Maybe it's because he's too quiet. Maybe for his silent objection to standing for the singing of "God Bless America". Maybe because he's pretty vanilla and not exciting. Maybe I need to re-evaluate the way I look at players.

Reading Delgado's comments below, I just want to believe him. I almost NEED to believe him. But can I, without a shadow of a doubt, believe him? No. Sadly.

"Health, No. 1," he said. "And No. 2, it's cheating. I take a lot of pride in my preparation and my ability to understand the game and try to get any edge by watching the game or taking advantage of what's in my head.

"I guess, if by doing the right thing, should you get extra points for it? I guess so. In this society, all the bad things, the controversial things, get most of the exposure, and I kind of understand how the system works in that way. It's not news that some guy did it the right way."

Bonus related reading: Shysterball's take on this.

Sad news about Robbie Alomar

If true, this is terribly sad (emphasis mine):

Baseball great Roberto Alomar has full-blown AIDS but insisted on having unprotected sex, his ex-girlfriend charged Tuesday in a bombshell lawsuit.

The shocking claim was leveled by Ilya Dall, 31, who said she lived with the ex-Met for three years and watched in horror as his health worsened. In papers filed in state and federal court, Dall said Alomar finally got tested in January 2006 while suffering from a cough, fatigue and shingles.
[...]
Alomar, 41, who quit baseball over health issues in 2005, could not be reached for comment.
[...]
Also in 2005, Alomar told Dall that when he once was raped by two Mexican men after playing a Ballgame in New Mexico, according to the suit.

Other symptoms began to develop, she says, including erectile dysfunction , a chronic cough, and fatigue.

While I hope it's not true from any number of angles (that he doesn't have AIDS, the rape story, that if he does he didn't do what's alleged), perhaps that explains his precipitous drop off in performance. He batted .336 in his final year with CLE only to slide to .266 in his first year (2002) with the Mets. He batted .258 in 2003, split between the Mets and the WhiteSox.

Alomar's eligible for the Hall of Fame for the first time this year.


UPDATE: If you want to read the whole sordid filing, here it is on The Smoking Gun. Warning: It's ugly.