MLB Columns

Crew still has a chance in Central
February 12
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 columnist Michael Hunt
"Only a fool would say the Brewers will not miss Prince Fielder. He is a freak-of-nature hitter, one of about two of his kind at the moment in the major leagues. Only a fool would say the Brewers could have done something to re-sign him. Even with Miller Park and revenue sharing and top-10 attendance, the Brewers will never be able to do anything about their standing as MLB's smallest media market. Consequently, the Brewers' local radio/TV money, which always will separate them from the outrageous spenders, always will be relative sofa-cushion change. It is a wonder they can afford one $100 million contract with Ryan Braun. Another $200 million contract? Let's just say the Wharton School of"
Rockies' additions will provide leadership
February 12
Denver Post
 columnist Troy E. Renck
"He wasn't being smug or desperate, just honest. "We need help," outfielder Carlos Gonzalez said late last season as the Rockies spiraled to a fourth-place finish. Consecutive years with their noses pressed up against the playoff window have proved to the Rockies that the Tulo, CarGo and Oh No template doesn't work. So this winter, general manager Dan O'Dowd added Michael Cuddyer, the highest-paid free agent in the National League West, catcher Ramon Hernandez, second baseman Marco Scutaro and third baseman Casey Blake. Did the Rockies get older or better? One thing is clear: Help has arrived to provide leadership. Troy Tulowitzki is the heartbeat of the team, but he's admittedly learning"
Like it or not, Tigers have a fear factor
February 12
Detroit News
 columnist Bob Wojnowski
"You're a Tigers fan, and as spring training nears, you're feeling a tad cocky. The Tigers could be scary good and freakishly dangerous. They're loaded with such star power, you expect them to win their division by, oh, 20 games or so, right? Slow down, Tiger. As fearsome as the Tigers look, they're also capable of making you nervous. I'm here to raise the real fears and squash the imaginary ones. You might find this exercise mildly annoying, but trust me, you need to hear it. First fear: The Tigers will revisit their 2008 stacked-lineup flop. Real or imagined? It's completely imagined, an easy connection that has no merit."
Yankees GM Brian Cashman stalker case seems like it is missing some details
February 10
New York Daily News
 columnist Bob Raissman
"There must be something missing from this Brian Cashman story, and it ain't a player to be named later. It's a tale of sex, stalking, betrayal. It has nearly everything sports talk gas bags were yakking incessantly about when Steve Phillips' made-for-tabloid affairs were revealed and dissected inside the Valley of the Stupid and other media precincts. Cashman? The talkies have gone Cashmum. As a matter of fact, so have normally opinionated columnists and TV commentators. Maybe the Giants ran interference for the beleaguered Yankees GM during their drive to the Super Bowl. Then again, all the coverage that compelling story produced couldn't hide loud, up-front headlines about Cashman."
Take the Pirates' money, please
February 10
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 columnist Dejan Kovacevic
"It's one of the many torments of the Pirates' longest-suffering fans, the perpetual thought that somehow, some way, this will be the winter they make that big free-agent splash. The thought was born, really, when PNC Park opened in 2001 with the promise of spending with the big boys. That bought Derek Bell a yacht. The thought was revived, at least a little, when Bob Nutting took control of ownership in 2007 and restored the team to fiscal responsibility with the promise that prudence would pay in the long run."
Even if Josh Hamilton sex tape doesn't exist, the damage has already been done
February 10
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Rick Gosselin
"Is there a Josh Hamilton sex tape out there? Gerry Fraley: You hear a lot about it. But to be honest with you, nobody's actually seen it. It's one of those 'I know a friend of a friend of a friend' deals. Even if there is, we're assuming if there is a tape, it's consenting adults, and I don't have a problem with it. That's between Josh and his family. But if there really is a person shopping this tape, then that person is a sorry individual. I still don't believe there's a tape; I believe it's an urban myth. Rick Gosselin: There's a belief that the tape's already out there, so even if one really doesn't exist, the damage has already been done with the people that matter."
Blanton, Phils' budget
February 10
CSN Philly
 columnist Jim Salisbury
"It seems as if Joe Blanton is perpetually on the trading block. Phillies officials have gauged the market for the righthander the last two off-seasons and have done so again this winter. The widely held suspicion is that the Phils, who have a bulging payroll and luxury-tax concerns, would try to move Blanton's $8.5 million salary so they can try to re-sign free agent Roy Oswalt. While I don't doubt that the Phils would move Blanton, I wonder if it is really tied to a desire to re-sign Oswalt. If any team knows the health risk that Oswalt presents, it is the Phillies, who dealt with his back issues last season. By all accounts, Oswalt is in good health and hungry to prove he is still an"
Thumbs up to whatever the Marlins' home run sculpture is
February 10
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
 columnist David Hyde
"It's goofy. It's risky. It's a multi-colored, multi-layered, 73-foot-high surprise that tickles your eyes, teases your mind and makes your stomach break into a smile. Or not. Purists will hate it in a baseball chapel. Opponents will denounce it in their workplace. "What do you think?" Marlins president David Samson said as I stood, arms folded, head tilted, translating the home run sculpture that sits over the outfield wall at the team's new stadium. I love it. I absolutely love it."
It's time for Josh Hamilton to cut the free passes and grow up
February 10
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Garry Fraley
"On Josh Hamilton future following the bar incident. Gerry Fraley: It's time for Josh [Hamilton] to grow up. This thing about a week or so ago ... he just cannot do that. But if also can't wrap himself in the cloak of his faith, an accountability partner or the bartender, he's gotta do it himself. There are a lot of people out there get up and deal with this same problem every day, and they handle it. It's time for him to cut the free pass. You're 30 and going to be 31 in May -- you've got to deal with it yourself."
At this point, Rangers would be OK with Hamilton signing elsewhere
February 9
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Evan Grant
"On Josh Hamilton's reliability moving forward: Grant: If you listen to Josh's apology, it's like he's talking directly to you. The guy is earnest, the guy is convincing, the guy has a really humble approach in dealing with adversity. And somebody else will listen to that and say, "He's over it, he'll deal with it, everything will be fine." But it is two slip-ups in three years. On if Hamilton's relapse will cause the Rangers to lose him: Grant: If he walks away from the Rangers after this year, I don't think that the Rangers will have "lost" him. I think the Rangers will be OK with that at this point in time because he will have kind of come to the end of the road here. I think if Josh"
Q & A with Phils' Ed Wade
February 9
CSN Philly
 columnist Jim Salisbury
"Can you believe the transformation that the Phillies have experienced? Yes. I knew that it was getting closer and closer to happening and the moves that Pat Gillick was able to make really got the club to where it needed to be to have that parade down Broad Street [in 2008] that everyone had longed for for a very, very long time. There's no question that the fans were so anxious to have that happen that they would embrace that club forever. What was your emotion seeing the Phils win the World Series? Obviously, I wanted to be here. There was no question about that. I'd devoted 16 years of my life to trying to get us to the finish line. We just didn't get there quickly enough. But I was"
Nats' Rizzo aiming to get a leg up in arms race
February 9
Washington Times
 columnist Dan Daly
"First the Washington Nationals send a pocketful of prospects to the Oakland A's for Gio Gonzalez. Then they sign Edwin Jackson to a one-year deal. I ask you: Has this team ever been more ready for rainouts — not to mention doubleheaders? You could fill a ball bag with the starting pitchers general manager Mike Rizzo has stockpiled. At the moment, the Nationals have seven who started at least 10 games last season. And that doesn't include Stephen Strasburg, who was easing back into things after undergoing Tommy John surgery. There are also five pitchers on the roster who have thrown 200 innings in a season. And that list — Gonzalez, Jackson, John Lannan, Chien-Ming Wang, Tom Gorzelanny —"
Can Elvis Andrus improve over new deal? 'My best years are ahead of me'
February 9
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Evan Grant
"In announcing a three-year deal with SS Elvis Andrus Wednesday afternoon that will control his salary until he's eligible for free agency following the 2014 season, the topic of improvement came up. Offensively, Andrus has only marginally improved during the first three years of his career. After going backward in the leadoff spot in 2010, he did make a step forward in 2011, particularly where it came to driving the ball. His slugging percentage jumped from .301 to .361, but that was still lower than the .373 mark in his rookie year. Overall Andrus' on-base-plus-slugging percentage has gone from .702 as a rookie to .643 in 2010 to .708 last season."
Giants' Tim Lincecum grows into career for ages
February 8
San Francisco Chronicle
 columnist Gwenn Knapp
"When Tim Lincecum talked about age catching up with him, almost everyone else in the room had to stifle a laugh. He won't turn 28 until June, and he'd still need ID to get a drink in any bar tended by a non-baseball fan. Lincecum wore a gray sweatshirt with its hood pulled over a baseball cap, a fashion typically favored by teens who feel like hiding from the world. But surrounded by media the day before the Giants' FanFest last weekend, he seemed more at ease than he has in a while. A year ago, Lincecum seemed self-conscious, all too aware that he lived in a gilded fish bowl. In his first four major-league seasons, he won two Cy Young Awards and a World Series. How could he top that? He"
Weeding out pitchers will be a process for the Orioles
February 8
Baltimore Sun
 columnist Peter Schmuck
"When the Orioles assemble for their first pitcher and catcher workouts less than two weeks from now, there will be a number of difficult challenges facing manager Buck Showalter and the coaching staff. Like figuring out who everybody is. The deal that sent Jeremy Guthrie to the Colorado Rockies for two more right-handers increased the number of pitchers on the 40-man roster to 21, and the number arriving at the Ed Smith Stadium for the first workout on Feb 19. could top 30 when you add in all the non-roster invitees. New executive vice president Dan Duquette made it his top priority to bolster the Orioles' organizational pitching depth, so none of this should be particularly surprising,"
At this point, Rangers would be OK with Hamilton signing elsewhere
February 7
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Evan Grant
"Grant: If you listen to Josh's apology, it's like he's talking directly to you. The guy is earnest, the guy is convincing, the guy has a really humble approach in dealing with adversity. And somebody else will listen to that and say, "He's over it, he'll deal with it, everything will be fine." But it is two slip-ups in three years."
Brandon Inge could be victim of Danny Worth's versatility
February 7
Detroit News
 columnist Lynn Henning
"For now, anyway, Miguel Cabrera is the Tigers third baseman. We'll see how that project works out once the big boys roll into Lakeland, Fla., in two weeks to begin a camp interesting for what it will say about offense and defense and the ratios manager Jim Leyland can live with. Which brings us to another issue relating to third base. Specifically, backups. What are the chances Brandon Inge will lose his presumed job to the younger and more versatile Danny Worth?"
Rangers must decide if they can handle 'burden' of Josh Hamilton's addiction long-term
February 7
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Evan Grant
"This plays out that Josh plays a year as a potential free agent because they're not going to negotiate any time before the season starts. And I think the Rangers now are going to take the approach that they're not even going to approach him. With most players, they don't talk during the season and I think right now, there's no reason for them to talk. People want to talk about leverage in this situation, but leverage is a moot point at this point. It's gone from this: the Rangers were asking Josh previously to give them a hometown discount. I think now the Rangers will be discussing whether or not they want to put up with this burden long-term."
Giants' Tim Lincecum grows into career for ages
February 7
San Francisco Chronicle
 columnist Gwen Knapp
"When Tim Lincecum talked about age catching up with him, almost everyone else in the room had to stifle a laugh. He won't turn 28 until June, and he'd still need ID to get a drink in any bar tended by a non-baseball fan. Lincecum wore a gray sweatshirt with its hood pulled over a baseball cap, a fashion typically favored by teens who feel like hiding from the world. But surrounded by media the day before the Giants' FanFest last weekend, he seemed more at ease than he has in a while."
Rockies' revival starts with spring training
February 5
Denver Post
 columnist Troy E. Renck
"Spring training is baseball's antibiotic. The pitching, fielding, stuffy-head, so-you-can-rest-easy medicine. Everyone arrives in camp with hope, a mixture of healed limbs and carved physiques. Players are in the best shape of their lives, winter workouts apparently changing them from unflattering rhombuses to sleek isosceles triangles. The Rockies' optimism this spring will be based on change — not a nip and tuck but a makeover of the Ty Pennington variety. The sweep of the clubhouse left empty lockers and wide eyes. "I didn't see it coming. I knew there would be changes, but I didn't know that there would be that many," first baseman Todd Helton said. "It's not like I thought about it or"
Sooner the Rangers get back on the field the better
February 5
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 columnist Randy Galloway
"In other local baseball news, pitchers and catchers report in 17 days. Ain't that just great. Speaking strictly for myself, the Texas Rangers being back on the field, even if it's a diamond in Arizona, is the best way of purging all recent elements involving local jock kingdom demons, which on my list includes: Game 6, ninth inning. The Cowboys. Jerry. Nellie on that damn fly ball. No Tyson Chandler. Dirk got lazy. Josh got drunk. Game 6, 10th inning. Speaking of Josh, I thought the most surprising news of last week involving the Rangers came across the Internet on Thursday, meaning it was a few hours too early to include any dirty pictures that are apparently now for sale. (The Hamilton"
Mike Ilitch putting money where Tigers heart is
February 5
Detroit News
 columnist Lynn Henning
"This weekend is the eighth anniversary of the Tigers' official rebirth as a baseball franchise. Early in the afternoon of Feb. 4, 2004, Pudge Rodriguez and Mike Ilitch each stepped into the Tigers Club at Comerica Park following an improbable romance that made baseball's best-known catcher property of the worst team in big league baseball. An almost-bizarre free-agent signing sprouted only four months after the Tigers had missed by one game tying the 1962 Mets for the ignominious distinction of having lost 120 games in a season. A year later, Magglio Ordonez joined the Tigers. Attendance surged. The team began to compete. And in 2006, the Tigers bagged the greatest three-year turnaround in"
Rangers should say 'no, thanks' to Hamilton bidding war
February 4
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 columnist Mac Engel
"Bye, Josh. It's too bad because Josh Hamilton might be the most talented baseball player who has ever run around Arlington. Josh Hamilton's relationship with baseball is as pure as anybody ever born. It his relationship, however, with some other stuff that muddies everything. That puts the Rangers in the no-win position of having to say, "No, thanks" when the money gets stupid, which it will when some ambitious owner gives Hamilton the years and the money he, his agent and his union collectively seek. It has been much theorized and debated that Hamilton's next contract will be one of the most unique in baseball history because of his well-documented substance abuse problems. One of"
Rangers must decide if Josh Hamilton can be trusted
February 3
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 columnist Randy Galloway
"Too bad that it actually matters. Too bad that a 30-year-old ballplayer cannot pull up a stool at a Dallas bar, have a beer, and as long as he's not driving or causing trouble, have maybe more than a couple of beers. But for Josh Hamilton, it matters. Really matters. Obviously, he cannot be drinking even one beer at any time. On Monday, however, he was drinking more than one at a Dallas bar, and based on available information, drinking many more than just one. Maybe you've heard. Josh has a problem, a problem that is well documented. He's an addict. Once an addict, always ... The most talented ballplayer in the big leagues took another steep fall in this latest episode, and to be"
On Heyward's swing, Hanson's shoulder, Braun's MVP
February 3
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
 columnist David O'Brien
"When a reporter mentioned this week that Jason Heyward had dropped about 20 pounds during the offseason and asked Chipper Jones if he'd noticed a difference in Heyward's physique and how it affected his swing, Jones smiled and pretty much scoffed. For the record, the nearly 6-foot-5 right fielder has gone from an imposing, chiseled 256 pounds to a chiseled, imposing 235. In terms to which some of our readers may better relate, Heyward's gone from D-1 defensive end to D-1 tight end."
McGowan confident in ability to win a spot in Jays' rotation
February 3
Toronto Star
 columnist Richard Griffin
"He doesn't demand any favours. In fact, how confident is Jays' right-hander Dustin McGowan in his ability to come all the way back as a member of the major-league starting rotation this spring? So confident that he even offered a mild chiding of GM Alex Anthopoulos when asked about his competition, the field of young candidates he will be facing in Dunedin. "To tell you the truth, it might have been good to add somebody, a veteran pitcher or something, but we didn't," McGowan said. "I'm pretty sure we've got the talent and depth now to fill those holes. Apparently it wasn't a big deal not to add anybody. I'm excited just to go to camp and compete, now that I know I'm healthy and I can do"
The luxury of depth
February 3
CSN Philly
 columnist Jim Salisbury
"When Jamie Moyer was a Phillie he used to quietly slip over to Carpenter Complex every spring and speak to the organization's minor-league pitchers. Moyer was an invited guest. Team officials used to like to have him address the organization's young pitchers on what it took to get to – and stay in – the major leagues. Moyer barely mentioned talent. His message focused on perseverance, preparation, conditioning, attitude, mental edge and many of the other intangibles it takes to survive in the majors."
MVP award should be re-voted if Braun loses appeal
February 1
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 columnist Bob Wolfley
"NBC broadcaster Bob Costas sounded a call about the Ryan Braun episode that more observers will repeat if the Brewers' leftfielder fails to win his appeal for reportedly testing positive for a banned substance. Costas was interviewed by Dan Patrick Tuesday morning in Indianapolis on Patrick's radio show. Both broadcasters are at Super Bowl XLVI as part of NBC's coverage of the event. Both are part of NBC's "Football Night in America" show on Sunday nights in the regular season. Patrick asked Costas, who also works for the MLB Network, what was going to happen with Braun's case. "No one has ever won an appeal," Costas said. "The thing is set up and it's made clear that even if you by your"
Denny McLain should learn from Brandon Inge instead of ridiculing him
February 1
Detroit News
 columnist Tom Gage
"Cheap shot or joke? I say cheap shot. If you read Terry Foster's column on Monday, you know former Tigers pitcher Denny McLain got some laughs over the weekend when he showed a photograph of the Tigers' Brandon Inge to a Madonna University fundraiser crowd of several hundred and said, "This was Brandon Inge's last photo before he began whining about his playing time." Then McLain tossed the photo to the ground and said when it landed, "it's the first time he's hit something in two years." Terry wrote the crowd chuckled both times."
If Rangers don't extend Josh Hamilton by spring training, he'll be gone at season's end
February 1
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Kevin Sherrington
"What will happen with Josh Hamilton's contract negotiations with the Rangers: Sherrington: I think they're going to have to sign him now before spring training because the way I see it and the way his history has been, they can't sign him after the season. One of two things is going to happen with Josh. You know his numbers are going to be good if he's healthy, but he's either healthy or he's not. When he's good, he's very, very good. Let's say he has another monster year like he had in his MVP year, then that drives the numbers out of sight for the Rangers and I don't think they want to do that. They don't want to take that risk. If he has another year where he's injured again, I think"
Explaining my position on the Mariners and 2015...again
February 1
Seattle Times
 columnist Geoff Baker
"Some of you are livid with me for writing that I don't think the Mariners front office truly believes they will make the playoffs before 2015. You just can't understand why I would want to believe that. I've received emails from people suggesting I'm upset the Mariners did not get Prince Fielder. No, that's not it. My take on how the Mariners view their playoff chances has zero to do with my feelings on Fielder. The two are unrelated and to base any analysis of the M's thought process off my personal beliefs on one player would lead to a fraudulent hypothesis to say the least."
If Stan Kroenke gets the Dodgers, doesn't L.A. get the Rams?
February 1
Los Angeles Times
 columnist T.J. Simers
"I had dinner with Georgia Frontiere, where the Rams' owner chose to tell me about each of her seven husbands — four too many for me to make a newspaper deadline and still explain to the people of Los Angeles how she had just won approval to move her team to St. Louis. I hopped into a waiting limo in Oakland, expecting to find Al Davis, but got a pair of Raiderettes instead. So I never did get around to meeting with Davis to discuss the possibility of the Raiders returning to L.A. Former super-agent Michael Ovitz sent a martini to my hotel room and had Tom Cruise and Jerry West call to talk football and the prospect of bringing the NFL back to town. Ovitz also asked me not to park my Ford"
Tigers' moves put Brandon Inge on bench, where he belongs
January 31
Detroit Free Press
 columnist Jamie Samuelson
"Can you explain/understand the sympathy expressed by Tigers fans for Brandon Inge, who's once again the odd-man out? I'm just surprised nobody cares what Don Kelly thinks about the Prince Fielder signing. Shouldn't he have a say, too? Shouldn't we all worry what the move means to Kelly? After all, he was penciled in as a platoon third baseman alongside Inge for the 2012 season. So if Fielder is entrenched at first base and Miguel Cabrera slides over to third, doesn't that mean Kelly is also a man without a job?"
Fans still buying Blue Jays' pitch after winter of disappointment
January 31
Toronto Star
 columnist Richard Griffin
"Most who remember that far back believe the tradition of a State of the Franchise get-together for Jays' season-ticket holders began the first winter of former GM J.P. Ricciardi's tenure in 2002. The annual event was staged for the 11th time on Monday at the Rogers Centre, hosted by president Paul Beeston, GM Alex Anthopoulos and manager John Farrell. Coincidentally, the master of ceremonies was Buck Martinez, the Jays' manager in 2002. The names change but the song remains the same: "Keep the faith. Competing in the division is at hand." Fans seem to buy into it. Other than a few slightly edgy, pointed questions about the Jays missing out on three starting pitchers who landed elsewhere in"
Happy daze for Jays
January 31
Toronto Sun
 columnist Steve Buffery
"God bless Blue Jays fans. This is a team that hasn't made it to the post-season since 1993 and has finished in fourth-place in the AL East the past four years in a row, yet the majority of fans — at least the season-ticket holders who showed up at the annual state of the franchise gathering Monday night — seem to be in some sort of happy daze. Here's an example of the types of "questions" directed at GM Alex Anthopoulos, manager John Farrell and president Paul Beeston on Monday night: "Hi. I've been a season-ticket holder for 32 years and I continue to be a Blue Jays supporter, and I thank the Blue Jays for a night such as this. And for the past 32 years you've been terrific!" Finishing in"
Alanna Rizzo's insight nets MLB Network spot
January 30
Denver Post
 columnist Dusty Saunders
"Alanna Rizzo, during her five seasons covering the Rockies, regularly confronted the "eye candy" label. "I"m aware that looks are important for a woman on sports television," Rizzo said during an interview after joining Fox Sports Net (now Root Sports) in the summer of 2007. "But I'm prepared to do more than just smile." And she succeeded — often with a smile. Obviously, Rizzo's attractive, on-camera demeanor was a major reason the fast-growing MLB Network last week signed her to a two-year-deal beginning this spring."
Baseball's five biggest off-season winners, losers
January 30
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 columnist Drew Davison
"Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson left for the warmth of Southern California, signing long-term deals with the Los Angeles Angels. Prince Fielder found that the money is greener in Detroit. And Yu Darvish is excited to join the two-time defending American League champion Texas Rangers, who bid a record posting fee and then signed the standout Japanese right-hander to a six-year deal. Those were some of the biggest moves as baseball teams spent the past three months building their rosters."
American League additions should make for interesting season
January 30
Detroit Free Press
 columnist John Lowe
"Imagine how tough the American League would be now if Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee had remained in it. Over the last few years, Halladay and Lee moved from the AL to the Phillies. Steve Phillips, the former Mets general manager, said he considers Halladay and Lee the best dynamic duo now on any team, even ahead of Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, whom he considers the majors' best 3-4 hitting combination."
A new Dodgers owner? Be careful what you wish for
January 29
Los Angeles Times
 columnist T.J. Simers
"Anyone is better than Frank McCourt. Listen to me — I'm starting to sound like the Screaming Meanie. But in truth, we don't know. The new owner of the Dodgers will not be selected because he considers the team a local treasure. It will not matter if he's a good guy, makes himself available to the fans like Arte Moreno or treats the Dodgers like just another investment in his portfolio. There's no way of knowing whether he will be from New York and have the Dodgers wearing their Brooklyn duds more, spend like the Red Sox or replace Nancy Bea Hefley with a mascot. He could be the guy who owns the Rams, and how good were they this season? Right now, we just don't know because the only thing"
Dealing away big-hitting Montero could prove costly for Yankees
January 29
New York Post
 columnist Joel Sherman
"We should start with this proviso: Just about every personnel expert I respect thinks the Yankees did very well in shipping Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi to the Mariners for Michael Pineda and Jose Campos. In fact, quite a few of the executives thought it was an overwhelming triumph for the Yankees, namely because they view Pineda as an ace in training and Montero as a special bat, but one unqualified to play a position. Yet, after all of these conversations, I still have big doubts if the Yankees made the right decision. They acted from the accepted trading playbook: If you can obtain an ace-type, you must do it. The No. 1 starter continues to be viewed as the Holy Grail of the sport."
Miguel Cabrera good enough to make risky move work
January 29
Detroit News
 columnist Bob Wojnowski
"The great debate has commenced, and will continue every single moment of every single day through spring training, then every single Tigers game thereafter. Can he or can't he? Will he or won't he? Should he or shouldn't he? My quick answer (since you asked): Miguel Cabrera can play adequate third base to make room for Prince Fielder, but Plans B, C, and D should be in place. Cabrera won't be a great fielder, duh, but no team would turn down the chance to land a great Fielder. The best thing that came out of the Tigers' stunning signing this week is confirmation they're serious about playing big-boy baseball, literally, figuratively, financially and calorically. Owner Mike Ilitch plans to"
Who's next in line for a big Rockies payout?
January 29
Denver Post
 columnist Troy E. Renck
"The refrain is consistent, if not relentless. The Rockies never spend money. Clearly, they don't dole out enough on payroll to satisfy most fans, understandable given the support this city and region have shown this team. But the Rockies do spend money. It's typically just reserved for their own players like Troy Tulowitzki ($158 million), Carlos Gonzalez ($80 million) and Todd Helton ($151 million), though they spent $37.9 million on free agents Michael Cuddyer and Ramon Hernandez. No team has been has active as the Rockies over the last five years of locking up young players long term before they reach the arbitration process. The list includes Jeff Francis, Ubaldo Jimenez, Brad Hawpe,"
Money guarantees little in baseball
January 29
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 columnist Jim Souhan
"Sports fans savor anger. They twirl it around in a long-stemmed glass, searching for adjectives. Today, vocal Twins fans find their anger to be piquant. Robust, even. They believe the franchise should be spending much more money. As rivals have invested a combined $454 million on two players, Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder, the Twins have countered with Josh Willingham and Ryan Doumit. To put it in Hollywood terms, the Angels and Tigers signed Brad Pitt. The Twins countered with Jonah Hill. Why wouldn't Twins fans think this way? The team is owned by a wealthy family. The team stunk last year. The team plays in a publicly-funded ballpark. So when the Detroit Tigers signed Prince Fielder"
The Mariners' battle of perception: Good plan vs. bad past
January 29
Seattle Times
 columnist Jerry Brewer
"Here's the great contradiction that burdens the Mariners: They're finally building the right way, a way that many fans had long desired, but after years of floundering without a solid plan, people are so bitter they refuse to believe in anything. The Mariners are like the reformed man trying to get his woman back. They're saying to you, "Baby, I'm finally ready to change. I'm already changing. I'm going to do right by you this time." But you're not impressed, no matter how many times they plead, "Please, baby! Baby, please!" To you, there's no difference between optimism and naiveté anymore. And so the Mariners shuffle away, head down, intent on proving themselves. You'll see. One day,"
Pohlad says 2011 payroll 'kind of an aberration'
January 29
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 columnist Sid Hartman
"While the average Twins fan can't understand why the team is cutting its payroll from some $113 million in 2011 to about $100 million this year, even though they drew more than 3 million people to Target Field last season, owner Jim Pohlad said the cuts were planned before this year. "I think that 2011, it wasn't so much that we cut the payroll, it was just that 2011 was just an unusual contract year with some of the players in the last year of their contracts," Pohlad said. "I think that's what inflated that. We always knew that was going to be a kind of aberration year. "It's going to ramp back up again in the future as contracts mature." Pohlad said it was hard to lose three long-time"
Carmona's absence might not be so bad
January 29
Akron Beacon Journal
 columnist Sheldon Ocker
"Unfortunately for Northeast Ohio fans, the biggest Indians headlines of the winter have revolved around the revelation that Fausto Carmona has been using a false identity since he was a teenager in the Dominican Republic. This has put his availability in the Tribe's rotation in doubt. It might take months for him to persuade the U.S. government to renew his work permit so he can return to the team. But as Indians manager Manny Acta said Saturday when he attended a fan event at Summit Mall: "We are hoping to get him back." In the meantime, life goes on. Acta believes he will have a viable rotation with or without the right-hander formerly known as Fausto Carmona, the mainstays being Justin"
Tulowitzki understands role as leader and accepts pressure
January 29
Denver Post
 columnist Mark Kiszla
"Remember when Troy Tulowitzki was Denver's favorite son? Back before the dawn of Tebowmania, the name every fan loved best was Tulo. But as he was blasting 30 home runs and gobbling up grounders with his golden glove last year, a strange thing happened to Tulowitzki. The shine wore off. The crass questions began. Was Tulowitzki really worth a contract in excess of $150 million? Why couldn't he stop the Rockies from being the biggest bust in the National League? What, you mean to tell us Tulo isn't 10 feet tall and bulletproof? "It comes with the job," Tulowitzki said. "When things are going good and you're playing well, you're on top of the world. But when you're playing bad, you're ...""
Finding acts for the A's baseball circus
January 28
San Francisco Chronicle
 columnist Bruce Jenkins
"It seemed baffling at first, but now I know why Jose Canseco tweeted Billy Beane last week, hoping to get a shot at the A's 2012 roster. This team is right on the verge of becoming a full-blown circus, and Canseco would fit right in. You figured that Manny Ramirez rumor was a joke, right? Hardly. Co-owner Lew Wolff told our John Shea that he wouldn't have a problem signing Ramirez, and that he's "a good clubhouse guy." Amazing. Wolff isn't merely negligent when it comes to this franchise and its rotting stadium. He's fully delusional. Perhaps none of this should be taken seriously until Beane makes the A's interest official, but the mere thought of Ramirez is preposterous - in any uniform,"
New Tiger Prince Fielder on fast track to join select company of sluggers
January 28
Detroit Free Press
 columnist John Lowe
"Even now, decades after each took his final mighty left-handed cut, their names cause a shudder. If you were their fan or their teammate, it's a shudder of excitement, of admiration. If you were a pitcher who had to get them out, it might be a shudder of dread. Their names are Willie Stargell and Willie McCovey. They're two of the top left-handed sluggers of all time. Their names came up this week when longtime major league pitcher Jim Kaat was asked whom Prince Fielder reminds him of. "He is a rare combination of talent," said Kaat, now an analyst for MLB Network. "For left-handed-hitting first basemen with that combination of power and average, you have to go back to McCovey and Stargell"
Prince Fielder to Tigers: How a shot-in-the-dark offer became epic deal
January 27
Detroit Free Press
 columnist Anthony Fenech
"It started with Max Scherzer, a joke and a punch line. Agent Scott Boras phoned Tigers vice president John Westhoff last week to talk about working out a contract extension for the Tigers right-hander. During that conversation, Westhoff had a question: Would Prince Fielder be interested in a one-year deal? "He would," Boras said. "For nine years.""
Perkins remains rooted as a Twin and as a Minnesotan
January 27
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 columnist Jim Souhan
"Thursday, Glen Perkins woke up in his house in Lakeville, drove to the University of Minnesota to throw with his old coach, stopped by one of his old college hangouts wearing his Lakeville South hockey T-shirt, headed home to check on his wife and kids, then headed to Target Field to accept the Twins' Diamond Awards as the team's pitcher of the year and most improved player. More than two years after filing a grievance against the team, Perkins has become the Twins' best reliever. He might also be the only Twin to ever escape the Hotel California of doghouses, the one constructed out of glares and barbed wire by manager Ron Gardenhire. As Joe Mauer winters in Fort Myers and tries to"
If Josh Hamilton plays every day, cash and union love will follow
January 27
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 columnist Randy Galloway
"The fans love him. I love him. But that love might be a one-way street, at least based on Josh Hamilton's repeated priorities when asked about continued employment as a baseball businessman in Arlington. There will be NO hometown discount, Josh has consistently informed us. His loyalty is first and foremost to the players' union; therefore you get all you can get to help those coming behind you, as those ahead of him have done for Josh. All Hamilton asks is to be treated "fairly" when it comes to a long-term contract offer from the Rangers. (On a personal note: Have you ever noticed that your idea of "fair" compensation seems to always differ from management's estimation of what your value"
The Nationals' pitching staff: Among the best in baseball?
January 27
Washington Post
 columnist Adam Kilgore
"The addition of Brad Lidge does not wholly change the complexion of the Nationals' pitching staff. It provides Nationals something important, sure. He is a veteran in a young bullpen, a World Series winner, a right-hander with a nasty slider. In the end, they have another option in seventh and eighth innings. But the signing of Lidge does make you stock of things, and things look pretty good for the Nationals. The composition of the rotation and bullpen will shake out in spring training – the final spot in the rotation will probably come down to John Lannan and Ross Detwlier, and both Ryan Mattheus and Ryan Perry will compete for a spot in the bullpen."
Rangers can't commit more than five years to Josh Hamilton
January 27
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Kevin Sherrington
"On how Prince Fielder signing with Detroit will affect the Rangers' negotiations with Josh Hamilton: Sherrington: I think you'll see them a little more amenable to negotiating with Josh on this thing, although Josh has said if it isn't done by the start of spring training, he's not talking until the end of the season. … Josh is 31-years-old. I'm not giving him a seven- or eight-year deal either. I don't go more than five or six years with anybody. Especially the Rangers, because here's a team that's built around the farm system. They've done everything right -- they've built this team well, they're put together well, they're procuring international talent, they're in on this Cuban pitcher"