January 1, 2007
Episode 39: The Red Hot Broadcast
By
Amanda
Posted at 10:46 pm
Happy New Year, everyone! This year, the Crack Technical Staff and I are pleased to bring you a show, newly named the Red Hot Broadcast, for your listening enjoyment. Today on the Broadcast we discuss:
- How different it's going to be from last year when pitchers and catchers report this year. Well, the catchers will be different. The pitchers are pretty much the same.
- The Reds extending their contract with the Bats through 2010. Yippee!
- Trading for Conine. It's nice to see a roster move I can at least grok the purpose of.
- Griffey breaking his hand and the mystery that shrouds the event. Our current estimates have him out till June.
- RHM reaches 100,000 hits. You like me! You really, sort-of like me!
- Titans' T-Rac subject of suit
- Meet The Ms. Dice-K
Episode 39: The Red Hot Broadcast (16.3 MB, 23:49)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Wow, very nice intro you’ve got now!
Ah, Craig Wilson. I’m afraid the Yankees have ruined him. His value has dropped considerably since his uninspiring stint in the Bronx. The Orioles were reportedly interested, but they ended up signing Aubrey Huff instead. The Yankees are still talking to Wilson’s agent.
Most interesting is that both the Pirates and Wilson have expressed interest in his returning to Pittsburgh. Even though they did not part on amicable terms. The main problem: the Pirates want a lefty, not a righty. They’d rather have Adam LaRoche or Trot Nixon.
Johnny Damon knows how to deal with mascots riding carts. At Philadelphia last year, he actually swiped the cart and chased the mascot around the field with it:
[img]http://www.bubba-crosby.com/graphics/mascot.jpg[/img]
Matsuzaka, IMVHO, got hosed. Yes, Boston bid $51,111,111.11 to talk to him, but he’s not getting any of that money. The Seibu Lions get it all. (Isn’t that bid hilarious? Like something you’d see on eBay, only bigger. Did they really think anyone was going to bid $51,111,111.10?)
What he actually gets is 6 years, $52 million. Or $8 million and change per year. Chump change compared to what Zito got, and I think D-Mat will be better than Zito.
I suspect there was a bit of a cultural issue. An American athlete would have no problem playing hardball during contract negotiations, then becoming part of the team when the deal was done. Japanese put a lot more emphasis on harmony, and it would have been very difficult for Matsuzaka to push his future employers as hard as Boras wanted to.
Boston is partly making up for the relatively paltry salary by paying for a personal assistant, translator, masseuse, nutritionist, personal trainer, etc. They will travel with the team. (I’m sure that’s going to go over well with his teammates.) And of course, their salaries won’t count toward the luxury tax.
BTW, that is one…interesting Christmas carol. Please tell me that’s not Bronson Arroyo singing it.
My neighbors now all think I’ve tortured one of my cats to death…