It was on this day in 1919 that Yankees outfielder Ping Bodie defeated an ostrich named Percy in a spaghetti-eating contest. The valiant bird made it through 11 plates before finally passing out. We here at MLB Trade Rumors usually stick to reporting transactions, but we promise to provide up-to-the-minute coverage of any modern player vs. bird eating duels.
Here's the latest from the AL East…
- The Red Sox announced that Andrew Bailey will undergo surgery on his right thumb's UCL tomorrow, a procedure that a team source tells Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald will sideline Bailey for 4-5 months (Twitter link). The Rays look like they'll also be without a closer, as Kyle Farnsworth is expected to start the season on the DL with an elbow issue. To keep tabs on who the Sox and Rays will use in the ninth inning, follow Tim Dierkes on Twitter @CloserNews.
- Red Sox GM Ben Cherington says he is continuing to explore external pitching options since he never feels comfortable about the club's depth, tweets Michael Silverman.
- Blue Jays right-hander Henderson Alvarez has switched agencies and is now being represented by Proformance, reports MLBTR's Tim Dierkes.
- No team claimed either Jayson Nix and Dewayne Wise today so both players will start the season with the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, tweets Jack Curry of the YES Network. Any team that had claimed Nix or Wise would've had to put them on their 25-man roster.
- With more teams willing to spend money on signing or extending top pitchers, Joel Sherman of the New York Post feels the Yankees need their young arms to deliver since the Bombers can no longer rely on outspending the competition.
- Rule 5 draft pick Ryan Flaherty will make the Orioles, and thus will have to spend the entire season on the team's 25-man roster or else be offered back to his original team, the Cubs. Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun relates how O's manager Buck Showalter told Flaherty the news in front of the rest of the team.
4/4/12: Lucchino comes out demanding a new pitcher from the A’s, saying they didn’t compensate the red sox well enough for that package, sending them damaged goods….
4/4/12 a few minutes later: Billy Beane comes out and says the Red Sox can have Joey Devine.
Thanks for mr.riddick..
Still a good deal. Boston gave up nothing and Baily, even missing 5 months was a good deal. The best player they gave up was the kid Miles Head who can crush the ball, but is not good on defense at either 1st, or 3b.
Wait until Reddick starts swinging at everything from his ankles to his eyeballs and then come back and post how much of a good deal it was for Oakland. His career splits are pretty plain.
reddick looks pretty decent, but i actually think the best player may have been raul alcantara, who at 19 is playing low A this year.
unfortunately bailey has been injured too often (including the minors, one of the reasons he was converted from a starter, the bigger one being his wildness). He’s a very good closer and should be able to down the fort, but that’s just when he’s healthy.
“reddick looks pretty decent”
He actually did look better for a couple of months last year, was even a bit more selective and not playing “golf” and “tennis” quite as much with pitches out of the K zone, then around August, it seemed like he started playing those other 2 sports again and his stats plummeted.
He does seem like a decent RF and should be much better than say.. Cust was there and probably a vast improvement over him at least. Nothing against him, he appears to play the game tough and hard, much like another Athletic, Coco crisp..
Alcantra was at the GCL Sox last year as recall.. Trying to remember, but extremely hard thrower, but wild??
Edit:
Looked him up.. Here is a bit for A’s fans on him:
Features a low-90s fastball that tops out at 95 mph.
High ceiling, with third starter potential.
josh reddick is an improvement over dejesus last year and an insane improvement over ryan sweeney, whom we had to bear for three years waiting for him to “find that power stroke” and be healthy, which he hardly ever was.
I’ll take riddick over Sweeney any day. Sweeney has a problem staying healthy and is soo frustrating seeing him bat. No power what’s so ever. Maybe playing in Boston will help his bat being a opposite field hitter.
Sweeney looks like Sean Casey swinging so far.. Big, Huge and swings level, rather than upwards as a lefty. it’s almost infuriating.
No matter really in the long run, as he will be the 4th OF when CC gets off the DL early in the season with Cody Ross on the team. It’s just hard to watch such large and obviously strong people, such as Sweeney and Casey swing like that.
Marmol starts hot and cubs might get something decent for him. Can’t imagine Sox or Rays ( or whichever team loses their closer – might be a few the way they are getting KO’d ) would want to fall too far behind and would pull the trigger on a Marmol deal.
Go get Mike Gonzalez
Best lead I have ever read.
Co-sign.
UPDATE: Due to the rash of recent injuries, the Red Sox have banned thumb wrestling in the clubhouse.
I think Ping had an unfair advantage. Had the ostrich ever eaten spaghetti before?
We here at MLB Trade Rumors usually stick to reporting transactions, but we promise to provide up-to-the-minute coverage of any modern player vs. bird eating duels. Hey, I appreciate this kind of reporting, because it makes me laugh. I got a good chuckle out of it. The Orioles should do something like this for the 20th Anniversay of Camden Yards. Maybe even Mark Reynolds could arm wrestle a bear.
Here’s an excerpt, I tried to find a pic of this event, poor bird. At least it lived though.
On April 3, 1919, Ping put his gastric pride on the line, facing the world-renowned Percy the Ostrich in a pasta eating contest. Bodie would emerge as the decisive winner, after the bird passed out over its twelfth plate, eyes bloodshot and sides swollen
When does the rash of “Bard back to the BP” posts begin here?
They really could, if it had happened (the injury) earlier in camp to Bailey, Bard could have just gotten a few more games in as a reliever and they would have been fine, but now.. A bit late to change plans.
Cook had a fine spring as a SP the last 3 weeks, Ohlendorf was pretty brutal, though only pitched abut 3 weeks also. Bard might end up as the closer yet, if Melencon and Aceves don’t/are not able to lock the end down.
I was really happy with the last couple of starts Bard had, the last one in particular, but now? A deep pen has really become more iffy. Aceves is not the ideal setup man, you want him as a middle guy able to go 2-3IP. Melencon is not really proven with a pennant contender as a closer. That leaves Matty Albers, Morales, Padilla, Andrew Miller when he comes back.. It’s like a certain mythological being and “He who must not be named” here.. It’s gotten bad all of a sudden.
Moving Bard back to the ‘pen for any reason other than that he couldn’t make it as a starter would be a terrible idea. Starters are hugely more valuable than relievers, and it’s far from certain that he would be a greatly successful closer, so if it’s me he stays in the rotation until he shows without question that he can’t make it as a starter.
Relievers are a lot easier to find, and cheaper to acquire too so if I think I have a problem in the ‘pen I go out and get another reliever somewhere. They also have options in the minors who could be successful relievers should the guys they do have prove to be unproductive.
It’s funny, because I was ridiculed for saying the Red Sox pitching staff was a disaster waiting to happen and they could very well finish 4th. Then Beckett “got hurt” (again), Bailey hurt, Buchholz hasn’t pitched a full year…
I hope we get to the post season, but this doesn’t look good.
I’m really getting tired of this whole doom and gloom attitude. The 2005 Red Sox pitching staff was god awful and we still got to the playoffs. Yes we’ve had issues and a few setbacks but we still have a top offense and bright spots in both the rotation and the pen. It’s going to be a dogfight in the AL East but the Red Sox are still a major power to be reckoned with.
It’s really hard to not be “doom and gloom” when you have so many question marks and Tampa, New York, and even Toronto are competitive in the division with far less issues.
Had to edit: What bright spots in the pen? Aceves and…? Albers was not good. Melancon is fine. Andrew Miller? Rich Hill at some point. Morales was very hit or very miss..
Melancon is may not be an ideal option for closer, but he’s serviceable, and he’s a very good reliever overall; Aceves is capable of playing a very valuable role in the ‘pen; Bowden has good potential out of the ‘pen; Hill was lights out (but he’s on the DL for now); Bailey will be very good once he’s healthy.
They still think Beckett will be fine to pitch his first turn in the rotation, so they Beckett injury may still be a complete non-issue. Bailey’s injury hurts, but losing losing one pitcher, a reliever, doesn’t make the pitching staff a disaster.
I will say that I like what Hill COULD bring to the table. If he is healthy, he was dominate as a lefty specialist. He would be a huge addition.
you were ridiculed for saying it? at least we know you exaggerate everything rather than just sox news
but if you predicted that andrew bailey would need thumb surgery, then everyone owes you an apology. that was an amazing call. beckett is scheduled to miss 0 starts, though, so don’t pat yourself on the back too hard just yet
I was. When I said that I thought the pitching staff was going to be the downfall of this team, I was told I was being ridiculous, looking for doom and gloom, etc.
I didn’t predict the issue (obviously), but a horse is a horse. Bailey is injury prone, no one should be surprised he’s hurt now. Beckett always misses time and his performance last year was an outlier for his actual season averages.
I just see past the hype…
It is ok.. the national view of the Red Sox nation is pure arrogance and irrational thinkers.. Your face.. Dan Shaughnessy..
People on Facebook loved the lead story.
i’m gonna go with what Juan Javier said before, why not get Mike Gonzalez?
is the reason that valubena and maxwell haven’t been dfa’d is that their teams are trying to trade them