Angels skipper Mike Scioscia is less-than-thrilled with Josh Hamilton and feels that he’s not quite the player he was when he was with the Rangers, writes Gerry Fraley of The Dallas Morning News. “Josh is not the same that we saw when we were looking at the other dugout,” Scioscia said. “He’s not in the batter’s box with the confidence we know he has. He’s not attacking the ball like he can. He’s working hard to try to find it …but we need him to do what he’s capable of doing, or close to that.” More out of the American league..
- The Brewers and other clubs are looking for relievers, but a Twins official tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter) that another August deal is doubtful.
- White Sox skipper Robin Ventura knows that Adam Dunn has a tough decision on his hands as he considers retirement after the 2014 season, writes Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com. “That’s always a tough decision for guys,” Ventura said. “When they get where he’s at and Paul and all those guys that are of age, you get close and you might see the end. You don’t know. It’s a tough decision. This is something he’s done most of his adult life. It’s important. It’s still fun. You just never know. I’ve also heard guys talk that way and end up playing five more years.”
- In case there was any doubt about his intentions, George A. King of the New York Post writes that Alex Rodriguez has been spotted working out at the University of Miami, where the baseball stadium is named after him, and at UCLA in Los Angeles. The 39-year-old former MVP has three years and $61MM remaining on his contract with the Yankees.
- The Yankees aren’t rushing Masahiro Tanaka back, but they are favoring an approach more proactive than protective, writes Brendan Kuty of the Star-Ledger. “I think it’s important that we know he is healthy,” manager Joe Girardi said, “and the only way to find out is to get him in games.” The Yankees’ $175MM investment threw fastballs from flat ground last week.
Is A-Rod suspended for all of the 2014 season, including the post-season?
yep
No. It’s a straight 162 game suspension which means technically, if there needed to be a 163rd game to break a tie for the A.L. East or a Wild Card entry into the post season, A-Rod would be eligible to play. Not that the Yankees would do that and I don’t think A-Rod would expect them to, after missing the entire season. A player must be on a team’s active roster (or maybe players on the DL are eligible as well?) to be eligible for the post season so that might make A-Rod ineligible for the post season.
I think they actually amended the rules for PED suspension that say you are now ineligible for post season play if you were suspended for PEDs during the season.
Incorrect. A-Rod is suspended for all of 2014. Postseason included.
To Clarify…quoted from Mr. Horowitz decision…”… No MLB player has been suspended for any substance abuse violation longer than one season … A suspension of the entire 2014 season and 2014 postseason is supported by just cause. It is recognized this represents the longest disciplinary suspension imposed on a MLB player to date. Yes Rodriguez committed the most egregious violations of the JDA reported to date and engaged in at least two documented attempts to cover up that behavior in violation of the Basic Agreement. A suspension of one season satisfies the structures of just cause as commensurate with the severity of the his violations while affording Rodriguez the opportunity to resume his playing career in the 2015 season.”
Hamilton is owed $89 million for the next three seasons.
Would the Angels consider trading Hamilton and Freese to the Yankees for A-Rod and Beltran? Would the Yankees have to throw in some pitching or prospects?
lol that’s a good one.
I highly doubt any team wants to play hot potato with A-Rod at this point. The risk and negative publicity would far outweigh the benefits a 40-year-old 3B is likely to produce.
No doubt. The Yankees only hope is to swap A-Rod’s contract for an even worse one and to the best of my knowledge, the only two contracts in baseball that could possibly be perceived as being worse than A-Rod’s ($61MM+HR bonuses over three years) are Josh Hamilton’s ($89MM over 3 years) and Ryan Howard’s ($60MM over 2 years).
How about A-Rod and Beltran for Hamilton? The Angels can keep Freese and trade him or use A-Rod as a super-utility player.
It still is confusing to me how A-Rod was spun as the villain by MLB and the media and Ortiz became the poster boy.
I imagine his involvement in Biogenesis has a great deal to do with it. You may as well ask why everyone is so down on Ryan Braun.
I think the OP means that there hasn’t been any public explanation why Ortiz was linked to PEDs. Nothing to support (evidence) nor disprove (“we have no knowledge of anything linking David to PEDs”)
It was in the media
Ortiz said “I didn’t do anything”
… and nothing more
I’ve no opinion on it either way. I just marveled at the hitter he’s become in Boston but when a Twin he couldn’t hit water if he fell off a boat
But the fact remains, ARod has been repeatedly linked to PED’s. Ortiz’s name appears on the list from 2003, with 102 other names. Arod has been linked then, and with Biogenesis, and was suspected of attempting to buy the evidence, and was going to try to sue the union and MLB. How is it hard to understand that those actions would outweigh Ortiz not discussing why he was on the list?
Oh I wasn’t defending A-Rod at all. I was just speaking to the OP’s comment about Ortiz.
I replied to someone else’s question on the psychological term for A-Rod: “Unprincipled Narcissist”
I wonder what term psychology has for someone like A-Rod, someone who makes life harder on himself and, directly by his own actions, serves as his own worst enemy. He’s done it a number of times over the years so it’s not isolated incidents, it’s a pattern.
Unprincipled Narcissist
Narcissist. The most manipulative, devious, and sinister of all without crossing the line into socio/psychopathy. In A-Rod’s mind, he’s doing right by himself and is a victim. In the real world, however, he’s Tony Montana.
Arod did it to himself. The screaming F you at Bronson Arroyo after being hit, yelling I got it to distract a player from catching a flyball, opting out of his contract during the WS. He’s done a lot of things to upset fans and teams alike.
I’m not a Yankees fan, but the only one of those things that bothered me was opting out during the WS — and then only because MLB specifically asks people not to make major announcements during that time.
Now, the lawsuits and the denials from a guy who was guilty as sin, THAT bothered me. Cheating is bad enough. When you get caught, you should be a man and own up to it.
I kind of see A-Rod being talked about in 3 years like we talk about Bartolo Colon now. We are very happy that he got his 200th win and that he is playing well at 41 y/o
Likely due to the fact that all the evidence against Ortiz (and the other 103 names) is sealed in court and likely will never be made public. Until it does, Ortiz has Zero chance of getting in the HOF when he’s eligible. Players like Bagwell and Piazza never tested positive but have not been voted in as of now because of suspicion, and I can assure you the same will happen with Ortiz.
I could be wrong, but I think MLB wants Ortiz in the HOF–they feature him everywhere. His test seems to be irrelevant, for whatever reason, to management, and, as a result, and with the help of relentless drumbeating, he’s got a very good chance of getting in.
Ortiz’s heroic postseason production and outgoing personality certainly didn’t hurt his case. On the other hand, A-Rod is surly and dislikable, and he hadn’t endeared himself to the public even prior to the steroid catastrophe.
Not surprise when it comes to Hamilton. Other forums have less than complementary things to say about him. But, I do remember several articles written about his contact and swing %, even as he hit 43 HRs. Sounds like the Angels did not do their research.
It could’ve gone either way. It’s too easy to second guess in hindsight. Especially when a player was off to the torrid video game start he was on in 2012. There was nowhere for him to go but down. Same with this season. .444 start so things likely average out to where he looks terrible the rest of the way. I think he only has to hit around .260 after that .444 start to just be an even .300 for the season. Hamilton’s problem is his peaks are too high and his valleys are too low… The abyss.
He’s just not the same player, physically. I don’t know what happened but he’s never looked like the same hitter since he publicly announced he was quitting chew. I think it’s more about his back problems than anything else, he can’t create the same level of torque on his swing. It saps his power and extension.
What research? Arte told his people to sign Hamilton like he did Pujols–Arte sees, Arte wants. Arte was blown away with the best hitters in baseball, ignored their ages and other red flags and then overpaid them to go to LA.
And the Rangers would’ve done the same if they had the money and if players actually wanted to go there… Oh that’s right they did. Beltre, Choo, Darvish, and Fielder.
We could have signed Hamilton, we didn’t and now you are seeing first hand why we walked away.
Actually, we’re seeing what happens when you take players from those 2010/2011 Rangers out of that ballpark. Hamilton, Cruz, Young, Kinsler, all of them had league average or worse numbers on the road. Even in Hamilton’s best seasons he floated around a .330 OBP away from Arlington. And I would bet he’d be producing just fine if he was still in that ballpark. Most players would. And regardless of his struggles, the Angels are winning, and the Rangers aren’t. So Hamilton still has the upper hand as we speak when it comes to the Rangers not re-signing him.
At least check the numbers first. Hamilton OBP on the road:
2010 – .382
2011 – .342
2012 – .349
Also not sure what the Angels being in first place has to do with Hamilton having some sort of upper hand.
The season is quickly becoming lost. Unless Tanaka can hit, don’t bring him back this season.
… but I’m all for calling up Steve Nebraska!
I’m in no way suggesting the Yanks tank/coast the rest of the season but to even think about bringing Tanaka back this season for a playoff push would be a horrible decision.
Caution should prevail over anything else
They should do what makes sense. If it looks fine then they should bring him back. He still may need TJ, it is better to have it done this fall instead of figuring out in May that he needs it.
I agree. It’s important to know where he’s at with the elbow before the off-season, if possible. The last thing you want is to find out in ST that he needs TJ after all.
The Hamilton signing is understandable, even if there were multiple red flags. if you look across the spectrum of baseball players, there are a lot of ordinary to ordinary-good ones that are getting a lot of money. Look at what players like Drew were asking for, and players like Peralta got. Hamilton, at his peak, was exceptional. So, the Angels had to think that even if he had a couple of down years, those peaks, which were far above what the ordinary player could do, were worth the investment. Bad signing, but we wouldn’t be having this conversation if he were performing in the range of his 2011 and 2012 seasons, much less his insane 2010 one.
In 5-10 years that contract will be the norm anyways.
I blame Jason Werth’s contract for breaking the bank open for outfielders.
It would’ve happened any way. Inflation alone would’ve caused a hike in salaries.
True but it would have happened much slower. Agents used his contract as a bar for Carl Crawford’s contract and others since.
Glad Mike is being honest about Hamilton. This could be what he needs. Sosh is the last coach who is going to baby his players and change their diapers for them. Time to grow up, Hammy. When Mike Scioscia speaks, you better listen. Or you’re just another Jose Guillen.
wow, jose guillen, thanks for that miserable flash back. lol. The thing with Josh is that his approach with swinging at the plate almost looks like he doesn’t care, or is severely distracted. He constantly chases low pitches with his golf swing. Its almost like when a chunk of these players make it big in terms of contracted money, they lose that hunger for the game that they had prior to the large contract. That or the pressure gets them.
Josh was already slipping big time in his last 2 seasons with the Rangers. Why do you think they let him get away with just a token offer? The problem is that other teams and Arte Moreno never saw past Josh’s monster HR performance at the All Star game in NY.
I’ve known some past major leaguers from years ago where I grew up (Yorba Linda, CA), and the idea that they don’t care is ridiculous. But the pressure getting to them. That’s real. It happens to the best of them for whatever reason.
Hey another Yorba Linda native. The thing with Josh though is he of all the players I’ve ever watched looks the least into it. Doesn’t run hard, gives half swings, and he just seems a little to easy on himself despite really under-performing compared to years past. Maybe that just my biased opinion I’m just not that high on the guy.
And that perceived attitude is exactly why Rangers fans weren’t overly sad when he left. I mean we even booed him the last half of his last year here.
He could be a rare case though. Perhaps these issues play into why he struggled with the issues that kept him out of baseball before. There just seems to be a monkey on that guy’s back for whatever reason, whether it’s mental or he’s just a big baby. Regardless, I love that Scioscia called him out like he did. No matter what, it’s time to grow up.
With just 259 more strikeouts to go to become #1 all-time, I hope Adam Dunn continues to play on. I haven’t seen too many career records broken in my lifetime (legitimately, that is) and I know Reggie Jackson would be pleased as well.
I remember the Phillies being in on Josh Hamilton & BJ Upton. Not signing them is the best move Ruben has made.