You might also think of Mariano Rivera blowing the save in game seven. Mark Grace singled, Rivera turned a sac bunt attempt into runners on first and second, Tony Womack eventually knocked home the tying run. Then Tim McCarver – without so much as a spoiler alert – laid out exactly what was about to happen like he’d seen it already, and Luis Gonzalez shoveled a ball over the drawn in infield to win the World Series. Just like that, the greatest closer of all time blew game seven of the World Series, ending a Yankee dynasty in its tracks.

But that’s not it either. I’m talking about Jay Witasick’s beautifully disastrous performance in game six.

With the Yankees up three games to two in the 2001 World Series, the series shifted back to Arizona for a critical game six. The Yankees were just one win away from their fourth consecutive World Series championship, while the Diamondbacks, in their fourth season, hadn’t yet existed in a world in which the Yankees were not the champs. Kim’s consecutive blown saves put Arizona in this position, but in game six, it would be the Yankees bullpen that would implode. Though Jay Witasick’s meltdown didn’t come in as high a leverage situation as Kim’s (nor Rivera’s), it was something to behold.

Witasick entered Game 6 with runners on second and third with the Yankees trailing 5-0. It was still early. The game was in reach. Here’s how hitters fared against Witasick that inning:

• Single to LF
• Single to LF
• Single to LF
• Single to RF
• Tony Womack strikes out swinging (phew!)
• Single to CF
• Double to LF
• Single to CF
• Double to CF
• Reggie Sanders strikes out swinging (finally!)

In a game when the Yankees could have clinched a World Series victory, Joe Torre let Witasick stay in the game to surrender four consecutive hits – twice! – in one inning. By the time Reggie Sanders finally struck out, the Diamondbacks led 12-0. Relievers are often made to wear it the way Witasick did here, but a win in this game meant a World Series title. This wasn’t a normal game. This was the type of game when – normally – you never give up. Witasick’s 8 earned runs tied him with Grover “Pete” Alexander for the most runs ever given up in a World Series game. Alexander took 2 1/3 innings to give up that many in the 1928 World Series against the Yankees. 

Witasick would give up two more hits the next inning (he started another inning!), giving him a final line that looks like this (parents, cover your children’s eyes): 1 ⅓ innings, 10 hits, 9 runs (8 earned), 4 strikeouts. Randy Choate came on and allowed Witasick’s stragglers to score, by which point the Diamondbacks led 15-0. Luis Gonzalez – their consensus best player – was pulled for rest in the bottom of that inning (the 4th inning!). Given the stakes of the game, it’s amazing that Torre allowed Witasick to get shelled the way he did. 

I’ll give Torre this: games four and five of the 2001 World Series went into extra innings, and leading 3 games to 2 going into game six, the Yankees had some cause to pack it in by the time Andy Pettitte left the game without recording an out in the third inning. And it’s not as if Witasick was giving up home runs. These were mostly bleeders through the left side of the infield – but they weren’t totally cheap knocks either. 

On the other hand, when Pettitte exited the game, it was still just a 5-0 deficit in the 3rd inning. Of course, Torre also had reason to doubt whether his offense could come back from a deficit that large. In the first five games of the series combined, the Yankees had scored a total of four runs in innings 1 through 8. Without a pair of clutch ninth-inning home runs from Tino Martinez and Scott Brosius, the Yankees came dangerously close to losing all 7 games of the series (which, of course, would have been impossible). 

Still, Witasick’s ill-fated stint in the third and fourth inning of game 6 stands out as a woeful performance with the season on the line. Witasick put together a solid professional career, pitching for 7 teams over 12 years with a 4.64 ERA/4.69 FIP, and it’s hardly his fault that Torre decided to pack this one in by the third inning, but it’s worth a re-watch nonetheless.

• Lofton is likely to find a job; he’s healthy and played reasonably well last year.  The Cubs still might be a fit.
• Seems that Garcia probably won’t reach a big league mound until September; auditioning for teams may take place in July.
• Miller received calls from the Yankees and Padres, but he’s still taking a Brewers or nothing stance.

Other options for Sanders include retirement and/or a foray into a TV analyst career.

Slusser also names a couple of available right-handed hitting free agent outfielders in Reggie Sanders and Rondell White.  Those are just examples, though – there is no current indication that the A’s have interest.

Slusser adds that there’s nothing to recent rumors of a Huston Street for Coco Crisp swap.  That one sounds like fan speculation (in fact I think I saw it in our comments somewhere).

• The A’s, once considered the best bet for Barry Bonds, are no longer interested in the indicted slugger. Rosenthal thinks it’s likely that Bond’s trial will start after Opening Day, causing him to miss time regardless of the verdict. And then there’s the whole prison issue.
• The Rangers spoke to the Mariners at the GM meetings regarding the availability of Ben Broussard. Talks didn’t really go anywhere, since Broussard is a non-tender candidate. The Mariners might not be too keen on offering Broussard a raise over the $3.55 million he made last year, in which he managed just 264 plate appearances.
• Teams, including the Dodgers, might be more interested in Aaron Rowand over Torii Hunter because of one year and $30 million. Rowand is seeking five years, $60 million, while Hunter wants six and $90 mil. Hunter is far more proven a commodity, though, and is more athletic than Rowand. The negative in Hunter’s corner is that he’s two years older than Rowand.
• He mentions that the Cubs are interested in Luis Castillo and Kaz Matsui, both switch hitters, to play second base next year. The Astros and Mets are also in on Castillo, while the Rockies would like to re-sign Kaz — though they have a number of internal candidates, including Ian Stewart.
• The Padres are considering offering arbitration to Mike Cameron and Mike Barrett. Barrett seems like a no-brainer. He’s a Type A free agent, and would probably be worth a one-year deal. He could be pricey, though, as Ivan Rodriguez and Jorge Posada are making $13 million or more. Cameron also makes sense. The Padres still need a center fielder for 2008, and they’d do well to sign Cam to a one-year deal should he accept arbitration. Otherwise, the supplemental pick would be nice.
• Reggie Sanders will consider retirement if he can’t land a deal with the Dodgers, Giants, or Padres. Sanders missed most of the 2007 season with hamstring problems.

Joe Pawlikowski is co-author of River Ave. Blues.

A friendly emailer tells me that Royals second baseman Mark Grudzielanek was in the original lineup, but was scratched at the last minute.  Joe Girardi says he may be headed to the Mets.  We’ll keep you posted.  And now back to my sweet n’ sour chicken.

And an update on Reggie Sanders: according to Girardi, Reggie was just shipping his kids’ stuff off to Arizona, where they’ll go to school.  False alarm.

But since 99% of deadline rumors don’t happen anyway, why not put ’em out there for discussion?

• Word is that FedEx was at Reggie Sanders’ house today, packing up his stuff.  Not sure where he’s headed.  This one will have more substance if Sanders is nowhere to be found for tonight’s game against the Yankees.
• If the Cubs somehow traded for Adam Dunn, where would they put him?  Hard to imagine.
• Some folks have suggested that the Cubs will acquire Xavier Nady, but Bucco Blog shoots it down.
• Dontrelle Willis has been awful this month; there are whispers that he may need Tommy John surgery.  Willis did experience forearm tightness in June, which is often a precursor to or euphemism for elbow problems.  Despite his performance and the proclamations that he’s not available, a Mariners’ scout watched him on Monday.
• One rumor that is picking up a lot of steam is that I will be joining MetsBlog Radio tonight at 6pm CST to talk rumors for a half hour.

Anyway, Bob Dutton gives us the latest on hot commodity Octavio Dotel.  According to Dutton, the Dodgers and Indians are at the forefront, with the Red Sox, Mets, and some other teams monitoring the situation.

As before, Dutton indicates that the Dodgers are the best possibility.  They refuse to part with Tony Abreu, however.  Abreu is seen as Jeff Kent’s replacement at second base, though Kent is still going strong and his 2008 option becomes guaranteed with 550 plate appearances this year.  Barring injury, he’ll reach that.

This seems parallel to the shortstop situation, where Rafael Furcal is signed through 2008 and Chin-Lung Hu is knocking on the door.  For some reason Dutton seems to view Hu as more available than Abreu.

The Indians won’t give up outfielders Franklin Gutierrez or Ben Francisco, at least not yet.  Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer confirms the info.  Is Francisco really anything more than a fourth outfielder? 

The Red Sox could go after Dotel and Reggie Sanders in a package deal, perhaps with Wily Mo Pena going to KC.

If Dayton Moore gets anything close to his asking price, the Dotel rental will end up a fantastic move. 

In the half-month he’s played this year, Sanders has hit well.  He has about $2.1MM left on his contract currently.  The Royals would probably trade him for some salary relief and an A ball long shot prospect.  The motivation for the Red Sox would be replacing Wily Mo Pena as the fourth outfielder, as the 25 year-old has really been scuffling this year outside of May.

Pena is a guy who really got the short end of the stick.  After hitting 45 homers in 647 ABs for the Reds from 2004-05, he was traded to the Red Sox and stopped playing regularly.  Surely that’s hurt his development.  His comparables list is littered with 40-50 HR types, and as a baseball fan I want to see if he can realize that potential.  Hopefully there’s a power-hungry team that values Pena as much as Epstein does and a deal can be made.  The Padres have been mentioned, and that sounds reasonable.

It’s a new season, but the results are the same in Kansas City as once again the Royals are struggling to win games in April.  The slow start means trade talk will begin sooner rather than later.  But despite the struggles, the Royals feel they’re headed in the right direction with a solid nucleus of young ballplayers.  The trade options will be limited to the few remaining veterans on the roster.

As the season rolls on, more and more teams will be paying attention to Reggie Sanders.  Sanders, who was linked to a deal with the Orioles in spring training, is off to a good start in a part time role hitting .391/.440/.696.  Although the Baltimore deal fizzled out, there’s still some interest as the Orioles would like to add a right-handed power bat to their thin bench.  Sanders has no problem coming off the bench, but would like to do it for a contender.  Other teams that could be in the market include Toronto, St. Louis or even the Angels.

Other than Sanders, it’s been relatively dry on the rumor front.  But keep an eye on Emil Brown.  Another member of the Royals crowded outfield, Brown will come cheap (he’s due $3.4 million for 2007) and has a consistent track record over the last two seasons.  He’s gained a reputation as a defensive liability, so he could appeal to a contender looking for a right-handed bat for the bench.  If the Royals are asking too much for Sanders, Brown could be Plan B.

One name that seems to come up in trade rumors every year is Mike Sweeney.  Unfortunately, Iron Mike’s bad back and hefty salary have put the kibosh on any prospective deal.  He’s stayed healthy so far (no small feat) but has struggled at the plate, hitting just .162/.238/.162.  At this point, it looks like he’ll play out the season in Kansas City before hitting the free agent market this winter.  If Sweeney gets dealt, it will be to a team in the AL since his back keeps him off the field.

Don’t look for any deals that include the Royals giving up any pitching.  GM Dayton Moore’s first priority since taking the job last summer has been restocking the team and system with arms.  He’s made some progress, but it’s still a thin staff and with pitching at a premium, it wouldn’t make sense for the Royals to let go of any of their pitchers.

By Craig Brown of Royals Authority and Heater Magazine

I imagine Moore has struggled to find a team willing to take Sanders and most of the $5MM he’s owed.  What team would want to do that?

Enter the Orioles.  Baltimore wants a right-handed bat and the Royals just want a reliever with his arm attached.  The two sides are talking, so maybe Moore can unload Sanders before the season begins.  Bob Dutton adds that the sticking point is how much of Sanders’s salary the Royals would consume.

• The Astros plan on keeping their relief core of Brad Lidge, Chad Qualls, Dan Wheeler, and Trever Miller, despite interest from the Red Sox in Lidge and Qualls.
• In Marcus Thames, Chris Shelton, and Ramon Santiago, the Tigers appear to have a surplus of players.  However, Rosenthal spoke to another team’s exec who thinks the trio will stay with the club.  It’s nice to have depth.  Speaking of which, top pitching prospect Andrew Miller will start his season in A ball but could make an impact in the second half.
• The Cubs and Rangers would like to add shortstop Clint Barmes as a utility man (might even make sense for the Cubs to start him).  The Rox still like Barmes though and may keep him around as a 2B option for ’08.  Rosenthal mentions the Royals as another fit for Barmes.  The Royals need a shortstop like the Marlins need a center fielder.
• The Dodgers want to add a right-handed slugger.  Assuming the price tag on Rocco Baldelli remains too high, L.A. could go after Kevin Mench or Reggie Sanders.  The Royals would love to get rid of Sanders or Emil Brown.  The O’s have some mild interest in Sanders.  I guess the offseason helped the Dodgers and Orioles forget that Sanders is 39, makes $5MM, and posted a .729 OPS last year.

The Mets added righty reliever Guillermo Mota today.  Along with Oliver Perez, this is another project with plenty of upside.  Mota was one of the game’s top setup men a few years ago.

Tom Glavine’s got a possible blood clot, which could mean season or career-ending surgery. At least his life is not in danger.  The news first appeared on an ESPN message board from a man said to be Glavine’s brother-in-law.  Back when Glavine appeared healthy, the same source indicated that the southpaw would finish his career with the Braves, at any salary.

Reggie Sanders may have cleared waivers.  Who wants a 38 year-old right fielder with a .248/.304/.424 line?  Don’t forget the $5MM he’s owed next year.   

From Yankees announcer Jim Kaat: the Rangers may be talking to the Orioles about Mark Teixeira.  Tex is from Maryland, for what it’s worth.

Plenty of buzz going around in various forms of media that the Red Sox may acquire reliever LaTroy Hawkins.  We’ll know soon enough.  The 33 year-old has, at least, kept the ball in the yard and exhibited good control with the Orioles this year.

Yesterday ESPN’s Jayson Stark reported some Bobby Abreu interest coming from the Brewers.  It was a longshot from the start given Abreu’s contract.  Today it’s been revealed that Doug Melvin hasn’t even spoken to Pat Gillick on the topic, and the rumor was placed by a rival GM.  Any guesses who?

Something seems to be brewing between the Yankees and Royals, and Reggie Sanders is the name that makes sense. The Royals would do well to unload the 38 year-old right fielder’s $5MM commitment for ’07.  A deal could also include reliever Elmer Dessens, who’s signed through next season.  For the second trading deadline in a row, Brian Cashman seems to be taking a more level-headed approach.

Another option for the Yanks is Kevin Mench of the Rangers.  Mench has been jerked around a bit this year by Buck Showalter and could come at a reduced price.  I recently outlined a couple of possible career paths for Mench over at RotoAuthority.  His career may be at a fork in the road; he should take it.

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Mariners have become a major player for Alfonso Soriano.  Bill Bavasi has stumbled with some questionable signings, but Seattle remains just four games out in a weak division.  Don’t forget that Bavasi loves to deal with Kevin Towers more than any GM, so he may try to match up with the Padres somehow.

The Cardinals have another outfielder on the radar – old favorite Reggie Sanders.  Reggie is 38 now, and he’s not showing any ability to get on base as a regular for the Royals.  Still, his .259/.301/.476 line (8 home runs) is not far from his work with St. Louis back in ’04.  Sanders typically walks about 7-8% of the time, but this year it’s been below 6%.  I guess his new club is influencing his style – KC is second to last in the AL in walks this year.

Sanders’s .777 OPS is just the 12th best among AL right fielders.  He signed a two-year, $10MM deal with the Royals last offseason.  He’d probably play left field if he returned to St. Louis.  As a group, the Cardinals’ left fielders have hit just .243/.305/.321 with one home run.  At the least, Sanders would provide a power threat.

The Cardinals will likely settle for a second tier outfielder in the trade market, as I’m told Anthony Reyes and Adam Wainwright are being slotted into the 2007 rotation.