Texas still on life support, Selig to retire, and nothing happened in the Bronx

[BigDDude]

bud selig is so too old. if old people would retire at a decent age like they're suppose to, younger people can take over their jobs and our economy would get better.

but nope. old people hoard their millions and never spend it.

And, if you are lucky, you will get to be old too..........

 

[BigDDude]

You might want to sit down if you're not sitting...

...but Bud Selig is also retiring. Not only is Bradford not the next Tom Brady, we'll lose two baseball legends within a year+.

Be strong.

Be BostonStrong.

2 Legends?

Mariano and who?

 

[TDs3nOut]

I think that the Rangers have a decent shot of at least tying for a WC spot. What is the first tie-breaker?

 

[BigDDude]

I think that the Rangers have a decent shot of at least tying for a WC spot. What is the first tie-breaker?

Funny. It is so long and complicated, that I have to share in link form.

Playoff tiebreaker rules | MLB.com: News

 

[BigDDude]

Interesting....

HAVANA -- Cuba announced Friday that its athletes will be allowed to sign contracts to compete in foreign leagues, a shift from decades of policy that held professional sports to be anathema to socialist ideals.
The measure promises to increase the amount of money baseball players and others are able to earn, and seems geared toward stemming a continuing wave of defections by athletes who are lured abroad by the possibility of lucrative contracts, sapping talent from national squads.
It was not immediately clear if the ruling would let Cuban baseball players jump to the U.S. major leagues without restrictions imposed by local or U.S. government policies.
Cuban athletes will have to pay taxes on any earnings from foreign clubs, and the 51-year-old U.S. embargo outlaws nearly all American transactions with the Cuban government.
"A change in Cuban laws does not affect our licensing procedure," said John Sullivan, spokesman for the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, which enforces limits on transferring money to Cuba.
Athletes will be eligible to play abroad as long as they fulfill their commitments at home, the Communist Party newspaper Granma reported. For baseball players, that means being available not only for international competitions but also the November-April domestic league.
"It will be taken into account that they are in Cuba for the fundamental competitions of the year," Granma said.
The paper said the decision was approved at a recent session of the Council of Ministers, which is headed by President Raul Castro.
"International experiences, including 10 sporting laws of various Latin American nations, were studied," it added.
Even if Cubans have trouble playing in the major leagues, it's easy to envision ballplayers playing in Mexico, Japan, Venezuela or other countries during their offseason, something that has happened before in isolated instances.
Alfredo Despaigne spent this summer with the Pirates of Campeche, Mexico. Previously, Omar Linares played in Japan.
In the 1990s, some athletes in other sports such as volleyball played in European leagues.
A number of athletes, especially baseball players, have defected in recent months and years. They include Yasiel Puig, who signed a multimillion-dollar contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Professional sports were outlawed under Fidel Castro in 1961, two years after the Cuban Revolution.
Granma also announced raises at home for athletes, including bonuses for individual achievements and collective awards for team success.
Baseball players who appear in 70 percent of league games will be awarded $208. League leaders in hitting and other categories get an extra $41. The team that wins the title gets $2,700 to split.
Players in the National Baseball Series will earn $41 a month, and Olympic medalists around $63.
It's not clear what athletes were paid before, but monthly state salaries in Cuba average about $20 plus the social benefits provided to all islanders.
On top of that they'll get a monthly "stimulus" for international achievements, ranging from $26 for being on national squads to $104 for an Olympic gold medal.
Medalists will also continue collect lifetime monthly awards of $100 to $300.
The new rules do not appear to apply to athletes who left in the past, either through defection or other means, such as champion hurdler Dayron Robles who left for Europe after being released from his commitment in Cuba.
They take effect for baseball players when league play kicks off in November. For all other athletes, they begin Jan. 1.

 

[TDs3nOut]

Funny. It is so long and complicated, that I have to share in link form.

Playoff tiebreaker rules | MLB.com: News

Thanks. I knew that I could probably find something on the net, but I was hoping someone might have the Cliff's Notes version!

 

[BigDDude]

Please don't laugh at him Hammer.


According to Page Six, New York Yankees slugger/pariah Alex Rodriguez, who has controversy and scandal engulfing him like the cloud of dirt and grime that surrounds Pig-Pen from “Peanuts,” had an awkward encounter with Hall of Famer Hank Aaron when both were dining at Nobu in New York.
Apparently, as reported by a Page Six “spy,” A-Rod approached Aaron at the legend’s table and said, “Mr. Aaron, I just wanted to introduce myself. I think about you every day when I play. You’re an inspiration to me.”
To make the scene utterly embarrassing for everyone involved and for anyone reading the account of what transpired, A-Rod allegedly then said, “My name is Alex Rodriguez.”
Awk-ward. No offense to either Rodriguez and especially Mr. Hank Aaron, but my guess is Hammerin’ Hank had a pretty good idea who Alex Rodriguez was without the need for A-Rod to identify himself. Any awkward silences or quizzical looks on the part of Mr. Aaron — if that’s what prompted A-Rod to introduce himself — likely had more to do with Aaron being well aware of who Alex Rodriguez is instead of Aaron not knowing who he was.

 

[BigDDude]

Thanks. I knew that I could probably find something on the net, but I was hoping someone might have the Cliff's Notes version!

One of my many functions, and, as you see, I do requests......

 

[BigDDude]

HEY LONGO!! YOU CAN'T HIT WHAT YOU CAN'T SEE!!

 

[BigDDude]

Getting a little too chummy in the Twins booth last night.

 

[BigDDude]

Man, can I clear a room or what?

 

[bravesfan]

Bud Selig retiring is the best news I've heard all year

 

[RedSoxWorrld]

Man, can I clear a room or what?

maybe cut back on the fiber intake?

 

[Brocktagon]

Getting a little too chummy in the Twins booth last night.

really?

 

[BigDDude]

Some guesses as to who the new baseball commish will be.

• Rob Manfred: Executive vice president of MLB

Manfred is Selig’s right-hand man when it comes to labor issues, crisis management and all other things that requires a trusted fixer. He is like Roger Goodell was to Paul Tagliabue or Adam Silver to David Stern. A man who will be sure to carry on the same management style of a predecessor who left a tremendously large mark. Open question as to how much trust baseball’s other owners have in him given that, unlike Selig, he can’t pat them on the back and say “I know, I was there too once, you know,” but if Selig wants Manfred to be his successor, you figure it will happen.

• Robert Bowman: CEO of MLB Advanced Media

If the owners want a forward-thinker to lead them into the future, Bowman could be their man. As the man who basically created baseball’s entire digital presence — and the copious financial benefits thereform — the MLBAM boss has an argument for the job couched in progress and vision. The downside of Bowman’s case: he really doesn’t deal with the owners in significant day-to-day ways his current role and there is no sense as to whether he’d have their confidence. Remember: when I talk about leading owners into the future, I’m talking about leading them into the late 20th century for the most part.

• Sandy Alderson/Dave Dombrowski/Stan Kasten/Derrick Hall

None of them specifically, but that class of guy. A team president or high-ranking executive who has both experience in working with ownership and the league’s overall executive structure but who also is considered a forward-thinker. Someone whose baseball and business of baseball bona fides are beyond question. Again, whether all owners would support such a person is an open question — some may consider it odd to have someone they feel should be their underling as a commissioner — but when you think about it, the commissioner does answer to owners, so the dynamic should not be terribly odd.

 

[BigDDude]

I'M REALLY PUIG DAMMIT!!!!

Really, it is. Love that rookie hazing.

 

[moxie]

In one of the oddest scenes you’ll ever see after a game, former Giants closer Brian Wilson walked to the Giants’ side of the field after tonight’s 3-2 San Francisco victory, as Giants players were shaking hands on the field, to rail on team president Larry Baer for not getting his 2012 World Series ring.



UPDATE: Brian Wilson?s bizarre confrontation with Larry Baer over World Series ring, with photo | San Francisco Giants: The Splash | an SFGate.com blog

He's all yours now, BigD!

 

[BigDDude]

It was not all about Rivera last night.

Royals closer Greg Holland pitched a scoreless ninth in a 3-2 game against the White Sox on Thursday, giving him his team-record 46th save in 49 chances this season.
Holland overtook Dan Quisenberry (1983) and Jeff Montgomery (1993) for the Royals record. He also fanned two batters to top 100 strikeouts for the season; he’s at 101 in 66 innings.
That makes Holland the 14th pitcher (11th different) to record 40 saves and 100 strikeouts in a season. Eric Gagne did it three times. The Braves’ Craig Kimbrel has a chance to do it for the third time this year, but he’s still four strikeouts short (he has 49 saves) with probably one or two appearances remaining. Also having pulled it off are Armando Benitez, Billy Wagner, Brad Lidge, Bryan Harvey, John Wetteland, Robb Nen, Trevor Hoffman and Ugueth Urbina.
Holland has accomplished all this after nearly losing the closer’s gig a week into the season. He gave up three earned runs in a loss and blown save on April 6 and then was pulled out of a save chance the next night, leading to speculation that Kelvin Herrera might replace him in the ninth. However, he quickly turned it around from there and never looked back,

 

[BigDDude]

In one of the oddest scenes you’ll ever see after a game, former Giants closer Brian Wilson walked to the Giants’ side of the field after tonight’s 3-2 San Francisco victory, as Giants players were shaking hands on the field, to rail on team president Larry Baer for not getting his 2012 World Series ring.



UPDATE: Brian Wilson?s bizarre confrontation with Larry Baer over World Series ring, with photo | San Francisco Giants: The Splash | an SFGate.com blog

He's all yours now, BigD!

I NEVER wanted him, not even if it was a dig to the Giants. Now, I think he is growing on me. The on field stuff, not any of the nonesense that sadly comes with it.

 

[BigDDude]

Now that's funny right there........




Adam Darowski @baseballtwit
Brian McCann explains the unwritten rule that only the manager or pitching coach can get the pitcher.