Only a few franchises in MLB truly understand how to spend money wisely. I would trot out the A's, Twins, Rockies, Mariners, Brewers, Cardinals, Phillies, and the Rays as some of these.
Few do a better job of acquiring the best talent with the least money than the last team in that list: Tampa Bay.
And they've done it again.
Most fans, possibly even many Tampa Bay fans, don't realize that the Rays signed first baseman Ryan Shealy to a minor league deal this week.
But Shealy is important: he's exactly the type of player small-market teams should give a first base, DH, or corner outfield job to.
Let's take a look at Shealy's skills.
In 164 career major league games, the massive righty has hit .271/.335/.429 with 19 homers, 46 walks, and 148 strikeouts. Those aren't tremendous numbers, but it's not like he fell flat on his face, either.
He's also a career .307/.363/.481 hitter against righties, so he's not just a lefty-masher.
In his most recent playing time, 73 ABs in 2008, Shealy hit .301/.354/.603 (no, that's not a typo) with no protection in a woeful Royals lineup.
Shealy has been a deadly minor league hitter, with a tremendous .311/.401/.564 career line (.300/.380/.540 career in AAA). He has demolished both lefties (.302/.406/.615) and righties (.296/.369/.510) in Triple-A.
So Shealy can hit. He hit .345/.454/.425 in 25 Triple-A games last year, so he clearly still has a nice bat at age 30.
But, surely, the behemoth (6'5" and somewhere north of 250 lbs.) must be a horrific defender, right?
Actually, Shealy is a Gold Glove-caliber first baseman according to UZR. His career UZR/150 is an excellent +15.0. He also has been tried a bit in the outfield in spring training and the minors, and is acceptable there.
Shealy is the sort of player who could slug .500 for a team if they gave him 150 starts and just let him be. Russell Branyan, a player with a similar reputation (but less contact ability), excelled when the Mariners let him play first base all year in 2009.
It's no surprise that a smart outfit like the Rays ultimately landed Shealy. Don't forget, Carlos Pena was in a not-too-dissimilar position to Shealy a few years ago when the Rays picked him up. That certainly worked out.
Don't be surprised if he Shealy has an excellent year for the Rays, and makes several other teams rue not signing him.
For one day, Chad Ochocinco will become Chad Quince.
This time, the fine will not be thrown Ochocinco's way for another one of his celebrations or humorous, yet costly charades.
Come Sunday, Ochocinco will make one of the most memorable gestures towards a late teammate in NFL history when he steps onto the field wearing not his 85, but Henry's No. 15.
Unfortunately, his effort to honor Chris Henry will come with a price due to the NFL's strict uniform policy.
A so-called "expert" on all uniform codes, Ochocinco knows the consequences of his actions Sunday, and he has realized the benefit exceeds the cost.
Fortunately for No. 85, the NFL Players Association also sees the benefit exceeding the price tag the NFL would put on his honoring of No. 15.
In a sports world where fines are as common as game balls, it is refreshing to see that Ochocinco will not be hung out to dry, having to pay a fine that is anything but necessary.
Unfortunately, the NFL forbids the NFLPA from reimbursing any player when said player is fined.
The NFLPA, however, has set up a memorial fund for Chris Henry, and the money that Ochocinco will cough up will, most likely, be put into that fund.
NFLPA spokesman George Atallah has also stated that any fine towards Chad will be matched by the NFLPA and put into the late wide receiver's memorial fund.
It is easy to ask why the NFL would fine such a gesture, but as Roger Goodell continues his conquest to clean the league's image, rules are simply rules.
If the money were not going to the fund, many fans would express outrage towards these rules, and question why these circumstances could not be bent in such a time.
But, since it is going to a necessary cause, the NFL will surely dodge much criticism on the matter.
The focus should not be on the NFL, but Ochocinco's intent in wearing his fallen teammate’s number.
A man known for his excellent play on the field, his outlandish actions while playing, and the many fines which have followed, the man formerly known as Chad Johnson will be making a sincere effort to keep the memory alive of his friend.
Already dealing with the loss of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer's wife, the Bengals again have to set aside their grief for one afternoon.
They will all have a No. 15 sticker on their helmets, but its Ochocinco's effort that will light a fire and inspire everyone to put on the orange and black.
Seeing the number 15 running routes will send chills through a countless number of those on the sidelines, in the stands, and even watching on television, but it will forever instill in many that these aren't just teams, they are families.
To Ochocinco, Henry was a teammate, friend, and, as he has stated, one of his family.
On Sunday, his effort to keep Henry's memory alive will, undoubtedly, make many believe this is his most worthy fine.
It has been a while since I have written anything for Bleacher Report; let’s hope college has benefited my writing.
It was a forgone conclusion that the Tigers would trade Curtis Granderson. He was an expensive commodity that we could get good value for in return. The Tigers have long been looking to get younger, and cheaper, and Granderson and Placido Polanco were the casualties of a tight budget.
Polanco was an extraordinary second baseman and I am sad to see him leave but he was a bit too expensive for the new cost-conscious Tigers. General manager Dave Dombrowski declined to offer him arbitration and Polanco received an $18 million contract with the Phillies.
I wish him only the best, and thank him for his services to the club.
In his stead in 2010 will be the highly touted prospect, Scott Sizemore. Sizemore has long been the second baseman in waiting, and now that Polanco is gone he will get his chance.
Reports have Sizemore as an average hitter with decent speed and a good fielding percentage. But more than anything else, the Tigers like him because he is cheap and they can continue to develop him while paying him the league minimum. He will be a decent replacement for Polanco and can only improve as the years go on.
With Granderson gone, the makeup of the outfield comes into question. Granderson had long been an above average centerfielder with struggles at the plate. So now look for the Tigers to tap into their prospects in the outfield or make some free agent signings, which I will look at later in the article.
Austin Jackson, the Tigers newly acquired center fielder from the Yankees, has been called the "poor man’s Andruw Jones." However, it is not known if he is ready to play center on Opening Day. If he doesn’t go, look for the Tigers to call on Don Kelly, Ryan Raburn, or Clete Thomas to fill the voids.
Both center field and left field are vacant at the moment, and while Austin Jackson could fill the vacancy in center,Thomas has done a fair job platooning with Magglio Ordonez in right, and Kelly and Raburn could be a possible platoon in left or center.
However, looking forward to 2010 there is a lack of experience in the outfield outside of Ordonez. Free agency could help address this problem.
Two free agents stand out to me that I believe the Tigers should look at picking up. Outfielder Scott Podsednik is a free agent with good experience.
He has had troubles with his range and with Comerica Park having a large center field, he might be out of place there, but he could be a decent fill in until Jackson is ready to play center. He could also play left field where range isn't as important.
The Tigers should look at Podsednik because he has good leadoff experience and good speed on the basepaths. He posted a .353 OBP with the White Sox in 2009 and has stolen 266 bases in his 882 career games played.
If he isn't what the Tigers are looking for then Mark DeRosa is still on the market. This guy can play almost any position on the field. Remember the old Bugs Bunny cartoon where Bugs plays every position on his own? That's DeRosa.
He can play any position besides pitcher or catcher, even though he might try if you asked.
The Tigers could bring him in as a backup or an insurancy policy for both the outfield and infield. It doesn't matter where on the field the Tigers could have a need, DeRosa could easily fill it.
Knowing that the Tigers are now a cost-conscious club and are still in need of a closer, it seems as though these free agents will not soon be donning the old English “D”.
Feb. 12, 2009 probably cost Northwestern an NCAA tournament bid last season.
Up by 14 with 5:16 to go, the Wildcats looked like they had the Fighting Illini of Illinois beat. But Illinois fought back and drew within six points with one minute remaining. Even then, it appeared that NU had the game in hand.
But the Fighting Illini deployed a full court press that baffled the Wildcats and they choked the game away, eventually losing 60-59.
It was a stunning collapse that left me standing speechless and frozen in the NU student section for about five minutes afterwards.
When you've been doing nothing but losing for so long, it's hard to learn how to become a winner, even when you have the talent to do so.
But in Saturday's 70-62 victory over Stanford, NU showed that they've come a long way when it comes to finishing games, yet there's still plenty of room for improvement as they prepare to start Big Ten play on Dec. 30…against Illinois.
All the credit in the world goes to that dynamic duo of John Shurna and Juice Thompson, who I wrote about earlier in the year. They were at it again as Shurna scored a team-high 22 points and Juice delivered 15.
But the way they did it was what most impressed me.
Shurna's shot from downtown was off again, but his low post game continues to be one of the most pleasant surprises of the young season. He consistently finds different ways to score, depending on what part of his game is "on" that night.
When he puts it all together...watch out. Meanwhile, Juice didn't even hit a two-pointer, but drilled three triples, including a crucial one as time ticked away.
The three pointers (6-for-25), and the free throws (22-for-33) were a problem for NU, but they still managed to find themselves up by 10 with 4:27 to go in the game. They were very aggressive against the Cardinal. On offense, they got almost every Stanford starter in foul trouble, while on defense they forced 18 turnovers.
But after they built that 10-point lead, Stanford's Jeremy Green started to give NU fans flashbacks to last year's collapse against Illinois. He scored the next nine points of the game to pull the Cardinal within one with 1:33 to go.
That's when Juice showed his leadership ability, nailing a dagger three to end the 9-0 run.
Juice's take-charge mentality this year has been a key factor in NU's sensational 9-1 start, and his three-pointer assured the 'Cats of another big win. They've now beaten teams from the Big East, Big 12, ACC, and Pac 10.
One more tune-up (Central Connecticut State) remains for the Wildcats, but I think they're ready for Big Ten play. The opener against Illinois will be very interesting, because maybe they can finally put that haunting memory of last year behind them for good.
Saturday's victory over Stanford was a good first step.
It's been a great start to the season, but as NU football coach Pat Fitzgerald would say...now it's time to FINISH.
Cleveland Browns fans, already spilt into as many cliques who spread as many rumors as would be found in a typical suburban high school, went into speculation overload this week.
The afterglow of a victory over the hated Steelers was quickly replaced by another round of “he said/she said,” and the rumor mill was set ablaze by the media and the Intertubes.
Six Points apologizes in advance for pop culture references from the days when pop culture actually meant something to him, but going back to the first incarnation of Browns v 2.0 and the days of Carmen Policy, this franchise has been far more entertaining off of the field than on the field.
Plus ca change, plus c'est le meme chose.
1. Hot For Grand Poohbah:
Yes, that’s a reference to Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher”.
Six Points never had that good fortune. While he had some excellent female teachers in high school, none of them could have been mistaken, even by Stevie Wonder, for Tawny Kitaen writhing on the car hood in the Whitesnake video.
Randolph Lerner and much of the fan base is now infatuated with Mike Holmgren to be Grand Poohbah of Football Operations, and the rumors are flying.
A dinner at Fahrenheit in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood became Holmgren’s own “we looked at houses,” per his Seattle radio interview, and that morphed into Holmgren allegedly having purchased a $450,000 home in the upscale Cleveland suburb of Bay Village.
A reported offer of $8 million a year for Holmgren to assume the position became “no money was discussed,” even though Holmgren’s agent also enjoyed a dinner setting at Fahrenheit.
In later interviews, Holmgren did not rule out coaching in addition to being Grand Poohbah.
Many fans of this 2-11 team are on board, basically thinking “(Holmgren)’s a lot better than what we have”.
But, the last time Lerner gave the reins to a coach who was also GM, the results were disastrous. While Butch Davis was decent as a game-day coach, his drafting and talent assessment were abysmal.
Add to that Holmgren's mediocre record as Seattle GM before he was asked to step down to coaching only, and this infatuation may not be worth it.
Six Points leans more to Han Solo in the Star Wars series.
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
2. East Coast/West Coast:
In the 1990s, it was alleged that rival NFL players were flashing “east coast” and “west coast” gang signs at each other during the height of the crack cocaine and gang war epidemic in the United States.
While Six Points would not know a gang signal from American Sign Language, he’ll have to take the media’s word for it.
Speculation has it that Holmgren, if hired in Cleveland, would install some version of the West Coast Offense.
If Holmgren is indeed the incoming Grand Poohbah of Football Operations, one could expect him to do just that.
This is not a knock on Holmgren as much as it is homage to his background.
Holmgren was once at Brigham Young before Bill Walsh hired him as QB coach to both Joe Montana and Steve Young, and in three Super Bowl appearances, the Packers and Seahawks ran the WCO.
When rising through the ranks, you bring what you know with you and implement it. That’s human nature.
But, this is the AFC North. While the NFC West is the weakest division in the NFL and the NFC North guarantees you two away games in domes annually, the AFC North is a smashmouth division.
To win in the AFC North, you need road graders on the offensive line, enforcers on defense, a power running game and a quarterback who can stretch the field. A beast at tight end along with explosive receivers doesn’t hurt, either.
The West Coast Offense in the AFC North?
Cue Han Solo.
3. Opportunity Sessions:
Forget about players “quitting” on Eric Mangini, despite what his detractors say.
Whether or not Mangini is walked to the door after one season, the players he coaches will be busting their tails the last three games of the 2009 season..
This franchise is regarded to be largely bereft of talent, and most observers will run out of fingers before they name ten definite “keepers.”
Some of these guys are playing for Mangini, but almost all of them are auditioning for the NFL in 2010, no matter where.
Nonetheless, the Clash’s “Train In Vain” will apply to many of their 2010 prospects.
4. Dead Mangini Walking?
Ever see a guy in the office who’s about to be fired?
Maybe he knows it or he doesn’t, but he definitely is cueing his inner Han Solo.
He’s taking time for people he once ignored, and defends his own performance to any and all who will listen.
We’ve seen that guy. Maybe we’ve been that guy. And that guy looks a lot like Eric Mangini right now.
His new boss may or may not like him, and he’s saying all of the right things.
In Corporate America, it’s part of the process.
Even though national media pundits report Mangini is a goner if Holmgren takes the reins in Cleveland, there are reasons to defend him.
Yes, the record is 2-11, but the Browns, in one season, have gone from one of the NFL’s most-penalized to one of the least-penalized teams..
While many fans may have considered the opening quarterback competition to be a false start, the number of actual false start penalties, which cropped up under the Romeo Crennel regime at the worst possible times, has dropped dramatically.
Club Romeo is closed. The team is far more disciplined, and for the long-term good of the franchise, Mangini cut cancers out of the roster, knowing that the immediate chemo he was administering made things look worse in the short term.
On Thursday, December 10, the Browns out-Steelered the Steelers, dominating on both lines of scrimmage and special teams.
This might be hard to remember after a week of Holmgren speculation, but they sacked Big Ben eight times.
One game does not make or break a season, but the last time Six Points saw this kind of power football on the lakefront, some guy named Schottenheimer was wearing the headset.
At the bye week, Mangini and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll installed the no-huddle offense, and the offense, while far from being a finished product, makes fewer mistakes and is generally more productive.
When the stars line up, a defense with almost half its starters on IR can give opposing quarterbacks fits.
To paraphrase Holmgren himself, a head coach deserves more than one season to implement his system.
As does Eric Mangini.
5. Now Departing, Gate 7:
Will be Derek Anderson’s one-way flight to Oregon at the end of this campaign..
Is Derek Anderson as inept as he looked this season? Most likely not.
Can you coach 6’6,” his rocket arm and quick release? No.
But no matter who is wearing the headset on the sideline or who the Grand Poohbah is, Anderson’s contract will cost $7 million next year, plus a $2 million roster bonus.
Numbers like that for a backup, in the words of an ancient country song, scream “Please release me, let me go!”
6. Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall:
Which team is as ugly as the Cleveland Browns right now?
Their upcoming opponent, the Kansas City Chiefs.
With similar offensive stagnation and porous secondaries, these teams look like mirror images.
Matt Cassell is looking like the Scott Mitchell of this millennium, there’s not much at the skill positions, and the offensive line also has its share of matadors.
Prediction? Cleveland 24, Kansas City 13. Against the 27th-ranked passing defense in the NFL with no pass rush to speak of, the offense should work well enough, and with most of the team in extended “opportunity session,” the Browns should take their second game in a row.
Extra Point: Goodbye, Faithful Watchdog:
The Great Recession has not been kind to the print media. Hades is also rather warm.
Among its casualties have been the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (way cool name and neon globe logo on the building) and the (Denver) Rocky Mountain News , along with countless other smaller dailies and weeklies.
But, last week, Editor and Publisher went and joined the mastheads in the sky, and that’s a bigger loss than most of us think.
If your local daily published something that did not pass your smell test, E&P was often on it. A weekly magazine, it was a de facto newspaper about newspapers, along with policing the broadcast media.
If you wanted a job in journalism (once upon a time, people actually hired in that profession), the classified pages of E&P were the place to look. Want to know how your hometown daily stacked up in circulation? Again, you turned to E&P .
Which media company overextended itself to buy properties and was forced to jettison staff and reorganize? You went to E&P .
Print journalism, even in the form of alternative weeklies, has long been more lapdog than watchdog.
For not only journalists, but for citizens who wanted accurate reporting on what reporters were feeding them, Editor and Publisher was indispensable.
Our media, full of toy poodles when Rottweilers are needed, often drops the ball.
