Sadness, Awesomeness, Random Awesomeness in Video Form

-First and most importantly, The Common Man is very saddened to learn of the death of John Brittain, one of the driving forces behind The Hardball Times as well as other sites. John has been a terrific source of snark regarding the business of baseball (stadium deals in particular), and was continually frustrated by his beloved Blue Jays. Maury Brown, at The Biz of Baseball has a wonderful post up about the man, his struggles, his spirit, and his talent. Condolences to John's wife and daughters, and though The Common Man never met him, I feel like I've lost a friend.

-The Common Man has spent the day convelescing and recovering from a nasty virus (thanks to The Boy starting daycare full-time) and an awesome WBC Championship game that went deep into the wee hours the night before. Really, The Common Man could watch 162 straight South Korea vs. Japan games and be a happy man. The two teams play so fluidly, and seem to really match up to one another well. It was a thrilling contest from beginning to end, and it's 4 hours flew by.

-In particular, the sublime 5th inning featured remarkable moment after moment. After leading off the top half with a walk and a single off of former MLBer Jung Bong (still one of the greatest names of all time), Japan looked poised to break the game open. But Hyun Wook Jong came in and fired gas at the Japanese, striking out Kenji Johjima, then getting a strike-out/throw-out double play with Michihiro Ogasuwaru at the plate to get out of the jam. Shin-Soo Choo homered to deep left-center to lead off the bottom half against Hisashi Iwakuma and tied the score, amping up the intensity of the contest to 11. And when Young Min Ko looked to ignite the Koreans further by stretching a single, Japanese leftfielder Seiichi Uchikawa made one of the best all-around outfield plays The Common Man had ever seen. Getting quickly to the ball down the LF line, Uchikawa slid to cut the ball off, back-handed it, popped up, and unloaded a strike to second base. The throw, if The Common Man is being honest, was just a hair late. But the play was close enough that the runner was called out, made possible by a beautiful effort. The Common Man can't find video of the play to embed, but has a link that you can use here.

-Of course, the next inning, The Common Man thought Korean CF Yong-Kyu Lee was dead after he was caught trying to steal second. As you can see in the above video, Lee's helmet crumples against the Japanese shortstop's knee, and then explodes. The force with which Lee must have been moving was incredible, and it's lucky he didn't suffer a severe head or spinal injury. Hell, Corey Koskie fell down two years ago, and he still can't get on the field (a story that made The Common Man exceedingly sad, by the way).

-That The Common Man has to wait another four years to watch the Japanese and Koreans go at it full-tilt is incredibly disappointing. The three year cycle seemed more proper to The Common Man, especially if Major League Baseball wants to build on the momentum of what has been a wildly successful Classic.

-Oh sure, The Common Man has heard and read the complaints from bloggers and pundits who decry the WBC and its flaws. Indeed, the timing proved somewhat troublesome, with the final three games falling on the first weekend of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. And perhaps Americans didn't fall quite as in love with its nationalist nature as Bud Selig and Tommy Lasorda were hoping. But its successes, which far outweigh the failures, suggest that tweaking the format and timing is better than drastically revamping the formula.

One of the most frustrating things to deal with is the notion that something you may enjoy, or want very much to enjoy, is not actually intended for you. This is something that the American media seems to miss about the WBC. Hey, Jason Stark! Sorry you can't get into the tourney, dude, and that's nice that you've got your own special proposal all ready to go. But dude, this tournament is not supposed to cater to you. Or to The Common Man. Or to the average Red Sox fan. It's aim is global, not local.

Rather than laud it for what it does (spread goodwill toward the game and MLB internationally, make gobs of money internationally, provide a more exciting and popular alternative spectacle to Spring Training that fans can watch nationally (as opposed to sporadic local broadcasts of spring exhibitions), provide live sports in a relatively dead time in the professional sporting calendar, and (perhaps) provide a showcase for potential future major leaguers), columnists and bloggers and talking-heads pick it apart because it isn't as good as the regular season or because there is no absolutely perfect time to play it or because there is a chance that their stars will get hurt (as if Chipper's oblique strain wasn't likely to result from working out with his Braves, given the aches and pains he's developed in recent years) in something so low as an exhibition (and what, pray tell, are Spring Training games???).

Look, The Common Man is not saying the tournament doesn't need some tweaks. But before anybody starting talking about altering the fundamental structure of the tournament, keep in mind how incredibly profitable it has been (in every sense of the word), and how baseball has been able to pull this off without significantly angering any of the other professional leagues who could short-circuit their efforts. Indeed, as Japan and Korea have proved, a WBC without them would not be legitimate. Attendance was up. Television ratings were way up. International television ratings were Super Bowl-esque. All The Common Man is saying is that it can take time to build a fan base for something so awesome. Lest America not learn the lessons of Firefly, an awesome show doomed before its time because many viewers (and Fox executives) didn't get it right away, it will be doomed to repeat the mistakes of Firefly. Let this grow and flourish and America will come around...eventually.

-Speaking of tweaking the formula, the drama of this last game was incredibly high, and much of that comes from the semi-finals and finals being single-elimination rounds. Now, The Common Man appreciated the extra tension, but after spending the first two rounds acknowledging that any pitcher can have a bad (or exceptional) game, and that a single loss shouldn't kill a team's chances by making each of the stanzas double-elimination, it's odd that these last three games had so much riding on them. Again, The Common Man loved the games, but thinks the teams and tournament would have been better served by giving the losing squads a final second chance (or at least making the semi-finals a best-two-of-three affair). Sure, the US and Venezuela may have ended up kicking the ball around the field like they did in their semi-final games this time around, but at least the result would appear more legitimate.

-Finally, speaking of things The Common Man enjoyed watching, feast on the following video by one of The Common Man's elementary school friends. Remember, it's Charades, not Tell Me What I'm Thinking!

A Second Opinion

If you want to know the difference between the scouting reports of a yahoo sitting in deep CF and a professional sitting right behind homeplate, look no further. Though much of what The Common Man said about Darvish was corroborated by KLaw, that his control was off and that he has a unique delivery. But KLaw's analysis of the actual pitches is interesting, and something that was impossible to discern from the lawn.

At the Game

The Common Man was disappointed on two counts this morning. The first was when he found out that he wasn't the only blogger in the stands yesterday when Japan visited the Chicago Cubs. Of course, the other reason The Common Man is disappointed is that he had the chance to meet the KLaw, and tell him how impressive the body of his work is and how influential he has been on The Common Man's understanding of the proper balance of statistical analysis and scouting.

Keith was undoubtedly right behind the plate in typically awesome (and shaded) seats. Meanwhile, The Common Man was sitting just to the leftfield side of the batter's eye, on the lawn. In part, it's because The Common Man bought tickets at the box office the day of the game, but also because it is awfully fun to sit out on the grass. Like watching games in days of yore, when fences were a luxury most teams couldn't, or didn't afford. Anyway, here are The Common Man's observations from the action:


Before the game, the Japanese media was out in full force, and it is an intimidating group. Lined up down the leftfield line, they looked to number close to 100. And during the game, this is the view The Common Man had of RF:


After finishing his pre-game warm-ups, Daisuke came over to the stands and signed autographs. Watching the Japanese and American fans swarm him for autographs and pictures reminded The Common Man of seagulls fighting over scraps on the beach. And when Daisuke abruptly turned and jogged 10 yards down the line to reach other fans, the mob flocked with him, stumbling over itself as it negotiated the span and the bench seats. But give Daisuke major credit, he was the only Japanese player signing for the crowd, and he definitely made an effort to honor the fans' desire to be close to him, within reason.

The Common Man chose a more dignified approach, heading to the Fergie Jenkins Foundation tent and donating $20 to meet Rollie Fingers and get his autograph (Fergie, Pete LaCock, and George Foster (who didn't say a single word, and looked relatively lonely out on the end of the table)). Rollie still looks good and still sports the most recognizable 'stache in baseball (world?) history. "So you still haven't shaved that thing off?" The Common Man asked him, because he's a dufuss.
"I'd be too afraid of what I'd look like without it," he replied.
Pete LaCock, signing next to him, then asked, "Do you still use the same wax?"
Rollie: Yeah, same wax I've always used. ___________.
LaCock: You should get an endorsement deal.
Rollie: Nah, I just like it. I did endorse Just For Men about five years ago. But then they dumped me and went with Hernandez and the other guy. What's his name, the black guy?
TCM: George Gervin. Basketball player
Rollie: Yeah, I guess they liked them better.
TCM: Well, there's no accounting for taste.

Both teams used their everyday lineups (though Fukudome played for Japan). Presumably, the Japanese wanted to get their work in, and stay sharp. And the Cubs wanted to be good hosts. The upshot was that Soriano, Theriot, Lee, Bradley, Ramirez, and Reed Johnson each got three ABs in for the Cubs (and Fontenot got two), and Carlos Zambrano worked four innings. Almost all of the Japanese players, including Ichiro, Fukudome, Kenji Johjima, and Iwamura played the full game. Red Sox prospect Yu Darvish satred and went 3.3 innings.

Though he only gave up a run in those 3+ innings, Darvish did not look sharp. Location was a problem throughout his outing. He walked two and uncorked a wild pitch (which led to the only run he gave up), and sent several other pitches into the dirt or to the backstop. He did strike out 5, but The Common Man attributes most of that to the Cubs' lack of familiarity with Darvish and his stuff. Like many Japanese pitchers, Darvish's delivery is non-traditional from an American perspective. He works exclusively from the set and has a hitch in the middle of his motion, in which he seems to double-pump with his glove and pitching hand together. This hesitation may have also been throwing off the Cubs' timing, but The Common Man was not impressed with the overall quality of the outing.

After dominating in the first inning (a pop to third, a strikeout, and a nubber to the mound), Zambrano also underwhelmed, giving up three hits and two runs in his four innings. Two of the hits, a double by 1B Michihiro Ogasawara and a triple by Munenori Kawasaki, were hard line drives to the left-centerfield gap. Kawasaki probably should have been held to a double, but Alfonso Soriano took a bad route to the ball, and it got past him to the wall. Zambrano also had a wild pitch, which allowed Kawasaki to score. At the plate, Zambrano wasn't much better, striking out twice with runners on base (his first K was with the bases loaded, and Big Z almost came out of his shoes twice trying to hit the grand slam).

Ichiro had another poor game. He saw few pitches (except for one at bat, in which he walked) and didn't make good contact, popping up twice and grounding weekly to second base. Ichiro has been somewhat lost this spring, aside from a couple of games in the first round of the WBC, looking uncomfortable and slow. He just seemed off yesterday.

Mike Fontenot, on the other hand, had a terrific game, getting two very solid hits off of Darvish, both hard line drives to right and right-center. He also made a nice (but not overly impressive) play at second, jumping and backhanding a soft liner up the middle off the bat of DH Shuichi Murata.

The best moment of the game (frankly, the game itself was pretty underwhelming) was Milton Bradley's final at bat. After striking out against Tetsuya Yamaguchi, Bradley snapped his bat over his knee. The sharp crack resounded throughout the ballpark. In a word, awesome. Who says players don't take spring traning seriously? Bradley didn't come out for the top of the 6th, but was presumably done anyway after getting his third AB in. He did have a sharp single to right in the 3rd off of Darvish.

Finally, a final observation from The Common Man. If you are planning to go to a spring training game in Arizona, and sit in the sun for hours. You should wear sunscreen. Also, you should not forget your Expos hat in the car.

Royals Gone Rong

Before he does anything else, The Common Man wants to congratulate the Dutch WBC team for its remarkable upset wins over the vaunted Dominican team. True, the Dominicans were not at full strength, but the Dutch pitched lights out, dodged bullet after bullet, and made big plays when they had to. He can't wait to see what this George Mason of the WBC does next (and if you think about it, with real underdogs like the Netherlands, South Africa, Korea, Australia, and Italy playing tough, perhaps the WBC should be viewed in the same light as the NCAA Basketball tournament. Perhaps that can attract some of the negative nellies. How can you watch a celebration like the Dutch piling on Eugene Kingsale and not love this tourney).

Anyway, earlier today, lar at wezen-ball celebrated the 40th anniversary of the 1969 expansion by profiling each of the four franchises spawned that year, the Kansas City Royals, Seattle Pilots (now the Brewers), San Diego Padres, and Montreal Expos. Lar concluded that the Royals are the most successful, largely on the success of their World Series win in '85 and their appearance in '80.

But, as lar notes, the last decade and a half have been fraught with disappointment, "Their recent failures have helped to erase the memories of a winning franchise from many people's minds. In fact, the Royals only have five seasons in the last forty where they had a .400 winning percentage or worst, and all five of those have come in the last 10 years." Lar goes on to point out that "That stretch coincided entirely with the peak of George Brett's career, and the Royals haven't been able to do too much since then." While technically true, lar's statement unintentionally (The Common Man assumes) pins the Royals' decline on the decline and absence of their signature player. But even without Brett, the Royals (like Terry Malloy), could have been a contender. But they have squandered every chance to get back there. The Common Man thought it would be instructive, since no one really pays attention to the Royals (except Rob Neyer and Rany Jazayerli), to point out the main junctions where the Royals went wrong, and how they became a laughingstock.

The Royals recent problems putting a decent product on the field stem from:

1) Buying into the small-market mindset that said that they couldn't compete. As Oakland, Minnesota, Colorado, Tampa Bay, Cleveland, and Milwaukee have demonstrated, it's entirely possible to build a relatively sustainable success through a commited investment in a farm system and scouting department and a willingness to exploit the inefficiencies in the market. Kansas City, for years, settled for developing players and dumping them for more prospects(which they never seemed to properly gauge).

2) Incompetent ownership and management (related to #1). Following the death of Ewing Kauffman, the Kauffman family and David Glass eras have been horribly managed. And the hiring (and extended employment) of utterly lost GMs Herk Robinson and Allard Baird allowed the talent at all levels of the Royals' system to atrophy. An owner who recognizes competent leadership and management and stays out of their baseball peoples' way (someone like Lew Wolff or John Henry or John Moores or even the late Carl Pohlad) goes a long way to ensuring success.

3) Actual disadvantages of playing in a small market. There are real disadvantages to playing in Kansas City, which Nate Silver rated as the second-smallest market in the league in 2007. Fewer fans means a smaller pool to attract to the ballpark (the Royals haven't finished above 10th in the AL in attendance since 1992 (and then they were 9th). And it means fewer fans to watch their television and listen to their radio broadcasts, which means less ad revenue. Fewer people buying jerseys. While it's possible to compete on a shoestring budget, it's undoubtedly more difficult, as there is less margin for error (as the A's have discovered from the crippling Chavez and Crosby contracts). And with less money available, the Royals are unable to fill the holes created by their deficient farm system with adequate free-agents.

4) Astro-turf at Kauffman Stadium (now gone, thank God). The stuff is just bad. And in Kansas City it always looked flourescent for some reason.

5) and 6) Trading David Cone in '87 for Ed Hearn and trading Danny Jackson for Ted Power and Kurt Stillwell in '87. It's true that the Royals' strength in 1987 was its pitching staff. The Royals had a phenom in Bret Saberhagen, an effective Charlie Liebrandt, a good young Mark Gubicza, a competent Bud Black, and a talented Jackson (who was the 1st overall pick in 1982. So trading Cone at the start of the year might have been acceptable in spite of his age and excellent skills, especially with the widely lauded Melido Perez coming up behind him. But Ed Hearn, who had a .265/.337/.349 performance as a 25 year old at AAA the year before wasn't enough for the young gun, especially since the Royals were breaking in Mike Macfarlane in 1987 (a 4th rounder in '85 who had flown threw the minors and was being groomed for the job), who would prove to be an entirely serviceable backstop. After the season, the Royals moved to address their glaring hole at shortstop, sending Jackson (who, at 25, had lost 16 games with a 4.02 ERA) and incumbant SS Angel Salazar (.205/.219/.246, 23 OPS+) to the Reds for 23 year old, former 2nd overall choice, Kurt Stillwell (who was superfluous with Barry Larkin around) and swingman Ted Powers. Stillwell, who was rushed to AAA at the age of 20, would solidify the SS spot of the Royals for four years, never a star but consistantly acceptable. Meanwhile, Cone and Jackson would combine to go 43-8 in '88 for their NL clubs. And Cone would, of course, win 194 games in his illustrious career. With those two guys in '88, and a replacement level SS, the Royals may well have challenged the A's for the AL West title and ushered in a renewed era of Royals glory. (By the way, look at that '88 Reds lineup. That's the definition of good young talent.)

7) Signing the Davis brothers in '90. Mark Davis' ERAs before being traded for the bloated corpse of Juan Berenguer: 5.11, 4.45, 7.13, 7.18. And 7 total saves in 3+ seasons. Storm Davis' ERAs before being shipped off for 70 at bats from Bob Melvin: 4.74, 4.96. While the Davis signings didn't exactly make the Royals shy (they would sign Kirk Gibson, Mike Boddicker, Wally Joyner, Greg Gagne, and David Cone to big contracts in subsequent years), but they did demonstrate the kind of short-sighted, ill-considered deals that became part and parcel of the Herk Robinson era.

8) Choosing high school power arms who went bust from '97-'01, and whiffing with their first picks from '87-01(though they got Damon as a supplemental 1st pick in '92. Despite high draft positions, neither Herk Robinson nor Allard Baird showed any real ability to find help through the draft. After Kevin Appier was chosen in 1987, the Royals picked Hugh Walker, Brent Mayne, Joe Vitiello, Michael Pittsley, Michael Tucker, Jeff Granger, Matt Smith, Juan Lebron, Dee Brown, Dan Reichart, Chris George, Matt Burch, Jeff Austin, Mike MacDougal, Kyle Snyder, Mike Stodolka, and Colt Griffin. And their supplemental picks were largely wasted on Jay Gehrke, Jimmy Gobble, Matt Burch, Chris George, Sherard Clinkscales, and Jason Pruitt. That's a lot of terribleness. Random throws at a dartboard probably could have done better. As the major league squad suffered defection after defection, these consistent misses meant that no one was there to fill the void.

9) Trading Gregg Jeffries for Felix Jose. People tended to focus on what Jeffries couldn't do (field) far more than what he could do (absolutely rake). And by trying to force him into a position he couldn't handle, the Mets and Royals got diminished results at the plate. After trading an increasingly fragile Bret Saberhagen (thank you heavy workloads at a young age) for the moping and disinterested Kevin McReynolds and the promising Jeffries in 1992, the Royals were showing good sense. But by losing their patience with Jeffries quickly, the Royals significantly weakened their squad. Jeffries went to St. Louis in '93 and immediately became and MVP candidate and .300 hitter. Jose went to the Royals and put up a 71 OPS+. The Royals had a solid 1B already in Wally Joyner, and Gary Gaetti would do admirably at 3B once Phil Hiatt washed out. But at DH was 40-year old George Brett (.266/.312/.434). Brett had gotten to 3000 hits the year before and was just playing out the string. But letting George go, adding a guy who goes .342/.408/.485, and finding a passable RF would have significantly cut into the White Sox division lead.

10) Not protecting Jeff Conine in the expansion draft. Never really a star outside of South Florida, Jeff Conine was just a solid outfielder for seventeen seasons. David Howard, who was protected by the Royals in place of Conine had a .229/.291/.303 for a 53 OPS+.

11) No Balboni. One of the greatest names in baseball history to say is Steve Balboni. Balboni was a great hulk of a man with thick glasses and a thick mustache who played 1B well enough to be a good DH. His 1990 Strat-o-matic card was a joy to behold (The Common Man should really find it and post it here one of these days). Balboni was a main cog in the Royals last great team in '85, hitting 36 homers. And in his post Royals career, he bounced from the Mariners to the Yankees to the Rangers. In 1994, Balboni was resigned by the Royals. Though he never played a game for them that year, his presence rallied them to their last season above .500. The Curse of Balboni lingers in Kauffman Stadium to this day. [note: The Common Man, for whatever reason, was blocking out 2003, when he was absolutely sure they were 79-83, rather than 83-79. So, um, the curse is lifted! Hurrah!]

Dispatches From the WBC

Some random observations from a weekend of watching the World Baseball Classic:

Adam Dunn is playing with a chip on his shoulder. Two big home runs and good defense in the field. Do you think the problem with Dunn is that he doesn't care about winning or did the surrounding crappiness of Cincinnati make him less than enthused to go to work every day? Like he was working with eight Dwights every day and there was no Jenna Fischer.

Pudge Rodriguez looked good for Puerto Rico, getting four hits and two homers on Saturday. So while teams should be intrigued with his performance, it's important to remember he was facing Bruce Chen (who is 30 and out of the major league system) and Paolo Espino (a 21 year old who had an 8.49 ERA last year in High-A ball). Don't start jumping up and down just yet, Pudge. With the Netherlands on deck tonight, Pudge probably won't face quality pitching until Round 2.


Dave O'Brien, broadcasting the U.S.'s nail-biter over Canada on Saturday, pointed out the American squad was in good hands with Jake Peavy on the mound because he had a 1.44 ERA during the day last year. Sadly, O'Brien forgot to note that the dome was closed in Toronto, meaning that SuperPeavy would not be getting help from this Earth's yellow sun while he toiled. He was fairly human, giving up two runs in three innings, mostly thanks to a home run and three walks. The Common Man tries to remember that these broadcasters have a lot of time to fill and, in the quest to minimize dead air, will often say something dumb even though they're pretty smart people in general. But Vin Scully's a smart guy too, smart enough to know that dead air can add to the drama and the atmosphere, and that speaking only when there is something important to say makes your words seem even more important.


Italy was a lot of fun to watch on Saturday, with its good looks, solid uniforms, and great names. Also, rightfielder Mario Chiarini's catch was as impressive a play as you'll see. They fought the good fight against Venezuela on Saturday, before Jason Grilli killed their dreams in the 5th. Italy is the sacrificial lamb for Canada tonight, but it was fun while it lasted.


You know, The Common Man half expected Julio Franco to show up on the Dominican bench to tell stories about barnstorming with Babe Ruth and Satchel Paige. Bummer.


The Common Man knows that certain bloggers have written off the WBC, but c'mon, this is much more fun than Spring Training games, isn't it? (By the way, The Common Man gets the best of both worlds this Thursday, when he plans to attend a tune-up game between the Chicago Cubs and an as-yet-unspecified WBC team at HoHoKam Stadium in Arizona. Anybody who wants to take in a ball game is invited to email The Common Man at the address on the right side of the screen, especially if you're paying.)


Australia might be better than The Common Man expected. They certainly clobbered Mexico yesterday (17-7, invoking the first use of the "mercy rule" in the 2009 WBC). They have a lot of AAA and AAAA-level talent (including the Minnesota Twins' potential 3B of the future, Luke Hughes, who looks like a solid hitter). And watching them against Cuba tomorrow should be a lot of fun.


Poor South Africa. Virtually all of their players are ameteurs who play on club teams in their home country. They are as out of place here as a steak dinner at a Hindu wedding reception. As Paris Hilton at a MENSA meeting. As George Bush at a G-8 summit meeting. They just couldn't hit the flurry of breaking pitches offered up by Cuban pitching on Sunday. The Common Man hopes their programs continue to progress, like Australia's and the Netherland's has, and that they are stronger next time out.


Venezuela seems to have the highest proportion of hot chicks in the stands with their faces (and chests!) painted up. If The Common Man were not happily married, he might head on down to Caracas. Or at least up to Canada (where Pool C is playing), where there seem to be attractive Venezuelan women in spades.


The Common Man didn't have room in his Tivo for all the Pool A games, which started between 4 and 5 in the morning here (and not even The Common Man loves baseball that much). He understands the championship game between Korea and Japan was a sight to behold. Here's hoping for another matchup stateside.


Finally, this post wouldn't be complete without congratulating the Netherlands for their upset over the mighty Dominican team. The Dutch scored three in the first thanks to some sloppy play by the Dominicans (two infield singles, two errors, and a wild pitch; in fact, nothing got out of the infield) and were able to hold off an injury-depleted lineup. The Common Man doesn't expect the Netherlands to survive their encounter tonight with Puerto Rico, but loves watching them celebrate like they just won the whole shebang.


(Also, congratulations on keeping Sidney Ponson relatively sober and out of trouble, which may have been an even more difficult feat.)

On Winning and Belonging

Two days ago, Shysterball, explaining his indifference toward the WBC, wrote,

"I find that pitting nation-state against nation-state in any competition is a passe exercise. I’m not in favor of one world government or anything, but I do have a mild Utopian streak in me, and I thus find the competition of countries to be a rather quaint and ultimately meaningless construct that I hope is one day supplanted by a little more oneness, ya know? Oh, I'll grant the World Cup and the modern Olympics their current constructs because nations were more important when they started and I’ll grant them their setup for the sake of history, but we really aren’t in that world anymore. Or at least we should strive not to be. All of us have more things in common with some people in other countries than we do with some people in our own. With specific reference to sports, we all know that no country has a monopoly on top talent. Why then pit countries against one another? What, exactly, does it prove? The height of internationalism, in my mind at least, is when people from all over the world play together rather than divide up into categories determined by accident of birth."

It's a noble sentiment and The Common Man likes the notion that we are all brothers in humanity and want to buy the world a Coke and whatnot. That said, there's not really another good way to split up players to properly celebrate cultural differences, fandom, and playing styles, which is one of the main reasons The Common Man likes the idea of the WBC. Unfortunately, that means we have to endure the jingoism of Tommy Lasorda, who literally shouted from the rooftop (of The Empire State Building, no less), "It's our game. Baseball is America's game. It doesn't belong to the Italians or the Cubans or the Koreans or the Japanese. It's our game, and we're not going to let them beat us." He went to to say,

"Baseball is America's game. It doesn't belong to these other countries. We've got to best 'em, because they want to beat us bad. They want to beat the United States because they figure, they can beat the United States, that's a big feather in their cap.

"Well, we can't let them put any feathers in their cap. We've got to win this thing. And we've got to bear down and believe and be proud that you're wearing the uniform of their greatest country in the world."

Ugh. Sorry, Craig. Do you think Lasorda knows he's as Italian as a spicy meat-ah-ball-ah?


Anyway, Lasorda's attitude is as unfortunate as it is wrong (though he's 81 and a beloved Stengel-esque figure, so maybe The Common Man will give him a pass). Baseball, of course, developed over multiple cultures, going from Rounders and Cricket to baseball after centuries on this side of the Atlantic. But its origins are British. But since possession is allegedly nine-tenths of the law, maybe the Brits have given up their claim (but don't tell Ron that). But if possession is the criteria, the US doesn't have exclusive rights to the game anymore either, seeing how it gave away the sport to every Japan, Australia, and Cuba that seemed even mildly interested in it.

No, baseball now belongs to a host of nations and peoples, as it rightly should. It's a hell of a game. And in the interests of baseball, The Common Man wonders if it's better for the US to lose another WBC. A second disappointing defeat will only a) drive up interest in the game in other parts of the world (where baseball competes with the abomination known as soccer), b) drive up US interest in the next WBC, where the Tommy Lasordas feel again compelled to root, root, root for their home's team's superiority. A US win only a) reinforces American feelings of superiority; the la-di-da, we had it in the bag all the time feeling that the American victory was inevitable and, therefore, not dramatic or interesting and b) pisses off countries that actually care what happens in the WBC. The game is strong in the United States, after all, as attendence and revenues are ridiculously high (though presumably they will fall off somewhat in the current economic climate).

If the goal of the tournament is to promote the game around the world, it's clear that the best possible outcome is for the US to have a good showing, but to lose somewhere along the way, while Australia or China cruises to a surprise victory.

Aging Hipster

Given how many writers still seem to have fun portraying Alex Rodriguez as some kind of cyst on the game of baseball, it's seems only appropriate that A-Rod develop one of his own, just so he knows how the game feels with him in it. Call it karmic penance. The condition began as a tightness and stiffness in his right hip, and has advanced to the point where Rodriguez is questionable for the upcoming World Baseball Classic (another one bites the dust).

But this post isn't meant to pillory A-Rod for his steroid-doing, nor to lament the ongoing laming of the WBC. Instead, this is a post about the home run record. The big one. The one formerly held by Henry Aaron, and now in the possession of one Barry Lamar Bonds. The new magic number: 762.


It was only a few short months ago that A-Rod still represented a prevailing hope that someone "clean" would break Bonds' record and restore a perceived legitimacy to baseball's most hallowed mark. And with 553 home runs through age 32, Rodriguez looked poised to deliver. After all, he simply needed to average a little over 23 homers over rest of his contract to do it, and he figured to be in the mid to high 30s for at least the next few seasons.

But then, of course, the public image A-Rod had constructed of himself collapsed under increased scrutiny when results of his 2003 steroid test was leaked. And suddenly, no one was hoping A-Rod would beat Bonds anymore. Because it's easy to categorize Bonds as a cheater, and to discount his accomplishments. Sure, he did amazing things on the baseball field, but his attitude and his seemingly shameless and repeated violation of baseball's PED policy, continued association with Greg Anderson, and unwillingness to give any quarter to his attackers turned him from a cartoonishly great hitter into a cartoonishly evil villain, one who could be swept aside in favor of the much beloved Aaron.

With A-Rod, who seemed play the game with dignity and pride and has had the decency to try to leave the circus behind when he steps on the field, it's harder to set him aside. He clearly had the talent before he began using. And statistical analysis suggest that his use may not have actually helped him at all. It's reasonable to question how much he used and how much it affected his play. And, as week as his apology was, A-Rod has apologized and has promised to try to recover some of the trust and goodwill he has lost. And that's something Bonds has never done. So to set A-Rod aside, and continue to acknowledge Aaron's record as sacrosanct would take significantly greater mental gymnastics that The Common Man doesn't think most members of the media and baseball fans look forward to.

Nate Silver offered a beacon of hope late last month when he announced that PECOTA sees A-Rod falling short of the mark. Silver wrote,

"PECOTA's best guess is that Rodriguez will finish with 730 lifetime home runs, running out of steam after another three or four seasons and leaving him just shy of the marks established by Aaron and Bonds. Of course, there is a lot of uncertainty in this estimate. If Rodriguez follows the path charted by Aaron or Frank Robinson [who were wildly successful in the late stages of their careers], he could finish with well in excess of 800 home runs (and possibly as many as 900). On the other hand, if he draws Albert Belle's ping-pong ball, he might not top 600. Overall, the system puts Rodriguez's chances of surpassing Aaron at only about four in 10 and of surpassing Bonds closer to three in 10."

And perhaps A-Rod's cyst is a sign of what to expect for the rest of his career. Small, chippy injuries that slowly take their toll on Rodriguez's body, slowing him until he has no hope of catching either Bonds or Aaron. Last year, after all, Rodriguez went to the DL for the first time since 1999, suffering from a strained quad. And if this is a precursor to additional hip problems (cysts can be associated with rheumatoid arthritis, the disease which quickly ended the career of Albert Belle), it could be a rapid descent indeed.

There's no right answer here. The Common Man himself is neither rooting for or against Alex Rodriguez. And if you want to root against A-Rod, you should go right ahead. But The Common Man does want to point out, again, that all the hand-wringing about records, about history, and about steroids is overblown. There is a chance that Alex Rodriguez will be the next home run king. But there's an even better chance that this is not even an issue. That Father Time and a death of a thousand cuts and strains and cysts will take care of the issue before it comes to a head. And maybe by the time the next contender for the throne comes along (Pujols?), everyone can just be a little more rational and a lot less star-struck about the whole process.

Superstars Stepping Out

One by one, they are slowly falling away. Star player after star player, expected to compete for their country in the World Baseball Classic, is pulling out of the tournament. The Common Man had high hopes for the tournament. It had a great deal going for it. It was baseball, after all, and baseball is always good, especially when players legitimately care about the outcomes. What's clear about Spring Training games, after watching MLB Network showing local broadcast of Grapefruit and Cactus League action, is that no one really cares about the outcome. The established players clown around, random team executives meander onto the field down the left field line, and managers don't even sit with their teams. In the late innings, instead of Mariano against Mauer, The Common Man is forced to sit through Igawa against Alejandro Machado. Yippee.

At least when Cuba squares off against the Dominican Republic, The Common Man can be relatively sure that the managers are pulling out all the stops, the players are bearing down, and the outcome matters to the fans. Plus, the WBC promised to showcase some of the great unknown players of the game against the great stars of the Major Leagues. It would showcase a contrast of styles and cultures. And it would take some of the focus off of the steroid/A-Rod controversy that's dominated the national news.

However, instead of a triumph, the Classic seems poised to disappoint because Major League teams and players are not willing to risk their health and paychecks. With today's news that Joe Nathan and BJ Ryan are unwilling or unable to play for the U.S. squad, an unofficial tally of players who have ruled themselves out looks like this:

Adrian Beltre, 3B, Dominican Republic
Grady Sizemore, CF, USA
Joe Nathan, RP, USA
Joe Mauer, C, USA
Johan Santana, SP, Venezuela
Francisco Liriano, SP, Dominican Republic
Jonathan Papelbon, RP, USA
Brad Hawpe, OF, USA
Carlos Marmol, RP, Dominican Republic
Carlos Zambrano, SP, Venezuela
Placido Polanco, 2B, Dominican Republic
Scott Kazmir, SP, USA
Albert Pujols, 1B, Dominican Republic
David Ortiz, 1B, Dominican Republic
Carlos Pena, 1B, Dominican Republic
Rich Harden, SP, Canada
Chan Ho Park, SP/RP, Korea
Cliff Lee, SP, USA
BJ Ryan, RP, USA

There's undoubtedly more that The Common Man hasn't been able to find in his cursory swing through the press releases, as these are just the ones that have pulled out since the beginning of the year, and have been kind enough to announce their decisiona and reasoning to the world. Some of it is entirely understandable (injuries, position battles) and some of it can be filed under "protecting an investment." Either way, The Common Man figures the players missing, with some extra help to fill in the positional gaps, would beat the ever-loving tar out of most, if not all, of the WBC rosters. The sad truth is that the World Baseball Classic will not showcase the best players in the world this year; instead the world gets to watch the B-squad (especially for the U.S.).

It's enough to make The Common Man reluctantly agree with Venezuelan President-probably-for-life Hugo Chavez, who called on MLB teams in mid-February to allow their players to play for their countries. At a ceremony celebrating Venezuela's soccer team, he complained, "They take away the athlete's right and duty ... to represent Venezuela." He called on MLB to be more like soccer's governing body, FIFA, which forces teams to release their players to play in international competitions. It's not a perfect comparison. For one, FIFA is an organizing body that has central control over many different leagues in many parts of the world. MLB essentially owns the WBC, and the MLB teams own the MLB, so Bud Selig and the WBC mandating that players be allowed to play is very much the proverbial tail wagging the dog. And given that MLB is by far the most dominant league in its sport, the only league that truly draws ballplayers from other nations completely into its fold and fabric, the league, teams, and players wouldn't suffer a significant loss of exposure from not competing.

Still, if it were possible to issue this kind of mandate, The Common Man would be entirely in favor of it, because right now The Common Man is on the verge of giving up on the WBC. He has long believed in the concept and the spectacle of it as a way to celebrate the game around the globe. But it's becoming more and more of a joke as the country that ostensibly sponsors it doesn't seem to give a damn about it. Wouldn't it be nice to see more of this:


Or this, coming from the U.S. team:


Instead of this:

New Game In Town

Did you see the big game? What? No, The Common Man isn't talking about the Super Bowl, which The Common Man miraculoulsy managed to get half right (picking the wrong winner, but being correct about the Cardinals covering. Though that was pretty good (holy frak, Santonio Holmes!). Instead, he's talking about live baseball. On your TV! In February!

Those of you lucky enough to have DirecTV (get on the ball, Shyster, you don't know what you're missing) and awesome enough to be baseball fans already know about the pleasures offered by the new Major League Baseball network. The network shows great games from the past, wide-ranging shows debating the top players/seasons of all time, schmaltzy documentaries on the game's past.... Really, it's got everything you need. And now, they are showing the Caribbean World Series for what must be the first time on American television. It's not like ESPN has been pounding down the door for this, but baseball fans will take anything in the dead of winter, and it's more fun to watch games that mean something than the upcoming Spring Training action.

Today's game featured the top winter ball squads from Venezuela and the Domincan Republic in opening round action. Though the Dominican squad had the more impressive lineup (with legitimate big leaguers Erick and Willy Aybar, Ronny Paulino, Timo Perez, Jose Bautista, and Ronnie Belliard), the unknown Brad Knox (a 26 year old who flopped at AAA for the A's this year) emerged as the star, no-hitting the D.R. through 6+ innings. Knox did not figure in the decision, as his offense mustered little support, but left to great aplomb after 90 pitches. Luis Maza, a 28 year old infielder who finally reached the majors this year after hitting .378 at AAA, banged out four hits (two of them doubles) and two RBI, including a game-winning single in the top of the ninth.


More important than the actual game, though, was the effect that the game had on The Common Man. Now that the football season is officially over, The Common Man could easily slip away into a sports-deprived hibernation, surfacing just in time for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tourney before losing interest, and bemoaning that Spring Training is meaningless and just not eventful enough to really satisfy. Like eating a Jolly Rancher when you're really hungry. Sure, there's some flavor there, but how much does it actually fill that aching need inside?

Now, with the MLB Network, The Common Man can feast and recharge on the Caribbean World Series now and the World Baseball Classic in the first week of March. Real baseball. Played by guys who care about winning and losing. Watched by fans with an emotional investment in the outcome. How awesome is that? How badly do you need that? The Common Man needs it bad. And so, now, excuse him, because it looks as though Mexico and Puerto Rico are dueling it out as he writes.