Touching Base: Fantasy Baseball File - NY Daily News Blogs
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Blogger Nine Innings: Paul Sporer
A six-time All-Star, Alan Trammell was MVP of the World Series in 1984, and truly one of baseball's exciting stars of the 1980s.
Even though he lives in Austin, Tex., and works for Dell Computers, Paul Sporer's heart remains in Detroit, where ...
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MLB
Blogger Nine Innings: Gloria Gonzalez
Gloria Gonzalez lives in Ridgewood, Queens, and edits magazines about serious things like climate change for a living. But her passion is the Yankees, and she uses her own words online, where she is the author of Rebel Yankee Chick . Today, she's ...
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MLB
New York Yankees
Free Agent Arbitration Analysis: Closers
We close the discussion of Type A and B free agents, and whether they should be offered arbitration, with the closers on this year’s market. How appropriate. And I should say, in wrapping this up, that these entries wouldn’t be possible ...
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MLB
Nice Game, Loser
Tom Brady stares at defeat despite huge numbers.
Most of the talk in the sports world this morning centers around Bill Belichick's decision to go for it on fourth down against the Colts, a decision that backfired as the Patriots got only one ...
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MLB
Blogger Nine Innings: Gary Marchese
Gary Marchese, a social worker from Wayne, N.J., is the author of Yanks and More , a blog about the Yankees... and more, as you might guess. He’s a self-described “lifelong Yankees fan,” and is the subject of today’s Blogger ...
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MLB
New York Yankees
Zach Greinke
The Doctor Is In
In today's Daily News, Wayne Coffey wrote a big feature on Dwight Gooden , so I figured today's List of the Day could be about Doctor K. Actually, it'll be a couple of lists, because the first one is so short.
Dwight Gooden was untouchable ...
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MLB
Dwight Gooden
Sandy Koufax
Free Agent Arbitration Analysis: Setup Men
If you read Friday's Blogger Nine Innings with Tyler Hissey , you've already read one take on how ridiculous the current free-agent compensation system is, in which mediocre relievers are given higher value than star position players. Today, we get ...
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MLB
Spelling Closer With a K (or 100)
Willie Hernandez was at the center of it all for the 1984 Tigers.
A happy 55th birthday today to Willie Hernandez, the closer for the Tigers when I was growing up, and the last lefthanded pitcher to win MVP honors in either league, when he also ...
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MLB
Detroit Tigers
Eric Gagne
Billy Wagner
Free Agent Arbitration Analysis: Starting Pitchers
Something I should mention as we move on to the starting pitching Type A and B free agents is that the deadline for teams to offer arbitration to free agents is December 1, and the deadline for the players to decide what to do with those offers is ...
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MLB
Blogger Nine Innings: Tyler Hissey
Tyler Hissey, the editor of Around the Majors and a contributor to Dugout Central , says he never had a favorite team as he moved around in his youth, just rooting for Ken Griffey Jr., his favorite player. But Hissey might have some rooting ...
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MLB
Free Agent Arbitration Analysis: Right Fielders
As easy as the discussion of top left field free agents was this morning, that’s how simple the decisions will be for teams with Type A and B free-agent right fielders. There are five on the market, and each one earned far too much money in ...
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MLB
Free Agent Arbitration Analysis: Center Fielders
The center field market isn't that exciting as far as rated free agents go, with only a pair of Type Bs to ponder, but both are capable of helping teams and bring different things to the table. Let's take a look at the arbitration decisions facing ...
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MLB
Free Agent Arbitration Analysis: Left Fielders
Left field might be the easiest position on the free-agent market when it comes to teams deciding whether to offer arbitration to their Type A and B free agents (there are no Type Bs in left field, actually) and get draft-pick compensation if they ...
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MLB
Johnny Damon
Matt Holliday
Blogger Nine Innings: Rebecca Glass
Rebecca Glass is the author of This Purist Bleeds Pinstripes , a Yankees blog that started in 2007 when commenting on another Yankees blog was no longer enough to satisfy her writing-about-the-Bombers jones. She grew up in New Jersey in a family of ...
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MLB
Free Agent Arbitration Analysis: Third Basemen
We move on to the hot corner, where one of the most coveted free agents might not stay at the position, as multiple teams reportedly have designs on shifting Chone Figgins to the outfield to take advantage of his speed. Nonetheless, there are some ...
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MLB
Chone Figgins
St. Louis Cardinals
Free Agent Arbitration Analysis: Shortstops
There are only three shortstops hitting the free-agent market who are classified as Type A free agents, with no Type Bs. And the decision of whether to offer arbitration and potentially accrue draft-pick compensation could not be more clear cut than ...
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MLB
Toronto Blue Jays
Free Agent Arbitration Analysis: Second Basemen
Up next in the discussion of whether or not it will be a good idea for teams to offer arbitration to Type A and B free agents is the second base market, which features both of this year's Gold Glove winners. For more of an explanation on the ...
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MLB
Free Agent Arbitration Analysis: First Basemen
The discussion of whether offering arbitration to classified free agents moves on to first base, where all four players come out of the National League East. For more of an explanation on the compensation practices for free-agent signings, and what ...
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MLB
Florida Marlins
Griffey's Career Goes Four-ward
There has been at least one Ken Griffey in the majors every year since 1973.
Ken Griffey Jr. is returning to Seattle for another year, joining Jamie Moyer as players whose career began in the 1980s who will be under contract for the 2010 ...
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MLB
Ken Griffey
Jamie Moyer
Seattle Mariners
Free Agent Arbitration Analysis: Catchers
One of the elements that shapes the free-agent market every year is the classification of the players on the market, with free agents ranked, based on stats from the Elias Sports Bureau, as Type A, Type B or unclassified.
Teams receive draft-pick ...
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MLB
Blogger Nine Innings: Bill Baer
After a World Series hiatus, the Blogger Nine Innings series continues today with a Phillies blogger -- Bill Baer, a future math teacher from Delaware County, Pa., who is responsible for everything you'll find at Crashburn Alley , and some things ...
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MLB
Philadelphia Phillies
Trade Analysis: Hermida a Monster pickup?
Perhaps as a hedge for the possible departure of Jason Bay as a free agent, the Red Sox traded for Jeremy Hermida on Thursday, sending lefthanded pitchers Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez to the Marlins for an outfielder who once was a highly-touted ...
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MLB
Jeremy Hermida
Fenway Park
Boston Red Sox
Florida Marlins
Trade Analysis: Pirates pick up Iwamura
Akinori Iwamura will try to help the Pirates get back in the swing of things.
When the Pirates traded for Akinori Iwamura on Tuesday night, sending righthanded reliever Jesse Chavez to Tampa Bay, then exercised the second baseman’s 2010 ...
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MLB
Akinori Iwamura
Tampa Bay Rays
Pittsburgh Pirates
Trade Analysis: White Sox add Teahen
On Wednesday night, during Game 6 of the World Series, the Daily News’ Bill Madden broke the news of a rare trade between division rivals that became official yesterday, as the Royals sent third baseman Mark Teahen to the White Sox for second ...
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MLB
Mark Teahen
Chicago White Sox
Kansas City Royals
Manny Option Moves
Some option moves as the stage is set for the offseason, though the biggest names involved are all staying put, none bigger than Manny Ramirez.
Manny Ramirez is laughing all the way to the bank with $20 million payday for 2010.
Staying in ...
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MLB
Manny Acta
Arizona Diamondbacks
Manny Ramirez
Trade Analysis: Hardy for Gomez
There have been a few moves already as the hot stove has gotten fired up as quickly as ever. I'll get to all of them, but let's start with the great swap of the upper Midwest, as the Brewers traded shortstop J.J. Hardy to the Twins today for ...
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MLB
Minnesota Twins
Milwaukee Brewers
Carlos Gomez
J.J. Hardy
The Annual Accountability Entry
It takes four victories to win the World Series, but I had five in my predictions this year, getting every game right except for the opener.
I was 18-12 for the playoffs, and 36-20 factoring in the picks I made on games down the stretch in the ...
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MLB
All Over Squiggles
Hideki Matsui hit .615 in the World Series, second only to Babe Ruth's .625 in 1928 and Billy Hatcher's .750 in 1990.
After the first World Series since 2003 to go more than five games, the Yankees have won their first championship since 2000, ...
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MLB
New York Yankees
Hideki Matsui
Inside the Matchups: World Series Game 6
As they did in the ALCS, the Yankees return home to try to close out the World Series with Andy Pettitte on the mound. Only this time, Pettitte is on three days' rest, going against Pedro Martinez. The two have met six times in their careers, with ...
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MLB
Andy Pettitte
New York Yankees
Chase For History Squiggles
If you watched Game 5 of the World Series last night, you already know that Chase Utley tied Reggie Jackson’s 1977 record with his fifth home run of the Fall Classic. But, there are some other facts of Utley’s feat that you might not know ...
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MLB
Chase Utley
Girardi, Yanks Get Burn-ed
So, the World Series is coming back to New York thanks to Chase Utley’s two home runs, the failure of Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira to deliver in the clutch and an absolute meltdown by A.J. Burnett, who couldn't get out of the third inning and ...
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MLB
Joe Girardi
New York Yankees
A.J. Burnett
Lidge Looks Familiar
Just some quick thoughts as the Yankees and Phillies get ready for tonight’s Game 5 of the World Series…
Lidge
Brad Lidge going away from his slider, and letting Alex Rodriguez beat him on a fastball, reminded me quite a bit of ...
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MLB
Brad Lidge
Philadelphia Phillies
Joe Girardi
C.C. Sabathia
A.J. Burnett
Stolen Squiggles
Johnny Damon’s grand slam in Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS has been the signature moment of his career, but the Red Sox were already up by two runs when he hit it off Javier Vazquez, and the game wound up being a 10-3 rout.
You could make a case, ...
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MLB
Johnny Damon
Alex Rodriguez
Inside the Matchups: World Series Game 5
The Yankees now stand one win away from their 27th world championship, and now is when the second part of Joe Girardi's master plan comes into action -- CC Sabathia was solid on three days' rest last night, and now it comes to A.J. Burnett's turn. ...
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MLB
New York Yankees
A.J. Burnett
After Further Review Squiggles
Any discussion of the Yankees’ eight-run outburst in Game 3 of the World Series last night has to begin with Alex Rodriguez, the man who got it going with a two-run homer in the fourth inning that was initially ruled a double but changed to a ...
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MLB
Inside the Matchups: World Series Game 4
The Phillies got their hitting shoes on last night, hitting three home runs. But the Yankees hit three of their own, and Andy Pettitte got revenge for the hits against him with the first RBI by a Yankees pitcher in the World Series since Jim Bouton ...
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MLB
C.C. Sabathia
New York Yankees
Inside the Matchups: World Series Game 3
Every historical trend so far has pointed to this World Series going six or seven games. But who will grab the advantage in a pivotal Game 3? The pitching matchup features a pair of lefthanders with impressive postseason resumes, while both lineups ...
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MLB
Andy Pettitte
Philadelphia Phillies
New York Yankees
Manuel Makes Girardi's Pick Easy
Joe Girardi has what seems like a difficult decision to make, whether to start CC Sabathia on three days’ rest in Game 4, or to go with Chad Gaudin, who has pitched only one inning of night watchman duty so far in the playoffs, working a ...
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MLB
Joe Girardi
C.C. Sabathia
A.J. Burnett
Chad Gaudin
New York Yankees
Strikeout Squiggles
Last night was Alex Rodriguez’s second World Series game, and his second with three strikeouts. It was Derek Jeter’s 34th World Series game, and his first with three strikeouts.
Only four players have had more three-strikeout games in ...
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MLB
Alex Rodriguez
Pedro Squiggles
Has any pitcher ever been more dominant, and at the same time more dominated, than Pedro Martinez in the Bronx in the playoffs?
Including the playoffs, Martinez has pitched 20 times in the Bronx -- all for the Red Sox except for one appearance ...
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MLB
Pedro Martinez
New York Yankees
Josh Beckett
Boston Red Sox
Hitters: The Rickey Ratings
Who were the most effective hitters this season? Last week, I wrote about the G , the team efficiency formula devised by Branch Rickey and presented in a 1954 Life Magazine article . The article also included a formula for measuring hitters, ...
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MLB
Boston Red Sox
World Series Opener Squiggles
Thanks to Jimmy Rollins’ throwing error, the Yankees avoided being shut out in back-to-back World Series games for the first time in their history, but that was little solace for the Bombers as they lost to the Phillies, 6-1, in Game 1 of the ...
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MLB
Inside the Matchups: World Series Game 2
It's hard to imagine anyone pitching better than Cliff Lee did last night, but the Phillies send another former Cy Young winner to the mound tonight, one with a long history against the Yankees. The Bombers, desperate to get even, counter with the ...
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MLB
New York Yankees
A.J. Burnett
Pedro Martinez
First Things First
Jimmy Rollins will lead off the World Series against CC Sabathia tonight in the Bronx, and if he triples or homers, he’ll do something that nobody has ever done before to start the Fall Classic.
Ford got groundouts to open the 1955 and '57 ...
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MLB
Jimmy Rollins
David Wells
Best Against The Best
The Yankees and Phillies have mashed their way to the World Series with two of the best lineups in baseball. In fact, this is just the second time in the last 30 years that the highest-scoring team from the American League will be meeting the ...
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MLB
Boston Red Sox
Philadelphia Phillies
Cy vs. Cy
The thing about the Cy Young Award is that it’s only been given out since 1956, and was only awarded to one pitcher in all of baseball until 1967, when the AL and NL awards were separated. And because the award is given out after the World ...
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MLB
Cy Young
New York Yankees
Atlanta Braves
Inside the Matchups: World Series Game 1
After a couple of days waiting, it’s time to get the World Series underway, and it should be a good one with the defending champions taking on the team that had the best record in the majors this year. The winner ties the Red Sox for the most ...
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MLB
New York Yankees
Blogger Nine Innings: Eric Nusbaum
At Pitchers and Poets , Eric Nusbaum introduces himself by saying, "I like my beer American, my coffee black, and my guitars electric (most of the time)." His co-author, Ted, likes his beer Texan, his coffee Americano and his guitars indie. To play ...
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MLB
Eric Wedge
New York vs Philly... and New York vs. Philly
Former Grambling star Essex Johnson ran for the tiebreaking touchdown in the third quarter of the Bengals' 1975 victory over the Patriots.
If limited history is any indication, this World Series is going to be a classic, and you can thank the ...
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MLB
Philadelphia Phillies
San Francisco Giants
New York Yankees
Blogger Nine Innings: Erik Hahmann
Erik Hahmann is the Senior Writer and Senior Editor for DRaysBay , working with Tommy Rancel and R.J. Anderson to chronicle a team that, hard is it may be to believe, he's pretty much a lifelong fan of. At 23, Hahmann has been rooting for the Rays ...
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