2009-2010 MLB Hot Stove (1 Viewer)

[Mike Frezon]

Even though the '09 World Series has yet to be played...this news today is the first big news of the upcoming off-season.

After being re-upped with a one year contract as skipper in St. Louis, Tony LaRussa announces that Mark McGwire will be his hitting coach next season. If not, he won't be able to function too well as a hitting instructor.

I know LaRussa is really close with McGwire...but this might come back to haunt him...unless McGwire has decided it's time to clear the air. Who know? Maybe it'll work out to McGwire's advantage. Just the idea of returning to an active role in baseball is a 180-degree turn for the the big man. Maybe we're due for more surprises.

 

[Ockeghem]

Do you think Pujols is with the Cards at the start of spring training, 2010?

 

[Mike Frezon]

I dunno. I don't follow the Cards close enough to know the issues.

But I can say that Pujols could go wherever he wants next year. There's a guy who can punch his own ticket. Who wouldn't want him? He's just amazing. Maybe too amazing...

 

[Mike Frezon]

The GM meetings are underway.

And, players are now filing for free agency. Among those who have filed:

HERE'S an up-to-date list of those who have filed (from mlb.com). There are a number of high-profile names on there...but it seems a lot of would-be free agents are deciding not to test the waters this year and are, instead, exercising their options to re-up with the current clubs.

 

[Mike Frezon]

And Zack Greinke wins the 2009 AL Cy Young award!

 

[gene c]

And Chris Coghlan and Andrew Bailey are the NL and AL Rookies Of The Year!

 

[mattCR]

Huzzah for Greinke! It was truly a magical season for him; every time he was on the mound you felt like something special was going to happen.

 

[Mike Frezon]

And...Jim Tracy (Rockies) and Mike Scioscia (Angels) are the NL & AL Managers of the Year.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Hopefully the World Series can be contained in October next year.

 

[Walter C]

Glad to hear Greinke won the Cy Young.

With the playoff scheduling, I have a feeling they will never get that thing right! Or at least please both the fans AND the networks. But with no WBC next year, the playoffs should not spill into November.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Originally Posted by Walter C

With the playoff scheduling, I have a feeling they will never get that thing right! Or at least please both the fans AND the networks. But with no WBC next year, the playoffs should not spill into November.

With that being said, Walter--and I agree wholeheartedly--it would be best if they just did away with the WBC altogether.

And, honestly, I don't think they could ever please BOTH the fans AND the networks. Outside of the issue of day games and start times of evening games and so many other things, I also have a problem with so many games (including an entire CS!) appearing on TBS--a non-broadcast channel. That shuts a fair amount of people out of their national pastime.

 

[Mike Frezon]

And Tim Lincecum wins the NL Cy Young--for the 2nd year in a row!

 

[Mike Frezon]

Greinke, with 16 wins, tied the previous record for least wins by a Cy Young winner. Lincecum, with 15 wins this season, set a new record for least wins by a Cy Young winner.

Phil Mushnick (columnist for the NY Post) notes that the two, together, total 31 wins...the same number won by Denny McLain in his Cy Young year if 1968! McLain also pitched 336 innings that year--107 more than Greinke and 111 more than Lincecum!

 

[Mike Frezon]

Speculation on where Roy Halladay will pitch next season continues to grow.

Doc has made it clear to the Jays he won't re-sign with them after his contract expires at the end of next year.

 

[Sumnernor]

FYI - according to German TV - today is the birthday of Joe DiMaggio and he was married almost 1 year to Marilyn Monroe (I didn't know that or I had forgotten). I guess Joe must have struck out rather than hit a home run. If I remember, Joe played baseball for some unknown team.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Sumner:

They have been married less than a year...but the mystique surrounding the coupling of those two will live on forever.

Even though they divorced, they remained very close--especially after Monroe started to have her psychiatric problems. It was DiMaggio she leaned on during the final years of her life.

I believe for him there was no other. It was DiMaggio who had roses quietly sent to her grave several times a week for decades.

 

[Mike Frezon]

A very good baseball player...and a great American...Tommy Henrich...died yesterday. He was 96.

Henrich was at bat in that 1941 WS game when Dodger catcher Mickey Owen dropped that infamous third strike which would have ended the game.

 

[Mike Frezon]

And reliever Billy Wagner has signed with the Braves.

Bad news for the Red Sox, IMO.

 

[Ockeghem]

Mike,

For my own part, I think it's good news. He was okay for the short time he pitched for the BoSox. But more than this, he seemed to be quite nonchalant about his role and whether he even wanted to continue playing the game. His indecision (at first) to come to Boston, and telling people in interviews that he had achieved all there was to achieve in baseball, turned me off to him. Then there was the reported tensions with Papelbon over their roles once Wagner got here. I'm pleased to see him go.

On another note, did you catch where the Red Sox are thinking about using Pedroia at shortstop? Does this mean that Gonzalez is not returning?

 

[Dave B Ferris]

I think Gonzalez has in fact already signed with the Blue Jays (the deal was announced sometime during the Thansgiving weekend). After signing Gonzalez, the Blue Jays are now expected to make no effort to re-sign Scutaro.