Baseball Headlines and Observations

Rangers hitting Coach Rudy Jaramillo Will Not Return
Longtime hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo rejected a contract and will not return to the Texas Rangers next season, a team official said Wednesday... The Rangers' offense struggled in 2009, scoring 784 runs, the fewest since Jaramillo was hired before the 1995 season. The team batted .260, its lowest average since moving into Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in 1994. The disappointing season came after the Rangers hit .283 and scored a league-high 901 runs in 2008.

I believed the Rangers would make a great effort to bring effort to bring Jaramillo back in 2010. For all I know, they did just that. Perhaps Jaramillo had a problem with the way manager Ron Washington used the offense. I have no idea. I do know that Jaramillo is roundly considered one of if not the best hitting coach in the game. The Rangers will miss him. As for Ron Washington, I can't help but like him. He's an old-time baseball guy. A throwback to the days of the chewing, spitting, tough love, pitching and defense managers that our fathers remember and sometimes miss. But I have no idea if he is actually a good manager.

Ricketts Family Acquires 95 percent of the Chicago Cubs
The Ricketts family has signed a definitive agreement with Tribune Company to acquire a 95 percent interest in the Chicago Cubs National League Baseball Club, Wrigley Field and Tribune’s approximately 25 percent interest in Comcast SportsNet (CSN) in a transaction valued at $845 million.

The Tribune Company had a reputation as an owner who was more interested in profits than winning. They would make moves with marketing and filling the seats as a higher priority than actually winning a World Series. The former Red Sox ownership had the same type of reputation. I believe that it is now possible for the Cubs to now take a giant step forward as an organization. I'm looking forward to watching how this transaction changes the way the Cubs do business.

TBS Wins Big By Backing Baseball Playoffs
According to Media Week, the network enjoyed the best ratings of its 33-year history with its coverage of the first-round playoff series, averaging 5.41 million total viewers, per Nielsen live-plus-same-day ratings data. The network also set highs by averaging 2.54 million adults age 25 to 54, 2.46 million viewers 18 to 49 and 1.12 million viewers 18 to 34. According to the report, TBS owned seven of the week's 10 most-watched cable telecasts, including Game 3 of the Yankees-Twins American League DS on Oct. 11, which drew 6.79 million viewers. That series was the most watched among the four DS matchups, averaging 6.63 million total viewers. Baseball boosted TBS' ratings 232 percent over the previous week.

I still miss the days of TBS airing the Atlanta Braves games. As a Yankees fan trapped in Boston, I appreciated the ability to tune in on a team that I actually enjoyed watching. the Red Sox are a little more fun to watch these days but I still miss the old TBS. Heck, for that matter I also miss Ted Turner as the owner of the Braves. Here's a perfect example of how much ownership can change the direction of a baseball team.

Billy Wagner's Agent Disputes Retirement Claims
Billy Wagner's agent refuted Tuesday's reports that the closer, who just completed his 15th season and is 15 saves short of 400, is planning to retire. The New York Post reported Tuesday that when asked where he might play next season, Wagner responded: "I don't plan on talking to nobody." When asked if that meant he would retire, according to the newspaper, Wagner said: "Why wouldn't I? I've got nothing else to [accomplish]" On Wednesday, Wagner's agent, Bean Stringfellow, told media outlets that the left-hander had no intention of retiring. "He wants a ring and he did not do all that rehab just to quit now," Stringfellow said, according to FoxSports.com. "His family supports him fully."

In Boston the rumors are flying wild about a possible trade of closer Jonathan Papelbon. If this actually happened Wagner would be a solid option to bridge the gap between Papelbon and Daniel Bard who seems destined to become Boston's closer in the very near future. Boston has promised not to utilize the option they hold on Wagner for the 2010 season but they could still very easily work out a deal if the closer role were open.

The San Francisco Giants retain Brian Sabean and Bruce Bochy
...Bochy and Sabean each received two-year contract extensions with a club option Tuesday after meeting with managing general partner Bill Neukom... Sabean is gearing up for a busy winter. One of his top priorities will be to upgrade the offense by adding a big bat in the middle of the order, though he's said that will be a challenge in this free-agent market.

I love the Giants but I have had my fair share of doubts over Brian Sabean's ability as General Manager. There is no doubt that the organization is loaded with quality young arms. However, Sabean has consistently chosen to go with older veterans rather than younger players with more upside. Part of that has been due to a severe lack in the farm system but that is also on him. I would love to see a great hitter in the middle of the Giants lineup surrounded by their young players at catcher and third base. But Sabean seems to struggle to make meaningful trades as demonstrated in the deadline deals this season. I have high hopes but little faith.

Evaluating Major League Baseball Managers

There is a huge story brewing in Toronto. Stories are breaking that the team has started to rebel against Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston. But there is also serious doubt as to where this story is coming from. First, as Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star points out, it is unusual that a team that has been lost by its manager does so while on its best streak of the season. They've won their last six games and nine of their last ten. Ken Rosenthal who blew this story up has been (to put it gently) annoying a lot of people with unsubstantiated rumors and exaggerations (exactly what he generally accuses all bloggers of doing) this season. Griffin points out that Rosenthal generally gets his stories (at least in Toronto) from the front office and not the players in the clubhouse. Thoughts are that J.P. Ricciardi (fired today) planted the story on his way out the door.

Managers always seem to get either too much credit or none at all. Many stat guys will tell you that a good major league manager has an impact on very few games. I haven't decided whether I believe that or not. I think a good manager might have a huge impact everyday that is simply not quantifiable. But just because we can't (or it is hard to) count it does not mean it doesn't exist. As fantasy owners we are a little more likely to see the things managers do that affect our games. We notice that Matt Kemp is batting seventh in the lineup despite being the best hitter on the team. We can read between the lines and realize that Cito Gaston has a problem with B.J. Ryan in Spring Training. We know that Dusty Baker will give his favorite veterans many opportunities but that rookies and younger players had better perform one way or another if they want to stay in the lineup.

Fantasy owners can get a huge jump on their competition by getting to know managers and how they do things. This is not simply reading what they say to the press. Most of us know that we can't take their words for much. But if we listen to their words and watch what they do we can build a very good picture of what they really think. This is hugely important to owners that want to play Advanced Fantasy Baseball. Your player evaluations are not complete if you haven't taken the time to consider what the team's manager and front office personnel think about him. I have made this mistake at times this season. Drew Sutton and Kevin Frandsen might have better skills than the players in front of them but unless they win the approval of their respective managers they would be lucky to make their teams out of Spring Training.

There have been various attempts by very smart people at Baseball Prospectus, Hardball Times and a few other sites to quantify a manager's impact on the game. But it's remains difficult to measure but there has been progress. Recently, Jeremy Greenhouse wrote an article for the Baseball Analysts that examines the impact managers have on major league bullpens. The results are very interesting. It includes some very good graphics that make the difference between some teams very clear.

Here's a small sample:

...La Russa does a fantastic job of platooning. Both lefties he’s utilized out of the pen have had the benefit of facing a majority of same-handed batters. Trever Miller has put up great numbers this year, and La Russa would be well-served to use him as the southpaw in a righty-lefty combination with Kyle McClellan who has been holding his own as La Russa's go-to guy after Franklin. There is a dilemma in the case of Miller, who is truly exceptional against lefties to the tune of 37 strikeouts to six walks this year. So in a relatively close game, should La Russa bring him in once the starter is out and a lefty is up to ensure quality innings from Miller, or should La Russa at times wait and hope that Miller might have the chance to face a couple lefties in the 8th or 9th when the leverage is highest, but risk not pitching Miller at all?

The Baseball Analysts is a great site that every fantasy owner interested in increasing their understanding of the game of baseball should be reading. They regularly evaluate pitchers and hitters in great detail, they study prospects and release lists that are very underrated by those that get intense about minor leaguers. If they do what they usually do you can expect very nice reports on the non-tenders, Rule V, and Arizona Fall League players.