Johnny Damon headed for the Tribe

 Just some of the photos that come up when you Google "Johnny Damon."

Old friend Johnny Damon has apparently signed with the Cleveland Indians for a one-year deal with "$1.25 million in base salary with $1.4 million," according to ESPN.com.

The Indians are off to a 1-4 start, and though that gives them a better winning percentage than the Red Sox, they have more reason to worry - namely the .176 team batting average and going 1-for-11with runners in scoring position.

The Tribe will be Damon's seventh team, and somehow he's never played in the National League, having played for Kansas City, Oakland, Boston, New York (Yankees), Detroit, and Tampa Bay.  Of course, we know him best as the once fun-loving Idiot who broke our collective hearts when he jumped ship for the Evil Empire after promising that he wouldn't.

He resurfaced in New York without his iconic hair and beard, and had some solid years for the Yankees, winning the World Series with them in 2009.  When he went off to the mid-west in 2010 to play for the Tigers, I for one thought that the healing could begin, but then he vetoed a waiver-trade back to us late in the year, and I decided to never look back.

Johnny Damon is a quality baseball player: he's approaching 3,000 hits, and by all accounts he's a great guy to have in the clubhouse. But I'll never forgive him for shunning us TWICE - and the second time it wasn't even about the money.  So Johnny Damon is becoming an Indian... maybe that's karma?

Thanks again, Cliff Lee!

 With all of the starpower on its way to the American League for the upcoming season, I think it's time to once again thank Cliff Lee for shunning the Yankees' offer of more money to go to Philadelphia last offseason.  With Albert Pujols heading to Anaheim, Prince Fielder going to Detroit, and Roy Oswalt talking to the Rangers, I'm happier than ever that Lee opted for the National League.

Thankfully, neither Pujols nor Fielder are in our division, so we'll be facing the Angels just six times and the Tigers ten times during the regular season (in contrast, we'll play the Yankees, Rays, and other divisional rivals eighteen times each).

Of course, it was especially sweet to finally see a high caliber player rejecting New York, just because their endless money tends to see them getting every player they want, but one year later there's a different perspective - not having to face Lee and his Phils could be the difference between a playoff berth and a third straight year at home in October.

Given the pedigree of hitter now in the AL (and the fact that the DH rule means one more good hitter in the lineup of every non-interleague game), I'm sure Lee is even more content with his decision than he was a year ago.

Playoff Preview 2011

 The marathon is over.  One hundred and sixty-two games later, just eight teams remain, all hunting for the right to raise the Commissioner’s Trophy into the October night.  The road to the postseason was exciting for many, with the Rays and the Cardinals sneaking in on the very last day of the regular season – both avoiding potential one-game playoffs for the Wild Card against the free-falling Red Sox (winners of the dubious “worst September collapse in history” distinction) and Braves, respectively.

            Two games into the Division Series at press time, and only the Brewers have an edge (two games to none, over the Diamondbacks).  The Yankees and Tigers, Phillies and Cards, and Rays and Rangers are all tied up, with each team laying claim to a singular LDS victory.  The biggest surprise thus far has to be Cliff Lee’s Game 2 loss, closely followed by James Shields’ disastrous start on Saturday.

            In the best-of-five Division Series, the safest money is on Milwaukee to defeat Arizona in three or four games to advance to the NLCS.  The other series are a bit more convoluted to predict while tied 1-1 each – it essentially means you're predicting the outcome of a best-of-three series; something any baseball fan will tell you is a crapshoot.  Most people are betting on Philadelphia to advance over St. Louis, but the Cards won’t be making it easy, especially since Albert Pujols’ troublesome left ankle didn’t stop him from knocking in the go-ahead run on Saturday to tie the series.

            As for New York and Detroit, the advantage will fall to the team whose ace pulls through Monday evening. Writing this Monday morning, I’m giving the edge to the Yankees and CC Sabathia, despite the apparent Cy Young winner Justin Verlander going for the Tigers at home.  Down in St. Pete, the Rangers have Colby Lewis going against the Rays’ young star David Price.  Price struggled down the stretch, so it’s possible that the 224 innings he pitched in 2011 (by far his career high) are catching up with the young lefty. Conversely, Lewis ended his season with a win, and is 3-0 lifetime against the Rays, so I’m going to give him – and the Rangers – the advantage for Game 3 and the ALDS.

            Assuming all of the above, the ALCS should be Texas vs. New York (Yankees will have home-field advantage), and the NLCS should be Milwaukee vs. Philadelphia (Phillies will have home-field advantage).  This is where the pitching staffs will really start to show; baseball is all about pitching, and one hot or strong-willed started can will his team to a World Series – just ask vintage Josh Beckett (2003, 2007).  Though Texas lacks a Sabathia-caliber ace, the rest of their staff is much more reliable than New York’s: if AJ Burnett were more dependable, the Yankees would have my confidence.  As it is, I’m giving the edge to the Rangers.

            If the Phillies manage to get eliminated before the World Series, it will be seen as a failure.  Like the disgraced BoSox, the Phillies were practically crowned champions in February, before a single game had been played. Their pitching pedigree cannot be questioned, but the Brewers are young, hot, and ambitious. For now, the advantage is with Philly.

            In a Texas-Philadelphia World Series (Philly, as the NL team, has home-field because of the NL win in the All-Star Game), the Phillies win it.  It is, as they say, all about the pitching, and no one can beat the Phillies hurlers, at least on paper.

            However, anyone who has read (or now seen) Michael Lewis’ Moneyball knows that playoffs, and especially best-of-five series, are little better than a roll of the dice. Anything can happen, and probably will: I’m predicting a Phillies-Rangers Fall Classic, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw Cardinals-Tigers, Diamondbacks-Rays, or Brewers-Yankees. That’s (playoff) baseball.

[Note: the strange timing of this entry - not at the beginning of the LDS - is due to the fact that it was originally written for the Trinity Tripod, and my deadline over there is Monday morning. This means I might already be wrong by the time it comes to press Tuesday night. Oops.]

Victor Martinez to the Tigers

The first major event of the Red Sox offseason is imminent, and it's not the news any of us were hoping for. No, Theo didn't manage to trade for Adrian Gonzalez or Elvis Andrus, or perform a miracle and sign Cliff Lee (at least, not yet). Sadly, the first big-name signing this offseason involves the Detroit Tigers winning the services of former Sox catcher Victor Martinez.

According to MLB.com, the Tigers offered VMart four years and $50 million, and that was enough. We know that Martinez was rather miffed that the Sox didn't extend him before the 2010 season, a la Josh Beckett, or even during the season, despite Theo's well-documented dislike of carrying on contract discussions in-season.

At first glance, this looks bad. Catastrophic, even, since the Red Sox are left with the mostly-untried Jarrod Saltalamacchia and (possibly) the ever-aging Jason Varitek. However, there are reasons for the choice to not retain Martinez - and trust me, this was a CHOICE on Theo's part.

The Red Sox aren't sure how long Victor can continue to be an effective backstop, and his defense behind the plate has never been spectacular, despite some strides in that area in 2010. For a catcher, VMart is extremely effective with the bat, but once he has to make the inevitable transition to first base (or DH), his numbers will be league-average at best. The Red Sox are currently overpaying an aging designated hitter, and it's not a position that they like to be in.

According to boston.com's Extra Bases blog, the Red Sox offered Martinez two separate contracts: "three years and $36 million or four years and $42 million," but neither seemed to be enough for the soon-to-be 32-year-old, as he took Detroit's offer instead.

Before everyone storms Fenway Park's front office with their torches and pitchforks, please take a second to understand that Theo Epstein always has reasons for signing the players he does, and letting others walk - and usually, the reasons are good (excepting at the shortstop position). With Martinez's presumptive salary off the books, the Red Sox have a great deal of wiggle room for their 2011 payroll. They will also doubtless offer Victor arbitration, and thus receive two draft picks for him, as he is a Type A free agent.

This could be the non-deal that allows the Sox to go out and sign a Carl Crawford, or a Jayson Werth, and which could potentially give them the freedom to part with some prospects (and someone like Jacoby Ellsbury) for Adrian Gonzalez.

It's important to remember how things have panned out in recent years when Theo has allowed a Red Sox free agent to walk. Jason Bay came off a great season for the Sox and had a terrible, injury-plagued season for the Mets (though he would have fit in with the walking wounded at Fenway). Pedro Martinez was a shell of his former self by the middle of his deal, post-Sox. Nomar Garciaparra, anyone? (Okay, so that was a trade, but he was never the same.)

I trust Theo. Almost unconditionally. In fact, I might believe in him more than I do my friends and family (probably a problem in my personal relationships). I believe he has a plan, that he will leave no stone unturned, and that ultimately, he'll put a great team on the field in 2011. All they have to do is stay healthy...

Say What? Waiver Rules and Johnny Damon.

Could this be in our future?

First of all, everybody take a nice, deep breath. There are 48 hours between the time that the Red Sox put a waiver claim on the oft-maligned Johnny Damon and the time that some action must be taken.

I understand that Red Sox Nation is currently in an uproar, which does nothing but expose our collective ignorance of how waiver claims actually work. This is particularly sad because I take pride in the fact that this fan base is always zealous and well-informed, and while the "zealous" part is covered by the shrieking emanating from all of New England, we're clearly not as wicked smahht as we like to think.

But no worries, friends. You don't have to admit to your baseball-obsessed neighbors and coworkers that you don't understand the waiver-wire, because I'm here to help explain.

As I'm sure you know, normal trades must be completed by the July 31st trading deadline, but if you pay attention you will also have noticed that the Sox generally get some new players after that deadline every year (Paul Byrd seems to be an annual favorite).

• After July 31st, all trades must be done through waivers, and if these players aren't acquired by August 31st, they are not eligible to play in the postseason.
• Teams can put any players on waivers, and they do not need to tell the players in question.
• Once a player is on waivers, other teams have 48 hours to put a claim in on that player.
• If multiple teams put in a claim, the team with the worst record in the league the player is currently on. If no teams from that league make a claim, the player goes to the team with the worst record in the other league.
• Once a player is claimed, their team has three options:

1. They can pull the player back. If this happens, he cannot be traded for 30 days.
2. They can work out a trade with the team that claimed him. Other players in the trade must also pass through waivers UNLESS they are not currently on a 40-man roster.
3. They can simply give the player to the other team, getting nothing in return, but the new team must pay the player's remaining salary.

• If no one claims the player, he can be traded to any team in the league.

So what does this mean for the Red Sox and Johnny Damon? First of all, it is very likely that the Red Sox put in a claim simply to stop the Yankees or Rays from getting him; since they are behind both teams in the standings, the Tigers could not trade Damon to New York or Tampa Bay once the Sox claimed him.

However, Damon has a no-trade clause that includes many teams, including Boston, so he can refuse to go, which would still keep him from the Yankees or Rays. Honestly, no Sox fan should be surprised, since there's been rampant speculation that the Sox would claim Manny Ramirez to keep him from their rivals, should he get placed on waivers by the fed-up Dodgers.

As for the wisdom of acquiring Damon? It can't possibly hurt this team's chances any more than the ludicrous 2010 Parade of Carnage, and Damon's former Sox teammates (Varitek, Papi, and Wake, chiefly) seem open to the idea. At this point, what do they have to lose?

Attack of the Evil Umpires!

What is with the umpires lately?!? Joe West has recently been fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Baseball for a variety of bad behaviors, including publicizing his schedule, making some inappropriate remarks, and being a bit laissez faire with his ejections (just ask Mark Buehrle and Ozzie Guillen). Angel Hernandez just today made an absolutely terrible call today in a Tampa Bay/Toronto game, and has been ejecting players left and right.

Ozzie gets into it with Joe West.

But the most egregious blown call was made just minutes ago in Detroit, when Jim Joyce incorrectly called Indians' shortstop Jason Donald safe at first base. Donald was the 27th batter in the perfect game bid of Armando Galarraga. Even Donald was shocked, because it looked as if Joyce was about to signal "out," and abruptly changed his mind and called the rookie safe. To Galarraga's credit, he allowed himself just one fleeting look of disbelief, then promptly retired the following batter and ended the game.

Galarraga is the epitome of a class act.

Personally, I'm at once shocked, angry, indignant, and sad. I hope Johnny Damon and Jim Leyland are waiting for Jim Joyce in the parking lot after that blown call. Leyland looked angry enough as he shouted at Joyce after that last out, and as for Damon? I just want to believe that old "idiot" has a shred of empathy left - plus, he's totally the type to fight an umpire.

One of the unique things about baseball is the umpires: the lack of widely-used instant replay and timers give it a distinct human element that the other major professional sports lack. Baseball needs this element. However, one of the other great things about America's pastime is its history, and Jim Joyce single-handedly kept Armando Galaragga out of the history books this evening.

Now, until tonight, I had never heard of Jim Joyce, which means that he's probably a generally good umpire, as the most well-known are generally the worst of them all (ahem, CB Bucknor).

Baseball is not about the umpires. Far too many umps have thrust themselves into the spotlight lately, and MLB needs to do something about it. Bud Selig, for the love of god, DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR UMPIRES! I understand that they have a powerful union, but this is getting ridiculous.

Now I know that Major League Baseball won't say it; so I will. Defiantly, rebelliously, and, in the eyes of MLB, erroneously, Off the Monster is making a statement: there are twenty-one perfect games in modern Major League history, capped off by the most recent, Armando Galarraga, June 2, 2010.