MLB - 2010 Spring Training!

[Arrian]

My point, Ming & Imran, isn't that Jason Bay is terrible. He's not. He'll hit, and he makes the Mets better. I do think you underestimate the impact of defense, though, Ming. I did too until a few years ago. Watching the 2005-2007 Yankees "field" made me appreciate that catching the ball matters. Jason Bay "dropping a ball or two" isn't the issue. It's the balls he won't get to at all that will add up. Even so, his bat is enough to make him valueable. Again, I'm not claiming he sucks.

The contract might be ugly at the back end is all. And that's true of lots of long-term deals (coughARodcough). I do wonder whether it would have made more sense to ante up more money and get the superior player (Holliday) who can actually play defense too. Holliday also strikes me as less likely to be hampered by CitiField's park effects, as I don't think he's quite the dead pull hitter Bay is.

LF for the Mets last year... Sheffield? I admit I wasn't really paying attention. Moving him to 1B may make sense, especially if their OF prospect (F. Martinez?) reaches his potential.

-Arrian

[Imran Siddiqui]

It ended with Sheffield. It began with Daniel Murphy. And speaking if Murphy... he's the Mets' 1B going into the season... so, yeah, I can easily see Bay being moved to 1B (a la Lance Berkman). As for the contract being ugly on the backend, that's the beauty of being a NY team. They can eat it with not that much difficulty.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Holliday signs a 7 year deal for $120 mil from StL:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4799313

And the Big Unit decided to retire:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4799462

[rah]

I'm always amazed at how Boras can get teams to bid against themselves.

[Ming]

Dawson elected to Hall of Fame

Andre Dawson made eight All-Star teams and won eight Gold Gloves in his Hall of Fame career.
AP

Hall of Fame Voting Results
Player Votes Percentage
Andre Dawson 420 77.9
Bert Blyleven 400 74.2
Roberto Alomar 397 73.7
Jack Morris 282 52.3
Barry Larkin 278 51.6
Lee Smith 255 47.3
Edgar Martinez 195 36.2
Tim Raines 164 30.4
Mark McGwire 128 23.7
Alan Trammell 121 22.4
Fred McGriff 116 21.5
Don Mattingly 87 16.1
Dave Parker 82 15.2
Dale Murphy 63 11.7
Harold Baines 33 6.1
Andres Galarraga 22 4.1
Robin Ventura 7 1.3
Ellis Burks 2 0.4
Eric Karros 2 0.4
Kevin Appier 1 0.2
Pat Hentgen 1 0.2
David Segui 1 0.2
Mike Jackson 0 0.0
Ray Lankford 0 0.0
Shane Reynolds 0 0.0
Todd Zeile 0 0.0

* 75 percent (405 votes) needed for election



NEW YORK (SI.com) -- In one of the tightest elections ever, Andre Dawson was the only player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America .

"I really can't explain the elation," Dawson told MLB Network. "It's the greatest feeling an individual can have."

Dawson received 77.9 percent of the vote, just above the 75 percent needed for enshrinement. Bert Blyleven got 74.2 percent, missing election by just five votes. Roberto Alomar, widely expected to be a shoo-in, finished third with 73.7 percent. Jack Morris and Barry Larkin were the only other players to top 50 percent.

Dawson was the 1977 National League Rookie of the Year with the Montreal Expos and the 1987 NL MVP with the Chicago Cubs. He made eight All-Star teams and won eight Gold Glove awards in his 21-year career spent with the Expos, Cubs, Red Sox and Marlins. Despite 12 knee surgeries, Dawson finished with 438 home runs and 1,591 RBIs. He joins Barry Bonds and Willie Mays as the only players with 400 home runs and 300 stolen bases.

Dawson had receieved at least 50 percent of the vote in all but one of his eight previous years on the ballot and had 67.9 percent in 2009.

Blyleven received 62.7 percent of the vote last year. Every player who has gotten 70 percent of the vote in a given year without being elected has eventually been voted in.

Alomar's vote total of 397 was the highest ever by a first-year player who was not elected. He was a 12-time All-Star and a 10-time Gold Glover during a 17-year career.

Former manager Whitey Herzog and long-time umpire Doug Harvey were elected by the Veteran's Committee last month.

The Hall of Fame inductions will be July 25 in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Congrats Dawson... You belong!

[Arrian]

Cool, looks like Bert will make it soon.

Sox sign Beltre for 3B. Solid signing. Not much money/years. He should hit better than in Safeco, which was like the worst possible park for him. Now all he has to do is wear a cup...

-Arrian

[Ming]

I was kind of hoping that Bert would make it this year... but at least it looks like he will eventually get in.

And Mark McGwire at only 24%... doesn't bode well for other substance candidates

[-Jrabbit]

Voting Dawson in was like a slap in the face to McGwire and his fellow ragers. which is fine by me. In his prime (pre-Cubs), one of the best speed-power-defense guys I've ever seen. With modern knee rehab/surgery, he could have sustained his numbers even better.

I was actually thinking Robby Alomar might get in first-ballot.
Seconding the thought on Blyleven.
Hopefully, next year for both of them.

[Ming]

I think they will both get in... if not next year, probably the year after that. They both deserve it.

Dawson in is prime was indeed awesome. I met him late in his career at a Cub Charity Event, and he could barely walk by then. It was a shame to see him like that... and HE WAS STILL PLAYING

[OzzyKP]

Yea, they should both get in.

Good to see Morris & Tram move up too. Who knows if they will make it up in time..

[Ming]

I hope Morris does. He was one hell of pitcher and probably deserves in . I personally think tram is borderline, but he sure is a lot better than some of the other SS in the HOF already, so he might make it as well.

[Ben Kenobi]

Here's a reason why you should elect Bert.

1977 Texas Rangers:

Blyveyen's stats 2.75 ERA, 1.51 ERA+ 5 CG SO, 1.03 WHIP.

Want to guess his win/loss? 14-12

This is how you lose 12 games on a good team with a 1.51 ERA +

7 IP, 8H, 4 R, 4 ER, L, 4-1 (1-2)
6 IP, 6H, 5 R, 5 ER, L, 7-4 (4-6)
5 IP, 9H, 5 R, 4 ER, L, 5-4 (10-10) Loses due to error
4 IP, 4H, 5 R, 5 ER, L, 6-5 (11-11) Loses due to run charged to him.
3 IP, 6H, 5 R, 5 ER, L, 4-7 (13-12)

9 IP, 6H, 2 R, 1 ER, N, 3-2 (1-0) ND due to Error
9 IP, 10H, 5 R, 3 ER, L, 5-0 (1-1)
8 IP, 11H, 3 R, 2 ER, L, 3-2 (4-3) Loses due to error.
9 IP, 7H, 3 R, 2 ER, L, 4-3 (4-4)
7 IP, 7H, 3 R, 3 ER, L, 3-2 (4-5)
10 IP, 7H, 3 R, 3 ER, L, 4-3 (4-7)
9 IP, 10H, 4 R, 3 ER, L, 6-1 (6-9)
9 IP, 8H, 2 R, 2 ER, N, 3-2 (10-9)

[OzzyKP]

I hope Morris does. He was one hell of pitcher and probably deserves in . I personally think tram is borderline, but he sure is a lot better than some of the other SS in the HOF already, so he might make it as well.

Yea, I agree with this. I think I read somewhere there are 12 SS in the HOF with poorer stats than Tram.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Alomar not getting in is an absolute travesty. He's a top 5 of all time 2B! He's probably getting some flack for non play issues, unfortunately and will go in next year.

Blyeleven seems to be on the proper trajectory and should (FINALLY!!) join the HOF, where he belongs, next season.

Tim Raines getting that few votes is another travesty.

I'd keep Morris out, though.

[-Jrabbit]

I think Jack Morris deserves to get in, based on nothing more than watching his career from start to finish. He was a horse, a gamer, and dominant for years at a stretch. A guy you wanted pitching in big games.

Totally agree on Tim Raines. WTF more could he have done? I'm hoping that he'll be next year's big beneficiary of the anti-roid backlash. I wonder how much it hurts that the Expos are a dead franchise, with no fan base or local media lobbying to keep his name in the discussion...