Bobby, Won't You Be My Valentine?

Nearing the end of the search to find a manager to replace Terry Francona, the Boston Red Sox have reportedly offered the vacant position to former manager Bobby Valentine, who has reportedly accepted.

This is a great move by the Red Sox, something I hate to say and hate even more to sincerely mean. Valentine is a good baseball man, managing the Texas Rangers and New York Mets in separate stints, even taking a Mets team consisting of Mike Piazza and almost no one else of consequence to the all-New York World Series in 2000, eventually falling 4 games to 1 to the Yankees. His record isn't impressive, with only 45 more wins than losses (1,117-1,072 lifetime with 2 back-to-back postseason appearances), but it's his vigor and spirit that make him desirable as a helmsman for any team.

Valentine may not be the most universally loved or respected manager, but he has something that the Sox desperately need: he's a man who refuses to accept halfheartedness from his players. His methods may be a little unorthodox (i.e. returning to manager a game in disguise after being ejected during his tenure with the Mets, saying insulting things about his players to light a fire under them during the World Series, etc.), but considering all the things we heard about the state of the Red Sox clubhouse this year (reports of players eating fried chicken, drinking beer and playing video games during games, arguing and fighting amongst teammates, and Francona's personal life affecting the way he managed), this may be the kick in the pants that this incredibly powerful team needs. These guys need discipline and accountability, two things that Valentine is notorious for instilling in his players. With the proper attitude (and again, don't underestimate how much it pains me to praise the organization that always poses a huge threat to my beloved Yankees), Valentine could help these boys to the World Series they were supposedly entitled to during the 2011 season.

In other news, former Los Angeles Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton agreed to a 1-year, $4 million contract with the Kansas City Royals, supposedly joining them as a setup man for established closer Joakim Soria. While the idea has already sprung up that this move might actually mean that Soria will either be moved to the starting rotation (a la Rangers signing Joe Nathan from the Twins meaning Neftali Feliz will become a starter) or traded (due to the lack of reliable closers still on the market, Soria could theoretically garner a large return for the Royals), it seems as if the two will be working together in the late innings of the game, with Soria keeping his hold on the 9th inning. This signing is the definition of "low risk-high reward": Broxton comes moderately cheap, and even though he is often injured, he is one of the most dominant closers/bullpen pitchers of this generation when he's healthy. Should he spend extended time on the disabled list, it's not like the Royals have invested too much money or years into him, as he was willing to sign a contract that would land him right back in this situation next year. If he performs well, the Royals can resign him to a long term contract (after all, he's still just 27 and could fit in quite nicely with the "Look to the future" milieu the Royals have going right now), and if he doesn't, they don't have him locked up and therefore have no obligation to bring him back. Who knows: if things go as predicted (which they rarely do, but anything's possible), Broxton could be responsible for the final out of the 2015 World Series that the Royals are expected to make.

Peace In The West, Central And East.

MLB owners and players reached an agreement on a new, 5-year labor deal, extending the time of labor peace to 21 years at its conclusion, the longest period in the sport since before the 1970s. Highlights of the deal include: the Astros moving to the American League, an additional wild card in the playoffs (extending the number of playoff teams to 10 and necessitating a 1-game playoff in which the winner moves to the Division Series), extended use of instant replay, and increased testing for HGH and other steroids, among other things. It also outlines a new process of the amateur draft and free agent compensation.

This might be one of the best agreements in MLB history. Let's break it down one part at a time:

We already discussed the Astros moving, but it bears repeating: realignment is a good thing. The Astros need a change of scenery, baseball's divisions will finally be balanced, and an interdivisional rivalry with the Rangers might increase interest in MLB in Texas.

Another wild card in October has been a point of contention: many think it's unnecessary, forced and pointless. A team already plays 162 games for the chance to make it into the postseason (and most teams almost limp into the playoffs as it is), why make them play one more? And if you're going to add another team to the mix, why just one game? Anything can happen in just one game, momentum can shift and an 86-win team can power past a 91-win team, which will spark an even larger fire. However, it adds more incentive to teams to play better and win the division. No team wants to celebrate winning the wild card one day, then go home after being upset the next, so the drive to play to win the division and not settle for the wild card will be even stronger for all 30 teams.

We've been singing the praises of extending instant replay since well before Armando Galarraga's perfect game was spoiled by Jim Joyce's missed call in 2010, so expanding its usage is something that should sate even the most bitter Tigers fan. However, the replay is only being applied to disputes over fair or foul calls, as opposed to controversial calls on the basepaths. This is a step in the right direction, but until instant replay can be used to fix human error THAT WILL ALWAYS EXIST, then the accomplishment pales in comparison to those elsewhere in this agreement, and in all aspects of bettering the game.

For the last 10 or so years, we've all been exposed to the dirty underbelly of the national pastime: the majority of our favorite players, heroes and role models have been injecting steroids into their bodies to increase their abilities. This is also known as cheating. Now, we as fans are so bitter that, if a player has a career year or does something extraordinary, we immediately cry out that they're juicing. In baseball, smoke doesn't always mean fire. Jose Bautista has hit 97 home runs over the past 2 seasons, after hitting 57 over the 5 years before that...he must be doing steroids, right? Wrong. We're so jaded as fans that we can't accept when a player does well after being less than great. Now, this testing will hopefully help put some of this unmitigated, unwarranted outrage to bed. Players will be tested both at random and when there is reasonable doubt, and the punishment will be the same as with any other positive drug tests. Whether this will help or hurt our perception of the players will only be told with time.

In other news, award season is finally over. With the dust clearing, here are the winners for the 2011 season.

Rookies of the Year: SP Jeremy Hellickson, Tampa Bay Rays (AL); RP Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves (NL).
Managers of the Year: Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay Rays (AL); Kirk Gibson, Arizona Diamondbacks (NL).
AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers.
NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers.
AL Most Valuable Player: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers.
NL Most Valuable Player: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers.

Congratulations to all the winners.

Making An MVP Pitch.

To the surprise of some, Tigers ace and new Cy Young recipient Justin Verlander also took home this year's AL MVP award in a landslide. He received 13 first place votes, followed by Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury (4), Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista (5), Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson (3), and Verlander's teammate, Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera (2).

Verlander, who won the pitching Triple Crown this year (his 24-5 record, 2.40 ERA, and 250 strikeouts in 251 innings all led the league this year), became the first pitcher to win the MVP since closer Dennis Eckersly in 1992, and the first starter to win it since Roger Clemens in 1986. Verlander is the first Tiger to win either the Cy or the MVP, not to mention both, in the same season, since their championship season of 1984, when Willie Hernandez took both awards home. Verlander was also the 2006 Rookie of the Year, and has thrown 2 no-hitters.

Would you believe us if we told you that he's only 28 and therefore not even truly in the prime of his career yet? Are you scared? If you live in Cleveland, Kansas City, North Chicago or Minnesota, you should be.

This announcement has caused the debate over whether a pitcher should be eligible to win the MVP to absolutely skyrocket. Personally, I think that if a pitcher adds more to his team than any position player, he should definitely be allowed to take both the Cy and MVP. Without Verlander's wins, Detroit is only 1 game above the Indians, and the season turns out completely different. His ability to last deep into games (taking his 4 complete games out of account, his average outing lasted 7 1/3 innings, over a full inning longer than most starters last these days) and his dominanting stature (6'5", 220 pounds) make him a true force to be reckoned with. Despite some odd meteorological problems during the postseason, when the rain seemed to know when he was starting and proceeded to unleash hell, Verlander persevered, going 2-1 in 4 games with 25 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings (admittedly, he had a 5.31 ERA, but with such a small sample size, and going against the two best teams in the corresponding divisions, it's understandable), dispelling the notion from the 2006 playoffs that he was an October choker. Going forward, Verlander is going to be a crucial part of the Tigers' core, which includes sluggers Miguel Cabrera and Alex Avila and closer Jose Valverde (who also had an impressive season, going 49-for-49 in save opportunities), and they can't possibly make a splash in the AL Central without him. So, seeing how he's so important, why would you give the MVP to another, less deserving player, simply because "Verlander already won the Cy Young, and that's the award specifically for pitchers"? If the powers that be really felt so strongly about it, they would bar pitchers from being eligible and quash the debate once and for all. However, if a pitcher has such a strong impact on his team, and they're theoretically a .500 team without him, you can't give it to Ellsbury or Granderson, both of whom are on teams that perennially make the playoffs as it is. Bautista led the league in home runs for a second straight year, but couldn't boost the Blue Jays' offense enough to make them a contender like Verlander did. The bottom line is simple: even though he only plays every 5 days, if Verlander or any other pitcher has the impact on and importance to a team that he had in 2011, not only should he win the MVP for pitchers, he should win the MVP overall, and he did.

Congratulations, Justin Verlander, on everything you accomplished this past year. I hope to see you in pinstripes next year (just kidding...not really).

Tricks Of The Trade.

Less than a month into the offseason, there have already been a few trades that have slightly rocked the baseball world before the tremors of certain first basemen being signed completely shatter all 30 continents.

First, the Braves shipped Derek Lowe out of town to the Indians for a Double-A pitcher in return, on the condition that Cleveland would eat $5 million of the $15 million Atlanta owes Lowe for 2012. A perfect representation of how Lowe's reputation had changed in Atlanta, they gave him up for almost nothing. Not without provocation, of course: aside from the DUI he was charged with early last year, he went 9-17 with a 5.05 ERA, not to mention 0-5 in September in what ultimately led to the second-worst collapse in baseball history (only behind the epic Red Sox Collapse of '11). He lost the command that made him a fan favorite at Turner Field, and the fans let management know just how badly they wanted him out of town. Sure, he'll be a great veteran presence in an Indians clubhouse that's beginning to trend younger, and he'll be fantastic as a number 5 starter who throws more than 200 innings and saves the bullpen some trouble every once in a while, but it would appear as if his days as a marquee player are well over.

Next, the Royals and Giants made an interesting swap: San Francisco shipped out starter Jonathan Sanchez, while Kansas City sent outfielder Melky Cabrera in return. Sanchez saw a dip in production from his 2010 numbers, going 4-7 with a 4.26 ERA compared to 13-9, 3.07 in '10, but he spent a significant amount of time on the DL. Conversely, Cabrera enjoyed a career year, going .305 with 18 home runs, 87 RBIs and 201 hits, as well as posting career highs in almost every other offensive categories. This is a trade that seemingly benefits both teams on paper: the Royals get a young, somewhat reliable starter that can throw a lot of strikeouts and bolster an incredibly weak rotation, as well as an outfield spot to give top prospect Lorenzo Cain a chance to make an impact, while the Giants get a young outfielder who could not only boost their anemic offense, but could also give them a reason not to resign floundering 2010 NLCS MVP Cody Ross to a long term deal. Only time will tell if this trade will work out for either side, or both, but in theory, this should be one of the rare trades that's actually great for everyone involved.

And now, the Rockies have sent utility man Ty Wigginton to the Phillies to a player to be named later or cash. This is a trade that can only further strengthen the Phillies, who have been very busy already this offseason: Wigginton, although not necessarily an offensive powerhouse, is super useful off the bench, and has seen time at nearly every position on the field. He's hit 158 home runs in a 10 year career, and even though he's 34 and a little past the meager prime he had (his only career accolade is that he was an All-Star with the Orioles in 2010), he's a very powerful ace in the hole for any team. Considering that first baseman Ryan Howard injured himself in his last at-bat, it seems like the Phils are scrambling to find viable options to replace him while he's on the DL. With this trade, and the signing of veteran slugger Jim Thome (who used to be a first baseman long ago), they'll at least be able to plug one hole in the dam before it bursts.

An Astro-Nomical Change.

For the first time since 1998, a Major League Baseball team will switch leagues. With the approval of Jim Crane's purchase of the franchise, the Houston Astros will move from the National League Central to the American League West by 2013, creating a balance between both leagues as a part of the proposed realignment.

While opinion has been heavily divided regarding the issue of whether or not there should be realignment (and, if there was, which team or teams should move/switch leagues), I've always been a staunch supporter of it. Think of it this way: there are 6 divisions in baseball today, and 4 of those divisions have 5 teams. However, the NL Central has 6, whereas the AL West has 4. That means that the odds of a team in the former making the playoffs is 1-in-6 compared to 1-in-5 for the others, and a team in the latter has a 1-in-4 chance. This kind of imbalance has made for some interesting circumstances (the Rangers had never won a postseason before 2010, yet they're now 2-time AL champions), but it's always looked silly to me. Why should MLB make it harder for the Brewers or Reds to reach the playoffs, but give the Mariners a better shot at it? Now that every division has the same number of teams, there's a feeling of fairness that's more present than I believe there has been since the last realignment. Let's face it, the Cubs probably won't be making a splash anytime soon, but now their chances are just as good as the other 29 teams (well, not really, but you get the picture).

This move also creates the possibility of a stronger Texas rivalry: the Rangers and Astros always face each other in interleague play, a ploy by MLB to generate interest in such a matchup that has largely gone unnoticed. These series have rarely had much impact, mostly because both teams have been bad for most of their history (the Rangers lead the Astros by 1 year as the expansion team with the longest World Series drought, 51 years to 50), and because a mid-June series between the two never had implications on the chances of either team winning the division. With the Astros' move, though, another layer is added to the rivalry, in that they could square off in September with the division on the line. This will definitely fire up Texas fans, and hopefully continue to garner some attention for baseball in a football state.

One of the main things fans are unhappy about with this move is that it would require an interleague game every single day of the season, making the supposed excitement and authenticity of the AL-vs.-NL matchups anything but interesting. Sure, everyone loves those forced snooze-fests between the Mariners and Padres (a nonsensical "rivalry" more perplexing than the one to be cultivated in Texas) that occur each June, but those games might now become commonplace. And for that matter, would this eliminate the 3-game series altogether? If a team is supposed to play not just the 14 other teams in their league but also the 15 teams in the opposing league, how do you fit at least 29 3-game series alone in a single 162-game season? There must be a system for rotating which teams an organization will face from year to year.

Until that time, though, we can sit back, relax, and enjoy the Astros' continued mediocrity in the National League before they take the show on the road to the American League. Maybe a league change is just what they need.

It's A Scary World Out There.

Some unnerving, unsettling news came out of the baseball world last night: Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos was kidnapped last night by four armed men from his house in Venezuela, and there has been no evidence of his whereabouts yet, or even if he's still alive.

This is not the first time a disturbing event like this has occured: in 2009, catcher Yorvit Torrealba's son was kidnapped before being returned unharmed, and former pitcher Ugueth Urbina's mother spent 5 months in captivity back in 2005. However, it appears to be the first instance in which a Major League Baseball player was actually the one kidnapped. Ramos, who's 24 and just finished his first full professional season, hit .267 with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs, a promising sign of things to come for a player who's on a team looking to have a young core turn them into a contender within the next 3 to 4 years.

Unfortunately for Ramos and everyone else who lives in Venezuela, this is not an uncommon occurrence. Venezuela has one of the highest kidnapping rates of any country in the world, and professional sports players who make a lot of money would be an obvious target for a person or people who are desperate for financial help. It's a disgusting display of human indeceny, but sadly, one that seems to happen frequently in lower-income countries. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ramos, his family, and the entire Nationals franchise, and we hope he's returned soon, safe and sound.

In less frightening but still upsetting news, Jorge Posada confirmed the suspicions of many by saying that, although he would love to return, he understands that his time as a New York Yankee is almost certainly over. His clarity is pretty amazing for a baseball player, as he seems to realize that the Yankees won't resign him. It's not a matter of respect, it's just the way they do business, and while it may sting, Posada will be able to make the decision that's best for him; that is, whether to keep playing with another team, or to simply retire and try to enjoy the dreaded Life After Baseball. Whatever he decides, we here at TBF support and cheer him on.

Cubs On The Prowl.

By now, everyone knows about/has finished celebrating/lamenting the epic Red Sox collapse, where they squandered an AL Division and Wild Card lead so large, there was no possible way they COULDN'T make the playoffs. But due to some timely controversy and a clutch home run by Evan Longoria on the last day of the season, a very cold, lonely winter kicked off early in Boston, MA. As a result, ownership all but vacated management, with dugout whiz Terry Francona playing the role of sacrificial lamb and front office genius Theo Epstein turning tail and running to the Cubs.

In return, Epstein showed how the more things change, the more things stay the same, and fired Cubs short-lived manager Mike Quade in the first move of what is expected to be a bustling offseason. Quade was 95-104 during his limited tenure as manager, which is considered to be a spectacular record in Chicago. In a slightly more surprising move, Epstein called longtime fan favorite Ryne Sandberg...to tell him he was not in consideration for the open spot this time around (there were rumors he might replace Lou Piniella after he retired before the end of the 2010 season). So, just like his contemporary/old underling in Boston, Ben Cherington, Epstein finds himself in need of a new leading presence on the field.

One interesting rumor is that Epstein could be toying around with the idea of bringing back his good buddy Francona, with a few caveats regarding clubhouse etiquette. Hey, the two managed to revive the Red Sox organization and bring them 2 World Series titles after the team had suffered 86 years without one, who's to say they couldn't turn around a franchise that hasn't sniffed the World Series since 1945, and hasn't won it all since dinosaurs roamed the earth? If they could, they would go down as the greatest GM/manager tandem in history...and, as a Yankees fan, it pains me to praise anyone from the Red Sox, let alone 2 of the men highly responsible for turning them into a contender after decades of glorious Bronx dominance, but it's true. Epstein and Francona are both highly intelligent baseball men, and any organization would be lucky to have them. If Larry Lucchino is too busy partying on his yacht to realize that, maybe it's time the long suffering Lovable Loser Cubbies get a shot at glory. It's never too late to make history.

Maybe that history might involve a certain Greatest Player Of This Generation as well. Let's say, hypothetically, that the Cubs happen to throw a huge amount of dollars at a particular first baseman who has spent the first 11 years of his already-HOF-worthy career with their biggest rival, a specific team in St. Louis that just completed one of the most miraculous championship runs in the history of this sport, and then had the man who led them through it retire suddenly a few days ago. Wouldn't it just beat all if that man...let's call him Albert (purely hypothetical, mind you), led this franchise to an amazing postseason like the one he just played a huge part in, and won like he has done frequently in his career? Could it be possible that this might happen?

Yes.

Folks, if you didn't believe before this season that literally anything is possible in baseball, you hopefully have seen the folly of your ways by now. We're to the point where even a 100+ year championship drought seems likely to end within the next 5. And Theo Epstein could possibly be the man who presides over it, sitting atop a float in Lake View, Chicago at the end of October, 2014. Anything is possible.

Going Out In Style (Kiss The Rings).

After 33 years of managing, capping it off with an improbable run to a World Series title for the Cardinals, longtime manager Tony La Russa retired suddenly Monday.

La Russa spent a few years as a player, then had a somewhat mediocre stint with the White Sox before leading the Athletics to 3 straight World Series in the late 80s, winning in 1989 against the Giants. In 1995, he took the job for the Cardinals, reaching 3 more World Series and winning 2, in 2006 and 2011. He retires as the 3rd winningest manager in history with 2,728 wins, and is 1 of 2 managers ever to win a championship in both leagues (Sparky Anderson did it with the Reds and Tigers).

Although his reputation has been tarnished both by his perceived whining or placing blame where it's not due (such as claiming that the shadows in Miller Park helped the Cards lose a pivotal series against the Brewers, and the now-infamous bullpen mixup in Game 5 of the World Series this year), and by seemingly turning a blind eye to the rampant steroid usage in the Athletics clubhouse in the late 80s, often referenced to as the true birthplace of the widespread steroid usage that gripped the game for the past 2 decades, La Russa has often been hailed as a genius for his tactical managerial skills, often making calls and switches during games to either wear his opponent down or confuse and frustrate them, then capitalizing on their slip ups. At times, his methods seemed unorthodox, unfounded, or downright outrageous, but he was often vindicated by the results of the team he put on the field, and it's hard to argue with his success: he went to 6 World Series, 14 postseason appearances, and a .547 record in those playoff series. Very few managers have had the success La Russa enjoyed, and with good reason: it's an incredibly difficult task to make a team a perennial contender, regardless of payroll or talent. Mark McGwire, although heavily boosted by steroids, had a finely tuned swing that La Russa watched over and developed. Albert Pujols was a 13th round pick who was given a chance by La Russa and is now hailed as the best overall player of this generation. The White Sox hadn't even sniffed the postseason since 1959 when La Russa brought them to the ALCS in 1983. Say what you will about him, but make no mistake: these things didn't happen on accident, or due to luck. It was La Russa's involvement that helped drive these things.

Even though his days in the dugout are over, La Russa hasn't ruled out a return to the Cardinals or MLB, saying he might like to come back in the capacity of a special advisor to one of the organizations. Only time will tell. But for now, Tony La Russa's retirement marks the end of a great era in Cardinals history, topped off by one of the most unlikely World Series titles ever.