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Baseball Fired Three Umpire Supervisors After 2009 Playoffs

Josh Alper — 2010-03-08T13:25:00 00:00

The 2009 playoffs were full of questionable and outright blown calls that fueled cries for further instant replay in baseball. We haven't gone down that road, but baseball's poohbahs have done something to make their displeasure known. Three of the seven supervisors of the league's umpires have been punched out.

Rich Garcia, Jim McKean and Marty Springstead were all fired in January, with Springstead telling USA Today that he got a four-minute phone call and not "a lot of reasons" to explain why he was axed after more than 40 years in the umpiring game. MLB officials didn't cite a specific reason to the paper either, although it seems they liked Up In The Air, but did confirm both the firings and the hirings of recently retired umpires Randy Marsh and Charlie Reliford as new supervisors.

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Winner of McCourts' Divorce? The Couple's Lawyers

Tom Fornelli — 2010-03-06T11:57:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Dodgers, MLB Biz, MLB Rumors

The divorce proceedings of Los Angeles Dodgers owners Frank and Jamie McCourt have been pretty well documented publicly, but what hasn't been talked about enough is the fact that this divorce may single-handedly help save the economy. According to a story in the Los Angeles Times, it seems that by the former couple end up costing the McCourts around $19 million in attorney fees.

$19 million! That's like an entire four months of baseball for Alex Rodriguez.

While records for divorce costs aren't kept anywhere like Baseball Reference, there wasn't a single law firm in California that the Times could get a hold of who could remember a divorce ever costing this much.

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Rays Owner Plans to Cut Payroll After 2010 Season

Josh Alper — 2010-02-17T16:35:00 00:00

by Josh Alper

Filed under: Rays, MLB Biz

Rays owner Stuart Sternberg really wants a new stadium. That's not a particularly big secret, of course, and he's already got Tampa and St. Petersburg fighting with each other about who gets to build that new stadium. It never hurts to chum the water a little bit, though, which helps explain why Sternberg went on the radio earlier this week and guaranteed significant cuts to the team's $72 million payroll.

"It won't be 70 [million] and it won't be 60 [million]," Sternberg said. "We did outspend ourselves last year and completely outspent ourselves this year, and we'll feel the effects of that next year."

It's gotta be about the stadium, right? Why else would the owner of a team trying to convince fans to spend money on them openly admit that they won't be trying very hard to keep players like Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena after this season?

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Negro League Numbers Coming to Popular Baseball Stat Website

Matt Snyder — 2010-02-16T21:15:00 00:00

by Matt Snyder

Filed under: MLB Biz

Baseball-Reference.com has long been a favorite of baseball writers and fans alike who love stats. Having an argument with your friend about what player was better? Go to the stats. Do you want to grab the particular box score from a game you attended earlier in your life? It can usually always deliver. I was able to successfully track down a Cubs victory on my 11th birthday in which my favorite team came back from a 9-0 deficit to win, for example, with the help of my favorite baseball website (excluding MLB FanHouse, of course).

The only problem, when it comes to historical projects, is that there aren't stats from the Negro Leagues readily available. Just a few weeks ago, my brother and I were trying to create a few all-time baseball lineups. We knew to include players like Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Oscar Charleston and Cool Papa Bell, but it was hard to know how they fit in. Sure, you can guess -- but it would be nice to actually have stat-lines for these guys to get an idea. Any argument is better when one is able to point to evidence.

There are many places around the web where you can find estimates of Negro League stats for some players, but nothing is complete and no one has ever undertaken a large research project to compile a complete set.

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Tampa, St. Pete Begin Fight for Rays

Matt Snyder — 2010-02-16T11:00:00 00:00

by Matt Snyder

Filed under: Rays, AL East, MLB Biz

Due to being named after a Bay instead of a city, many casual sports fans believe the Tampa Bay Rays play baseball in Tampa, Fla. In fact, they actually play in St. Petersburg, Fla. Now, St. Pete is on Tampa Bay, but when people refer to the Rays as "Tampa," they are technically incorrect -- as the city of Tampa is across the Bay from Tropicana Field. The team has a contract with their current venue that doesn't expire until 2027.

If some in the local government have their say, however, the Rays will be getting a new stadium much sooner than that ... in Tampa.

A private group is reportedly getting their ducks in a row on a deal for stadium land in downtown Tampa. Not only do many believe the Rays need a "revenue rich" stadium long before the 2027 contract expires, but reports have surfaced indicating the team will flee the city if that doesn't happen. Thus, if the county officials wish to keep the team in the area, a move to Tampa may be mandatory.

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The Cubs Will Gladly Scalp You Some of Their Own Tickets

Tom Fornelli — 2010-02-15T11:31:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Cubs, MLB Biz, MLB Fans

On Monday morning at 10 AM CT, the Chicago Cubs began giving their loyal fans a chance to start buying tickets to regular season games early, but there is a catch. It's the Inaugural Mastercard First-Chance Presale of seats for the 2010 season, giving fans a chance to buy tickets before they officially go on sale on Friday.

The catch is that the tickets are marked up 20 percent. So while you can wait until Friday to pay $54 for a bleacher seat to see a game at Wrigley Field against the hated St. Louis Cardinals, they may already be gone if you don't take advantage of your opportunity to pay $64.80 for that same ticket on Monday morning.

Though if you use a Mastercard to buy that ticket, it'll only cost you $61.56 thanks to that 5 percent discount after the 20 percent markup!

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Chicago Cubs to Build All-Inclusive Club at Wrigley Field

Tom Fornelli — 2010-02-08T11:47:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Cubs, NL Central, MLB Biz

When Tom Ricketts bought the Chicago Cubs from the Tribune Company for around $740 million last October, it wasn't just the team he was buying. He also got Wrigley Field in the deal. Wrigley may be an icon in and of itself, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of areas in which the 96-year old stadium could use an upgrade.

Ricketts has plenty of plans to improve the park, but up first he'd like to make some changes to the luxury suites. While he's renovating two of the luxury boxes in the park into one large ownership suite, there are also plans to build an all-inclusive club for season-ticket holders.

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The 'Ramirez Provision' Is No More

Tom Fornelli — 2010-02-03T23:38:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Dodgers, MLB Biz

Last March when Manny Ramirez signed a two-year $45 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, there was a provision placed in the deal that required Ramirez to donate $1 million of his salary to Dodgers team charities. Team owner Frank McCourt then said that he was going to implement this "Ramirez Provision" into all future Dodgers' contracts that would require players to make a donation of their choice to the charity.

The player's union did not like this, and filed a grievance against the Dodgers and 21 other teams who had similar provisions in contracts with 109 players. On Wednesday Major League Baseball ruled that these types of clauses would no longer be allowed, though there are still a few instances in which players can make the donations.

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Mario Lemieux Offered to Buy the Pirates, Pirates Not for Sale

Pat Lackey — 2010-01-30T12:48:00 00:00

by Pat Lackey

Filed under: Pirates, NL Central, MLB Biz

Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh hockey legend and two-time savior of the Penguins (both as a player and then an owner), recently made a bid with Penguins' co-owner Ron Burkle to buy the Pittsburgh Pirates from the team's current ownership group, lead by West Virginia newspaper man Bob Nutting. While some characterize the Lemieux group's bid as "serious," Nutting brushed it off when asked about it last night by simply saying that the team isn't for sale.

It's the same answer Nutting has given in the past when asked about the status of the Pirates. Billionaire Pittsburgh native Mark Cuban has also made rumblings about buying the team, though nothing serious has come of that recently either. The Pirates are, of course, frequently targeted for this type of conversation both because they haven't had a winning season since 1992 and perennially have among the lowest payrolls in baseball.

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Ricky Nolasco Could Earn Extension

Matt Snyder — 2010-01-21T15:45:00 00:00

by Matt Snyder

Filed under: Marlins, NL East, MLB Biz, MLB Rumors

Apparently the MLBPA really got through to the Florida Marlins about their payroll. Just a week after they extended the contract of ace Josh Johnson, there is a report that they will work on a contract extension for Ricky Nolasco, "if he has a strong 2010."

Nolasco is a 27-year-old right-handed pitcher who had a breakout campaign in 2008. He went 15-8 with a 3.52 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with 186 strikeouts in 212 1/3 innings. Everything was set for him to take the next step as an ace in 2009, but he stumbled miserably out of the gate.

After consecutive outings where he allowed eight earned runs, Nolasco had an ERA of 9.07 and was sent down to Triple-A to get himself right. After he was recalled, he was back to his old self. Nolasco went 14-8 with a 3.82 ERA and 158 strikeouts in 141 1/3 innings from June 7 until the end of the year.

He put a cherry on top of the 2009 season when he struck out a career-high 16 batters on September 30.

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Drayton McLane: Astros Sale Unlikely

Pat Lackey — 2010-01-21T15:20:00 00:00

by Pat Lackey

Filed under: Astros, NL Central, MLB Biz

With Astros' owner Drayton McLane approaching his 74th birthday, he's been willing to listen to proposals from prospective owners of the Astros. He's said himself that he's not actively looking to sell the club, but that he's always willing to listen after 17 years of ownership.

He said that the group that contacted him late last year about buying the 'Stros hasn't gotten back to him recently, Thursday, and with the Jan. 31 negotiating deadline, he assumes that means they don't have the money to meet his asking price. That means that at this point, it seems more than likely that McLane will be the owner for at least the 2010 season, if not beyond.

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Arbitration Intrigue Goes Past Lincecum

Andrew Johnson — 2010-01-20T16:21:00 00:00

by Andrew Johnson

Filed under: Astros, Giants, Marlins, Phillies, Rays, Tigers, MLB Biz, MLB Hot Stove

The figures are in. The haggling has begun. And you can rest assured it's going to get crazy.

Of the 128 players that filed for salary arbitration last week, 44 exchanged figures with their respective clubs Tuesday and 35 remain without a contract for 2010, raising the specter of a hearing next month (Feb. 1-21).

There's just one player that figures to capture everyone's imagination -- two-time Cy Young Award-winner Tim Lincecum, who is in line for a record award -- but plenty of cases are worth watching.

Back to Lincecum for a second.

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You Can Now Turn Your Lawn Into a Baseball Field

Tom Fornelli — 2010-01-20T13:02:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Cardinals, Cubs, Phillies, Red Sox, Reds, MLB Biz, MLB Fans

I remember growing up and playing baseball with my friends in yards all over the neighborhood, and while there were plenty of differences between the front yard down the street and Wrigley Field, we made the best we could with what we had. Of course, one of the biggest problems with playing in a yard is that not all yards are maintained quite like a major league field. The grass isn't as green or neatly manicured, and there are even dips that cause for some wicked hops and kids laying on the ground holding themselves while their friends laugh at them.

If only we had the chance to play on a real baseball field!

Well, while kids across the United States still aren't going to be able to play on the surface of Wrigley Field or Fenway Park, they now have the chance to get as close to the real thing as possible thanks to a deal between MLB and The Scotts Company.

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Players, Teams Swap Arbitration Figures

Ed Price — 2010-01-19T17:30:00 00:00

by Ed Price

Filed under: MLB Biz, MLB Hot Stove

Of the 128 players that filed for salary arbitration last Friday, 44 failed to reach a deal with their respective club by the 12 PM ET Tuesday deadline to exchange salary figures, setting up the potential for hearings before spring training begins next month. Below is what players asked for and what their club offered.

Most players will reach a deal with their club before a hearing is needed, but if a deal is not reached, an independent arbitrator will allow each side to make their case before deciding which of the two figures exchanged the player should receive in 2010.

Only three players made it to a hearing last year.

(Editor's Note: * -- indicates player has agreed to a deal with his club.)

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Buckle Up, It's Arbitration Season

Jeff Fletcher — 2010-01-15T20:00:00 00:00

by Jeff Fletcher

Filed under: Giants, MLB Biz, MLB Transactions, MLB Hot Stove, Sports Business and Media

Andre Dawson was the toast of Chicago. Just a year earlier, he'd come to the Cubs for relative pennies, actually offering the team a blank contract for his services, and he went on to win the MVP.

But here he was, just before spring training in 1988, sitting in a conference room across the table from Cubs executives, pitted in a war over his value. Toward the end of the hearing, when the arbitrator asked Dawson if he had anything to add, Dawson said, as former Cubs executive Ned Colletti recalled years later: "This is the most [screwed up] process I've ever seen."

Dawson actually "lost" his case, settling for a 165 percent raise, to $1.875 million, instead of the $2 million he requested. Colletti, now the Dodgers' general manager, told FanHouse he still remembers the strange feeling he had that day: "I remember thinking to myself, 'Why are we in here, with, of all people, this guy?"

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Tiresome Debates Sure Sign Spring Near

Andrew Johnson — 2010-01-13T14:05:00 00:00

by Andrew Johnson

Filed under: MLB Biz, MLB Hall of Fame, MLB Media Watch, MLB PEDs

Forget birds chirping and snow melting, if you needed a sure sign that it's time for pitchers and catchers to start arriving in camps from Scottsdale to Fort Myers, look no further than the last week of baseball news.

From Bert Blyleven to Big Mac, the baseball media has seemed on the verge of implosion over the last 10 days as we snip back and forth about Hall credentials and Congressional testimony and what Mark McGwire really believes about the source of all of his prodigious blasts.

I suppose we all have to be on Team Leno or Team Conan these days, but is there any doubt that if McGwire's "revelation" came in April or August it wouldn't have been quite so captivating and polarizing?

After all, it's not like anyone anywhere was surprised by the news, nor will it change his standing with the gatekeepers of Cooperstown or with fans who have long since made up their mind, one way or another, about how to classify McGwire's achievements.

So, yes, all of us care passionately about this issue, and the implications of McGwire's admission should be discussed at length. But no, I don't believe it would have been quite the media storm it has evolved into if many of us weren't so cranky about being cooped up indoors all winter long.

Rehashed arguments, it seems, are just another milepost on the way to spring training and Opening Day.

If it's not Big Mac, it's Roberto Alomar, so bear that in mind if you hear any of the following things in the coming weeks ...

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Marlins to Increase Payroll, Comply With Revenue Sharing Agreement

Matt Snyder — 2010-01-12T15:25:00 00:00

by Matt Snyder

Filed under: Marlins, NL East, MLB Biz

The Florida Marlins and Major League Baseball have jointly released a statement regarding the Marlins' compliance with the MLBPA's revenue sharing provisions. While baseball doesn't have a salary cap, they do have a system where the larger revenue clubs share money with the smaller ones.

There have been some, namely Red Sox owner John Henry, critical of how small market teams use this money -- wondering where it goes. In the MLB collective bargaining agreement, it clearly states that teams are not allowed to pocket the revenue sharing money for themselves. Considering this is part of an agreement with the players association, the revenue sharing dollars are supposed to be put back into the on-field product. The Marlins have had the lowest payroll in the majors for three of the past four seasons and one of the lowest for most of the past decade. They have increased payroll at times and then shed a significant portion shortly thereafter -- namely an increase leading up to their 2003 World Series championship and a decrease in the aftermath.

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Drayton McLane Grants Negotiating Window to Prospective Buyer

Tom Fornelli — 2010-01-12T12:54:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Astros, NL Central, MLB Biz

Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane has owned the team since 1993 when he paid $113 million for the franchise, and though he says he has no interest in selling the team now, "when people call, you listen." Well, from now until the end of January there's only a couple of select people that McLane will be listening to.

McLane granted exclusive negotiating rights to a group that is interested in buying the Astros from him, and includes former USOC chief Harvey Schiller. Still, even though he's granting negotiation rights and nearly sold the team to Jim Crane in 2008, McLane wants you to know he's not planning on selling the team.

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Memo to Mr. Selig and His Committee ...

Matt Snyder — 2009-12-17T16:00:00 00:00

by Matt Snyder

Filed under: MLB Biz

From the Windup is Matt Snyder's extended look at some aspect of America's pastime each Thursday.

Earlier this week, bumbling commissioner Bud Selig announced baseball is forming a group to discuss ways to change baseball (theoretically) for the better. Much to my chagrin, I was not selected to the panel (please note dripping sarcasm).

Still, there are several things I would do to improve my favorite sport.

Mind you, there aren't a ton of big tweaks, because I'm not like most of the baseball bashers. I still love the game. But there are always improvements to be made. Such as ...

o. Play more day games. Nothing says baseball more than taking your kids to a game on a sunny Saturday afternoon in June or July. FOX, unfortunately, has exclusivity to Saturday baseball and only allows three day games. Sure, sometimes other games are played during the day and just aren't broadcast, but most occur at night.

There's no reason not to play every single Saturday and Sunday game in the sun. What about more late afternoon games during the week too? Leave more nights free and sell the product to the next generation. In case baseball hasn't noticed, the youth seem to collectively love football and basketball much more.

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Nolan Ryan One Step Closer to Owning the Texas Rangers

Tom Fornelli — 2009-12-16T11:57:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Rangers, AL West, MLB Biz

Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan only spent five of his 27 Major League seasons with the Texas Rangers, but while there he recorded career strikeout No. 5,000, picked up his 300th win, and threw the final two of his seven career no-hitters. In other words, even though he was in his forties, he still owned the mound while in Arlington.

Now he's one step closer to owning the team.

Current club owner Tom Hicks has chosen an investment group led by Ryan and Pittsburgh sports attorney Chuck Greenberg to have exclusive negotiating rights to buy a majority stake in the team.

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