Fouled-Off Bunts: Copy Editor's Dream Edition
You don't think a copy editor would miss a chance to get a dick joke in print, do you?
Here Come Da Judge: The Mediator has been selected, and it's a friend of Tony Williams. The city and MLB have fifteen days of mediation, where they can try to resolve the differences. If no agreement has been reached, it could then move to binding arbitration.
It's an interesting case. Because the DC Council was never party to the Baseball Stadium Agreement, and because DC law requires the Council to sign off an all expenditures of over $1 million, it's not clear that arbitration would help MLB force the lease down the city's throat because arbitration likely wouldn't be able to tell the Council to approve it. Arbitration could produce a lease, but without council approval, the city would be in violation of that lease and subject to the penalties laid out in the BSA -- something like $19 million (I'm too lazy to look it up now). But if it gets that far, MLB and the city are back at square one with no lease, no stadium, and no prospects. Would MLB really take it that far, throwing the nearly $600 million they already have on the table away? It doesn't seem likely. I would bet that someone blinks before we get that far.
Yesterday, the WaPo painted an unflattering portrait of Marc Tuohey, the Chair of the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission, ripping him notably for getting screwed over in the initial negotiations on the Baseball Stadium Agreement, something I've been saying for a while now.
Cue the violins. Barry Svrluga has a profile of our non-Dutch third baseman, Ryan Zimmerman. It's a nice story, if not a tad over written.
Keeping tabs on our old friends, Tomo Ohka (he of the 4.04 ERA last season) requested $5.2 million in salary arbitration. That's just over 2 Ramon Ortizes (he of the 5.36 ERA).
Wondering what Sammy Sosa's up to?
--Not rejoining the Cubs
--Begging for a job with the Marlins.
--Partying with Vin Diesel and Mike Piazza -- not that there's anything wrong with that.
Think Tony Tavares enjoys being called to testify?
The Lords are starting two days of owner's meetings, featuring a briefing on the ownership situation here. How long do you think that'll last? 3 minutes?
I don't know who John Castellini is, but he's clearly a Nats fan. And anyone who can work a shot at Cristian Guzman into a discussion on executive pay on the Jim Lehrer News Hour on PBS is A-OK with me. (Just do a search for shortstop)
I think I've finally found out why Rocket Bill pimped Terrmel Sledge so hard. From the Padres mailbag (I won't make a dismissive comment about the superior quality of the questions and answers in SD as opposed to nationals.com):
Nationals manager Frank Robinson, I'm told, was sold on his potential and hated to see him go to Texas in the deal for Alfonso Soriano.
Alright... I've gotta take one shot. Do you think we'd ever see something like this in one of our mailbags? Only this is certain: Good chemistry lives in harmony with winning. An abundance of wins tends to solve everything.
Is it just that no one is asking good questions?
It's an interesting case. Because the DC Council was never party to the Baseball Stadium Agreement, and because DC law requires the Council to sign off an all expenditures of over $1 million, it's not clear that arbitration would help MLB force the lease down the city's throat because arbitration likely wouldn't be able to tell the Council to approve it. Arbitration could produce a lease, but without council approval, the city would be in violation of that lease and subject to the penalties laid out in the BSA -- something like $19 million (I'm too lazy to look it up now). But if it gets that far, MLB and the city are back at square one with no lease, no stadium, and no prospects. Would MLB really take it that far, throwing the nearly $600 million they already have on the table away? It doesn't seem likely. I would bet that someone blinks before we get that far.
--Not rejoining the Cubs
--Begging for a job with the Marlins.
--Partying with Vin Diesel and Mike Piazza -- not that there's anything wrong with that.
Nationals manager Frank Robinson, I'm told, was sold on his potential and hated to see him go to Texas in the deal for Alfonso Soriano.
Alright... I've gotta take one shot. Do you think we'd ever see something like this in one of our mailbags? Only this is certain: Good chemistry lives in harmony with winning. An abundance of wins tends to solve everything.
Is it just that no one is asking good questions?
posted by Chris Needham at
9:41 AM
3 Comments:
It definitely is within Castilla's capabilities to deliver consistent production, defensively as well as offensively. He's still rock-solid with the glove and will be revitalized by the soothing ocean breezes after a long summer in D.C. in a park that can drive a right-handed hitter a little daffy
By
Anonymous, at 1/18/2006 12:32 PM
What do you have against Bill Ladson? What did he do to you that has caused so much anger?
By
Anonymous, at 1/18/2006 12:42 PM
I hope it doesn't come across as anger. I'm not mad at the guy, and I don't hate him. I'm just not a fan of his analysis.
He does a good job with his interviews, and with his general interest stories. And he's always quick with getting news and information out there. It's clear that the team values him for that, and they they give him things that other reporters don't get (and to be fair, it's possible that he's getting them himself it's just the nature of the mlb / mlb.com relationship that creates skepticism)
I just don't care for his analysis, really. He's much better at reporting strict facts than trying to interpret them, and put them in to a larger context.
What it comes down to is that he views the game differently than I do, much of that, I suspect is as my role as an outsider compared to his as an insider.
Take the Sledge thing, for example. He's talked about how he expects great things from Sledge, and with the Padres mailbag, we see that that's an opinion shaped, in part, by his discussions with Frank. I think differently about Sledge. I think he'll be useful, and I think he'll have a few good seasons, but I can't see stardom for someone who's already 29 years old.
It's possible that I'm wrong and that Ladson is right. But this blog is written from my perspective, and my opinions, so it's going to be colored with the types of analysis that I prefer.
Yeah, sometimes I'm probably a bit tough on Ladson, but it's not done out of hatred. He seems like a nice guy, and he certainly works hard at what he does. And, like I said, when he sticks to the facts, he does an excellent job -- such as with his profiles of the various players, or even his surprisingly tough and candid interview with Tony Tavares a few months ago.
By
Chris Needham, at 1/18/2006 12:56 PM
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