Hello Fans,
Perhaps this winter long hiatus here at the View From The Dish is over. The snow is melting now (again), finally! Plus, not only has Spring sprung, but we’re into April and that means all of the games count now. THAT’S what I’M talkin’ ’bout!!!!!!!! With that said, let’s (play) catch up on some of the big happenings in the off-season. Hold on tight though, this ride is like boarding the (Nolan) Ryan Express in order to keep up with the Big Train (Walter Johnson)! ALL ABOARD!!!
It DOES pay BIG to play centerfield with exceptional range and get on base a LOT. Jacoby Ellsbury and Shin-Soo Choo are the proof of that. The Yanks and Rangers are shelling out seven years each and $153 and $130 million, respectively. Who says you have to hit 30 bombs every year to get the big contract?…..It does NOT pay, despite a few somewhat notable new deals following suspensions (i.e. Melkey Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta), to mess around with anit-aging clinics, PEDs, and lying to MLB investigators. Just ask you know who (hint: it starts with an ‘A’ and ends in ‘Z’ and he exhausted all appeals). His luck has run out and he’s played from coast to coast. However, he WON’T be playing this year, and perhaps never again (I hope) in the BIGs. SEE-YAAA!!…..On the subject of suspensions, please applaud for the extension of a first time failed drug test being raised from 50 to games to 81, or half a season. That will slow down the thought process on risk factors of being caught. It’s one thing to lose $925,000 out of a three million dollar salary and quite another to lose $1,500,000 from it…..
…..Derek Jeter is a class act and ambassador of the game. You knew that though. He’s also a sure thing first ballot Hall of Famer. You knew that too. In this, his last year, he has a chance to do something else very special. There have only been 995 players to hit 1,170 or more base hits. That’s not very many people. Jeter is number ten all-time in hits. He trails Paul Molitor by 2, Carl Yastrzemski by 102, Honus Wagner by 103, and Cap Anson by 118. He could easily claim the number 6 spot in hits and pass Anson even if he doesn’t play quite as much as used to. Nobody has cracked the top 7 spots on the hit list in 29 years since Pete Rose surpassed Ty Cobb. Rare indeed. It’s ironic too as Jeter’s ‘2’ and his former manger, Joe Torre’s ‘6’, are the last single digit Yankees numbers waiting to be retired…..Sure, we all know about the famed careers and numbers put up by Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig. However, when the Yanks won four straight titles from ’36 to ’39, do we ever think of the rookie Joe D. and veteran Gehrig winning three of those titles together? (Gehrig only appeared in 8 games in ’39). That’s quite a nice lefty-righty combo in the lineup…..
…..Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a new highest paid player. Miguel Cabrera signed an 8 year and $248 million dollar extension. The total is 10 and $292 M. WOW! The old record was $275M. He’s done some amazing and historically significant things in winning a Triple Crown, two MVPs, and three Batting Titles. In two weeks, he turns 31. Why so many years Detroit?…..Maybe it’s because Max Scherzer let Detroit off the hook by TURNING DOWN six years and $144 mil. He’s a free agent after this year. UNREAL! I am not sure how someone can think they are worth more while rolling the dice on having another dominant season like ’13 AND not getting hurt. I hope it works out for him…..Speaking of extensions, Mike Trout did pretty well too. He signed a 6 year and $144.5 million dollar extension. To most people, he is arguably the best player in the game. To me, there is no argument, he is. Some wonder why he didn’t get over 200 mil. Well, he is under contract so there is limited leverage. However, he’s only turning 23 in August. After the 2020 season, he’ll be 29 AND a free agent. Plus, he will have racked up some serious statistics in all facets of the game by then. His command for the next contract will be earth shattering if he plays anything like his first two years. He will push the $300 mil ceiling upward…..
…..We’ll be missing the likes of the New York Mets’ Matt Harvey this year as he recovers from Tommy John surgery this season. Here’s something for us to look forward to in 2015, in terms of his mastery, and also for the Mets to work on: Harvey gave up a TOTAL of 23 runs in 12 no-decisions in 2013. WOW! THAT’S some pitching! Time to get some more sticks. Heck, steal, hit and run, and bunt some more production!! Ex-Yankee Curtis Granderson should help David Wright and company…..Ok, ride’s over. Time to enjoy the games!
Later Fans.