The Captain's Blog

The ABCs of Baseball’s Next CBA

March 4, 2011 by William Juliano

(In addition to appearing at The Captain’s Blog, this post is also being syndicated at TheYankeeAnalysts.)

Over the past two days, the NFL and its players association have been engaged in a high stakes game of chicken. Will the league lock the players out? Will the union decertify first and force the fate of a new CBA into the courts? Or, will both parties agree to an extension, thereby allowing each side to stare down the other for at least another week?

Meanwhile, almost 10 months before its current CBA expires, baseball’s management committee and players union met for the first time, and had what new MLBPA head Michael Weiner described as a “productive session”. What a difference a decade makes! Not too long ago, it was the NFL that enjoyed relative labor peace, while baseball had to battle tooth and nail for every new CBA extension. Maybe salary caps aren’t a panacea after all?

As recently as 2002, baseball’s owners and players remained bitter enemies when it came to negotiating a CBA. That year, the players went so far as to set an August 30 strike deadline, but an agreement was eventually reached without a work stoppage. It was the first time since 1972 that the two sides had been able to make a deal without a lockout or a walkout, and the momentum from that negotiation was carried over to 2006, when the current contract was completed two months before the previous one’s expiration.

So, what has happened since 2002 to foster baseball’s current labor peace? Perhaps it was the near doubling of league-wide revenue (even in the midst of a drastic recession) over the past eight seasons?

MLB Yearly Revenue, 2003-2010

Source: Forbes and MLB.com

After so many years of acrimony, it seems as if baseball’s owners and players have found a way to share the game’s enormous wealth. However, that doesn’t mean the upcoming CBA will be completely uneventful. Just because neither side is likely to seek a major change to the sport’s financial system doesn’t mean each party won’t have a wish list they’d like to incorporate into the current setup. Listed below are some possible issues that could come up during the negotiations. Continue Reading »

Posted in Baseball, Business and Finance, MLB, NFL | Tagged CBA | 3 Comments »

Striking a Balance: Comparing U.S. and European Sports Leagues

March 4, 2011 by William Juliano

In a recent article for Slate, soccer columnist Brian Phillips took an interesting look at the fine line that sports leagues must walk when determining the appropriate balance between greatness and parity. Phillips ironically juxtaposes the cut throat nature of soccer leagues in socialist-leaning Europe against the more egalitarian leagues in capitalistic America. According to Phillips, while Europe has opted for the “beautiful game”, the United States has gone down the path of “competitive balance”.

Would it be worth achieving greater parity in soccer if it meant breaking up Barcelona? (Is it OK if I answer no?) By the same token, imagine if American leagues had developed along the lines of European soccer. Would it have been more fun to watch the Lakers trample the Bucks by 40, back in the day, if the Lakers had a roster as stacked as the 1992 Dream Team? – Brian Phillips, Slate, March 3, 2011

Although Phillips raises many interest philosophical points, he misses a couple of big ones that help define the differences between the sports leagues on both sides of the pond: scheduling and playoffs. In Europe, the league champion is the team that finishes in first place, whereas in America, the regular season is simply a vehicle to making the playoffs. So, while Europe relies on the marathon to determine its champion, America uses it as the qualifier for a sprint. That is the single biggest difference between the sports leagues on both continents, and the most significant reason why one seems to favor greatness and the other gives a nod to balance.

Different League Champions, Since 1990

Due to labor disputes, there was no MLB champion in 1994 or NHL champion in 2005.
The English Premier League started in 1992; the Scottish Premier League started in 1998.
The Serie A’s 2004-2005 championship was rescinded from Juventus and left unassigned due to a match fixing scandal.

Posted in Baseball, Business and Finance, International, MLB, Yankees | Tagged Manchester United, soccer | Leave a Comment »

Does MLB Have an Alcohol Problem? Admission Must Come Before Cure

March 3, 2011 by William Juliano

The first step to addressing a problem is admitting you have it. After a fourth major league baseball player was charged with DUI in the last month, it may be time for Bud Selig to stand up, like they do in countless alcohol treatment centers, and say, “I am the commissioner of baseball, and my sport has a drinking problem”.

Although the most high profile case, Miguel Cabrera is not alone among baseball players recently arrested for DUI.

Last night, A’s outfielder Coco Crisp was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, only one week after Miguel Cabrera’s more publicized arrest on the same charge. Earlier in the winter, just before reporting to camp, Indians’ outfielder and former Yankee Austin Kearns as well as Mariners’ infielder Adam Kennedy were also cited for DUI.

Because of his status as a star player, Cabrera’s arrest was covered much more prominently, but the incidents involving Crisp, Kearns and Kennedy aren’t any less serious. What’s more, this isn’t a new problem. Although baseball players have generally managed to avoid making the same kinds of criminal headlines as their NFL and NBA brethren, DUI has been one area in which the sport has run afoul. Other high profile cases like Joba Chamberlain’s arrest in 2008 and Tony LaRussa’s incident in 2007 are further examples of a problem that is gradually getting out of control.

Baseball shouldn’t need a special reason to be vigilant regarding drunk driving. Still, you’d expect the sport to be particularly sensitive to the problem after suffering the April 9, 2009 tragedy that claimed the life of Angels’ pitcher Nick Adenhart. Although Adenhart wasn’t driving under the influence, his young life and promising career were ended by someone who was. As bad as the frequent arrests have been for baseball, nothing could be worse than an incident in which an active major league player tragically causes either his own death, or the death of others.

Alcohol has long been a problem in baseball. Many of the stories that we all enjoy about the old timers were usually fermented under its influence. Jim Bouton’s “Ball Four”, for example, is full of such examples of these colorful escapades. Of course, nowadays we know these kinds of stories aren’t really funny, especially because the modern ballplayer isn’t simply stumbling back to a hotel or causing havoc on a train. What makes baseball’s current predicament even more serious is players are taking the clubhouse culture of excessive drinking and bringing it with them behind the wheel of a car. This winter alone, baseball has been lucky on four occasions that one of its players didn’t cause a tragedy. The sport can’t afford to wait until one finally occurs. Continue Reading »

Posted in Baseball, Baseball History, Crime, Culture, MLB, Yankees | Tagged alcohol, Coco Crisp, Don Newcombe, Miguel Cabrera | 4 Comments »

Garret Anderson Retires Atop Angels’ Leader Board; A Look at Other Franchise All-Time Hits Leaders

March 2, 2011 by William Juliano

During his prime years, Garret Anderson was one of the first battleground players in the war between traditional statistics and sabermetrics. In 2000 and 2001, for example, Anderson wowed traditionalists by belting around 30 homers and knocking in 120 RBIs, but more advanced metrics like WAR and OPS+ valued the Angels’ outfielder at just a notch above average. This contradiction often made Anderson both the most overrated and underrated player in the game…at the very same time.

Another contradiction was Angels’ fans inability to warm up to Anderson in the same way as other home grown talents like Troy Percival, Tim Salmon, and Darin Erstad. Although some fans likely interpreted Anderson’s “casual” approach and quiet demeanor as a lack of passion, he was by all accounts a focused performer and dedicated teammate. As with his statistical performance, perception sometimes trumps reality.

I think the perception of Garret within the media and with fans is totally different than what Garret was really about. Garret was one of the most focused (players) and had one of the greatest wills to achieve. It didn’t manifest itself outwardly in the same way it did with David Eckstein or in Darin Erstad or an Adam Kennedy. But make no mistake about it, his focus and his passion for the game and how hard he worked every day was second to none.” – Mike Scioscia, quoted in The Orange Country Register, March 1, 2011

Regardless of how one interprets Anderson’s career, it’s impossible to ignore that he was an important part of the franchise’s most successful years. And, in the process, he established himself atop the team’s leader board in many offensive categories, including runs, RBIs and hits. In honor of the latter achievement, each franchise’s career hits leader is presented in the graphic below (click to enlarge).

All-Time Franchise Hits Leaders

Source: Baseball-reference.com

It’s interesting to note that although the 3,000 hit club currently has 27 members, only 13 players have topped that total with one team (Derek Jeter should make it 14 some time in 2011). Also, only one franchise has had two players amass 3,000 hits while wearing its uniform (the Tigers with Ty Cobb and Al Kaline). Looking from the other end, eight franchises have failed to have a player tally 2,000 hits, including the Mets, whose all-time hits leader (Ed Kranepool) ranks near the bottom of the list, barely ahead of two recent expansion teams.

Early on in the 2011 season, this list will become obsolete when Ichiro takes over as the Mariners’ all-time hits leader (he is only three behind Edgar Martinez). Everyone else, however, should be safe for at least one more year (David Wright and Hanley Ramirez should both take over as the hit leader of their respective teams by the end of 2012, assuming they aren’t traded first). Finally, one reprieve was granted when the Blue Jays traded Vernon Wells to the Angels. The center fielder had climbed to within 54 hits of Tony Fernandez’ perch, but will now have to start all over by chasing Garret Anderson.

Posted in Baseball, Baseball History, MLB, Yankees | Tagged Anaheim Angels, Garret Anderson | Leave a Comment »

Mind Games: Harvey Dorfman’s Impact on the Mental State of Baseball

March 1, 2011 by William Juliano

“Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical,” Yogi Berra once observed. Although that confusing statement usually draws a chuckle when repeated, those who play the game understand exactly what it means. More than any other major team sport, baseball is a game played as much with the mind as the muscle. Not only do the many split second decisions require intense mental preparation, but the psychological toll of the long season, with all of its failure, must be maddening. After all, the very best baseball players fail more often than not, and what’s worse, their shortcomings are spotlighted by the individual nature of the game.

Harvey Dorfman spent almost 30 years trying to unlock the mental side of baseball.

If any sport benefits from the use of psychology, it’s baseball. And, if Yogi Berra wasn’t the game’s first psychologist, that distinction certainly belongs to Harvey Dorfman, who passed away on Monday at the age of 75.

In 1984, Dorfman became the first full-time counselor employed by a major league baseball team when the Oakland Athletics hired him to “coach” young players identified as having trouble focusing. At the time of his hiring, Dorfman actually sounded a lot like Yogi. “Ask any coach and he says 80 percent of the game is mental…but yet they have never had anyone working full-time on that part of the game,” he reasoned. Based on that sound logic, a new component of player development was born.

Dorfman, who studied psychology in college but had previously been employed as a baseball columnist and school teacher in Vermont, first started working with the Athletics’ minor league teams, including the Albany-Colonie affiliate, which won 25 of the first 40 games played during his consultation and coasted to the Eastern League regular season title. By the next spring training, Dorfman was working with the big club, a relationship he maintained over the next 10 years.

After his tenure in Oakland, Dorfman continued a long and successful career in baseball, including three years on staff with the Marlins. One product of his time in Florida was Al Leiter, who completely turned around his career upon joining the Marlins in 1996. Yankees’ fans watching on YES should be very familiar with this case study. One of the most repeated phrases uttered by Leiter when serving as an analyst is the need for a pitcher “to visualize and execute a pitch”. That’s Harvey Dorfman.

He told me to stop making excuses for bad outings. Nobody cares. Just get out there and get it done. He’s one of the main reasons why I was able to pitch for another 12 years after I got hurt.” – Al Leiter, speaking about Harvey Dorfman, Newsday, April 9, 2010

In order to crack into the big leagues, Dorfman needed a benefactor with roots in the game. Considering the macho culture of major league baseball, the stigma of “counseling” was a significant obstacle to overcome. All it took, however, was for someone to make the connection between counseling and improved performance. That man turned out to be career minor leaguer and former Expos manager Karl Kuehl. Continue Reading »

Posted in Baseball, Baseball History, MLB, Yankees | Tagged Harvey Dorfman, Oakland Athletics, psychology | 3 Comments »

Seasons Change: Yanks’ Youngsters Help to Bring About Early Spring Thaw

February 28, 2011 by William Juliano

(In addition to appearing at The Captain’s Blog, this post is also being syndicated at TheYankeeAnalysts.)

One of the cardinal rules about spring training is you have to take the results with a grain of salt, especially the early performances of eager rookies who are either facing veterans slowly ramping up to speed or overmatched secondary talent. With that disclaimer noted, some of the bad vibes from the Yankees’ offseason of discontent dissipated yesterday thanks to impressive early performances from three of the team’s young prospects.

Can Dellin Betances continue to make Joe Girardi take notice (Photo: Daily News)?

The biggest impression from the spring contest against the Phillies was appropriately left by imposing 6’8” right hander Dellin Betances, who struck out the side in his one inning of work. More impressive than the result, however, was the way the Brooklyn-born hurler achieved it. In addition to featuring a mid-90s fastball (that topped out at 97), Betances also wielded a late breaking knuckle curve that had several Phillies’ batters fooled completely. After striking out Wilson Valdez to end the inning, YES cut to a shot of Joe Girardi and Larry Rothschild practically leaping to their feet. Could one performance alter the Yankees’ stated intention to have Betances start the season in the minors?

During Betances’ inning of work, there was a very lively discussion in the YES booth. Jack Curry stated that the Yankees were very reticent to bring Betances north, but the door was slowly opening. After yesterday’s performance, you can officially consider it ajar. As Michael Kay noted, however, even if Betances does make the team, he’s likely to face an innings limit of around 120 innings, or about 20 starts. Although that might not seem like a great option, the best solution might be the one suggested by Ken Singleton: give Bartolo Colon or Freddy Garcia a chance to fail and then use Betances as a mid-season replacement, just like the Yankees did with Chien-Ming Wang in 2005. Of course, in order to do that, the Yankees will need to limit Betances’ innings in the minors. Considering the likelihood that the Yankees will need midseason rotation help, and Betances’ ability to provide it, wasting valuable bullets in the minors would be shortsighted.

One other thing worth noting from the conversation in the YES booth was Curry’s thought that had the team not signed Rafael Soriano, an arm like Betances could have been used as a shut-down reliever in the eighth. If for no other reason, Soriano’s signing should be considered a blessing if it helps prevent the team from turning its top-line arms into short relievers, although one would imagine the lessons learned from the Joba Chamberlain experience would prevent a repeat of the same mistakes. Continue Reading »

Posted in Baseball, Minors, MLB, Yankees | Leave a Comment »

Who’s a Bum? Remembering the Duke on His Own Terms

February 28, 2011 by William Juliano

Duke Snider’s Hall of Fame baseball career is ably defined by the statistics he compiled. However, it is his position as an ironic focal point in literature and song that have made his legacy even more enduring.

The book, of course, is Roger Kahn’s “The Boys of Summer”, which is more a story about the individuals on the early-1950s Dodgers than the team itself. In many ways, Kahn’s book, with its focus on the 1952 and 1953 seasons (the years he covered the team for the New York Herald Tribune) and often melancholy tone, permanently stamped those great Brooklyn teams as a hard luck lot whose failures are trumpeted ahead of their successes.

Now my old friend, The Bachelor; Well, he swore he was the Oklahoma Kid; And Cookie played hooky; To go and see the Duke; And me, I always loved Willie Mays; Those were the days!” – Lyrics from Terry Cashman’s “Talkin’ Baseball”

In 1981, songwriter Terry Cashman (known as Dennis Minogue when he was a pitcher in the Tigers’ farm system) wrote a baseball anthem that was called “Talkin’ Baseball”, but became better known by the thematic line that gave resonance to the song: “Willie, Mickey and the Duke”. Although Snider’s inclusion with the two immortals might seem like a nice tribute, the constant comparison was probably more of a curse. As great as Snider was during his career, the shadow cast by the two brighter stars in New York’s centerfield trinity was immense. As a result, Snider, like many of the teams for which he played, was often relegated to being an “also ran” just because he had the misfortune of playing the same position at the same time and in the same city as two of the game’s greatest players. Undoubtedly, that constant unfavorable comparison contributed to Snider having to wait 11 years before finally being inducted in the Hall of Fame.

Even though his career didn’t quite measure up to Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays, Snider still has a whole host of accomplishments that make him worthy of being mentioned along side those greats. His performance in the 1955 World Series is a shining example. In that series, Snider belted four homeruns, knocked in seven and had an OPS of 1.210, helping the Dodgers finally overcome the Yankees, the perpetual hurdle that prevented the franchise from winning the World Series in five prior attempts. It should also be pointed out that Snider’s 1955 series performance may not have even been his best. In the 1952 World Series, he also had four homers with one more RBI and a higher OPS of 1.215, but the Dodgers lost a tough game seven to the Yankees.

If the good burghers of Brooklyn are pinching themselves with unaccustomed violence this morning, they need do so no longer. It wasn’t a dream folks. Implausible though it may seem, the Dodgers won the world championship for the first time in their history yesterday. Honest, injun. It really did happen.” – Arthur Daley, New York Times, October 5, 1955

As my tribute to the Duke, his postseason numbers are presented alongside Mays and Mantle (including a head-to-head comparison with the latter). At least in this one respect, Snider didn’t take a backseat to his more acclaimed centerfield counterpart.

Willie and Mickey versus the Duke, Relative Postseason Performance

Player	G	PA	R	HR	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Willie	25	99	12	1	10	0.247	0.323	0.337	0.660
Mickey	65	273	42	18	40	0.257	0.374	0.535	0.908
The Duke	36	149	21	11	26	0.286	0.351	0.594	0.945

Source: Baseball-reference.com

Snider versus Mantle, Head-to-Head

Year	Player	G	PA	R	HR	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1952	Mantle	7	32	5	2	3	0.345	0.406	0.655	1.061
1952	Snider	7	31	5	4	8	0.345	0.387	0.828	1.215

1953	Mantle	6	27	3	2	7	0.208	0.296	0.458	0.755
1953	Snider	6	27	3	1	5	0.320	0.370	0.560	0.930

1955	Mantle	3	10	1	1	1	0.200	0.200	0.500	0.700
1955	Snider	7	28	5	4	7	0.320	0.370	0.840	1.210

1956	Mantle	7	30	6	3	4	0.250	0.400	0.667	1.067
1956	Snider	7	30	5	1	4	0.304	0.433	0.478	0.912