Red Sox win Matsuzaka lottery: Well, if out-bidding your nearest rival by an extreme amount is "winning." But if the new meme in MLB is that starting pitching is everything, then the Red Sox invested wisely in plunking down $51.1 million for the rights to try to sign Daisuke Matsuzaka. What price, top-line starting pitching? And if you put him in the mix with Schilling, Beckett and Papelbon, that's as good a foursome as there is in the AL.
Presuming they can sign him, the Sox are the team to beat in the AL East, if not the entire
A sidebar that's going to be fascinating is seeing what kind of deal
(But I'm totally in agreement with the analysts pointing out the halo effect for the Red Sox in
More of today's storylines:
Worst book idea ever? That would be OJ's upcoming book about how he WOULD have killed Nicole Brown...you know...if he hadn't been...uh...innocent.
Brandon Webb wins NL Cy, beating out my choice, the ageless Trevor Hoffman, who both led the NL in saves AND set the career saves record, in addition to leading his team to the playoffs. Is Webb the least distinguished NL Cy winner of the last decade? Of the ESPN Era?
Today's Awards: Managers. This one is easy: In the AL, it's Jim Leyland in a rout. In the NL, it's Joe Girardi. Anything else is a joke.
Zitopalooza: The Rangers are reportedly interested in Barry Zito. Scott Boras just got giddy at the thought of the Rangers and Mets trying to out-bid each other. And that's AFTER he does his Matsuzaka deal.
A-Rod opt-out in '07? Interesting note in today's NY Post: A-Rod has an opt-out deal after '07, which could let him become a free agent (if he's willing to trade the $27 million per season owed to him for, say, $20 million and the right to pick his destination).
NFL Notes: (1) Vinny Testaverde to the Pats. Who doesn't want to see him end up playing? Let him try a drop-kick! (2) Lions assistant coach Joe "Driving While Naked" Cullen is going to get a plea deal. (3) Apparently, Leon Washington's football card has him flashing the bird. He claims it's a hand-signal to his old neighborhood, but it doesn't matter: All of a sudden, that's his claim to fame. Enjoy. (4) Trent Green is cleared to play. If you're KC, do you stick with Huard after last week's impotent loss? (5) Albert Haynesworth is back from his suspension. Not sure if there's a welcome mat.
NFL Network vs. Congress: Ostensibly, they were talking about the subscriber fee that NFL Net is demanding cable systems pay them, or they'll hold out on actual game programming on, say, Thanksgiving. Cable systems are balking. Here's what I'd say if I was a cable system: Sure, NFL, I'll pay you 70 cents per subscriber for the NFL Network... IF you let cable systems have access to "Sunday Ticket," which is currently only available to DirecTV subscribers. I've never understood the NFL's judgment on this: Sure, "Sunday Ticket" basically made DirecTV's business, but aren't they keeping the NFL from millions of willing buyers by not letting it be available on cable?
OSU-Michigan Countdown: Has anyone else noticed that each team has just a single truly "quality" win? And OSU's win over
(Please stop saying that
The winner of this game obviously deserves to be in the national-title game, but the loser will have precisely one quality win to point to. Hardly championship-worthy.
Bobby Knight "slap" incident, Day 2: There IS no Day 2. This thing fizzled almost as soon as it started. His AD defends him. The player and his parents defend him.
Give Knight credit: For all his volatility, he knows how to defuse situations. He gave playful slaps on the rear to several of his players last night. Outraged columnists, this simply wasn't the incident to harp on.
(The one argument from his defenders I still don't get is that somehow "discipline" – in the larger sense, not just for Knight -- is equated to "physically touching someone." Why argue that's OK?)
More college hoops: It's cupcake time! No. 1 Florida won by 46. No. 2 UNC won by 22.
NBA: Melo's 33 trumped Dwyane's 37 because Shaq had 0 (in a DNP-Knee). It's hard to gauge the state of the Heat when they play without Shaq. Isn't the fact they were in the game late a signal that with a healthy Shaq, they're still the team to beat? Meanwhile, the Jazz are 7-1 after beating the Clippers by 22. Who turned them into the Spurs?
Finally: I'm always impressed with the way that MLB Hot Stove news finds a way to grab headlines during what should otherwise be a dead season for baseball. I think it really entrenched itself in the A-Rod/Red Sox situation a few seasons ago. Anyway, this is amazing: It's the middle of November. It's the week of Ohio St-Michigan, it's the middle of NFL season, it's the start of college hoops and the NBA is heating up -- and what is the biggest story of the midweek? The Red Sox signing a Japanese pitcher that the vast majority of MLB fans have never even really seen play.
-- D.S.
Posts
44 comments:
I have some words of advise to Theo.
DON'T F--K THIS UP!!!!!!
Matsuzaka's $51 million with his actual contract with the Red Sox, you're looking at what could be a $20 million-a-year pitcher. Whoa.
Lord I hope not. Anything short of CY will be a collossal failure. The Sox mgt are smarter than that.
He's a proven phenom in Japan, but they don't exactly have sluggers/batsmiths that MLB does.
We've taken their best (Ichiro, Matsui) but have seen far more failed attempts (Nomo, Irabu, Kaz, etc)
4yrs, 12-13 million tops.
here's a great preseason tourney
Coaches Vs. Cancer
Semis:
St. Johns vs. Maryland
Michigan St. vs. Texas
that's pretty solid
Dan-
I agree. The sox can make this all back in deals with japaneese companies. if you read gammons, he says that they are sending someone over there for two weeks for marketing.
12-13 million per year, that is.
I don't know, more than a stirkeout per inning in a league that contains mostly contact hitters, that's a pretty good sign no? I guess we'll wait and see...
And I agree with ndyanksfan05. As much as I hate ARod (his classless play in the 04 ALCS, slapping the ball sealed it for me) he has been productive for the yanks and treated unfairly, but I don't think he'll opt out.
The rationale this AM I heard on Boston radio is that the Red Sox are now in the driver's seat. Boras does not have any more leverage with Matsuzaka, in theory, because he can't pit teams against each other (a la "Bowling for Zito"). Therefore the Sox can set a price- maybe even below market. Matsuzaka made "only" $3 million last season for Seibu. Even if the Sox double his salary, they get a relative bargain. And word is Daisuke does NOT want to go back to Japan next season (he would dishonor himself after indirectly declaring his desire for better competition in MLB).
I say it ends up splitting the difference between the $12 mil per Mussina signed for and the $6 mil that would double Matsuzaka's salary from Japan.
Call it an even $9 million per over 4 years. Maybe 5 if the Sox want to commit that long... heck, he's only 26 now- he'd still be just 31.
The best thing about Joakim Noah? His mom posed nude for pictures that are available on the internet.
Ain't that a bitch, and how have those posters NOT shown up at games?
How exactly is Boston the team to beat after getting the bidding rights for a pitcher that is unproven against major league hitters?
Top to bottom, I still think the Yankees, Tigers, Twins, and White Sox are more complete teams than Boston.
Regarding the Red Sox' marketing rights:
I keep hearing conflicting reports on this, so I'm not sure what to believe.
Some say that the Red Sox can recoup the whole $51.1M in a couple years with new marketing, TV rights, and souvenier sales.
Others say that isn't true, because of the revenue sharing plan in MLB that splits all the money evenly.
I think the Sox would be allowed to keep money made on new signage in Fenway, but would be forced to share the money earned in deals for NESN in Japan, or more hats & jerseys being sold in Tokyo.
It might take a few more years, but the owners will recover the money. It's an investment, like everything else they do.
I agree, Wisconsin is weak. The only reason they have just 1 loss is that they had a weak non-conference schedule, played in the weak Big 10, and didn't have Ohio State on the schedule this year. If everyone is going to accuse Rutgers, WVU, and Louisville of having an inflated BCS ranking because they didn't play anybody, then the same holds true for Wisconsin.
Matsuzaka IS proven against Major League hitters. He proved it in the World Baseball classic. He'll be fantastic until people figure him out. For the most part, Japanese and other Asian pitchers have done well in the Majors in the first year or so because of the "unorthodox" delivery. Nomo won NL Rookie of the Year and B-Y Kim was fantastic until his meltdown in the WS. Irabu was just a fat slob. Matsuzaka will be fine for the first year or so, then we'll see.
Arguing that the Heat aren't a great team without Shaq, doesn't that negate the argument that Wade is better than LeBron because he has a title? If LeBron had Shaq, he'd probably have 2 titles by now.
Thank you, Dan Mega. Matsuzaka is unproven - how is anybody going to argue that he's a #1 starter? He has "colossal bust" written all over him.
Re: the NFL Sunday Ticket issue, TMQ has a pretty interesting take on it. If it was available on cable I would subscribe to it right away.
One day your all over Papelbon's finish in the ROY voting, the next your praising him as part of what could be the best rotation in the AL next season.
Ohio St wins vs Bowl teams
Texas
Penn St
Iowa
Minnesota (maybe)
Cincinnati (maybe)
Indiana (maybe)
Michigan wins vs Bowl Teams
Notre Dame
Wisconsin
Penn St
Iowa
Central Michigan
Minnesota (maybe)
Indiana (maybe)
At the time, the Iowa wins definately were "quality" wins. The Penn St wins should also qualify.
Michigan definately has 2 big wins in Wisconsin and Notre Dame
It doesn't really matter anyway. OSU and Michigan are clearly the best 2 teams
Hey Marcomarco. a couple things
(a) Lets say anything short of a CY Young Award like season, cause we all know the best doesnt always win it.
(b) 4 years x 12 Mil per = 48 Mil + 51 mil = 99 mil or 25 mil per year. So basically you discounted this Matsuzaka's $51 million with his actual contract with the Red Sox, you're looking at what could be a $20 million-a-year pitcher. Whoa. by upping the price.
It's a shame George and Brian Cashman weren't willing to go the extra mile to ensure the best possible product on the field next year. Mussina for 2 more years?
As for being untested against major league hitters, isn't that the AL fans' snide commentary against NL pitchers? Maybe the Japan leagues (they did win the WBC) might consider the NL quad-A and the AL quint-A as minor leagues, anyway.
Steve Bedrosian doesn't exactly send chills down my back on the list of Cy Young winners, either.
Does Leon Washington have a better, more famous older brother as a teammate?
Honestly, I'd like to see Congress bitch-slap the "almighty" NFL just once, so they can see how it feels. Lord knows, baseball takes it up the tushie all the time.
And if you try to dig up blemishes on OSU and Michigan, then aren't you really trying to come to the conclusion that there are NO good college football teams? As in, Why have the championship, because they apparently *all* suck? Come on, already.
And I do agree the A-Rod winter of 03-04 did suddenly make the hot stove much more of something to follow....and hey, it's way more riveting than NFL draft previews in March.
Hey big d.
NESN while a majority of it is owned by the Sox is still a seperate entity and is not subject to revenue sharing.
What is being said is most expect Boston to mainly feel the effects in terms of merchandise sold such as Matsuzaka jerseys in Japan which is subject to revenue sharing.
My suggestion to Boston is to perhaps branch off of NESN with a full japanese language version that includes japanese language play by play for each game and studio shows with Japanese hosts (perhaps Matsuzaka's wife who is a reporter?). This could be more benefitting if Boston also wins the rights to that third baseman which will be announced later this week.
In order to do this though, Boston would have to make a solid commitment to Japanese players. SHould they add a NESN Japan type channel in Japan then they would make million and millions on the advertising for commercials and stuff there.
Another thing to look at would be Japanese language merchandise such as what the Patriots are doing since it was announced they would be playing in China next pre-season.
ndyanks -
I won't accept any criticism like this about Michigan (re:Ball State), so I might as well jump in for Florida too.
Do you realize that Florida has played 10 games in 11 weeks? And in the next month, they have to play W. Carolina, Florida State (which, let's assume, they expected to be more of a game than it's looking like right now), and an SEC Championship Game. I hope you can forgive them for not scheduling ND in the middle of that.
If you paid any attention to my annoyed ranting after the UM-Ball State game, you might remember that I said Michigan was resting all their players, because they freaking need it. When it comes down to it, I wish they hadn't even scheduled that game, because it meant that everybody on the team had to dress and play for 11 straight weeks coming into the biggest football game possible. But somebody decided we need 12 games, and I guess Ball State's coach used to be an assistant here at UM, so we "played" the Cardinals.
Working a year in advance, it's suicide and/or cruelty to your players to schedule a gauntlet of Big Ten or SEC teams (all of which could end up being pretty good in any given season).
Tell me The Class of the Independents doesn't pepper the bullshit games in there, even if they have "traditions and rivalries" to excuse themselves.
Travis,
(a). Good point
(b). So is it confirmed that $51m is money spent regardless of signing? Does team Theo recoup that $ if no deal is inked?
That $51 doesn't go to the player. I'd consider that a deposit on future negotiations as well. Sox are on the map in Japan, and hope to establish as strong a presence as the Dominican.
Gyro man, 4y 12-13m per.
Side note, heard an interesting analogy about the infamous 'Gyro Ball' which prompted some googling.
Sidd Finch
Why/how, exactly, did the Red Sox come up with $51.1M as the number they would bid?
marcomarco
The $51.1 million posting fee is due in full following Bostons signing of Matsuzaka, ONLY if Boston signs him. IF Boston and Boras fail to make an deal the fee is voided and Matsuzaka returns to Japan for 1 year before being a free agent after 2007.
Japanese players with WS rings:
Irabu - 2 (what the?)
Iguchi - 1
Taguchi - 1
Only Irabu was a legit star in Japan. Then he became the fat toad in NY and stole two rings in the process.
Just sayin'...
Also, yes, Dan, everybody who reads this have "noticed" that you are granting OSU and Michigan "one quality win" (or less) each.
In what could be Scar Tissue's first good post ever, he turns the camera around and points out that everything you say about Wisconsin, and especially about Texas, is double-plus-true for EVERYBODY on UF's schedule. I think, if we went around the horn, we would be able to say some pretty devastating things about every team, except maybe UM and OSU (aside from the brand new observations that you have been bringing up for two weeks). And Rutgers, unless you count that scrape against UConn. And Boise State, unless you count the scare against ...SJSU, plus the fact that they suck.
USC - lost, to lame team.
ND - killed, at home.
UF - see above.
Rutgers - I like Rutgers, but I can count their "quality wins" on zero, maybe one, fingers. (We'll see about WVU, of course).
Arkansas - killed, at home.
WVU - hahaha. I told you bitches. Go back to high school and learn some fundamentals.
Wisconsin - lost once. No super-great wins.
Louisville - I likewise told you bitches.
LSU - how many times have they lost now?
Boise State - talk to me again about creampuff schedules.
Texas - killed at home, lost to KSU.
Auburn - maybe it wasn't that defense in the big SEC showdown early on; maybe LSU's offense just sucked.
Cal - killed plus lost equals nope.
Alright, that's 15. How far down must I go?
CFB is hard to do well; consistency is almost all we have to go on. Wisconsin has managed that, against a bunch of teams that could certainly beat 110 Div I-A teams on a really great day.
oh, and ludakris -
That's so silly I'll let it stand for itself. He who makes the most typos and the longest run-on sentence does not necessarily win. And I think Indiana would beat Georgia. inter alia. Deal with it.
I HATE PEOPLE WHO THINK DAISUKE "GYROMAN" MATSUZAKA ISN'T GOOD
I present to you the LeBron James argument.....
Lebron played in high school (easily considered a bigger difference from the NBA than the Japanesse League is to the MLB) and everyone said he was unproven, he can't play on real defenders.
I saw the WBC and that gyroball is for real. search gyroball on youtube and find the 22 sec clip. watch the rotation, that ain't no breaking ball.
He was the MVP of the WBC!!!
Don't say he's unproven. That's shortsighted. The US didn't get into the finals and this guy was the MVP.
It is predicted the red sox are going to go nuts with this. How great is this idea! They want to green screen a ton of the ads in Fenway so that they can be sold TWICE. once to american companies and once to japanesse for their broadcast. Apparently they are trying to get a deal to have all of Gyromans starts on Japanesse TV. Imagine the bidding was for those rights in Japan. And that money isn't shared like the jersey money.
Gammons says that there will now be a Yankee/Sox rivalry cause it's Matsui/Matsuzaka now. I suspect that if they make a tv deal and get a share of the commercials sold when Gyroman pitches against the yankees that's a TON OF MONEY.
Overall a very good deal because they can get the money back.
UGA would beat Indiana 9 times out of 10. As it would Vandy and Kentucky. That being said, All three could beat UGA and this year, very well might. However, don't forget that UGA has athletes on par with USC, Miami, UF, Texas, OSU and Michigan.
We put more guys in the League than 115 schools in 1-A. UGA might be having the worst year in recent memory, BUT, they still know how to win.
All that to say, I think we suck this year, our D doesn't show up very often, BUT as long as Georgia Tech has Reggie Ball, UGA wins. Case closed.
Any word on the status of OJ's next book: "How I Would Have Looked for the Real Killers (If I Hadn't Done It Myself)?
ndyanks - sure. I don't think I said otherwise.
Also, I let everything else in your previous comment go, seeing no need for correction. But you shouldn't take my word for it - if ND beats USC and USC hasn't suffered a loss to Cal, y'all are probably bouncing up to #2. Isn't that all the agreement you need?
ludakris -
Umm... Oregon State. They're lame because they're not good. Unranked teams generally don't have that much going for them.
West Virginia, as far as I can tell, FUMBLES the ball "VERY nicely."
And what I told you was that Louisville was going to lose to Rutgers, because they are not as dominant as many people claimed. In fact, I believe Rutgers, by actually playing defense, shut them down.
What I said, specifically, was that Rutgers's defense would be solid, Rutgers wouldn't hand Louisville tons of points by fumbling or making boneheaded special teams plays, and Louisville had no chance of stopping Rice. I estimated that Rice would run for "a buck-fifty," which was off by a total of 19 yards.
And the reason I attacked your grammar and spelling was that I realized there was no way to actually figure out whether Vandy would actually beat Wisconsin, as you had proposed. I just knew that your argument was so patently ridiculous that there was no way logic could ever hope to fight it.
manningham -
... i don't even know, dude.
and florida's quality win is against which 2 loss team? or is it against 3 loss Tenn? oh that's right, they lost to a team with 2 losses too!
not to mention they needed a guy (Moss) who is being suspeneded THIS week against W.Carolina to block a few kicks last week to get them the W at home 17-16 v. SC.
Wonder if they weren't playing Spurrier if he (Moss) would have been suspended last week.
You call Wisco's schedule "cream puff" when florida's non-conf consists of W. Carolina and C. Florida...and the bully of the bunch Southern Miss...which we all know must suck as a football team since Favre went there right?
@scar tissue
ever notice that dan kicks the conversation off and we spend the thread talking to one another? I enjoy reading and reacting to the opinions of others smart enough to construct an argument, whereas you just come in and talk shit about Dan who you must be in love with or have at the least a man crush on because of the way you stalk him. I'm also picking up a hint of abandonment issues with what you post, relating dan's departure from page 2 and your own...father/mother? leaving you at an early age.
So Boston has no closer, no right fielder, no short stop. They have a disgruntled left fielder, a flop in center field and Josh Beckett, not the All Star anyone expected. Their overpaid catcher suffered a serious and predictable decline last year. And they're relying on two 40 year olds in the rotation.
But hey, they got Matsuzaka and he can pitch every day and play every position just like Bugs Bunny. World Series Champs, baby!
haha, maher - awesome.
We still on for Golden Corral Saturday night?
Can anyone tell me what is going on with the manninghams?
big smitty,
Being a Sawx fan you should learn to sppel
;)
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but Papelbon did start some games at the end of the season two years ago and pitched fairly well.
I dunno...I didn't know the Japanese pitcher was the biggest story midweek. I'm pretty well entrenched in Michigan/OSU
How in the world has everyone forgotten that OJ was found guilty of murdering Nicole and Ron? Just because he was found innocent in the criminal trial (due to some pretty shitty prosecuting I might add) doesn't change the fact that he was found guilty in the civil trial and is officially held liable for the deaths of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman.
What the...Dan, are you kidding me? The Sox the favorites to win the AL next season? Their rotation includes Paplebon - who has yet to prove he's a good starter, Schilling - who's about 700 years old, Beckett - who's extremely overrated, Wakefield - let's just move on, and Matsazuka...how many Japanese pitchers have been successful for more than a year or two in MLB - that's right, NONE.
Plus, they have major holes at 2B, SS, CF, and the bullpen that they won't be able to fill now. And keep in mind that, although Matsazuka is only 26 years old, he's thrown about as many innings as someone 30ish would have here...
(And Zito will be a bust as well - all the Oakland starters throw a lot of innings early in their careers, then break down a couple years later (see: Hudson, Tim and Mulder, Mark), and Zito threw more innings than the others. Plus he doesn't have the stuff of a #1 starter.
guyinthecorner -
I hate to interrupt your arguement with this, but your analogy is flawed. LeBron was playing against high school competition, but he was also 17-18 years old, and was still growing physically and mentally. Plus he got lots of time against NBA-caliber talent at the elite camps, in summer league, and so forth. Matsuzuka is not still growing and improving, so your analogy really doesn't quite work.
Unfortunately the only thing required to be found guilty in a civil trial is to convince a judge that OJ is to blame somehow for the death.
I'm not saying he's guilty or innocent, but nothing can be based on the results of a civil trial. OJ could have been held liable of her death simply by being a bad husband to her, therefore leading her to this Ron Goldman guy. All kinds of idiocy is passed in court for truth in civil cases if enough money is involved, just ask the dumbshit who convinced a judge it was McDonald's fault she spilled coffee on herself while driving.
@ jhawkjjm:
Yes, Papelbon did win a few starts down the stretch in '05 and looked good doing it.
Julian Tavarez looked unstoppable as a starter last season when all hope was lost in September. I still wouldn't feel too confident about him as my #3 going into this season.
And I'm as Die-Hard as Red Sox fans get.
College Football - no scandals?
Funniest statement on this thread so far.
SMU, the entire SEC (minus Vandy), "Fifth Down", Reggie Bush's parents' housing, a team's player being suspended indefinitely only to be reinstated in time for a key game...
Yeah, it's perfect - perfectly in line with the rest of sports.
Sweet, I'm not the only Hockey fan on this board!
luda -
Their defense didn't allow anywhere near 44 points.
West Virginia's offense - touchdown allowed off fumble at 13-yd line.
West Virginia's special teams - touchdown on the worst punt/coverage I have ever seen in my whole life.
I don't even need any more to make my point.
44 - 14 = 30.
34 > 30.
And did you mean, they fumbled 7 times, losing 3, 2 of which were part of the 4-play, 3-fumble sequence which ended with a Louisville touchdown?
Moron.
I'm done with you.
what is this "hockey" you speak of
is that the thing where you go to the mall instead of going to school?
or did are you referring to that dance that the kindergarten children do with all that "shaking all about" and the "putting your right foot in" and simply leaving out the "pokey"?
Not making an attempt to sign Matsawhatever would be the dumbest thing the Boston front office has done yet (dumber than 4-$40 mill to Beckett). Doing so would piss off all of Japan and the other Asian countries, plus it would piss off the biggest agent in all of sports, Scott Boras. That being said, it's still a possibility, because quite frankly I'm not sure the Sox front office knows what the hell they're doing right now.
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