Da Techguy's (no longer backup) Blog

I’m a big fan of signing a veteran pitcher when you have a young staff that could use some seasoning.

So the Red Sox signing of John Smoltz to me is a very good move. With the quantity of young pitchers on the staff the presence of a vet with the experience and presence of a John Smoltz can only make them better.

With the signing of Brad Penny as well that gives them 4 new players coming off injury shortened seasons. SI has some thoughts:

It could be that they’re just being smart. Those four players are each signed to incentive-laden one-year contracts that will cost the Red Sox a base total of $12.2 million, or $4.25 million less than the Yankees will pay the injury-prone A.J. Burnett in the first year of his five-year contract (or, to turn the tables on Boston, just $200,000 more than they’ll pay the rapidly-aging Mike Lowell in the second year of his three-year contract).

If even one of them pan out for the season it will turn out to be more smart moves for one from one of the smartest GM’s in the league.

I think he should have just stuck with his I’m not a Rickey guy.

After Rob Neyer of ESPN, Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard, the mighty Deadspin, and a whole slew of bloggers who picked up our lead in questioning Simpson’s glaring omission of MLB’s all-time steals leader from his 2008 Ballot and created an online lynch mob …

Well, Corky wants to say that if he could do it again … he’d vote for Rickey.

Too little, too late in my book.

He also could have said: “Hey if Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Bob Gibson, Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson, Stan Musial, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson or Tom Seaver or any of the other fine candidates of the last 40 years didn’t get in with 100% of the vote what makes Rickey think he deserves that honor?”

Yeah Rickey deserves the vote but C’mon.

Via Baseball musings.

The Baseball Hall of fame voting is coming up the only shoo-in on the list is Rickey Henderson. Of the remaining people on the list only David Cone and Mark Grace even deserve a thought and that thought would be brief.

As for the people already on the list Harold Baines, Bert Blyleven, Andre Dawson. Tommy John, Don Mattingly, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Tim Raines, Jim Rice, Lee Smith and Alan Trammell. Other than Parker and Baines and perhaps Mattingly there isn’t anyone on the list that would be a bad choice. There are currently people in the Hall less worthy than any one of them. Personally I’d vote of Blyleven, Dawson and perhaps Rice and Murphy. Jack Morris is a tough call for me but still a no. So is Trammell

Ironically if I had to pick a starter for a single game from the list above that I had to win; it would be Morris. Likewise if I needed one hit at one critical at bat from the list, my choice would be Baines.