Matsui Drawing Interesting From The Tigers

post from Sliding Into Home: A Yankees Blog on 17 June 2009 11:08:00 AM. © Sliding Into Home: A Yankees Blog

No, not the Detroit Tigers, but the Hanshin Tigers of the Japanese Central League. According to NPB Tracker, members of the Tigers front office have made statements lately that indicate they would like to bring the Yankees DH back to Japan after his current contract runs out after this season. Here's some more from NPB Tracker (Hat-tip to River Ave. Blues):

Here?s what was said in Sponichi:
?There?s a feeling that if he comes back to Japan, it will be with Hanshin. He?s had knee issues, and if he?s going to play in Japan the natural grass at Koshien would be good.?

And Nikkan Sports:

?Certainly with that type of hitter, it wouldn?t be that we don?t have interest. Are the Yankees really not going to resign him, and if so, how much would we need? We want to do our homework so that if it comes to that, we?ll be able to move quickly.?

?Realistically money would be a problem.?

Comments attributed to Matsui appear in Sponichi:

?Of course, the best thing would be to continue to be a player who is needed by the Yankees. Of course I can?t even imagine playing for another team.?

?I might have to return to Japan.?

Obviously he's been hurt by injuries over the past three years, but I think Matsui has had a very solid career in pinstripes, and when you look at the numbers they back that up. In seven seasons in the Bronx he's hitting .292/.369/.484 with 122 homers and 535 RBI. Not too shabby. When healthy the guy was good for 290+, 20+, 100+ every year.

That said it looks like the end of the road for Matsui's Yankee career, so I think a move back to Japan would be the best move for him. He'll be back home, and you know the Japanese people will welcome him back with open arms and treat him like a returning hero. Hopefully he can head back to Japan with a brand new World Series ring.

... Here's a little more news on Matsui. Peter Abraham reported today that Matsui will most likely be limited to pinch-hitting while the Yankees play in National League ballparks next week. Joe Girardi feels that using him in the field could end up aggravating his sore knees.

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Picking My 2009 American League All Star Team

post from The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on 17 June 2009 10:58:35 AM. © The Ghost of Moonlight Graham

Yesterday, I picked my 2009 National League All Star team. So today, I will pick my 2009 American League All Star team.Like yesterday, I will follow the same rules that American League manager, Joe Maddon has to follow. I will pick 33 players and each team in the American League has to have a representative.StartersC. [...]

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81: Cmon, kid!

post from Braves And Stuff on 17 June 2009 10:43:44 AM. © Braves And Stuff

Comments and articles herein are the intellectual property and opinions of the writers and may not be copied without permission of the writers.by Savannah GuyWatched the first two innings last night. A pretty exciting evening it was, but not because of the listless, hapless Braves. About the time the Braves game was called, a powerful [...]

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Mets Howard Johnson - Player Collection

post from Sports Locker on 17 June 2009 10:42:00 AM. © Sports Locker

A puzzle can be easier to figure out when you take a step back and look it over from another angle. I recently did this while going through my baseball cards.

I have a TON of Howard Johnson baseball cards. By "ton" I mean, there's probably 100 of them. I know, it's not to the Andrew Miller, Evan Longoria, Tim Lincecum level talked about in the blogosphere (and thank goodness, I don't have that kind of budget), but after stepping back, I discovered that I have a pretty decent Howard Johnson collection. The one pictured here is the 1989 Topps, #383.
I became a Howard Johnson fan when he joined the NY Mets. HoJo was one of the early 30/30 members (before it became the bar for judging true stardom in the '90s). I liked his tough play on the field and his ability to steal a base or hit a home run.
One of my collecting projects this summer is to go through all of the Howard Johnson cards.

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What Can We Expect Tonight

post from Bronx Baseball Daily on 17 June 2009 10:38:13 AM. © Bronx Baseball Daily

Chien-Ming Wang is making another start tonight, this time against the Washington Nati(o)nals. I[...]

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6-man rotation

post from Love My Team on 17 June 2009 10:30:26 AM. © Love My Team

The Red Sox seem to be planning to spend the next couple of weeks with a 6-man rotation. If you[...]

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Wednesday Rockpile: So This is What Losing Feels
Like

post from Purple Row on 17 June 2009 10:18:00 AM. © Purple Row

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

It was that kind of night for Josh Fogg and the Rockies.

Browse more photos »

Well, it was nice while it lasted. As Chaucer might have said, all good things must come to an end.

Last night the Rays ended the Rockies' franchise record-tying 11 game winning streak forcefully, pounding out 12 extra base hits off of a staff that seemed to lose its touch against a potent lineup. Nick Zaccardi believes that it was Ian Stewart's missed pop-up in the second that was the catalyst for disaster, while Troy Renck eulogizes the streak.

Dave Krieger, meanwhile, hopes this streak marks an end to Colorado's bad habits.

To wit:

What we have here is a remake of the old television game show "To Tell the Truth." Will the real Rocks please stand up?
Are they the outfit that went 20-32 through June 3? The group that's gone 11-1 since? Something in between?

The question posed here is certainly a valid one--the fact that during the streak the Rockies finally performed up to their potential doesn't negate their horrible execution during the first two months of the season. As Krieger says though, this streak has given the Rockies the means to at least be competitive in the division and the wild card.

As a further gut punch, Renck talked briefly with could-have-been Rockie Evan Longoria.

With the loss the Rockies fell to two games below .500 and 3.5 games back in the Wild Card standings and their BP playoff odds decreased by 4.2%. The Rockies haven't been at .500 since April 15th, when they were 4-4. Steve Foster writes some Quick Hits about the streak-breaker. Now let us never speak of that game again.

Greg Smith threw a four-inning simulated game yesterday, an encouraging sign for the rotation's pitching depth. Were one of our starters to be injured, it is likely that a healthy Smith would get the call. Franklin Morales was brilliant yesterday, but his inconsistency in his minor league stint has been jarring.

Taylor Buchholz is undergoing Tommy John surgery this morning--best of luck to the would-be set-up man. Also mentioned in the article is news about Ryan Speier's bullpen session.

Finally, for those of you who read power rankings, Fox Sports' rankings have the Rockies moving up 12 slots to 13--and it mentions the fact that the Rockies had a ridiculously tough first month.

This rapid uptick underscores the fact that the Rockies were woefully underrated by the national media until this streak, considering their peripherals and schedule. If you buy into the recent-performance bit of power rankings, I think the Rockies are placed just about right.

Of course, in my opinion power rankings are quintessential filler--though those tied to a statistical formula (like Baseball Prospectus' Hit List) are more useful than others.

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http://www.purplerow.com/2009/6/17/912185/wednesday-rockpile-so-this-is-what

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Ex-MLB Player Hall Convicted of Sexually
Assaulting 12-year-old

post from A Die Hard Yankees Fan on 17 June 2009 09:51:00 AM. © A Die Hard Yankees Fan

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Former major league outfielder Mel Hall was found guilty Tuesday of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl he coached on an elite basketball team a decade ago.

A Tarrant County jury took about 90 minutes to convict the 48-year-old Hall on three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child.

The sentencing phase was to resume Wednesday after two witnesses testified Tuesday afternoon. Hall faces up to life in prison.

Hall's accuser, now 23, testified Monday that Hall engaged in sex acts with her in various places, including her home and Hall's apartment.

Hall was arrested in 2007 by police in a Fort Worth suburb investigating allegations of sexual abuse.

His 13-year major league career ended in 1996, two years before Hall met the girl's family at a basketball tournament. The girl's father asked for baseball tips for his son, but Hall's friendship with the family grew through basketball, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

Hall was impressed with the girl's talent and wanted to start a basketball team, according to testimony. Soon, he was giving the girl private lessons and stayed in the family home while he was apparently building a house in a nearby suburb.

The woman testified that Hall first exposed himself to her and her younger brother at home, when their parents were away. The boy testified that he thought they were playing a game and never told his parents.

Hall's interaction with the girl progressed to inappropriate touching and him showing her how to perform oral sex, she testified. She said he also showed her pornographic movies at an apartment Hall shared with his girlfriend and their infant son.

"I trusted him," the woman testified. "I honestly had no idea anything was inappropriate at the time. I looked up to him. I just thought this is how normal people act."

The investigation by North Richland Hills police also involved a 14-year-old girl who played on the team. Hall faces charges in that case. A trial is pending.

Sickening!

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La Russa, Torre named All-Star coaches (AP)

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa will join Dodgers manager Joe Torre as an NL coach for next month's All-Star game in St. Louis. Torre said last month he had been selected by Philadelphia's Charlie Manuel, the NL manager. AL manager Joe Maddon of Tampa Bay picked Kansas City's Trey Hillman and Seattle's Don Wakamatsu as [...]

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Joe Torre Named To All-Star Game Coaching Staff

post from 6-4-2 ? an Angels/Dodgers double play blog on 17 June 2009 09:43:00 AM. © 6-4-2 ? an Angels/Dodgers double play blog

Joe Torre was selected by Charlie Manuel to be a coach on this year's NL All-Star team.

AL manager Joe Maddon wanted to tap Mike Scioscia for his team, "but league officials advised otherwise, since Scioscia almost certainly will coach next season, when the All-Star Game is played in Anaheim."

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http://6-4-2.blogspot.com/2009/06/joe-torre-named-to-all-star-game.html

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