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When Curt Flood was told after the 1969 season that he had been traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for Dick Allen, he didn’t want to go. There were a lot of reasons Flood did not want to report to Philadelphia–from the memories of being traded while he was just starting out in professional baseball that still stung to not being told himself by the team (he found out from a beat reporter). And so, he decided to fight the reserve clause.

A Well Paid Slave doesn’t paint Flood as a hero who toppled the system (his lost his famous court case, even if it did get the ball rolling) but rather a man who wanted to be a hero like the man he admired the most: Jackie Robinson. Curt Flood was a man with many flaws, which Brad Snyder shows us, but he was also a man of conviction. He was often very selfish and irresponsible in his personal life but he gave up any future he had in baseball when he got the ball rolling in Flood vs Kuhn.

Snyder’s book is long and meticiulously researched, filled with notations and sporting a huge bibliography. It’s not a romantic view of Curt Flood’s court battles, but rather an extremely scholarly effort that details all the wins, losses and hitches on the road that Flood and Marvin Miller faced along the way. A very even-handed effort, A Well Paid Slave paints a picture of Flood as a man who very desperately wanted to be someone great and help out his fellow ballplayers, but who had a very troubled personal life. The treatment of the other people involved in the case, such as Bowie Kuhn, is similar. Nobody is an angel or a demon.

A fascinating and interesting read, the only real issue with the book is that Brad Snyder’s writing is a bit dry and more academic than what one expects while reading a book about sports. This is not a bad thing–and it does show that sports can be approached as a serious topic–but don’t expect to blaze through the book.

In the end, Curt Flood did not win his case and the reserve clause remained in full effect until 1975 but his fight led the way and anyone who loves baseball owes it to themselves to learn about his trials.

Those are three ridiculous lineups. Then, the pitching looks something like this:

Yikes. It’s really going to be a dog fight in 2009.

Situation #1, which allows all the best bats on the field at once is:

Johnny Damon (CF – L)
Derek Jeter (SS – R)
Mark Teixeira (1B – S)
Alex Rodriguez (3B – R)
Jorge Posada (C – S)
Hideki Matsui (DH – L)
Robinson Cano (2B -L)
Xavier Nady (LF – R)
Nick Swisher (RF – S)

The bench would be Brett Gardner or Melky Cabrera, Jose Molina, and some unidentified utility guys like Cody Ransom.

If the team wants to go with the best defense in the outfield it would be:

Johnny Damon (LF – L)
Derek Jeter (SS – R)
Mark Teixeira (1B – S)
Alex Rodriguez (3B – R)
Jorge Posada (C – S)
Hideki Matsui (DH – L)
Robinson Cano (2B -L)
Nick Swisher (RF – S)
Brett Gardner/Melky Cabrera (CF – L/S)

I personally like option #2 better because Nady could play against LHP and spell everyone so there are lots of days off and rest all around. Damon has average range in CF but his arm is made out of wet, then dried, then soaked again noodle so I’d prefer not to see that. Swisher is a very versatile guy and could also play CF in a pinch although he doesn’t play there often and said he isn’t very comfortable. I am just a bit scarred from the defense last year, plus I don’t really think that much of Nady.

My thoughts are that the Yankees are probably done tinkering with the lineup as such, but I wouldn’t really be surprised to see them move Nady for a hitting prospect of some kind. There is also the dilemma of what to do with Jeter because even if he doesn’t think so his days at shortstop are certainly numbered. The Yankees have no internal replacement for him but he should probably be moved very soon. This gives me nightmare visions of Derek Jeter: Designated Hitter I would prefer not to think about.

Anyway that is a really good lineup and they spent a lot of money on pitching too so it isn’t a Detroit Tigers 2008 scenario, though of course a lot of people could all get hurt again and then it’ll be like the early 1990s and I will be sad.

• It’s pretty dumb of the Angels, if it’s true. They are pretty much the only team that “needs” him. Maybe they’ll take a look at Manny and save Yankees fans from Randy Levine stepping in and signing him. On the other hand, the Angels could sign Jason Giambi for a one year deal until they can find something better to plug in. While he is said to be close to signing with the A’s, the Angels could with no doubt offer more money. Batting average and overrated first base fielding ability aside, their numbers are pretty similar.
• This might actually make it more likely that Teixeira will end up with the Red Sox. The bidders that we know are certain far are the Nationals, the Orioles and the Red Sox and Boston offered a deal for something like 8/180. If nobody comes up to offer that 10 year deal that Boras is looking for and he wants to play for a big name team right away, then Boston it is. Baltimore would likely become good over the course of his contract, but if you can’t get what you’re looking for other factors come into play.
• This may be a sign that teams are recognizing that while Teixeira is an elite MLB player (there is no doubt of this) he isn’t really worth the deal that you’d give someone like Alex Rodriguez or Albert Pujols if he hit the open market.

Finally, I found this paragraph in the article really funny because it shows you how the Yankees get tied to things when there isn’t any evidence they’re involved:

The Angels’ withdrawal would appear to narrow the field for the switch-hitting Teixeira to the Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles and, presumably, the Red Sox and New York Yankees. It is unknown if the Yankees have made an offer on Teixeira or if the Red Sox’s offer – believed to be in the neighborhood of $170 million over eight years – still stands.

Things that are not particularly cool:

• CC has a ton of innings logged and while I think the Yankees will be more careful with him than the Brewers or Indians were the last two years he could still start slow like in 2008.
• CC has a ton of innings logged and is a big in every way guy. If he doesn’t shape up a bit, he might age really badly or his knees, legs and back could degrade quickly. Scary!
• It’s being reported that they were able to get him to sign by offering him an opt-out clause after the first three years. I think by now it’s obvious that if you give someone that clause, they’ll take it. Unless of course he is horrible and then he won’t take it, which would also not be ideal.
• The Yankees lineup is still meh and old and not very exciting and they probably will not sign Mark Teixeira because of the longevity he is looking for/being offered. That would be okay if they did something like sign Adam Dunn but they aren’t doing that either because…
• They are offering Derek Lowe absurd years and money and expecting him to be amazing in the AL East which will probably not happen.

But oh well at least one good thing has happened so far.

• The Veterans Committee failed to vote in any post-War players like Dick Allen or Ron Santo. Boo on you, Veterans Committee.
• CC Sabathia isn’t signing before the meetings are over and if the Giants offer him anything that doesn’t suck, he’s going there so yeah he’s going there to lose games 1-0.
• The Yankees are going to offer a two year deal to Ben Sheets he probably won’t take, which is too bad because that’s pretty reasonable.
• There have been a lot of ridiculous what the fuck rumors like Jeff Franceour straight-up for Zack Greinke that are shot down twenty minutes later. I am thinking of starting one of these myself, it sounds like fun.
• Jake Peavy’s about to be traded…wait no he’s not…okay yes he is…no he’s not again.
• The Mets signed Francisco Rodriguez for three years with a vesting option for a fourth and the vesting option isn’t anything but a “stay healthy” clause (and he probably will unless he breaks his leg throwing himself off the mound during his follow through).
• The Red Sox talked to Andy Pettitte’s agent for thirty seconds so they’re obviously interested in him. Oh wait things don’t work that way and lefties get destroyed in Fenway most of the time so why was this reported anywhere as news?

Thrilling. At least I can hope for K-Rod failure to make the headlines in the Daily News and Post next year ineteresting.

Good times all around.

What this means is that this year everyone is shaking in their boots that unwanted players will accept arbitration. Some of this is founded and some of it makes no sense. Randy Wolf, Pat Burrell and Bobby Abreu, for example, were very unlikely to accept arbitration. So there must be something else other than financial concerns going on but we won’t ever know.

Good job guys, I can’t wait to see what the team looks like on Opening Day in 2009 at the new 1.6billion dollar baseball paradise.

The Yankees intend to offer arbitration to their own free agent, Bobby Abreu, by tonight’s midnight deadline, and the Mets likely will do the same with their own free agent, Oliver Perez.

The rest of the local teams’ free agents, including big names Andy Pettitte and Pedro Martinez, probably will not be extended that courtesy, according to multiple industry sources.

This is just unbelievably stupid if it’s true. Max Kellerman was on the radio with Keith Law and apparently the Yankees are worried if Pettitte is penciled in, they won’t be able to afford Burnett. Is that extra $4million of salary really going to break them? Additionally, making decisions based on free agents you might sign–who will likely not give you the 200 innings Pettitte does–is ridiculous.

Right now the rotation for next year is:

Chien-Ming Wang – Mystery Pitcher – Mystery Pitcher – Mystery Pitcher – Joba Chamberlain (penciled in here at #5 because of the innings cap)

If they get Sabathia it will be:

CC Sabathia – Chien-Ming Wang – Mystery Pitcher – Mystery Pitcher – Joba Chamberlain

Add in Burnett and it’s

Sabathia-Wang-Burnett-Mystery Pitcher-Chamberlain

Who is going to give the 200 innings or so in that last mystery pitcher spot? Oliver Perez? Why give up draft picks that the team needs to restock the farm system when you can sign an equivalent pitcher right now for a one year deal?

And this is assuming that everything goes along the mystery plan. The idea that they’re making plans around players they might or may not sign is pretty rage inducing. Is that $4 million between what Pettitte wants and what the team wants to pay really going to cause them to not be able to offer Burnett some ridiculous deal he shouldn’t be offered? I really doubt that, especially when you consider Pettitte’s salary would come off the books again next year since he apparently doesn’t mind signing for one year. This is really shortsighted thinking if true.

I realize some of this is really angry rambling but it there are already too many questions in the rotation to create another one through stubbornness.