The Diamond Fan

Japan defeated Team USA tonight in the World Baseball Classic, 9-4, knocking the US out of the tournament and setting up a showdown with Asian rival Korea for the WBC championship.  The remarkable thing about this is that is was not at all a surprise.

Japan won the last WBC.  Korea won the gold medal at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.  The US teams, whether they feature Major League players or not, generally have not fared well in international competition for years.  Simply put, despite the fact that we shower elite players with obscene salaries, the United States no longer produces the best baseball players in the world.

Need more proof.  Major League rosters are already over 1/3 foreign born. In the minor leagues, the figure is close to 50%. MLB is promoting the World Baseball Classic as a way to grow the sport internationally.  That’s all well and good, but if the baseball powers that be want the greatest sport in the world to continue to flourish, they had better figure out a way to revitalize it in the country of its birth.

Right now the best inner city athletes play basketball.  In rural areas and smaller cities, the sport of choice is likely to be football, followed by basketball, with baseball (maybe) a distant third.  In football and basketball, the good athletes at least get to play before large and enthusiastic crowds during their best amateur years in high school and college.  If they play baseball, they will play most of their games before friends and family and very few others.  The top players the US does produce tend to be one dimensional, slug-the-ball-out-of-the-park type of player, playing to pad their stats instead of helping the team win. The US ballplayers could learn a lot by just watching the team play of the Japanese or Koreans, or even the intensity and swagger of the Cubans or the athleticism of the Dominicans or Venezuelans.

Baseball is not America’s game any more, it is the world’s game.  That’s a good thing, but the reason this came to pass is nto so good.  Because in the country of its birth, baseball is now primarily a business, one largely living on past glories.  In the rest of the world it is still a sport.

Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back by Josh Hamilton

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love baseball, but I have to admit that baseball autobiographies are often not the greatest, most well-written books. This one is different. The first part of the book was not so good, as Josh talks a lot about how great a player he was as a kid. So much so that I’m thinking, “Oh, no, another boring ‘I’m thankful that the Lord made me such a great player’ story.” But once he gets into the truly harrowing tale of his slide into drug addiction, this become a can’t-put-it down story of tragedy and redemption.

Josh pulls no punches in telling just how bad it got before he found strength in his faith in God and, with help from his family, pulled himself out of the pit of drug addiction. This is a frightening but ultimately uplifting book that many people would benefit from reading. Thanks for telling your story, Josh, and for sharing your faith in a way that is both realistic and compelling.

The news today is that Joe Gordon was selected by the Veteran’s Committee for the Baseball Hall of Fame.  I suspect this will be a controversial choice in some circles.  Many people have been lobbying for Ron Santo, who was passed over once again, and Gordon is not necessarily a by-the-numbers Hall of Famer.  His “black ink” score (based on leading the league in various categories) is onely two (average Hall of Famer is 27) and his other metrics (HoF Standards and HoF Monitor scores) likewise don’t measure up.

But to me, this is a good choice.  Gordon was only in the majors for 11 seasons (missing two years for military service during World War II).  He was an All Star for nine of them, missing only in his first and last years active.  he was a key player on five World championship teams, four with the Yankees and one with the Indians.  He was a fine fielder at a key defensive position, as well as a strong offensive prescence.  By all accounts he was a good guy to have in the clubhouse as well.

In this season that will see the return of varisty baseball to the University of Oregon, it’s great to see a UO alum make it to the Hall.  Joe is not around to enjoy the honor, but to his many fans it is cause for celebration.

Now that Mike Mussina has announced his retirement, it is not too early to start considering his chances for the Hall of Fame.  Mussina is an interesting case, as his career accomplishments and statistics put him squarely in the middle of the average range for a Hall of Famer, but he lacks the standard marquee accomplishments (championships, 300 wins, Cy Young awards) that make for greater certainty in getting enshrined.

His problem is illustrated by the difference in his “black ink” (leading the league in certain categories) and “gray ink” (being on the leader board in said categories).  According to baseballreference.com, his black ink score is only 15; the average HOFer is 40. His gray ink score is 244; average HoFer is 185.

He pitched for two AL Champions (2001 & 2003 Yankees); neither team won the World Series.  He finished in the top six in Cy Young voting six times, but never won the award.  His only time leading the league in one of the glamor pitching categories was in 1995 when he led the AL in wins with 19.  By all accounts Mussina is a good teammate and a good guy to have in the clubhouse.  He has been a model of consistency, never failing to make at least 25 starts in any full season during his 18 year career, and finishing in the top ten in ERA 11 times.

It will be interesting to see what the voters do with all of this.  My guess is that he will eventually get in, but not in the first year or two he is on the ballot.

The Yankees have made the first really interesting move of the offseason by acquiring Nick Swisher from the White Sox for Wilson Betemit and two minor leaguers.  This move is interesting because it says a lot about the direction the team is heading.

Signing Swisher is a sure sign that the Yankees are going to focus almost entirely on pitching in the free agent market.  Cashman says that this does not rule out going after Mark Teixeira, but realistically I think it makes it highly improbable.  I’ve always thought Teixeira’s most likely destination is to remain in Anaheim, and this makes that outcome even more unlikely.  I also think it means the Yankees are going to throw some big money toward Sabathia.  They will probably also make a pitch for A.J. Burnette and Derek Lowe.

All-in-all I really like this deal for the Yankees.  Swisher is a good player coming off a down year who by all accounts is a good guy to have in the clubhouse.  I expect he will be an improvement over Giambi at 1B, and provides added flexibility in being able to play all three outfield positions. As a Yankee-hater I hate to see it, but I think this trade improves the team significantly. It also improves Swisher’s value in fantasy baseball.  I think he will do well in that Yankees lineup.

For the White Sox, the key to the deal was pitcher Jeff Marquez, who is a pitching prospect with a chance to make the big league team this season. Overall, though, I think the Yankees got a darn good player without giving up a whole lot.