The Tokyo Yakult Swallows have formally announced the signing of outfielder Lastings Milledge according to a Sanso report (passed on from Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker.) The deal is worth $750k with unknown performance bonuses included as well as a club option for 2013. Milledge last appeared in the Majors this past season (2 games) as a member of the Chicago White Sox. He spent most of the season in Triple-A where he posted a .295 avg in 505 plate appearances. Milledge was once a top prospect in the Mets system when he was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2003 draft. Since then, he has been unable to live up to the hype and has tried to latch on with the Nationals, Pirates and the White Sox since being traded from the Mets. http://www.prorumors.com/2011/12/rumors/yakult-swallows-sign-lastings-milledge?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Defensively, Ruben Tejada looks above-average at second base, with good range, soft hands, strong arm, and good turn on the double-play. Offensively, I can’t get a handle on him; there is some discrepancy between what my eyes saw and what the numbers state. What I saw was a younger, less disciplined, slower afoot version of Luis Castillo — bloops and bleeders that were directed where “they ain’t”. Tejada did draw an impressive number of walks, but that total might have been skewed by batting in front of the pitcher the majority of the time. Granted, hitting eighth didn’t help Rey Ordonez, but anyone with a modicum of patience should be able to draw a decent number of walks in that lineup position. Tejada’s strikeout total was a little high for someone with minimal power: one K every 7.5 plate appearances, or, about 90-95 strikeouts over the course of a full season. I like that he hit .333 with two outs and a man on third, and he stayed near his average with RISP (.282). I don’t like how his swing gets a little long — in that way, he does remind me of Ordonez. Also like Ordonez, Tejada can’t bunt — though, that’s not much of an issue for someone hitting eighth. But, if he can field as well as he did at second base and clear the #8 spot in the order to bring the pitcher up, then Tejada is a valuable asset. http://www.metstoday.com/7324/11-12-offseason/2011-evaluation-ruben-tejada/
New York Times columnist Richard Sandomir penned a really nice piece on the New York Mets and their precarious financial situation. He talks about the large amount of debt the team carries as well as the debt load some of the other business entities related to the Mets, such as their sports network, SNY, also carry. I've always thought Mets' owner Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz have Frank McCourt to thank for them getting this long to sort out their financial mess. Wilpon and Katz are camp-Selig guys, and that helps, but things seem to be spiraling out of control and only a worse financial situation in Los Angeles has kept them out of the spotlight. At this point, the team seems to be holding it's hat on finding minority investors to raise $200 million. Still, this has been a long time coming, and it's funny that nothing has materialized yet. http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/bob-mets-financial-situation-unveiled/
I have a Community Research Participation Project for you. New York Mets prospects Cesar Puello and Aderlin Rodriguez got me thinking about the topic of plate discipline again. I did a study for myself about this several years ago, but I don't have time right now to revise the data. It occurred to me that this could be a prototype for a new feature I am considering for 2012, the "Community Research Project." Cesar Puello had a 18/103 BB/K ratio last year for High-A St. Lucie. He drew walks in 3.7% of his plate appearances and struck out 21.1% of the time. Aderlin Rodriguez had a 29/106 BB/K ratio for Low-A Savannah. He drew walks in 5.2% of his plate appearances and struck out 19% of the time. These are very poor numbers.
R.A. Dickey, a female knuckleball pitcher, climbs Mount Kilimanjaro. Fighting her way through surprise cells of Al Qaeda soldiers in the mountains, she finally reaches the top of the mountain to uncover a secret terrorist missile silo. She saves the Western Hemisphere from certain doom. Dickey returns home a national and international hero, retiring early from baseball to become an orator and a political activist for anti-secret terrorist missile silos. After several decades in the national spotlight, Dickey retires to her lonesome ranch in the Montana wilderness. One day, riding her black and white stallion slowly down a ravine on the western edge of her property, she hears the distinctive rhythm of a rattlesnake poised to strike, followed quickly by a scream of pain, echoing down the tall, red walls of the ravine. Spurring her horse into a sprint, she rounds the corner to find Dengchi. “Dengchi?” she says in shock, yanking the horse to a stop. “Help!” he says, pointing at the snake bite on his ankle. Knowing too well that Dengchi is dying, Dickey holds him, kissing his forehead. “I love you,” she says, “I always have. You were the greatest Sherpa a female knuckleballer could ever have.” Dengchi dies in her arms. Dickey then climbs Mount Kilimanjaro again, burying Dengchi in the old missile silo. But suddenly, it becomes apparent the silo was not built with human technology. Dengchi emerges from the silo, healthier and stronger than ever. Dickey stares at amazement as her own body becomes youthful and healthy again. Her sexy, zombie Sherpa falls in love with her http://www.fangraphs.com/not/index.php/r-a-dickey-the-movie/
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