Mack’s Morning Report – 9-7 – The Disabled List, Rollie,

Good morning.

The Disabled List –

It absolutely amazes me just how many Mets are currently on the disabled list (see my updated list on the right side of the front page of Mack’s Mets). Even more stupefying is the eight minor leaguers in various rehab levels from Tommy John Surgery.

Wikipedia explains the minor league 7-day DL as follows –

Minor League Baseball uses a 7-day disabled list for all injuries. Players who are on the 40-man roster but get hurt in the minor leagues are placed on the minor league DL, but not on the major league DL. One problem this poses is that a player who is injured in the minors and who would be placed on the major league 60-day DL cannot be placed on the 60-day, meaning the 40-man roster spot is not freed up.

The freed-up roster spot can be strategically valuable, leading to occasional creative use of disabled lists by MLB teams and their affiliates (similar to teams appealing or dropping the appeal of a suspended player to maximize player contribution). Players who are performing poorly and are slightly injured might be put on the DL so they can go to the minors on rehab, when the MLB club might only want them in the minors because they are playing poorly. There are rules against blatantly "gaming the system" in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the players and the league.

A team may keep an injured player on the roster but keep him listed as 'day-to-day' to indicate that the medical staff is unable to determine when the player can resume normal playing activities again. If the injury turns out to be minor, then the player may resume playing without having to wait to come off the disabled list; however, depending upon the circumstances, the team may find itself effectively shorthanded in the meantime.

Players recovering from an injury may appear in a limited number of minor league games while still on the disabled list in order to prepare for reactivation. Non-pitchers may stay in the minor league club for up to 20 days; pitchers for up to 30 days

Let’s remember…

            Everyone on the 7-day DL comes off it the day after the season ends. 

            There is no 7-day DL in the off season.

Rollie –

            Legendary Villanova basketball coach Rollie Massimino passed away on Wednesday. He was 82.

            I might have told this story in the past...

            I began negotiating with Rollie in 1984 to host a college basketball update show on WIP-AM, Philadelphia, with the emphasis on both the Wildcats but also other Big East teams. It was basically going to be two sixty second blurbs each day for five days a week and we agreed that the radio station would pay him $50 per week for his talent and services. There really wasn’t much to negotiate here. Villanova had a ho-hum season and was one of the last teams named to the NCAA tournament in 1985.

            We agreed over the phone on the deal and all that was needed was the signing of the paperwork. Rollie agreed to drive to our offices in downtown Philly from the campus on the Main Line, but I told him not to worry until after his participation in the tournament had completed. I even joked with him that, judging from the results of his season, he would probably lose in the first round and I’d see him in a week. I laughed. He sort of laughed.

            Yeah. This was the year that the Wildcats went on to beat the Patrick Ewing-led Georgetown Hoyas and won the whole enchilada.

            I called Rollie after the tournament and was told he would get back to me. I called a number of more times. More’ he’ll get back’ returns from one of his assistants.

            I never did hear back from him. He signed later that month with rival KYW-AM to do the same kind of reports. For $11,000 a month.

            Rest in peace Mr. Massimino.


Had medical emergency and also am evacuating due to Irma coming to town. 

Mailed this post in. Sorry.