Archives › Craig Calcaterra
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We began the day with some gratuitous profanity, so let’s end the day with some gratuitous profanity. This is from Phil Mackey’s Twins’ notebook at 1500ESPN.com: “(Expletive).” – Gardenhire, when asked by a reporter what his thoughts where when the Tigers signed Prince Fielder. Concise. To the point. I like it.
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See anything wrong with this picture? Like, say, the righty Yu Darvish playing catch with the glove on his right hand? According to Evan Grant, Darvish does that sometimes to keep balance. Or something. Looks cool. But remember, Meat: If you win 20 in the show, you can throw with your left hand and the press’ll think…
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Lou Piniella has been out of the game for a year, randomly showing up as an analyst here and there. But now he has a more permanent job: YES Network has hired him to do some Yankees games. Not a ton of them — between 20-30 of them — but more than his cameo appearances…
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Terry Collins is mad at a player for not reporting to camp early. Again.
Feb 22, 2012, 3:30 PM EST
Remember last year when Mets manager Terry Collins was upset that Luis Castillo didn’t report to camp on time? No, of course you don’t, because Castillo did report to camp on time. Collins was mad that Castillo didn’t report to camp early. It’s just that when you’re Terry Collins, on time is late and early…
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There will be no Chipper Jones is in The Worst Shape of His Life posts
Feb 22, 2012, 2:55 PM EST
I wasn’t gonna say anything about this, but you people won’t leave me alone, so here it is: no, I am not going to do a “Chipper Jones is in the Worst Shape of His Life” post. And it has nothing to do with me being a Braves homer. I just don’t see the evidence…
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Someone is suing the Marlins, claiming they bought the team for $10 million at an auction
Feb 22, 2012, 1:41 PM EST
This is fun. In 2008, Marlins’ president David Samson apparently served as auctioneer at what I can only guess was a charity auction at a Florida Marlins awards banquet at a country club. At the outset of the auction, he said, in what I can only guess was a joking manner, that the Marlins were…
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The Rays must have some weird tax situation that absolutely requires that no one show up for their June 29 game against the Tigers. How else to explain them giving away a promotional item that, if there is a God in Heaven, should send people running for the hills or an exorcist or something. From…
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The New York Yankees announced today that they have signed former Mariners’ closer David Aardsma. It’s a major league deal. There’s an option for 2013 too, and Brian Cashman told reporters a few minutes ago that the deal is more for 2013 than it is for 2012. Aardsma underwent Tommy John surgery last summer and won’t be…
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![kazmir-120215.standard[1]](http://nbchardballtalk.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/kazmir-120215-standard1.jpg?w=200&h=170&crop=1 "kazmir-120215.standard[1]")
Scott Kazmir threw for scouts the other day. Today Buster Olney reports that as many as six teams are interested in him. The only team mentioned by name is the Mets, but really, it’s hard to see why anyone would be too exercised by the notion of adding Scott Kazmir to the organization. He’s been…
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The long epic battle between the Yankees and the Red Sox is played out mostly on the baseball diamond. But there are minor skirmishes here and there. Like the time that the guy in Florida bought the domain name matching the name of the Red Sox’ new spring training complex and directed it to the…
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Ronald Belisario tested positive for cocaine, said he used it only once
Feb 22, 2012, 11:00 AM EST
Dodgers reliever Ronald Belisario already faces a drug suspension at the beginning of the year, but it appears that his drug problems extend beyond whatever it was that sent him to rehab last year: he told reporters this morning that he tested positive for cocaine. It’s unclear when he tested positive, but Belisario says that…
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Miami taxpayers one step closer to paying another $1.2 million per year to benefit the Marlins
Feb 22, 2012, 10:30 AM EST
![marlinsballpark-120130.standard[1]](http://nbchardballtalk.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/marlinsballpark-120130-standard1.jpg?w=200&h=170&crop=1 "marlinsballpark-120130.standard[1]")
Last fall we learned that the city of Miami faces an unexpected $1.2 million property tax bill as a result of its largess to Jeff Loria and the Miami Marlins. Seems the city thought that a stadium parking garage it built and paid for is not going to be exempt from property taxes because, despite the fact…
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MLB adopts the “Maddon Rule” to combat relief pitcher shenanigans
Feb 22, 2012, 9:51 AM EST
Remember last June when Joe Maddon had Sam Fuld warm up as a relief pitcher for the sole purpose of giving his real reliever, Cesar Ramos, more time to get loose? And how he admitted that he lied to the umps about Fuld having an injury so as not to run afoul of the rules…
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Buster Olney watched Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder take batting practice. They sound like they’re having a lot of fun: When Cabrera took his turns in the box, he carved long liners to right field, over and over, shouting to the others to guess whether they would clear the fence. “SI OR NO?” Cabrera yelled.…
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As soon as Carlos Zambrano was shipped to Miami everyone wanted to know how baseball’s most combustible pitcher would get along with baseball’s most combustible manager in Ozzie Guillen. Guillen spoke on that yesterday. He opined that perhaps the reason Zambrano had issues with the Cubs is because the Cubs let him have issues. And,…
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My son has a “Clone Wars” lunch box. It’s pretty cool. Only problem is that it’s black and you can’t really see where I wrote his name on it. Given how popular that particular lunch box is, you won’t be surprised to hear that he’s accidentally brought some other kid’s home several times. First grade isn’t easy.…
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Today was Wilson Ramos‘ first day back in his usual major league routine since he was kidnapped in Venezuela last November. Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington.com has a story up about it. For the most part Ramos sounds like he’s all about getting back to business. But there is at least one thing suggesting that his…
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Depending on how closely you followed the MLB Fan Cave thing last season, you may or may not know that Ryan Wagner was one of the two guys involved. I got to meet him once. Nice guy. With his iteration of the Fan Cave over, I was wondering what he’d be doing with his time.…
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This isn’t a big trade, but not a lot else is going on: The Rangers acquired lefty Kelvin De La Cruz from the Indians for cash considerations. De La Cruz is 23 years-old. He has started all but 12 of his 105 minor league games in the Indians’ system. He strikes out a fair number…
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Brian Cashman: the Yankees weren’t trying to win the AL East in late 2010
Feb 21, 2012, 3:00 PM EST
At the time it was going down it seemed pretty obvious that Joe Girardi and the Yankees, a playoff spot long-secured, were content to try to get healthy and optimized for the playoffs rather than to overtake the Rays for the AL East title. But you don’t expect to hear anyone on the team admit…
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Davey Johnson thinks the Nationals have more potential than the mid-80s Mets
Feb 21, 2012, 2:30 PM EST
Davey Johnson is no Sparky Anderson when it comes to hyperbole. Whereas Anderson would always talk up some young kid as the next Tony Perez and think that everything that ever happened was the most wonderful thing ever, Johnson tends to tell it like it is. Which is why what he told CSNWashington.com’s Mark Zuckerman…
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Tom Haudricourt is in Brewers camp, and he spoke with the man who is tasked with replacing Prince Fielder: Mat Gamel. What say you, Mat? Feel up to the task? Gamel is focused on the opportunity at hand to replace Prince Fielder. “I’m in the best shape of my life. I’m excited about my opportunity.”…
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Former Mets equipment manager Charlie Samuels pleads guilty, gets probation
Feb 21, 2012, 1:34 PM EST
Remember Charlie Samuels, the Mets longtime clubhouse manager/travelling secretary? The guy who was alleged to be running a gambling ring, stealing Mets’ memorabilia, skimming hotel money and living way, way beyond his means? And who got arrested for it all last spring? Yeah, well he pleaded guilty today and was sentenced: five years probation and an order…
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This has nothing to do with anything, but even I need a break from BSOHL stories for a little while. Congressman Connie Mack IV — who is now running for Senate — is the great grandson of Connie Mack the baseball guy. But that’s not his only baseball connection! Nope, seems that he has a…
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Theo Epstein compensation watch: the Cubs send Chris Carpenter and a PTBNL to the Red Sox
Feb 21, 2012, 12:03 PM EST
No, not that Chris Carpenter. He’s still a Cardinal. This is the Cubs reliever. Who will now be a Boston Red Sox in exchange for the Cubs hiring away Theo Epstein. There will be a player to be named later too, so it’s not like this is ever ending, apparently. Not a significant player, really.…
