14 Reasons for 14th Straight

The Atlanta Braves start the 2005 regular season this afternoon. AJC'sDavid O'Brien compiles a list of "14 Reasons Why the Braves will win their 14th consecutive division title." The most intersesting is this one:

Chipper Jones never finishes anywhere but first. Look it up. Actually you can't, at least not all of it. So you'll have to trust us. Since Little League, he's never finished a season on a team that wasn't in first place. Closest he came was 1992, when he started the year at Durham but was promoted to Greenville. Durham didn't finish first, but Greenville was a 100-win juggernaut that did.

That's an incredible streak, indeed.

via OTB

Congressional Hearings on Steroids in Baseball

The House Government Reform Committee, which has zero jurisdiction over sports or health care, began its hearings into steroid use in Major League Baseball today, getting testimony from several current and former players. From the hour or so worth I listened to on the radio or have seen on television (live coverage has preempted regular programming on the news channels) the players are coming across as much more serious and sophisticated than the Members.

McGwire won't be 'naming names' in testimony (SI-AP)

Retired slugger Mark McGwire told Congress' investigation of drugs in baseball that he would not "participate in naming names" of players who used steroids. McGwire, one of six current and former stars appearing Thursday before the House Government Reform Committee, did not say whether he used steroids. He said his lawyers advised him not to answer certain questions. "If a player answers, 'No,' he simply will not be believed," McGwire said. "If he answers, 'Yes,' he risks public scorn and endless government investigations."[...] McGwire, choking back tears, said he knew that steroid use could be dangerous and would do whatever he could to discourage young athletes from using them. "What I will not do, however, is participate in naming names and implicating my friends and teammates," said McGwire, who ranks sixth in major league history with 583 homers.

Most will take McGwire's refusal to say he didn't use steroids as proof that he did. However, given the farcical nature of these hearings, one can hardly blame him.

See also:

• Fans get in line early to watch the hearings


• Waxman: 'Baseball did nothing over the years'


• 'The truth needs to come out'


• Congress bashes baseball for 'puny' testing policy


• Players ho-hum about hearings

Update: FindLaw Columnist Edward Lazarus disagrees that the GRC has no jurisdiction here and thinks congressional investigation of this matter is a wonderful idea.

The Government Reform Committee is the principal investigative committee of the House. It possesses oversight jurisdiction to conduct investigations of any matter falling under the purview of the legislature. Without question, the issue of steroids in baseball qualifies as a matter within the power of Congress to oversee and regulate. After all, the use of performance enhancing drugs is governed by federal statute, specifically the Federal Controlled Substances Act. Thus, it is simply beyond cavil that steroid use in baseball is within the purview of the Government Reform Committee.

Oddly enough, the Committee itself doesn't claim anything near that scope of power [PDF format] :

The Committee on Government Reform has existed in varying forms since 1816. It first appeared as the Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments, which was created in 1927 by consolidating the 11 Committees on Expenditures previously spread among the various departments of the government to oversee how taxpayer monies were spent. The Committee’s immediate predecessor, the Committee on Government Operations, was established in 1952. The name change was intended to communicate to the outside world the primary function of the committee: to study “the operations of Government activities at all levels with a view to determining their economy and efficiency.” It is the Committee’s government-wide oversight jurisdiction that sets it apart from other House committees.

On January 4, 1995, Republicans assumed control of the House of Representatives for the first time in over 40 years. Republicans immediately implemented several internal reforms of the House, including one that applies all of the laws the rest of America lives under to Congress, and another that downsizes the congressional committee system. Perhaps more than any other committee, the Government Reform Committee embodied the changes that occurred. The Committee’s name was changed to highlight the Republican view that the federal government needs to be reformed to ensure accountability. The Committee on Government Reform is unlike most other committees in that its jurisdiction has grown. While retaining the agenda of the former Committee on Government Operations, the Committee also has the responsibilities of the former Committee on Post Office and Civil Service and the Committee on the District of Columbia. The Committee now has seven subcommittees responsible for the same jurisdiction previously covered by 3 full committees and 14 subcommittees. This consolidation has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in budget savings and a nearly 50 percent cut in staff. The Committee’s government-wide oversight jurisdiction and expanded legislative authority make it one of the most influential and powerful committees in the House. The Committee serves as Congress’ chief investigative and oversight committee, and is granted broad jurisdiction because of the importance of effective, centralized oversight. Because it authorizes on a few agencies and programs, it is able to review government agencies and programs with an unbiased eye.

So, even in this broadly expanded mission, it's job is still to reform the operations of the government itself.

I don't disagree with Lazarus that Congress has some interest in the operation of baseball as a business, although its unclear how the steroids issue impacts interstate commerce. Nor do I disagree that cleaning up the sport would have all manner of salutory effects. I just disagree that it's the job of Congress, let alone a committee charged with cleaning up the government itself. Although, if they actually get the government to the point where it no longer needs any reform, I'll gladly remain quiet while they clean up team sports.

via OTB

Bill Parcells Praises Bobby Cox

Praise from Big Tuna

Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells was visiting with his pal Tony La Russa on the field Monday when the two walked over to the Braves dugout so the Cardinals manager could introduce Parcells to Bobby Cox. "I just want to tell you, what you've done will never be done again," said Parcells, putting his right hand on the Braves manager's left shoulder. "I mean it. Nobody will ever do it again. It's amazing."

It was clear from Cox's reaction that the comment meant a lot, coming from Parcells. The fraternity of coaches and managers transcends different sports. "It's all competition," Cox said. "They [coaches from other sports] appreciate what we do, and we appreciate what they do."

Texas Tech basketball coach Bobby Knight visits La Russa each spring and usually sits beside the manager during a few Grapefruit League games.

Cox, Knight, Parcells, and LaRussa is some fraternity.

Smoltz's return to starting has skeptics

Smoltz's return to starting has skeptics

John Smoltz says he has "zero doubts" about making a healthy, successful return to the Braves' starting rotation. Others aren't as optimistic. Dennis Eckersley, the Hall of Fame pitcher who set the standard for moving from ace starter to elite closer, couldn't imagine doing the starter-to-closer-to-starter conversion Smoltz is trying at age 37. "The thought of even having to do what he's doing, that's outrageous to me," Eckersley said. "He's not getting any younger, and he's had arm trouble. I really think it's a crapshoot. They've got to watch him close. "To tune it up to 125 pitches again, you've got to wonder if he'll last."

Mets pitcher Tom Glavine has concerns for his friend and former Braves teammate of 15 seasons. "As much as everybody is thrilled about John coming back and wants to see him do well, myself included," Glavine said, "in the back of your mind . . . you know, he's doing something that nobody's ever done. I don't think anybody knows what to expect, including him. "You know he's going to put his work in and do everything he thinks he has to do to stay healthy, but it's up to his elbow to cooperate."

Smoltz, who's had four elbow surgeries -- including two since he was last a full-time starter in 1999 -- and turns 38 in May, said: "I'm not going to let myself be consumed or even think about people saying how hard it's going to be. . . . I believe if you enjoy something and work hard enough, you can do things that have never been done."

[...]

No pitcher as accomplished in both roles as Smoltz (163 wins, 154 saves, 3.27 ERA) has made the move from starter to closer and then back to starter.

"But if anybody's capable of doing it, it's him," Eckersley said, "because he's not a two-pitch pitcher. He's got the stuff. And he's still got the gas [fastball], too. The biggest thing will be, does he have the stamina? He might be all right for a while, but then come August . . ." Smoltz said, "I'd be very surprised if I had to take a start off. And I don't think I ever came out of a game because I was tired."

[...]

The Braves agreed to move Smoltz back to the rotation after trading for former Milwaukee closer Dan Kolb in December. Smoltz knew there would be naysayers.

Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus wrote, "While Smoltz was a very good starting pitcher in his time, he was moved to the bullpen because his elbow couldn't hold up under the workload. Incomplete seasons in 1998 and 1999 preceded a move to the bullpen, and even there, Smoltz pitched through pain. Watching him in the 2003 division series was agonizing. "His desire to help the Braves win and his belief that he can do a better job of that in the rotation are sincere, but misguided. He's unlikely to get through the season without at least one DL trip. I figure him for 140 innings, max, with the most likely scenario being a strong start followed by regression and then injury. It will end up as a $10 million hole blown in a roster that just can't afford that kind of thing any longer."

Obviously, we'll see. My preference would have been to keep him in the closer's role, simply because he's excelled at it. Still, it's frustrating to have a guy that 's probably your second best starter sitting on the bench in the postseason.

Braves Prospects Excelling

Spring of Hope

It was a memorable first Grapefruit League game Saturday for Kyle Davies, the top Braves pitching prospect. Not only did he pitch well in his two-inning stint, but the Stockbridge High School graduate had a hit.

Davies was using Jeff Francoeur's batting helmet and batting gloves when he lined the ball back up the middle against veteran reliever Turk Wendell.

Francoeur gave his longtime friend the business when he got back to the dugout, but Davies got him back. "I'll always have the edge on him," the pitcher joked. "He'll never be batting 1.000."

Davies pitched a perfect second inning, then allowed three hits and a run in the third. He was 13-3 in the minors last season, with 173 in 142 1/3 innings.

Catcher impresses with bat and arm

Catching prospect Brian McCann from Duluth was 2-for-2 with a double in his Grapefruit League debut Saturday and threw out a runner trying to steal. . . . Reliever Jorge Vasquez, acquired from Kansas City in the Eli Marrero trade, pitched two hitless innings, striking out two and walking one.

McCarthy keeps team unbeaten

After starting 0-5 in Grapefruit League play last year, the Braves are unbeaten this time, winning four one-run games.

Right fielder Billy McCarthy made a game-saving catch in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday, then drove in the tie-breaking run with a two-out single in the 10th inning. Andy Marte singled and Scott Thorman doubled to set up the deciding run.

Left-hander Andy Van Hekken, a former Detroit pitcher, got the victory with two scoreless innings as Pete Orr made a nice turn at second base on a game-ending double play.

Rich Mahler Dies of Heart Attack at 51

Ex-Brave Mahler dies of heart attack (AJC)

New York Mets minor league pitching coach Rick Mahler, who started five season openers for the Braves in the 1980s, died of a heart attack Wednesday morning in Jupiter, Fla. He was 51.

"It's a sad day," said Mets assistant general manager Jim Duquette, who made the announcement after the team's Grapefruit League opener against Washington.

"I didn't know he had any type of problem," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "It's awful."

The Braves, who were playing Georgia Tech at Disney's Wide World of Sports, were notified by Mets pitcher Tom Glavine, a former Brave. "It was a shock," Cox said.

Mahler, whose brother Mickey also pitched for the Braves, was 96-111 with a 3.99 ERA during a 13-year major league career (1979-1991). His best season came in 1985, when he was 17-15 with a 3.48 ERA for the Braves. The next year, he was 14-18, leading the majors in losses. The right-hander started on opening day for the Braves in 1982, when Atlanta won its first 13 games and went on to win the National League West title under manager Joe Torre. Mahler made four straight opening-day starts beginning in 1985. Cox was manager of the Braves through the 1981 season and returned to the team as general manager in 1986, reuniting with Mahler during a dismal time in the team's history. "Rick was a great competitor," Cox said. "He could pitch." Mahler pitched twice in the playoffs, with the Braves in 1982 and in 1990 with the Cincinnati team that went on to win the World Series.

Sad news, indeed.

via OTB

Hudson signs four-year extension

Hudson signs four-year extension (AJC)

Tim Hudson has agreed to a four-year contract extension with the Atlanta Braves, a deal worth close to $12 million annually for the former 20-game winner. "It's good to get it done," said Hudson, who didn't want to say anything more until the team made an official announcement, which was expected at around 1 p.m. after their morning workout. The deal was completed late Monday, and includes a vesting option year tied to innings pitched. "Details," Braves general manager John Schuerholz said of the negotiations, which went almost to the March 1 deadline that Hudson had given the Braves to get a deal done. If no extension was worked out, he had said he'd become a free agent after the season and listen to offers from other teams.

It was believed he could have commanded more than $12 million annually in a five-year contract if he'd elected to become a free agent, but Hudson wanted to stay with the Braves and pitch close to the home he's building in Auburn.

Great news. And, heck, I think Hudson can live on $12 million a year if he clips his coupons.

Hudson extension close to being finalized

Hudson extension close to being finalized (AJC)

The Braves are expected to announce a three- or four-year contract extension for Tim Hudson Monday or Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. His contract extension is expected to be worth between $11 million and $12 million annually, with an additional vesting option year tied to innings pitched. The Braves and Hudson's agent have been negotiating the final details of the deal since Thursday. The pitcher wanted the fourth year guaranteed, instead of three years with two option years as the Braves had proposed.

Hudson gave Oakland, and later the Braves, a March 1 deadline to get an extension worked out or he'd end negotiations and enter free agency after the season. The deadline hastened Oakland's decision to trade him to Atlanta in December for outfielder Charles Thomas and pitchers Juan Cruz and young lefty Dan Meyer.

Hudson could have commanded a five-year contract worth $60 million or more if he waited and entered the free agent market next winter. He'd be the top pitcher available. But the Alabama native is building a home in Auburn and said he relished the opportunity to pitch so close to family and for a winning team with a rich pitching tradition. "The money was never that important," he said. Hudson wanted to get a deal done by the Tuesday deadline to avoid his contract status becoming a distraction as the season approached, something he'd seen happen with other players when he was in Oakland.

Hudson, whose .702 career winning percentage (92-39) trails only Pedro Martinez among active pitchers, was to make $6.75 million this season in the final year of the contract he signed with Oakland. It's not known if the expected new contract will supersede that salary this season. Asked when the deal would be announced, Hudson smiled and said, "I'll know something when you know something."

Signing Hudson would be another major step in assuring the Braves have a strong rotation for years to come. John Smoltz is signed through 2006, with a club option for 2007. The former Cy Young Award winner is returning to the rotation after 3 1/2 seasons as closer. Left-hander Mike Hampton is signed through 2008, John Thomson has a club option for 2006, and lefty Horacio Ramirez isn't eligible for arbitration until next winter. He won't become a free agent until after the 2008 season.

Awesome news. Hudson is a bonafide star in his prime. Keeping him around, at a very reasonable (under current market conditions) price makes sense.

Smoltz: 'It's like being 25 again'

Smoltz: 'It's like being 25 again'

The bald spot and booming voice are familiar, but there's something different about Braves pitcher John Smoltz. A week before another spring training, the 17-year veteran is brimming with a rookie's enthusiasm. His buzz isn't from the hyperbaric chamber Smoltz sometimes naps in. He's been on a crest of anticipation since Dec. 11, when the Braves traded for Milwaukee closer Dan Kolb and told Smoltz he's moving back to the starting rotation. "It's like being 25 again," Smoltz said Tuesday during Leo Mazzone's pitching camp at Turner Field. "I'm going to spring training with a lot to be excited about."

He's 37 and a four-time elbow surgery patient, including two procedures since he was last a regular starter in 1999. But Smoltz said he doesn't have the questions and concerns that fans and others do regarding his elbow and the rigors of pitching 200-plus innings. "I don't have any doubts," he said. "Zero doubts." He'll report to spring training in his best condition in years, after a winter of increased training uninterrupted by illness, injury or surgery rehabilitation. Smoltz increased his throwing, running and core-strengthening regimens to prepare for the move back to starting. He looks leaner and more muscular. "He's loaded for bear," Braves general manager John Schuerholz said. "John's on a very rigorous training program, always looking for ways to make himself stronger and better. That's his nature. "This guy wants to have every edge he can."

Before becoming a dominant closer and saving 144 games over the past three seasons, Smoltz was a stalwart member of Atlanta's elite starting rotations in the 1990s. He won 24 games and a Cy Young Award in 1996, and has a 159-115 record and 3.37 ERA in 361 career starts, along with his 12-4 mark and 2.60 ERA in 26 postseason starts. But now Smoltz, who turns 38 in May, is entering uncharted waters. No such accomplished pitcher has moved from starting to closing for an extended period, then back to starting. "It's an incredible challenge, and exciting to me to know I am going back to starting," he said. "It is what I like."

He could've become a free agent after this season, but instead signed a two-year, $20 million contract in December that runs through 2006, with a club option for 2007 both parties expect to be exercised. Instead of a $12 million salary and additional $100,000 per start he would've made this season under his old contract, Smoltz gets a $6 million straight salary and $8 million in '06, along with a $6 million signing bonus. His renegotiated, reduced salary enabled the Braves to fit Kolb into an $80 million payroll. After some wondered how Schuerholz would be able to rebuild the rotation on a budget, the GM was able to trade for both an All-Star closer and an ace, Hudson, while also making Smoltz happy. "Our general manager had a great luxury this offseason," Smoltz said, "by being able to get a starter or a closer. I didn't make any demands. I said I'd do either role. "People thought I demanded to be a starter. No, I didn't. "[But] I'm happy to be back in this role, because I think the mix is better. We do have a great closer. People might not see that right now, but he's going to be very good."

——————————

FRESH START

John Smoltz is moving back to the Braves' starting rotation. He has a .213 opponents' average and 9.67 strikeouts per nine innings as a closer, and a .234 opponents' average and 7.99 strikeouts per nine innings as a starter. His career statistical breakdown:

Role ERA W L Sv Opp G GS IP ER HR BB K

Starter 3.37 159 115 0 0 361 361 2,439.1 914 199 779 2,118

Reliever 2.35 4 6 154 168 241 0 260.1 68 17 50 280

Total 3.27 163 121 154 168 602 361 2,699.2 982 216 829 2,398

I hope he makes it. He's been such a great asset for the team in both roles. He has been one of the two or three best closers in the game since moving to that spot, so I'm reluctant to see him start. On the other hand, it would be nice to have him starting in the postseason. He hasn't had many save opportunities in the postseason, since the team is usually behind in the late innings. I'd like to see that change.

Hampton's Knee Surgery

Hampton's knee surgery turns into big procedure

After struggling in the opening halves of his two seasons with the Braves, Mike Hampton could have an excuse if he stumbled out of the blocks again this year. But the left-hander doesn't foresee that happening after undergoing surgery on his left knee. His October procedure was more complicated than Hampton or his doctors anticipated. It was not just a mere cartilage cleanup, but a bone graft that entailed removing a wedge from one section of the knee to repair the damaged, weight-bearing area.

After numerous hours of rehabilitation and fluid-drainage sessions, Hampton started throwing two weeks ago off a mound he had installed at his home in Homosassa, Fla. "We're not there yet, but it's getting better," said Hampton, 32, who reported to Leo Mazzone's minicamp at Turner Field on Monday and threw for the pitching coach. "Last year it hurt just walking; it's definitely a lot better now than last year."

Hampton tore cartilage in his left knee during a Sept. 11 start vs. Montreal, but opted to delay surgery so he could keep pitching through the end of the regular season and playoffs. He allowed one run in 13 innings while winning his two regular-season starts after the the injury, then limited Houston hitters to two runs and a .174 batting average over 7 1/3 innings of one start and one relief appearance in the Braves' division series loss. If Atlanta had made it to the NL Championship Series, he would have started Game 1. "I told him he pitched so good with his sore knee, maybe he shouldn't get it fixed," joked Mazzone. "What he means to our rotation ... he's one of the top left-handers in the National League."

He's been that for Atlanta, but only after the All-Star break. Since being traded to the Braves in November 2002, Hampton is 9-13 with a 4.99 ERA in 33 starts before the break and 18-4 with a 3.00 ERA in 27 starts after the break. Last year he was 2-8 with a 5.55 ERA through 15 starts, then went 11-1 with a 3.02 ERA beginning July 4, including 3-0 with a 0.71 ERA in his last four regular-season starts. The two-half dichotomy is a recent development for Hampton — and a confounding one. Before coming to Atlanta his career record was 13 games over .500 (58-45) before the All-Star break and 12 games over .500 (48-36) after it.

Braves keep prospect Marte at third

Braves keep prospect Marte at third

The Braves reversed course and decided to keep top prospect Andy Marte at third base, setting up a potential dilemma a year from now: If Marte has a huge season at Class AAA Richmond, will the Braves keep him on the farm another year to keep Chipper Jones happy at third? Will they trade their top-rated prospect? Explore options with Jones?
"There's two things I've come to know," Braves general manager John Schuerholz said Tuesday. "No. 1, you can never have enough talented players, no matter what position they play; and No. 2, whatever log jam you think you have tends to work itself out because of attrition or trades or what have you."

Jones is under contract for 2005-06, with two $15 million vesting club options in 2007 and 2008, which can't be bought out if he reaches 450 plate appearances or is an All-Star the previous season. After playing nearly 2 1/2 seasons in left field, Jones moved back to his preferred third base last June and said he'd be reluctant to switch positions again if the Braves asked.

Marte, 21, hit .269 with 23 home runs in 387 at-bats last season at Class AA Greenville, and may need only one more season in the minors before he's ready to move into a big-league lineup. The Braves had planned to move him to the outfield, to clear a path to the majors. But they scrapped that plan after just two days of outfield instruction this winter in his native Dominican Republic. "The plan is to keep him at third base for this year," Schuerholz said. "We decided we'll keep him at third base because the most important thing for him is his bat, and to have him concerned with anything else didn't make sense. "His bat separates him from everybody, we think. We're going to allow him the chance to let his bat do its thing."

This decision will fuel speculation about the Braves' 2006 plans. Jones would be the highest-paid Brave at $17 million in '06, and has full no-trade protection. "I have about as much idea what's going to happen a year from now as anybody else — and that's no idea," Schuerholz said. "But that'll all take care of itself."

I hope Marte makes it to the Bigs and the Braves manage to keep him and Chipper. But I agree that it makes no sense to have Marte concentrating on learning a new defensive position. He can always move to the outfield once he makes the move up.

Chipper Willing to take Pay Cut to Help Keep Hudson

Hudson gives Braves March 1 deadline (AJC)

Braves newcomer Tim Hudson is so impressive, teammate Chipper Jones is ready to consider financial concessions to help keep the pitcher in Atlanta beyond 2005. "I know that call's coming - 'Hey, Chip, we need a little help here,' " Jones said Wednesday on the first day of Leo Mazzone's pitching camp at Turner Field.

Hudson's agent gave the Braves until March 1 to sign the Alabama native to an extension or expose him to free agency next winter, the same deadline he gave Oakland before the Athletics traded Hudson to Atlanta in December.

Braves general manager John Schuerholz said the deadline isn't a problem because, "It shouldn't take any more time than that to either decide we can or can't [re-sign him]."

If Hudson becomes a free agent, the New York Yankees would likely be among his suitors and he could expect to command between $50 million over four years and $65 million over five. Some believe his price tag could go even higher.

Hudson threw hard in an indoor batting cage on a cold, dreary day, wearing no ballcap on his shaved head. "I feel almost like a rookie again," he said. "It's great to be here. I just want to get my feet wet, meet everybody in the organization."

He was introduced to Jones, the Braves' highest paid player, who's owed $32 million over the next two seasons and has $15 million vesting clubs options in 2007 and 2008. He could restructure his contract to clear up funds for a Hudson offer.

"Maybe a little rebate so we can sign him," said Jones, the only non-catcher who showed up Wednesday, doing some hitting and pronouncing himself healthy.

"Whatever [it takes]," Jones said. "I'm game. I've made no bones about it - my family loves it here, and I love playing here. I've made sacrifices before, and I'm open to more if it'll help bring guys in or keep them. I want to win."

That's mighty decent of Chipper, especially since the Braves have never flinched at getting rid of a star player, no matter how loyal and popular, when he got too expensive to fit the budget.

Rebuilt Braves have saved, are not spent

Rebuilt Braves have saved, are not spent

In the late innings of his distinguished career, Braves general manager John Schuerholz has become baseball's ultimate comparison shopper, tire kicker, coupon clipper, and pursuer of fixer-uppers. Not by choice, but by necessity. Last week he and his staff put the final touches on the latest Braves rebuilding project, assembling what they believe is a contending team while meeting an ownership-mandated $80 million payroll -- modest by today's standards.

"Last year we had to think outside the box," said Schuerholz, whose moves before the 2004 season included a trade for injury-plagued right fielder J.D. Drew, who proceeded to have a healthy, career-best season for Atlanta, then left. "This year," Schuerholz said, "we had to think way outside the box." It was one thing to hand right field over to Drew, and quite another to have the outfield corners manned by well-traveled Raul Mondesi and 37-year-old Brian Jordan, who between them totaled eight homers and 38 RBIs in 2004. The 13-time division champions signed those two to contracts worth a mere $1.6 million guaranteed, and tge total commitment to six newcomers was $12.76 million, including former Oakland ace Tim Hudson and Milwaukee closer Dan Kolb.

In contrast to Atlanta's creative tinkering and one-year commitments, the rival New York Mets spent $198 million for free agents, including $119 million on Carlos Beltran and $53 million on Pedro Martinez. And they're still talking to free-agent first baseman Carlos Delgado and discussing a Samma Sosa trade. "I learned long ago, headlines don't win championships," Schuerholz said. "Team building does." The Dodgers spent more than $140 million this winter on free agents, including $55 million for Drew. Seattle spent $122 million. Boston spent $120 million. "I've got to keep my head down and my eye on this ball," Schuerholz said, "not look at what other teams are spending or headlines they're making. I feel very good about the way we've built our team for 15 years, and I feel good about it this year."

[...]

McGuirk believes an $80 million payroll enables -- some say forces -- the Braves to have a good mix of veterans and youngsters, and better utilize the farm system. Veterans are great, and give you a lot of certainty," McGuirk said. "But that is exciting to fans when you have a young guy breaking out of the minors. That's part of the tradition of baseball. "Our minor league system gets a lot more competitive now, because they know if they can excel they can break out and have a chance. It's not like in years past, when if you were in our minor league system you were never coming out unless there was a trade."

After winning the National League East with an $80 million payroll in 2004, the Braves lost their top hitter (Drew) and both 15-game winners (Jaret Wright, Russ Ortiz) to free agency. The Braves got Hudson and Kolb and paid large raises to arbitration-eligibles, including Rafael Furcal and Marcus Giles, just about wiping out available funds. "John said last year, 'I have a team that can win the East,' and not many people believed it," McGuirk said. "I think he's taken that team and I think he's bettered it because of all those young guys -- we took some chances last year on [young] guys that had to perform, and they did perform. "So he's really one more rung up the ladder as he goes about setting this year's team in place."

It's not like in years past, when the Braves could fill a hole by targeting a free agent and swooping in with an offer he couldn't refuse. Today they depend on Schuerholz and staff to find hidden gems and players coming back from injury or other circumstances, and hope manager Bobby Cox and staff get maximum production from them -- which they do, more often than not. The Braves have been able to keep alive their unprecedented divisional run. But veteran players, and fans, want badly to get a second World Series ring.

Schuerholz said the Braves decided to go back to their old style of winning with dominant pitching after going into recent postseasons without a starter to match Chicago's Kerry Wood and Mark Prior or Houston's Roger Clemens. They rebuilt the rotation by getting Hudson and Kolb, whose arrival permits former 24-game winner Smoltz to get his wish of being a starter again. Hudson will make $6.75 million and be eligible for free agency after the season. Kolb was eligible for arbitration and settled for $3.4 million.

Mondesi and Jordan are the only proven outfielders the Braves acquired after trading left fielders Eli Marrero and Charles Thomas and losing free agent Drew. Have the Braves gambled by not adding another, less-questionable bat? Have they left too many holes in their bullpen? Have they weakened the defense? "I don't feel that way," Schuerholz said. "I guess if we had all the money and resources and could have put together a $200 million payroll, we probably would have gone about this a little differently. "But with an $80 million payroll -- which nobody's apologizing for; we won 96 games last year and were good enough to get to the World Series but just didn't get there -- with an $80 million payroll, I really feel good about how this has worked out. Eighty million is more than enough to put a winning team on the field."

The Braves will again put that belief to the test this season.

Indeed. What Schuerholz and Cox have achieved over the last 14 seasons is simply remarkable. To maintain the streak with a comparatively meager salary, though, will be something else. The Marlins and Mets, on paper, are much better teams. I certainly wouldn't count the Braves out, though.

Giles signs for $2.35 million

Giles signs for $2.35 million

Marcus Giles and the Braves agreed to a one-year, $2.35 million contract, a 446-percent raise for the second baseman who was eligible for salary arbitration for the first time. Reliever Kevin Gryboski is the only unsigned arbitration-eligible Brave. Giles, 26, hit .311 with eight home runs, 17 stolen bases and 48 RBIs in 102 games, missing two months at midseason after breaking his collarbone in a collision with center fielder Andruw Jones. He made $430,000, a bargain after his breakout year in 2003.

Giles was a first-time lineup regular in 2003 when he batted .316 with a club-record 49 doubles, 21 homers and 69 RBIs. He made the All-Star team that year, but couldn't play in the game because of a concussion from a collision with Cubs pitcher Mark Prior.

Good news. Giles is a high caliber player and this is a very reasonable price in today's market.

Braves Sign Brian Jordan

Jordan gets second tour of duty with Braves

Four years, one regrettable comment, one knee surgery and a few other injuries since being traded away by the Braves, veteran outfielder Brian Jordan has found his way back to Atlanta. The popular former Brave -- and ex-Falcons defensive back -- signed a one-year, $600,000 contract Wednesday, making him the latest reclamation project to join the budget-conscious Braves and a leading contender for the left field job.

"It feels great to be back and part of the organization again," said Jordan, a Braves standout from 1999-2001 before being dealt to Los Angeles in a trade for Gary Sheffield that Jordan said was like "being stabbed in the back." "That was overblown," said Jordan, who will turn 38 in March and could get some competition for the left field job from youngsters including Ryan Langerhans. "I'm happy to be back. This means an awful lot to me and my family."

Braves general manager John Schuerholz sounds confident that Jordan has finally recovered from July 2003 knee surgery that slowed him for two seasons. "Brian's still a very strong, athletic guy," Schuerholz said. "If he's healthy, we think that body can play. And if Raul Mondesi's personal problems are resolved, as we think they are, we think that body can play, too." Mondesi signed a one-year, $1 million deal last week to play right field for the Braves, who lost free agent right fielder J.D. Drew and traded left fielders Eli Marrero and Charles Thomas this offseason.

Jordan, an Alpharetta resident and father of four, was a fan favorite and clubhouse leader with Atlanta, and an All-Star in 1999 who batted .281 with 65 home runs and 289 RBIs in three seasons for the Braves. But he's since been plagued by injuries, including the left patella tendon that required surgery. After batting .285 with 18 homers and 80 RBIs for the Dodgers in 2002, he totaled just 11 homers and 51 RBIs in 127 games over the past two seasons. "The doctor told me it would take 18 months to get the strength back, but I tried to come back in seven or eight months," said Jordan, who hit a career-worst .222 with five homers and 23 RBIs in 212 at-bats last season for Texas. "I've got plenty left, definitely. It was just a matter of getting my knee back to where I'm comfortable and confident that I can do those things again, as far as playing hard, running hard through the bag, making diving catches."

The knee began improving after the All-Star break, and Jordan contributed down the stretch as the Rangers missed a playoff berth. He hit .270 with two homers and 11 RBIs in September. Now he wants another shot at postseason baseball. In his first tour with the Braves, Jordan had four homers and 22 RBIs in 25 postseason games.
"I want to have the same role -- lead by example, and if I need to speak up, I will," Jordan said. "My goal is to help this team win a champion- ship."

His anger at being traded before the 2002 season was directed at Schuerholz, primarily because the GM had notified him of the trade by phone instead of in person. Schuerholz explained to him that he had to do it that way so that Jordan wouldn't find out about the deal from a media member before they could meet. The two of them talked about the situation Tuesday and put it behind them. "We're real good -- we're cool," the 63-year-old Schuerholz said, smiling after that youthful description of their relationship. "We're happy to have him back."

Just as they did before signing Mondesi last week, the Braves gave Jordan a complete physical examination -- no small task with a player who's been on the disabled list 10 times since first reaching the majors with St. Louis in 1992. His surgically repaired knee, previously repaired shoulders and wrist, and his formerly balky back checked out, Schuerholz said. The Braves determined he's capable of a career resurgence that could provide an affordable boost for them. Jordan's modest contract includes an additional $400,000 in potential performance incentives, and pales in comparison to the $9.1 million salary he made in his last season with the Braves in 2001. Between them, Jordan and Mondesi are guaranteed only $1.6 million in 2005; their combined salaries in 2003 were $22.6 million.

This is a great deal for the Braves. Jordan of 2005 isn't likely to be as good as the J.D. Drew of 2004, certainly, but he's a terrific pickup given the constraints of the Braves' salary structure.

Furcal, Kolb, Reitsma avoid arbitration

Furcal, Kolb, Reitsma avoid arbitration

Rafael Furcal got a nearly $2 million raise and new closer Dan Kolb more than doubled his salary, as three of five arbitration-eligible Braves signed new contracts Monday.
Reliever Chris Reitsma also signed, leaving only second baseman Marcus Giles and reliever Kevin Gryboski without deals. Both could sign by today, when teams swap salary figures with any remaining unsigned arbitration eligible players. Furcal signed a one-year, $5.6 million deal, after making $3.7 million in 2004 and batting .279 with 14 home runs, 59 RBIs and 29 stolen bases. After the season, he served 21 days in jail for his second drunken-driving offense and probation violation.

Kolb got a one-year, $3.4 million deal, after making $1.5 million in an All-Star season with Milwaukee and recording a franchise-record 39 saves for a team that won 67 games. The Braves traded top pitching prospect Jose Capellan to the Brewers to get Kolb, 29, which will allow them to move John Smoltz back to the starting rotation.

Reitsma got a bump in pay to $1.65 million, after making $950,000 last season and going 6-4 with a 4.07 ERA in a franchise-record 84 appearances. He faded down the stretch with a 7.71 ERA in 15 appearances after August.

Furcal can be a free agent after the 2005 season, and the Braves have had discussions with him regarding a multi-year contract. That remains a possibility, but the team wanted to at least get him and the others signed to one-year deals to avoid swapping arbitration salary figures.

Braves Sign Raul Mondesi to One-Year Deal

'Believe it, man' - Mondesi determined to prove he's still got game

Many baseball people have already written off Raul Mondesi, and he knows it. The newest Brave is determined to prove they're wrong and show he's not washed up at 33.

"Believe it, man," Mondesi said Friday at Turner Field, where the right fielder met with manager Bobby Cox and Braves officials before signing a one-year, $1 million contract - $12 million less than the former All-Star made two years ago.

"I'm very excited to come back to the National League and play for the Braves. I don't want to say much; I just want to play hard, play to win. ... I've had a few problems the last few years, but all my ability is still there."

The Braves believe at least a good portion of it's there. Otherwise, they wouldn't have pursued Mondesi, an enigma with a reputation as a high-maintenance player who's sometimes disruptive and rarely gets the most from his immense talent.

"We're satisfied he's healthy, and he's now a Brave," general manager John Schuerholz said after Mondesi passed a physical exam and discussed with team officials his past problems and future goals. "We think he'll keep himself strong, mentally and physically.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for him to get his career back on track, and we expect it to benefit him and us."

The Braves will either pursue another affordable veteran to play left field or wait until spring training to see if Ryan Langerhans or another rookie looks ready to handle the position.

"We'll keep our minds open and determine who we think is a better fit," Schuerholz said. "But the fact that we got a veteran guy [Mondesi] with his talent, we feel very good. No matter who we get in left field, we're going to feel very confident opening day."

He's a two-time Gold Glove winner and a .275 career hitter with 267 home runs, 229 stolen bases and 843 RBIs in 12 seasons, but Mondesi fell from the industry's consciousness after last season, when he played 34 games and had his contract terminated by two different teams.

Schuerholz was asked if this were another example of "thinking outside the box," which he's said the Braves have had to do the past two years because of their reduced payroll.

"I think so," he said. "[Mondesi] was not someone who was on anybody's radar screen."

Although his name hadn't been bandied about at the winter meetings or included in hot stove rumors, Schuerholz said Mondesi had been discussed frequently by the Braves, who needed to find an affordable replacement for right fielder J.D. Drew.

Drew used a career-best season with Atlanta to leverage a five-year, $55 million contract from the Dodgers - the same team that once gave a six-year, $60 million deal to Mondesi, the NL Rookie of the Year in 1994 for Los Angeles.

If Mondesi hopes to sniff anything close to that income again, he needs to return to form on the field. The most he can make in 2005 is $1.7 million, including hard-to-reach performance incentives.

After averaging 26 homers, 87 runs, 82 RBIs and 23 stolen bases over 10 full seasons through 2003, he batted just .241 with three homers and 15 RBIs last season for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Anaheim Angels.

He was cut by the Pirates in May after going home to the Dominican Republic to contest a lawsuit, then played eight games for the Angels before they dropped him when he failed to show for an injury-rehab appointment.

"[People] don't understand, when you're having family problems, you have to do something," he said. "It's hard to concentrate."

Mondesi feared for his family's safety after the lawsuit was filed by former major leaguer Mario Guerrero, who claimed Mondesi reneged on a promise to pay him one percent of his future earnings for helping to develop Mondesi's baseball skills as a youth.

Mondesi said his wife and four children, ages 3 to 12, are now safe at their Dominican home, and he's ready to play baseball. He doesn't want to say much more about last year.

"I just want to concentrate and have a great year for the Braves," he said. "I told my agent I wanted to go back to the National League, and play for a good team. This team goes to the playoffs every year. I want to just put it all together and go all the way."

Major League Baseball Announces New Steroids Policy

Steroid agreement: Suspensions for first offense (ESPN)

Baseball players and owners have reached an agreement on a tougher steroid-testing program, and the much-harsher penalties for players testing positive will include suspensions on the first offense. The agreement is expected to be announced Thursday from the owners' meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Sources familiar with the negotiations told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark that the agreement will include the following components:

Stricter penalties: Penalties for players testing positive will be more severe than the current agreement. A source told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney that suspensions on the first offense will carry a maximum length of 10 games. The penalty would increase to a one-year suspension for a fourth positive test, a high-ranking official told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Under the previous agreement, a first positive test resulted only in treatment, and a second positive test was subject to a 15-day suspension. Only with a fifth positive test was a player subject to a one-year ban under the old plan.

Year-round random testing for all players: Every major league player will be tested at least once a year.

There are no stipulations requiring that a player be tested more than once. But an unspecified number of players will be selected at random to be tested numerous other times throughout the year. So unlike the current system, a player would not know, following his one mandatory test, that he had no future tests to worry about for the rest of the year.

Offseason testing: In the first two seasons of the agreement, testing took place only between the opening of spring training and the last day of the season.

Testing for more substances: A large number of substances would be added to the list of banned drugs, including THG and various steroid precursors. The new agreement does not address the issue of stimulants.

Baseball will likely regard the suspensions for first-time offenses as a big step because steroids users are likely to be publicly identified. However, the penalty falls far short of the World Anti-Doping Agency's code, which has been adopted by most Olympic sports. It says the "norm" is two-year bans for a first positive test and a lifetime ban for a second, unless there are mitigating circumstances.

These are positive steps. I'm not a fan of forcing people to prove their innocence and have some qualms about the invasion of privacy this represents. However, professional athletes are paid handsome sums which depend on the public's perception of integrity in the competition. Given the Balco scandal and the revelations that marquee players such as Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi have used steroids--and former MVP Ken Caminiti died from using them-- that was seriously coming into question.

via OTB

Braves Sign Reliever Gabe White

Braves sign lefty reliever White
By DAVID O'BRIEN, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Braves signed left-handed reliever Gabe White in hopes he'll do what lefty Armando Almanza failed to do last season: have a career resurgence. White, 33, had a career-worst 6.94 ERA in 64 appearances last season for the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds. The Braves gave him a deal worth $600,000, roughly one-third of his 2004 salary. White made $1.925 million in 2004 and had a mutual option for the same amount in 2005, which the Reds declined for a $200,000 buyout.

White posted a 4.05 ERA for the Yankees in 2003 and a 2.99 ERA for Cincinnati in 2002. His best work came in 2000 with Colorado, when he was 11-2 with a 2.36 ERA and five saves in 68 games. His ERA shot up four runs the next year for the Rockies.
He had an 8.27 ERA last season with New York when traded June 18.

"He's had good years in the past," general manager John Schuerholz said, "and we think becoming part of our Braves pitching environment, he's got a chance to help us." White joins another veteran lefty, Tom Martin, in the bullpen. Martin is owed $1.9 million in 2005, with the Los Angeles Dodgers covering half of that. Atlanta traded for Martin in July, after Almanza put up a 6.17 ERA in 13 appearances and was sent to the minors. Almanza signed a $500,000 contract last winter, coming off two elbow surgeries and a career-worst 6.08 ERA for Florida.

Anna Benson Reality Show?

BENSON'S WIFE MAY HOST REALITY SHOW (New York Post)

Anna Benson, wife of Mets' pitcher Kris Benson, is in discussions to do a reality series on VH-1, NYP TV Sports has learned. While both Anna's agent and a VH-1 spokesperson confirmed the talks, no deal is finalized yet. The agent said other networks are interested, but wouldn't divulge which ones. Anna recently produced some headlines by going on the Howard Stern show and saying that if Kris were to cheat on her she would sleep with Met players and team officials. These and other outrageous comments have garnered her attention that may now lead to her own show.

Her agent, Jon Orlando, thinks that her words sometimes overshadow her charitable actions. "She almost sees herself as Howard Stern with Oprah's heart," said the agent.

Orlando, who is the son of singer Tony Orlando, said filming would likely start in Port St. Lucie at the beginning of spring training. He said Kris would be involved, but that the show would not be a distraction. "Anna would never do anything that would interfere with Kris, the Mets or major league baseball," Orlando said.

via OTB

Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg Elected to Hall of Fame

Hall call: Boggs, Sandberg awarded top honor (ESPN)

Wade Boggs was overwhelmingly elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility Tuesday, and Ryne Sandberg made it with just six votes to spare on his third try.

Boggs, a five-time American League batting champion for the Boston Red Sox, was selected by 474 of the record 516 voters who are 10-year members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The 91.86 percent of ballots he received was the 19th-highest percentage in Hall history, and he became the 41st player elected on his first chance. In total votes, Boggs trailed only Nolan Ryan (491) and George Brett (488). "It's mind-boggling to be put in the same category," said Boggs, who credited his success to his 79-year-old father, Winfield. "He coached me in Little League and sort of nurtured me along -- was there every phone call in the minor leagues," Boggs said.

Sandberg, the 1984 National League MVP for the Chicago Cubs, was picked by 393 voters. He appeared on 76.2 percent of ballots, just above the 75 percent cutoff (387). Sandberg received 49.2 percent of votes in 2003 and got 61.1 percent last year, falling 71 votes short. "Watching Ryno play in the other league was a treat," Boggs said. "He could work Wrigley magic more than anybody knew."

***

Boggs, known for his array of pre- and postgame rituals, was a 12-time All-Star during an 18-year career, finishing with 3,010 hits. He won batting titles in 1983 and from 1985-88, becoming the first player to win the AL batting championship in four straight years since Rod Carew from 1972-75. Boggs, who hit .300 or higher 15 times, finished with a .328 career average and was the only player in the 20th century with seven straight 200-hit seasons. He also became the first player to get 200 hits and 100 walks in four consecutive seasons. A two-time Gold Glove winner at third base, Boggs played for the Red Sox from 1982-92, then spent five seasons with the New York Yankees, helping the team win the 1996 World Series and riding a police horse around Yankee Stadium after the final victory. His final two seasons were with his hometown Tampa Bay Devil Rays. On Aug. 7, 1999, Boggs became the 23rd member of the 3,000-hit club, connecting off Cleveland's Chris Haney to become the first player to get No. 3,000 with a home run. After circling the bases, Boggs kissed home plate.

Sandberg was a nine-time Gold Glove second baseman and a 10-time All-Star. He hit 277 homers, the most by a second baseman at the time of his retirement, and led the NL with 40 in 1990. His .989 fielding percentage is the highest at the position. "I think defense had everything to do with me getting into the Hall of Fame," Sandberg said.

Boggs and Sandberg will increase the Hall of Fame's membership to 260, of which 102 were selected by the BBWAA. Induction ceremonies are July 31 in Cooperstown.

Well deserved, in both cases. Sandberg's stats are not particularly impressive by modern standards but he was the highest paid player in the game at one point. That alone speaks volumes.

Others receiving votes are shown in the table above. It's amazing how many guys who were star players during their eras get no real Hall consideration. Dale Murphy was National League MVP two years in a row and yet hasn't even come close to getting elected.

Cooperstown is the most difficult of the major sports halls to gain entrance into.

via OTB

Dale Murphy's Last Chance at the Hall of Fame?

Hall door could shut on Murphy (GUY CURTRIGHT, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Dale Murphy's flickering Baseball Hall of Fame hopes might be extinguished officially today when Wade Boggs likely will be voted in on his first year of eligibility.

Murphy's support decreased during his first six years on the ballot, dropping to 8.5 percent last time. If he doesn't get at least 5 percent this year, the two-time National League MVP will be dropped from the ballot for voting by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

"Nobody has ever thought that this was an easy club to get into," said Murphy, one of the top power hitters of the 1980s and a five-time Gold Glove outfielder.

However, the door could finally open for another former Brave, although most of reliever Bruce Sutter's success came with St. Louis and the Chicago Cubs.

Former Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg and Sutter are the top vote getters returning from last year, when Paul Molitor and Dennis Eckersley were voted in. Sandberg got 61.1 percent, Sutter 59.5. To make the Hall of Fame, a player must be named on at least 75 percent of the ballots.

Like Molitor and Eckersley, Boggs appears to be a first-ballot inductee. Molitor got 85.2 percent and Eckersley 83.2 percent.

Boggs won four of his five American League batting titles for Boston in succession (1985-88), and his 3,010 hits rank 23rd on the all-time list. He finished his 18-year career with a .328 lifetime average for the Red Sox, the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay.

This is Sutter's 12th year on the ballot, and a player is limited to 15. It has been hard for closers to get into the Hall of Fame, but Goose Gossage and Lee Smith also have been receiving support. The only relievers to be inducted are Eckersley, who also was a top starter early in his career, Rollie Fingers and Hoyt Wilhelm.

Sutter perfected the split-finger pitch and was a dominant closer with the Cubs and St. Louis. Arm problems cut short his career after he signed with the Braves in 1985.

Murphy won consecutive NL MVP Awards in 1982-83 and had more total bases than anyone else in the 1980s, finishing second to Mike Schmidt in homers and Eddie Murray in RBIs during the decade. But he finished with a .265 career average and missed the 400-homer milestone, getting 398.

Sadly, although Murph was a great player and an even better guy, I'm not sure he deserves to be in the Hall. He was a power hitter that fell well short of the home run totals one associates with Cooperstown and his batting average was mediocre. His peak years were spectacular but too few in number.

HALL OF FAME

Boggs a first-ballot favorite

Wade Boggs is expected to be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Ten returnees to the ballot got at least 20 percent of the votes last year. For induction, 75 percent is required.

Player 2004%

Ryne Sandberg 61.1

Bruce Sutter 59.5

Jim Rice 54.5

Andre Dawson 50.0

Goose Gossage 40.7

Lee Smith 36.6

Bert Blyleven 35.4

Jack Morris 26.3

Steve Garvey 24.3

Tommy John 21.9

Eight for the Hall of Fame

Jayson Stark argues that eight players, including former Braves two time MVP Dale Murphy, should make the Hall of Fame this year.

We know there were voters out there who didn't think Wade Boggs was as surefire a Hall of Famer as those 3,010 hits made him look. Boggs turned hitting singles into a science. We know there were voters who thought he wasn't a complete player, wasn't a team player, wasn't even a dominant player.

Well, luckily for them, this is America. They have a right to their opinion. It just happens to be ridiculous. And the proof will arrive Tuesday, when Boggs will go sailing into Cooperstown on the first ballot.

Of the 12 first-time candidates on this year's ballot, Boggs was the only one who got this voter's vote. But he was not the only guy with Red Sox ties that I voted for. Want to know the identity of the eight players we voted for? Read on:

1. BOGGS

OK, so what are the reasons not to vote for this guy again? You sure need to work hard to find them.

How do you not vote for a man who hit .352 for a whole freaking decade in the 1980s -- the highest average by any hitter in any decade since the '20s?

How do you not vote for one of the four players in history to bat .300 in every one of his first 10 seasons? (The others: Ted Williams, Al Simmons, Paul Waner.)

How do you not vote for the only man since Wee Willie Keeler to rip off seven straight 200-hit seasons?

How do you not vote for a man who won five batting titles, made 12 straight All-Star teams, started six of those All-Star Games in a row (more than any third baseman in history), batted .350 or better in four straight seasons, scored 100 runs in seven straight seasons and thumped 30 doubles in nine straight seasons?

We don't care how many hits he sprayed to the opposite field. Or how many doubles he clanked off the Green Monster. Or how many of those hits came in Fenway, period. Wade Boggs was one of the great hit machines of all time.

But that's not all. He was also one of the great on-base machines of all time.

Boggs had the same career on-base percentage (.415) as Stan Musial. He led his league in OBP five years in a row -- a streak topped only by Rogers Hornsby. He even led the AL in intentional walks six straight seasons -- which tells us all we need to know about how much teams enjoyed pitching to him.

But the feat that defined the precision of both Boggs' swing and his batting eye was this: He had four straight seasons with 200 hits and 100 walks (the longest streak in history). Which means he did that as many times in a row as all the other players in baseball have done it in the last half-century combined.

So some people may have other ideas. But Wade Boggs was such a slam-dunk candidate to this voter, it took about 1.8 seconds to decide to check his box.

2. JIM RICE

I've always thought there was no dumber Hall of Fame voting rule than the one that allows players to linger on this ballot for 15 years.

Wouldn't you think we could make up our minds on just about anybody in five years? Or 10, tops? Sheez, we're talking about players who never play a single game during any of those years.

Well, I still hate that rule. But then how do I rationalize that it took me 11 agonizing Hall of Fame elections before I finally cast a vote for Jim Rice?

It makes no sense whatsoever, of course -- except for this:

Of all the candidates I've ever had to consider, none of them cost me more sleep, or caused me to ingest more Rolaids, than Rice. He's that hard a call.

There was no question he was the dominant offensive force in his league for a dozen seasons in the late 1970s and early '80s. Unfortunately, his career then tumbled over a cliff -- at age 34.

So he never reached 400 homers, or 1,500 RBI, or 2,500 hits. And for a man who had to be evaluated almost solely for his offense, those were career numbers that just didn't quite cut it -- not for this voter, anyway.

But I've always said I was an open-minded kind of guy. So last year, I invited you thoughtful folks in Reader Land to try to change my mind. More than a thousand e-mails later, I'm happy to announce you did. ... SO PLEASE STOP SENDING THEM.

I read hundreds of those e-mails. I talked to baseball people who saw Rice play, or played against him. I finally became convinced he wasn't as one-dimensional as I'd once thought. Which allowed me to give more weight to his incredible period of dominance.

From 1975 through 1985, Rice was No. 1 in his league in homers, RBI, runs scored, slugging and extra-base hits. And aside from homers, only the great George Brett was even close to him in any of those categories.

So you can call off the e-mail assault. It's amazing my inbox didn't explode.

3. RYNE SANDBERG

Since Sandberg's vote percentage jumped from 49 to 61 last year, it's apparent he'll get elected one of these years. But it's absurd that it's taken this long.

Until last September, when Jeff Kent passed him, Sandberg led all second basemen in history in home runs (277). He owns the highest fielding percentage (.989) of any second baseman since 1900. He's the only second baseman ever to start nine All-Star Games. And from 1982-92, he led all second basemen in average, homers, RBI, runs, extra-base hits, OPS, fielding percentage and 500-assist seasons. So about all he didn't do was bake the pizzas at Geno's.

4. BRUCE SUTTER

Sutter's vote totals have jumped every year, peaking at 59.5 percent last year. So there's hope for him, too. But we'll ask again: Should it be this hard?

This guy not only dominated his position. He changed his position.

He revolutionized how closers were used, won a Cy Young, pioneered a revolutionary pitch (the unhittable splitter), averaged 25 saves for 12 years when 25 was actually a lot of saves and -- as our friend, Alan Schwarz, pointed out in Sunday's New York Times -- averaged 42 percent more outs per save than Dennis Eckersley.

Sutter was also such a force that he is still the only relief pitcher who ever finished in the top 10 in MVP voting six times (in eight years). So one of these years, the world has to catch on to what this man meant in his era. Right?

5. GOOSE GOSSAGE

Speaking of overlooked closers, how the heck can Gossage still be sputtering along, barely collecting 40 percent of the vote? That's a bigger outrage than My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss.

Let's run through his glittering credentials again: Nine All-Star teams in 11 years. A 10-year blitz of microscopic ERAs and terrifying strikeout totals. More than 130 innings in relief three times. A span of nearly 20 years in which the average of right-handed hitters against him never cracked the Mendoza Line. And an aura that came wafting out of his fu manchu every time he grabbed the ball -- an aura that announced: "Game over." For this guy never to have come within 150 votes of election is a crime.

6. ANDRE DAWSON

He spent his best years in Montreal, where the AstroConcrete turned his knee cartilage into linguini and all videotapes of his greatness apparently were confiscated at the border by customs agents. So Dawson continues to be overlooked by half the voting populace. And that ain't right.

Until his knees began to crumble, the Hawk was a singular combination of power, speed, defense, leadership and unparalleled respect among his peers. He won one MVP election and finished second in two others. He was a rookie of the year. He won eight Gold Gloves. And despite all those ice packs he kept attaching to his knees, only two other players have ever matched his totals in hits (2,774), home runs (438) and stolen bases (314) -- Willie Mays and Barry Bonds.

If we spent most of the '80s debating whether Dawson was the best player in the National League, why are we still debating so hard whether he belongs in Cooperstown?

7. JACK MORRIS

Suppose we told you there was a pitcher on this ballot who won 36 more games than anyone else in the sport while he was in it? And suppose we told you this pitcher started three All-Star Games -- a feat surpassed, since the 1970s, by only Randy Johnson?

Then suppose we told you this guy pitched a no-hitter, was an Opening Day starter 14 times (more than any American Leaguer since Walter Johnson), averaged 14 complete games a season for eight years and made 515 consecutive starts without missing a turn (a record at the time)?

Finally, suppose we told you he was one of the most fabled postseason pitchers of his day, that he started Game 1 of the World Series for three different Series champs and that he pitched all 10 innings of possibly the greatest Game 7 shutout ever?

Would you say that guy was a Hall of Famer -- if you didn't know his name was Jack Morris? True, Morris' 3.90 ERA would be the highest of any pitcher in the Hall. But by nearly every other standard, he was the ultimate ace of his era.

8. DALE MURPHY

Murphy's vote totals are starting to make Dennis Kucinich look like George W. Bush. So we know now he has no prayer of having his mug on a Hall of Fame plaque.

Still, we have no trouble justifying a vote for a man who was a back-to-back MVP, a five-time Gold Glove winner, a 30-30 guy, a leading vote-getter in the All-Star balloting and the answer to the trivia question: Who led the National League in runs, hits and RBI in the '80s?

Has there ever been a better player who couldn't even get 10 percent of the vote? We can't think of one.

1980's Stars Overlooked for Hall of Fame

In their ESPN Page 2 piece "Remember the '80s!," Eric Neel and David Schoenfield argue that 1980's stars are overlooked for the baseball Hall of Fame because of the overinflated statistics of recent years.

It's hard to remember now, in the era of big muscles and bigger BALCO rumors, but once upon a time 30 homers and 100 RBI were a big deal. Once upon a time, a second baseman who could slug .500 was a superstar freak, a guy you'd name your kids after.

People forget that time now. That time was the '80s. Do you remember the 80s?

We do. We grew up with the game in the '80s. These were the stars of our youth. Maybe these guys aren't all Hall of Famers; they certainly haven't been getting much respect from Hall of Fame voters. And when the results for the 2005 class for Cooperstown are announced Tuesday, we suspect none of them will make it.

But we remember ...

DALE MURPHY, 1976-1993
Games Hits HR RBI AVG OBP SLG OPS+ GG All-Star Top-10
MVP
2180 2111 398 1266 .265 .346 .469 121 5 7 4

There were peaks and valleys, but the overall numbers are very good (exactly one homer per every 20 ABs career), and there was a time, in the mid-'80s, when Murphy was King, a seemingly iron-clad lock for the Hall. (Between 1982 and 1985, he hit more than 36 homers and drove in 100+ four straight times.) More than the numbers, though, we carry a picture of him, all upright and angular, his 6-foot-5 frame capable of an unexpected grace. Think of the swooping, almost casual finish to his swing; think of the long-legged landing when he stole a base. (Bet you didn't remember he did that too, did you? 30-out-of-34 in 1983, baby.)
--Eric Neel

ANDRE DAWSON, 1976-1996
Games Hits HR RBI AVG OBP SLG OPS+ GG All-Star Top-10
MVP
2627 2774 438 1591 .279 .323 .482 119 8 8 4

As good as he was in Chicago (and he might not have been MVP good, but he was mighty good), and as much as I admired the way he hobbled on two bum knees with grit and grace, it's the young Hawk I think of now. Between 1979-1983 his nickname wasn't a hook, it was pure description. The man flew about the yard. He stole bases, hit for power, and worked the alleys with both glove and bat. And I loved that he played north of the border. These were the days before "Baseball Tonight." They were the days of snippets on "This Week In Baseball" and glimpses when the Expos came to town. The young Hawk was a mystery, a legend, a force whose exploits traveled on the wind.
--Neel

ALAN TRAMMELL, 1977-1996
Games Hits HR RBI AVG OBP SLG OPS+ GG All-Star Top-10
MVP
2293 2365 185 1003 .285 .352 .415 110 4 6 3

Our vocabulary for guys like Trammell is weak. We use anemic words like "steady" and "consistent," words better suited to coffee tables and cars than stalwart shortstops. The man was a rock, and not a cold, flat river stone, but a monument facade, with spectacular peaks (take a look at the 1984 postseason) and a fundamental base (.977 career fielding percentage). Trammell was the Detroit Tigers for 20 seasons, in the same way Robin Yount was the Brewers and Tony Gwynn was the Padres, and in a way that almost no one in the game embodies their team or their city right now.
--Neel

LOU WHITAKER, 1977-1995
Games Hits HR RBI AVG OBP SLG OPS+ GG All-Star Top-10
MVP
2390 2369 244 1084 .276 .363 .426 117 3 5 1

Whitaker was always in the shadows. Teammates like Kirk Gibson and Jack Morris and Cecil Fielder and even Trammell were more heralded. Maybe it was that funny gait of his (I can't describe it, but you'll know what I mean if you saw Whitaker play), which made him seem unathletic. He was quiet; heck, I couldn't even tell you what he sounded like when he talked, because you never heard him talk. Maybe he was too smooth on the field, made everything look too easy. And maybe that's why voters dumped him off the ballot after his first year on it. But he sure could hit and field and turn the deuce.
--David Schoenfield

DON MATTINGLY, 1982-1995
Games Hits HR RBI AVG OBP SLG OPS+ GG All-Star Top-10
MVP
1785 2153 222 1099 .307 .358 .471 127 9 6 4

Exhibit A in "Why I hate the Hall of Fame" (he received just 65 votes last year and is in real danger of slipping off the ballot entirely). More important than a ticket to the Hall is the quality of a man's game, from eye-black to eight straight games with a home run, from inside-out doubles to flawless picks off the infield dirt, and from sun-up to sundown. I know it makes me a bad scientist and a bit of a romantic, but Mattingly was an idea to me, he was the idea of baseball, in something like its pure Platonic form. (Bill James writes in the "Historical Baseball Abstract": "100% ballplayer, 0% bulls---")." Hit for average? Yes, sir. Hit for power? Done. Play stellar defense? Check. Do it all so well that you're universally recognized as the gold standard, not for a week, or a month, or a season, but for three straight years? Got that right. Forget the Hall, forget the Hall's fascination with longevity, put Mattingly in the Pantheon.
--Neel

KEITH HERNANDEZ, 1974-1990
Games Hits HR RBI AVG OBP SLG OPS+ GG All-Star Top-10
MVP
2088 2182 162 1071 .296 .384 .436 129 11 5 4

This isn't fair, but Hernandez has always been on my list of the best baseball players who don't really look like baseball players (along with Ron Cey, Willie McGee, Frank Tanana, Chris Sabo, Terry Forster, Alex Rodriguez, and a host of others). Maybe it was the bustle-butt stance, maybe it was the Tony Clifton mustache ... I don't know, but he just never looked the part to me, even when he was slapping doubles into the alley. In fact, it wasn't until I saw him take a turn on "Seinfeld" that I really felt like he was, without question, a baseball player. But like I said, I'm not being fair ...
--Neel

JIM RICE, 1974-1989
Games Hits HR RBI AVG OBP SLG OPS+ GG All-Star Top-10
MVP
2089 2452 382 1451 .298 .352 .502 128 0 8 6

I was sitting in the family station wagon with my mom in 1978, opening a pack of baseball cards, listening on the radio to hear that Rice beat out Ron Guidry for the AL MVP Award. I remember being happy Rice won; I guess I must have disliked the Yankees. In retrospect, however, Guidry was clearly the most valuable player in the AL that year. And that's kind of how Rice's career seems in retrospect: man, he sure was feared at the time, but when you study things a little closer, you realize he wasn't as great as we thought. He gained a huge advantage from Fenway, back when it was a great hitter's park; he didn't draw many walks, meaning he never finished higher than ninth in the AL in on-base percentage; he was a mediocre fielder; he grounded into a ton of DPs (36 in 1984!). Still, it seems like Rice should be a Hall of Famer.
--Schoenfield

DWIGHT EVANS, 1972-1991
Games Hits HR RBI AVG OBP SLG OPS+ GG All-Star Top-10
MVP
2606 2446 385 1384 .272 .370 .470 127 8 3 4

For those of us who grew up in the '80s reading Bill James, Dwight Evans was sort of the secret superstar we knew about that made us feel a little superior to other baseball fans. He did the things that didn't show up in the box score, like draw walks and play great defense. He also had that knock-kneed stance at the plate and a cannon of an arm in right field. He was a testimony to hard work -- even though he reached the majors when he was 21, he didn't become a star until 1981, when he was 29. Maybe he falls short of Cooperstown; but he doesn't fall short of the Underrated Hall of Fame.
--Schoenfield

DAVE PARKER, 1973-1991
Games Hits HR RBI AVG OBP SLG OPS+ GG All-Star Top-10
MVP
2466 2712 339 1493 .290 .339 .471 121 3 7 6

OK, it wasn't quite the '80s, but I was sitting in the Kingdome at the 1979 All-Star Game, back when Parker showed why he was the most intimidating player in baseball there for a few years. I can still see the throws, 25 years later: Jim Rice doubling into the right-field corner in the seventh inning, trying to make a three-bagger, Parker uncoiling, unleashing a laser beam -- no cutoff man, mind you -- to third to nail Rice. And then, the next inning, gunning down Brian Downing at the plate, keeping the game tied 6-6. And in ninth, when AL pitchers walked four hitters -- including Parker intentionally -- the NL had won again, like they always did in those days. I was an AL fan; I sure hated Parker that day.
--Schoenfield

JACK MORRIS, 1977-1994
Games IP W L PCT ERA ERA+ Post PERA All-Star Top-5
Cy
549 3824 254 186 .577 3.90 105 7-4 3.80 5 5

Before he pitched maybe the greatest game in World Series history in 1991, he was laying the groundwork in the '80s. 126 wins, six times in the top six in innings pitched, six times in the top five in games started, six times in the top five in complete games, and seven times in the top 10 in strikeouts. When folks get all teary-eyed talking about the days when pitchers were pitchers and men were men, they're talking about Jack Morris.
--Neel

BERT BLYLEVEN, 1970-1992
Games IP W L PCT ERA ERA+ Post PERA All-Star Top-5
Cy
692 4970 287 250 .534 3.31 118 5-1 2.47 2 3

OK, maybe the point isn't that Blyleven was more valuable than Nolan Ryan (even though he was). Maybe the point is that Blyleven was as good as Ryan, if only less famous, and while Ryan soared into the Hall, Blyleven continues to struggle to get even 50 percent of the vote. From 1971 to 1977, Blyleven never had an ERA above 3.00 and pitched at least 275 innings in six of those seven seasons, but went 112-104. And voters hold that against him? And after an elbow injury in 1981, he had a second life with the Indians and Twins as one of the AL's best pitchers in the '80s. Ryan had an ERA below 3.00 in seasons of at least 200 innings just five times in his career. Blyleven did it nine times. Blyleven helped two teams win the World Series, going 5-1, 2.47 in eight career playoff games. Must be a Dutch bias with the voters, I tell you.
--Schoenfield

FERNANDO VALENZUELA, 1980-1997
Games IP W L PCT ERA ERA+ Post PERA All-Star Top-5
Cy
453 2930 173 153 .531 3.54 103 5-1 1.98 6 4

What I remember is being in the right-field pavilion seats for an April game against the Giants in 1981. Fernando threw a seven-hit shutout and collected three hits of his own. The park was a giant party. People were singing his name, doing little dances of joy. I was there with my grandfather. We were raising cups of beer and soda and delivering toasts in his honor. We could not believe he was real and he was ours.
--Neel

GOOSE GOSSAGE, 1972-1994
Games IP W L SV ERA ERA+ Post PERA All-Star Top-5
Cy
1002 1809 124 107 310 3.01 126 2-1 2.87 9 4

It's simple, isn't it? As an opposing fan, Goose scared the hell out of you. Think how the hitters felt.
--Schoenfield

BRUCE SUTTER, 1976-1988
Games IP W L PCT ERA ERA+ Post PERA All-Star Top-5
Cy
661 1042 68 71 300 2.83 136 2-0 3.00 6 4

OK, maybe he didn't last long enough to make the Hall. But consider how respected he was at his peak: he finished in the top 10 in the MVP voting five times in his career. That's more than Andre Dawson, Dale Murphy, Don Mattingly and a bunch of Hall of Famers, including Orlando Cepeda, Tony Perez, Billy Williams, Paul Molitor, Robin Yount, Ozzie Smith, Carlton Fisk. And none of those guys had the Grizzly Adams beard to match Sutter's.
--Schoenfield

L.A. Angels of Anaheim

L.A. Angels of Anaheim (ESPN - AP)

Baseball's Angels have a new name, and it's a mouthful: The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The switch, which will be challenged in court by the city of Anaheim, is intended to help the team market itself to more of Southern California, attract more advertising sponsors and broadcast revenue, the team said Monday. "We believe that the appeal in the marketplace will be broader," Angels spokesman Tim Mead said.

The city of Anaheim will file a lawsuit to block the name change and hopes to obtain a temporary restraining order in place this week, city spokesman John Nicoletti said. Anaheim officials believe the change violates the terms of the team's 33-year lease with the city. "It's geographically confusing and absurd," Nicoletti said. "No other professional sports franchise that I know of has two different cities in its names."

When the franchise began in 1961, owned by singing cowboy Gene Autry, it was the Los Angeles Angels. The team became the California Angels when it moved to Anaheim in 1966. In 1997, when the team was controlled by The Walt Disney Co., the franchise was renamed the Anaheim Angels. Arte Moreno bought the team in 2003, one year after it won the World Series, and he wanted to change the name.

I must concur with Nicoletti. Not only is the name simply absurd, it rather clearly violates at least the spirit of the lease agreement. Presumably, "of Anaheim" isn't going to be in large letters on the front of the road jerseys.

Ray Ratto has an amusing perspective on this move: The Angels' Identity Crisis

Their stirring triumph over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of St. Petersburg and Halfway To Disneyworld notwithstanding, it was still another tough season for the Arizona Cardinals of Hell. On the other hand, despite losing to the St. Louis Rams of Eastern Missouri, the New York Jets of New Jersey are back in the playoffs under the capable leadership of Chad Pennington of the Marshall School of Journalism. All this, thanks to the latest development in hyperkinetic naming rights, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It is an absurd combination of two cities that don't much like each other, in the name of advertising dollars that probably won't even reveal themselves, but it's not like this is an original idea. Just a stupid one.

Take the Tri-Cities Hawks of old NBA fame. Or the Virginia Squires, who played in four cities and died every time. Or the Carolina Cougars, who tried three and did the same. Or, for you soccer fans, Wimbledon of Milton Keynes, two parts of England joined by a motorway. Just like Los Angeles and New Orleans are joined by a motorway.

Oh, we could rail against this latest bastardization of the geography department at Fullerton State, but let's be honest. The Angels could have tried to verbally annex Ventura County while they were at it. At least they stopped short of San Clemente. This is the wave of the future, because it has been the wave of the past. The Golden State Warriors of Oakland, for example. The Warriors once played in San Francisco, left for more lucrative climes across the Bay Bridge, but haven't been able to get comfortable with a name change in the 30-some-odd years since they moved. Or the Detroit Pistons of Auburn Hills. Enough said there, we think.

So let's face it. This is where we are -- with teams playing in cities they're almost ashamed of, but not so ashamed that they wouldn't mind mining the vein while there's still ore. In other words, we give up. Let a thousand locations bloom.

The Dallas Cowboys don't play in Dallas and the Washington Redskins don't play in D.C., either, for that matter.

via OTB

Ratto's other suggestions:

The San Diego Padres of Anaheim, Los Angeles, Tijuana and All The Way To The Arizona Line.

The Chicago White Sox of the South Side, You Wanna Make Something Of It?

The Pittsburgh Penguins of Bankruptcy Court.

The Minnesota Twins of Minneapolis.

The Minnesota Wild of St. Paul.

The Minnesota Vikings of Keeping Their Options Open.

The Los Angeles Lakers of Kobe Bryant.

The Miami Heat of Shaquille O'Neal.

The Charlotte Bobcats of Hoping George Shinn Is Eating His Liver Out in New Orleans.

The Oakland Raiders Always Dreaming of Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Clippers Who Really Would Be Better Off In Anaheim.

The Baltimore Orioles Resenting The Hell Out Of The Washington Nationals.

The Washington Nationals of Las Vegas, As Fast As We Can Get Them There.

The Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks of Gary Bettman's Basement Closet.

And finally, the New York Yankees of Everything That Isn't Nailed Down.

T-shirts, caps, stadium blankets and bottled water are all available in the lobby, starting at $49.95. Extra, if you want that water cold.

QuesTec will Stay

QuesTec will stay

Baseball and the umpires' union have reached agreement on a new five-year contract, and the controversial QuesTec cameras didn't get the thumb. Instead, a compromise was reached. The computerized system to grade ball-and-strike calls will remain, but it no longer will be the only way umpires are evaluated.

I'm all for it. The idea that each umpire should get to make up his own strike zone is asinine.

Andres Galarraga Signs with Mets

Big Cat on the prowl

Former Braves first baseman Andres Galarraga signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets and received an invitation to spring training. The 43-year-old slugger missed most of last season after a recurrence of the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that forced him to miss all of 1999. "I want to go out on my own terms," Galarraga said. "The first reason why I want to come back is for my family and friends who supported me through my cancer. Maybe others can use it as motivation that they can beat it, too. "Also, I'm only one home run from 400, and that record would be nice. Everything is going great right now."

I hope he gets it.

Braves Face Hard Hudson Choices

Braves Face Hard Hudson Choices

The Braves appear to have a better chance of keeping Tim Hudson than they did outfielder J.D. Drew, but signing the right-hander to a long-term deal certainly won't be easy. That's obvious from the contracts that free agent starting pitchers have received this winter. Hudson has a much better track record than Carl Pavano, who received a $40 million, four-year deal from the New York Yankees, and is much less of a risk than Pedro Martinez, who received $53 million over four seasons from the New York Mets. Even pitchers like Brad Radke, Matt Clement, Eric Milton and Russ Ortiz got contracts paying more than $8 million annually. That means the 29-year-old Hudson, who had a stunning 92-39 career record with Oakland, likely warrants a long-term deal worth about $12 million annually.

It won't be easy to fit that into the Braves' payroll, however, especially with what they will be forced to pay Mike Hampton after next season. The left-hander is owed $43 million in 2006-2008. Still, can the Braves afford not to re-sign Hudson? He could be the key to not only a 14th consecutive division title next season, but continued success as well. Hudson, who will be a relative bargain in 2005 at $6.75 million, was born in Columbus and grew up as a Braves fan. "This is a dream come true for me and my family," the former Auburn University standout said after being introduced as a Brave last month. Money, however, seems to be what really counts in baseball. Being from Georgia certainly didn't mean that Drew, who got a $55 million, five-year deal from Los Angeles thanks to agent Scott Boras, was willing to cut the Braves a break. "If it's only one year, it's one year," Braves manager Bobby Cox said about having Hudson in his rotation. "But it'd be better to have him five years."

No kidding. It's just ridiculous that the Braves, owned by Time Warner, is trying to get by on a poor team's budget. Having to reshuffle the roster every year and giving away its best players to the teams willing to spend what it takes to win every season is no way to a championship. It's amazing that Cox and Shuerholtz have managed to do it so long now.

Jeff Francoeur to Get Outfield Tryout

Francoeur awaiting spring audition

Jeff Francoeur still doesn't have his official invitation from the Braves for spring training. After John Schuerholz's recent comments, however, that's only a formality. "I guess what he said was my unofficial invite," the 20-year-old outfield prospect said Thursday after returning from a six-day family vacation in the Bahamas.

Just before he left, the 2002 first-round draft choice from Parkview High School read words from the Braves general manager that any minor leaguer craves. "Francoeur is real close to the major leagues," Schuerholz said. "We're going to give Jeff a chance to come to spring training and show us what he's got. He might excite a lot of people." "That was really nice to hear," said Francoeur, who has only played a few games above Class A. "All anybody can ask for is a chance to show what he can do. It looks like there might be an opportunity there and I'll do all I can to try to take advantage of it."

With spring training two months away, the Braves have holes in left and right field following the free agency departure of J.D. Drew, and the trades of Charles Thomas and Eli Marrero. At least one of the positions will be filled with the addition of a veteran through trade or free agency. The Braves, however, may turn to their farm system to fill the other. That's where Francoeur comes in. A five-tool player with unlimited potential, he was named the No. 3 prospect in the Arizona Fall League by Baseball America magazine. "I'll go to spring training with the idea of showing that I'm ready for the big leagues," said Francoeur, who will resume hitting in January and work out twice a week in Athens with the University of Georgia's baseball strength and conditioning coach. "To do anything else would be selling yourself short."

Francoeur and third baseman Andy Marte are the Braves' top hitting prospects. Marte, who had 23 homers in Class AA last season, has never played the outfield, but may get a look there in spring training. "We don't know if he can play it or not," Braves director of player personnel Dayton Moore said. "We'll work him out there in January and see how he looks."

The Braves' other young possibilities are Ryan Langerhans, who had a solid season in Class AAA, Billy McCarthy and Kelly Johnson. Dewayne Wise was claimed on waivers by Detroit and Adam Stern was taken by Boston in the Rule 5 draft. "It will be interesting to see what other moves the Braves make," Francoeur said. "They are real good about not letting anything leak out."

I hope he makes it. Given the budget limitations Schuerholz is operating under, it's critical that several young players up from the farm can make a contribution. That way, more of the budget can be allocated to re-signing proven stars and bringing in a key free agent or two. My strong preference would be to be able to spend the money on keeping guys like Javy Lopez and J.D. Drew rather than having to depend on having cheap free agents over-perform year after year.

Can John McCain Save Sports?

Can John McCain save sports? (ESPN)

No politician enjoys battling bad guys like John McCain, and these days, the senior senator from Arizona wants to save sports from its own worst elements. McCain, who was reelected to a fourth term in November, chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, which basically means he can stick his thumb into any activity in America where dollars change hands. He is a genuine sports nut who says the best perk he gets is the chance to buy tickets to otherwise sold-out boxing matches. And he is a maverick, by temperament if not party label, who enjoys attacking various corporate interests and standing up for underdogs. In short, McCain styles himself a cross between Jefferson Smith and Ted Williams. He has an ambitious sports agenda, and he's got the power and tenacity to push it. And with the sordid tale of BALCO and its founder, Victor Conte Jr., erupting across headlines on daily basis, McCain has something more, too: a scandal that's throwing light on the sports underworld, and that just might swing public opinion behind the efforts of McCain and his fellow reformers.

McCain is fighting on at least four fronts to clean up sports. Closest to his heart are his efforts to fight corruption and improve the plight of beaten-down fighters in boxing. For years, he tried an incremental approach: he was a key sponsor of a 1996 law requiring medical care for boxers and a 2000 law banning conflicts of interest among managers and promoters. But these efforts have been almost completely unenforced by state agencies, and now McCain is proposing a national commission to straighten out the sweet science. "I'll push for boxing reform until it passes," McCain told ESPN.com in an interview at his Phoenix office. "The thing that gets me so involved is the exploitation of the boxers who, with rare exception, come from the lowest rung on our economic ladder, are least educated and are left many times after some years in the sport mentally impaired and financially broke."

But it's BALCO, specifically what McCain calls baseball's "meaningless enforcement" of its rules about performance-enhancing drugs, where McCain has been making the biggest news recently. "I don't care about Mr. Bonds or Mr. Sheffield or anybody else," McCain barked to reporters after Conte went public with his story in ESPN the Magazine and the San Francisco Chronicle reported grand jury testimony given by Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield. "What I care about are high school athletes who are tempted to use steroids because they think that's the only way they can make it in the major leagues."

***

All this crusading has made McCain a passel of enemies, and several of the men who would like to derail his plans have also gained power since the November elections. For example, Sen. Harry Reid, a Democrat from the gambling state of Nevada, has become the Senate Minority Leader. Reid's opposition stalled boxing reform for a full year in the Senate, though he's now on board with McCain's bill. But Reid also has worked assiduously to keep gambling on college athletics alive.

Then there's Don King, who hustled all fall for George W. Bush's reelection campaign, even taping an anti-John Kerry ad, and who surely wants to use whatever newfound influence he has to sway the Bush administration against boxing reform. McCain laughs off King's alliance with the GOP and predicts that if his national-commission bill passes the House of Representatives, President Bush will sign it.

And Rep. James Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Republican and Bud Selig ally, now chairs the House Judiciary Committee. Sensenbrenner came to Selig's aid during the commissioner's embarrassing testimony on contraction two years ago, and he's not likely to give a green light to any legislation that interferes with baseball's labor deal unless Selig approves it.

This is a classic political battle, with powerful interests backed by powerful congressional chairman and high-powered lobbyists. And, while none of this is really Congress' business, it's certainly good politics for McCain, who is clearly angling for the 2008 nomination.

via Outside the Beltway