Mike Matheny’s defection from the Cardinals wasn’t an especially big news story, but it could have major consequences both for the team adding him (the Giants) and the one losing him.
San Francisco pitchers did not enjoy working with new White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski. They are delighted to have the ultra-professional Matheny as their primary receiver. Reliever Matt Herges said Matheny’s approach is “too good to be true.”
Left-hander Jason Christiansen, who was with Matheny in St. Louis in 2000-01, tells San Francisco teammates to expect the new catcher to be a leader. Christiansen recalled he was once so upset with manager Tony La Russa that they would not shake hands on the field after Christiansen finished a victory.
“Mike came in and grabbed me by my jersey after the game and darn near threw me into my locker and said, `You need to talk to him right now and straighten this out. If we’re going to be a ballclub we all have to get along,’ and he darn near pushed me into Tony’s office,” Christiansen said. “We got things straightened out.”
The Cardinals are entrusting the top catcher’s spot to 22-year-old Yadier Molina, who has caught only 88 games above Double A.
“He has played in Puerto Rico [during recent winters],” La Russa said.”To me, he’s a veteran. You have to give Mike credit for what he was when he was here–he was so outstanding. But last year we got a look at Yadi. The guy has gained so much from playing in winter ball, being under pressure.”
Feeling good again
Aaron Boone insists a recent intrasquad game with the Indians gave him goose bumps–because it was the first game he has played since the 2003 World Series with the Yankees.
Boone’s blown-out knee, which he injured on the basketball court, led to the Yankees acquiring Alex Rodriguez. The Yankees cut Boone loose and he is re-emerging as Cleveland’s top third baseman.
Boone said he’s having no problems with the knee.
“My initial concern was how it would feel as we added to my workload, but I’ve had no problem,” he said. “The biggest challenge will be building up my endurance. But so far I’ve tested it in every way you can test it, and it has been fine.”
The signing of Boone should help Cleveland offset the absence of outfielder Jody Gerut, who could be out until at least June with a torn ligament in his right knee.
Pinging ears
The Marlins were so eager to play the University of Miami in an exhibition game that they allowed the Hurricanes to use aluminum bats. They were lucky they lost only the game.
Miami pounded Dontrelle Willis en route to a 9-7 victory, but at least there were no line-drive casualties.
“That’s crazy,” Cincinnati closer Danny Graves said. “I wouldn’t want to pitch to anybody using aluminum bats. I’d be asking for that day off or I’d be like a slow-pitch softball player–pitch, then run backwards 10 feet.”
Counting nickels
Pittsburgh outfielder Jason Bay, the National League’s rookie of the year, and left-hander Oliver Perez, who won 12 games and struck out 239, were among zero-to-three players who had their contracts renewed by their teams. The Pirates assigned Perez a $381,000 salary and are paying Bay only $355,000–a far cry from the $600,000 St. Louis gave Albert Pujols after his rookie season.
“You want your employees to be happy and feel good about the way you run your business,” Pittsburgh GM Dave Littlefield said. “At the same time, we feel we have to pay our players relative to their service time and the market we’re in.”
Florida renewed the multitalented Miguel Cabrera at $370,000, giving him a raise of $50,000 after a 33-homer, 112-RBI season. He wasn’t upset, knowing big money will come later.
“You just have to keep working and try to surpass your numbers from last year,” Cabrera said.
No one is getting a worse deal than Texas center fielder Laynce Nix, however. He has hit .250 with 22 homers in 168 big-league games but is getting a raise only because the major-league minimum is increasing from $300,000 to $318,000. That’s what he will be paid.
Nix declined comment, but you know he’s not going to forget this treatment if he becomes a long-term regular. GM John Hart said if young players pout over salaries “then maybe we have the wrong player.”
This is the same organization that paid Rodriguez $140 million to help it to three last-place finishes.
Dodgers not blue
If elite prospects are the measuring stick, the Dodgers have the best farm system. Baseball America ranked seven of their players, including right-handers Chad Billingsley and Edwin Jackson, among the top 100 minor-league prospects.
Atlanta and the Angels were tied for second behind Los Angeles with six apiece. The White Sox were tied for fourth with five (Brian Anderson, 37; Ryan Sweeney, 42; Brandon McCarthy, 49; Josh Fields, 95, and Tadahito Iguchi, 96). The Cubs were tied for eighth with four (Brian Dopirak, 21; Felix Pie, 31; Ryan Harvey, 66, and Angel Guzman, 88).
By this standard the worst farm systems belong to the Yankees, St. Louis, San Diego and Washington. They had only one top-100 player apiece.
The top five overall prospects: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer (for the second consecutive year), Seattle left-hander Felix Hernandez, Tampa Bay outfielder Delmon Young, Colorado third baseman Ian Stewart and Los Angeles shortstop Joel Guzman.
Whispers
With Tim Hudson committing to Atlanta through 2009, Florida’s A.J. Burnett could become the top pitcher available in next winter’s free-agent class. . . . One player conspicuously larger this season is Florida outfielder Juan Encarnacion, who put on about 15 pounds of muscle hoping to get his career back on track. . . . Australian left-hander Graeme Lloyd, who has 568 career appearances, is in Cleveland’s minor-league camp. . . . Giants manager Felipe Alou already has named Jerome Williams his fifth starter, seemingly pulling the rug out from under prospects Brad Hennessey and Jesse Foppert. . . . Has anybody figured out why Kerry Wood, and not Carlos Zambrano, will be Cubs manager Dusty Baker’s Opening Day starter? . . . The Cardinals really are excited about Matt Morris, who is ahead of schedule in his recovery from shoulder surgery. He had been expected to miss two months but could join the rotation by April 20, the first time La Russa needs a No. 5 starter. That’s good news given the continuing questions about Rick Ankiel, who is another candidate for the fifth spot. He threw only three strikes in a 26-pitch effort in live batting practice last week. . . . The Phillies are worried about right-hander Vicente Padilla’s elbow and third baseman David Bell’s back. They’re the only team in the majors that has had a losing record in each of the last five springs.
The last word
“I think they’ve turned the corner, I really do. I think the strides they made last year and with what they’ve added, they’re going to be a team to be reckoned with.”–Whitey Herzog on the Detroit Tigers.
