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Alex Rodriguez Sues Bud Selig, Updated
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Alex Rodriguez Sues Bud Selig, Updated
Alex Rodriguez has filed new law suits in New York State Court. The first suit names Bud Selig, MLB, and the Office of Commissioner and the claims made are numerous and suggest a pattern of conduct that is troubling if true. A second suit was filed againsst the Yankees’ doctor and a hospital for mis-diagnosing a hip injury in 2012. I will not consider that suit in this article.
The main case, Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez, plaintiff v. Major League Baseball, Office of Commissioner of Major League Baseball, and Allan Huber “Bud” Selig, defendants, was filed in the County of New York on October 3, 2013. My cursory examination of the case reveals that it is an attack on Bud Selig’s tenure as Commissioner. It says Selig condoned illegal drug use when it was useful to him and then was against it when that position was deemed beneficial. In Section B of the law suit, (page 6), the heading is The Disastrous Tenure of Commissioner Selig. The suit describes the collusion scandal, the PES scandals, the Mitchell Report alledging lack of supervision and failure to see early warning signs of drug use. It then states that the Rodriguez case, indeed the entire Biogenesis case, is an effort by Selig to reinvent himself and create the myth of his being the savior of baseball. Selig has announced his retirement in 2014.
Lester Munson at ESPN has besmirched the law suit as being insubstantial because of the tortious interference claim. Munson claims tortious internference is the least of the tort claims. I don’t know where he gets his advice, but it is very different from my experience that makes a tortious interfernce claim very real and dangerous for the defendant.
There will be a lot of information about this case, but it is very dangerous for Baseball and for Bud Selig. The outcome will be based on the evidence Plaintiff has, and, from what I have read today, they have done a lot of homework.
Update: The first issue to be decided in this case is whether the court has jurisdiction over the matter or whether the Grievance Procedure in the collectively bargained agreement controls. If the later is the case, Rodriguez must follow that course.
The Significance of This MLB Playoff Season
The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds in the one game that determined the NL Wild Card last night. It was an easy game for the Pirates. What occurred to me as the game unfolded that the oldest professional baseball team, the CIncinnati Reds (nee Redlegs or Red Stockings) was playing an original National League team. The league was formed in 1876. From there, it occurred to me that every team, except the Tampa Bay Rays, in the playoffs this year was an original team either from the original National League or the ‘upstart’ American League, formed in 1901.
The Detroit TIgers, Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians, and St. Louis Cardinals are in their original cities. The Cardinals actually became the Cardinals later. The Atlanta Braves started as the Boston Beaneaters, Red Stockings, and then Braves, moved to Milwaukee in 1955, and Atlanta in 1966. The Oakland Athletics started as the Philadelphia Athletics, moved to Kansas City in 1955, then to Oakland in 1968. The Brooklyn Dodgers, (nee the Trolley Dodgers) moved to LA in 1957. (It is curious that LA’s two top teams are named after Brooklyn trolley dodging and Minneapolis Lakes.)
There is an additional aspect to these playoffs that is of importance as well. The Cardinals, Pirates, Athletics, Rays, and Indians are all small market teams with low payrolls compared to the much more afluent Yankees, White Sox, Giants, Cubs, Angels, Astros, Rangers, Phillies, and Nationals. The Cubs and White Sox, two original teams, finished last in their divisions, by the way.
The provenance of the teams may be only a historical anomaly, but the small market teams victories, and I must add the expansion Tampa Bay Rays to this mix, are there because of the exquisite way they play baseball, from the scouting of amatuer players to finesse baserunning in the playoffs (Tampa’s Fuld stole a run in Texas Monday night).
This indicates the precision these teams give to the operation of their teams. Much has been said about sabermetrics, that computer generated analysis of everything that occurs on a baseball field, and all teams engage in some sort of sabermetric analysis, but it is the scouting and player development they engage in that makes them successful. The Cardinals and Rays are prime examples of this and the play of those teams shows great discipline, energy and thought to the way they play the game. Among these disciplines is the act of throwing first pitch strikes. A small thing you may think, but getting pitchers to do it is daunting, but the Cardinals and Rays do it. Also, these teams catch and throw the ball with precision. This takes skill and discipline, but that’s how you win pennants.
The Indians and Rays play for the AL WIld Card tonight and then the real playoffs begin. Watch to see who plays the game correctly.
Netanyahu’s Speech at the UN Is Very Important.
Scott Johnson at Powerlineblog.com posted an excerpt of Benjamin Natanyahu’s speech at the UN last week. The excerpt is posted Here; and describes the long history of the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland, Israel. He continues by describing the 2500 year history of Persian friendship toward the Jewish people:
Some 2500 years ago, the great Persian King Cyrus ended the Babylonian exile of the Jewish people. He issued a famous edict in which he proclaimed the right of the Jews to return to the Land of Israel and rebuild the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. That’s a Persian decree, and thus began a historic friendship between the Jews and the Persians that lasted until modern times.
He goes on to describe the soured and dangerous relationship with the radical Islamists in Teheran starting in 1979:
But in 1979, a radical regime in Tehran tried to stamp out that friendship. As it was busy crushing the Iranian people’s hopes for democracy, it also led wild chants of “Death to the Jews!” Now, since that time, Presidents of Iran have come and gone. Some presidents were considered moderates, others hardliners. But they’ve all served that same unforgiving creed, that same unforgetting regime – that creed that is espoused and enforced by the real power in Iran, the dictator known in Iran as the Supreme Leader, first Ayatollah Khomeini and now Ayatollah Khamenei. President Rouhani, like the presidents who came before him is a loyal servant of the regime. He was one of only six candidates the regime permitted to run for office. Nearly 700 other candidates were rejected.
This article, which contains links to Rouhani’s and Obama’s speeches as well, is an important read.
Tampa Bay Wins In Texas
The 2013 MLB regular season ended last night when Tampa Bay won in Texas. The game was to determine the second wild card team that will play the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday in Cleveland for the wild card that then plays in the Division Series. Tampa Bay and Texas were tied after the 162nd game necessitating the 163rd game.
The game was determined by Cy Young winner David Price’s superb pitching in this complete game victory. Tampa Bay hitting was timely, as well, with Evan Longoria hitting a two run homerun, and baserunning superior as Centerfielder Fuld stole a run by stealing third while the pitcher was still holding the ball! Fuld was on second when he noticed that the pitcher took a very wide stance while getting the sign from the catcher and would have to step, back, off the rubber, further extending his stance, and putting him into a very awkward position to throw to third. The throw was errant and Fuld got up from his slide and scored a very important fifth run. It was my favorite play of the game.
Texas had the misfortune of having its balls hit to fielders or fall just short of the outfield fence. It is a game of inches, by the way. It benefited from a missed call on an outfield play where its centerfielder trapped a ball that was called an out by the umpire, saving a run. Next year that play will be reviewed by the umpires.
The playoffs start today in Pittsburgh with the Pirates playing the Reds, then the Rays play the Indians in Cleveland Wednesday. This will be a fun run and I look forward to it.
For the full Playoff Schedule look here.
NHL Announces Hybrid Icing Rule
Thw NHL has announced the adoption of a new Hybrid Icing Rule that is effective immediately. The text of the rule is here. The rule allows the linesman to anticipate icing by calling icing when it is probable that a defensive player will reach the iced puck first. It will be called when the defensive player is ahead in the race to the puck when it is at the face off dots heading toward the goal line. If an attacker is leading at that point, no icing will be callled, if the skaters are tied at that point, icing will also be called.
This last element shows the policy behind the rule. It is to avoid having tied players battling for the puck and crashing into the boards, thus avoiding injuries that have occured during such events. The Players’ Association, (NHLPA) approved the rule change yesterday and it was announced by NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly soon after. The rule was used in the American Hockey League last season and was deemed beneficial.
MLB Playoffs: Tampa Bay at Texas, Winner to Cleveland and Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
The convoluted American League playoff scheme that could have occured had Cleveland lost yesterday did not occur as the Twins gave it to the Indians. However, Tampa Bay and Texas both won. They play one game to settle the issue today in Texas. Both teams will start left handers, David Price (9-8, 3.39) for the Rays and Martin Perez (10-5, 3.55) for Texas. “We’ll have to watch this one to see who wins,” said Nancy Pelosi, while lamenting the Giants (76-86) poor season. Of course, the issue that will be settled today is just about who plays in the real Wild Card game in Cleveland on Wednesday.
If I were to hazard a opinion, I would give the edge to the Rangers based entirely on Joe Nathan, its closer. We’ll see.
The Pirates play the Reds tomorrow in Pittsburgh. The Reds will start Johnny Cueto (5-2, 2.82) and the Pirates will start Francisco Liriano (16-8, 3.02). Again, if I were going to hazard a guess here, I would flip a coin. (The flip just said Pittsburgh)
Where I have been focused on these wild card games, the real fun starts with the Divisional Series, schedule here.
Some years ago, I was involved in discussions of playoff formats as the expansion of the major leagues would cause a change in league alignments and the force the creation of divisions. This is so no team would finish 12th (or now 15th) in the standings and more pennant races equals more local interest.
The creation of divisions, first East and West and then to East, West, Central, created the need for a WIld Card. or the non winning team with the highest winning percentage, so that two series could be played. That lead to the creation of a second wild card because Fox wanted another game.
The discussion I was involved in focused on who should play in the World Series. Some thought that the true league champions should play there and those were the two teams at the top of each league. The creation of divisions ended that argument, but now we have second wild cards eligible for the World Series. Maybe we have gone too far, but the money generated by broadcasts of extra games means this is permanent. The problem is that the extra games pushes the World Series into the second half of October. It is scheduled to end on October 31 this year and that is too far into the Fall to hold national interest as each sports league has its natural season and baseball games in late October just don’t work as well. World Series TV ratings illustrate this fact.
Nevertheless, I will watch them all as it is the greatest championship series of all, even though it may not reward the True league champions
MLB 2013, Playoff Schedule Possibilities on the Final Day
In trying to keep up with the Wild Card race in two leagues, after the division winners were all but settled early in September, the focus has been on the permutations and possible end game scenarios. Yesterday we had Cleveland and Tampa Bay tied for the wild card lead with Texas a game behind, today we have Cleveland one game ahead and Texas and Tampa Bay tied for the second of the two wild card slots. This means that if Texas and Tampa Bay win today, and Cleveland loses, we have a three way tie that will be settled by the Playoff Rules for determining ties.
The rules would have the Rays play at Cleveland on Monday with the winner playing in Texas on Tuesday. This is because the Indians are 7-5 against the Rays and Rangers, so it plays at home for the first game. The Rays are 7-6 against the Indians and Rangers and picked the Monday game over hosting the Tuesday game, a decision I don’t understand. The Rangers had no choice. This is a wonderful scenario and I hope it happens. Remember, these games only determine who plays the actual Wild Card playoff game on Wednesday. The home field is determined by head to head records and the Rays lead the Indians, who lead the Rangers, who lead the Rays. Bookmark this post so you can keep track.
Elsewhere, the Pirates beat the Reds and will host their one game playoff on Tuesday as they lead the head to head series 10-8. Today doesn’t matter there. For the Division winners in the AL, Boston plays the Wild Card in Fenway for the first two of five possible games, and Detroit will play at Oakland.
In the NL, St. Louis leads and will play the Wild Card, but if it loses today and Atlanta wins, they will be tied but the Braves will play the Wild Card game because it won the season series 4-3. The Pirates will play the second finishing division winner in the Division series.
We have a wonderful finish to a season as the winners play each other. For the other teams. it is the long, cold Winter ahead. As the Twins lost for the ninth time in ten games yesterday against Cleveland, T. S. Eliot’s last line of “The Hollow Men” came to mind. “…That is how the world (season?) ends, not with a bang but a whimper.”
MLB Playoffs: Tie Breaker Rules with Two Games to Go
The Major League Baseball season started on March 31 with a game between the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros. All teams have played 160 times since then. When the season started, all teams could expect to win sixty-five and lose sixty-five games. That leaves thirty-two games where the winner or loser becomes a pennant winner or a cellar dweller. At this point, all teams except Boston have lost sixty-five, and all but the White Sox, Marlins and Astros have won sixty-five. The difference is in the “Fifth Game” that I describe in Fifth Game Theory and those wins and loses in Fifth Games now brings us to the last two games of the season, with all Division winners settled as Boston, Oakland, Detroit, St. Louis, LA Dodgers, and the Atlanta Braves as winners waiting for the five game Division Series and then League Championship Series to determine participation in the World Series. The top winning percentage team of these six, will play the winner of the Wild Card playoffs on October 1 for the National League and October 2 for the American Leaguel. That is Boston in the AL, but Atlanta and St. Louis are tied in the NL.
The NL Wild Card team will be the Pirates or Reds, who will play the one game playoff either in Pittsburgh or Cincinnati on October 1, but Pittsburgh has a two game lead but needs to win one more. If Cincinnati wins the next two, they will be tied but Cincinnati will have won the season series between the two teams 10-9, and the game will be played in Cincnnati.
It is not so simple in the American League. There, Tampa Bay and Cleveland are exactly tied at 90-70, and Texas is one game behind them both. If Texas wins its next two, and Cleveland or Tampa Bay lose one, there is a tie therè, if Texas wins two and both Tampa Bay and Cleveland lose one each, there is a three way tie for two positions. The format for a three team playoff is Here, but don’t worry about this until tomorrow night, then just enjoy the wonders of the Major League Season.
MLB Playoffs: Three Games to Go
Last night the Indians escaped in Target Field and beat the Twins 6-5 as the Twins scored 4 in the ninth. This allowed them to keep their one game lead over Texas that beat the Angels with a walk off Homerun. The other games showed the tenacity with which Fall Baseball is played as the Padres beat the Diamond Backs 3-2 in 11 innings, the Orioles beat Toronto 3-2, KC beat the White Sox 3-2, and SF beat the Dodgers 3-2. Six one run games out of the ten played! This is typical of Fall Baseball as teams, all of them, strive to have the best record possible.
The big series this weekend is in CIncinnati where the Pirates and Reds play for homefield advantage in their one game wild card playoff on Tuesday. This will be interesting. Of course, these teams will have to use their best pitchers this weekend and then on Tuesday while their opponents for the Division series will be resting theirs and setting up pitching rotations to be best prepared for the playoff series. Whether this makes a difference or not will be known in a week. This is the best part of the season and I only hope for extra-innings in the one game playoffs and a fifth games in the Division series then seventh games in the League Championship Series and World Series, that is scheduled to start October 23.
The Playoff Schedule is posted Here.
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