The upsize revolution

Mike:
See now this is what puts the hawt in hot stove. The top bid for the posting of Daisuke Matsuzaka and $44 million for JD Drew.

 

---

Doug:
Christ I love with the stove is glowing before the Thanksgiving bird is stuffed, but I'm confused...

 

---

Doug:
42 million wasabi just to talk to Boras-san about Matsuzaka-san and another 44 million and 4 years for Drew from the same team that was unwilling to give a few more million and an extra contract year to Pedro Martinez and Johnny Damon?

 

---

Doug:
Did I miss the "now we spend money like bonah-throbbed drunk at Club d'Exotica" memo or something?

 

---

Mike:
Well, first off, guy, it's not your money, so no need to fret.

 

---

Doug:
Dude, who said I'm fretting? I'm just trying to make sense of the "strategery" of '05 and '06 in light of this recent news.

 

---

Mike:
OK, the way I see it, the club was nevah unwilling to spend …

 

---

Mike:
Look, they busted the bank on Renteria only to have him go mental. And Theo gambled that Pedro's shouldah wouldn't hold out, and it hasn't. Point goes to Theo. Meanwhile Coco Crisp's numbahs were close to Damon's and considering Coco's age and lower salary needs, that seemed like a risk worth taking.

 

---

Doug:
Alrighty, then. Let's strap on our Wondahjocks and sign Clemens while we're upsizing.

 

---

Comments

[h.b.]

Hey, there's nothing hypocritical about my Wonderjocks.

Now, hypoxic, well, that's a different story altogether. (You ever lose circulation in your nethers? The things I do to project an image of giant nads. Wonder how many pairs A-Rod has?)

[Natalie]

If we get DM, I am just psyched that WE (via JWH) can be the ones saying:
"We understand that Steinbrenner must be embarrassed, frustrated and disappointed by his failure in this transaction. Unlike the Red Sox, he chose not to go the extra distance for his fans in New York."

Re: Wonderjocks, get back to me when they start adding silicon gel inserts and selling them in "cup sizes." I might never stop laughing.

[Jack]

Better yet, actually be high while you put that DARE bumper sticker on your car.
One year in college I wore a DARE sweatshirt for Halloween. I was in a slightly... altered state of mind that night. Good times.

[Jason O.]

Did you disagree with me on Oct 25th, hb?

The massively high bid blocking the Yankees is an understandable reaction from a team who was a Baltimore hot streak from finishing 4th.

[Dave S.]

NV...so, less evil isn't evil, too? Anayway, introducing how ineffective the Yankee strategy has been has nothing to do with my point. Let me reiterate: I don't LIKE how the Yankees spend. It makes me sick, it's boring, and it's tiring to explain my position again and again to people who think I'm trying to justify it. But how often do many Sox fans justify their own team's spending by comparing it to the Yankees? It's like the thief who stole your car saying he isn't as bad as the one who cleaned out your bank account. You just did it yourself: "Sure the Sox have been #2 behind them, but in the grand scheme of things, they haven't even sniffed close to the $1 bil mark". They're far and away the next highest, outspending the 3rd-place Mets over the last five years by over $50 million dollars.

[Dave S.]

Wonderjocks don't do nothin' a little judicious use of Kleenex can't.

I'd say that A-Rod has a different colored pair for each day of the week. Today's is Morning Mist.

[h.b.]

Jason,

You tried to convince me how great Zito was and said he'd be a good substitue when you guys get D-Mat.

Guess you'll need to convince yourself re Zito now. You didn't convince me. Zito is in serious decline. He'll fit right in with yousguys.

[Kaz]

Congrats to Hanley!

Sorry, felt the need for something random.

[Brian]

The biggest reason the Sox stand to make money in Japan off this deal is because of their 80% stake in NESN. Matsuzaka is absolutely huge over there--for Christ's sake, they refer to people born in 1980 as the Matsuzaka Generation. If we wind up with this guy, there's going to be a big demand for Japanese stations to carry NESN so fans over there can watch Matsuzaka, just like there was for YES to be carried when Matsui came over here, and that's money that's all going into Boston's pocket, rather than being split evenly among the teams. Even if Matsuzaka sucks, people over there are still going to want to watch him, and that's the moneymaker from this deal.

I think it's incredible oversimplification to just lump together the posting fee and the contract figure, and say the Sox are paying upwards of $20 million for this kid. The posting fee has nothing to do with the baseball operations side of things; it's purely an investment in a foreign market that the team thinks it can make a significant amount of money in. Like I said above, even if Matzusaka is a mediocre pitcher, there will be a demand in Japan for his games to be carried over there, and the Sox will still make money. Christ, John Henry has made money with this team like he's printing it since taking over, and we all think we understand baseball business better than him? The posting fee is purely a business expense, and I trust him on the business side.

The only money that is potentially thrown down the well on this kid is his actual contract proper, and that's if he sucks on the field. All things considered, 10-12 million a year for a potential 26 year old ace, given this year's pitching market, seems like an excellent investment.

[h.b.]

Hat tip to Brian for saying it better than I could.

Now regarding Dave S's comment that,
"Wonderjocks don't do nothin' a little judicious use of Kleenex can't.>"

Au contraire, bon ami. The Wonderjock actually lifts and separates the balls in a way no mere tissue paper ever could.

It's a revolution in ball management. (Not, of course, to be confused with ball club management.)

[Dave S.]

It's these damn kids today and their new-fangled inventions. First it's the internets and now I can't augment my male cameltoe with some too-tighty-whities and tissue? Next you're gonna tell me they don't play chew-the-bark-off-the-tree anymore!

[Rob in CT]

"Wonderjocks don't do nothin' a little judicious use of Kleenex can't."

Au contraire, bon ami. The Wonderjock actually lifts and separates the balls in a way no mere tissue paper ever could.

Maybe so, h.b., but it doesn't help with my incontinence the way my Puffs Ultras do...

[buckner was framed]

hb, now you've got me wishing the IT police would allow the link to the Wonderjock site.... to quote the new sheriff in town " 'scuse me while I whip this out..."

[Bob]

Rob, now THAT'S funny. :)

BTW, my old college roommate had testes the size of grapefruit (I'm not kidding). The sad thing is, although the resulting bulge had plenty of girls interested, few were satisfied at the very average-sized member in between said testicles.

In other words, Wonderjocks could actually damage your rep. Of course, that would be AFTER you got laid, so what the hell.

[Bob]

And the first Skankee fan who questions my manhood because I know my college roommate's ball size gets a death threat. :)

[Bob]

Uh, I'm starting to feel a little queasy...what's say we lay off the Wonderjock talk and focus on how the Pats are installing Field Turf at Gillette (despite the "unofficial" rule against it).

[Bob]

And to finish my blog-hogging ways, here's the Field Turf story:

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/2006/11/more_on_field.html

[h.b.]

So Nova tonight is all about this Turkish family who walks on all fours.

Now how do you think that effects the balls?

[Mike]

It's clear from all this the Sox have money to burn. Screw Clemens. I am sick of that little girl teasing people. Grimsley said he's on Roids.

Invest the same money in operations instead. For the same cash, they could buy some small market teams like maybe the Royals and the Cards. Cherry pick players from lesser teams to bolster their ranks and use the other teams as AAA+. Sick Luccinno on marketing and improve the gross revenue between multiple clubs, consolidate affiliate teams to provide cost savings and close down channels for trade to other clubs like the Yankees. The combined revenues within an expanded franchise could potentially increase the overall revenues for the team to make them more valuable than the Yankees.

M

[Bob]

Also, the Bears/Pats game time has been moved from 1:00 to 4:15. Flex Scedule, don't ya know.

[Jason O.]

I think Zito will be very effective, yes, hb. I reject the conventional wisdom that Zito is anything but what the last 5 seasons say he his, fine starting pitcher with an ERA+ of 128.

How could you possibly not notice if your roommate's balls were the size of grapefruits? I would have sold tickets, and lit the room like a Victorian freakshow...complete with his balls under a hood (like John Merrick) for effect....

[buckner was framed]

Bob-
I didn't know you were roommates with that old dude from San Fran that hb links to occasionally... did he protest shit in college too?

[Bob]

Buckner...eeewwww.

BTW, here's some good (if expected) news:

Cynopsis reports "NBC has given a full season order to Friday Night Lights, starring Kyle Chandler. Thus far this season the show has averaged a 2.7/7 among A18-49 and 6.7 million viewers overall."

[Bob]

But JO, he was not an animal...

[h.b.]

ON FNL... yes!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jason O.]

But...HIS BALLS ARE GARGANTUAN!!!

(Remove hood to gasps and fainting)

[Rob in CT]

"Is that a ten gallon hat, or are you chust enjoying the show?"
*******
"What in the wide, wide world of sports is a goin' on around here?"
*******
"Mongo just pawn in great game of life."

(There's soooo many more that I'd like to share, but it would be far, far too un-PC to continue. God, I love Mel Brooks!)

Now go do that voodoo that you do so wellllllllllll!

[Jason O.]

...Please, baby...I am not from Havana!"

[Bob]

God, remember the "Number Six" bit? Too un-P.C. for a blog children (BigBri, CHB) read, but hilarious nonetheless.

[Bob]

But here's an audio link for anybody who wants to hear it. (BTW, he's responding to the question, "What's the Number Six Plan?")

http://www.ladyofthecake.com/mel/saddles/sounds/riding.wav

[Rob in CT]

"We'll take the n-----s and the ch-nks, BUT WE WON'T TAKE THE IRISH!"

(Take that, Charlie Weis!)

Sorry, I just couldn't help myself.

Oh, and just for you Jason:

"Bitte, Baby. Nineteen's my limit on schnitzengrubens..."

[mary j]

Lots of homoerotic talk today. Perhaps a case of Yellow Fever?

Brian -

Business or baseball decision aside (I'm not convinced they're separate), MLB rights are 40 million in Japan. How much more do you really think they're going to pay for NESN content that doesn't include the games? Even at 5 million a year (which is a 300% increase over what they pay for Red Sox games), that will take 8 years before the posting fee is recouped.

Otherwise, that's alot of hats and jerseys, they better sell. And it's not like people will buy a new one every year.

No, I'm afraid it was strictly a baseball decision. Sure, if they sign him to a 4 year/ 40 million contract and factor in 5 million in added revenue those four years then maybe they get him at $15 million/year. Still that requires a cheap contract from Boras, free agency at age 30, and a salary equivalent to the highest paid pitchers in the game. At that price he'll need to contend for the Cy every year and push them to a championship or two. I hope he's worth it b/c if not, he's going to get torn to shreds. With great money comes bigger expectations - for player and team alike.

Oh, and here's Theo's quote:

"It's going to occasionally leave us short, it's going to leave us short every time there's a player who's available in a bidding war, taking on a contract, getting the best free agent. We're never going to sell ourselves out just to get that one guy because we have to take a long-term view given our resources relative to the Yankees. That's the only way to do it."

Now if Big Daddy Henry opened his wallet - great. But that's an entirely different organization than the one they've ever spoken of.

[buckner was framed]

Mary- with all due respect, Hazel's gotta be worth a couple mil- each. Plus, "Mae" could pass for Asian, so added bonus- she'll be a goddess in that market. Not to mention all the bobbledesks they'll sell

[louclinton]

Hooray for FNL (still don't get Heroes, though.

My balls itch, probably from all the sactalk today.

no homo

lc

[Bob]

NL Cy Young goes to:

Brandon Webb.

[Monty]

Is it twue what they say about men who wear wonderjocks? It's Twue! It's Twue!

[Kaz]

maryj, you're not accounting for all of the goodwill 40 million can make between two ball clubs. The next Seibu player to show MLB-level talent won't necessarily have Boras for an agent (who is Kazuo's agent?) and will be looking to join his friend Matsuzaka who's showing off in Boston.

There's definitely a lot of "time will tell" that's necessary for a deal like this with a large up-front deposit. He's shown an ability to school the Cubans on a world stage and that's not a bad showing. There's no way to conclude that the $40mil bid is a waste or a pittance at this point. Repeatedly trying to argue one way or the other just provides evidence of a large ego..or maybe it's a deep-seated jealousy...I dunno, I flunked Freud 201.

PS - Kazuo and Kaz...no relation.

[NYSoxfan]

NYSoxfan to MFY cap-wearing guy in elevator: What's that? For good luck during GM meetings?
MFY cap guy: Yeah!
NYSoxfan: Dice-kay bitches...

[mary j]

"Zimbalist estimated that the Sox might gain no more than $3 million a year by cashing in on the Japanese icon because they would be required under major league rules to equally distribute the vast majority of their earnings related to the merchandising of Matsuzaka with the 29 other teams."

"The bottom line is, I think there would have to be a lot of creativity involved on our end for the club to reap the financial windfall some have predicted," the Sox official said. "I'd contend this move is much more of a baseball decision than an economic decision."

Anyone else saying WTF? If this is what the FO thinks they need to do to compete with the MFY, it could get ugly fast.

[lisa gray]

haht dahling,

thank you SO much for remembering that female people LIKE looking at hot males and i REALLY appreciate that aussiebum website.

brightening up this cold winter that the astros are cutting payroll

lisa

[Mike]

I agree.
[url=http://inoob.phpnet.us/index126.html]mcmagic myspace.com[/url] mcmagic myspace.com
[url=http://inoob.phpnet.us/index14.html]clicktracki mediaguide windowsmedia.com[/url] clicktracki mediaguide windowsmedia.com
[url=http://inoob.phpnet.us/index4.html]cartoonnetwork.co.uk game[/url] cartoonnetwork.co.uk game
[url=http://inoob.phpnet.us/index26.html]chevrolet.com corvette[/url] chevrolet.com corvette
[url=http://inoob.phpnet.us/index16.html]free movies.com[/url] free movies.com