Baseball. Blogging. Whenever.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Rickey and Rice

The clock strikes 11 for Roger Clemens

A federal grand jury has convened in Washington, D.C., to determine whether to indict seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens for lying under oath to Congress when he denied taking performance-enhancing drugs, ESPN.com has learned.

Witnesses have been subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury as early as this week. The jurors are expected to review evidence presented by assistant U.S. attorney Daniel P. Butler and determine whether there is probable cause to return an indictment for perjury . . .

. . . "We have no knowledge of [the grand jury] one way or the other," Rusty Hardin, one of Clemens' attorneys, said Monday morning. "All I have heard is rumors from people saying something. But we have had no contact with anyone about it, and have no idea.''

Barry Bonds, a seven-time MVP, was indicted last year on perjury and obstruction of justice charges stemming from his 2003 grand jury testimony in which he denied knowingly taking illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Bonds is scheduled for trial this March in San Francisco.

If an indictment is returned against Clemens, it could set the stage for high-profile perjury trials for a generation's top hitter and pitcher.

Cuba has a Bob Feller Too

Ernesto Morilla, a wiry 86-year-old who played professional baseball in the early 1950s, knows what ails Cuba's national pastime.

"Many players have become lazy," said Morilla, who has spent half his life as an usher in the capital's Latinoamericano Stadium. "I remember I wouldn't eat for days after a tough loss. These guys go drinking and dancing."

The people in my neighborhood

Last pre-results post on the Hall

Whatever, there are all-time greats who need to buy a ticket like the rest of us to get in — 21 men who made eight or more All-Star Games and are eligible for induction are not in. There are guys who won multiple MVP and Cy Young awards who remain unelected, some barely getting a look.

Bill Freehan made 11 All-Star teams, won five Gold Gloves and was second in MVP voting the year his Tigers won the World Series in 1968. He received just two votes for the Hall of Fame and was dropped from the ballot.

“I would’ve loved to get more consideration,” Freehan says now. “Everybody looks at offense and nobody looks at defense. My concentration was always defense.”

Manny and Rickey

Before Manny was Manny, Rickey was Rickey. If ever there were two players who were kindred spirits, they are Manny Ramirez and Rickey Henderson. Henderson was talented and distinctive, a walking, talking baseball entertainer. Ramirez does not talk as much, but he entertains in his own goofy way, too . . .

. . . When Mattingly was Ramirez’s coach last season, he saw some of the traits he used to see in Henderson. Ramirez has the same type of plate discipline, work ethic and confidence. In addition, Mattingly said Henderson and Ramirez are both much more intelligent players than they are perceived to be.

Henderson played left field while Ramirez plays left field. Henderson won two World Series rings. So has Ramirez. Henderson sometimes aggravated managers. Ramirez annoyed an entire organization. Henderson had his head first slide and his signature snatch-catch. Ramirez treats home runs like New Year’s Eve.

Swinging telephone poles

The biggest difference I noticed was the approach of the batters. They were all over the place in the box before the pitch. Hitters today tend to be very still. They have their wiggles and timing devices, but for the most part, once the ball is coming, the best hitters waste little motion. They shift their weight, rotate their hips and -- wham! -- whip the bat through the strike zone.

So it was startling for me to watch Yogi Berra literally walk around in the batter's box as the pitch was on its way. He'd sometimes take a little stutter-step backwards, away from the plate, with each foot as he loaded up his swing. Almost every hitter practically wound up before getting his bat moving forward.

Those bats were enormous pieces of lumber compared to what players swing today. They had to load up.

Watching these Yankees and Dodgers struggle to get those logs through the strike zone, I wondered why it took so long -- until the '80s and '90s -- for the baseball world to figure out that lighter bats are more effective. Didn't they have physics teachers back then? Couldn't somebody have convinced someone like Billy Martin that the bat speed he'd gain with a lighter bat would make up for the mass he'd lose?

Power on the Padres

John Moores will remain as majority owner of the Padres for three or four years, even if the ongoing negotiations with a Jeff Moorad-led group yields an agreement, according to major league sources.

Moorad eventually would assume the largest financial stake in the club, but not for a matter of years, the sources said. However, at some point this year, Moorad would assume a powerful decision-making role within the front office, with the added clout of being the majority owner in waiting and a minority owner in the near term . . .

. . . Beyond the financial details, one motivation fueling plans to set a lengthy transition is to ensure Moores remains active both on major league committees and as a member of the inner circle to Commissioner Bud Selig.

A reformist who has worked to level the playing field for low-and mid-revenue clubs, Moores would benefit the Padres by continuing to help MLB shape future terms relating to industry resource allocation, according to persons close to him . . . Selig, 74, plans to retire after the 2012 season, and some executives expect Moores primarily will represent the Padres with MLB through that time.

Major league executives expect CEO Sandy Alderson to leave the Padres at some point this year if Jeff Moorad takes over the front office.

Moorad has said he well regards Alderson, but major league executives doubt Alderson will stay beyond 2009 if Moorad comes aboard because the two are used to doing similar jobs.

Team player

The Texas Rangers are exploring trade options for five-time All-Star shortstop Michael Young at the player's request after he became upset about the team's plan to move him to third base . . .

. . . The Rangers would like to move Young to third to make room for highly touted prospect Elvis Andrus at shortstop. The 20-year-old Andrus came to Texas in July 2007 in the trade that sent Mark Teixeira to Atlanta.

Daniels said he and manager Ron Washington met with the 32-year-old Young last month about the direction of the team and moving to third base.

"Reluctant, reluctant," Daniels said, describing Young's reaction. "He explained to us that he's worked extremely hard to make himself a shortstop. Obviously in 2004, he volunteered to move from second base to shortstop. That kind of shows the team-first character that has been a stable of his personality and really has made himself an outstanding player."

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