Pettitte to Astros, N.Y. Close on Brown

AP, via New York Post ^ | 12.11.2003 | Ronald Blum

[NYC GOP Chick]

NEW YORK (AP) -- Andy Pettitte chose home over history, agreeing Thursday to sign with the Houston Astros and leave the New York Yankees.

New York wasted little time in trying to land a replacement, closing in on a trade with Los Angeles that would send Kevin Brown to the Yankees for Jeff Weaver in a swap of starters, a baseball official said on the condition of anonymity.

[rs79bm]

Weaver and Brown are very similiar pitchers. Let's hope Brown is slightly better. Also known for arm problems.

[rs79bm]

Sheffield, arguably the best hitter in baseball

Ouch...I think you're the only one I've ever heard say that. Sheffield is an above average hitter, but not the best. And his fielding is suspect. IMO, Vladimir would have been a better choice, who can flat out hit and has a cannon for an arm. I fear Steinbrenner is going after names and not talent.

[BlackRazor]

Sheffield, arguably the best hitter in baseball taking over in RF for Mondesi and Brown taking over for Pettite are big improvements. Huge.

I also believe Vasquez is an upgrade over Clemens, at this stage in their careers. I'm not a Yankee fan, but I certainly don't buy all the talk about their imminent demise. I would be a little concerned about not having a quality left-hander in the rotation, though, for potential match-up purposes in the post-season.

[cars for sale]

tell ya what, there were some career .300 hitters in this rookie season me thinks

[Az Joe]

HOLES?!!!!!

Man, you guys are good at excuses.

Most of the teams would pay good money to have holes like the Skankees have.

Give us all a break!

[Viva Le Dissention]

You know, Buckner gets a lot of crap for that game, and I think a lot of that is undeserved--certainly to the point where he basically got run out of baseball.

Schiraldi blew the lead twice in that game--a one run lead in the 8th, I think, and then the two run lead in 10th.

Moreover, the Buckner was hurt with a bad leg, but more importantly, the game was already tied by the time the ball rolled through Buckner's legs. Most people seem to remember it now as Buckner steps on first and it's World Series over, celebration in Beantown, but all it would have done is allowed the Sox to make it to the 11th inning, and judging by the quality of pitching up until that point (Clemens included), it wasn't too likely the Sox would have won the game anyhow.

While it's true it was a ghastly error, I think a lot of shit gets heaped on him unfairly.

[rs79bm]

Pettite was the most dominant pitcher in the playoffs, as he usually is. And NY is going to miss the dominating lefty, who has one of the best pickoff moves in the game. I would have tried harder to sign him, but it appears he wanted to go elsewhere.

[Viva Le Dissention]

I'm not a Yankees fan, in fact they're probably my least favorite team, although the Red Sox and the Mets might give them a run for their money.

Really, if a team in the AL I don't like them period. At a bottom of that pack is definitely the Yankees.

And if you think Raul Mondesi has had more than two good seasons in his career, you're mad.

[Alberta's Child]

They've made him an offer, but they are not going to break the bank for him and sign him to one of those long-term, big-money deals like the one Brown got from the Dodgers a few years ago.

[Alberta's Child]

I would be a little concerned about not having a quality left-hander in the rotation, though, for potential match-up purposes in the post-season.

Not a big deal. Although Pettitte is a lefty, his pitching style (heavy on the cut fastball) actually makes him far more effective against righties than lefties -- which means he's a righty for all intents and purposes.

[Alberta's Child]

What made Buckner Public Enemy #1 in Boston wasn't just the error itself, but the stories that floated around Bosten afterward. I don't know if they've ever been confirmed, but it has been rumored that McNamara wanted to lift Buckner for a defensive replacement, only to have Buckner talk him out of it. Apparently Buckner wanted to be on the field for the Mets' last out of the game.

[Viva Le Dissention]

Well, he hit .330 last year with 40 home runs and 130 RBIs. That's as good as anyone else in baseball, and would match up darn good with just about any season in baseball.

As an aside, Vlad hit 25 homers and 79 RBIs. But while reasonable people could disagree whether Sheffield or Bonds or Pujols is better, they're all great and among the best.

[Viva Le Dissention]

That may well be true, but heck, Schiraldi blew game 7, too. I never understood why HE wasn't the goat instead of Buckner.

[commish]

one minor correction. Buckner's error is what allowed the winning run to score. The game was already tied, but it was tied at 5-5, the error allowed the winning run to score.

[cars for sale]

let me put it brutal like, a curse my ass, an accident
by Ted my ass, Papa Kennedy made his money honest my ass.

Boston needs to grow a pair of balls and take responsibility instead of electing Barney Frank
to commission a study in the relationship of balls to ass.

[WL-law]

and just to prove I know baseball, I'd make Bill Buckner my manager.If Buckner was to rope a World Series with what Boston is buildin' no town in sports would yell louder for Boston and for Bill. Ever.

[Choke! Gasp!] You know BASEBALL? You apparently don't know anything about Bill Buckner.

[Revenge of Sith]

Don't forget Bob Stanley's wild pitch that tied the game.

[WL-law]

That may well be true, but heck, Schiraldi blew game 7, too. I never understood why HE wasn't the goat instead of Buckner.

The Red Sox lost, in my order of guiltiness, because:

1) Clemens wimped out of Game 6 early, complaining of a "blister", but really he was just not ready for the big-time pressure as the game built to its climax. Clemens lied about it for years, but in my view that was simply more proof that he had a guilty conscience about it.

2) Buckner intimidated McNamara (and McNamara allowed himself to be intimidated) into allowing Buckner to stay in for the 9th, instead of coming out for his usual defensive replacement. Buckner wanted to be on the field for the "glory picture" where the catcher, 1st basemen, etc, charge the mound and embrace the pitcher at the final out. Buckner was a surly jerk then and McNamara backed down.

3)McNamara uses mediocre pitcher Al Nipper in Game 7 in relief, who get hammered -- as if McNamara forgot that you don't use your normal rotation in Game 7. He had starters on the bench, even Clemens, to throw in in relief. Nipper was a disasterous choice.

I could go on...

[WL-law]

Schiraldi blew the lead twice in that game--a one run lead in the 8th, I think, and then the two run lead in 10th.

Shiraldi had had a great year, but he had never been very effective all year coming in in relief directly after Clemens. It's because, I think, that Clemen's fastball was just as fast if not faster than Shiraldi, and Shiraldi's fastball was flat, whereas Clemens' fastball moved and darted.

So opposing batters had already been 'geared' to Clemens, and Shiraldi was a step down. Whereas when following the rest of the Red Sox staff (more junkball oriented) Shiraldi looked unhittable.

[WL-law]

Schiraldi blew the lead twice in that game--a one run lead in the 8th, I think, and then the two run lead in 10th.

Shiraldi had had a great year, but he had never been very effective all year coming in in relief directly after Clemens. It's because, I think, that Clemen's fastball was just as fast if not faster than Shiraldi, and Shiraldi's fastball was flat, whereas Clemens' fastball moved and darted.

So opposing batters had already been 'geared' to Clemens, and Shiraldi was a step down. Whereas when following the rest of the Red Sox staff (more junkball oriented) Shiraldi looked unhittable.