This Should Be a Holiday

You gotta love baseball. Opening Day hands down is one of my favorite days of the year. Yeah, it's an insignificant day in the win-loss column since the most you can be up is a game and the most you can be down is a game, but it's the return of baseball. Something that we all love so very much comes back, and that is a great thing.

My Opening Day wasn't spent the way I wished, but it was a great one. Due to practice followed by an exam, I had to set the VCR for the Mets opener and avoid all human contact. My cell phone was turned off from 4 to about 9:30, AIM was off. I was unavailable. I returned basically right when the game ended around 7:30, which was very perfect. Pushed play sat back and enjoyed Mr. Santana in a Mets uniform. Then with the ability to skip commercials and pointless down moments, I watched the Mets cruise to a 7-2 victory over the Marlins.

Johan Santana most definitely headlines Opening Day with a tremendous outing in his first start with the large contract. But other than the Mets defeating the Marlins, there was plenty more to enjoy on Opening Day 2008.

There were a handful of poor outings from starters. Mark Buerhle and CC Sabathia combined to give up 12 runs in their match up. Buerhle was the uglier of the two. Joe made mentions before of how flat he looked. Barry Zito picked up right where he left off; sucking. Zito got tagged for 4 runs in five innings. Justin Verlander didn't look so hot leading the Matt and Joe AL favorite Tigers, giving up 4 in six innings. And yep, the Tigers lost to the Royals. Brett Myers put a smile on my face with his performance today, giving up 4 runs in the fifth inning.

It was the battle of bad closers in Chicago today, with the Kerry Wood coming into a scoreless game and giving up three runs in the 9th, only to be matched by Eric Gagne matching him with a blown save.

I'll quickly some up my days good news; The Mets won. The Phillies lost. The Braves are losing. The Yankees didn't get in the way (they were postponed to tomorrow night).

All in all a pretty good Opening Day for Matt Dahl.

Still one game to go, Padres and Astros are underway with my fantasy pitcher (Jake Peavy) facing Joe's (Roy Oswalt). We'll both be watching this one.

Until tomorrow, folks! Hope you all enjoyed Opening Day.

We're talking baseball....

Well, I might of missed the first pitch of what I like to consider the real opening day, but I'll be here all afternoon for your blogging needs. Don't forget to go to www.blogtalkradio.com/mattdahlradio to check out our show from last night!

4:40 PM - Its early. I can't stress that enough. But the Detriot bullpen is BAD. I know I joked about Todd Jones, but he might be the least of the concerns. Cubs and Brewers are back at it....the Dodgers/Giants are starting and the Rockies are out to 1-0 over the Cardinals. There is almost too much baseball (thats a lie). I love it.

4:30 PM - Teahen thrown out at the plate in the 11th inning!!! Thank God for baseball. But the excitement didn't last as on the next at bat Tony Pena Jr. knocked in the run. Royals lead in the top of the 11th. Mets game just started, where is Matt Dahl? Jo-Jo-Jo-Johan and the Mets.

4:15 PM - Side note...if you had to give me one player who'd have a shot at breaking Joe DiMaggio's streak for hits in a game, I'd take Chase Utley. It is scary how good he is at everything he does. People said he was a subpar fielder, he decided to become a good fielder. He hits like a corner outfielder and he does it with average and power.

4:10 PM - Power Surge in Cleveland! 11 Runs already and its only the 3rd inning. Matt's Homey Jim Thome has gone yard twice and has 4 RBI's. He's early leader for the Matt and Joe Opening Day All Star Award.

3:50 PM - Not that I love baseball because of fantasy baseball, but sometimes I amaze myself. Mark Buerhle looks HORRIBLE. Not horrible cause he has given up 7 runs in one inning, horrible because his stuff is just completely flat.

3:45 PM - I step away for a second and things go wild. The Tigers lost the lead and then tied it up. A lot of other MLB action going including my Cubs/Brewers match up. For all the loyal readers, sorry if I step away from the Tigers/Royals but the Cubbies gotta take priority here. Elsewhere: Baltimore jumps out to a quick lead; Offensive explosion in the White Soxs/Indians game where the Tribe leads 5-2. I'll stop there because you can all read box scores but how about Mark Buerhle getting LIT UP for 6 in the 2nd (and it is still going)!

3:00 PM - After five beautiful innings, Verlander meets his first hickup: 2-Run homer by Alex Gordon. 3-2 Tigers. If I'm a Tigers fan, you can't be upset that Verlander gives you 6 innings, 5 K's, and 2 ER's on opening day, but you see a score like 3-2 and you have to take a breath and say: Oh wow, Todd Jones will be coming into this game in just two innings. Here is hoping that the Tigers either score 9 more runs or Todd Jones attached Zumaya's shoulder and arm onto his body while no one was looking...

2:45 PM - FINALLY! A homerun by this Tigers's offense. I was starting to get worried they were all bark and no bite. For those keeping track at home, Miguel Cabrera just hit homer #1 of the season. Update around the league: Cubs/Brewers - Delayed, D-Backs/Reds - Delayed, Yankees/Blue Jays - PPD

2:35 PM - Better yet, the Yankees/Blue Jays are postponed. No epic matchup between Halladay and Wang for us today...

2:30 PM - I got excited at the idea of a Verlander perfect game, even though it was way too early to think about it. He's looked dominant so far. Maybe thats partially because its the Royals, but whatever spring worries you had about Verlander, it looks like just another case of spring numbers meaning nothing. Side note: The Yankees/Blue Jays are still in a delay.

2:00 PM - Its the bottom of the third in Detriot and the Detriot offense has only scored 1 run. Talk about over hyped. The way everyone (including Matt and I) went on and on about them, you'd figure it'd be 10-0 already. Its only the first game, but Gil Meche might be better than everyone thought he was. Not a shut down ace, but a very nice pitcher. The inning just ended. All jokes aside, I really don't like Cabrera batting fifth in the lineup. I can see him really exploding from the 3 or 4 holes, but I imagine its Leyland's call that his is the best hitter of Sheffield-Magglio-Cabrera so he doesn't need the other to to protect him.

Gotay Claimed by Braves, and Minaya Screws Up Again

IF Ruben Gotay has been claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Braves. The Braves expect to put Gotay on their 25-man roster.

The Mets put Gotay on waivers late on Wednesday, and Gotay had the following comment when placed on waivers:

"I thought I did a good job last year and I didn't deserve this."

He's right. I was a big fan of Gotay and last year even said I'd be fine with him as our everyday second baseman. His defense wasn't like Castillo's, but give me a break. It's not like he had no mobility out there and couldn't field the position. His bat was great, and I loved it when Willie toyed around with him batting second behind Reyes. This is a shame, Gotay should be on this team.

And I hate to say this because I do like a lot that Omar Minaya has done, but Gotay is no longer on the Mets because Fernando Tatis is a Minaya guy. He was brought into Texas by Minaya, he was in Montreal when Minaya was running that show and he's been invited to Mets camp since Minaya has been back here. It's a joke that Tatis is gonna be our 25th man because he has versatility. He's a 32-year old failed steroid subject who's played one season since 2003 and only has one good year to his name, and that was 1999.

This is what's gonna happen; Tatis is gonna start the year 1-for-24, he'll be designated for assignment and the Mets are gonna wish they held onto Gotay because now they have to force Jose Valentin and Damian Easley into the lineup when Castillo needs days to rest his terrible knee, and then the bench is weakened because now we have to call up someone who isn't a Major League bat.

Maybe this is a Mets fan liking a scrappy player too much, but I don't understand why you wouldn't want Ruben Gotay on this team. He'd be a great asset. This is a shame. And it's even worse that he's going to Atlanta, because I'm sure he'll come back to kill us sooner rather than later.

I'm a fan of baseball, not the dramatic series

Well Jose Canseco is at it again. He intends to release a follow up to his book "Juiced" on the Tuesday after all all teams have opened their season (April 1), looks to put more claims on people, mainly Alex Rodriguez.

Now I'm sure it's well known that I am not a big fan of A-Rod (The Lightning Rod), but can Jose Canseco please sit down and shut up? If he wants to try and help find a solution for the part steroids have in Major League Baseball, fine. But he's doing more than naming names. He's going out of his way to do it at a terrible time to make more money for himself, to appear on TV more, and to basically just get himself out there. His whole demeanor truthfully just irritates me. He goes out to sound like the one that brought steroids into baseball, and then he acts like he did absolutely nothing wrong.

Well not only what he did then was wrong, what he's doing now is totally wrong. If you have names, don't keep making books and appearing on any national TV show. Go to the commissioner in private.

Jose Canseco comes off to me as nothing more than a big jerk, and that's exactly what he was even in his playing days. This is becoming more and more of a joke every time he opens his mouth. Look, I hate the issue of steroids in baseball, but you know what I really want to hear about? The New York Mets. Joe wants to hear about the Chicago Cubs. The loud-mouth in Philly wants to hear about the Philadelphia Phillies (I'm just kidding about the loud-mouth part... kind of).

Opening Day is just around the corner. Come Monday, I don't give a damn who's accusing who about steroids. Message for Canseso; your days in baseball are over, just let it be. Move on and go away. You're ruining the game now as much as you did by presenting others to steroids.

Opening Day should be a happy time. I'm gonna enjoy it and push all this steroid BS aside.

Follow the Maine Man

While there's been plenty of concern on the offensive side for the New York Mets, the pitching staff seems to have solidified itself even more this spring. You knew Johan Santana and Pedro Martinez would provide a lethal 1-2 punch in the National League, and everyone's always talked about the ace-like stuff that Oliver Perez brings to the table. But maybe the biggest key in making this a seriously dangerous comes from the development of John Maine.

In the spring of 2006, Omar Minaya struck an under-the-radar deal with the Baltimore Orioles, sending Kris Benson to the O's in efforts to add bullpen help, which came in Jorge Julio. With Benson's so called "potential", Julio wasn't quite enough, and Minaya requested a young pitcher by the name of John Maine. The Orioles accepted, and the Mets rid themselves of one-half of Black Friday '04.

Maine began the year in the minors and wasn't given real consideration for the rotation in his brief stint at Mets spring training camp. But due to an injury-plagued team in 2006, he got his chance after Brian Bannister and Victor Zambrano (the second and worse half of Black Friday '04) went down with injuries. To no surprise, Maine developed a blister during warmups of his Mets debut. Despite a so-so outing that evening (at a game I was in attendance), Maine still looked to have good stuff. He soon returned and proved himself to be a winner at the big league level, putting together a string of 23 scoreless innings to begin the 2nd half of the season. His most impressive showings came in the postseason, having to fill in as the NLDS Game 1 starter and then showing up in the biggest game the Mets had played at that point, Game 6 of the NLCS with the Mets facing elimination. He showed up both times, and in Game 6 he pulled out a win with a tremendous performance shutting down the Cardinals.

Then last year, he was incredible to start the season. Maine went 12-5 in the early goings, but finished 3-5, stumbling a bit with all the innings. You can't knock him though, he had a tremendous first full ML season for someone who was a "throw in" during spring training 2006. And once again, showing up on a day the Mets without a doubt needed a win, Maine was nearly perfect, going 7-2/3 shutout innings only allowing the one hit which was a dribbler down the third base line to Pat Hoover. And oh yeah, he had 14 strikeouts.

Now Maine is expected to be an impact guy on this team. No, he doesn't have the dominance that Santana brings to the table, and no, he doesn't have the charisma that Pedro has, but he's got all the right tools to be a 17-game winner. Hell, if all the cards fall into place, he could be a 20-game winner.

It's no secret that I'm personally a big John Maine fan. Maybe it was being at his Mets debut, but there's something about him that I've always liked. He's got a great attitude and goes out there to win. He realizes his importance to the team each night he goes to the mound. He's not a kid anymore, he's a proven pitcher. And I'm sure some will continue to question Maine, and that's fine. But don't be shocked when he rolls through opposing teams this season. Just look at what his spring has been; dominant.

He's reliable and he's one of the reasons the Mets are more than alright even if Moises Alou and Carlos Delgado go through constant injuries this season. There's a lot of teams in baseball who would love to have John Maine in their rotation, and for the Mets he'll be a No. 3 or No. 4 guy. That's pretty damn good if you ask me.

It's hard to find a better Maine Man.

Where's Matt and Joe?

We apologize for being quite MIA as of late. March has not been the friendliest of months to Matt and Joe. Luckily things have been going slow enough in the baseball world where we haven't missed a whole lot.

We do intend to return full-time post Easter Sunday.

Please Be Confused

Over at Metsblog.com, Matt Cerrone takes note that Ed Coleman on WFAN has reported that the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox are discussing a swap of Angel Pagan for Coco Crisp.

Very strange. Is there more to this?

This is all just talk right now, so don't go thinking the Mets have Coco Crisp. Pagan has been playing very well so far in spring training for the Mets, and with recent injuries there's every right to believe he would make the team. Maybe the deal for Crisp would be to take a guy with success as an everyday player. I'm really not sure.

This could mean the Red Sox are entirely set on giving the starting job to Jacob Ellsbury, and maybe they'd like to just take your typical fourth outfielder, which Pagan pretty much is.

I'm split here. Crisp is good, but I think Pagan would provide enough for the Mets filling in for Alou and then being the platoon guy with Ryan Church as the year goes on. And as I type this Pagan just blasted a 2-run homer in spring training action against the Orioles. He now has 10 RBI in the spring. Maybe the Mets should keep him.

Pedro throws well in Simulated Game

Pedro Martinez found himself in another simulated game on Tuesday afternoon in Port St. Lucie. Pedro faced Carlos Beltran and three minor leaguers. He threw 59 pitches, 43 of which went for strikes.

Pedro came out of it saying he feels "really healthy" and is not concerned about not having seen a live game yet. He told all the doubters that he will indeed be ready for April, after all it is only March.

I've been saying for a while I'm not worried about Pedro. I trust him to be healthy and ready to rock come game two in Florida this season. I'm excited to see Johan Santana and Pedro front this staff, it's gonna be a lot of fun.

BREAKING NEWS: Yankees Sign Star to Minor-League Deal

Sports Net New York is reporting that the New York Yankees and Actor/Comedian Billy Crystal have come to terms on a 1-day minor-league contract.

Crystal, 59, was captain for his team during his senior year at Long Beach high school. He batted .343 that season.

Crystal is excited to be joining the Yankees and is expected to be in uniform tomorrow afternoon when the Yankees take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in spring training play.

There's No Crying in Baseball!

So are we supposed to dog it in spring training or prepare ourselves for the long haul? I say long haul.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi turned out to be quiet aggravated after Saturday's spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays. There was a crucial collision at the plate in this game, where Tampa's Elliot Johnson plowed over Francisco Cervelli of the Yankees. Cervelli will now be out 10 weeks with a broken wrist. Girardi wasn't a fan of the "hard" play.

"It's just disheartening. It's spring training, I just don't understand," Girardi said. "I told all my players to play hard, but when you do something like that you take your chances that you will get someone hurt."

Don Zimmer, who is a now a senior adviser for the Rays, has been close with Girardi during the Yankee bench coach days, but he strongly disagreed with what the new Yankee manager had to say.

"You block the plate. If I slide into him and break a leg, nothing is said. Instead of breaking my leg I bowl him over and it's not the right play?" Zimmer said. "Well, to me it's the right play, spring training or no spring training. Play the game the right way. To me, our kid played it the way he thought it was right, and I think it was right."

And this may be the one time I say this, but I agree with Don Zimmer. Sure, maybe you can say 'oh, Matt, you just hate the Yankees'. And yes, I do. But really, I feel like the game should be played the way it is meant to be. I love listening to Keith Hernandez during Mets games always making the point of how no one plays as "aggressive" as they did in his day. Poking fun at players coming into home plate insisting they're practically saying "excuse me, old chum". Truthfully, players need to start going in for a little more kill. And I like that there was a collision at the plate in March. Sure, it's terrible that the kid broke his wrist and will be out for about eight weeks, but it's part of the game.

Zimmer hit it right on the head that if Johnson were to just slide feet-first into the plate being blocked and if he broke his leg nobody would have made a fuss out of it. But because he went out his way to get to the plate, the best approach to scoring. Spring training is to tune you up for the regular season, might as well tune up the attitude if you want to win at all during the year.

So Girardi, please, pipe down. You used to be the tough, scrappy player. This is the way the game should be. Sometimes you just gotta get yourself dirty.

And Tom Hanks was absolutely right, there is no crying in baseball.

Mostly Joe Radio at 7 PM!

Hey Everyone,

Just a reminder. Mostly Joe Radio is on tonight at 7 PM. Matt is off traveling the world so we'll see if we can touch base with him.

Heres the Link: Mostly Joe Radio

Why are Mets fans so calm?

We haven't even been in spring training for a full month yet, and already 12 players who you figure would make the Major League roster are nursing injuries. Some are going back to New York for MRIs and CT scans, some are hobbling around the clubhouse unsure of when they'll be back on the field, and of course the old guys keep crumbling.

So why is no one panicking? I don't want to say I represent the die-hard Mets fan, but I feel most share my feelings and current optimism about the team, even if injuries are coming left and right. There's a memorable scene in "Seinfeld" from season 3 that explains the feeling of a Mets fan before the season begins.

"Seinfeld" - Season 3, Episode 13, The Subway

Naked Man on Subway: They still have no pitching, Gooden's a question mark. You don't recover from those rotator cuff surgeries so fast.

Jerry Seinfeld: I'm not worried about the pitching, they got enough pitching. They got no hitting.

Naked Man on Subway: No, they got hitting. Bonilla, Murray. They got no defense.

Jerry Seinfeld: Defense, please. They need speed.

Naked Man on Subway: Speed? They've got Coleman.

Jerry Seinfeld: They need a bullpen.

Naked Man on Subway: Franco's no good?

Jerry Seinfeld: They got no team leaders.

Naked Man on Subway: They got Franco. What they need is a front office.

Jerry Seinfeld: But you gotta like their chances.

Naked Man on Subway: I love their chances.

That very attitude which existed before the 1992 seasons, one of the worst Mets teams ever, is always carried. No matter how good or bad the team is, the fans will always love their chances. It's that simple.

So what, am I supposed to be freaking out because Moises Alou is expected to be out 4 to 6 weeks? No. And chances are that turns into 8 weeks. Should I be panicking to get a first baseman because Carlos Delgado has a balky hip? Well I won't be. Not now.

Nothing has gone smoothly since arriving to camp. Nothing. But as Mets fans we will not begin to worry. The fact of the matter is that we will absolutely always believe in this team, whether the stars are Ty Wigginton and Jason Phillips or David Wright and Jose Reyes. There is a certain faith that exists in Mets fans, even at the worst of times.

Delgado, Alou, Marlon Anderson, Ryan Church, Brian Schneider, Duaner Sanchez, Carlos Beltran, Endy Chavez, Luis Castillo, Ruben Gotay, Jose Valentin, Orlando Hernandez. There's the list. And that list can be topped by the ongoing questions about Pedro Martinez being able to stay healthy. It doesn't phase me. None of it.

Look at the bright spots. Pedro's happy adjusting as the team's No. 2 starter. Johan Santana is enjoying things at Mets camp. Beltran is speaking up finally. David Wright and Jose Reyes seem more mature than ever. Oliver Perez was kept happy by getting his money. John Maine didn't throw a fit like other young players (ie. Cole Hamels) and did not oppose his contract renewal. Mike Pelfrey looked solid in his first outing. Aaron Heilman finally seems accepting of his bullpen role. Things have been just fine.

So really, I'm not worried, and no Mets fan should be. This team is going to be good. All these little nicks and nacks will work themselves out. 2008 will be a fun year, so don't allow yourself to get caught up with negative reactions swarming from the media due to Mets injuries. It's no big deal. Come see me on March 17.

But for now, just enjoy baseball being back. We're 25 days away from Mets opening day. Everything will be set according to plan.

I want to wish everybody a Happy Pedro Day. Pedro Martinez will be on the mound tonight at 7:05 as the Mets take on the Nationals in spring training action. The game will only be available on MLBtv and MLB.com Gameday Audio.

Why the Rockies are Ruining Baseball

Since the late 1990s, all you've heard is how the Yankees are ruining baseball because of the way they utilize their bottomless wallet. They used their seemingly limitless resources to go after every free agent and either raised the price on the free agent or eventually signed the player. They were 'ruining the competitive balance' of the league. They were the reason why baseball needs a salary cap. While the Yankees are the prime example of this, there are other culprits. The Red Sox, Cubs, and Mets (among others) spend heavily and do so with no apologies for teams like the Tampa Bay Rays or Kansas City Royals.

It is now 2008. The Yankees still spend closer to 200 million than 100 million and they have 3 infielders making at least 19 million dollars annually. Is this good for baseball? Probably not but the Yankees have zero titles in the last 7 season so we can't say that spending equates to victories. But I propose another demon in the baseball world that will be the cause for the future failure of teams and a higher percentage of salary inflation than the Yankees were ever responsible for: The Colorado Rockies.

You heard me correctly. 'Rocktober' has turned into 'Rockonomics' as they have signed many of their young players to long term deals very early into their careers. Not all of these signings are as bad as others but we'll list a few:

• Brad Hawpe - 3+ years of service time - Signed $17 Million/3 Years Contract


• Manny Corpas - 1-2 years of service time - Signed $8 Million/4 Years Contract


• Aaron Cook - 4 years of service time - Signed $34.5 Million/4 Years Contract


• Troy Tulowitzki - 1+ year of service time - Signed $31 Million/6 Years Contract

Now, I can probably see the Hawpe and Cook signings as your typical buy-out of arbitration years. That is an exchange of a discounted price for security and it is a standard practice in Major League Baseball. The other two signings - Tulowitzki and Corpas - are the cause of the complaints of players like Cole Hamels, Prince Fielder, Jonathon Papelbon, and Nick Markakis and the reason why we cheer players like John Maine for 'being grateful' for being paid a couple hundred thousand dollars for playing a game.

The salary ladder in the MLB is somewhat complicated and can be frustrating to players, especially when they hear the league is making 6 billion dollars in a year. During the first years of a player's career, they are under 'team control' where they can be renewed at whatever price the organization sees fit. Entering their third year, a player is allowed to post a price he believes he deserves and the organization can decide whether or not to match that number. These are a players 'arbitration eligible years' since they have some say in their salary (if the team/player can't come to an agreement, an arbitrator will decide which number to go with). After these years, a player can become a free agent if he is not signed to a long term deal beforehand. Standard practice in baseball has been to keep players under team (and salary) control as long as possible and potentially strike a deal that will buy out the last few arbitration eligible seasons and a year or two of free agency.

Those first three (potentially 2 if they enter the 'Super 2' Exception, which we won't go into) years of a players career are under the team's control. This isn't indentured servitude, it just means that the league is only required to pay you the league minimum. With young players, teams usually increase their pay from year to year if they are continuing to compete at the MLB level but they never approach the numbers that players can reach once they enter salary arbitration. These are the few years where an organization gets a true discount on a player's services since the salaries in the MLB have skyrocketed. It was sort of an accepted way of the game as it is in any other job in the world. You have to do your time. The millions will come if you are a special player, like Troy Tulowitzki, but you went through the system and eventually got your payday.

The Phillies set a $900,000 mark for Ryan Howard that now Jonathon Papelbon wants to match. So maybe the Rockies aren't the only people to blame, but giving a player with 1+ years of service a 6 year contract? While the annual numbers will probably work out to a reasonable salary increase and end up being a huge discount to the Rockies (as long as he doesn't get hurt), what does that say to other players? If I was Cole Hamels, to see Tulowitzki get guaranteed money and years after just one year would piss me off too. Cole Hamels and Troy Tulowitzki might not be fair to compare since the injury risk with pitchers is completely different than with position players, but if I were Nick Markakis, I would be pissed at the Orioles for a simple renewal.

Is this a good financial decision for the Rockies? As I said earlier, absolutely. If the Rockies treated Tulowitzki the way the Yankees handled Derek Jeter, he would have taken them to the bank in salary arbitration and probably held them ransom during his free agency years (again barring injury). However, in the world of baseball, these decisions give other young players the idea that their teams are doing something wrong or disrespectful by not doing the same thing for them. This creates tension between sides and could eventually lead to situations where players leave teams not because of a team's lack of financial freedom to sign them but because the two sides have animosity towards one another.

So when Cole Hamels leaves Philadelphia after years of arguing over his salary and signs with the big market team that would love a fire-balling left hander, is it the poisons of the overpriced free agent market, the lack of 'team loyalty' now a days, or this new precedent being set among teams (Cleveland with Sizemore is another example) where they are throwing their initial years of salary control out the window in exchange for a discount later? When Prince Fielder leaves, who do we blame then? While I don't agree with the idea that Jonathon Papelbon will settle for a $400,000 contract in protest of the Red Sox not giving him $900,000 or Hamels being upset at $500,000, I can see the logic to be honest. The system functioned. That wasn't the area that was ruined competitive balance. A player worked through his first few years and would be rewarded in salary arbitration or with a long term deal. Even the Yankees followed that model (see: SP Wang). The Yankees took Derek Jeter year to year and eventually paid for him. I am not suggesting that teams should go year to year and pay top dollar for their homegrown talent. Teams buying out arbitration years makes sense and that practice has helped smaller markets keep their players at a relative discount. But the idea that organizations would give so much so soon to players makes no sense from a financial standpoint.

There is a lot of money in baseball and if the game is making so much money I think the players should as well, but business is business. Teams should use those first three years to reward their young players in small increments and maybe build a relationship that can settle a deal for the arbitration years. Those three years are a way for a team to avoid Carl Pavano-itis. As a fan, I would want my team to audition a player for as long as possible as long as it made financial sense but kept a healthy relationship between the player and team before they signed him to 6 years. If organizations start to feel pressured to pay up sooner in order to avoid tempers flaring and scarring away talent, you might see more one year wonders turning into 8 year headaches than you see Rookie of the Years turning into MVPs (which Manny Corpas and Troy Tulowitzki were not...that would be Ryan Howard, and he is still going through arbitration).

The next time you complain about prices of the game and the salary of the players, save a few curse words for the Rockies while you rant about A-Rod and the Yankees. Remember, the Yankees can only 'steal' players with their evil money if they make it to free agency and if the model being utilized in Colorado isn't adapted by other teams, you can bet many young stars will grow very upset with their teams and look to leave as soon as possible and strike it rich in the free market. Or just ask yourself this...if you went out to dinner and the bill read $20, would you pay $60? If yes, I would love to be your waiter. If not, why should teams be expected to pay A-Rod money for players whose service time says they can make league minimum?

Disagree? Comment or call in this Sunday on Matt and Joe Radio.

Will Ferrell has the solution

Not much in the early goings of today- just Cole Hamels and Prince Fielder are complaining about their contract "renewals". I don't have a whole lot of commentary on that except just play and shut up- wait for your arbitration to come.

So, in the spirit of slowness, I'm gonna keep the Youtube ball rolling. And this is for Knicks fans and Will Ferrell fans.

Here's a funny spot on SNY from a few nights ago with Will Ferrell promoting his new movie "Semi-Pro" and discussing some Knicks and their woes.



"Semi-Pro" is in theaters now, and I'm personally looking forward to seeing it.

Matt and Joe at 7!

Why read this when you can listen to us over at BlogTalkRadio.

The call in number is (646) 478-4588. Tune in for week three of the Matt and Joe MLB preview, this week covering the NL West.

Just click the link and prepare for the best hour of your life.

Delgado Leaves for New York with Sore Hip

WFAN reported earlier today that Carlos Delgado has left Port St. Lucie, FL and is headed back to New York to have a further check up on his sore hip.

Delgado missed time last season with the same issue, and was having trouble swinging the bat in yesterday's spring training game.

Delgado is expected to return to Port St. Lucie tomorrow.

I'm not worried, I just hope it's not an issue.