Update

While Summerpastime is and will always be my favorite online location for expressing my thoughts on Baseball, I have been spreading my ideas and writing to two other websites. A Phillies site www.thatballsoutahere.com and an analysis based site www.beyondtheboxscore.com. Follow me there, and continue to check Summerpastime, you never know when something might pop up. I can also be found on Twitter at @summerpastime and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SummerPastime.

As always, thanks for reading.

Leading by Example, and in Other Ways

What makes an athlete a leader? Is it being a veteran presence on a team of youngsters, an individual charged with making decisions that affect others, or is it simply a person followed by others? All of these definitions are possibilities, but in sports leadership comes in many forms. On high school and college teams, coaches usually designate certain players, generally the more talented or more veteran ones, as captains. When a coach designates a player the captain, it means that athlete is an extension of the coach. In football, quarterbacks are often dubbed captains because they lead the offense like a general leads his troops. He shouts out commands, keeps his soldiers safe, and attempts to make the right decisions to lead them to victory.

Interestingly, the idea of choosing a captain does not pertain to every professional sport. In Football and Hockey, captains prove important. As noted above, the quarterback leads the offense, and thus earns the title captain. In Hockey, the team elects a captain, and two assistant captains to serve as the team's representatives to speak to the referees when necessary. This responsibility usually extends to off-ice activities as well, such as giving motivational speeches and keeping a copacetic atmosphere amongst teammates.

While Hockey and Football embrace the idea of one player as the captain, Baseball and Basketball do not. Basketball, which constitutes more of a team sport than does Baseball, does everything but name a captain.  No one would disagree that Michael Jordan was the leader of the Chicago Bulls, doing so through his play on the court as well as his leadership off of it. Stars make up the NBA, with players like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and Derek Rose leading there team's by being the best players on the court. This leads to players such as these taking the "big" shots, and guarding the toughest offensive player on the opposing team in key situations.  As fans, we understand who are the leaders of NBA teams. When in doubt though, the general assumption is that the player who sets things in motion is the leader, and in Basketball that player is the point guard.

In Baseball, rarely does a team, which is made up of 25 players, name a captain. The leader of a Major League Baseball team is most often considered the manager. The manager is, in today's game, never a player. Baseball, although undeniably a team sport, does not compare in it's individualism to the other three major American sports.  Pitchers pitch, catchers catch, outfielders roam specifically designated  zones, and every batter has his own goal and his own discrete actions. In Basketball and Hockey, the ball or puck moves from player to player in order to attain a common goal. Football constitutes the ultimate team sport because on any given play the players on the field must work together to achieve their goals.

So, can one player truly change the game in Baseball? That is generally the case in the three other major sports. I took a look at two players in Major League Baseball who I think disproportionately mean more to their team than can be quantified in a statistic. The only way to describe this value is leadership. The two players are Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins and Rays third baseman Evan Longoria.

I'm not sure every baseball fan has noticed this, but Jimmy Rollins has quietly turned in an impressive career while occupying the space between second and third base for the Phillies the last 12 years. Rollins' career fWAR places him with the likes of fellow shortstops, Tony Fernendez, Omar Vizquel, Dave Concepcion, and Maury Wills.  Rollins recently became the 5th Phillie all time to reach 2,000 hits, and he has never played for a team other than the Phillies. While most Philadelphia fans will tell you they consider Rollins to be the leader of the Phillies, especially since he won the National League's Most Valuable Player in 2007, not many Baseball fans, those from Philadelphia included, understand just how important Rollins is to the Phillies success.

Here is some perspective for you.  As of September 12th, the Phillies have played 143 games this season compiling a 72-71 record.  Rollins' mere presence in the Phillies lineup does not give the Phillies a better chance to win, but when the Phils leadoff hitter scores a run, that changes.  Rollins has played in 140 of the Phillies 143 games this season, and has scored at least one run in 68 of those 140 games.  The Phillies have a record of 43-25 in games in which Jimmy Rollins scores at least one run. That record leads to a winning percentage of 0.632, which is higher than any team's current winning percentage this season. Ready to have your mind blown away completely? In the 72 games this season in which Rollins has failed to cross home plate the Phillies have lost 44 of them. That's a .389 winning percentage, which is worse than every MLB team this season except for the woeful Houston Astros. What is more interesting, is that in the 15 games that which Rollins has scored more than 1 run, the Phillies are 14-1. Another interesting fact is that while Rollins has gotten on base in 112 our of his 140 games played this year, the team doesn't win a disproportionate amount of those game in which Rollins reaches 1st base safely.

Let's take a look at this from a different angle. The Phillies have recently gone on a winning spree. From August 23rd to September 12th, the Phillies have played 19 games and won 15 of them. Rollins has scored a run in 11 games and failed to do so in 8 of them.  In those games during this winning streak in which Rollins has scored a run, the Phillies are 10-1, while the team has a record of 5-3 in games in which Rollins hasn't scored. During the winning streak, whether Rollins scored a run or not, Jimmy is leading the Phillies with his all-around play. As a comparison, I looked at one of the Phillies losing streaks this season. Between the dates of June 27th and July 20th, the Phillies played 18 games, compiling a dismal record of 5-13. Rollins scored a run in 10 of the 18 games played during this losing streak. In the 10 games in which he scored a run, the Phillies played .500 baseball, winning 5 games and losing 5. On the other hand, when Rollins failed to score, the Phillies went 0-8.

Here is how Rollins played during the recent winning streak as well as the mid-season skid:

	2012 Season	Winning Streak (Aug 23rd-Sept 12th)	Losing Streak (June 27th-July 20th)
Batting Avg	0.249	0.324	0.225
On Base %	0.307	0.373	0.304
Slugging %	0.423	0.595	0.423

Next, I found a player whose mere presence in the lineup changes the way his team plays.  His name is Evan Longoria, and he plays third base for the Tampa Bay Rays. In only his 5th season in the big leagues, Longoria has already accumulated 28.1 fWAR, which is comprable to the first 5 seasons of fellow third basemen George Brett and Chipper Jones. Due to a hamstring injury, Longoria has only played in 55 of the Rays 142 games this season. As of September 12th the Rays had compiled a record of 77-65. The Rays have played 87 games without their star third baseman this season, going 43-44 during that time.  That's one game under .500 for a team that, going into Thursday's game, was 12 games above .500. Without Longoria even in the lineup, the Rays managed a meager .223 batting average, .304 on base percentage, and a weak .351 slugging percentage.  

Next, let's look at how the Rays played with Longoria in the lineup. This time is represented in two bunches.  From the beginning of the season until Longoria landed on the disabled list just before the beginning of May, and from his return to the lineup on August 7th to the present day.  In April, the team batted .254 with a .334 on base percentage, and a .429 slugging percentage. So, just having Longoria in the lineup, added 31 percentage points to the team's batting average, 30 points to their on-base percentage, and a whopping 78 percentage points to the team's slugging percentage. More importantly, the Rays went 15-8 in April, which is a 0.652 winning percentage.  

You're probably telling yourself, that the Rays wining ways of April might not be caused by Longoria's presence. Well let me put this argument in the end zone. When Longoria returned from the disabled list, the Rays immediately began winning. The Rays record since Longoria's return is 19-13, which is a .593 winning percentage.  Not only that, but the Rays instantly improved in batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. From August 7th to September 12th, the Rays have had a .265 batting average, .326 on base percentage, and a .447 slugging percentage.  Longoria's mere presence in the lineup causes the entire team to play better and thus win more games. I agree that the reason the Rays have won recently hasn't been the play of Evan Longoria, but instead it is attributed to the great starting pitching and recent power streak of B.J. Upton. Consequently, one cannot merely look at the difference in the Ray's play with and without their stud third baseman and not think that the team wins more with his name on the starting lineup card than when he resides on the pine.   

Jimmy Rollins makes a big difference to the Phillies when his productivity rises, and even more impressive, Evan Longoria's presence in the lineup improves his team's chances of winning. Explaining the correlation between Rollins and the Phillies winning ways proves a much easier task than explaining the relationship between Longoria and the Rays. Rollins, the Phillies leadoff hitter, has a responsibility to set the table for the rest of the Phillies lineup. While Rollins' on base percentage has never been incredible good in comparison to the rest of the National League, let alone in comparison to other leadoff hitters, if Rollins isn't on base he can't score runs, and as we proved before, when Jimmy scores the Phils have a better chance of winning.

Jimmy Rollins' OBP Over the Years in Comparison to the League Average

Here is an interesting thought. If Rollins got a hit in every game of the season, his batting average would be somewhere between .200 and .250, which we can all agree is not very good for an everyday player.  His on-base percentage would probably be somewhere between .280 and .320, which only at the upper end is passable. Let's say that on he scores a run in every game he plays. So, with a .250 batting average and .310 on base percentage he still scores once-a-game, and the Phillies end up with a great record. His statistics don't look like those of a great, let alone good, leadoff hitter, but he's doing what it takes to help his team win. That, more than anything, is the sign of a true team leader.

Leadership comes in many forms. The Jimmy Rollins example, is an illustration of a leader through production, but Evan Longoria helps his team win just by being healthy enough to play. No matter how he plays, the Rays seem to play better baseball when he plays with them. That is, without a doubt, the definition of an unquantifiable value that I am dubbing as leadership added. Longoria's presence in the lineup changes the way that pitchers pitch to the hitters around him, and his consistent hard-nosed play both in the field and at the dish set an example for the rest of the Rays act accordingly. In addition, the Rays' roster feels more comfortable and optimistic about their chances of winning, no matter the opponent, when Evan Longoria is penciled in the lineup. Few other players in the Majors have as much influence in this manner as Longoria. Longoria steps up at the biggest moments, a quality most people would atribute to true leaders. Last season, in the final game of the year, with the Red Sox having already lost, and the Rays needing a win to complete an historic comeback to make the playoffs, it was Longoria hitting the walk-off game-winning home run. While Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is the only player given the title captain in all of baseball, I think that no one deserves it more than the Rays' third baseman. 

The Marlin or the Trout

In the 2010 movie The Social Network, Sean Parker proclaims some sage advice on the future of Facebook.   He said, in the words of Aaron Sorkin's award winning script, "When you go fishing you can catch a lot of fish, or you can catch a big fish. You ever walk into a guy's den and see a picture of him standing next to fourteen trout?" Apart from the obvious aquamarine references, this vignette perfectly depicts the current mindset of the Miami Marlins.  

Last night, while watching MLB Network's coverage of the two latest major trades, Ken Rosenthal claimed that the Marlins are looking to sell a number of their talented players in order to build a core if different and younger players.  The Marlins hopes for making the playoffs continue to dwindle as they find themselves 10 games back of the Washington Nationals in the National League East and 7.5 games back in the wild card hunt.  The Marlins, like every team want to catch the big fish, a world series trophy.  This franchise knows how to accomplish this goal, as the have won the same number of world series in the 19 years of the franchise has existed, as the Philadelphia Phillies have won in their 122 years of existence.  

In the past, the Marlins have built a winning team by cultivating young, talented, and most importantly, cheap players through the draft and trades.  They bring these youngster up to the Major Leagues, allowing them to "get their feet (or fins) wet" and gain some experience.  Then, as if struck by lightning, management decides that "this year" is the year to win.  Next, the front office makes a few brilliant and strategic trades to bring in some veteran players to fill the gaps.  Between the young talent and experienced veterans, the Marlins manage to win the wild card, and bing, bang, boom they win the World Series.  This series of events has already occurred twice in less than 20 years, and still the Marlins find it difficult to fill their stadium on a nightly basis.  Oh, and don't forget that after winning the World Series, Marlins management proceeds to trade off all of their talent in order to, once again, plant their farm system with seeds of young prospects.

After years of radio silence in the off season free-agent market, the Marlins finally made a splash.  An organization notorious for never spending a dime, put it's money to good use by snatching up free-agent shortstop Jose Reyes, righty closer Heath Bell, and lefty Mark Buehrle (whose last name I would continuously mispel if not for spell check).  These additions, and a beautiful new retractable roof stadium, were supposed to attract hoards of fans to come roaring through the ticket gates and bring in much needed revenue.  The fish even made a trade for veteran Carlos Lee in the hopes he could help them to the promised land, but El Caballo could not right this forlorn team.  Unfortunately, possibly by not sticking to the old yet proven method of winning, the Marlins find themselves below .500, and barely clinging to the hope that they will turn it around.  

In lieu of this disappointing season, the Marlins seem to be taking, not the road less traveled nor the road most frequented, but a middle path.  A number of, still young, and highly talented players remain on the Marlins squad.  Many of these players came up through their farm system or were traded to Miami just as their Major League careers began.  Yesterday, the Marlins traded right-handed pitcher Anibal Sanchez and second baseman Omar Infante to the Detroit Tigers for a package of prospects including coveted righty Jacob Turner.  This move, in addition to rumors currently swirling, show that the Marlins are not shopping for veteran talent to complement young stars, but instead searching for young talent to partner with their newly acquired veteran free-agents.  

Anibal Sanchez, Hanely Ramirez, Josh Johnson, and Ricky Nolasco are all considered prize assets on the open market, and it seems as though the Marlins are willing to sell.  If the combination of Sanchez and Omar Infante could fetch a package deal including Jacob Turner and Rob Brantly, I can only imagine what the Marlins could get by dangling Ramirez and Johnson as bait.  Nolasco is an interesting prize as well, due to his consistency and proven ability to keep right handed batters from reaching base (.296 OBP against vs righties in his career).  Nolasco is under club control for 2013, which means any team trading for him would be trading for at least a year and a half of service, a more valuable commodity than a half-year rental.   

It isn't often we see underachieving, yet talented, teams such as the 2012 Marlins looking to trade some of their better assets in order to put together a team that could win over a longer stretch of time.  Usually such teams put all of their efforts into righting the ship by buying and not selling at the deadline.  Teams like the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, and St. Louis Cardinals fall into that category in 2012, but those three squads have been linked to buying, not selling.  I commend the Marlins for their strategy, although it must be easier to pursue such a game plan when the team only ranks 18th in attendance after building a totally new stadium (See http://espn.go.com/mlb/attendance for more information)  

Nolasco is a nice trade piece, as is Heath Bell, and the talented yet enigmatic Hanley Ramirez, but the true prize is Josh Johnson.  Johnson has a year left on his current contract, and despite recent injuries and struggles, has bounced back this season.  Baseball Prospectus predicts he will finish the year with a 2.8 WARP.  More importantly, according to BP's 10 year predictor metrics, the team that possesses Johnson can expect a >3.0 WARP pitcher through the 2018 season.  His upside is undeniable and with Rangers, Angels, and Red Sox scouts reported to be at his most recent strong start, there exists proof to back up the rumors that the Marlins will trade him by the July 31st trade deadline.  

With a wealth of abundant talent on their current MLB squad, the Marlins can expect the equivalent of stock options in return for the rare jewels in their tank.  These prospects may not become the players the Marlins hope them to be, but some of them will be the fish of the future, a future the Marlins hope will be bright and full of wins.  So, does this spectacle deserve the name fire sale, or is it merely a mirage?  Hanley Ramirez, although a stellar talent, has had attitude problems, and while Josh Johnson has extreme talent, he has been oft injured.  The Marlins have twice outsmarted every other Major League team by sneaking into the playoffs and winning the World Series as a franchise sans money.  Is this the beginning of another shadowy run at a title?  Maybe not this season, but I wouldn't say 2014 is out of the question.  

What Year Is It?

(It is my pleasure to introduce Morris Levin.  In addition to being the first guest writer on www.summerpastime.com, Morris Levin is an alumnus of Mitchell & Ness Nostalgia Co. He lives in Philadelphia, where he roots for the Phillies, win or lose. He is a proud booster of the Athletic Base Ball Club of Philadelphia and supportive of efforts in West Philadelphia to honor the legacy of the Philadelphia Stars.)

“It's beginning to smell a lot like 1979 around here”

Are the 2012 Phillies Mirroring Their 1979 Counterparts?

Expectations were high for the Phillies entering the 1979 season. The Phils had won the division with 101 win in 1976, 101 in 1977, and 90 in 1978. But in each of these seasons, they had lost the National League Championship Series.

The Phils had very strong clubs. Catcher Bob Boone, infielders Larry Bowa, Dave Cash, and Mike Schmidt, outfielder Greg Luzinski, and pitcher Steve Carlton were all repeat All-Stars. But they could not make it to the World Series.

Player free agency in Major League Baseball was a still a relatively new phenomenon in the late 1970s. After losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1978 National League Championship Series, the Phillies seized on the opportunity presented by all-time great Pete Rose’s first entry into free agency.

Rose had reached his 3,000^th career hit in 1978, and hit in 44-straight games. Rose and Reds management were at odds, and the Phillies signed Rose for a then record four-year $3.2 million contract. Rose would be the piece that pushed the Phillies over the hump to the Series.

Prior to the 1979 season, Phils manager Danny Ozark had publicly speculated that his club lacked player leadership. Rose would lead the team to the World Series. The Phillies were very good with him and became stocked with him. Like having four ace pitchers.

Know what happened? The team finished fourth.

Larry Christenson of the 1979 Phillies

Reliable starting pitcher Larry Christenson cracked his shoulder in the preseason. Carlton started the season wounded. You think the 2012 Phillies are old? The planned 1979 rotation had Carlton at 34 years old, Jim Lonborg at 35 years old, and Jim Kaat at 40 years old. The team wilted in front of the media; Larry Bowa publicly lamented the added pressure and questioned whether the team could meet the expectations.

The 2012 Phillies bullpen is struggling so much that Chad Qualls was released by way of example. Tug McGraw led the 1979 team in saves with 16 and had an ERA of 5.16. The great McGraw was more Brad Lidge circa 2009. Ron Reed pitched 100 innings out of the pen and had an ERA of 4.15.

Rose continued his dominance, hitting .331 in 1979, and Schmidt cracked 45 homeruns with 114 RBIs. But midseason injuries to Luzinski, stellar double play combo Bowa and Trillo sank the team. By July 1^st, the Phillies’ record was 39-38; fifth place in the six-team division, and still 7½ games back. By August 29, the team had fallen to fifth place and two games under .500, 12½ games behind the Pirates.

Trillo sustained a broken forearm on May 3 when he was hit by a pitch. Bowa broke his thumb May 22 diving for a ball in a win at home against the Cardinals. Garry Maddox went down injured, and later that summer Greg Luzinski was hurt. By mid-August, fifteen players had been to the disabled list and the Phillies were eight games out of first place. The team's decline led to the firing of manager Danny Ozark on August 31.

Yeah. 1979 was not a fun season for baseball at the sports complex in South Philadelphia under the weight of World Series expectations, and a fan base for whom winning the division, a dream five years ago, expected.

Here we are in July 2012 and the Phillies are mired under .500. Injuries to Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, Roy Halladay, and the middle-relievers have badly hurt the club. This does not exonerate Cliff Lee, Shane Victorino, and other playing at or below career averages. Nor does it exonerate management from not signing surer outfield hitting whether it may have been a Josh Willingham, Jason Kubel, Carlos Beltan, (or even resigning Raul Ibanez for one season).

Jimmy Rollins Hoists The World Series Trophy In 2008

The Phils should be able to right the ship in 2013. Whatever permutation in 2013 of Hamels or Halladay or Lee or Worley is around should be strong. Howard should be back following precedent that players who previously had Howard’s injury come back strong in their second year back and not their first. All the more reason the team should have signed one of the above rather than leaving it at the combination of Nix-Wiggington-Thome-Mayberry.

Money will be available from the contracts of Joe Blanton, Placido Polanco, and Shane Victorino. Howard plays first. Utley or Martinez plays second. Rollins is at short. The Phils will have a new third-baseman and left fielder. And at best they will have Halladay, Lee, and Hamels, and at worst, Lee, Halladay, and Worley.

It was the 1980 Phillies club that won only 91 games, fewer than the 1976 and 1977 teams. But it was this team that won the club’s first World Series in its then 98-year history. The Phillies made mistakes during this past off-season by failing to replace Howard’s production at first, and Ibanez’s in left. But this franchise is not ready to head quietly into history.

After the dreadful 1979 season, the Phillies won the division, National League pennant, and World Series in 1980; won a play-off spot in the strike-shortened 1981 season; and won the pennant in 1983. The Phils may not win in 2012 but 2013 need not be a disaster.

Now What?: Part I

Athletes dazzle us with their incredible competitiveness, talent, and will to win.  Following a player from prospect to professional athlete to veteran provides fans with exhilarating and fulfilling memories.  During these careers, most professional athletes earn exorbitant amounts of money, placing them in the United States' top tax bracket as well as the everyday citizen's category of rich.  One question remains: "Once retired, what do athletes do with the money they made during their careers?" This three part series will explore the financial highs and lows of professional athletes after they retired from their given sport.  Part one focuses on athletes who'se retirements have been marred by financially difficulty.

Curt Schilling

Curt Schilling is in trouble.  By all standards, the former Phillies, Diamondbacks, and Red Sox pitcher needs help.  Following retirement from Major League Baseball, Schilling decided to create and run his own video game company.  He called it 38 Studios, named for his jersey number throughout his career.  From an outsiders perspective this venture seemed harmless.  A rich man who wanted to exploit the video game craze, and, more importantly, put his personal stamp on the project.  Unfortunately for Schilling, venture capitalists did not agree with Curt's optimism for the company, refusing to invest millions of dollars in the video game studio.  In response to a lack of funds, Schilling sunk about $50 million of his own into the company.  In his 18-year career, it is estimated that Schilling made just over $114 million.  


Despite putting almost 50% of his MLB earnings into 38 Studios, the company required more money for day-to-day operations.  Thus, Schilling applied for and was subsequently granted $75 million in loans from the state of Rhode Island.  The recent recession has caused strife for most state economies, but Rhode Island has been hit harder than most.  38 Studios recent filing for chapter 7 bankruptcy only deepens an already hurting state economy that, like George Foreman, cannot afford another Muhammed Ali sized punch, lest they fall to to the mat in defeat.  Schilling faces numerous other issues including an inability to pay for his employees health insurance, and failing to pay some employees' salaries.  Overall, I think it reasonable to call 38 Studios a sunk venture in need of serious help.  Schilling screwed the pooch in every way, showing his ineffectiveness as an entrepreneur, CEO, and citizen.  While Schilling could do no wrong on the mound, he did everything wrong when it came to investing his millions and running a company.  

Allen Iverson

Schilling does not constitute the only famous millionaire athlete to incur financial troubles after retiring from professional sports.  Not to pick on former Philadelphia athletes, but no conversation concerning athletes financial troubles can begin or end without including Allen Iverson.  The former 76ers MVP guard has hit rock bottom.  After securing himself as one of the greatest professional basketball players of all time, and racking up over $200 million, Iverson retired from the NBA in 2010.  During that illustrious 15-year career, Iverson supported more than 50 of his closest friends, a family, and his "thug" desires.  "The Answer", as Iverson was known during his career, owes $859,000 to a Georgia jewelry store and $2.5 million on a house in Denver, Colorado.  In addition to simple debt, Iverson's wife has filed for divorce, which could cost the broke former NBA All-Star even more money.  


So, to recap, Schilling took his riches and invested poorly, irresponsibly managed his business, and now wants help cleaning up the mess he made.  Iverson lived above his means, leaving us wondering how a millionaire could be so stupid, and faces more legal issues due to divorce.  These two former athletes shed light on a number of common problems that plague former professional athletes.  Poor investments, frivolous spending, unreasonable loyalties for friends, and familial issues lead to the most prolific falls from grace.  


What can we learn from these regrettable situation?  First, we learn that no matter how iconic and rich a person is, the ability to lose everything remains constant.  The American Dream is built upon every person striving for more and greater life pursuits.  More often than not, one of these chief goals is to attain wealth.  Professional athletes are blessed with special talents, and simultaneously work incredibly hard, thus earning themselves the title of millionaire.  Unfortunately, earning millions of dollars does not imply financial acumen or the ability to make informed and well-calculated decisions.  


So, what are the issues involved, and how can athletes help themselves to avoid financial ruin?  First, athletes need to take their educations more seriously.  Almost every NFL and NBA player attends college, but few take advantage of the gift of education.  Maybe, instead of majoring in fitness and exercise science, athletes should consider taking a few classes in economics.  This might be a smart decision, even if said athlete plans on leaving school early for the pros.  Second, finding smart, experienced, and trustworthy financial advisors to educate, instruct, and assist in investments and money management might prevent future financial collapse.  This advice only grazes the surface, and with so many professional athletes wasting their fortunes every iota is necessary.


In the second and third installments of this ongoing series, I will delve into professional athletes' successes in retirement, the future of post-athletic financial activities, and my take on the whole situation.    

Back to You, in the Booth

Tom McCarthy

Gary Matthews Sr.

Last night, on the Phillies television broadcast, Tom McCarthy, the Phillies play-by-play commentator mentioned that the Phillies had reached agreements with their the team's top draft picks.  In response, Gary Matthews, one of McCarthy's co-commentator, mentioned that Major League Baseball had recently changed the rules regarding the signing of players from the first year draft.  The two went on to acknowledge that the changes made to the collective bargaining agreement, altering teams' ability to sign players from the draft, would help teams in signing these players.

MLB's new collective bargaining agreement gives teams a maximum amount of money they are allowed to spend on a given draft pick.  This new rule severely limits a team's ability to sign a given player.  Prior to this year's draft, teams were allowed to offer a player any amount of money, in signing bonus form, in order to convince said player to join their club.  Now, teams will be penalized if they exceed the maximum amount that MLB has decided upon.  This significantly affects which players are drafted in which spots.  In addition, the new CBA, creates serious roadblocks for teams attempting to acquire and sign international players, who are not subjected to the first-year player draft.  Recently, many teams have spent large sums of money in scouting international talent, but due to the new CBA, their ventures in Latin American will be curtailed.

Overall, one thing is certain.  No one actually knows how the new collective bargaining agreement will shape the draft, "signability" of players, or the game as a whole.  On the other hand, most pundits agree that, for the time being, the CBA seems to constrict teams, giving them less choice and freedom to exploit the system in order to gain an advantage.  Major League Baseball wants to create as much parity as possible, but, as long as MLB goes without a salary cap, some teams will always have more money than others.  This truism means that smaller market teams like the Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Rays will always look for holes in the system, in order to compete with the larger market teams.  As long as Major League Baseball remains salary capless, complete equality amongst teams will never exist.

So, back to the statements made by McCarthy and Matthews.  Without even touching on any of the more important details concerning the new CBA, the draft, or MLB's decision behind changing the rules, Tom McCarthy and Gary Matthews gave millions of viewers misinformation.  The new CBA will not make it easier for teams to sign players, it only restricts their ability to choose a fitting contract for draft picks.  In the far off distant land of economics, we learn first that choice is better than no choice.  MLB is taking away the freedom of teams in negotiating with draft picks.  So, while players may sign contracts quickly, the new CBA does not guarantee that signing players will be easier.

Darling, Cohen, and Hernandez from left to right

McCarthy and Matthews have the bully pulpit at their disposal.  Most fans do not know what the collective bargaining agreement is let alone read about its affects on the game.  Although, based on the views of both McCarthy and Matthews, I'm unsure if either broadcaster read the document themselves. These two men are supposed to represent the knowledgeable baseball elite, but instead they fall very short.  Often, Gary Matthews will give an explanation as follows: "The reason that ball went so far is because he put a good swing on the ball."  I think we can all agree that this comment offers absolutely nothing towards the analysis of the game.  These types of comments are ubiquitous throughout the Phillies broadcasts as well as many others around the country.  Although I think teams could and should find better announcers, such as Ron Darling, Gary Cohen, and Keith Hernandez for the NY Mets, these asinine comments are the norm.  The Mets television announcers provide such eloquence and in depth analysis that the New York Times often publishes transcripts of their broadcasts.

The issue remains that announcers cannot be allowed to say things that are incorrect.  If McCarthy and Matthews do not completely understand new CBA and how it might affect the draft, then the Phillies should have a guest, with knowledge on the subject, come and explain it to viewers.  In addition to speaking without knowing, the Phillies announcing crew will almost never question Major League Baseball's decisions.  I understand that the Phillies are part of MLB and in turn that the commentators work for the Phillies, but to never dispute or doubt anything handed down from Major League Baseball is a travesty to the system.  Instead of actually commenting and analyzing, announcers, at least in the Phillies' case, have lost the ability to share original thoughts.  These supposed experts should use their time on the air to speak intelligently about the issues facing Major League Baseball and explain how it affects their respective team.  Instead announcers like Matthews and McCarthy shy away from criticizing or even questioning the validity of Major League Baseball, thus showing their viewers no perspective, and providing all Phillies fans with banality.

Vin Scully, Dodgers Hall of Fame Announcer

Recently I found myself watching the LA Dodgers broadcast.  Through the TV came the unmistakable voice of Dodgers play-by-play announcer Vin Scully.  Scully not only announces the game with a great voice, he knows everything about the players,  keeping track of the day-to-day business of the Dodgers and Major League Baseball.  He admits when he does not know an answer, and speaks intelligently when calling the game.  Younger commentators should take note of the hall-of-fame announcer and attempt to emulate his conduct.

Often times I will mute the television during Phillies broadcasts because I become so frustrated with the level of broadcasting, but rarely do I actually yell at the TV.  Last night, when Gary Matthews and Tom McCarthy attempted to pass themselves off as experts of the new CBA and its affects on the draft, I lost it.  These men possess a lot of power given their visibility in the Phillies organization, but they choose to spoil it by making incorrect statements and not providing factual evidence to back up their claims.  Even Fangraphs.com ranked the Phillies TV broadcasters near the bottom in their broadcaster rankings.

Lao Tzu famously said, "Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know."  I don't profess to know about the business of announcing and commentating on games, but from a baseball fan's perspective, announcers like Gary Matthews and Tom McCarthy need to be replaced.  Misinformation, ignorance, and stupidity should never be tolerated, especially from those with so much power.  I challenge the Phillies to realize this problem, and do something to fix it because my frustration level towards the Phillies announcers has reached its limit.