Yardbarker: Houston Astros

When Teammates Attack

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:59:46 -0500

Some see it as a glaring sign that the chemistry in the clubhouse is toxic, others write it off to testosterone-infused meatheads blowing off steam. However you rationalize a fight between teammates, the one constant is that they're normally fun to watch.

We got to witness that first hand again this week when Prince Fielder went after pitcher Manny Parra in the Milwaukee Brewers dugout (we told you not to dip into Prince's can of Pringles Cheez-Ums without permission, Manny). A couple of shoves, a semi-slap to the face in full view of the cameras and suddenly we've got national news.

The Parra-Fielder tussle came just days after Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith took the teammate brawl a step further and broke the nose of Panther safety Ken Lucas in the training camp fight that will ultimately cost Smith a two game suspension and a hefty fine.

Because of the mystery and inevitable gossip that comes with them, teammate-on-teammate fights are a shade more intriguing than the run-of-the-mill sports brawl between opponents. In December of 2006, we separated those fights into convenient categories to better understand them and in light of recent events, it would only seem appropriate to do the same for the brawls between friends.

The "Not on the Same Page" Brawl
For all the talk in baseball about the importance of a pitcher and a catcher being "on the same page", perhaps nothing drives home that point more than seeing what happens when they aren't. Being on different pages often means fists aimed at heads.

Recent examples of pitchers and catchers not seeing eye-to-eye include beastly Royals hurler Runelvys Hernandez attacking catcher John Buck in the dugout in between innings in 2006, Rays battery Dioner Navarro and Matt Garza going at it this summer and a scrap between Texas catcher Rod Barajas and pitcher Ryan Drese in 2005 in which the combatants dusted themselves off and went back to their respective positions the next inning to put up a zero. Professionalism at its finest.

Perhaps most memorable was last July when Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano went after Michael Barrett in the dugout after the two came off the field. One can't really blame Barrett for the run-in because quite frankly, how can you possibly get on the same page as a pitcher who spends most of his time screaming to himself in another language? There's at least a 5% chance that the mythical creature that Zambrano talks to every time he leaves the mound told him Barrett was a Martian trying to take over the minds of his Cubs teammates. Maybe even 10%.

The "I Hope They Beat the Hell out of Each Other" Fight
Imagine being a teammate in the Giants locker room through the majority of the last decade. On one side, you've got well-documented jackass Barry Bonds chilling on his leather recliner watching his personal TV - a TV that has been given roughly the same amount of dedicated square footage in the clubhouse as your entire locker.

On the other side, you've got hillbilly second basemen Jeff Kent who may be the only player in baseball whose reputation as a jerk is comparable to Bonds. In any given season, they are battling for the 1-2 spots on the "teammates I pray I don't have to sit next to on the team flight" list. Suddenly in a moment of glory, these two go after each other in the dugout and are ready to come to blows. If it weren't for the TV cameras zooming in on the brawl, most Giants players probably would have preferred to let them beat the living shit out of each other just in the off chance that they trade broken jaws and couldn't talk anymore.

A similar incident took place in the visitor's clubhouse of Shea Stadium in 1978 when Dodgers pretty boy Steve Garvey and permed-out pitcher Don Sutton went at it after a confrontation centered on Sutton's quotes about Garvey to the media. According to legend, their popularity amongst teammates was such that when someone yelled out "stop the fight, they'll kill each other", the response from one team member was "good."

Of course, both the 2002 Giants and the 1978 Dodgers went to the World Series, so don't be surprised if some enterprising manager sets up sanctioned cage matches amongst team members to see if it sparks a winning streak.

The Rasta Brawl
Just picture your standard teammate fight, only in addition to fists flying there is also massive amounts of hair. Dreadlocks to be exact. One might assume that it would be impossible to inflict pain through 14 solid inches of nappy hair, much like hitting someone wearing a football helmet, but it turns out that the 'do opens up a whole new element of physical damage.

In the case of the Etan Thomas and Brendan Haywood fight in 2006 when both were members of the Washington Wizards, Haywood somehow managed to rip out two full dreadlocks from Thomas' skull.

Not being terribly familiar with the anatomy of a dreadlock, I wasn't aware that they could be yanked out of ones head like a carrot being pulled out of the dirt. If Haywood was to fully capitalize on his maneuver he could have started swinging those puppies around like a pair of bullwhips. Nothing stings worse than being whipped with your own dreads.

The "Roids Don't Care What Team you Play For" Cheap Shot
When you presumably have more steroids coursing through your veins than a Barry Bonds - Mark McGwire love child, things like determining whether a guy plays on the same team as you are to be considered trivial. The roids don't care what team they play for, bro. When your friends Winstrol and Dianabol say that you're supposed to be a meathead gorilla, then that's what you do and too bad to whoever happens to be at the other end.

NFL linebacker Bill Romanowski was the quintessential meathead gorilla and teammate Marcus Williams was the person who happened to be close by one 2003 Oakland Raiders scrimmage. Romanowski effectively ended Williams' career when he crushed his eye socket with one punch.

Rather than simply chalking up the incident as an unfortunate run-in with an over-medicated primate, Williams decided to exact his revenge in the courtroom, suing Romo for $3.5 million and eventually being awarded $340,000 in damages.

Probably should be able to get a pretty sweet new eye socket with that kind of coin.

The Innocent Victim Scenario
Unless we're talking about a hockey fight where everyone just lets the guys beat the crap out of each other, inevitably a teammate brawl has to be broken up by someone. Normally a third teammate or a coach has to throw himself in between two enraged maniacs so that no one gets hurt. It's not a pleasant spot to be in.

Take the Brewers incident, would you want to be the person forced to step in between 300-pound Prince Fielder and whatever it is that he wants to get his hands on? Even if he innocently trips and falls on you, that girth would likely do damage to multiple internal organs.

Look at Ray Fosse. In 1974, Reggie Jackson got into a clubhouse scuffle with fellow Oakland Athletic outfielder Bill North. The peacekeeper on the scene happened to be Fosse who was rewarded for his actions with a crushed disk in his neck that landed him on the DL for 12 weeks.

Of course four years earlier Ray Fosse was run over by Pete Rose in the All Star Game separating his shoulder in the process. That has nothing to do with teammates fighting but, man, it kind of sucked to be Ray Fosse for a while there.

The Blatant Disregard for Authority
In the current atmosphere of sports, the balance of power between coaches and players has been blurred. Players make far more money, are more indispensable and most are not shy about how to use their newfound leverage. Some do it with contract negotiations or holdouts. Some do it by beating the hell out of their superiors. Either way works.

Of course a player getting physical with a coach isn't exactly a new thing. Reggie Jackson was famous for his showdown with Yankees manager Billy Martin in the late 70's; Nasty Boy Rob Dibble scrapped with manager Lou Piniella in the Cincinnati Reds locker room after a 1993 game. In 1977, Texas Rangers infielder Lenny Randle jumped manager Frank Lucchesi on the field before the game, clocking him in the face and landing several shots before being dragged off by teammates. Lucchesi suffered a broken cheekbone, two cracked ribs and a concussion in the fracas. Randle eventually suffered a trade to the Mets where he had to play in Shea Stadium. Not sure which is worse.

But just this season former Astros pitcher Shawn Chacon took management assault to another level when he choked out GM Ed Wade in the team dining room, proving once and for all that it is not smart for a front office executive to get between a player and his free buffet.

Coaches Versus?Coaches
Probably the only thing more bizarre than watching two players on the same team engage in some fisticuffs is watching two coaches on the same team go after each other.

Coaches are supposed to be the cool-headed ones, who are constantly preaching team unity and giving away game balls and crap. They're like a fraternity whose primary shared trait is that they all have the unenviable task of dealing with professional athletes all day. They're not supposed to be the ones throwing haymakers at one another on the sidelines.

The most notable of the coach-on-coach battles revolve around one small, balding old football "genius" ? Buddy Ryan. In 1985 there were rumors of his run-in with Bears head coach Mike Ditka while Ryan was serving as the coordinator of one of the most dynamic defenses of all time. According to lore, punches weren't thrown, but Ditka cordially invited Ryan out to the back alley when Ryan refused to heed the coach's halftime request during their only loss of the '85 season.

Of course, Buddy did manage to goad one fellow coach into a more physical confrontation while he was on the staff of the 1993 Houston Oilers. In a classic offense vs. defense battle, Ryan took a swing at offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride on the sidelines in their regular season-ending game versus the Jets.

For a guy who looked more like the founder of Wendy's than a hard-nosed football coach, Ryan sure did fancy himself a badass.
Whether it's coaches on coaches, players attacking coaches, players attacking players or someone is getting their dreads ripped out, teammate fights never cease to entertain.

So long as it isn't your team doing the brawling.

Bonus ? ESPN did a Top 10 teammate fights list found here. Some quality ones in there, including a soccer fight taking place on the field during the game. Freaking British people.

NBA Releases 2008/2009 Season Schedule. Opener Celtics and Cavs

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:28:56 -0500

The NBA released the entire 2008/09 season schedule today, including national broadcast schedules for TNT, ABC, and ESPN. As reported on NBA.com, the season will open at 8:00 PM on October 28 in Boston, with the Celtics hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers. Immediately following that game, the Lakers will host Portland at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. ESPN will begin their broadcast schedule the next night with a Western Conference double header featuring the Spurs versus the Suns, and the Lakers taking on the Clippers.The schedule is filled with marketing opportunities for each network. For example, on Christmas day, each of the three broadcast partners will have a televised game. Additionally, ESPN will show 72 regular season games (including 27 double-headers), TNT 53 more (including the All Star Game on February 15), and ABC will have exclusive rights to the NBA Finals in June. The entire schedule is available for viewing and downloading at NBA.com. OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK Ranking the Top 10 Markets for Relocation or Expansion - The Biz of Baseball SEE IT: MLB, Cardinals Release All-Star Game Logo - The Biz of Baseball MLB Net Taps Art Marquez for Sales. Harlem Office Delayed - The Biz of Baseball Skimgate Continues, Yankee Employees Placed on Leave - The Biz of Baseball How Mark Cuban Has Become a Front Runner for Cubs - The Biz of Baseball Fenway Sports Group Signs PGA Tour Pro Brett Quigley - The Biz of Baseball Biz of Baseball Organizational Report - Houston Astros - The Biz of Baseball Sunday MLB on TBS: Comments from Angels/Yankees Game - The Biz of Baseball Dodger Stadium to Host Semis and Finals of WBC - The Biz of Baseball Chicago's Wrigley Field to Host Next Outdoor Classic on New Years Day - The Biz of Hockey NHL Network To Commemorate 20th Anniversary of Gretzky Trade to Kings - The Biz of Hockey NHL Coaching Carousel Slows, Teams Line-Up Coaching Staffs - The Biz of Hockey Canucks Raise Prices, Retain Season Ticket Holders - The Biz of Hockey Chicago's Wrigley Field to Host Next Outdoor Classic on New Years Day - The Biz of Hockey Jaromir Jagr First Major NHL Player to Crossover to Continental Hockey League - The Biz of Hockey Bill Johnson is a staff member of the Business of Sports Network

Astros at Cubs open game thread

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:50:27 -0500

B-REF PREVIEW | GAMEDAY | WEATHER | ACB CHAT ROOM Brandon Backe vs. Cubs hitters: .244/.312/.402 in 127 at-bats Jason Marquis vs. Astros hitters: .303/.380/.471 in 208 at-bats When and Where: 1:20 on WGN The wind is blowing in toward the 1st base dugout at about 6 mph so that might help Marquis a little bit, but his problem today is that the Astros hitters have just pounded him in his career. Berkman, Lee, Wigginton and Pence have all done a lot of damage against Marquis. Unfortunately the Cubs have not hit Backe well. Ramirez is the only Cubs to do much with him.

Hump day Phils thoughts

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:23:00 -0500

Houston's Mark Loretta would be a great addition to the bench; Les Walrond is not the answer as second situational lefty. Neither is J.A. Happy. Or Scott Eyre.

Ranking the Top 10 Markets for Relocation or Expansion

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:21:19 -0500

30. Its a number that seems to suit big pro sports leagues in America. The NBA has it. Ditto for the NHL. And yes, MLB has it. Currently, only the NFL is the exception at 32. The number of markets at 30 is manageable. The NFL has the advantage of being highly centralized (revenues are shared more evenly across the franchises), and exceptionally popular. Even with that, there are strains (note that the owners recently opted out of the CBA) with the added teams. Of all these, it is MLB that was the last to expand (1998). NHL? 2000 with the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild. NFL? 2002 with the Houston Texans. NBA? 2004 with the rechristened Charlotte Bobcats. And, when you look at MLB historically, the stretch in-between expansions currently is the second longest since, well… the Expansion Era: a decade. There are reasons for this, of course. The rapid period of expansion in the ‘60s occurred shortly after Walter O’Malley and Horace Stoneham moved the Dodgers and Giants to the West Coast. The moves in 1957 showed that with air travel, markets west of the Mississippi could be tapped that had never been considered before. When coupled with the growth of television, untapped revenues could be accessed. The AL and NL were also very much separate leagues vying for markets. Now, most all the prime large markets have been sucked up, and television, once simply an over-the-air matter, is a huge factor given regional sports networks. Below is a listing of markets, along with their respective leagues from the time the Dodgers and Giants relocated, till 2008. Expansion or Relocation in the Modern Era Team Year League Angels 1961 AL Senators relocate, become Twins 1961 AL Senators (Part II) 1961 AL Mets 1962 NL Astros 1962 NL Milwaukee Braves relocate to Atlanta 1966 NL KC Athletics relocate to Oakland 1968 AL Padres 1969 NL Expos 1969 NL Royals 1969 AL Pilots/Brewers 1969 AL Second Senators relocate to Arlington (Rangers) 1972 AL Mariners 1977 AL Blue Jays 1977 AL Rockies 1993 NL Marlins 1993 NL D-Backs 1998 NL Devil Rays 1998 AL Expos relocate to DC (Nationals) 2004 NL Select Read More to see the Top 10 Markets for Relocation or Expansion

Like a hurricane

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 23:10:13 -0500

This, my first post for Bugs and Cranks, comes in the midst of a near-hurricane in Houston (that ended doing nothing but make it rain and then didn't even become a hurricane anyway) as well as a nasty thunderstorm in Chicago that delayed the Astros-Cubs game for nearly three hours last night (and caused more [...]

Cubs led 6-1, win 11-7

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:36:19 -0500

First of all, Kerry Wood was activated off the DL today and Scott Eyre was designated for assignment. Hendry will probably try to trade him over the next 7 days. Best of luck to Eyre. The Cubs put 6 on the board in the first 2 innings and built up a 6-1 lead. Rich Harden was on the mound and a 5-run lead you feel pretty good. Harden didn't have his best stuff today. He got through the first 4 innings with only allowing an unearned run, but he got roughed up in the 5th and 6th. He left the game with a 6-5 lead. Bob Howry, doing what Bob Howry does, gave up a 2-run home run in the 7th and the Astros took a brief 7-6 lead. As the Cubs have done so often this year, they came right back and took the lead and put the game away. After tying it at 7, Soriano hit a 3-run home run to win the game. Derrek Lee added an RBI to make it 11-7 and that's how the game ended. Kerry Wood pitched the 8th allowing only a single. His velocity seemed fine, but he was hit rather hard. Still pretty good considering he's had almost a month off. Carlos Marmol pitched the 9th and was once again lights out. Good Carlos seems to have returned as he's looked unhittable the last 2 times out. Hopefully Jason Marquis can step up tomorrow against Brandon Backe so the Cubs can win the series. As of this moment, the Cubs have a 5.5 game lead over the Brewers.

Astros at Cubs open game thread

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:58:46 -0500

B-REF PREVIEW | GAMEDAY | WEATHER | ACB CHAT ROOM Wandy Rodriguez vs. Cubs hitters: .262/.329/.437 in 126 at-bats Rich Harden vs. Astros hitters: 9-45, 3 XBH, 3 BB, 9 K When and Where: 1:20 on CSN Most of the Astros at-bats against Harden have come from Daren Erstad who is just 5-26 with 3 walks and 7 strikeouts. Carlos Lee is 3-9. Derrek Lee and Ryan Theriot are about the only 2 Cubs to do anything at all against Wandy Rodriguez.

Inside The Box August 5th Edition

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:41:01 -0500

Today we have a player with a .956 success rate on stolen bases, a way to determine when a pitcher with a 5.55 ERA is going to win, a Rule 5 guy on the road to stardom, the schadenfreude of seeing closers on other teams melting down and lots more.

Early Morning Madness: Trouble brewing edition

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 06:01:50 -0500

This is supposed to be an easy stretch of the schedule the next few weeks for the Mets. Yes, they do match up against the Phillies and the Marlins, but the rest of the games come against the Pirates, Nationals, Braves, Astros, and Padres. Well, we saw how the team played against the Astros last weekend, and we've seen what they can do against the Padres (if you need a refresher from 15 seconds ago, the Mets were swept by both teams). To me, it always seem like the Mets play down to their opponents level. Instead of truly beating up on teams that they should trounce, they seem to want to make it interesting and play a close game and/or lose. If the Mets want to contend this season, these are games they need to win.

History of the Great First Baggers

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 10:56:42 -0500

The FBHOF explores the storied tradition of first base. From Cecil Cooper to Don Mattingly and Frank Thomas to Albert Pujols, first base has perennially been the premier power position of fantasy baseball.

Phillies - Cardinals Series Recap

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 10:42:30 -0500

The Phillies came into Friday night's game against the St. Louis Cardinals one game ahead of the second place New York Mets in the National League East standings. The Phillies currently stand two and a half games up on the now second place Florida Marlins, and three up on the now third place Mets after taking two of three from the Cardinals. The Marlins lost two games against the Colorado Rockies and the Mets were swept in Houston, extending their losing streak to four. Game 1 Cardinals 6 Phillies 3 In a surprising twist, Phillies' ace Cole Hamels struggled for the second start in a row, giving up five runs on eight hits in six innings. He gave up four runs in the third inning. Outfielder Skip Schumaker singled to start the third and Cesar Izturis walked ahead of Joe Mather, who hit his fifth homer. "Now that I think about it," Hamels said. "The big innings that I have given up (this year), the changeup has been up. I haven't really been able to locate it down in the zone." Hamels was barely outmatched by former Phillie Kyle Lohse, who went five innings and gave up three runs. Lohse failed to get an out in the sixth inning, and has gone seven innings only eight times this season in 24 starts. Coming into Friday, the Cardinals as a team have 25 blown saves this season and current beleaguered closer Jason Isringhausen has eight blown saves of his own and has already lost his job once this season. Nevertheless, he got the final four outs to close out the game for St. Louis on Friday, including two walks and two strikeouts. Game 2 Phillies 2 Cardinals 1 Friday's loss ended a five game Phillies' winning streak and the next day the Fightins did exactly what good teams do: they started a new winning streak. They rebounded nicely for Joe Blanton's first win as a Phillie, giving up just one run on four hits in seven innings. Blanton struck out five, all on called third strikes. Ryan Howard and Greg Dobbs provided Blanton with all the offense necessary on two solo home runs. Blanton took care of the rest, giving up a solo home run to Ryan Ludwick, his third home run in two games. "He kept us off balance, moved the ball around the strike zone and just off the strike zone," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "He did a good job of mixing things up." Blanton's opponent, former Mets' reliever Braden Looper, is 2-6 with a 5.53 ERA lifetime against the Phillies. Two of those loses have come this season. Game 3 Phillies 5 Cardinals 4 Phillies' closer Brad Lidge got his 28th save in 28 chances Sunday, but came very close to blowing his first save of the season. With the Phillies leading 5-3 coming into the ninth inning, Troy Glaus led off the inning with a solo home run, just the second home run given up by Lidge this season. The Cardinals then proceeded to load the bases with two outs and the situation was looking dire indeed. Then Lidge reminded us all why he is the best reliever in the National League. Instead of getting overwhelmed and cracking under the pressure, Lidge came back and struck out the next two batters to close out the game. Despite not getting the win, Brett Myers put together his second quality outing in as many chances. It appears that his three week stint in AAA helped him workout his demons and get him back on track. Myers allowed just two runs over six innings and continues to build the confidence he needs to lead the Phillies down the stretch. Down 3-1, the Phillies put together a four run eighth inning capped off by Shane Victorino's three run home run to put them ahead for good. "You kind of have an idea of what he has by watching video, and I was just trying to hit a ball I could drive," Victorino said. "It was a fastball. That's what I think it was." Pat Burrell continues to be the most consistent and timely hitter on the Phillies, getting a two-out RBI single off Cardinals' reliever Russ Springer immediately preceding Victorino. Coming into Sunday, the trio of Howard (31), Chase Utley and Burrell (27) combined for more homers than eight of the 30 major league teams. The Phillies are off Monday and look to extend their current two-game winning streak Tuesday in Philadelphia against the Marlins.

LeBron James: "We Have to Be a No Excuse Team"

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 08:28:52 -0500

The first episode of "Road to Redemption" detailed Team USA's history in FIBA competition since NBA players began participating in 1992: Team USA won Olympic gold medals in 1992, 1996 and 2000 plus a FIBA World Championship in 1994 (Team USA won a bronze medal in the FIBA World Championship in 1998 when college and CBA players replaced NBA players due to the NBA lockout). Since 2000, though, Team USA has experienced a series of failures: a sixth place finish in the 2002 FIBA World Championship, a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics and a bronze medal in the 2006 FIBA World Championship. The current squad--assembled by Managing Director Jerry Colangelo and coached by Mike Krzyzewski--consists of players who made a three year commitment to turn the program around. The initial result--a 10-0 sweep to the gold medal in the FIBA Americas tournament in 2007--was good but that was just a warmup to the main event: the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Two key additions to the team are Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd, the new starting backcourt. Kidd has an undefeated record in FIBA play, including winning a gold medal in the 2000 Olympics, while Bryant--who called himself the "Doberman" after shutting down Lithuanian guard Sarunas Jasikevicius, a longtime Team USA nemesis--has become the team's defensive stopper, something that no one on recent Team USA rosters was willing and/or able to do. Parts two and three of "Road to Redemption" look at Team USA's bonding process on and off the court during the month leading up to the Olympics. Kidd went on a golf outing with young point guards Chris Paul and Deron Williams. As they rode in golf carts, Kidd told them, "Whatever I can do to pass on from who I've learned from--Stockton, Magic and Gary (Payton)--that is my duty, to share with you guys. You guys are too talented and I want you guys to be successful." The three point guards joked around as they staged an impromptu closest to the pin contest, with the losers having to do 25 pushups. "Or we can do your age--we can do 50," quipped Williams to Kidd. Kidd, playing in flip flops, put two balls on the green, but Williams landed the closest shot to the pin, so Kidd and Paul had to do the pushups. "J, we'll give you five off--you get a senior discount," Williams said. "I think golf is 10 times harder than basketball--50 times," Williams added afterwards. "I just showed that if you don't practice you will be trash," Paul added with a rueful laugh. Coach Krzyzewski gave each player a notebook that has a picture of the gold medal on the first page. During one practice he gathered all of the players around to watch a video of Marvin Gaye's classic rendition of the national anthem prior to the 1983 NBA All-Star Game, telling the team, "That is going to be our song." "I believe in visualization," Coach Krzyzewski explained later. "Let's put a vision in your mind about being on that gold medal stand and hearing our song." Also, the entire team took a cruise to see the Statue of Liberty. "What we're trying to do is develop a spirit where we're not just saying something, we're showing them something," said Krzyzewski. "And then allowing them to feel something." I agree with Coach Krzyzewski about the importance of visualization and the power of symbols to motivate and inspire people. "This is the first thing a lot of people saw when they came to this country," said Bryant of the Statue of Liberty. "This is where a lot of dreams started for a lot of different people and families. You have a dream in America where you can literally go from the bottom to the top. This is our dream here now, to bring a gold medal back to this country." During one of Team USA's meetings, LeBron James delivered perhaps the clearest and strongest message about what this team's mentality has to be. Echoing a theme that is very familiar to anyone who follows James' Cleveland Cavaliers, he said, "When we go across these waters and we go play, we got to be a 'no excuse' team. What I mean is, it's going to be us against the world and we got to look at it that way. We can't blame the refs, we can't blame the crowd, we can't blame anything else on anybody. We are in a position right now where we control our own destiny. I know I'm guilty of this sometimes: I sit at home and say, 'If I had Dwight Howard on my team or if I had Carlos Boozer on my team or if I had Chris Paul as my point guard I would win an NBA championship.' So what's my excuse now? I got all y'all on this team, so what's my excuse now? Do we all have an excuse? We don't. This is everything that we always dreamed of, of having that guy next to you and winning something. I'm excited and I know you guys are. This is what I've always wanted, playing alongside Carmelo Anthony, playing alongside Jason, playing with Kobe. I don't have no excuse now--none of us." Bryant added, "To me, defense and rebounding wins every time, no matter where you play--you play here, you play on Mars, you play anywhere you want: if you can shut somebody down and rebound the basketball then you're going to win no matter who you are playing against. That's the standard we have to set." MORE NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK Biz of Baseball Organizational Report - Houston Astros - The Biz of Baseball Sunday MLB on TBS: Comments from Angels/Yankees Game - The Biz of Baseball Minor Leaguers Being Suspended for PEDs at Record Clip - The Biz of Baseball Mannymania: Dodgers Break Record for Most Tix in 24 Hrs - The Biz of Baseball Report: Harold Reynolds, Hazel Mae Headed to MLB Net - The Biz of Baseball Dodger Stadium to Host Semis and Finals of WBC - The Biz of Baseball Canucks Raise Prices, Retain Season Ticket Holders - The Biz of Hockey Chicago's Wrigley Field to Host Next Outdoor Classic on New Years Day - The Biz of Hockey Jaromir Jagr First Major NHL Player to Crossover to Continental Hockey League - The Biz of Hockey Daivd Friedman is a weekly contributor to the Business of Sports Network. To read more of his basketball articles, just take a 20 Second Timeout. His general sports commentary can be found at Best Ever Sports Talk, where "Art Monk Highlights 2008 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class," "Number One Stunner: Federer's Record Reign May be Over," "Gossage is Finally a HoFer but the Hall Still Refuses to Properly Honor Buck O'Neil" and "WePlay.com: A Youth Sports Community for Coaches, Parents, Kids and Teams" are among the subjects that have been recently discussed.

Inside The Box August 4th Edition

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 07:29:45 -0500

Today's look at the boxscores brings us a modern-day record that won't be beat, a third baseman who defines average, a defensively-challenged left fielder (not Manny) whose defense negates his bat, a future stud closer who picked up his first save, a starting catcher with a .300 batting average who is probably available on your waiver wire and lots more.

Biz of Baseball Organizational Report - Houston Astros

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 23:25:46 -0500

The following is a continuation of our Organizational Reports (index.php?option=com_content task=blogcategory id=59 Itemid=124), filed by Devon Teeple and Maury Brown. As with the prior reports for the Los Angeles Dodgers (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=2297 Itemid=124), San Diego Padres (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=2257 Itemid=124), the Toronto Blue Jays (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=2070 Itemid=124), and the Pittsburgh Pirates (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=2158 Itemid=124), this report delves into the Houston Astros historically, financially, and from a facility perspective. -- Maury Brown The Astrodome, Enron Field and now Minute Maid Park. Wherever the Houston Astros seem the play, it is always involving some historical point. The Astrodome billed as the eight-wonder of the world, by the Astros original owner Judge Roy Hofheinz, the Astrodome was the first professional baseball stadium to have a roof over the playing field. It also had “Skyboxes” which we are so used of in today’s game and a two million dollar scoreboard. The ceiling was covered with these cream-colored panels, but the ball was too difficult to see, so the tiles were painted and thus, the grass died. The Astros to the rescue, this led to an artificial grass being installed in the stadium known as Astroturf. The first game was played in 1966. Fast-forward to 1996. The Houston Oilers are going to leave town and it’s time for the “Stros” to join the revolution and get a new stadium equally known for its name as well as its style. On May 20 1996 (http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/index.htm), it was recommended that Houston and HarrisCounty spend approximately $625 million to build a new baseball arena downtown and to redo the Astrodome for football and rodeo. According to Astros owner Drayton McLane Jr. he said a new stadium would bring the team closer to the downtown community and it would bring business owners, bar owners, and restaurants and hotels in excess of $60,000,000 in revenue, which included the following teams, baseball, football and basketball. On November 5, 1996, Harris County voters approved the construction of a ballpark in downtown Houston. The park would cost, upon review $265,000,000, with a retractable roof, natural grass, and encompassed nearly 25 acres of downtown Houston, near the old Union Station. To make itself more accessible to fans, the streets surrounding the stadium are; Texas, Congress, Crawford, and US Highway 59. It would take nearly three years of construction before the stadium was completed. On April 7, 1999 (http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/index.htm), the Houston based American energy company Enron (http://www.enron.com/) agreed to pay more than $100,000,000 over the next 30 years to have the stadium named Enron Field. Unfortunately, at the end of 2001 it was revealed that it’s reported financial condition was sustained substantially by institutionalized, systematic, creatively planned accounting fraud, and became the largest corporation in history to declare bankruptcy.The Minute Maid Family of brands is produced and sold by The Coca-Cola Company (http://www.minutemaid.com/about_us.jsp) – The world’s leading marketer of premium fruit juices and drinks. Thanks to this Coca-Cola connection, there is access to an extraordinary system for production, distribution, research, product development and marketing. To breakdown the Astros and their rise to prominence, it should begin with Houston Astros owner, Robert Drayton McLane Jr. In 2008, McLane will begin his 16th season Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. McLane’s philosophy has remained consistent throughout his tenure; provide the city with a winning team and having a strong and positive influence in the community. Since the purchase of the team in 1993, the Astros rank second in the National League and fifth in the Majors in winning percentage (.534) over 15 seasons from 1993-2007. Since 1998, the Astros have attained an astonishing amount of success, which can compete with the run of the Yankees and the Braves. Since 1998, they have made the post-season in six of those, with Wild Card berths in 2004, and 2005, along with Division Titles in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2001. Along with all those accolades McLane’s highlight, was 2001 as the Astros were the Organization of the Year by four separate media outlets; TOPPS, SportsTicker, Baseball America and Baseball Weekly. When Minute Maid Park opened in 2000, the city of Houston did not realize the resurgence that this would have on the team and the city. For the fourth time since its inception in 2000, Minute Maid Park reached the three million fan mark in 2007, making it the second consecutive year in a row, and third time in the last four years. Drayton McLane With McLane being the headstone of this franchise, success has not only been on the playing field but in the boardroom as well. In his 15-year tenure (http://houston.astros.mlb.com/hou/team/exec_bios/mclane_drayton.html) he has served on several MLB committees, including the Executive Committee, Finance Committee, Legislative Affairs, Ownership and Realignment committees, and the MLB Advanced Media committee. Throughout all of this, McLane’s goal was to be a contributing factor in the community. McLane’s first course of action was the Astros in Action Foundation (http://houston.astros.mlb.com/hou/community/foundation_mission.jsp). Its mission statement is as follows; “Through the strength of the National Pastime, we will enhance the quality of life in our community through educational, health, and spiritual endeavors. We support the efforts of non-profit organizations or programs related to: Literacy, Education/ Scholarships, Health Issues, Faith Based Organizations, and Reviving Baseball in the Inner City”. This foundation was introduced publicly on September 16, 2000 at the Jim Rome World Tour Stop #22 at MinuteMaid Park. Over the past few years the organization has raised and donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to causes such as, Tropical Storm Allison and the 9/11 attacks, helping the Enron Employee Transition Fund, and endowing the Houston Astros Adolescent Patient Waiting Area at M.D. Anderson Cancer Hospital. Needless to say, his community outreach does not end there, find below a list of more of the boards and committee’s that Robert Drayton McLane Jr. is a part of; Actively involved with the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research, Greater Houston Partnership, and the United Way. Serves as Chairman of the Board of Scott White Hospital immediate past chairman of Baylor UniversityOn the board of directors of The Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A M UniversityProvides leadership as an officer of the executive committee of the National Boy Scouts of America. The Impact of Tal Smith Another key asset that the Houston Astros have in their deck is President of Baseball Operations, Tal Smith (read The Biz of Baseball interview with Tal Smith (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=40 Itemid=81)). Not only is Tal Smith one of the most revered baseball men in recent memory, according to Bill Conlin of the Philadelphia Daily news, he is “the King of the SABR-rattlers” (http://www.philly.com/dailynews/sports/20080207_Bill_Conlin__Tal_Smith_is_king_of_the_SABR-rattlers.html). Tal Smith has been involved in baseball and baseball numbers since his days at Duke and keeping major league fielding stats and all the minor league fielding stats for Sporting News. Smith moved his way up the baseball ranks achieving the role of Gernal Manager of the Houston Astros culminating in a National League Championship Series berth in 1980 against the eventual World Series Champion; Philadelphia Phillies. Unfortunately, in a move that shocked baseball world, John McMullen fired Smith as his general manager. Despite his success, Smith formed his own company as owner and operator of Tal Smith Enterprises (http://houston.astros.mlb.com/hou/team/exec_bios/smith_tal.html), “a firm which has provided consulting services to 26 of the 30 Major League clubs. The most recognized functions have been in the preparation and presentation of salary arbitration cases (where Tal's firm has handled over 900 filings and tried over 150 cases), operational reviews, the financial appraisal of franchises and testimony as an expert witness in sports-related litigation. Tal also served as the sole arbitrator in two disputes involving Major League Baseball where the Commissioner was recused”. Since returning to the club in 1994 as President, Smith has been an immense help to the Astros owner. Not only being a vital piece of the puzzle when it comes to the salary negotiations, Smith was heavily involved with the many stages of development of Minute Maid Park. The design and angles of stadium are unique and were designed with the assistance from Smith. If you look at Center Field, it has a hill Tal's Hill , a ten degree incline, which was a tribute to his creativity and contribution to the MinuteMaid Park project. Tal’s Hill was designed with the purpose of having a feel of the baseball stadiums from the past, an element was taken from Crosley Field and the flagpole which is in play, is a design from Yankee stadium before it was redone in the mid 70’s. He also had a role similar to that, with stadium development (http://houston.astros.mlb.com/hou/team/exec_bios/smith_tal.html) in the early 1960’s when he became assistant to the president of the Houston Sports Association, acting primarily as a liaison for HSA and its' president, Judge Roy Hofheinz, during the construction of the Astrodome, a project which changed the face of stadiums and the city of Houston forever. For a more in-depth and detailed view of Tal Smith and his accomplishments find a link to Maury Brown’s interview with Smith from May 16, 2005 here. (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=40 Itemid=81) The Addition of Ed Wade The last piece of the Houston Astros puzzle, which is their plan to lead the team to further success, is current General Manager, Ed Wade. Wade became the 11th General Manager is Astros history on September 20 2007. In Wade, the Astros hired an executive who has been involved in every aspect of the game; from media relations to scouting, to General Manager. His recent experience includes being a professional scout for the San Diego Padres and before that serving as General Manager of the Philadelphia Phillies from 1998-2005 after serving as the club’s Assistant General Manager. Based upon his 31 years of experience, Wade was selected over several candidates who are currently serving as Assistant GM’s, but the Astros wanted someone who had General Manager experience; Bob Watson, Jim Beattie, and Dan Evans, Wade, won out. As mentioned above, Wade has over 31 years of baseball experience, which began in 1997 as an intern in Phillies PR department. In 1981, Wade left Houston to become the public relations director for the Pittsburgh Pirates where he stayed for 5 years. In 1986, he returned to the Houston area where worked as an associate for Tal Smith Enterprises, and as discussed earlier, the firm provided consulting services to 26 of the MLB clubs. Forbes Valuations for the Astros Forbes Valuations for the Houston Astros Year Rank * Value ($ mil) One-Year Value Change (%) Op Income 2008 12th 463 5 20.4 2007 11th 442 6 18.4 2006 10th 416 17 30.2 2005 11th 357 12 9.6 2004 9th 320 10 -1.9 2003 11th 327 -3 -0.8 2002 11th 337 6 4.1 In terms of value, the Astros may be the model of consistency. Never flashy (the highest they have ranked since 2002 is 9th), the club has ranked no worst than 12th since moving into Enron/Minute Maid Park, and has pulled operating income (a measure of profit) in the tens of millions over the last three years (2008 - $20.4 million, 2007 - $18.4 million, 2006 - $30.2 million). Even with the club sitting 13 games out of first in the NL Central, Houston currently ranks 11th in league attendance at an average of 36,246. Yet again, attendance is a matter of consistency posting 10th in 2007 (37,288), 8th in 2006 (37,318), 10th in 2005 (34,530), 7th in 2004 (38,121), 12th in 2003 (30,299), and 14th in 2002 (31,078). Conclusions The Astros never seem to rock to the boat. Drayton McLane and Tal Smith keep a tight ship in terms of the percentage of player payroll to revenues, have fielded teams that have been competitive in recent years winning the Division in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, Wild Card in 2004, and the National League Championship in 2005. That has kept fans interested in coming our year after year, if not at stupendous levels, at least at levels that keep the engine humming. Minute Maid Park, with its quirky additions (Tal’s Hill, flagpole in play, and train), is a consistent draw. The Astros draw as should be expected for the market, which coupled with the moderate payroll, keeps the club competitive, and for ownership, profitable. The jury is still out on Ed Wade. His most notable moment this season seems to the altercation with Shawn Chacon – a moment that seems to be historical in nature (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=2326 Itemid=42). With the team sitting in 4th, there are good chances that the “winning ways” may be in the rear view mirror for a bit in Houston leaving one to wonder what next year might hold.Devon Teeple is a staff member of the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/). He can be contacted through the Author Profiles (http://businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content view=article id=47 Itemid=18) page.Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/), which includes The Biz of Baseball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/), The Biz of Football (http://www.bizoffootball.com/), The Biz of Basketball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/) and The Biz of Hockey (http://bizofhockey.com/). He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus (http://baseballprospectus.com/news/?author=124), and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content view=article id=47 Itemid=18) He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_contact view=contact id=2 Itemid=29).