Will Griffey return to Seattle? May 13, 2008
Posted by misterbaseball in Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners.add a comment
According to XM’s "Baseball This Morning" it appears that Ken Griffey Jr. might be headed back to where his career started. Griffey has publicly come out and said, "he owes it to the Seattle fans to retire as a Mariner". Seattle could definitely use another power bat to fill the DH role. Current DH Jose Vidro is only batting .193 with 2 home runs and 18 RBI’s thus far in 2008. Griffey would definitely be an upgrade over the light hitting Vidro. Vidro is a fine hitter for a second baseman but he leaves a lot to be desired as a DH. It is rumored that Seattle scouts have been to several Reds games here of late, meaning that a trade might be imminent. The Reds are anxious to promote, 2007 Minor League Player of the Year, Jay Bruce to the big club. Bruce is more suited to play one of the corner outfield spots, a spot occupied by Dunn and Griffey. So with the Mariners slow start and lack of offensive fire power a trade could help both clubs. Even though the Mariners could use Griffey’s services, it would be a curious move considering his salary and age. If a trade happens it might be viewed as more of an emotional move than strictly a baseball move. But if the Mariners feel like 2008 is their best shot of winning then maybe it’s worth the gamble.
Big League Chatter Salutes Raul Ibanez May 10, 2008
Posted by misterbaseball in Seattle Mariners.add a comment
Here at Big League Chatter we have noticed a trend in how the game of baseball is covered. If one doesn’t have the MLB package on satellite or cable we never see teams like Seattle, Pittsburgh, or Washington highlighted on a nationally broad-casted game. We get to watch the Yankees, Red Sox, and the Yankees, Red Sox. The Yankees and Red Sox are fine teams but for those who don’t live on the East Coast it can get a little old after the tenth meeting. There are several players in the Major Leagues who consistently put up great numbers but fly under the radar of national media coverage. Occasionally we plan on featuring those players who have made a huge impact for their team. Today we salute Raul Ibanez.
Ibanez was born June 2, 1972 in New York, New York. He attended Miami-Dade Community College where he was an all conference selection. Raul was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in round 36 of the free agent draft. Ibanez was called up in 1996 and 1997 for a cup of coffee with the Mariners. 1998 through 2000 Raul went back and forth between Seattle and Tacoma never getting more than 100 at bats
in a single season. In 2001 he was signed as a free agent by the Kansas City Royals. Ibanez’s breakout season came in 2001, for the Royals, where he batted .280 with 13 homers and 54 RBI’s in 279 at bats. After 2001 his career really started taking off. He spent three seasons in Kansas City before resigning with the Mariners in 2004. Ibanez is not a superstar but he is consistent. He has maintained a batting average of .280 or better for each of the past eight seasons. Raul has hit 16 or more home runs in each of the last six seasons with a high of 33 in 2006. He also received 21 MVP votes for his 2006 campaign. Raul has belted 164 career home runs, with 707 RBI’s, and is a lifetime .285 hitter. Although Ibanez has put up good numbers throughout his major league career he has never made an All-Star team. Even though he doesn’t get the respect he deserves from the national media, people in Seattle know what kind of player he is and what he means to their team. Ibanez is truly one of the most underrated players in the Major Leagues and that’s why we salute Raul Ibanez.
Wild Wild West April 19, 2008
Posted by misterbaseball in LA Angels of Anaheim, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers.add a comment
The American League West only has four teams in its division, yet
it continues to have fierce competition among those teams each season.
The Angels have been the most successful team in recent years winning
the American League West in 2004, 2005 and 2007. But don’t rule out
the Mariners, A’s and
Rangers.
have a talented lineup and are now the 6th most valuable franchise in
baseball this last season. They possess a great closer in K-Rod, and legitimate number one starting pitcher in John Lackey and
tons of talent
in their lineup. With the addition of Gary Matthews and Tori Hunter
the past two off-seasons the Angels have a solid outfield defensive
team. Look for them to be in the playoff race and the favorites to win
the West.
valuable franchise, have had a lot of talented players leave their team
over recent years. A lot of it has been financial
reasons. Yet, they
continue to put a competitive club on the field each season. The loss
of Danny Haren will be huge this season, but it doesn’t mean this team
won’t be able to win. They won the division in 2006 and hope to
challenge the Angels this season.
you mention the Seattle Mariners one player should come to
mind….Ichiro. The Japanese import has been in the states since the
2001
season and has never had fewer than 206 hits in a season. More
exciting news in Seattle is their starting pitching. This off-season
they acquired Erik Bedard from the Baltimore Orioles. He will join
Felix Hernandez as a tough 1-2 combination for the future. The
Mariners are primed to have a solid season and be in the mix to win the
west.
The Texas Rangers have had some down
years recently and are trying to turn things around. They are still a
long way from competing for the American 
League West crown though. The
have a potentially explosive offense with SS Michael Young, 2B Ian
Kinsler, 3B Hank Blalock and Outfielders Josh Hamilton and Milton
Bradley. Most importantly though, this team needs to have some
pitchers step up and start winning ballgames for this team. If they
don’t it will be their fourth straight losing season.
The Future of the Cubbies-Part 2 of 4 Top Ten Buyer Candidates March 2, 2008
Posted by misterbaseball in Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners.2 comments
If Sam Zell follows through on this commitment to sell the Cubs, which is a 99% possibility at this point, how does that decision impact the Cubs, and their ability to win a World Series Championship?
There are many factors that go into who will acquire the Cubs. Primarily, it will come down to approval of three-fourths of MLB owners, and a sign off by Bud Selig. Except for the sale of his own Milwaukee Brewers in 2005, I doubt Selig has ever been more interested in a franchise sale. He quickly points out that it was in Wrigley Field in 1944 “I saw my first major league game, so I’ve been going there for 63 years.” Selig has also been quoted saying a local owner is preferred and that he will pay very strict attention to the sale. (Hal Brody, USA Today, 2007).
So here they are, Big League Chatter’s:
Top Ten Potential Buyers of the Chicago Cubs
Peter Angelos: Trial lawyer (http://www.angeloslaw.com) and the current owner of the Baltimore
Orioles. He led a group of investors that purchased the team in 1993 for $173 million from Eli Jacobs. Reported as recently engaged in prolonged discussions with Cal Ripken, Jr. about selling the Orioles to the former shortstop and other financial backers.
Notes: 15 years of MLB ownership experience, but going into the 2008 season, the Orioles have had ten consecutive sub-.500 seasons.
Bill Murray: Award winning actor. Gained national exposure on
Saturday Night Live, following that with roles in films such as Stripes, Groundhog Day, Space Jam, Caddyshack, Ghostbusters and Rushmore. Known as being the Cubs #1 fan.
Notes: Murray doesn’t appear to be a serious buyer for the Cubs. He has reportedly shrugged off the prospect of becoming a part owner of the team. Tribune Co. announced plans in April 2007 to sell the Cubs, and Murray said he has been approached about becoming part of a group that would make a bid. "I heard from a couple of people," he said, "but I’m not that organized." (USA Today, 2007).
Jerry Colangelo: Former majority owner of the Phoenix Suns of the NBA, the Phoenix Mercury
of the WNBA, the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Colangelo has been named the NBA’s Executive of the Year four times (1976, 1981, 1989, 1993).
Notes: Colangelo brought the Diamondbacks into existence and from 1998-2004, amassed a record of 575-559, with three first place finishes in the National League, and one World Series title against the Yankees in 2001.
Jeff Smulyan: Founder and Chairman of the Board of Emmis Communications Corporation, an
Indianapolis-based radio, TV and magazine publishing company with operations in 10 U.S. markets, as well as Hungary, Belgium, Bulgaria (Emmis.com, 2007). As principal shareholder, he led a group that purchased the Seattle Mariners baseball team in 1989, selling the club three years later. During that time, Smulyan served on the Major League Baseball owner’s Ownership and Television committees. (Wikipedia, 2007).
Notes: Under Smulyan ownership, Mariners were 233-253. Should fit Selig’s “local” criteria.
Andy McKenna: Chairman of McDonald’s Corporation. Mr. McKenna is also the Chairman of
Schwarz Supply Source. He is a director of Aon Corporation, Chicago Bears Football Club, Inc., McDonald’s Corporation and Skyline Corporation. He acted as Chairman of the Chicago White Sox during his group’s ownership of that organization from 1975-1981. He also served as Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Cubs, upon purchase of that entity by Tribune Company, from August 1981 through December of 1984. He also owns a portion of the Bears.
Notes: Former Cubs Chairman is "mentioned as capable of putting together an investor group," (Tribune 2007).
Ricketts Family: Joe Ricketts, was the founder and chairman of TD Ameritrade, the largest
online discount brokerage in the world, based in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2007, Ricketts and his family ranked #161, according to Forbes Magazine, of the 400 wealthiest americans, with a net worth of $2.6 billion. Though he grew up in Omaha, Tom Ricketts received a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from the University of Chicago and worked as a pit trader at the Chicago Board Options Exchange before forming Incapital with several partners. Tom’s younger sister Laura, who started a Web firm called Ecotravel.com, also lives in Chicago, as does younger brother Todd, who has worked in the financial-services industry. Pete Ricketts told a reporter during his Senate campaign that at one time he lived across the street from Wrigley Field and is a longtime Cubs fan (Wikipedia, 2007).
Notes: The Ricketts have apparently kept a low profile up to this point. It appears they recognize Selig’s "local" criteria and are pressing to emphasize Tom Ricketts’ ties to Chicago and the family’s interest in being long-term owners of the Cubs.
Tom Begel: Chairman and Principal of TMB Industries, a private investment firm formed by him in
1989, specializing in the acquisition and operation of industrial and manufacturing companies. He is Chairman of DynAmerica LLC and Grand Craft, Inc., as well as a Director of NutraMax, Inc., Weber Manufacturing and Miller Products. Mr. Begel was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Transportation Technologies, and Chairman of Fuel Systems LLC and Phillips & Temro LLC. In addition, he was Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Pullman Company until its acquisition in 1988 and was Senior Vice President of the Engineered Products Group of the Signal Companies, Inc., and Senior Vice President of Wheelabrator-Frye, Inc. from 1981 to 1983. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri at Columbia (TMBIndustries.com, 2007).
Notes: Begel has been reported as assembling a group of 15 investors to purchase the Cubs, of which include William Marovitz, a restaurant owner, and Ernie Banks, who has contacted John Canning Jr. as well for a possible partnership.
Mark Cuban: Entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks NBA basketball team. With an
estimated net worth of $2.6 billion, he was ranked 161st on the 2007 Forbes 400 list of richest Americans. Cuban has quite the portfolio of companies such as HDNet, Landmark Theaters and others ventures.
Notes: Cuban’s Mavericks have been to the playoff’s every year since his purchase in 2000, taking a loss to the Miami Heat in the finals of 2005-2006 season. The team has racked up an amazing 446 wins, compared to only 187 losses during Cuban’s tenure. That’s a winning percentage well over .700. “My goal has always been to make the league better, better as a business and better as a product for the fans.” (Portfolio.com, 2007). Speculation is that Cuban would not get approval from the three-quarter vote of current MLB owners. “The commissioner wants no renegades who will break ranks on labor matters or break the bank on player salaries” (John Helyar, ESPN.com, 2007).
Don Levin: Founded D.R.L. Enterprises in 1969, according to his biography on the Wolves’ web
site. The Chicago-based company has holdings in industries including tobacco processing, aircraft and medical-equipment leasing.
Notes: Levin is ready to buy the Cubs, He’s a local guy, fits the bill as a pro sports owner, and has been successful in business and with the minor-league Chicago Wolves hockey team. "I have been in contact with the people at Tribune and with bankers," Levin said after returning from a business trip to Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii. "I’m putting together the necessary things to bid on the team." Levin’s Wolves have won three championships since their inception in 1994, and he remains a passionate Cubs fan (Chicagotribune.com, 2007).
John Canning Jr.: CEO of Madison Dearborn Partners, (MDP) LLC, which specializes in
management buyout and special equity investing. MDP manages over $10 billion of committed capital and portfolio investments. Prior to founding MDP in 1993, Mr. Canning spent 24 years with First Chicago Corporation, most recently as Executive Vice President of The First National Bank of Chicago and President of First Chicago Venture Capital. He currently serves on the Boards of Directors of The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Economic Club of Chicago, Jefferson Smurfit Group plc, Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and Children’s Inner City Educational Fund. He also serves on the Boards of Trustees of the Big Shoulders Fund, The Chicago Community Trust, Dublin City University Educational Trust, The Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, and Northwestern University (Wikipedia, 2007).
Notes: Local Chicago native should get approval from Selig and MLB owners. Considered the favorite by John Helyar at ESPN.com. Gregory Meyer of ChicagoBusiness.com also favors Canning stating “Mr. Canning’s appears to have the upper hand, partly because of his track record as a part-owner of the Milwaukee Brewers and his friendship with Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig.”
So there they are. The top ten potential buyers of Chicago’s beloved Cubbies. While it’s apparent that many fans are rooting for Mark Cuban to buy the Cubs, as are most of the analysts here at Big League Chatter, John Canning Jr. appears to have everything in place to solidify a deal on the Cubs.
Where’s Kenny Lofton Going? February 26, 2008
Posted by misterbaseball in Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers.add a comment
Kenny Lofton will turn 41 at the end of May this year and he has yet to sign with a team this off-season. The much traveled Lofton made his big league debut in 1991 with the Houston Astros. Since then, Lofton has played for the Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland again, Chicago Whitesox, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers and Cleveland one more time. Due to him changing teams so much the shipping company DHL did a commercial on him about always being on the move that aired constantly last year during the playoffs.
Kenny Lofton is a career .299 hitter and good at stealing bases. There are several teams that could use his services this season to make a push at the playoffs. The Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians and Seattle Mariners all seem like a good fit for the talented and aging Lofton. It could be that some of these teams are waiting to see what happens at the start of spring training. The Cubs Felix Pie will get the opportunity to play CF at Wrigley this year before they consider going after anyone. The Mariners were hoping Adam Jones would be in the mix for their outfield but then they shipped Jones to Baltimore in the Erik Bedard trade. San Diego has Edmonds in CF, but Lofton is very capable of playing LF too. Atlanta hasn’t settled on their outfield yet either, except for Francouer. If Josh Anderson performs well in March he may be starting in April for the Braves. Finally, Cleveland could use Lofton, but look for their younger players like Ben Francisco, Franklin Gutierrez and Shin-Soo Choo to get a shot first.
