The Red Sox and Yankees have been called the “best rivalry in sports,” but it hasn’t been that way in a long time. As a matter of fact, it’s gone from the “best rivalry” to the most “boring” or “corporate” rivalry in sports. That all changed late last night when John Henry, Larry Lucchino, and [...]

It came as no surprise that Andy Martino of the Daily News reported the Mets unhappiness with catcher Ronny Paulino. According to Martino, “the team did not view him as a diligent worker, adequate defensive catcher, or offensive force off the bench.” He also shared a story where Paulino annoyed Terry Collins with a near act of insubordination. [...]

This is a few years old, but I wanted to share with everyone our very own Frank Russo’s appearance on SNY with Bill Madden of the Daily News and Mets broadcaster Kevin Burkhardt. Gary Apple is the moderator. Two individuals of interest they talk about are former Yankees Billy Martin and Thurman Munson. You can [...]

We have been discussing the Veterans Committee “Golden Era” selections over the last few weeks. Gil Hodges and Allie Reynolds have been the two names discussed that are close to home here in New York. Jim Kaat, also on the ballot, is a name we haven’t delved deeply into, but that all changes now since he deserves a closer [...]

The Winter Meetings are a week away, so tonight we begin to “simmer” the Hot Stove with some talk about the local teams. First, I hope to have former big league pitcher Brooks Kieschnick joins me to discuss the transition from outfielder to pitcher. I will propose the DPH idea to him and see his [...]

I was listening to Joel Sherman last night on MLB Home Plate on Sirius XM. One of the topics discussed was the best game that Sherman has ever seen pitched, and he immediately brought up Pedro Martinez‘s 17-strikeout game versus the Yankees at the Stadium on September 10th, 1999. Martinez gave up a single run [...]

Some quick Saturday night updates –  There are several teams that could be looking at C.J. Wilson besides the Yankees, with the Red Sox being one of them and also Detroit and Philadelphia. – At least six clubs have contacted the Giants about Matt Cain besides the Yankees. – The Braves are really pushing the Yankees hard to make [...]

David Brown of Yahoo’s Big League Stew caught up with Pete Rose earlier this week. Rose gave Brown a lengthy and honest interview that is a must-read for any baseball fan. Today, instead of managing in the big leagues, Rose spends his days signing autographs and attending dinners with baseball fans through his web business at PeteRose.com. When [...]

Angel Pagan is one of the more difficult decisions the Mets have. On one hand, you have a player that has shown the potential to be a very well above average centerfielder on both sides of the ball. On the other hand, you have an oft-injured player that is prone to mental mistakes and has annoyed [...]

I received some interesting Thanksgiving news from down in Tampa. Apparently, the Yankees recently contacted the Giants and offered four players for Matt Cain. The package was a combination of at least one position player and several minor league pitchers. Some of the names that were bandied about were Jesus Montero, Nick Swisher, and different minor league talent that included names such [...]

I found this article by Greg Lucas of Fox Sports Houston via my good friends over at Baseball Think Factory. Want to get rid of the DH debate and create a hybrid solution? Check out this excerpt from Lucas’ piece: There IS a compromise rule available that would allow aging hitters to still get some [...]

Ken Rosenthal reported earlier this week that Theo Epstein is willing to trade Matt Garza. I think this is a rare opportunity the Mets have to make a deal to improve the roster for the short and long-term. It is believed Epstein is looking for a prospect package to help replenish the farm system. Garza had an outstanding [...]

When the movie Moneyball was released in September, the main gripe by the public was how Michael Lewis never addressed how that team was built on the foundation of great starting pitching. A couple of weeks ago I debated with Chris Plummer at the Perpetual Post who was the best member of the A’s during that [...]

I’m hearing Yu Darvish likely won’t be posted because of his ongoing divorce proceedings. Apparently, his soon to be ex-wife’s lawyer wants to make sure his MLB salary is counted towards her settlement, and has already filed two depositions delaying their court appearance. Obviously, Darvish and his agent don’t want to post until the divorce is [...]

I am a big proponent of the new MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement. There are goodies for the average player, expanded playoffs, and even roster flexibility for doubleheaders. Like with any deal there were tradeoffs, as teams are now going to have to draft and spend wiser on amateur talent. Just a day before the rumored [...]