He has spread rumors and headlines all across America. But if all
that clamor about Curt Schilling sounds familiar, it's because we've heard
these same rumors and read these same headlines for four straight summers
now.
So it's time to end the annual flurry of Curt Schilling trade bulletins.
This is one starting pitcher who isn't going anywhere -- for now, anyway.
Yes, Schilling met with Phillies general manager Ed Wade this week.
Yes, he said that if the Phillies could find a contender who wanted to trade
for him, he would waive his no-trade clause. Yes, he gave Wade a list of
teams he would go to: Yankees, Mets, Diamondbacks, Cardinals, Indians and
Braves.
And no, he won't be wearing any of those uniforms any time soon.
"What I told Curt was that we don't want to move him," Wade said.
"We want him to be here. I'm not saying that if something doesn't develop
down the road, we might not listen. But people know we've already got one
top-of-the-rotation starter (Andy Ashby) available. We don't need to make
two available."
Ashby comes off the disabled list Wednesday to start against
Milwaukee. And a horde of scouts are expected to be at the game. He's a free agent in four
months, and the Phillies are aggressively trying to cut their losses.
But Schilling is a far different animal. The first inning he pitched this
season triggered his $6.5-million option for 2001. So the Phillies see no
reason to deal him now, and they see this right.
A year from now, they hope to be a contender, and Schilling may want to
stay. A year from now, Schilling should be healthier, and his value -- either
to the Phillies or another club -- should be much greater than it is now. So
why would they put him on the market today?
"It's just a predictable product of him being in New York again,
with two teams that appear to be looking for top-of-the-rotation starters
and him feeling like maybe he'd like to be a part of that," Wade said. "But
I'm not actively shopping him. And I'm not actively entertaining offers.
I've got enough to worry about with the Ashby thing."
It's understandable why Schilling would want to leave, of course. He
has spent exactly one winning season with the Phillies. He's 33. And he
feels his clock ticking. It's also true that nothing is impossible if the
Phillies get an offer that overwhelms them. But of all the names who have
been reported to be on the market, he might be the least available.
So cool that rumor mill. Cancel those headlines. This is one big
name who's staying where he is.
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List of the week
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Once again this year, Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones are chasing one
of baseball's most exotic records -- most home runs by two teammates with the
same last name. They missed by one last year. Here, courtesy of SABR's David
Vincent, are the all-time leaders in that tremendous category:
72: Brooks Robinson (23), Frank Robinson (49); Baltimore (AL), 1966
71: Chipper Jones (45), Andruw Jones (26); Atlanta (NL), 1999
65: Chipper Jones (34), Andruw Jones (31); Atlanta (NL), 1998
60: Edgar Martinez (29), Tino Martinez (31); Seattle (AL), 1995
55: Brooks Robinson (23), Frank Robinson (32); Baltimore (AL), 1969
54: Tony Conigliaro (36), Billy Conigliaro (18); Boston (AL), 1970
53: Hank Aaron (45), Tommie Aaron (8); Milwaukee (NL), 1962
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The amount of misinformation flying around Juan
Gonzalez and the Yankees has been staggering. But that aside, maybe the most
fascinating aspect of the whole situation is that even as the Yankees
continued to pursue Gonzalez and talk contract with him, they were still hot
on the trail of Sammy Sosa. When the dust settles, it seems at least as
likely that it will settle with Sosa wearing pinstripes than with Gonzalez
wearing pinstripes.
If the Yankees can make a deal on Sosa or Gonzalez
without giving up more than Ricky Ledee and two minor leaguers, they would
then turn their attention to trading Alfonso Soriano for a starting pitcher.
Latest object of their affection: Pittsburgh's Francisco Cordova, who has
also been pursued by Toronto.
The Mets are out looking for shortstops. Among the
names out there: Rich Aurilia (who could also surface in Boston as a
third-base option), Pat Meares, Mike Bordick and Tim Bogar.
One problem the Mets have in trying to pursue a
shortstop, another starting pitcher and possibly more offense is their lack
of available prospects. They've traded away a boatload of them the last two
years. And they're reluctant to deal their best pitching prospect (Grant
Roberts) and best position-player prospect (Alex Escobar). "In any big deal
with them, you'd have to get someone like Escobar or Pat Strange," said one
NL front-office man. "But they're saying they're not available. I still
think that could change, because this is a team that was built to go for it
this year."
The Red Sox could face the same obstacle. They have
pitching prospects and first baseman Dernell Stenson. But one scout says:
"There's not one prospect in their whole system who really excites me,
except for (Class A pitching prospect) Brad Baker. And he's in Augusta."
Despite all the rumors about the Astros trading
Moises Alou and Jose Lima any minute, they're actually waiting a couple of
weeks to decide on whom to trade -- and for what? Owner Drayton McLane seems
fixated on trying to sign Jeff Bagwell to an extension in the next few
weeks. And the success of that effort could determine where Houston goes
from here. But it's hard to imagine the Astros not retooling in some ways
after a disastrous season.
Rumors persist that the Blue Jays might be willing
to trade Alex Gonzalez in the right deal.
Diamondbacks players were grumbling about the
Rockies' quick decision to call the first game of their series last weekend
and reschedule it for Sept. 25. That means the Diamondbacks will have to
finish the season with 18 games in 17 days, including a 12-game, 11-day road
trip to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Denver. And Arizona players were
speculating that the Rockies knew that when they made their decision.
"I'm sure when they decide to (postpone) these games, they look at what we
have coming up and what they have coming up," Luis Gonzalez told the East
Valley Tribune's Ed Price. "We're the team everybody's gunning for.
Everybody's looking for every
advantage, but that's fine with us. We're a veteran team, and we're always
up for the challenge."
Finally, two words for that rumored strike by the
new umpires' union: No chance.
Useless information dept.
Injury of the week: The Red Sox placed Jeff Fassero
on the disabled list this week with a neck strain they said he got from
sleeping on a hotel pillow in Atlanta that was unusually bulky. Maybe he
took them too literally when they told him they were giving him an extra
day's rest between starts.
More proof that this isn't the sport Biff Pocoroba
used to know and love: The home-run rate this year has soared to one every
26.8 at-bats (through Friday). And there has never been a season in history
in which that rate was below 30. The next three most prodigious home-run
seasons ever: 1999 (one every 30.2), 1996 (31.6) and 1987 (32.3.). Sorry
about that, Biff.
And while we're talking offense, Sunday, Monday and
Tuesday marked the first time a team had scored at least 18 runs on three
straight days since the William Howard Taft administration (or 1911).
Anyone who thinks the White Sox are going to go away
should bear this in mind: Twelve teams in the '90s finished June at 20 games
over .500 or better. Throwing out the '94 strike season, only one missed the
playoffs. And that was the '93 Giants, who won 103 games and would have made
it under the current system.
Felix Jose -- a man who is living proof there is life
after the Mexican and Korean Leagues -- hit a home run Monday for the
Yankees. It was his first in the big leagues since Aug. 9, 1994. In between
his homers, Randy Johnson piled up 1,528 strikeouts, Greg Maddux won 99
games, eight new ballparks opened, Lou Gehrig lost his most famous record,
Mark McGwire hit 309 home runs and, according to the Sultan of Swat Stats,
SABR's David Vincent, hitters named either Felix or Jose hit 464 home runs.
The score last Sunday in Kansas City was Oakland 21,
Kansas City 3. But don't call Ken Stabler or Len Dawson for reaction. The
Raiders and Chiefs have played 79 times in the regular season -- and never
played a 21-3 game.
We've got all sets of teammates heading for 40 home
runs -- a development that used to be unheard of. David Vincent reports that
from 1900 through 1995, only 13 sets of teammates hit 40 in the same season
-- and three of them were Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. There have been nine sets
to do it just in the last four seasons.
Then there's Edgar Martinez. At 37 years, five
months of age, he's steaming toward not just his first 30-homer season but
possibly his first 40-homer season. If he gets to 40, he'll be the oldest
player ever to hit 40 for the first time. Previous record-holder: Hank Sauer
in 1954 (37 years, 192 days). And he'll rank somewhere in the top four among
oldest men to hit 30 for the first time, among a group in which the current
leaders are Rico Carty in '78 (39 years, 29 days), Carlton Fisk (37 years,
273 days) and Chili Davis (37 years, 243 days). Wow.
Phillies rookie Pat Burrell just hit two home runs
in two days off the fearsome Armando Benitez. Only one other active player
has two homers off Benitez in his career. That's Ed Sprague, who has done it
in 12 plate appearances (versus Burrell's two). Burrell now has as many
career home runs off Benitez as Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Junior Griffey
combined.
The Cubs and Expos played one of the weirdest 1-0
games of the year last weekend. The only run was driven in by a pitcher who
didn't get the win (Ismael Valdes). How hard is that? There were no 1-0
games in the '90s in which a pitcher who didn't get the win drove in the
lone run of the day, according to Stats Inc.'s David Pinto.
The 20-triple watch is on again, now that Cristian
Guzman is up to 12 already. Pinto reports that when Guzman got to 11 triples
last weekend, he was the fastest to reach that plateau since Lance Johnson
got there on June 16, 1996. But Guzman then hit his 12th Wednesday, while
Johnson didn't collect his 12th triple until July 1. In the last 20 years,
only Johnson in '96 and Willie Wilson in '85 have joined the 20-triple club.
After three innings of facing Pedro Martinez on
Tuesday, the Yankees were 15 for their last 121 against Pedro, with 57
strikeouts. They then hit three home runs in the next six innings to beat
him.
Astute reader Bradley Brock checked in to dispute
last week's note that the only two unrelated teammates with the same name
since 1900 were Bob Miller and Bob Miller, of the '62 Mets. Brock points out
that the '49 Reds had both Dixie Howells -- except that one was really named
Homer and the other was really named Millard. Meanwhile, Mets p.r. whiz Jay
Horwitz was stunned to learned that there had been just two previous Bobby
Joneses before the Mets' two transaction twins. They were Bobby Jones, the
outfielder for the Rangers and Angels in the '70s and '80s, and Robert
(Ducky) Jones, a third baseman for the 1917-25 Tigers. And that's all on the
Bobby Jones front -- until next week.
Phillies shortstop Desi Relaford has achieved the
strangest defensive daily double of the year. He was the last regular
shortstop in baseball to commit an error. He now has the most errors of any
shortstop in baseball (19). Hard to do.
Royals reliever Dan Murray pitched 2 2/3 innings in
last weekend's series against the A's -- and gave up six home runs.
Amazing but true: On Tuesday, Padres rookie Brian
Tollberg became the sixth pitcher since 1990 to pitch at least seven innings
in his major-league debut and give up just one hit. The others: Anthony
Telford (1990, Orioles), Roberto Hernandez (1991, White Sox), Sam Militello
(1992, Yankees), Amaury Telemaco (1996, Cubs) and Steve Woodard (1997,
Brewers).
Look out, Russell Branyan. Howe Sportsdata reports
that in the Midwest League, Clinton first baseman Samone Peters just
finished a stretch in which he went 1 for 32 with 22 strikeouts, hiking his
season totals to a scary 107 whiffs in 245 at-bats.
The Indians became the latest team to wave good bye
to Jamie Navarro this week. But at least they went 1-1 in games he started.
His two previous teams -- the Brewers and White Sox -- went a combined 37-55.
Finally, Matt Stairs might want to take this
personally. In the eight games this season he hasn't started, the A's have
scored 83 runs.
Jayson Stark is a senior writer at ESPN.com. Rumblings and Grumblings will appear each Saturday. | |
ALSO SEE
Jayson Stark archive
Report: Schilling, Phillies to discuss possible trade
Stark: Week in Review
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