A MAN WITH MONEY FOR THE METS
By Murray Chass
January 30, 2011
In seeking a buyer for a quarter of the Mets, the investment banker Steve Greenberg should not overlook a candidate already involved in the Mets’ predicament that Bernie Madoff has created for them. His name is Irving Picard.
It would only be fitting that the man whose lawsuit has sent Fred Wilpon scrambling for a minority partner should get the right of first refusal.
Picard, a New York attorney, is the trustee for the victims of Madoff’s massive Ponzi scheme, authorized to recover as much of the billions of which Madoff defrauded his victims.
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JOBA’S JOB CHANGES CHANGE HIM
By Murray Chass
January 27, 2011
In 1996 Mariano Rivera relieved in 26 of the 43 games John Wetteland saved for the Yankees. Rivera, however, was not simply an eighth-inning setup reliever for Wetteland. Only in 6 of those 26 games did Rivera pitch only one inning.
Twice Rivera pitched three innings. He pitched two innings 13 times. He pitched between two and three innings three times.
That season was clearly the beginning of the idea of shortening a game to six innings. The Yankees had thoughts of revisiting or recreating 1996 with Rivera playing Wetteland and Joba Chamberlain in the Rivera role. It will not happen.
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WHERE HAVE ALL THE GOOD ORIOLES GONE?
By Murray Chass
January 23, 2011
Once upon a time the Baltimore Orioles had the best organization in baseball. Honest, they did. This is not a fairy tale. Their system was so productive they had very good players – players who would become very good major leaguers – backed up in the minors waiting for their turn.
Try these names: Don Baylor, Doug DeCinces, Bobby Grich, Al Bumbry, Johnny Oates, Enos Cabell, Rich Dauer. If they existed in today’s Orioles world, they would be rushed to the majors ready or not.
The Orioles can only wish they had such players in their minor league system now. Instead they sign free agents and trade less talented minor leaguers for front-line players other teams find expendable.
Saddled with a 13-year losing streak, second among such streaks only to Pittsburgh’s 18 straight losing seasons, they are desperately trying to compete in baseball’s most unforgiving division.
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