TORONTO G.M.’S TRADES GET AA RATING
By Murray Chass
August 13, 2015
I have a friend who can’t pronounce or spell the name of the Toronto Blue Jays general manager, but he thinks Alex Anthopoulos is the greatest human being since Albert Schweitzer. Major League Baseball executive of the year? That would be a minor acknowledgement of what Anthopoulos has executed:
On July 28 he traded for shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and relief pitcher LaTroy Hawkins.
On July 30 he acquired starting pitcher David Price.
On July 31 he obtained left fielder Ben Revere and reliever Mark Lowe.
Before you start trying to figure out whom Schweitzer traded for, he was famous for …
Keep reading...
LET BIDDING BEGIN FOR FREE-AGENT EXECUTIVE
By Murray Chass
August 9, 2015
Mike Ilitch turned 86 years old on July 20. Before two weeks had passed, the owner of the Detroit Tigers was planning a major change, a surprising change, at the top of the team’s baseball operations. He was going to fire Dave Dombrowski, who for 14 years had run his baseball team, initially as president and CEO and then general manager, too.
When the Tigers announced Ilitch’s decision last Tuesday, they didn’t say why the 59-year-old Dombrowski was being fired. Ilitch, who seldom speaks or appears in public, was quoted in the news release, but he didn’t give a reason for his decision.
In a telephone interview Thursday Dombrowski said he didn’t know the reason for Ilitch’s decision. “He doesn’t owe me an explanation,” said Dombrowski, who sits atop the short list of baseball executives with class.
I don’t know Ilitch’s reason either, but I have a theory …
Keep reading...
TWEETING TRASH IN A RACE TO BE NO. 1
By Murray Chass
August 6, 2015
Earlier this week six baseball writers – active or once active – gathered for a farewell salute to one of the writers who is moving to Florida after a recent marriage. As we sat on the patio recalling old writers and old times, an idea struck me. I thought of three questions to ask everyone:
How many of us had ever tweeted?
How many had texted?
How many had taken selfies?
“How can I take selfies if I don’t have a cell phone?” the group’s eldest member asked.
“You have a cell phone,” someone said.
“But I don’t use it,” he retorted.
Neither had he …
Keep reading...
