Good question. Before we answer it, let me tell you why I care.

While flipping pages of Bill James’ Win Shares (yeah, I’m a geek; get over it), I got to wondering who the season leaders were in that statistic half a century ago. So I looked it up and found some familiar names at the top of the heap in 1958:

1. Willie Mays, OF, San Francisco: 40
2. Mickey Mantle, OF, New York (AL): 39
3. Rocky Colavito, OF, Cleveland: 32
4. Hank Aaron, OF, Milwaukee: 32
5. Ernie Banks, SS, Chicago (NL): 31

That’s four Hall-of-Famers and a guy who hit 374 big-league homers if you’re keeping score at home. Impressed? I was. So I checked to see who was at #6 that year. I’ll give you a hint: His name is in the title of this article, and I don’t know who the heck he is: Bob Cerv, OF, Kansas City: 29

I’m glad I found him, because he had a fascinating career. Over parts of 12 big-league seasons, Cerv hit .276/.340/.481 (122 OPS+). In today’s game, that’s sort of like, oh, Craig Wilson: better than you might think on first blush, but not spectacular.

However, in ‘58 Cerv went out and hit .305/.371/.592 for the A’s. He finished fourth in the American League in MVP voting, behind Colavito, Yankees right-hander Bob Turley, and winner Jackie Jensen (27 Win Shares that year if you’re curious). Cerv hit 38 home runs in ‘58, which is 15 more than he’d hit in his entire career to that point, and oh, by the way, did I mention that he was 32 years old?

I’m not saying stuff like that doesn’t happen — Cerv is proof that it does — but can you imagine if, say, Matt Diaz decided next year that he wanted to dominate big-league pitchers on a daily basis and then went out and did it? I don’t like those odds, and yet, there went Cerv, taking the American League by storm.

Cerv followed his monster season with another solid performance in what would prove to be the only other season in which he garnered as many as 500 plate appearances. Then he went back to kicking around as a part-time player for a few more years before retiring after the 1962 season. The mojo he had found in ‘58 disappeared without a trace, although there are unconfirmed reports that it may have re-emerged in the person of John VanderWal some decades later. The truth will never be known…

I don’t collect baseball cards per se, but I do buy a pack every now and then — usually as part of a trip somewhere. I’ve got most of the Lake Elsinore Storm team sets from the 21st century, a few Fort Wayne Wizards sets picked up on my drive back from the Hall of Fame in ‘07, and a slew of old big-league cards from a shop in Ashland, Oregon, on a recent trip there.

One of my favorite places to visit in the world is San Luis Obispo, a small but energetic town along the central California coast, north of Santa Barbara and south of Hearst Castle. My wife and I try to sneak a trip there once a year if possible. We rummage around local book and record stores, enjoy the Thursday Night farmer’s market, and take little day trips to surrounding areas — sleepy Cayucos, quaint Paso Robles, the James Dean Memorial.

On one such jaunt, back in the late-’90s, I found some baseball cards on sale at a toy store. I ended up buying 12 packs of “Line Drive Pre-Rookie” cards from 1991. Half of the packs were of Double-A players, half of Triple-A players. I don’t do much with the cards; they mostly just sit on a bookshelf and collect dust, but every now and then I rifle through them to remember what I’ve got.

Here’s a random Double-A pack from the lot:

• Bob McCreary, infield, Orlando SunRays
• Pete Weber, outfield, Shreveport Captains
• Kevin Koslofski, outfield, Memphis Chicks
• Royce Clayton, infield, Shreveport Captains
• Jim Smith, pitcher, Memphis Chicks
• Kevin Meier, pitcher, Shreveport Captains
• Tim Salmon, outfield, Midland Angels
• Bobby Jones, outfield, Midland Angels
• Richie Simon, pitcher, Jackson Generals
• Scott Makarewicz, catcher, Jackson Generals
• Brian Wood, pitcher, Wichita Wranglers
• Charles Hillemann, outfield, Wichita Wranglers

There are a few things I love about these cards.

1. The photos are so posed and often dorky. (Meier is shown wielding a bat; then again, he was a pretty good hitting pitcher — .252 in 139 career minor-league at-bats.)
2. You get to see guys don uniforms with different numbers than the ones they wore in the big leagues. For example, Salmon is wearing #42.
3. Also, it’s kind of cool that out of 12 random guys from Double-A, exactly two (Salmon and Clayton) had significant big-league careers. Koslofski had a few cups of coffee, and maybe one or two other guys as well — I haven’t looked it up — but the point is that having a big-league career (even one as relatively unimpressive as Clayton’s) is a lot harder than it looks. Wood, for example, put up some monstrous numbers (1.53 ERA, 13.03 K/9 out of the bullpen in the SAL in ‘89; yeah, he was old for the league, but still) and never got the call.

For me, though, the cards hold extra meaning. They mark the places I’ve been. Now, whenever I look at the Salmon card or the Makarewicz card, I’ll always think of good times on the road. Conversely, when I think of those times, I’ll remember guys who chased a dream and maybe made it or maybe didn’t.

It’s sort of silly, I know. Still, I can think of worse ways to document the geography of one’s existence…

…Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Chad Billingsley had surgery yesterday after slipping on some ice at his Pennsylvania home. According to a team spokes man Billingsley had a spiral fracture of his left fibula. He had a plate put in and will be in a cast for at least two weeks, though he should be ready to throw come spring training. [Yahoo]

…It maybe just a one line blurb in his recent blog, but Buster Olney is reporting that the Boston Red Sox are preparing to go full steam ahead without “The Captian” Jason Varitek behind the plate come 2009. [ESPN Insider]

…One of the bigger stories this year was all about the broken bats, and how there are way too many of them. Well on Friday experts presented Major League Baseball with recommendations that will hopefully decrease the number of broken bats. MLB collected over 1,700 broken bats in 2 1/2 months this season. [ESPN]

…Two of Cuba’s top players wont be going with the team when they head state side for the World Baseball Classic in March. Pitcher Yadel Marti and star outfielder Yasser Gomez have been thrown off their home country’s best team for what is being termed “a grave act of indiscipline”. According to people close to the team, the reason was for trying to defect to the United States. [ESPN]

…The World Champion Philadelphia Phillies have hired Pete Mackanin as Manager Charlie Manuel’s bench coach. Mackanin has plenty of major league coaching experience with the Pirates and Reds and played briefly for the Phillies in 1978-1979. [Philadelphia Daily News]

…According to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star Royals pitcher Luke Hudson has opted for Free Agency by refusing his outright assignment to Triple A Omaha. Hudson who’s 31 has missed most of the last two seasons with shoulder and biceps injuries, he didn’t pitch at all during the 2008 season. [Kansas City Star]

…Glen Sample who was the Cincinnati Reds official Scorer has passed away at the age of 77. Sample was best known in the Cincinnati area as a player and later head coach for the University of Cincinnati baseball program. [Cincinnati Enquirer]

…New York Yankees designated hitter Hedeki Matsui will not play in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He’s so popular in his native Japan that his home is now a museum. He recently had surgery on his left knee at the end of the season. Brian Cashman the Yankees GM made the announcement to, which will lessen the heat of Matsui not playing in the Classic. Matsui received a big amount of heat for not participating in 2006. [News Day]

…According to the Associated Press the disorderly conduct charges against Roger Clemens son, Koby Clemens have been dropped. This comes nearly three months after he and other teammates were charged during a restaurant disturbance. A third teammate Jimmy Goethals is still pending a trial on assault and battery charges. [Yahoo]

…Former outfielder and All-Star Tim Raines has a new job. He’s signed a two year contract with the Independent Newark Bears of the Atlantic League.

“I’m thrilled at the opportunity to manage the Newark Bears in the greatest sports region in the country,” Raines said. “Newark is rich in baseball tradition, with legends like Yogi Berra, Monte Irvin and Ricky Henderson once calling the city home.”

To take the job he’s left is hitting coach post with the AA Harrisburg Senators. [Yahoo]

…The Chicago White Sox have added another Cuban player to their organization. Last year it was Alexi Ramirez, now they’ve signed young Cuban infielder/outfielder Dayan Viciedo. He will still need to pass a physical for the deal to be official. [Yahoo]

…It looks like Mike Hampton could be returning to the Braves, as they’re willing to take a risk on a one year deal. According to his agent, Hampton would be willing to take a one year deal. [Yahoo]

“We’re looking for a straight one-year deal — no option, no nothing,”Rodgers told ESPN.com. “Mike just wants an opportunity to go somewhere and be healthy for a year.”

…With the Yankees out to snap up the top free agent pitchers, they’re not willing to give AJ Burnett a five year deal - which is what he’s seeking. Even though they’ve offered a 6 year deal to CC Sabathia, they’re not willing to do the same for Burnett. [NY Daily News]

…According to Shortstop Edgar Renteria’s agent Jeff Lane, they’re are negoiating with the San Fransisco Giants. The hitch here is that what happens to Renteria is directly related to what happens to free agent shortstop Rafael Furcal. It’s expected that Furcal could sign first with a team and that will dictate what direction that Renteria goes. [Giants]

…Agent Scott Boras has added to his roster of clients. According to league sources outfielder Garrett Anderson has signed on with Boras. [CNN SI]

…According to John Heyman the Angels plan to make a ’serious’ offer to first baseman Mark Teixeira. It’s speculated that it could be a 8 year $160 million offer. [CNN SI]

…According to David Lennon of News Day, Mets General Manager Omar Minya is more than likely set to give Luis Castillo another go at second base. Minya would like to see Castillo bounce back, after giving a multi-year multi million dollar deal on a guy who showed up to spring training behind on his rehab after double knee surgery. [News Day]

The Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers agreed to a deal on Thursday that sent Phillies’ outfielder Greg Golson to Texas in exchange for outfielder John Mayberry Jr. 

Golson, 23, was a the first overall selection of the Phillies in 2004.  Known for his speed, Golson was 0-for-6 during a September call-up in 2008 and made his first Major League start in center field on September 28 against the Washington Nationals.  In ‘08 at Double-A Reading, Golson hit .282 with 13 home runs, 60 RBI and 23 steals.

Mayberry, 24, split time at the Double-A and Triple-A level in ‘08.  He hit a combined .264 with 20 home runs, 71 RBI and 10 steals in 135 games.  Mayberry also chipped in with 38 doubles.  He was the club’s first round selection in 2005 out of Stanford University and is the son of former Major Leaguer John Mayberry.

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The Rangers also sold the rights to pitcher Kameron Loe to Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League.  Loe, 27, made 14 appearances with the Rangers in ‘08 and posted a 1-0 record with a 3.23 ERA.  He was drafted in the 20th round in 2002 and played five seasons at the Major League level with the Rangers.  In his Major League career, Loe went 19-23 with a 4.77 ERA in 107 games (47 starts).

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The MLB Network added Joe Magrane to their list of on-air talent.  Magrane will join Matt Vasgersian, Harold Reynolds, Al Leiter, Trenni Kusnierek and Hazel Mae as part of the Network’s MLB Tonight program. 

Magrane was part of the Tampa Bay Rays broadcast team as a color analyst since the team’s debut in 1998.  He also worked for NBC during Olympic broadcasts in 2000, 2004 and 2008 and worked on FOX baseball telecasts.  Before joining the broadcast booth, Magrane played in the Majors for 10 years with the St. Louis Cardinals, California Angels and Chicago White Sox.

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Multiple sources are reporting that the Chicago White Sox have reached an agreement with Cuban defector Dayan Viciedo to a contract.  The 19-year-old third baseman who came to the United States with his family in May has been playing with the Cuban national team since he was 14.

Viciedo’s agent, Jamie Torres, confirmed on Thursday night that his client and the White Sox have reached an agreement pending a physical but no terms were disclosed, according to an MLB.com report.

I wonder if J.P. Ricciardi ever looks in the mirror and says: “You sir, are full of it.”

Does he ever think through his statements and realize how nonsensical they sound?

Right now, the Blue Jays are pleading “Kraft Dinner again?” poverty and because of this they will not be involved in the free agent market but will look at possible trades to acquire what they need.

Unlike free agents, this is not expected to affect the payroll negatively.

Uh huh.

Just what does Ricciardi think he can get in a trade?

He needs a starting pitcher or two capable of throwing 200 league average innings or better. He needs a big hitting DH, a leadoff man and possibly a shortstop and hopes to plug these holes through trades that will not cause the payroll to go up.

Good luck with that.

Is he planning on finding a team willing to part with a non arbitration eligible starting pitcher that can toss 200 innings of 4.25 ERA ball in exchange for B.J. Ryan?

Is he hoping to find a DH capable of hitting 30 HR and posting an OPS+ of 120 or better with a contract that pays him less than $1 million and hope they’ll take Lyle Overbay and Marcos Scutaro in exchange?

Does he think there’s a team with a shortstop capable of league average offense with a solid glove making $1.5 million a year being willing to accept Brian Wolfe and Overbay as payment?

What the Jays need do not come cheap and if a club has such a commodity you can bet that unless you’ve got compromising photos of that team’s general manager wearing a negligee at an aquarium they aren’t willing to part with them.

Yet Ricciardi is telling fans that while they’re not players in the free agent market he can somehow swing a trade for cheap, reliable starting pitching, a booming DH, an upgrade at shortstop and/or a leadoff man that aren’t making a lot of money?

Uh … yeah.

If Ricciardi seriously thinks that then the Jays are regally consummated. Yes, players of that calibre might be available in trade but they will the types that have contracts that are worth a lot of money and chances are good that they won’t be willing to forgo compensation for the privilege of sitting in the shade of Ricciardi’s proboscis in order to hear his Ray Romano impersonation.

They’re gonna want to be paid their salary.

Let’s face it, last season he could have had a slugging DH at the pro-rated major league minimum and took a pass.

If Ricciardi wants to make trades, clubs generally will only take a B.J. Ryan, a Lyle Overbay, a Scott Rolen type player in a package if the Jays (1) pick up a chunk of their salaries as part of the deal and (2) there are some juicy young prospects being sent along. To state the obvious–that costs money and, as stated previously, the talent coming back the other way will cost money as well.

If J.P. thinks that the trade market is the way to upgrade the roster without increasing the payroll he is either (a) an idiot (b) delusional (c) dealing with the affects of a severe substance abuse problem (d) has some interesting photographs of his colleagues (e) is lying or (f) is capable of performing Jedi mind tricks.

Who knows how the hot stove league will work out but this is without a doubt one of the most idiotic ways I have ever seen a team try to build fan interest and sell tickets in the offseason in recent years. The Jays are in a tough division–will they reload, rebuild, make a run or what?

Nobody knows.

What are they selling this year? They’re not promising a better future, an optimistic present or championship dreams. What is there for the fan to get excited about? Come to the Rogers Centre and get a preview of teams that will represent the American League in the post season as your Toronto Blue Jays will provide their opponent?

Maybe they could redesign the uniforms to resemble the Maple Leafs and market them as the Buds on turf and sell it as hard core preparation for the hockey season.

It’s hard not to take the organization’s approach as little more that a middle-digit schoolyard salute to the fan base. Billy Beane once famously opined about Oakland that “we’re not selling jeans here” but it does appear that the Toronto Blue Jays are about selling phones but not winning baseball.

Let’s face it, J.P. Ricciardi does not inspire confidence among the Blue Jays faithful–at the very least, if Rogers Communication wanted to at least attempt to get the fan base excited, he should be canned post haste since his comments are all but telling the paying customers that 2009 will be about watching other teams win with the Jays merely providing the opposition.

They’re back to “selling the sizzle” instead of the steak.

The thing is, when the Toronto Blue Jays were granted an expansion franchise they didn’t receive national TV money for three years, they were forbidden to participate in the free agent re-entry draft (how top free agents were acquired back then) and picked dead last in the amateur draft. Despite those handicaps it took the front office seven years to assemble a roster that could win 89 games in back to back seasons (and both years their record would have won the AL West by a healthy margin in the two division format) and nine years to put together a post season team.

Ricciardi is entering his eighth year of stewardship of the Jays with a lot more advantages than the front office enjoyed in 1977 and he is all but telling us that he’s gonna need at least nine and maybe 10 years to accomplish what Paul Beeston and Pat Gillick did from scratch with significant obstacles put in their path.

That says it all.

Meanwhile, back at the outhouse, things are piling up…

The X (cuse) Files (MSN Canada)

White Flag? (The Hardball Times)

Best Regards

John

Per Todd Zolecki, Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley will have surgery on his right hip next week and will miss between 4 and 6 months, meaning that he could be back in time for the start of the regular season or he could miss the first one-third.

The release said, “Based on the diagnostic studies and examinations, it has been recommended that Utley have surgery on his right hip, which is scheduled for next week. The procedure will be an arthroscopic evaluation with treatment of any labral or bony injury. The recovery will allow for the initiation of baseball activities between three and four months, however, the total recovery time may require four to six months.”

Additionally, third baseman Pedro Feliz will have back surgery — a lumbar discectomy — tomorrow, November 20. He’ll miss 8 to 12 weeks, which puts him on pace to be available for the start of the regular season if there are no complications.

The Topps Major League Rookie All-Star team began in 1959 with Willie McCovey being the first of 15 future Hall of Famers named to the squad (others include Johnny Bench, Rod Carew, Gary Carter, Carlton Fisk, Paul Molitor, Joe Morgan, Eddie Murray, Tony Perez, Kirby Puckett, Cal Ripken, Ryne Sandberg, Tom Seaver, Ozzie Smith and Billy Williams). The Rookie All-Stars will each have a trophy on their 2009 trading card in Topps Baseball, with Series One due out in early February.

Here is the 2008 Topps Rookie All-Star Team

1B Joey Votto, Cincinnati (151 games, 24 HR, 84 RBI, .297)
2B Alexei Ramirez, Chicago (A.L.) (136, 21, 77, .290)
3B Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay (122, 27, 85, .272)
SS Mike Aviles, Kansas City (102, 10, 51, .325)
OF Jay Bruce, Cincinnati (108, 21, 52, .254)
OF Denard Span, Minnesota (93, 6, 47, .294)
OF David Murphy, Texas (108, 15, 74, .275)
C Geovany Soto, Chicago (N.L.) (141, 23, 86, .285)
RHP Brad Ziegler, Oakland (59.2 IP, 3-0, 1.06, 30 K, 22 BB)
LHP John Lannan, Washington (182 IP, 9-15, 3.91, 117 K, 72 BB)

During my week in Arizona at the Royals scout school, I came in contact with a great deal of people and made numerous friends. I’m already closer to some of the guys I met in Surprise than I am to many people I see and talk to everyday. I guess there IS something to the fraternity of baseball.

Anyway, one of the guys I got to know well while at scout school was former Major League outfielder, Roosevelt Brown. “Rosey,” as we got to know him, was also a student in the class. He wasn’t the only former professional ball player to take part, but he was the only former Major Leaguer.

Rosey was downright entertaining. He kept everyone loose and laughing, he had a ton of stories to tell, and he knew just about everyone…former players, coaches, scouts, etc. While watching the Diamondbacks take batting practice on our last assignment at Chase Field, Rosey yelled out “AD!” toward center field from the 3rd base stands. Two minutes later, Adam Dunn comes jogging over and says, “Rosey, how the hell are you? What are you doing here?” It seemed like everyone knew Rosey and genuinely liked him. He was kind of like our mayor!

Roosevelt Brown, the baseball player, was a 5′10″ 200 lb outfielder originally drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 20th round of the June 1993 First Year Player Draft. He was later traded to the Florida Marlins in August 1996 for Terry Pendleton. The Cubs scooped up Rosey in the Rule V draft in December 1997, and Brown went on to play parts of four Major League seasons with the Cubs. During two separate stints with the big club, he put up some impressive numbers only to be relegated to the bench. The Cubs eventually released Rosey in November 2002. He later left the states for Southeast Asia, where he played two successful seasons of pro ball in Japan.

I learned a great deal this past September just from listening to Roosevelt Brown. I learned how to pick up certain pitches, the different spots a pitcher might show the ball in his wind-up, and how to approach each at bat. I also learned that I’ll never be able to understand hitting like someone who is born with the ability to smack around a baseball.

Today Rosey emailed me that he had been hired as the hitting instructor for the Atlanta Braves AA affiliate in Mississippi. Honestly, I can’t think of a better choice. Rosey has proven he can hit. But even more than that, he’s proven, at least to me, that he’s an engaging teacher who has the patience to pass along his knowledge to young players. I congratulate the Braves on a fantastic selection. And of course, I am extremely excited for you, Rosey, and proud to call you my friend.

According to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina will announce his retirement later this week.  According to the report, Mussina has chosen retirement over a return to spend more time with his family.

Mussina won 20 games in 2008 for the first time in his 18-year career.  If the announcement becomes official as expected, Mussina will finish his career with a 270-153 record and 3.68 ERA.  He is also 19th all-time in career strikeouts with 2,813. 

Mussina was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 1990 and played his first 10 Major League seasons in Baltimore with his last eight played in New York as a Yankee.  Mussina was a five-time All-Star, seven-time Gold Glove winner and played in the postseason nine times and the World Series twice but never played on a World Series champion.  In 23 postseason appearances (21 starts), Mussina went 7-8 with a 3.42 ERA.