Rob Neyer

  (12:01 PM)

Well, as long as we're both here, might as well do something about it...

Chuch (Los Angeles)

Any chance Furcal returns to the Dodgers after rejecting the A's offer?

Rob Neyer

  (12:02 PM)

Hey, anything's possible, right? And it's not like the Dodgers can reasonably go through another season with Angel Berroa as their shortstop...

Jay (CT)

Rob, at what point will writers need to start discounting NL players from this period for HoF consideration. The perfect example is Edgar Renteria. In a few years he could be a shortstop with 2,700 hits, a few gold gloves and a respectable amount of power. That is borderline HoF. But, we all know ER is not a hall of famer.

Rob Neyer

  (12:04 PM)

Yes, we do. We also know Johnny Damon is not a Hall of Famer, right? So it's not just National Leaguers. And there have always been players who piled up counting stats and got barely a sniff from the voters. Vada Pinson comes to mind...

Mike (CT)

With Greg Maddux's retirement, there is talk whether he will be the first unanimous HOF selection. If I'm not mistaken wasn't Lou Gehrig a unanimous selection?

Rob Neyer

  (12:06 PM)

I don't believe so; he was sort of a special case, election-wise. And I'll be shocked if Maddux gets to 100 percent, because there are still a few geezers who won't vote for *anyone* the first time around.

Bryan V (Columbus, OH)

Do you expect the hoopla over moving the World Series up so that it isn't in November anymore, or moving it to a neutral site in the South, to resurface? Or was that simply another knee-jerk reaction by the media?

Rob Neyer

  (12:07 PM)

Knee-jerk reaction? Media? Blasphemy, I say!

Jason (NJ)

What are your thoughts on the 37 for 3 K-Rod contract?

Rob Neyer

  (12:08 PM)

Seems about right to me, at least for a team that can afford to overpay a little bit for saves. It's nice to discover that nobody's dumb enough to give him $15M/year.

Jerry (White Plains, NY)

Rob, do you know if most of the living HOF members actually vote in the VC election? If they are consciously choosing to be hard markers, that's okay with me, but if 20% of them don't return the ballot, then it really isn't possible for anyone to get elected.

Rob Neyer

  (12:11 PM)

The great majority of them do vote, and the few who don't are not voting because 1) they're not physically able to, or 2) not voting is a form of voting (if you know what I mean).

matt (detroit)

thoughts on detroits day yesterday?

Rob Neyer

  (12:13 PM)

I mentioned this in the blog today, but I thought they had a great day. I know Keith Law believes they gave up too much for Gerald Laird and maybe they did, but just in terms of 2009 it was a good day.

Bryan V (Columbus, OH)

"It's nice to discover that nobody's dumb enough to give him $15M/year." I gotta ask...Is that a shot at Rivera not being worth that much, or just a simply statement that no reliever is worth that much?

Rob Neyer

  (12:15 PM)

Rivera's a better pitcher than Rodriguez, plus the Yankees can *really* afford to overpay. So no, that wasn't any sort of shot.

Bill (Philly)

Some people around here are questioning why the Phils did not offer Burrell arbitration...my take is - based on his salary of $14 mil in '08 - he would be looking at an arbitration award of $16-17 mil for '09...which is WAY out of line with the current market value for "corner/power" guys...right? Why would the Phiiles do that - particularly if they will never see the draft picks anyway (because no other team would come up with the $$$ to convince Burrell walk away from the $17 mil to stay with the Phils)...am I missing something?

Rob Neyer

  (12:16 PM)

No, I think you've got it, and without even mentioning Burrell's lousy defense. Faced with the possibility of spending $16 million on a $10 million (at best) player, the Phillies blinked. Maybe they misread the market, but offering him arbitration would have been a real risk.

Ryan (Crofton, MD)

I agree with your article about Santo being deserving of the HOF. I'm really fed up with the whole process. I understand that Baseball views its Hall of Famers as a notch above all the other sports, but the voting has got ridiculous. You're either a Hall of Famer or you're not. Why put a guy on the ballot 12 or 15 times before you out him in? Does it really matter if a guy is a first ballot or a tenth ballot? The last time I was there, there wasn't a section for first timers and then second timers, and etc. Santo was robbed. What's your opinion on the process?

Rob Neyer

  (12:21 PM)

The process has changed dozens of times over the years, and I'm not sure it's all that much better today than it was 70 years ago. Marginally better, I suppose. But the key to improving the process isn't a better process; it's smarter voters. We're getting there. Someday Tim Raines will have a plaque in Cooperstown. But the progress is glacial.

Sally Durham NC

I still love baseball even with all this Duke fever going around me; any chance we get a MLB team in the Carolina area?

Rob Neyer

  (12:24 PM)

Watching Monday Night Football last night, it occurred to me that Charlotte has to be fairly near the top of anyone's list, along with Portland, San Antonio, and perhaps Las Vegas. I do believe MLB will explore expansion after Commissioner Bud goes gently into the good night.

Ryan (Madison)

Hey Rob. It's pretty obvious that C.C. is not going to sign with the Brewers. I thought maybe there was a chance a month ago, but clearly that was just blind faith. Don't you think they should start focusing their attention on other FA's now? Why not throw an offer at Burnett or Lowe, just to see where they stand? Thanks.

Rob Neyer

  (12:26 PM)

Sabathia was a special case, where a lot of the value (for the Brewers) would have been the PR part of it. You don't get that benefit with Burnett or Lowe, so I think the Brewers will stay out of that market.

John Katz, Falls Church, VA

Is a Hall of Famer, in your view, only someone who is outstanding for an extended period of time? Or can a Hall of Famer be somone who was above average for a much longer period. Like Mike Mussina, for instance. In other words, is the HOF for someone who was very good, for a very long time? Or only for the great?

Rob Neyer

  (12:29 PM)

I have to quibble with your premise, John ... Mussina *was* great, with seven seasons with an ERA+ better than 130 (and two 129s). It's true that he never had a season like Ron Guidry's best, or Steve Carlton's. But Mussina was a great pitcher.

Jeremy (Salt Lake City)

I don't mean to ruin your day, Rob, but have you seen this Francoeur for Greinke rumor? /snicker

Rob Neyer

  (12:30 PM)

I have. And while there's a part of me that *wishes* it could ruin my day, I'm afraid I've pretty much given up on the current management team already.

Ben (Charlotte)

The Dayton Daily News is reporting Homer Bailey for Jermaine Dye. Your thoughts?

Rob Neyer

  (12:33 PM)

That doesn't sound to me like an actual trade. Maybe Bailey and two other young players. Because I don't see the White Sox just giving up in 2009.

Ben (Charlotte)

It's Bailey and Freel for Dye. Sorry

Rob Neyer

  (12:37 PM)

Hey, don't apologize to me; the White Sox are my least-favorite team in the division. Anyway, Kenny Williams may have a special touch when it comes to young starters (or he might have been a little lucky last year).

Chae (LA)

How much is Sabathia really worth and how many years will he be productive before the injury bug or weight issue comes into play?

Rob Neyer

  (12:40 PM)

I challenge *anyone* to come up with anything more than a slightly educated guess. Sabathia's future is an unknown continent...

Neal (New York, NY)

Unnamed sources (hate those) state that the Yanks can sign CC, Burnett and Texeira. Do you think this is remotely possible? Also, any truth to the Yanks topping the Braves offer for Burnett?

Rob Neyer

  (12:43 PM)

It's absolutely possible. The Yankees certainly have enough money to sign all three of them at market rate or slightly above. But of course there's always another team that might pay even more.

Mike (New York)

Why're the White Sox your least favorite team in the AL Central?

Rob Neyer

  (12:45 PM)

I hate their uniforms.

John, Cibolo, TX

What are the chances the Red Sox may resign Tek and sign Tex?

Rob Neyer

  (12:46 PM)

What's 50 percent plus 25 percent? Still can't figure out how to figure that...

Jon (OK City)

When is your first scheduled visit to the billion-dollar ball park in the Bronx?

Rob Neyer

  (12:47 PM)

I get to New York every year or two, so it'll happen. But I'm not making a special trip.

Bobby, NY

Whose uniforms do you like best? And speaking of uniforms how did Army pull of the camo pants and helments and make it look cool, and when the Padres tried they looked hideous?

Rob Neyer

  (12:50 PM)

I like the Dodgers', the Red Sox', the Indians' home alternates, the Giants' ... You know, all the classics.

Marc (NY,NY)

Rob i know these questions are tough to answer but i was just curious how you think Greg Maddux would have done pitching in the AL his entire career? would he still be a HOF?

Rob Neyer

  (12:53 PM)

Oh, sure. Easy. It's not until the last few years that the American League became the significantly better league, and in fact I'll guess that the NL was better during at least some parts of Maddux's career.

Jim (NJ)

What about the most classic uni of all?

Rob Neyer

  (12:56 PM)

You mean the Mets'? Just kidding. Yeah, much as I hate to admit it, the Yankees do look good in the pinstripes. Though they looked better in the old days, in the flannels...

Paul, NJ

I keep hearing about teams not offering arbitration because it would result in overpayment in this "climate". Can't an arbitrator take the current "climate" into account...or is it a certainty that the arbitrators will blindly offer $3 mil raises to every player who had a good year?

Rob Neyer

  (12:57 PM)

No, that's not something that an arbitrator would really consider. Similarly, defense plays very little role in most cases. Which is what scares employers of players like Burrell and Adam Dunn.

Mike (Jersey)

So you hate the White Sox because you hate their uniforms? Very similar to people picking horses at the track by their color, or being a fan of a college team because of their mascot. You are an embarrassment!

Rob Neyer

  (12:59 PM)

I never said I hate the White Sox! I said they're my least-favorite team *and* I hate their uniforms. C'mon, man: Read!

Carmine - Wayne NJ

Nicest Uni's - always the Oakland A's any era...How do you play w/o white shoes and gold sanitary sox...

Rob Neyer

  (1:02 PM)

Yeah, theirs are beautiful, too. And when I played ball, I wore white shoes in their honor. Thanks for all the Q's, and until next time don't forget: "Memory is the act of forgetting."