You Should Have to Pass a Test to Have a Blog
November 28, 2008 at 9:19 am | Posted in Andy Pettitte, rumors | 7 Comments(Before we get started, fair is fair. We bash Bill Plaschke relentlessly around here, which is only because he’s generally the worst columnist in sports. So on the rare occasion that he actually says something I agree with, I feel obligated to point it out. Check out Plaschke’s response to the Jamie McCourt firestorm, because believe it or not, he’s right on. Due to this, I fully expect that the earth will collide with Mars by the end of the year.)
Usually I don’t address trade rumors from other blogs, because they’re not so much “rumors” as some ridiculous idea thought up by someone with no connection to the team whatsoever. Yet today we’re going to bend that rule a bit for two reasons – one, because the blog we’re about to discuss seems to have some professional writers (radio hosts and ESPN.com writers) and two, because some things are simply so idiotic that they must be addressed. To let things like what you’re about to see go by without comment would 
nearly be as much of a mistake on my part as theirs, because if you don’t roll up that newspaper and lightly bat the puppy on the nose while saying “no”, how will they ever learn? Besides, it’s the slowest time of the year, so I’ll take what I can get.
It is with this in mind that I bring you the New York Baseball Digest, also known as “the Worst Baseball Blog ever”. In particular, their post about what the Yankees should do about Andy Pettitte, which is relevant here due to the recent “Pettitte to Dodgers” rumors we’ve heard. After some discussion about whether the Yankees should offer Pettitte arbitration or not, we get to this:
I personally feel the Yankees do not need Pettitte, that he is on the decline and doesn’t have the same bite on his reknowned cut fastball. The Yankees are interested in Sabathia and Lowe because they were dominant #1starters down the stretch, helping their teams into the playoffs. But, Pettitte was the exact opposite of Sabthia and Lowe, was terrible down the stretch, fashioning a 2-7 with a 6.23 ERA in his final 11 starts. So, if you were Brain Cashman, the reason you like Sabtahia and Lowe should be the reason you DON’T LIKE Pettitte – he was terrible when it counted most.
Other than the fact that a supposed media professional should be able to go better than 1-3 on spelling “Sabathia” right (and let’s not even get into “Brain” Cashman), this backs up what I said the other day about signing Pettitte – that’s he’s done, cooked, and not worth anywhere near the money he’ll command. Yankee fans, judging from what I’ve read and heard, seem to agree. He’s at the end of the rope. Which is why this next paragraph will make you throw yourself into the highway:
The Yankees do not want to give Pettitte similar money as last year, knowing he is on the decline and is, at best in 2009, going to be a fifth starter. But, the Yankees need to offer arbitration, and hope that the Dodgers’ need for a veteran starter is too much and they offer Pettitte a two year deal for good money. But, if Pettitte does accept arbitration, seek to trade him and possibly Johnny Damon (because LA could also use a leadoff hitter) to the Dodgers for a young player or two. I like Matt Kemp and James McDonald straight up.
Matt Kemp and James McDonald straight up for Andy Pettitte and Johnny Damon, is it? I bet you do like that. Because who wouldn’t like trading two expensive guys in their mid 30s for two future stars making the minimum that are under 25? No, forget the fact that Matt Kemp is better than Johnny Damon right now (2008 leadoff stats: Kemp .305/.360/.492 vs Damon .305/.376/.468, not to mention Kemp’s rocket arm vs. Damon’s Pierre arm), and forget the fact that McDonald is likely going to be better than Pettitte in 2009, because it’s not like McDonald was dominating the Phillies in the NLCS while Pettitte was imploding down the stretch. None of that matters! Because it’d help the Yankees! Hey, while you’re at it, why not trade Hideki Matsui for Russell Martin? Kei Igawa for Chad Billingsley?
You know, usually I feel that Dodger fans’ particular disgust of Red Sox and Yankee fans is a bit overblown. But why is always the Yankee fans and their blogs that come up with these ridiculous ideas that have no consideration for why the other team would possibly make such a deal?
So we salute you, New York Baseball Digest. Your idiocy has provided me with a morning of entertainment intermingled with occasional thoughts of how we can bombard your server to get your site offline, if only to spare the rest of us from your ridiculous, underthought, poisonous trade “ideas”.
- Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness 
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WOW….N.Y. trade ideas are fun.
Comment by LAFord — November 28, 2008 #
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Comment by kensai — November 28, 2008 #
I got a Google Alert a few weeks ago and found that a Yankee fan had suggested the following trade:
Dodgers get – Derek Jeter
Yankees get – Blake DeWitt, James McDonald, Russell Martin
The reason behind this, according to the blogger, is that it fills a bunch of the Yankees’ needs and it gives the Dodgers an “icon.” Yes, because, you know, that’s why we didn’t win the World Series last year. Except not so much.
I’m a Red Sox fan as well as a Dodgers fan, and I live in New England, so I see this thing a lot. The Yankees fans who make such suggestions just seem to think that the other team will make these trades because it’s the Yankees who are asking. As if the Yankees are even relevant these days, never mind omnipotent.
Comment by Amanda — November 28, 2008 #
That’s pretty brutal Amanda. That one seems like just a fan, though, which is why I usually don’t bother with them, because any thirteen year old kid can fire up a blogspot account in ten minutes. These guys seem to actually have some media credentials, though, which makes this all the worse.
Comment by Mike Scioscia's tragic illness — November 28, 2008 #
I happen to love Jack Wilson for the hustle, enthusiasm, and professionalism with which he plays the game. He is my all-time favorite player of those who were never a Dodger. There is a good chance that I am the biggest Jack Wilson fan in Southern California with the exception of Pirates fans and his family or personal friends.
.
And even I know that to trade even as little as Hu for Jack Wilson is absolutely idiotic.
Comment by MartinLoneyKemp — November 28, 2008 #
Geez MSTI – even you have gotten to see how NY-centric a lot of the media gets?!?
It’s not that the Yanks & BoSox fans get that much more outlandish than us fans of other clubs, but that there are SO MANY of them and the media centered in the NE tries so hard to pander to them.
Pettitte is a perfect example of the fallacy of counting stats – his W-L record more reflects the power of the club around him than his own effectiveness. Had he spend most of the last dozen years pitching for the hO’s instead of the Yanks his W-L record would be far poorer. But put him on a NE powerhouse with the NY media machine and he gets played up to a HoF ace.
And in the outlandish trade scenarios, don’t forget that the Dodgers need to leave payroll room to take Lowell off of the BoSox’ hand so that they can sign Teixeira !
Comment by kennerbuggy — November 28, 2008 #
Well, Ken, don’t be surprised if the Blue pull that deal to take Lowell off of the Sox hands. I quietly suspect that the Brand would be happy to see their beloved Sox win six or seven more rings. After all, Lowell has the creamy Red Sox pedigree that just gets the Brand all happy inside.
Comment by grabarkewitz — November 28, 2008 #