Doug Glanville wasn’t a household name as a player from 1996 to 2004 for the Cubs, Phillies and Rangers. He was a decent player (.277 lifetime, 204 hits in 1999). He might even be a better writer than he was a center fielder, however.

Glanville, 39, is an occasional contributor to the New York Times, and this week he tackled a topic that most pro athletes won’t touch: Tiger Woods and the off-field temptations for even the most innocuous of pro athletes.

Some highlights:

• “As you climb the baseball ladder, your social confidence explodes. You receive the sort of attention you never did as an acne-ridden honors student. Quite frankly, it is addictive, and when you are in it, there seems to be no end in sight.”
• “As the money flows in, so do the toys — cars, clothes, bling — and once in the stratosphere, a la Tiger, it is amazing how easy it is, if you are not careful and grounded, to start seeing women as another accessory in your life.”
• “The pro athlete’s world is self-centered at best. Schedule is fixed, practice a must, travel a given. Anyone choosing to share that has to get on board and fit in. It can get to a point where the relationship is strictly one-way (the athlete’s way), and the other party becomes insignificant, more a prop than a true relationship partner.”

Read more on his nytimes.com blog.

A peek inside pro athlete’s world originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Tuesday, December 29th, 2009 at 01:18:13.

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So how much did that championship cost, Yankees? Roughly $25.7 million, more than they paid CC Sabathia.

That’s the luxury tax bill the New York Yankees will have to pay for their 2009 World Series championship season – or roughly two-thirds what the Marlins paid as their entire payroll.

They’re joined in the luxury tax club this year by… nobody. Why? The Yankees paid more than $70 million to their players than any other team, and no other team was over $162 million in payroll. (The Mets were closest, at $142.2 million.)

To compute the tax, MLB uses the average annual values of contracts for the players on 40-man rosters and adds benefits. The tax is graduated, so a team pays a progressively higher percentage every year it exceeds the threshold, to a maximum of 40 percent. That’s the rate they Yankees pay at. No other team is close.

It’s not a bad check this year – it’s the first time they’ve paid it after winning a championship. The Yankees have been billed $174 million of the tax’s $190 million total since 2003, according to the AP. They’ll certainly pay again next year, as the threshold will rise to $170 million, and according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com, they already owe a total more than that to their top 15 players under contract. Alex Rodriguez will make $32 million in 2010, and three other players (Sabathia, Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira) will make more than $20 million.

The Yankees have stated they want their payroll to be around the $200 million mark, which is why they might not be the free-spenders they had been in the past few offseasons. And that’s another reason why there’s a Black Friday sale coming soon for free agent players.

So where does the luxury tax money go? It doesn’t go to the small-market Marlins, Royals or Pirates. It goes into a fund MLB uses for player benefits and to promote the growth of baseball around the world. Baseball does have a program to give money to small-market teams, but that’s revenue-sharing, a whole other animal. And it’s even more complex.

New to the site: 2009 opening day and final payroll for every team.

Tax man takes $25.7 million from Yankees originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009 at 14:21:37.

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Associated Press members sent in ballots for sports story of the year in the past few weeks, and what do you think was No. 1?

The Tiger Woods scandal? Jimmie Johnson winning his fourth straight NASCAR title? Santonio Holmes’ game-winning catch in the Super Bowl? The Yankees’ World Series championship?

Nope. It’s baseball’s performance-enhancing drugs problem. No. 1. The story that won’t go away.

Granted, if the balloting were re-done today, Woods’ infidelity would likely be the biggest story. But the steroids story had legs all season, starting with Alex Rodriguez in spring training and continuing with Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz. That’s players in New York, Los Angeles and Boston, three of baseball’s biggest markets.

“I’m sad for everyone. Once again, we’re sitting here talking about this again,” the Yankees’ Derek Jeter said this summer when the Ortiz revelation took place.

Indeed. And it’s a story that won’t go away until baseball gets all the skeletons out of its closet.

There’s no escape from the sport’s biggest story originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Thursday, December 24th, 2009 at 01:48:23.

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The New York Yankees traded a spare-part outfielder for a guy who quietly won 128 games in the past decade.

Javier Vazquez had a horrible finale in his first stint with the Yankees, which ended in 2004 when he was bombed in Game 7 of the collapse in the American League Championship Series in 2004.

In the five years since, Vazquez bounced around with the Diamondbacks, White Sox and Braves, never missing a start. And the Yankees seem thrilled to get him back. Vazquez, 33, was 15-10 with a 2.87 earned run average and 238 strikeouts last season in Atlanta.

The Braves get Melky Cabrera, who was probably a fourth outfielder for the Yankees, assuming Curtis Granderson is in center or left, Brett Gardner is in the other spot and Nick Swisher is in right.

The deal is not going over well in Atlanta, which should be expected. It reeks of a cost-cutting move – Vazquez will make $11.5 million this season – perhaps Atlanta GM Frank Wren will sign a free agent or two instead.

So are the Yankees done tinkering? Probably not, but no big splashes are expected. And Johnny Damon is almost certainly gone.

“We’ll continue to look at any remaining pieces, but it won’t be a big piece,” GM Brian Cashman told the New York Times. “So any speculation about some high-end player with dollars attached on a large scale would be inappropriate.”

Vazquez deal a steal for Yankees originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009 at 01:50:48.

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Boston is digging out from a winter storm today, and one of their players is stick in the Red Sox’s pile of debris.

The Red Sox tried to dispatch Mike Lowell and his $12 million salary to the Rangers (Boston would pay $9 million of it), but it was reported by several media outlets Sunday that the deal is off because Lowell, as has been the pattern the past couple of seasons, is still injured.

It’s his thumb, which requires surgery. He should be ready when the season starts, but the Rangers – probably aware that better options are still available on the free agent market – have found enough reason to back off.

For the Rangers, they’re looking for a bat, and Vladimir Guerrero makes a lot of sense if he’s willing to take a pay cut (which he’ll have to do, regardless). For the Red Sox, they have a problem if they can’t move Lowell in spring training. They’d like to move Kevin Youkilis to third base and have either Casey Kotchman or a free agent play first base. Now they’ll most likely have a miffed Lowell who knows he’ll have to keep a suitcase packed.

Lowell is stuck in Boston originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Sunday, December 20th, 2009 at 13:04:10.

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When the American League adopted the designated hitter in 1973, it was widely assumed that the National League would capitulate and add it at some point.

The All-Star Game has become a one-sided affair, and the league with stronger hitters (the AL) hasn’t lost since 1996, the year before interleague play was introduced.

But the result that seemed inevitable – that the NL would adopt the DH – might be turned on its head.

When interleague play began in 1997, it raised new issues with AL pitchers picking up lumber and running the bases. And it’s threatened the career of Chien-Ming Wang of the Yankees, who injured himself running the bases in 2008 in an interleague game. He’s never been the same, and was let go by the Yankees earlier this week.

“American League pitchers are at the most risk, because we don’t hit, we don’t run the bases,” Mike Mussina said in 2008 to the New York Times. You get four or five at-bats a year at most, and if you happen to get on base once or twice, you never know. We run in straight lines most of the time. Turning corners, you just don’t do that.”

And now the commissioner’s office is creating a 14-person advisory committee. Getting both leagues playing by the same rules should certainly be a goal. They’ve had the same umpires for a decade now.  And many of the people on the new committee are not DH devotees.

“I think the game is more complete without the DH,” said St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, one of three managers on the committee (the others are Joe Torre and Mike Scioscia), to Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune.

The real key: Getting the union to sign off. There are 14 veteran players collecting big checks, and a few of them would not be in the majors anymore without the DH.

What do you think? Is the game better or worse with the designated hitter?

Is the DH on the way out? originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 at 23:26:43.

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Blockbuster trade No. 2 is in the books, with the Phillies finally wresting control of Roy Halladay after a decade-plus in Toronto.

The final rundown of a nine-player deal in which two Cy Young winners and the son of another changed teams:

• Toronto obtained three minor-leaguers: catcher Travis d’Arnaud, right-hander Kyle Drabek (the son of former Cy Young winner Doug Drabek) and outfielder Michael Taylor. Taylor was then traded to Oakland for third baseman Brett Wallace.
• Philadelphia obtained Halladay, 32, one of the top five pitchers of the past decade, along with righty Phillippe Aumont from Seattle, outfielder Tyson Gillies from Seattle, righty Juan Ramirez from Seattle and $6 million from Toronto.
• Seattle gets 2008 Cy Young winner Cliff Lee.

It’s hard not to like the Phillies’ side of this deal. You can argue that Halladay and Lee are very comparable, but they get money from Toronto along with Halladay? $6 million could buy another really good starting pitcher this offseason. Halladay will get $20 million a season for three years, beginning in 2010. That’s a lot of cash, but the Phils get an A for this one.

Toronto gets some decent youngsters, but it seems like they could have gotten more last July. Give them a D-plus.

Seattle gets perhaps the best 1-2 rotation punch in the majors (Felix Hernandez and Lee), but maybe for just a season. (Lee is a free agent next winter.) Give them a B.

Meanwhile the big-name hitters are still on the free agent board. When Matt Holliday and Jason Bay find their place, that will set the market for that segment of the market.

Halladay before Holliday (and holiday) originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Thursday, December 17th, 2009 at 00:47:34.

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This was no lazy Monday in Major League Baseball. It feels like the big markets are all doing one-day makeovers.

This wasn’t totally unexpected, by the way. The pressure is all on the players right now, as the glut of free agents will likely drive down contract rates in the coming weeks. Those who can sign now will probably sign now. Here we go:

Boston Red Sox: It appears the deal is done for the best free agent pitcher, as John Lackey will leave the Angels for the Red Sox. It’s a five-year deal worth at least $80 million, ESPN is reporting. The Sox might also be moving out of the Jason Bay and Matt Holliday negotiations, signing a cheaper alternative in Mike Cameron. They also might be swooping in on Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman (although he will likely be in the minors in 2010).

Los Angeles Angels: They’re losing Lackey, but Godzilla is coming. Hideki Matsui has agreed to a contract with the Angels, according to several media outlets. That could mean the end of Vladimir Guerrero’s run in L.A.

Philadelphia Phillies: Remember last summer, when the Phillies couldn’t agree to a deal with the Blue Jays for Roy Halladay? They settled for Cliff Lee instead, and he was fantastic in the playoffs. But the Phillies still must like Halladay better, as it looks like Lee is going to be shipped to the Mariners in a three-way deal with the Blue Jays. Halladay comes to Philly, and prospects fly in every which way to Toronto. This isn’t a done deal – Halladay must agree to a contract extension with the Phillies.

Seattle Mariners: With Lee, are they now the favorite in the AL West? Felix Hernandez and Lee at the top of the rotation will make things interesting. Of course, if the prospects Seattle gives up are good in Toronto, and Lee bolts in free agency next winter, this could backfire.

Trades, free agents and extensions: Oh my originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 at 01:06:16.

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Free agency this offseason is like a game of musical chairs with a twist. Not only are chairs being taken away, but more people are being added in the middle of the game.

The result? An absolute glut of free agents during an offseason when most teams don’t have money. There are going to be a lot of pay cuts coming down the line. (So for once, the baseball labor market is actually mirroring the real-life labor market.)

MLB.com is spinning the non-tender deadline as less than expected, writing that the “anticipated flood of free agents did not occur,” but 39 players who were essentially under contract for next season were let go on Saturday. And some of those players are not without value.

The top five players who became free agents this weekend:

Chien-Ming Wang, P, formerly of Yankees: He won 19 games each in 2006 and 2007 and has a career record of 55-26, but the sinkerballer hasn’t been the same since injuring himself running the bases in 2008, and he had shoulder surgery after being woefully ineffective last season. He’ll be out for the first couple months of 2010. Worth a flier, but he won’t make the $5 million he did last season.

Matt Capps, P, formerly of Pirates: Capps was Pittsburgh’s closer for most of the past three seasons and had 27 saves in 2009, a career-high. He threw strikes and recorded a lot of outs in 2007 and 2008, but his stats fell off a cliff in 2009 (5.80 ERA). Somebody will pick him up for help in middle relief, maybe even giving him a closer’s shot.

Garrett Atkins, 3B, formerly of Rockies: He made huge money ($7 million) for a guy who lost his job midway through last season. All you have to do to sum up Atkins is to show his batting average in the last four seasons: .329, .301, .286, .226. He drove in 120 runs in 2006 and 111 in 2007. Some team will certainly see if they can rediscover that hitting stroke.

Jack Cust, OF, formerly of A’s: He’s averaged 27 homers the past three seasons in one of the worst hitting ballparks in the majors. Sure, he strikes out too much (led the AL in each of the past three seasons) and isn’t a great outfielder. But an enterprising hitting coach will take a shot.

Ryan Garko, 1B, formerly of Giants: He shot through the Indians system like a cannon and will be just 29 next month. He hit 21 homers in 2007 for Cleveland and drove in 90 in 2008. He’s a career .279 hitter who got caught up in the arbitration economics in San Francisco. He’ll make somebody a nice bargain pickup.

A few more worth a look: Kelly Johnson, 2B (Braves); Clay Condrey, RP (Phillies); Jose Arredondo, RP (Angels, injured).

Five new free agents worth pursuing originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Monday, December 14th, 2009 at 01:33:00.

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On the surface, the rich certainly got richer in the first blockbuster trade of the offseason. But below the surface, it seems like every player in this deal has some kind of flaw.

In a three-way deal, the Yankees obtained an All-Star center fielder seemingly entering the prime of his career in Curtis Granderson. The affable, popular Granderson hit 30 homers last season for the Detroit Tigers.

Who did the Yankees give up? A pitcher taken in the first round who seemed to be a decent prospect a year ago, but doesn’t throw hard and failed miserably in his first big-league experience (Ian Kennedy), a good outfield prospect (Austin Jackson) and a decent young middle reliever (Phil Coke).

The Diamondbacks gave up two young pitchers (Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth) to get two slightly older ones (the Tigers’ Edwin Jackson and Kennedy).

The Tigers cut payroll and got younger with Austin Jackson, Coke, Scherzer and Schlereth.

The grades:

Yankees: B. The champs just made their great lineup a little greater, assuming they fill the holes left by Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon (perhaps with Matsui and/or Damon). But Granderson was awful against lefties last season, and is not a prototypical leadoff hitter (.327 on-base percentage) despite his speed. New York would be best served leaving Jeter leading off and batting Granderson sixth or seventh. In the Yankee Stadium launching pad, he could hit 35 homers. Austin Jackson was the biggest loss, but the Yankees will always have money to sign a decent free agent outfielder.

Diamondbacks: C. Scherzer and Schlereth both struggled at times in Arizona, and Edwin Jackson was a surprise AL All-Star last season (before fading down the stretch), but will he be better in a couple of years than Scherzer? And Kennedy, while hyped, is at best a No. 5 starter at this point.

Tigers: C-minus. Hard to get any kind of excitement on this deal if you’re a Detroit fan. It’s all about cutting payroll. As Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News points out:

“There are promising prospects, for sure, but there’s a troubling reality, too. If Max Scherzer, the 25-year-old right-hander from Arizona, and Austin Jackson, the 22-year-old swift center fielder from New York, develop as hoped, you know what that means? It means maybe they become Edwin Jackson and Curtis Granderson.”

Grading the first blockbuster of the offseason originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 at 23:49:42.

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