It was on this day in 1997 that the state of Florida got its first taste of the Fall Classic, as the Marlins hosted Game One of the 1997 World Series. The Marlins got off to a winning start, scoring a 7-4 victory over the Indians and eventally capturing their first title after seven dramatic games. Here's the latest from around the NL East…
- "[R.A. Dickey's] situation does not compare to any in baseball history," writes MLB.com's Anthony DiComo, noting Dickey's late-career success, the historical precedent of knuckleballers pitching well past age 40 and the price of high-quality pitching. Dickey, 38, underwent minor surgery today to correct a torn abdominal muscle, a procedure that won't factor into the Mets' decision about signing Dickey to a multiyear contract. The Mets hold a $5MM club option on Dickey for 2013, but DiComo thinks that if an extension can't be reached, the Mets could think it better to trade Dickey rather than pick up the option and see him potentially leave after the season.
- Adam LaRoche's free agency creates some questions surrounding the Nationals' first base and left field situation, writes Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com. The Nats could let LaRoche go and install Tyler Moore in left or at first, or they could re-sign LaRoche and either keep Moore on the bench or possibly use Michael Morse as trade bait.
- Carlos Beltran, his agent Dan Lozano and the Giants have been arguing over how much contact the Giants had with Beltran last winter, a dispute that Matthew Cerrone of Metsblog argues "speaks to the disconnect in language between reality, reporting and how sports fans form opinions about what goes on in the free agent and trade market." Cerrone uses last offseason's negotiations between the Marlins, Mets and Jose Reyes as an example.
Hopefully Cy Young voters take into account that Dickey has been pitching injured during the later part of the season. Dickey deserves that award.
Dickey incurred that injury in late April hence had it nearly the entire 2012 season.
I agree RA deserves that award with or without that injury and that pitching as he did with it and as well as he did, would boost his candidancy. The vote, however, took place at end of season and it’s good bet not many voters knew about Dickey’s injury given it was announced after game #161.
he injured himself on his second start of the year…so he pitched injured all season.
Like most baseball blogs this time of year, Cerrone needed to fill space and opted to write long-winded piece that amounted to empty calorie food comparing apples to oranges, The Reyes and Beltran free agent processes with their former teams had nothing in common, and the broader picture Cerrone tried to paint about free agent negotiations, read like someone trying to fill space, rather than knowing what he’s talking about. .