Randomocity meets curiosity by Mike Ghika
With the return of the WBC comes the return of Jared's PIC

I traveled round trip Boston to Long Beach via JetBlue for well over $400 last May. Between now and May 21, however, anyone can travel the same connect for just $99 each way upon introduction of the airline’s “$99 Manny Fan Fare.” I’m almost sure the round-trip special has Red Sox execs thrilled after the club announced JetBlue as the team’s official airline last December.

How much of a pointless failure was it to bring Randy Johnson – “in the twilight of his career” shall we say – into New York at such a cost ($16m per year)? And then remember when they got rid of his contract back to Arizona and said they would save money and told us that Robinson Cano, Phil Hughes, and Ian Kennedy were the future? Only to spend the same $16 million dollars that off-season on Andy Pettite? Three years later they’ve apparently abandoned their youth plan in committing over $400 million to three (albeit special) players. The organization’s reputation of buying the best talent remains intact even despite the staggering economic crisis, further proving that it’s not the smarts of Cashman or the wit of the Steinbrenners, but simply the power of money.

With the absence of the two best baseball players on the planet from the World Baseball Classic, Albert Pujols and now Alex Rodriguez with his injury, the Dominican Republic doesn’t look as strong as a United States team that just beat the Canadian team in Toronto. The U.S. has veteran leaders in Chipper Jones and Derek Jeter to compliment youth in Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis (who homered vs. Canada). Not to mention a staff led by Jake Peavy and Roy Oswalt. Perhaps there’s the feeling Davey Jones and his players will treat the WBC as an Olympic-style event after the U.S. success in basketball and swimming this past summer.

Does anyone else find it interesting how Oakland just signed Orlando Cabrera and Nomar Garciaparra? Both were the central parts to the three-way trade between Boston, Montreal, and Minnesota back at the 2004 trading deadline.

I still feel a great deal weighs on the shoulders of Jacoby Ellsbury who has the potential to be the next great Johnny Damon, and then some. His emergence in 2009 could convince the Sox that re-signing Jason Bay (who is a free agent next off-season) is the right choice to accompany Pedroia, Youkilis, and an aging David Ortiz offensively.

The Dan Duquette administration did right for Pedro Martinez. They were aggressive in acquiring him when nobody else did. The previous and current owners ended up paying him over $90 million during the course of his Boston career. They even brought in his older brother Ramon to make him feel more comfortable (Ramon posted a 6.13 ERA in 27 starts back for the Sox in 2000). Now, Pedro must try to “prove himself” for the Dominican WBC team in order to garner a spot with a major league club? Even after a 68 percent career winning percentage and 3 Cy Young Awards, the man was who once taped by teammates to a dugout pole may no longer be a sure-thing Hall-of-Famer.

Guys like Pedro, Bernie Williams, Sidney Ponson, and Ivan Rodriguez are all competing in the Classic to try and earn a contract for 2009. So if Barry Bonds was so serious about wanting to play in the Majors again, why wouldn't he even raise some speculation that he would want to play for the U.S.? He knows he's being blackballed by the league.

The early and exciting success of lefties Jay Bruce and Joey Votto (who just went 4 for 5 against the U.S. for Canada) in Cincinnati reminds me a lot of the Joe Mauer-Justin Morneau connection in Minnesota. Mauer has won two batting titles and Morneau won the 2006 MVP (and also finished second in this past year’s balloting). It’s a new era for the Reds with Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn gone, and if starters Edinson Volquez (acquired from Texas for Josh Hamilton a year ago), Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo are consistent, Cincinnati may have a shot in the up-for-grabs NL Central.

You have got to love Dustin Pedroia on the cover of MLB The Show, as well as the commercial that he has recently appeared in for the game. It shows off his natural confidence and arrogance in a way that you’re never offended by the “5-9” 25-year-old.

For whoever feels New York is again the best team in AL East, they just lost their most-publicized and most important player for an unknown period of time. Meanwhile, a Rays’ staff including James Shields, Matt Garza, Scott Kazmir, David Price, and Andy Sonnanstine is much less likely to run into injury than the Yanks’ C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Chien-Ming Wang, and Joba Chamberlain (who should be in the bullpen).

Meanwhile in the AL East, the Sox have Jon Lester, Jonathan Papelbon , Pedroia, Youkilis, and perhaps Bay entering the prime of their careers. Past post-season heroes David Ortiz, Mike Lowell, and Josh Beckett are all returning from injury as well. Toronto once again has an array of talent, but it is unknown for how long they will contend with the Yanks, Rays, and Sox. Baltimore has also improved – sporting maybe the best young outfield in the game with Adam Jones, Felix Pie, and Nick Markakis – although their pitching should still hold them back for now.

Published on March 08, 2009

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