Small is the New Tall

The 2009 MLB Season begins Sunday night. To celebrate, I am throwing away every pair of Timberland boots that I own.

Those extra two inches of height? Who needs them! 6-footers are so 2003. That's right. The days when being tall was cool are long gone.

As we exit the first decade of the 21st century, two of baseball’s brightest stars are ushering in the short guy era. It’s time to start celebrating being 5’9’’! (Ok, 5’7’’ & ¼, when I kick off the Nikes.)

Need proof?

Take a look at the cover stars of MLB ’09: The Show and MLB 2K9:

American League MVP Dustin Pedroia who is listed at 5’9’’—a height that must include the telephone book he was standing on—and National League Cy Young Tim Lincecum, a string-beany fireballer, who only reaches his listed height of 5’11’’ while standing on the rubber in his cleats.

Here are two of the league’s most marketable players—and each will get carded at an R-rated movie.

Neither player needs to show ID on the baseball field, however.

In 2008, Pedroia became the third player in MLB history to win Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in consecutive seasons, joining Cal Ripken Jr. and Ryan Howard. He was the first second baseman to win the AL MVP since Nellie Fox of the White Sox in 1959.

Lincecum’s been similarly successful in his two seasons. In 2008, he became the first second-year pitcher to nab the Cy Young Award since Dwight Gooden and Bret Saberhagen in 1985. His delivery is often the subject of biomechanical analyses as scientists attempt to figure out how somebody his size can throw a baseball that hard.

Pedroia and Lincecum are throwbacks to a time when regular-sized men flourished, a pleasant contrast to the gargantuan freaks that dominated the sport during the late-90’s.

"I hear all the time that I'm not big enough, that I'm not fast enough, that I'm not strong enough, all of that stuff. Honestly, I don't see any difference between me and any other guy”, says Pedroia.

“If I could out-hustle the other guy or do the little things to help my team win, then it will make up for me being smaller than them. Being big has nothing to do with playing baseball.”

As for Lincecum, the star flamethrower acknowledges the impact his success can have on smaller pitchers.

“It gives everybody else out there who is not a big person the motivation and the inspiration that they know they can do it, too”, says Lincecum.

Right on, Timmy.

All aboard, short guys. The new era continues Sunday.

Until then? I’m going to enjoy these last 5 days with my Timberlands.

July 11th: HBO and The Return of Floyd Mayweather Jr.

A week ago, July 11th had little significance in the boxing world.

Sure, HBO was holding the date open for a World Championship Boxing (WCB) event, but the card was expected to be filled with a cruiserweight title match between Bernard Hopkins and IBF champion Tomasz Adamek. With little else on B-Hop's horizon, a jump to the 200-lb weight class presented the only worthwhile challenge left for the legendary light-heavyweight.

Not only did the fight make sense, but Hopkins-Adamek represented an ideal World Championship Boxing fight:
--The July date fit both fighters’ schedules. (Adamek last fought in February; Hopkins has been inactive since his October dismantling of Kelly Pavlik.)
--The fighters’ combined purse would likely be in range with an average WCB card’s budget.
--And most importantly, on paper, the fight fit the mold of competitive, entertaining encounters that HBO has strived to deliver its subscribers this year. HBO Sports executive Ross Greenburg promised fans that the network was going to demand competitive fights from promoters in 2009, and thus far, he’s done a tremendous job. Pay-per-view has no longer been an option for marginal fights.

Consider the first quarter of 2009:

In just three months, HBO has delivered two fight-of-the-year candidates (Berto-Collazo and Marquez-Diaz), along with a colossal PPV-worthy welterweight battle (Sugar Shane Mosley’s KO upset of Antonio Margarito) and a handful of top prospect showcases featuring future stars like Juan Manuel Lopez, Chris Arreola, Victor Ortiz, and James Kirkland.

Two more stellar fights—an April 11th main event featuring Paul Williams & Winky Wright and a welterweight unification bout between Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey in June—are also scheduled for HBO.

Fans are no longer being asked to shell out $59.95 each time a big name fighter enters the ring. The only fight currently scheduled for PPV is May 2nd’s junior-welterweight showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton. It’s possible that the only positive to come from the state of the economy has been the market correction it has provided boxing. HBO has been forced to properly assess what belongs on its flagship boxing show.

Last year, fights that ought to have aired on World Championship Boxing (Pavlik-Hopkins, Calzaghe-Jones, Trinidad-Jones) were erroneously placed on PPV, leaving WCB cards barren of competitive fighting. What was the best WCB fight of 2008? Calzaghe-Hopkins? De La Hoya-Forbes? I can’t remember one that stood out. Remember WWF Superstars? Hulk Hogan would spend many Saturday mornings wrestling jobbers to get ready for his big match on PPV. World Championship Boxing had become WWF Superstars, a marketing tool for HBO’s PPV fights. Thankfully, the market correction has reversed this trend.

So all’s well in the boxing world, correct?

Enter Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Pretty Boy Floyd’s advisors have leaked that the former pound-for-pound king is ready to return to the ring for a summer tune-up fight, before challenging the winner of Pacquiao-Hatton in the fall. And the night that Mayweather finds most attractive? July 11th, World Championship Boxing’s open date.

Normally, the decision would be a no-brainer. Tell Hopkins and Adamek to take a hike, and let the premier fighter in the sport reestablish his place atop the pound-for-pound list as the whole world watches. However, Mayweather is looking for a PPV purse, for what could be an uncompetitive tune-up fight—precisely the type of fight that Greenburg has avoided in 2009.

Greenberg has a decision to make. If he signs Hopkins-Adamek for July 11th, boxing fans receive another excellent, intriguing fight, adding to an already impressive year. But he also risks alienating Mayweather, America’s greatest post-De La Hoya mainstream boxing star. HBO would hate to risk losing Mayweather’s future PPV business, as a cash cow against Pacquiao looms in the horizon.

Can Greenburg rationalize paying Mayweather over $5 million to familiarize himself with a boxing ring? If Mayweather intends to fight an uninspiring opponent, as been his MO at times, Greenburg risks alienating boxing fans who have been elated with the action that HBO has provided in ‘09. But if Pretty Boy Floyd’s opponent is somebody like Juan Manuel Marquez, then the answer becomes simple.

This is the avenue Greenburg must explore.

Mayweather has only been out of action for 15 months. How badly can a fighter of his age and skill need a tune-up? Winky Wright, who is five years older, is fighting Paul Williams after a longer layoff. Pony up whatever price it takes to bring Mayweather back against a skillful opponent and everyone will be satisfied. The decision will certainly pay off later in the year, after Mayweather and Pacquiao square off under the MGM Grand’s bright lights on HBO PPV.

The ball is in your court Mr. Greenburg. Make it happen.


EDIT: Minutes after I wrote this, Dan Rafael of ESPN.com announced that discussions for Hopkins-Adamek are off due to a tremendous discrepancy in both fighters’ purse demands. The decision for Greenberg is much easier now. Time to bring back Mayweather, this time REGARDLESS of who he wants to fight!

Is Curt Schilling a Hall of Famer?

Hall of Fame arguments usually annoy me.

Outdated benchmarks, subjective criteria, and baseball writers on moral high horses have turned Cooperstown into a circus. An entire generation of great baseball players—stars like Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, Mike Piazza, and Sammy Sosa—are likely to be denied entrance in spite of their on-field achievements. Apparently, in this strange Hall of Fame universe, their accomplishments never occurred.

So of course, each time that a player of significance retires, the inevitable “Is he a Hall of Famer?” discussion follows. The same was true yesterday, when Curt Schilling announced his retirement from baseball after 20 seasons.

Assuming that Schilling stays true to his word—my gut still tells me that he’ll be pitching in Chicago or Tampa Bay this summer—he will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2013. (Schilling’s retirement is retroactive to 2007 because he was injured for all of 2008) 2013 is also the first year of HOF eligibility for Bonds, Clemens, Piazza, and Sosa, each of whom is heavily suspected of steroid use. Baseball writers will undoubtedly have a field day with this class.

So while I usually avoid the “Is he in or is he out?” arguments, Schilling’s case is far too fascinating to ignore.

Schill finished his career with 216 wins, 146 losses, 3116 strikeouts, a 3.46 ERA, and a 1.13 WHIP. He won 20 games three times; in 1997, he won 17 with the worst team in the National League. Among all pitchers with at least 1,500 innings, Schilling has the best strikeout-to-walk ratio. He struck out 300+ batters three times. In 2002, while striking out 316, Schilling walked just 32 hitters.

On the surface level, his career totals may not scream Cooperstown. However, the Hall of Fame criteria that today’s pitchers are evaluated against is nonsensical and outdated.

Writers have long assigned “magic numbers” for players to attain that reward longevity and perseverance, while ignoring dominance. The magic numbers are inherently flawed as they are based on the standards of a previous era—one in which, does not resemble today’s game in the slightest.

For example, baseball’s magic pitching number is 300 wins. A starting pitcher who wins 300 games has always been assured a spot in Cooperstown. This standard may have worked in the 60s and 70s but it is archaic today.

In today’s game, pitchers get hurt far too frequently, do not throw often enough (expansion to 5-man rotations has limited # of games started), and do not throw deep into enough games (pitch counts have limited # of decisions awarded to starters) make 300 wins a Hall of Fame standard, for even the best pitchers.

Take any 300 game winner and compare his innings pitched, games started, and complete games to Schilling. Most, if not all, have roughly 2000 more innings pitched, 250-300 more games started, and 100-200 more complete games. And Schilling was considered a horse of his era! How is he supposed to compare win totals with pitchers who threw the equivalent of ten more 200 inning seasons than him?

More importantly, Schilling’s production occurred during the greatest offensive era in baseball history. His ERA was nearly a full run lower than league average throughout his career. The earned run averages of lesser pitchers in the Hall of Fame like Phil Neikro, Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton, Don Sutton, and Gaylord Perry each hovered around their league’s averages throughout their careers. Carlton’s 2.99 ERA in 1968, when the league ERA was 2.90 should never be considered as impressive as Schilling’s 3.54 ERA in 1999, when league average was 4.80.

And as critics discredit the batting statistics of today’s juiced up era, shouldn’t the opposite be done for pitchers? Shouldn’t a pitcher like Schilling, a longtime advocate for steroid testing, be given credit for pitching in the greatest offensive era of all time? Wouldn’t this make sense?

And lastly, the most important aspect of Schilling’s inclusion to Cooperstown: His post-season resume. Schilling is arguably the greatest playoff pitcher in baseball history. His 11-2 record and 2.23 ERA are the best among pitchers with 100+ postseason innings. Schill pitched in four World Series, winning three championships. His teams are 10-2 in series that he pitched in.

Take any Hall of Fame starting pitcher from this era. Would you want him on the mound over Schilling in a Game 7? Didn’t think so.

Curt Schilling will be a case study for baseball writers still clinging to prehistoric Hall of Fame standards for modern pitchers. He will be the first great pitcher of the steroid era, unsuspected of steroid use, to receive HoF eligibility with career numbers indicative of a new generation of pitchers. It is up to the voters to be cognizant of this fact.

Schilling deserves his day in Cooperstown as part of the 2013 class. The only question that remains: Will Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens be there to share it with him?

http://thebasebox.blogspot.com/

Top 5 Pound for Pound Fighters (3/5/09)

I'm going to start posting my rankings once every couple of months or so. Due to their retirements, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Joe Calzaghe were left off. I also left off Israel Vasquez and Rafael Marquez because of extensive inactivity.


5. Bernard Hopkins
B-Hop added another chapter to his Hall of Fame legacy last October with his dominant beatdown of Kelly Pavlik. Some P4P rankings have since placed Hopkins as high as #2. Despite the clinic Hopkins put on that night, he didn't impress me enough against Joe Calzaghe to deserve any higher placement.

What's next?
The only match that Hopkins appeared passionate about was a rematch with Calzaghe. After Calzaghe retired, Hopkins was left with little else to choose from in the light heavyweight division. It looks like Hopkins will either retire or move up in weight to fight cruiserweight champion, Tomasz Adamek.


4. Paul Williams- On sheer talent alone, Williams might be higher than #4. However, since just about every big name has chosen to duck the "Most Feared Man in Boxing", Williams is lacking the big victories that warrant a higher spot. Nobody wants to face a talented 6'2'' southpaw who can comfortably bounce between three weight classes (welterweight, junior middleweight, and middleweight). Antonio Margarito decided that he'd rather get annihilated by Shane Mosley for less money than fight Williams.

What's next?
Williams has finally gotten somebody of note to step into the ring with him, as he'll be taking on Winky Wright, April 11th on HBO. A win is necessary for Williams if he hopes to force big names into the ring with him. If he does win, I'd like to see a showdown with Mosley at 147 or 154.


3. Shane Mosley- Mosley's exceptional performance over Antonio Margarito reminded boxing fans that this guy can still really fight. Mosley was throwing bombs all night, hitting flush shots left and right, and eventually knocking out a man who many thought to be indestructible. In some ways, his performance might have been TOO GOOD, as it definitely didn't help make Floyd Mayweather that interested about getting into the ring with him.

What's next?
Mosley hoped to lure Floyd Mayweather out of retirement for a big money fight, but Pretty Boy Floyd chose to remain chillin. Mosley will wait to see if he can get the winner of Hatton-Pacquiao, though I think that both fighters are too small for him. If it's not Hatton or Pacquaio, he has numerous options at welterweight to look into. (Berto, Clottey, Cotto, Williams)


2. Juan Manuel Marquez- Following last Saturday's spectacular KO victory (Fight of the Year so far) over Juan Diaz, there's an argument that can be made that Juan Manuel Marquez is the #1 Pound for Pound fighter in the world. Since moving up to lightwight, Marquez has handily defeated two strong opponents, between Diaz and Joel Casamoyer. Compared to his rival Manny Pacquiao--whose ascension in weight classes involved a completely overmatched David Diaz at lightweight, and a washed-up, dehydrated Oscar De La Hoya at welterweight--Marquez's victories may have been more impressive. In their head to head battles, Marquez scored a draw and a narrow loss in two close fights against Pacquiao, fights that many people scored in Marquez's favor. (I scored both fights to Pacman by slight margins.) If you believe Marquez won either fight, you have every right to believe Marquez is the #1 fighter on earth right now.

What's next?
Marquez called out Mayweather following the win over Diaz. Though it'd be an excellent fight, I don't see it happening. If Mayweather does return, it'll be to fight the winner of Hatton-Pacquiao. Marquez should look for a mega-fight against the loser of that match.


1. Manny Pacquiao- Pacquiao all but sent Oscar De La Hoya into retirement with his domination of the Golden Boy last December. The victory confirmed Pacquiao's stature as the best fighter alive. He may have even reached that De La Hoya/Mayweather rock star "Big Money Fights Only" status with that performance--much to the dismay of Juan Manuel Marquez, who would love nothing more than a third crack at Manny.

What's next?
Pacquiao is gearing up for a May 2nd battle with Ricky Hatton. A victory over Hatton, who has never lost at 140 pounds, will be enough to solidify his status atop the P4P list. The lure of a P4P King battle against Money Mayweather awaits him if he is victorious. If Mayweather turns down the fight, Manny will likely fight Mosley or Miguel Cotto. If Manny loses to Hatton, a third fight with Marquez makes the most sense.