Long-lost 1956 World Series game to be broadcast New Years Day on new MLB Network

The MLB Network will premiere on New Year's Day with the original telecast -- commercials and all -- of New York Yanees pitcher Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 baseball World Series.

The game, which was televised on NBC, was thought to have been lost to history. But several years ago, a collector discovered a kinescope version that begins in the second inning and continues throughout the end. Before the videotape era, kinescopes were a popular way of recording TV shows. They were usually created by placing a movie camera in front of a television monitor and recording the image off the monitor's screen while the program was being aired.

It will be the first time the contest has been televised since the October day 52 years ago.
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Yankees' announcer Mel Allen and Brooklyn Dodgers' announcer Vin Scully do the play-by-play. Larsen is the only pitcher ever to throw a perfect game during the World Series.

The MLB channel will sign on at 6 p.m. ET with a live "Hot Stove" studio show that will introduce the network and update what's happened in baseball since the World Series. The Yankees-Dodgers game begins at 7 p.m.

Also on tap is live coverage of the Hall of Fame selection, documentaries on the Negro Leagues on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 19) and one-hour episodes looking back at specific years in Major League Baseball. source>>>

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Tigers sign Everett to one-year deal

The news that Adam Everett would be signing on as a member of the Tigers leaked nearly a week ago, and it was especially good news for Betty Thaxton of Sterling Heights, Mich.

Thaxton is the grandmother of Everett's wife, Jennifer, who was born in the Detroit area, and she has received plenty of congratulatory greetings in recent days.

"She feels like a celebrity when she goes to Meijer," Everett said.

The Tigers didn't go to Meijer, but they did hit the free-agent market when looking for a defensive-minded shortstop to fill the void left by Edgar Renteria. They came out with Everett, who will get the majority of the starts at short. Ramon Santiago will also see time at the position.

Everett's one-year deal worth $1 million plus incentives became a matter of public knowledge during last week's Winter Meetings, but the signing became official Monday morning, after the formality of a physical had been completed.

"We really focused on improving our defense and our pitching, and, of course, they go hand-in-hand," president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "When you put Adam at shortstop, he's one of the best defensive shortstops in the game. He has outstanding range, he knows how to play the game, he does the little things and is a leader on the field. He's just what we need for our team."

Everett, who turns 32 in February, had more than his in-law roots to consider when signing with Detroit.

"Two good friends, Brian Moehler and Mike Maroth, both played for the Tigers organization and both loved it," Everett said. "Not only that, but you're playing for a winner. Anytime you get a chance to play for who I consider to be a Hall of Fame manager in Jim Leyland, you take that opportunity when it's there."

Everett hasn't had much of a chance to play the last two years, as injuries have gotten in the way. He fractured his right fibula and missed three months of his '07 season with the Astros, and a right shoulder strain and right shoulder tendinitis limited him to just 48 games with the Twins in '08.

The time Everett spent on the disabled list allowed his shoulder to heal, and he said it was back to full strength by season's end. The Tigers were happy with what they saw from Everett during a workout at the team's Spring Training facility in Lakeland, Fla., earlier this month.

Hot Stove

"This offseason, I've maintained my stretching and throwing," Everett said. "I've taken it a lot more serious. It's the old saying that you don't really know how to take care of yourself until you get hurt. I take that very serious now."

Having Everett at short and Brandon Inge at his natural position at third should provide a serious upgrade to the Tigers' infield defense, which could ease the pressure on the pitching staff. In eight big league seasons with the Astros (2001-07) and Twins, Everett has compiled a .976 fielding percentage at short.

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Pirates select power pitcher in Rule 5 Draft

The Pirates today selected left-handed pitcher Donnie Veal off the Chicago Cubs' Triple-A roster (Iowa) in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft.

The 24-year-old Veal spent the entire 2008 season with Double-A Tennessee, where he went 5-10 with a 4.52 ERA (145.1ip/73er) in 29 starts while being named to the Southern League mid-season All-Star team. The southpaw also recorded a total of 123 strikeouts, which ranked fourth among Southern League hurlers.

The Pirates also selected LHP Andres Santos, RHP Rafael Quintero and RHP Gerardo Esparza in the Minor League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft. source>>>

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Not even Pete Rose can make a big baseball bet right now

Las Vegas seldom turns down anyone's gambling action, but the Boston Herald says bets on baseball are being restricted so long as MLB is in town for its winter meetings.

The Herald says Las Vegas Sports Consultants has issued an alert to sportsbooks that there is too much potential for insider information circulating while MLB deals are being made in Sin City.

The Herald's Michael Silverman also reports that the sportsbook at the Bellagio, where the meetings are being held, has put a limit of $100 on bets about future winners of the World Series or NL or AL pennants. Before the alert, the limit was $500.

Some MLB free-agent signings conceivably could move betting lines dramatically. Perhaps the most prominent one would be if CC Sabathia elected to stay with the Milwaukee Brewers, who seemingly will be so-so without him. Silverman points out that when the Boston Celtics traded for Kevin Garnett before the 2007-08 season their odds of winning the NBA title dropped from the 60- to 80-to-1 range to 10-to-1 with most sportsbooks.
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K-Rod gets 3-year deal from Mets

Francisco Rodriguez became the first top-tier free agent to reach an agreement when he decided to join the New York Mets, and Kerry Wood was on the verge of striking a deal with the Cleveland Indians at the winter meetings in Las Vegas.

Coming off a record 62 saves for the Los Angeles Angels, Rodriguez reached a preliminary agreement Tuesday on a $37 million, three-year contract with the Mets, desperate for bullpen help. The sides still have to work out a written agreement and the pitcher must pass a physical, two people familiar with the negotiations said. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract had not yet been completed.

"He's pretty special," said Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre, familiar with K-Rod from his days with the New York Yankees. "You got tired of looking at him in October. I mean, he had a lot of success against us and he's certainly that dominant guy out there, and he's very durable."

Cleveland was closing in on a two-year contract with Wood, the former Chicago Cubs starter-turned-reliever, a person familiar with that deal said on condition of anonymity because the sides still were working through details. Wood, who has had numerous injury problems, also needs to pass a physical.

Martinez delays signing

Pedro Martinez likely won't decide whether to pitch for the Dominican Republic in next year's World Baseball Classic until he reaches a contract agreement with a major league team.

The 37-year-old free agent isn't ready to start thinking about where he wants to play next season.

"I've said it previously and I have said to my agents that they do not speak to me of contracts until January," the three-time Cy Young Award winner said.

Martinez was 5-6 with a 5.61 ERA last season with the Mets. source>>>

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MLB.com lays off 4 percent of employees

Major League Baseball Advanced Media, the company that runs the sport's highly successful Internet division, laid off about 4.5 percent of its workers last week.

MLBAM president Bob Bowman said Monday there were approximately 20 layoffs among a staff that had been at 450. Several MLBAM employees said they understood the total number of employees being let go was closer to 30, a figure Bowman disputed.

"We want to focus more on our core business and the game and the team and the fans, and not on our studio," Bowman said during a telephone interview. "We've been growing for eight years, and now was a time to trim."

Among the employees let go was MLB.com's reporter who covered the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies. Bowman said he will be replaced.

Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, said last month that central baseball's expense budget for 2009 would remain the same as this year. MLB officials have said the sport took in a record $6.5 billion in revenue this season.
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"As the weeks turn, we're going to see where the economy goes. None of us have been through this before," Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said. "We have to be realistic -- realistic that we really don't know."

Baseball executives have becomes fixated on the economy this offseason.

"The first thing I do when I get up in the morning is turn on the TV and go straight to Bloomberg to see the market," Oakland Athletics GM Billy Beane said. source>>>

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Maddux calls it a career plus done deals on Day 1of MLB meetings in Las Vegas

Four years ago, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman went to baseball's Winter Meetings in Anaheim and strolled through the lobby, a genuine Las Vegas showgirl on each arm and an Elvis impersonator in tow, sending a clear and glitzy invitation to visit sometime.

On Monday, baseball officially dropped by Las Vegas and strolled into the Bellagio Hotel lobby, CC Sabathia on one arm, Jake Peavy dangling from the other and enough rumors impersonating news to extend all the way to Graceland.

General managers, agents and media descended upon the desert mecca for the first time as the Winter Meetings began on Monday, staging Day 1 of a four-day gathering right there on the Las Vegas Strip. It's a session that could see big stars making huge news, late and lively nights of spirited camaraderie, and the potential for money changing hands.

In other words, just a normal four days in Vegas -- with a red-seamed twist that makes it anything but normal.

It was fitting that the top name on the marquee for Day 1 was a hometown hero, Las Vegas' greatest gift to baseball: Greg Maddux. The winner of 355 games, Maddux started the clock on his road to Cooperstown and the National Baseball Hall of Fame by officially announcing his retirement.

Leave it to the cerebral right-hander to throw the first pitch of these Winter Meetings with class.

"I'm just here to say, really, thank you to everybody," Maddux said. "Everybody in baseball, from teams I've played for, GMs, hitting coaches, pitching coaches, teammates, clubbies, people that work in the ballparks that you see every day in baseball. Everybody has always treated me great, and the friends I made, I really just came out here today to say thank you."

As baseball's fans shouted a collective "No, thank YOU!" to Maddux, the murmurs and whispers quickly gathered volume into the annual crescendo of Hot Stove action, reaction and just plain old fiction.

Some business was accomplished on Day 1, from the finalization of a trade that sent catcher Gerald Laird from the Rangers to the Tigers to the subsequent reported signing by the Tigers of veteran shortstop Adam Everett, pending a physical. Later, Casey Blake and the Dodgers appeared close to reuniting for 2009.

No, the headlines of done deals did not shake the baseball world on Day 1.

"I guess it was a typical Winter Meetings day," Red Sox GM Theo Epstein said on Monday. "Some talks, couldn't get anything done. It took a half-hour to get through the lobby. It was all right."

But as usual, it wasn't so much about what got done as it as about what's getting done.

And nobody was getting it done like Sabathia.

The most sought-after free-agent pitcher worked the market up and down the Strip for a good 24 hours. He and his representatives started by meeting with the Yankees -- who brought Reggie Jackson to the room for good measure -- on Sunday night. The big lefty caught Dodgers GM Ned Colletti on the way out and professed, according to Colletti, a desire to pitch for the Dodgers. And then, during the course of Monday, Sabathia met with the incumbent Brewers ... and then with the Yankees yet again ... and the Red Sox, too?

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Slow free agent market worries MLB agents

Only 10 MLB players eligible for free agency had signed deals by Dec. 1 of this year, down 70 percent from the 33 that had signed in the same time period in 2007 and down 76 percent from 42 players in 2006.

In a further sign of the weakness of the market so far, the vast majority of players who have signed deals this year re-signed with their previous teams in one- and two-year contracts.

As baseball's winter meetings open today in Las Vegas, there is hope in the agent and player community that the floodgates could open on free agent deals, especially if premier free agents CC Sabathia, Manny Ramirez or Mark Teixeira agree to blockbuster contracts.
Three free agents looking for big deals
(from left): Teixeira, Ramirez, Sabathia.

But there is also trepidation that more than just a lack of consummated deals with players at the top is holding back this market.

"I don't think the panic flags are up yet, but if we get to the end of [this] week, and only three or four guys are signed, there is a real cause for concern," said one top agent, who represents free agents and did not want to be quoted publicly on the state of the market. "At the end of the day, I think teams will pay, because they want to win."

But Marc Ganis, president of Chicago-based SportsCorp Ltd., who has advised MLB clubs on business matters, including debt structure, predicts the economy will take a toll on the free agent market.

"This is the first sports free agent market since the economic crisis hit in full force," Ganis said last week. "My expectation is the top players will get top prices and everyone else will get less. ... I think the most significant reason we have seen such a small number of free agent signings is because of the worldwide economic crisis."

MLB's $1.5 billion credit facility expires today, meaning that many of the smaller-market teams that used it will have a higher cost of debt. Ganis said that some teams, especially smaller-market teams, have historically used the loan pool to pay some of their player costs.

The credit line has been used "to pay signing bonuses and other larger player salaries before teams take in their season-ticket revenue in February or March," Ganis said.

In addition to higher debt costs, teams also face uncertain future revenue, Ganis said. "They have to budget less revenue, fewer ticket sales, less sponsorship revenue because of the expected significant uncertainty and reduced employment in 2009," he said.
Ryan Dempster signed a four-year,
$52 million extension with the Cubs.
Signing shortage
Only 10 deals by MLB players eligible for free agency had been reported through Dec. 1, down considerably from recent years. Ryan Dempster (above) has signed the biggest deal by far, $13 million a year over four years with the Chicago Cubs.
Player Total value
Years
Team
Wes Helms $1,900,000
2
Florida
Mark Ellis $11,000,000
2
Oakland
Jason LaRue $950,000
1
St. Louis
Fernando Tatis $1,700,000
1
New York Mets
Miguel Olivo $2,700,000
1
Kansas City
LaTroy Hawkins $3,500,000
1
Houston
Scott Eyre $2,000,000
1

Maury Brown, who runs the bizofbaseball.com Web site, said several team executives have privately expressed concern about revenue in 2009.

"One executive put it to me that trying to determine what revenues are going to be is like trying to predict the weather," Brown said. "As he put it, 'We are hoping for sunshine, but preparing for rain.'"

But Brown also noted that despite the recession, MLB could see boosts in revenue from the launch of the MLB Network in January, as well as the opening of Citi Field and the new Yankee Stadium.

Brown says the fact that key players such as Sabathia, Teixeira and Ramirez had not signed free-agent deals as of midweek last week was influencing the market. "But as a general rule, the whole market is sitting in neutral," he said.

One agent found it troubling that there were so few multiyear deals signed with free agents after Nov. 14, when players were freed to negotiate beyond their previous clubs. This year, only Jeremy Affeldt and Ryan Dempster had signed multiyear deals after that date through Dec. 1.

Last year, multiyear deals consummated through Dec. 1 included those of Luis Castillo, Francisco Cordero, Torii Hunter, Scott Linebrink, Mike Lowell, Jorge Posada and J.C. Romero. The top free agent of that market, Alex Rodriguez, agreed to a 10-year, $275 million deal Dec. 12, although reports that Rodriguez had agreed to "the outline" of the deal were published in mid-November.

Rob Manfred, MLB executive vice president of labor, would not comment on the number of signings except to say, "Every free agent market has its own pace, based on all kinds of different factors. There is no explanation I can offer you with any degree of certainty about why this free-agent market looks like it looks."

MLB Players Association general counsel Michael Weiner declined to comment, but in October Weiner told The Associated Press that in reviewing last year's free agent market the union had found evidence of teams acting in concert against signing Barry Bonds to a free agent deal. "Our investigation revealed a violation of the Basic Agreement," Weiner said.

But Ganis said this year is different than any year in recent history. "The worldwide economic crisis has truly reduced the amount of money that teams have to pay players," he said. "This not collusion. This is pure economic reality." source>>>

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Winter Meetings Trade Preview

Most of the well known baseball writers have posted their Winter Meetings Preview over the last two days discussing where each free agent will sign. I will give you something different. I have 6 trades that make sense for both teams involved.

* San Diego trades Jake Peavy to Milwaukee for Angel Salome and Alcides Escobar. Milwaukee gets the ace starting pitcher they need to compete in the competitive NL Central, and San Diego gets a catcher and shortstop of the future....err....present. Escobar replaces the recently traded Kahlil Greene, while Salome platoons with C Nick Hundley.
* Cinncinnatti trades SS Alex Gonzalez to Los Angeles Dodgers for CFer Juan Pierre. The Reds get their CFer and leadoff hitter to boot. The Dodgers get a serviceable SS with a good glove....and rid themselves of Pierre's contract. Pierre reunites with Dusty Baker. AGonz2 holds down SS till Ivan DeJesus Jr. is ready.
* Pittsburgh trades Nate McLouth to the Yankees for Ian Kennedy and a low level pitching prospect. The Yankees get a leadoff hitter with some pop. The Pirates get another young arm to continue their youth movement. Andrew McCutchen is ready to take over CF for the Buccos.
* Florida trades 2Bman Dan Uggla to St. Louis for OFer Ryan Ludwick. This deal allows the Marlins to play recently acquired Emilio Bonafacio at 2b everyday with Ludwick playing LF. St. Louis gets the 2bman they need and a cleanup hitter to hit behind Albert Pujols.
* San Diego trades RP Heath Bell and OFer Brian Giles to the Mets for Fernando Martinez and RP Aaron Heilman. The Mets get their LFer and an on-base machine in Giles to hit in front of Beltran, Wright and Delgado. They get Bell to set up one of K-Rod/Fuentes. The Padres continue to slash payroll and get their CFer of the future, and slot Heilman in their starting rotation where he could thrive in that ballpark.
* The Washington Nationals trade LFer Lastings Milledge to the Phillies for pitching prospect Carlos Carrasco and 2b prospect Jason Donald. The Nats open up a spot for Adam Dunn, get their future 2bman and a pitching prospect who could start for them in 2009. The Phillies get a LFer to replace Pat Burrell. source>>>

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New caskets feature MLB logo

- Lifelong Red Sox fans can now take their love of the team to the next level -- eternity.

A Massachusetts funeral home recently took delivery of the first Red Sox casket, which features the team logo on the exterior as well as the inside.

The casket is manufactured by Eternal Image of Michigan, which has a licensing agreement with Major League Baseball.

Bob Biggins, co-director of Magoun-Biggins Funeral Home in Rockland, tells The Boston Globe families in mourning often want their loved ones buried with favorite items. In the past that's included Red Sox paraphernalia; the casket takes it to the next step.

Biggins says the family that chose the $3,000 Red Sox casket bearing serial number 0001 did not hesitate in picking it for their father. source>>>

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Rickey Henderson, Nine Other First-Timers On MLB Hall Of Fame Ballot

Rickey Henderson, the major league's all-time steals leader, led 22 other players on next year's Hall of Fame nominees in the list announced Monday.

Out of the 23 nominees, a record-low for Cooperstown-bound players, 10 are first-timers with Henderson eying to join the club after a storied 25-year baseball career.

The 49-year-old left fielder suited up for nine different teams, but most notably with Oakland, where he won the AL MVP in 1990.

Henderson's 1,406 base thefts are the most in the majors, as is his runs of 2,295 and caught stealing figures of 335.

Henderson also was an All-Star 10 times during his playing career from 1979 to 2003.

Aside from Henderson, those aiming to crack the Hall during their first try are David Cone, Matt Grace, Jay Bell, Mo Vaughn, Matt Williams, Jesse Orosco, Dan Plesac and Greg Vaughn.

Holdovers for the 2009 class are Mark McGwire, Jim Rice, Harold Baines, Bert Blyleven, Andre Dawson, Tommy John, Don Mattingly, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Tim Raines, Lee Smith and Alan Trammell.

Last year, Rice fell just 16 votes shy of the needed 75 percent to make the Hall of Fame list while McGwire came up with just 24 percent of the votes in his second try last year.

Dawson was short too, needing 50 more votes needed to join the list. source>>>

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