Hideo Nomo Has a Posse

If you’re into old players being very bitter that modern players make more money than they did, have the freedom to look different than they did, and that the modern player’s mechanisms for cheating are more superior to their own mechanisms for cheating, well, then, Jim Rice is happy to oblige:

“You see a Manny Ramirez, you see an A-Rod [Alex Rodriguez], you see [Derek] Jeter … Guys that I played against and with, these guys you’re talking about cannot compare,” Rice said to Little Leaguers gathered in the cafeteria.

Right, these guys are far more immoral than anyone playing in Rice’s days. Why, if the kids realized they could make a lot of money playing a game they love, that would be catastrophic, right? Someone, please, think of the children, lest one grow up to have dreadlocks!

Update: woo, Neyer sounds in also chastising Rice.

One word review of Pedro Martinez’s first inning for the Phillies:

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Conversely, a one word review of Doug Fister’s Mariner rotation debut last night, during which he struck out four, allowing one hit and no runs in six innings in front of family and friends, only to have it all pissed away when David “tell it to the D.A” (jesus, these nicknames) Aardsma gave up a go-ahead three run home run in the top of the 9th:

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Go Doug Fister! Good on you. KING FELIX and some guy named Mark Buehrle face off in about two hours thirty minutes.

Something randomly awesome for Friday.

Topps now has an exclusive deal to produce MLB trading cards. Competitors – I think only Upper Deck is left – can still manufacture cards as per their agreements with the players union, but cannot use league and team logos. Says the marketing drone VP for Business at MLB Tim Brosnan – a very empty man:

“There is a greater chance of organizing the marketplace with a singular partner.”

What? Like where along the path of this life does a man so lose his soul that he ends up saying things like this?

Tip o’ the hat to IATMS.

Interesting interview w/ Jack Wilson wherein he discusses the science of defense, mentioning the defensive RBI that Pittsburgh infield coach Perry Hill put into place.

“To me, you drive in runs at the plate, but you can save runs in the field. Our infield coach in Pittsburgh had a stat this year – defensive RBI – for when you’d saved a run in the field. It wasn’t just great plays, it could be big double plays, relay throws, tags – a lot of little things.

“I had 35 defensive RBI, 31 on offense.”

More on Perry Hill.

Hill inserts white plugs — imagine golf tees — into the infield dirt. That is their starting point. From there, he places the infielders in position for each hitter, each pitcher, each situation he meticulously charts and studies. He maintains he won’t use charts from 1990s Texas or even 2007 Pirates, though all are at his fingertips.

Thanks to Tango for the link.