Santana To Mets...Almost

As of yesterday, the New York Mets have 48 to 72 hours to negotiate a long term deal with soon- to- be- maybe- former Minnesota Twins ace Johan Santana. Word is that Santana and his agent are looking for a deal for five years in the neighborhood of $155 to $160 million. Obviously, this would be the largest contract for a starting pitcher in major league history.

Personally, I’m happy that he is 1) going to the National League and not the American League East and 2) the Sox don’t have to shell out a truckload of cash for a starter they really don’t need.

The Twins effectively took the third best deal on the table for all those serious in the talks for Santana. I’m sure most fans in Minnesota and the surrounding area would have been pleased with players that are either proven (Sox) and those that are on the cusp of superstardom (Yankees) rather than a crop of somewhat unproven commodities. That’s not to say that the Mets’ offering is weak, it’s just not potentially as sure of a thing they could have received with either the Sox or Yankees.

There are some pros and cons to not getting Santana in a Red Sox uniform. The obvious pros have been mentioned above. The money and the players stand out initially to me. The other, just in my opinion, is overloading the starting rotation. You want as few holes in your starting rotation as possible obviously, but you don't want an All-Star team, do you? Beckett, Lester and Dice-K are all young and have bright futures in Boston. Of course Schilling and Wakefield aren’t getting any younger, but they aren’t glaring problems in the current rotation. Adding Santana could have potentially thrown the entire flow of the staff of kilter. I may be alone here, but what would have bringing in Santana done to affect Beckett’s psyche? Or Schilling’s? Word was that Beckett enjoys his role as the "number one" on the mound. Plus, all that damn money. I know if there is another team that can afford it besides the Yanks are the Sox, but still, it’s a ton of fucking money we don’t need to spend.

What about the cons? Well, you’re missing out on probably the best pitcher in baseball. Duh. The Sox are coming off a World Series win, which means every time you play the Royals, Rays or Rangers they’re going to be coming after you like it’s the playoffs. I’m not going to say the Sox flew under the radar in ’07, mostly because of their meteoric April and May, but during spring training there weren’t too many people expecting a whole lot. At least not up until Papelbon’s 8^th inning save down in Arlington that I feel was the emotional catalyst the Sox needed in response to stumbling out of the gate. Anyway, the point I was attempting to make was that if you want to repeat sometimes you need to add a new wrinkle to your team to throw everyone off to give yourself another shot at a ring. What better curveball to throw at the rest of the AL and entire league than having Santana and then Beckett as your 1-2 punch?

Of course, at this point it’s probably a moot point. Santana appears to be headed to Queens or back to Minnesota if a deal doesn’t go through. Then he’d be a free agent and likely headed to Yankee pinstripes for the 2009 season and beyond. I’m hoping the Mets deal goes through and Santana enjoys a fruitful second half to his career in the National League. I’m happy we get to keep Ellsbury and Lester. Even Jed Lowrie, who could develop into an infield counterpart to Dustin Pedroia.

The Twins faithful should keep one thing in mind, and it may help them sleep better at night after losing probably the most dominate pitcher of this era. At least he didn’t go to Boston where he would no doubt have helped the city to yet another championship or superstar filled team. Sleep tight, Minnesota.

What's Happening!!

Good God, this part of the year drags for me. I know the playoffs are in full swing for the NFL, but when your team isn't playing it's hard to get into it. The college football season was hard to get excited for with the absence of the Huskers. So, basically football has sucked this year.

Obviously baseball was another story. It was fun this past year to kick this blog off during a season in which the team I was following won the World Series. But since the championship, the resigning of Lowell and the on again off again trade talks with Minnesota for Johan Santana there isn't much to really talk about. The stove is not hot for the Sox at this point.

CF Coco Crisp in still in Boston, more or less. I'd be surprised if he's in Spring Training wearing a Boston uniform. It's hard to gauge what the Sox can get for him and the market hasn't been responding to the prospect of Crisp. I hope Theo isn't hanging on in hopes the Twins actually bite on him for a trade because that ain't gonna happen.

Right now the starting rotation has as many as six options for the 2008 season. Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz are all starters. With backup catcher and full time Wakefield man-servant Doug Mirabelli back in the fold for '08 it is a clear indicator that the Sox are committed to Wake as a starter. Lester will have the edge for the fifth spot and Buchholz could find himself back in Pawtucket or in the pen for long relief duty.

Other than this, and Jim Rice narrowly missing the Hall, not much is going on in Boston. Of course, league commissioner Bud Selig and players union tzar Donald Fehr talked in front of Congress today.

Every time they show baseball players or brass in a subcommittee room on Capital Hill it reminds me of my favorite line from Mars Attacks! when the aliens take over and torch the Capital Building. The old grandma (Sylvia Sydney) of the main character laughs uncontrollably and blurts out "they blew up Congress!!" Cinematic gold.

Are tickets for the Royals on sale for opening day yet? This sucks.

StFU - Race Relation Style (With Guest Appearance!)

It’s the New Year and I already have a recipient for the year’s first “Shut the Fuck Up” Award. It never ceases to amaze me the level of stupid people will plunge to, but this one has to take the cake. Or the grits. Let me explain.

Last Friday (keep this in mind that it was nearly a week ago) on the Golf Channel an anchor, Kelly Tilghman, reporting from the Mercedes-Benz Championship said while discussing the dominance of Tiger Woods that young up and coming golfers best solution to stop his winning ways was to “lynch him in a back alley.” If this were a scene in a movie you could hear the needle scratch off the record sound effect .2 seconds after the words came out of her mouth. Unfortunately this was for real, as real as the Golf Channel gets anyway.

Initially the Golf Channel was going to take no actions for Tilghman’s comments. Tiger’s agent even brushed it off because the two are friends (which makes everything okay, I guess) and she had personally apologized to Tiger. This all happened before this was news. So once again, please, keep this in mind. Tiger's agent said it was “a complete non-issue.”

Tilghman’s comments were bone-headed and crass. Some (like me) would even call them racially insensitive. What did she think was going to happen? Did she assume that black people don’t watch the Golf Channel? Which of course would be even more racist and prejudgemental. Or did she just think that people would laugh off her off color joke/idiotic comment. Couldn't she just have said "beat him with a nine iron?" Or kidnap him? Or cut off one of his arms? Any of these would have been better. But "lynch him in a back alley?" Yikes, she might as well have said "lynch him like it's 1899."

To me, this is worse for her than it was for Fuzzy Zoeller when he commented at the 1997 Masters Tournament that they should start serving collared greens and fried chicken in the clubhouse now that Tiger was on tour. I’m sure it was in good humor and Tiger may have taken it well, but the American public is too sensitive to realize this, so it was a big no-no for Fuzzy.

So, now Tilghman is suspended for two weeks from her duties on the Golf Channel. How did we get from this being a non-issue from her being suspended to possibly being fired? You have to ask? Why, the Reverend Al Sharpton of course!

I’d also like to make a special announcement, this is huge for us here at KC Bean Boy because we’ve never interviewed anyone. I believe this is going to put us on the blogosphere map, to be quite honest. So, without further ado I’d like to introduce the one, the only, Reverend Al Sharpton.

KCBB: Thank you for speaking with us and answering some of our questions today in light of this horrible tragedy and being on hand to pass out our Shut the Fuck Up Award to Kelly Tilghman.

You’re welcome whitey, there is nothing I love more than going on national television or speaking with a honky blogger to air my grievances and giving awards to white degradatin’ fools.

KCBB: No problem Al, on behalf of the all the staff here at KC Bean Boy, you have an open invitation to come back anytime, even before you answer any questions.

Thanks again cracker, it is my right to say what I want when I want. Let me set the record straight, that white bread woman on the Golf Network is no better than Don Imus, she is no better than the Ku Klux Klan and no better than even Jefferson Davis himself! Furthermore, firing her is not enough. This morning my legal team lead by Johnny Cochran has filed a civil suit on behalf of black people everywhere.

KCBB: Wow that is going to be quite the undertaking sir. I’m just curious, you really think she is no better than the President of the Confederate States of America? Isn’t that going a little overboard? And isn’t Johnny Cochran dead?

Cochran is alive! Let me tell you and all your cracker, white-America reading followers something else. When someone insults a black person with such racially insensitive remarks as these I come with the wrath of my God down upon thee. What would happen if I said they should take Sandy Koufax into a gas chamber so the San Francisco Giants could have gotten some more hits and wins in the 60’s?

KCBB: Well, you make a very valid point there Rev. Sharpton.

That’s right I do son, and you should be taking notes, because if I catch you making even the slightest of disparaging remarks about the black community as I interpret it, I will have you fired as well.

KCBB: Now Reverend, there is no need to threaten me. The integrity of this blog is of the utmost and highest regard among it’s readers for its racial sensitivity. Let’s get back to the interview. Don’t you think you might be taking this a little too far considering that Woods has said through his agent that this is a “complete non-issue” and that Tilghman has apologized to Woods himself?

There is no way that I am taking this too far honky. It’s like when Don Imus called the Rutgers Women’s Basketball team ‘nappy headed hoes.’ He wasn’t just insulting the team, he was insulting black people all over America. He just wanted to apologize to the team, I wanted him to be fired and spend his time going from door to door in Harlem, in Watts, in Philadelphia, in Newark, in Compton and in Jena personally apologizing to every black person that lives in the United States of America. I believe she should be fired and should have to personally apologize to black people everywhere. You know she went to Duke University, right? Don’t you know that I represent black people everywhere? I am the emperor of black people!

KCBB: I’m apologize, Reverend, I was unaware of your patriarchal status among the black community. While I agree that her comments were out of line and that she should be punished, don’t you believe she should be absolved through her apology to Woods, the man she referenced in the first place?

Absolutely not! This matter is bigger than Tiger Woods! He’s not black enough anyway. Don’t you remember I said that? The punishment should fit the crime here cracker.

KCBB: One final question, doesn’t the Bible in which you preach from talk of forgiveness and learning from one’s mistakes?

You realize I’m not a real minister, right?

KCBB: I was not aware of that either. Thank you again for your time Mr. Sharpton.

Reverend!

KCBB: Oh Al! Thanks for coming on to speak with us.

Bye, honky!

There you have it, our first interview and I’m sure it will go down in history as one of the finest. Reverend Al was on hand to pass out a StFU, how awesome was that? So there you have it Kelly Tilghman, on behalf of KC Bean Boy, Reverend Sharpton and black people everywhere, Shut the Fuck Up!

Added Golf Related Bonus Picture!!