Around the bases

James Shields
James Shields (Associated Press)
Posted: July 24, 2011

AROUNDTHEBASES

First Base

Perhaps the most interesting development this summer is teams' willingness to float some of their cheap, young, and controllable talent on the trade market. The Rays are doing it with James Shields, Colorado with Ubaldo Jimenez, and Houston with Hunter Pence. They may not intend to trade them, but shouldn't these franchises take better care of their best talent?

Second Base

Something doesn't seem right about this: Japan won the first two World Baseball Classics and is now threatening a boycott of the 2013 event. Why? Japanese players received only 13 percent of the tournament's total revenue. Major League Baseball and its players cashed in on 66 percent. There should be a fair compromise for an added payout to the Classic's winner. Or they could just scrap the whole thing altogether. Plenty of major leaguers would support that.

Third Base

Pat Gillick is in Cooperstown, N.Y., for his induction into the Hall of Fame this weekend, but he's not done with baseball. Gillick, who still serves as a consultant for the Phillies, has always expressed interest in becoming a team president. That situation could arise in Chicago, where Gillick is being mentioned as a potential savior for the hapless Cubs. If he wins a World Series there, will the Hall open a new wing in his honor?

Home Plate

Back to the trade deadline: We wonder how much of the Phillies' interest in Carlos Beltran is actually about the player. By most accounts, the top potential landing spots for the Mets outfielder are San Francisco, Atlanta, and Boston. Those teams are the toughest roadblocks between the Phillies and another world championship. The Phillies have previously shown distaste for rental players. Maybe this fancy is more reactionary than anything.

- Matt Gelb

Index by Keyword
|
Index by Date
|
About Philly.com
|
Contact Us
|
Terms of Use & Privacy Statement
|
Copyright 2013