Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe caught up with Pedro Martinez who was at former teammate David Ortiz‘s celebrity golf fundraiser in the Dominican Republic yesterday. The always outspoken Martinez had plenty to say about the steroids era as well as his own career and legacy. “I never had a complaint. I don’t have it. I think I did it the best way possible,” he said on Friday. “What would have happened if I had a level [...]

It seems like year after year the Mets are looking at upgrading their bullpen. Whether it’s Sean Green, Elmer Dessens, Francisco Rodriguez, Scott Schoeneweis, Billy Wagner, Jon Rauch, Ramon Ramirez, Jason Isringhausen, or even D.J. Carrasco. It never seems like the Mets have figured out what makes for a great bullpen year after year. Sure you can develop arms like Atlanta, but that’s probably even harder to do. Maybe it’s not so much an organizational flaw, [...]

The 1969 Mets shocked the baseball universe with an improbable 100 win season and a World Series victory over the mighty Baltimore Orioles. The Miracle Mets will find their way onto any list of the greatest underdog achievements in sports. © 2012 Casino.org

The San Diego Padres were closing in Monday on a one-year contract with free-agent starter Jason Marquis, according to a baseball official with knowledge of the negotiations, writes ESPN’s Jayson Stark.. According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, Jason Isringhausen has decided he wants to come back and pitch again. 3 teams already interested. Izzy, now 40, made 50 appearances last season for the Angels and posted a 4.13 ERA and a 1.380 WHIP in 45.2 innings. The [...]

The calls started to come the other night from other Hall of Fame writers asking if I intended to vote for Mike Piazza, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa. As a Hall of Fame voter the past decade I take the responsibility seriously. Because of their connection to performance enhancing drugs, I did not vote for Mark McGwire or Rafael Palmeiro, the latter whom I covered when he was with the Orioles. Palmeiro certainly [...]

The Los Angeles Angels have acquired starting pitcher Tommy Hanson from the Atlanta Braves for reliever Jordan Walden, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Here are two summaries from MLBTR: Hanson, 26, pitched to a 4.48 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 174 2/3 innings this year. The right-hander missed time with shoulder tendinitis last season, and his fastball velocity has been trending in the wrong direction as well. Hanson is arbitration-eligible [...]

The Hot Stove is heating up just days before the winter meetings,BJ Upton has agreed to a deal with the Atlanta Braves, pending a physical says Ken Rosenthal via twitter. Bob Nightengale of USA Today, also via twitter, is reporting the deal is worth $70-75 over five years. Jon Heyman is saying that the exact value is 5 years and $75.25 million however. Under the new CBA, since Upton declined the Rays qualifying offer, his former club [...]

Maybe I’m in the minority here but the last few years have taught me one thing about social media – it allows teams, agents, and players to get whatever message they want sent to the masses to benefit themselves first. How many times have we heard “player X” could be traded? Or “team offered X to player”, or a player is looking for “X” in a contract? I have learned that things like “Rumor Central” [...]

Major League Baseball announced via Twitter this afternoon that Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz has been suspended 25 games after testing positive for an Amphetamine. The 33 year-old Ruiz had the best season of his career this year, hitting .325 with a career-high 16 home runs and 68 RBI. Ruiz had never, before this year, had an OPS higher than .850 and only once in his career has he hit over .300. His career batting average [...]

Whatever you hear about what David Wright might be asking or the Mets might be offering, just understand the bar has been set by his contemporaries Evan Longoria and Ryan Zimmerman, Both are close to Wright in terms of age and production. Just not salary. The Tampa Bay Rays, long known as a team with low payroll agreed to a contract extension over the weekend with Longoria for $100 million over ten years. The deal [...]

Who can forget where we were and what we were doing on December 16, 2004? (Ok, I admit it. I didn’t know the exact date either). It was a huge day for us fans. After finishing 25 GB and under .500 for the 3rd straight year, Omar Minaya made not only a bold move but made a statement. The New York Mets—yes, OUR New York Mets—signed the top pitcher of his era: Pedro Martinez. Granted, [...]