Max Scherzer – PaulHadsall.com

At least we’re getting a bigger scoreboard at Citi Field….

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Paul

Comparison of Citi Field's scoreboard in 2014 with a rendering of the new scoreboard for 2015 taken from the official Mets Tumblr — *Comparison of Citi Field’s scoreboard in 2014 with a rendering of the new scoreboard for 2015 taken from the official Mets Tumblr*

You’ll see a larger video scoreboard if you go out to Citi Field in 2015.

The Mets announced today that Daktronics will design, manufacture and install the new board, which will be 62 percent larger than the original one.

As someone who doesn’t have the best eyesight, I’m happy to hear about the bigger video board.

But I’d have been happier if the Mets’ off-season acquisitions hadn’t been limited to Michael Cuddyer, John Mayberry Jr. and Sean Gilmartin.

With the Washington Nationals signing former Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer to a $210 million mega deal this weekend, FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan wrote that they’re building a potential “super team” in the nation’s capital.

The Texas Rangers addressed a need for more pitching by trading for Yovani Gallardo today. Even the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros remedied roster shortcomings with their deal of Luis Valbuena and Dan Straily for Dexter Fowler.

Sandy Alderson hasn’t made a move affecting his major league roster since selling reliever Germen Gonzalez‘s contract to the New York Yankees a month ago today.

I don’t want the Mets to make a deal just for the sake of making a deal, and I realize that Alderson’s options are limited by budgetary constraints. But I’m a fan and I’m still going to get frustrated when I see other teams actively trying to get better while the Mets seem content with the status quo.

Yankee Stadium (Photo credit: Paul Hadsall)

Baseball, Uncategorized

What does the Yankees’ lack of interest in this year’s top free agents mean?

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Paul

If I were New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, I’d be very happy if everybody got sucked into following the tawdry tabloid saga of Alex Rodriguez this winter. The more “A-Rod is the devil” stories come out, the less time anyone will have to pay attention to the multitude of problems Cashman needs to solve this winter to get the Yankees into the playoffs in 2015.

Right now, the Yankees’ starting rotation depth chart is Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, CC Sabathia, Shane Greene and David Phelps (I guess), with Ivan Nova a possibility sometime later in the season. Cashman has indicated that he’d like to re-sign free agent Brandon McCarthy, who would slot in behind Tanaka and Pineda.

When healthy, Tanaka and Pineda are very talented. But every time Tanaka throws a pitch, you’ve got to wonder if it will be the last before he needs Tommy John surgery and Pineda has started just 13 major league games in the past three years. Sabathia is no longer the ace the Yankees thought they were adding when they signed him and his workload will always have to be carefully monitored due to a knee condition. Anybody care to bet that the three pitchers will each start 30 games next year? I’m not so sure I’d count on the trio combining to start 30 games.

The good news is that this problem should be relatively easy to fix. While their aren’t many quality free agent hitters available this winter, starting pitching is a strength with Jon Lester, Max Scherzer and James Shields all on the market.

Continue reading “What does the Yankees’ lack of interest in this year’s top free agents mean?” →

Autographs, Uncategorized

Autograph of the Day – Max Scherzer

Posted on April 10, 2009 by Paul

Max Scherzer made an impressive rookie debut last season, striking out 7 and pitching 4 1/3 perfect innings on April 29. That audtion landed him a spot in the Arizona Diamondbacks starting rotation.

He didn’t fare quite as well in his first start, and he bounced between the rotation, bullpen and the minors last year. Scherzer opened the 2009 season on the disabled list with shoulder stiffness, but he is expected to be the D-backs’ fifth starter.

I got this card signed through the mail this spring. So far, I’ve gotten 27 of 66 cards back signed.