a little snow on their pristine white-and-teal jerseys

Posted in IYH Forums by wxy1123 at 05:40, Oct 18 2014

Ive never been a fan of opt-out clauses in contracts. The Dodgers two-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw who just signed a 7-year $215-million dollar pact, can get out after five years if he so chooses. Japanese star Masahiro Tanaka can escape from his seven-year $155 million dollar deal with the Yankees after four seasons. Zach Greinke and C.C Sabathia both have these kinds of deals as well. Its easy to see why the players and agents want them. If they truly grow to detest a city or an organization they can move on. If the player continues to perform at an optimum level, he can opt out early and get an even better deal, and from the agents perspective can set the market bar even higher for every other pitcher or player in the majors. However, there just seems to be something mercenary, and sort of having your cake and eating it too kind of feel about the whole thing. I can see player option years on contracts or club options or mutual options, but opt-outs just dont feel right. Talking about these kinds of clauses brings back memories of the deal the Blue Jays signed with Roger Clemens back in December of 1996. At the time, the four-year contract looked like an incredible coup for the Jays organization. They had lured one of baseballs all-time great pitchers -- albeit seemingly fading a bit at 34 -- away from the mighty Boston Red Sox. Not only that, but they outbid the Yankees for his services. Paul Beeston actually travelled down to Clemens home in Texas to personally deliver the sales pitch. Initially -- at least based on Clemens stats, over two years -- it was an incredible deal for the Jays. Clemens won over 20 games twice, captured the American League Triple Crown for pitchers both years and won back-to-back Cy Young Awards. Unfortunately, over the ‘97 and ‘98 seasons, the Jays finished a combined 24 games under .500 and attendance never really spiked the way you might have expected when Clemens pitched at home. Then there were stories that Clemens helped pushed for the ouster of Cito Gaston as manager late in the 1997 season, and when Cito was gone campaigned for Red Sox coach Tim Johnson to take over as skipper in 1998. All of that paled in comparison to the news that leaked out late in ‘98 about the exact details of Clemens contract. He had a five-point secret handshake agreement with Paul Beeston and the Blue Jays, as reported by Murray Chass in The New York Times. The key points included Clemens having the right to demand a trade two years into the four-year deal. He also had to approve which team he was traded to. He could also demand a trade to the Houston Astros at any point in the contract. The reason for that was there was a chance his agents Randy and lan Hendricks were going to buy the Astros and the “Rocket Man” really wanted to play for them. None of that transpired, but when news of this secret deal came out, the commissioners office was not impressed. The Jays were fined for entering into a secret deal that was against major league rules. Oddly enough by that time, Paul Beeston had left the Blue Jays and was working for MLB as the number two official below only the Commissioner himself Bud Selig. On Feb. 18, 1999, the Blue Jays ultimately did trade Clemens to the Yankees for Dave Wells, second baseman Homer Bush and lefty reliever Graeme Lloyd. Clemens went on to get his first World Series ring in ‘99 and got another in 2000, though Clemens embarrassed himself by throwing a piece of a broken bat across the path of the Mets Mike Piazza as he ran towards first base. The next time the Blue Jays offered an opt-clause to a pitcher it was legal, and all the “Is” were dotted and the “Ts” crossed. A.J Burnett signed a five-year deal with the Jays on Dec. 6, 2005 for five years and $55 million dollars. It was nine years after the Clemens signing, but Burnett was nowhere near the pitcher Clemens was and got more term and money. Unfortunately for the Jays, Burnett battled injuries in 2006 and 2007 and finished with identical 10-8 records. Finally in 2008 he pitched like an ace and wound up 18-10. But that was a contract year because in effect, since Burnett had the option to opt out of his deal after three years. He did just that and signed with the Yankees, helping them beat the Phillies in the 2009 World Series. I dont dislike the opt out just because of the Blue Jays experiences. No, its because it simply creates the impression the pitcher or player is just using that club as a springboard to a better deal with a perennial contender when the time is right. I hope this becomes a major battle ground when the next labour deal comes up in a couple of years. The Blue Jays opening home series is a three game set against the Yankees to cap the opening week of the season. Id wager we wont get to see Masahiro Tanaka though. The Yanks open the season in Houston and the best bet would be Tanaka would start the second game of the season after staff ace C.C Sabathia. That would mean Tanakas next turn would be at Yankee Stadium for the home opener against Baltimore. The lowest I could see him being in the rotation is number three. That would put him in line to start the finale in Houston and the second game at home against the Orioles. So well have to wait till later in the season to see Tanaka face the Jays. cheap jerseys china . Dribbling on the perimeter with the final seconds ticking off the clock and Washington down by a point, Wall found his opening. cheap jerseys . He missed a three-game series against New York this week after suffering the injury last Sunday while trying to leg out a base hit during a game in Cincinnati. http://www.cheapjerseyschina.cc/. A CFL source told TSNs Matthew Scianitti that Smith will re-sign with the Toronto Argonauts. cheap nfl jerseys china . -- Jermaine Marshall scored eight of his 29 points in the second overtime and Jordan Bachynski blocked T. cheap china jerseys . -- Philippe Cadorette made 22 saves as the Baie-Comeau Drakkar shut out the Victoriaville Tigres 3-0 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoff action Monday.PITTSBURGH -- Considering everything the resilient Miami Dolphins have put themselves through over the last two months, a couple of snowflakes were hardly going to be a problem. Not with Ryan Tannehill throwing and running like a guy who enjoys the white stuff. Not with Charles Clay muscling through the arm tackle of a likely Hall of Famer for the winning score. Not even with a Keystone Kops finale that ever so briefly appeared to be for real. Clay bulled through Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu and cornerback Cortez Allen to score a 12-yard touchdown with 2:53 remaining to put the Dolphins in front to stay and Miami survived a wild finish to edge the Steelers 34-28 on Sunday. "I think I need some blood pressure medicine or something," Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake said. "Thats December football." Daniel Thomas ran for 105 yards and a score for Miami, including a zig-zag 55-yard burst to set up Clays winner. Clay had seven receptions for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Tannehill, playing in wintry conditions for the first time in his life, completed 20 of 33 passes for 201 yards and three scores and also ripped off a career-long 48 yard run for the Dolphins (7-6). Miami blew a pair of second-half leads but improved to 3-1 in its last four games. Heady territory for an organization reeling a month ago after a bullying accusation against offensive lineman Richie Incognito by Jonathan Martin that threatened to rip the locker room apart. "Big win of us," Thomas said. "We have a do or die mentality." One the Dolphins nearly saw both sides of in the final three minutes. Caleb Sturgis drilled a short field goal after Clays second touchdown to put Miami up six. The Steelers got the ball back with 1:08 left but no timeouts. Three plays went nowhere and on fourth-and-4 from the Pittsburgh 26 Ben Roethlisberger took the snap just before the clock hit all zeroes. Emmanuel Sanders caught the pass and made it 20 yards before things went haywire. Sanders flipped it to Jerricho Cotchery, who handed it to LeVeon Bell, who then tossed it to 330-pound tackle Marcus Gilbert. Gilbert flipped it to Roethlisberger, who ran to the Pittsburgh 33 before throwing what appeared to be an illegal forward pass to Brown. No flags were thrown, however, as Brown raced down the sideline. As the Dolphins gave chase, BBrown crossed the goal line.dddddddddddd While he celebrated, an official pointed at the turf and ruled Browns left foot stepped out of bounds at the Miami 12. That sent the resurgent Dolphins spilling onto the field after the franchises first win in Pittsburgh in 23 years, one that came in the unlikeliest of settings. "I thought I had it clean," Brown said. "I thought I separated really good getting to the sideline, but it didnt seem quite enough." It never has been this year for Pittsburgh (5-, which lost its second straight to all but end any outside shot of making the playoffs. Roethlisberger passed for 349 yards and three scores, but could do little but trudge to the locker room in disgust with his team assured of a second straight non-winning season. "There isnt going to be any quit from anybody," Roethlisberger said. The defeated capped a distracting 10 days for the Steelers. Head coach Mike Tomlin was fined $100,000 for interfering with Baltimore kickoff returner Jacoby Jones during a loss to Baltimore on Thanksgiving night. The kind of furor overshadowed the fact what little margin for error the Steelers had heading into December was gone. Now its vanished completely. "Weve still got games to play," Pittsburgh cornerback Ike Taylor said. "Weve got no time to be whining pouting, thinking about the season." Neither do the Dolphins. Then again, they have something considerably more tangible to play for after showing theyre not afraid to get a little snow on their pristine white-and-teal jerseys. Miami settled itself as the snow tapered off, taking a 17-7 lead early in the third quarter then continually responding whenever the Steelers appeared ready to take control in a game that featured four lead changes in the last 23 minutes. NOTES: Miami WR Mike Wallace had two catches for 19 yards in his return to Pittsburgh, where he played from 2009-12. ... Miami RB Lamar Miller left in the third quarter with a concussion and did not return. ... Roethlisbergers first-quarter touchdown pass to Sanders gave him 213 in his career, breaking a tie with Terry Bradshaw for the most in team history ... Polamalu returned an interception 19 yards for a score in the third quarter, the fifth touchdown of his career. ... Brown became the second Steeler to reach 90 receptions in a season. Hines Ward did it four times. ' ' '