[Augetout]

April 8, 1989

Financial concerns have been a part of baseball for a long, long time, and of course the challenges rose exponentially once players gained the right to become free agents. I would guess balancing today’s ‘moneyball/buyers and sellers at the trading deadline’ baseball world with the decidedly less chaotic environment in the 1980s (and early ‘90s at the very least) was a bit of a challenge for the development team.

Having said that, it’s April 8th, and the Chicago Cubs rightfielder, Darryl Strawberry, who won the NL MVP in 1985, and other than a snub in ’88 has been an All Star each season, is already on the trading block. Aside from the balancing of the eras, it seems having the players’ star ratings reset each year based on real-world performance is having the effect of creating some way-overpaid players, and some huge bargains—both in odd fashions fairly frequently. Strawberry’s example is both anecdotal and apt, in that he is 27, already has an MVP, and has averaged over 40 HRs and 100 RBI for the past 4 seasons, but because his real-world performance downgraded him to a 3 star player, his $5,235,000 salary is so high that the Cubbies are looking to unload him…

The same real-world-caused star downgrading made it difficult for me to trade Willie Mcgee (ironically to the Yankees who gave up on him in the real-world), despite him having 2 batting titles (last one in 1987), and having hit .335 with a .374 OBA, and 62 SBs (scoring 102 runs while hitting mainly 5th in the order), last season…

I’m not griping---just noticing.

In game 2 of the 1989 season, the Padres eked out a 4-3 win against the Giants, with the fans wondering why Padres Manager Au Getout allowed Ken Dayley to pitch in the 8th inning (up 4-1, lefties coming up, and Dayley being the only usable lefty in the ‘pen, is the answer), as he allowed 2 runs making a semi-close game into a nail-biter.

In game 3, the home fans got a taste of why fan favorite Willie McGee was traded to make room for a rookie centerfielder named Griffey. He hit his first major league HR (and his 2nd), while Bonds homered in his 3rd consecutive game, as the Padres cruised to an 11-5 victory over SF.

In game 4, San Diego travelled to Houston and a return to nail-biting games, but managed to prevail, 1-0. Glavine pitched a complete game shutout, and new 3B Edgar Martinez got his first RBI of the season.

On a side note, I did some math and decided that Greg Maddux’s extension demands, which was initially a 10 year contract averaging $3.8 million/year (I extended it to 13 years, taking advantage of arrival knowledge and raising the average price tag to a tick over $3.9 million per year), was far cheaper to sign onto now than if I had waited until his arbitration ran out, as I normally do-----heck, he will likely (he is currently ‘pondering’) sign for $100k more per year than Orel Hershiser wants, but his performance will be far, far more impressive in the years to come. I hope the owner is ‘along for the ride’ or the Padres’ dynasty will be impossible to maintain---all while the GM (well, me) will have to go to the winter meetings and explain to the press how I managed to chase away a bunch of future hall of famers…

No takers on the origin of the 'obscure reference,' eh? I figured some of my fellow 'oldsters' would get it right away...