Sad news from Boricua, my friends. The Puerto Rican winter league has cancelled its upcoming season. It’s the longest-running Latin winter league, uninterrupted since 1938, but financial problems have done it in for now. MLB is trying to cobble something together, but no word yet. The league president hopes to restart for the ‘08–’09 season.
I hope so, too, because one of my dreams is to go back, pig out, and catch winter baseball. I’ve been from Cabo Rojo to Rincon in the west, from Old San Juan to Culebra in the east, I’ve had ice cream in Ponce and home-cooked arroz con pollo in Mayaguez, but I’ve never had an empanada in the bleachers.
Here’s more on the state of affairs down P-Rico way.
Other Friday notes:
* Weighting For Boof? From the Minneapolis Star-Tribune: “With Boof Bonser riding a 12-start winless streak, the Twins will keep him in the starting rotation, but they want him to lose weight. Bonser, 24, is listed on the roster at 6-4 and 260 pounds. Manager Ron Gardenhire said Bonser has worked hard to maintain that weight all season, but now the team wants to see how he will do by shedding about 10 to 15 pounds.”
* 30–30: The Rangers scored 30 runs against the Orioles the other night to set an American League record. The Giants scored a total of 30 runs during their recent five-game winning streak. Their highest back-to-back two-game total is 20: the Mother’s Day “Fred Lewis cycle” win at Colorado and a subsequent loss to Houston.
* As The Rotation Turns: Kevin Correia is tentatively scheduled to start tomorrow although he might be needed out of the bullpen tonight, says Bruce Bochy. The alternative is probably Pat Misch. Before we grumble about Pat Misch not getting the chance to show what he can do, remember that Correia is only a year older than Misch and spent much of his early pro career as a starter. Only the last two years has he been exclusively a relief pitcher, and not a very good one. Disregard the respectable ERA, let’s go to the WXRL: This year, Correia has a negative score, which means he’s been worse than a Joe Schmoe plucked out of the minors.
Last year he was the best Giant reliever, but that’s not saying much: he contributed a modest 1.8 wins above Joe-Schmoe level. (MLB leader Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez was worth more than 7 wins.) Correia wasn’t terrible in ‘06, but add it to this year’s fizzle and there’s nothing wrong with trying him again in the rotation now that he’s got a few years of seasoning. The emergence of Brian Wilson also makes Correia less necessary in the pen.
Zito, Cain, Lincecum are almost certainly the top three in 2008. If Correia continues to pitch well (his first start this year, Aug. 14 vs. Atlanta, was quite nice — 4 1/3 innings, no runs, five baserunners, 3 Ks), how would you configure the rest of the rotation? Trade Lowry and promote Sanchez? Keep Misch in the bullpen? Keep Correia as the long man / emergency starter? Another factor to consider: Correia is probably arbitration-eligible after this year. He won’t command multi-millions, but his work out of the bullpen hasn’t been worth much more than minimum salary. Discuss.
