Alvarez signing in jeopardy

Pedro Alvarez may not be a Pittsburgh Pirate after all.

Major League Baseball has placed the former Vanderbilt third baseman on the restricted list because Alvarez's agent, Scott Boras, informed the team that Alvarez would not sign the contract and wants it renegotiated.

The case has also been forwarded to the players union, and it's been reported that the union planned to pursue a grievance against the Pirates, claiming that Alvarez agreed to his contract after the Aug. 15 midnight deadline.

Pittsburgh said it was informed by Boras that Alvarez would not report to the Pirates until they renegotiated his contract and agreed to pay him more than the $6 million signing bonus to which he agreed.

Boras also said that the contract was agreed to after the deadline.

"This claim was not raised on the evening of the 15th when we informed Mr. Boras that Major League Baseball had confirmed that the contract was submitted in a timely fashion," the team said. "Mr. Boras asserted this claim several days later, after all of the draft signings had become publicized."

"Regrettably, we are not surprised that Mr. Boras would attempt to raise a meritless legal claim in an effort to compel us to renegotiate Pedro's contract to one more to his liking," the team said. "We are, however, disappointed that Pedro would allow his agent to pursue this claim on his behalf. "

The team also said it had been assured by the commissioner's office that its contract with Alvarez is valid, and that MLB "will vigorously defend any claim to the contrary."

It will be interesting to see how this saga plays out, although I'd rule out the possibility of Alvarez returning to school.

UPDATE: Thanks to NY Dore of VandySports.com for alerting me to this message to Pedro Alvarez by John Brattain of Baseball Digest Daily. Here's an excerpt from this critical piece on Alvarez's agent, Scott Boras:

Scott Boras has been trying to find loopholes in the draft for over 20 years–he has been playing a cat and mouse game, or better still, a game of poker with MLB for self-enrichment.

Boras is a multi-millionaire but you’re the one spotting him chips for this particular hand–he is gambling with your money … with your career.

Boras has had a lot of setbacks in recent years–Alex Rodriguez dumped him last year, he has a losing record in arbitration cases and the new draft rules cramp his style and teams are able to handle him more effectively. This isn’t about you; it’s about Boras and his stature in MLB and the agent business.

Go online, Google your name and check out what folks are saying about you–it ain’t pretty. You have a good start at becoming the game’s next pariah–or at the very least the next favourite target of the boo-birds. All for the sake of half a season of the major league minimum; a total you can double by reaching the major league a year earlier by getting your career started as expeditiously as possible.

You’re a pawn in Boras’ game. It isn’t about the commission on the $200,000–it’s about his ability to say he got his client the largest bonus in the draft, it’s about testing the boundaries of the rules surrounding the draft, it’s about finding and/or creating a loophole that he can use for future clients.

Not you.

You’re just the sucker he’s duped into playing along in his little game.

Ouch.

"Young, Gifted And Black": Price profiled in Sports Illustrated

Do yourself a favor and buy a copy of this week's Sports Illustrated, if you're not a subscriber already. Lee Jenkins, who happens to be a Vanderbilt alum, has a terrific feature on David Price, the No. 1 pick in the 2007 MLB Draft, that you can read online here.

To give you an idea about the article, titled "Young, Gifted AND Black," here's the subhead:

The Best Story in Baseball gets better: Phenom David Price is closing in on the majors, which will not only give the remarkable Rays a stretch-drive lift but also help a city—and a sport—reconnect with its African-American heritage.

A few interesting tidbits from the story:

* After getting shelled in an intrasquad scrimmage in January of his freshman year, Price made a decision: drop out of school, quit baseball and work at McDonald's. "It was definitely kind of out there," Corbin said, "but I couldn't laugh because he was so serious." Good thing Corbin talked him out of it.

* Wrote Jenkins: "Today Price is the best African-American pitching prospect since Dwight Gooden."

* In 2007, only 8.2 percent of MLB players were black, the lowest total in more than two decades. In 1975, the number was 27 percent, an all-time high.

* How do you get more inner-city kids interested in baseball? By having visible role models like Price, along with the likes of Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton, who show that not only that baseball is cool, but that you can have a future in it.

"I hear a lot about how African-American kids don't play baseball anymore," said Hillsborough coach Kenny White. "But in Tampa they are still playing. I think kids here look at all the African-American players who have come out of this city—and now all the African-American players who are being taken by the Rays—and they see that it's still attainable, that baseball is still an option."

The bottom line, as Crawford points out, is that young kids often need to see players that "look like them" to become interested. Crawford grew up in Houston and said he didn't recall the Astros have any black players besides Derek Bell.

"I didn't really mind because I loved the Astros no matter what. But a lot of my friends, who were really good players, would complain," he said. "They would be like, 'Why should I care about that team? Why should I care about baseball?' And they stopped playing. It matters where you live. You have to be able to turn on the TV and see players who look like you."

* The article mentions Vanderbilt's partnership with Nashville RBI, which Price and Corbin spearheaded in the spring. I wrote an article about the partnership for VU Commodores that you can read here.

* Price has continued a postgame tradition that he started at Vandy. "After his team wins a game that he started," Jenkins writes, "he stands outside the clubhouse, congratulating everyone on their way inside, making sure to enter last."

* In the sidebar, which can't be read online, Baseball Prospectus' Joe Sheehan writes that Price will probably be called up as a reliever, filling the same role that Joba Chamberlain had with the Yankees last season.

* Added Sheehan: "Price has major-league-ready pitches that include a mid-90s fastball and a big, biting slider. He also has superior command, having struck out 68 wand walked just 19 in 71.2 innings through Sunday. As Chamberlain did, Price would most likely work off his two best pitches as a reliever, largely putting his above-average changeup away until next season...For the Rays, adding Price to their bullpen mix would be like a great trade-deadline pickup."

UPDATE: If you need another reason to buy the issue, two former Commodores are highlighted in the football preview. Jay Cutler, the 12th-ranked quarterback, is listed as a "sleeper," with SI writing, "after being diagnosed with and treated for Type I diabetes in the off-season, he has regained much of his stamina and arm strength." Meanwhile, Earl Bennett is listed as an "impact rookie," with SI noting that "the SEC's all-time leader in catches, at Vanderbilt, should rise quickly on Chicago's thin depth chart."

Photo [tampabay.com]

Commodore Banter (5/30)

No. 2 Vanderbilt takes on No. 3 Oklahoma this afternoon in the first game of the Arizona State Regional and you can watch the game live for free on vucommodores.com.

This could be the end of an era for the Commodores, as Maurice Patton notes.

Next year, Vanderbilt will be without seniors Alex Feinberg, Dominic de la Osa, Shea Robin and David Macias, as well as juniors Pedro Alvarez and Ryan Flaherty, who will be selected early in the 2008 MLB Draft. Redshirt junior Jonathan White, and junior pitchers Brett Jacobson, Nick Christiani and Steven Schwartz also could be gone. The same goes for redshirt sophomore Andrew Giobbi, who is draft eligible.

The good news for Commodore fans? "Now it's just all about reloading," said coach Tim Corbin. "It's not all about rebuilding."

One player that is definitely coming back is outfielder Steven Liddle, who was destined to be a baseball player.

Vanderbilt has an unreal recruiting class coming in and the star of it, Smyrna's Sonny Gray, followed in the footsteps of David Pricee, asking major league teams not to draft him.

As NYDore of The College Baseball Blog put it, the score is now Vanderbilt 1, MLB Draft 0. Within that story, NYDore reports that several future Commodores are receiving attention, including Connecticut SS Anthony Hewitt, New Jersey OF Matt Marquis, Rhode Island OF Ryan Westmoreland and Walters CC OF Adam Milligan.

Assuming most of these guys wind up in school, it looks Vandy is going to be a national powerhouse for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, Arizona State is taking a gamble by starting freshman Matt Newman against Stony Brook tonight. The former outfielder has made just four appearances all season, but coach Pat Murphy wants to save his top two pitchers, Mike Leake and Josh Satow, for games on Saturday and Sunday. Murphy better hope that the Sun Devils continue to rake so that this plan doesn't backfire...

Rivals' Kendall Rogers has a Tempe Regional Preview and likes the Sun Devils to advance, but lists the Dores as a dark-horse candidate.

The Orlando pre-draft camp is in full swing and Vanderbilt's Shan Foster is struggling to find his stroke.

We're only in May and people are already saying "Maybe Next Year" for the Vanderbilt football team.

Finally, Brandon Barca is an animal.

Price gets rave reviews from future Hall of Famer

David Price got the best of a future Hall of Famer tonight, pitching six shutout innings to lead Class A Vero Beach past Pedro Martinez's St. Lucie Mets 2-0.

The 2007 No. 1 overall pick gave up just two hits while striking out nine and walking none in his second professional start. Price has now pitched 11 scoreless innings to begin his career.

Martinez, meanwhile, gave up two runs on four hits, striking out six and walking none in six innings. Price said he found out he'd be going against Martinez the day before.

"You always have butterflies," Price said. "You're throwing against a former Cy Young winner. It's fun. It's a challenge. It makes you want to compete a little more. You know you can't give up one or two runs and get the win because he's that good.

"I want him to go home and one day tell his grandchildren about me. That's the impression I want to leave on everyone."

The way Price is pitching, there's no doubt that he will.

UPDATE: Afterwards, Martinez gave Price quite the compliment.

"He's amazing, that kid. He's amazing," Martinez said. "That kid is very mature for his time in [the pros], and very talented. Oh my God. God bless him and keep him healthy."

Martinez could not believe that Price was making just his second career start.

"Wow," Martinez said. "He's a big lefty with superb talent. At that age, I don't think I was like that. He seems far superior."

Wow is right. To be called "far superior" to Pedro Martinez?! It doesn't get much better than that.

"That kid did a hell of a job of throwing first-pitch strikes and pounding the strike zone and jamming hitters," Martinez said. "I was watching that. He did it like a big leaguer. He had such a command. Right there, I'm challenging you. I'm going to do what I gotta do without any fear. That's the kind of talent you love to see."

And the kind of talent that makes Vanderbilt fans proud.

Video of the Day: David Price is pretty good

Making his much-anticipated professional debut, David Price pitched five shutout innings and faced just two batters of the minimum to lead Class A Vero Beach to a 2-0 victory over Clearwater.

While Price begins his progression toward the Big Leagues, he's still very close with his former teammates. He watched Vandy's contest with LSU before his start and remains best friends with Pedro Alvarez, who he thinks the Rays should draft with the No. 1 overall pick. Check out this interview with the guys of CBS College Sports' "Going Yard."

A-Rod has high praise for Price

David Price pitched against the Yankees extended spring squad, which included three-time American League MVP Alex Rodriguez, who is rehabbing his strained right quadriceps, on Saturday. The results were promising.

Price struck out Rodriguez twice, allowing the third baseman one hit -- a solo homer over the right-center fence.

"He's a competitive guy, I'm a competitive guy and everybody has pride," Price said. "So it doesn't matter who are you are facing, you want to get them out and want to throw good pitches."

Rodriguez came away impressed with Price, whose fastball hovered between 95-97 mph for the majority of his five innings.

"I wish he was on our team," Rodriguez said. "He has a very bright future. The Rays are doing a fantastic job of drafting these young guys."

That's pretty cool stuff.

Price struck out 10 on Saturday and is scheduled to join Class A Vero Beach and make his professional debut on Thursday against Clearwater.

You can read the full story from mlb.com here.

Corbin, Olney speak at luncheon

Vanderbilt baseball coach Tim Corbin and ESPN's Buster Olney, a Vanderbilt grad and former Nashville Banner baseball beat writer, spoke yesterday at the Comcast Spotlight First Pitch Luncheon as part of the Nashville Sports Council 's Comcast Spotlight Sports Speaker Series.

While admission to the luncheon, held at the Wildhorse Saloon in downtown Nashville, wasn't cheap ($25) for non-members like myself, it was well worth it. I had the chance to meet Buster, and I learned that he did not end up graduating from Vanderbilt until he was 24 since he had difficulties paying his way through school. What kept him going? Writing, of course.

And that's the biggest piece of advice he had for aspiring journalists: just write as much as you can.

Corbin and Olney spoke about the state of baseball and then answered questions from audience members. Here are a few of the highlights:

– Olney shared a priceless story from his Nashville Banner days. The Columbus Clippers (then the Yankees' AAA-affiliate) and their high-profile outfielder Deion Sanders were in town. Sanders was not well-liked by his teammates, particulatly because of the special perks the Yankees gave him (such as letting his girlfriend travel with the team) to persuade him to switch over from football.

Anyways, Olney tried unsuccessfully to interview Sanders, who looked right through him and refused to answer any questions. And so Olney wrote a column, one that he says now was probably a bit too harsh.

At batting practice before the next game, a clubhouse kid approached Olney and said that "Prime Time" wanted to talk to him in the clubhouse. Olney, who was 5'8'', 150-pounds at the time, wisely advised the kid to tell Deion to come out to the field to ensure that a fight couldn't break out.

Nothing happened until the fourth inning, when the clubhouse kid handed Olney a baseball from Sanders with the following message: "Write like that your whole life and you'll always be a loser."
Olney, who has never asked for autographs from players, said that it's the only ball in his collection. "My only regret is that he didn't sign it," he said.

Just classic.

– At the end of spring training, Olney said that he always asks players what they saw that jumped at them. This year, guys like Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada said, "David Price." The one inning he pitched against the Yankees in which he struck out the side and hit 99-mph on the radar gun clearly had them impressed. Olney also mentioned that players wrapped up their interviews to watch Price pitch. That's quite the praise for the former Commodore.

– As a beat writer for the Nashville Sounds (Nashville Banner), San Diego Padres (San Diego Times-Union), Baltimore Orioles (Baltimore Sun) New York Yankees (New York Times), Olney said gained an appreciation for just how resilient players have to be to make it to the big leagues. "You understand how hard it is and how much resiliency it takes," he said. "You have to have that hope every day."

– Corbin came to Vanderbilt after serving as an assistant coach at Clemson. "I didn't know I was going to become a head coach to be honest with you," he said.

– On his team's success over the past couple of seasons, Corbin said modestly, "Good players make coaches look good."

– On the difference between Vanderbilt and other schools, Corbin pointed to Dominic de la Osa, who turned down a contract from the Detroit Tigers to return for his senior season. "If that's a Clemson kid, he goes out," Corbin said. "At Vanderbilt, they like money, but not that much. Degrees mean a lot to these kids."

– Olney commented on how today's players communicate with one another differently. For example, as soon as Clay Bucholtz pitched a no-hitter last season, Yankees rookie Joba Chamberlain sent him a text message saying, "Glad you got that out of your system."

– Olney said that once Major League Baseball felt comfortable with its Tampa Bay and Florida franchises, it would look to expand in cities such as Las Vegas, and possibly even Nashville.

– As a Hall of Fame voter, Olney said he would put Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens in without question. "Unless you separate who did it what, you can't single out players," he said. "The only difference between McGwire and others is that they haven't been named by Jose Canseco...I have a hard time demonizing a handful of guys for an industry-wide problem."

Olney added that Commissioner Bud Selig deserved a measure of the blame, and expressed his frustration with the Mitchell Report. He said that while it gives 80 names, the report was not within context, and failed to mention what was being said about steroids in the higher-level meetings, among owners and the Players Association, for example.

– Olney said it would be a long time before Pete Rose gets in the Hall of Fame.

– Corbin said that he doesn't see a decrease in baseball's popularity, citing the large number of showcases and prevalence of hitting coaches as example. "Parents are also more involved," he said, "which is not the best thing in the world."

– However, Corbin added that baseball needs to do a better job getting minorities involved in the game at a grassroots level. "It's becoming a sport where you need money to play and that's not right," he said.

– Olney said that four season tickets behind home plate at New Yankee Stadium will cost $810,000 annually, which is $25,000 per seat per game. How's that for a bargain?

For MLB, problem lies in marketing, not diversity

In a recent post, Aram states that Major League Baseball should not be concerned by the fact that 8.2 percent of its players are black, the lowest total in more than two decades. Why? Because baseball is still unquestionably the most diverse sport. Furthermore, he asserts that:

As long as equal opportunities are being granted then there is nothing for MLB to do. They cannot force African-American kids to play their sport when basketball is more accessible and football more glamorous.

That's where I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. There is no question that basketball is more accessible and football is more glamorous. For underprivileged kids, it's a lot easier to buy a basketball and go down to the park and play with their friends than it is to buy a glove, bat, cleats and baseballs and organize a game of nine-on-nine. And, in an me-first society where crazy dunks and touchdown dances dominate ESPN, it's easy to see why kids would find America's pastime to be boring.

With that said, MLB shouldn't have to accept this. It shouldn't just allow an entire race to effectively lose interest in its game simply because it is already "diverse."

MLB would be wise to market its game in all areas, whether it be in Nebraska, Japan or New York City. Give inner-city kids a reason to turn in the Jordans for a pair of spikes. Show them that baseball can be cool, that it can be an option for them.

It's OK if kids try baseball and realize they're not passionate about it. But, right now, too many kids, often minorities from the inner-city, never even give baseball a chance. Again, why should MLB be content with this? In the end, it is the one that will suffer the most.

It's also important to note that the recent statistics aren't a reflection on our country or our society, but rather on Major League Baseball, and Major League Baseball alone.

MLB diversity problem? Definitely not

Today is Jackie Robinson Day throughout Major League Baseball, signifying the 61^st anniversary of what may be the most important event in professional sports history. The anniversary comes just a day after MLB released a report saying a record-low 8.2 percent of major leaguers are black.

Robinson’s widow, Rachel, is concerned, and states her disappointment in a recent espn.com article, while Richard Lapchick is perhaps even more outraged. On the other hand, Baseball Prospectus’ Joe Sheehan could care less (subscribers only). Although I won’t rant the way he does, I do agree with Sheehan. This is simply not a pressing issue. As he points out calling out for baseball to concentrate on this issue is essentially asking for them to look for an answer to a non-existent problem.

Diversity is not an issue throughout the game; it is undoubtedly the most diverse American sport. Baseball’s diversity is rooted in many races as opposed to the mostly biracial sports of basketball and football. As long as equal opportunities are being granted then there is nothing for MLB to do. They cannot force African-American kids to play their sport when basketball is more accessible and football more glamorous.

Numbers like this low percentage are posted so that people can become more aware of what some are trying to portray as a pressing issue. In reality it is just another example of people pointing to race in a situation where it is basically meaningless. Why does the MLB need to reach out more? A quick look around at any roster will show just how diverse the game is.

As I watch the Yankees play the Rays on gamecast I notice the New York starting lineup has two mixed race players at the top (Damon, Jeter) followed by a Venezuelan (Abreu) an American Latino (A-Rod) and an outfielder from Japan (Matsui), I don’t know about Jeter, but it’s possible that none of them would check the African-American box. Diversity is clearly not lacking.

While it is great that Curtis Granderson spends much of his spare time working with inner-city kids in programs such as RBI, is it really any different or better than Johan Santana’s great work in his hometown in Venezuela? Of course not. People need to stop doctoring these numbers in efforts to seek out a problem that isn’t there. On a day like today when one of the most important minorities of the 20^th century is set to be honored, it’s a shame some attention is being taken away by some stupid percentage that has no meaning.

(David) Price Check in Tampa Bay

I didn't agree with many things the Tampa Bay Devil Rays did. For one thing, removing the word "Devil" from their name was, undoubtedly, a poor decision no matter how many people the "satanic" element of their name offended.

Congratulations, management! You've just succeeded in removing any remaining character in an already humiliating franchise.

Somehow, I have a feeling, that I won't agree with a lot of things the Tampa Bay Rays do either.

Last Saturday, Vanderbilt Alumni, and last year's No. 1 overall draft pick in the MLB Draft, David Price made his professional debut in a Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.

Not surprisingly, Price blew spectators and three Yankees hitters away, striking out the side with an onslaught of 98 MPH fastballs, and filthy slider in his lone inning of work. Nothing wrong with that.

What worries me, however, is that the Devil Rays... pardon me... Tampa Bay management might make another bad decision, and try to capitalize on their young talent before it's ready for the pressures and challenges of the Major Leagues.

With other strong prospects, like pitcher Jeff Niemann, and future star-third baseman Evan Longoria, moving onto the big show this year, something tells me that there may be some hurry to get Price into the act as well.

While Price certainly has the raw stuff to succeed in the Major Leagues now, trying to push him too quickly could really hurt his progress in becoming a premier pitcher in the big leagues.

Not too long ago, a 21 year-old pitcher by the name of Zack Greinke was thrown into the number one spot in the Kansas City Royals pitching rotation, touted as one of the brightest young pitchers in baseball.

Greinke, amid high hopes, was absolutely crushed by Major League hitters and expectations, losing 17 games that year and posting a 5.80 ERA in 2005.

Obviously, Price will not be thrust into the same ridiculous position as Greinke, but Tampa Bay has had a history of rushing solid pitching talents as well, and usually not with great results.

I know most people at Vanderbilt would love to see Price represent and put up big numbers in the big leagues. He'll do that, and he'll likely do that soon, but there's no need for the Rays (there, I said it) to make another bad decision and toss him into the fire too quickly.

All that being said, so far so great for Price, who's on his way to a very promising career.