TSN comeback players of the year

The Sporting News names Cliff Lee and Fernando Tatis Comeback Players of the Year.

I've always felt that this award should go to players battling back from adversity rather than bouncing back from a subpar season. Tatis, who's been away from baseball for years, would qualify for a comeback award in my mind. Lee is more of a "bounce-back" player of the year. Joe Crede would've been a good "comeback" candidate had he not gotten injured again.

Halo Joe

Joe Maddon - the only man with both a mohawk and a halo. Hey, he was once an Angel.

Peavy to Dodgers? Um, no

A Bleacher Report article breaks down the chances of the Los Angeles Dodgers acquiring the Padres' Jake Peavy in a trade.

The Dodgers have a ton of money coming off their books this winter but are just as obligated in dead-weight contracts for the likes of Pierre and Jones. They also have the potential for big paydays for all of the young studs that carried them through the first round of the National League Playoffs.

However, is there a better move that could be made than to not only add an annual Cy Young candidate to your rotation, but to take that same talent off a division rival? It is hard to think the Padres would move Peavy not only inside their division, but within a one (or five, depending on traffic) hour drive of their stadium without a substantial payout. This potential marriage has uber-blockbuster written all over it, with the likes of a Hershel Walker-to-Vikings deal written all over it.

Even if the pieces are in place to make this deal, I don't see it happening. Why would San Diego give away its ace to a division rival? As much as a trade could give the Padres a chance to get better, a trade to Los Angeles gives them a chance to be dominated be Peavy for many years. Jake Peavy will never be traded to the Dodgers.

Wriggling Riggleman wants M's job

In an MLB.com article that lists Ken Macha, Willie Randolph, Ned Yost, Art Howe and Bobby Valentine as possible candidates, Mariners interim manager Jim Riggleman asks publicly for position full-time.

"Everyone in the organization knows of my desire to come back," said Riggleman, who compiled a 36-54 record after replacing John McLaren on June 19. "I just hope to be considered a candidate."

If the Mariners decide to go in another direction and cut ties with Riggleman, he could wind up as a coach with the Washington Nationals. He reportedly is being considered for a spot on manager Manny Acta's staff, possibly as bench coach -- the same position he had with the Mariners last season prior to McLaren's dismissal.

"I don't want to commit to anything until I hear from Seattle," Riggleman said.

Near the end of the Mariners' 101-loss season -- the first time they hit triple digits in losses since 1983 -- club president Chuck Armstrong said he had complied a list of 10 potential managerial candidates for the then-unknown Mariners GM.

Armstrong said Riggleman's name was on that list.

And prior to the final game of the season, Riggleman talked about his desire to return.

"I can promise you that nobody wants to manage this club more than I do," he said, "and nobody is more prepared to manage this club than I am. But if I don't manage this club [next season], I am not going to point to anything other than the fact I did not win enough games."

You can't blame Riggleman for his passionate plea, but you also can't expect him to beat out the bigger names. Riggleman isn't a bad manager. He did a nice job with the Cubs years ago, and he wasn't given much to work with after inheriting the M's mid-season.

Marlins building new building

The Florida Marlins will go ahead with their plan to be in a new stadium by 2011 despite a sagging economy.

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article on financial issues facing many of the new stadiums across American sports. The newspaper considered the Marlins new stadium to be in jeopardy.

Barlett steals a base, a taco and saves Ryan Howard

Good job by this reporter, remembering that Ryan Howard's Subway ads probably don't allow him to participate in Taco Bell's "steal a base, steal a taco" World Series promotion. I'll let him explain it to you, but if Howard had stolen second, it might only make a bad situation for him.

Jason Bartlett, on the other hand, stole the first base of this year's World Series, and he's Taco Bell's spokesperson, at least for the immediate future.

So how exactly do negotiations take place when seconds after Bartlett steals the base, he is being linked to the promotion in an in-game ad? I called Bartlett's agent Ryan Ware to see exactly how it went down.

Ware told me that before the game the MLB Players Association had called the agents of the players involved in the game, making sure that they were aware of the situation and were willing to be part of the promotion if their player stole the base.

After Bartlett stole the base--minutes after Howard didn't--Ware, who was sitting next to Bartlett's parents and wife at the game, got on his phone and found out what the deal would be. Part of it, he said, would include Jason saying a couple words about Taco Bell in the locker room after the game. So he sent a text message to Bartlett not to leave the clubhouse before doing this quick voiceover that the company could use in a commercial.

"Making the deal was worth it," Ware said. "I'm thinking that only Rickey Henderson has made more from stealing a base."

Fewer playoff "off" days

MLB will knock out a few of the days off in next year's postseason.

MLB shifted the start of the World Series from Saturday to Wednesday beginning last year, adding four extra days off. Selig said he likes the Wednesday start but is concerned about weather next year, when the regular season doesn't start until April 5. World Series Game 7 would be on Nov. 5 if the current format is kept.

"We've got to look at trying to -- maybe not having so many off days and days when you have only one game," Selig said at Tropicana Field before Game 2 of the World Series on Thursday night.

Days when you only have one game? Is Selig suggesting no more 2-2-1 format for the five-game divisional series? Does that mean we'll see a seven-game divisional series next year, or will the format return to the original 2-3 series with three games for the team holding home-field advantage?

Here's hoping for seven game series across the board. The extra days off really drags out the postseason, and there's no need for days off between games when you're already in the city you'll play your next game. Days off should only come on travel days.

Rays win game two, 4-2.

The Phillies continue to leave valuable runners on base, and the Rays found ways to scratch out runs, as Tampa grinds out a 4-2 win in game two.

The Rays scored on two ground outs, a single and a safety squeeze, putting four on the board before Eric Bruntlett homered for the Phils in the eighth. Philly pushed across one more on an Evan Longoria error in the 9th, but it was too late for a comeback.

Good pitching from "Big Game" James Shields. While he wasn't as dominant as Cole Hamels in game one, Shields struck out four and scatted seven hits over 5 2/3 innings. He threw 104 pitches in less than six innings, but didn't allow a run.

Mark Grace called this a "must win" for the Rays before the game. It certainly looked that way going in, and now with Matt Garza scheduled to face Jamie Moyer in game three this series could go either direction.

Update: For more on Charlie Manuel's selection of Moyer as game three starter, Baseball Musings breaks it down.