Baseballhead:
Little O's Big Mistake

Michael Cox

Somewhere the sun is shining, people are happy, and fuzzy bunny rabbits bound merrily while a brook babbles like Peter Gammons. That place, however, is not the Vizquel household.

It seems that Cleveland's favorite sparkplug of a shortstop is unhappy. Very unhappy. You see, there are shortstops out there who are making -- shock horror! -- more money than Little O! Not one to just leave it at that, Vizquel wants the team to make it right. He wants a raise to put himself back into the upper echelon of income-earning infielders, or else.

Or else what?

Well...we're not sure yet. the papers are speculating, as papers are wont to do, that Omar might hold out, not showing up for Spring Training until the team "does right by him." That could certainly happen. There could also be a "pay me or trade me" scenario under which he demands a Clemens-like trade to a team willing to pony up Vizquel's precise 1999 value.

Nowhere do I see mentioned a third scenario: Vizquel goes ahead and plays for what he agreed to play for, perhaps after kicking his agent a couple of times.

This is a new legacy of the rapid escalation of even scrub salaries -- players who signed for what was top dollar wanting that contract torn up so that they can make the new top dollar. Roger Clemens is doing it too, and I'm sure still more are quietly awaiting the results of these maneuvers. In fact, Vizquel's own teammate Sandy Alomar will be ready to pounce if the club wavers.

"Whether the Indians want to redo his contract or not, that's not my problem," said Alomar. "But make sure they keep the doors open if they do, because there will be a lot of guys going in that door, believe me."

I don't want to belabor the point much more, so I'll just say this: If you're good enough, or smart enough, go have a clause inserted in your contract that stipulates you'll get a raise if the going rate increases, you deserve every penny.

But if you sign a deal without such a clause, live with it. It's called honor.

Item: Speaking of cash, the Padres dealt OF Greg Vaughn to the Reds for Reggie Sanders plus incidental players. Of course, the screaming in San Diego has just begun. Cries of "salary dumping!" and "Didn't we just approve a new ballpark so we could keep these guys?" are ringing out.

Well, don't be so quick to lump the Pads in with the Marlins and Twins. While the moves they're making are not exactly improving the team, in most cases their off-season deals (and/or lack thereof) are not as foolish as things could be if they'd gone all-out to keep them all. Letting the massively overrated Steve Finley go was a good idea, and ditto with Ken Caminiti, who is looking like his best years are behind him. The Kevin Brown deal was just silly, and may help the Pads down the road by tying up Dodger payroll for a declining or injured pitcher.

It's highly likely that the Padres lucked into a freak season by Vaughn last year, and he seems to have established a pattern of missing most of the season every third year. 1997 and 1998 were (relatively) injury-free, so that makes this the Year O' Doom, if you believe in such things. Sanders has better raw career numbers and is cheaper, but also has a bit of an injury problem and isn't that much younger (31 to Vaughn's 33).

However, if Sanders can stay healthy, he's capable of being every bit the player Vaughn is, and for about $2M less per season. Add the throw-ins and I'd say San Diego made a good deal, so stop complaining.

Item: The Mariners managed to secure the 2001 All-Star Game. It makes great sense -- the teams with new parks are the ones who should get to showcase them with the Midsummer Classic. This move also cements the new status of M's boss John Ellis in the MLB ol' boys network. Just a few weeks ago, Ellis was also placed on the Executive Council, that sub-clique of owners who actually determine where the bodies are buried.

Ironically, we in Seattle can thank the Pilots...er, Brewers for the gig. It would have been a virtual certainty that Milwaukee's new Miller Park would host the 2001 gig, if only they hadn't switched leagues. I do feel sorry for the teams who've been passed over in the 22 years since Seattle's last ASG, but heck, I wasn't here in '79, so gimme.

about the author

Michael Cox has been designated the point man for the new All-Star competitions to be unveiled in 2001. Kindly help him inform Paul O'Neill that the Bat Slam and Gatorade Toss won't make it at mc@strikethree.com.