Top News:
Brian Burke / Advanced NFL Stats:
Belichick's 4th Down Decision vs the Colts — New England coach Bill Belichick is taking a lot of heat for his decision to attempt a 4th down conversion late in the game against the Colts. Indianapolis came back to win in dramatic fashion. Was the decision a good one?
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Sports Illustrated:
No matter which way you dissect it, Bill Belichick made the wrong call … NEW YORK — Three o'clock in the morning, and I'm still rolling Bill Belichick's call around in my head. I wonder how many people in New England aren't asleep yet ... and how many won't be able to sleep all night.
Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
Belichick gaffe unrivaled — INDIANAPOLIS - Ghastly. — This was as bad as anything the Red Sox ever did. Had it been a playoff game, it would be right up there with Bucky Dent, Bill Buckner, Aaron Boone, and History Derailed in Glendale, Ariz. — And Bill Belichick played the part of Grady Little.
Associated Press:
Bailey named AL's top rookie; Coghlan wins NL's … NEW YORK (AP) — Florida Marlins outfielder Chris Coghlan is the National League Rookie of the Year, and Oakland Athletics closer Andrew Bailey is the AL winner. — Coghlan edged Philadelphia Phillies pitcher J.A. Happ in a close race …
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Jeff Fletcher / BBWAA.com:
2009 Rookies of the Year — Andrew Bailey Wins AL Award, Chris Coghlan Wins in NL — Oakland right-hander Andrew Bailey, who emerged as the Athletics' closer in his first major league season, was voted the American League winner of the Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award.
Associated Press:
New York Mets hire Wally Backman to manage Brooklyn Cyclones — NEW YORK — Wally Backman has been hired as manager of the New York Mets' Brooklyn Cyclones farm team in the New York-Penn League. — A member of the Mets' 1986 World Series championship team, Backman was hired to manage the Arizona Diamondbacks in November 2004.
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
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brooklyncyclones.com:
BACKMAN TO MANAGE BROOKLYN CYCLONES — Former New York Mets star Wally Backman has been named the newest manager of the Brooklyn Cyclones, tabbed to lead the club in its tenth season of play. — Backman was a standout second baseman for the Mets in the 1980s - a gritty …
Alan Schwarz / New York Times:
As A.L.-N.L. Gap Widens, General Managers Tread Cautiously — CHICAGO — His shoulders shrugged. His lips pursed. But Kenny Williams bit his tongue one syllable too late. — “A guy going from the American League to the National League, no disrespect, but. ... ”
Andrew Zimbalist / Wall Street Journal:
The Yankees Didn't Buy the World Series — Since 2004, 20 of baseball's 30 teams have made the playoffs. — Printer — Friendly — Judging from the media coverage, it seems that the only thing the Yankees didn't do on their way to buying the 2009 World Series is ask the federal government for a bailout.
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Vernon Wells Extension Reactions — On December 15th, 2006, Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi signed center fielder Vernon Wells to a seven-year, $126MM extension. The heavily-backloaded contract included a full no-trade clause and an opt-out clause after the 2011 season.
Chris Jaffe / Hardball Times:
Book excerpt: Evaluating Baseball's Managers, 1876-2008 — For the next few weeks, THT will publish excerpts from my new book Evaluating Baseball's Managers, 1876-2008, which is scheduled for release in December, but can be ordered now. Please note, as an added bonus, and for a special limited time only …
Troy Patterson / Hardball Times:
Clone Wars: Jonathan Sanchez and Clayton Kershaw — This doesn't follow my normal comparison as I usually have two players with similar stat lines and try to explain why one player might be better or more surprising. This time I found two players who couldn't have looked more different in 2009 …
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
