ESPN PULLS OUT THEIR BIGGEST WEAPON--Goose Gossage

Listed on ESPN.com's web page right now, top left corner--What a shock.

• "Insider Chat" with Goose Gossage....

Gossage is the most vociferous, enraged, irrational media magnet on 1 subject--BASHING MARIANO RIVERA FOR NO REASON. (Unless he's had a sudden change of heart...).

• In spite of his long and well documented losing record in the National League, ESPN has made a priority of elevating Trevor Hoffman to the HALL OF FAME using 2 themes: viewing the total save stat in regular season without considering other relevant data; and discounting post season performances as just something that obscures the regular season total save stat and about which one should feel sorry for their guy.

On June 1st, 2007 ESPN published a poll lauding Hoffman. Here's an example of the logic they used to sell their case (in case anyone is curious):

• ""There's no question Trevor Hoffman gets my Hall of Fame vote. I covered the Yankees for eight years and got to see Mariano Rivera on a regular basis.
• Unfortunately for Hoffman and other relievers of his era, they are compared to Rivera's body of work in the playoffs. There's no denying Rivera's greatness, but had the Yankees had Hoffman instead, I believe they would have been just as successful.'' -- John Delcos, The Journal News (New York)"

John Delcos quote from ESPN.com, "Hoffman Deserves a Plaque in Cooperstown," Crasnick: Surveying Hoffman's Hall of Fame Case," 6/1/07

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HOFFMAN'S LEGACY: A LOSER--John Shea, SF Chronicle

• MEMO TO TOM VERDUCCI, TIM KURKJIAN, ESPN, ET AL WHO TELL US TO LOOK AT "STATS:"

"Hoffman's legacy: Trevor Hoffman isn't the best closer of all time even though he's the only one with 500-plus saves. In their primes, we'd prefer Rich Gossage, Dennis Eckersley and Rollie Fingers. And, certainly, Mariano Rivera.

• While Hoffman has enjoyed the comfort of San Diego, Rivera has dealt with the pressure cooker of New York, posting a postseason ERA of 0.80 in 73 games (now .78 in 75 games) and succeeding nearly every time except once, Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, when Luis Gonzalez blooped a Series-clinching single for the Diamondbacks.

Meantime, the Padres have had an overall losing record since Hoffman became their closer in 1994 and had several expert setup men (Akinori Otsuka, Scott Linebrink, Heath Bell), allowing Hoffman to appear in limited eighth-inning situations.

• Hoffman has had a lot fewer save situations in the national spotlight than Rivera, and his record isn't overwhelming. Most recently, twice in three days at season's end, he had chances to clinch a playoff berth for the Padres, and both times he failed.

The first time, Milwaukee's Tony Gwynn Jr. hit a game-tying triple in the ninth, and the Brewers won in 11. In a one-game playoff with the Rockies, Hoffman failed to hold a two-run lead in the 13th, ending the Padres' season.

• In Hoffman's only World Series save opportunity, he blew Game 3 in 1998, walking Tino Martinez and surrendering Scott Brosius' three-run homer. That was a breakout October for Rivera, who was a World Series closer for the first time. Now, Rivera has 34 postseason saves to Hoffman's four.

In All-Star Games, Rivera has three saves, including one last year in Pittsburgh. It came after Hoffman blew a save opportunity by giving up Michael Young's two-run triple on an 86-mph fastball, costing the NL its first All-Star victory since 1996.

• Hoffman turns 40 on Oct. 13, and his time to shine on the national stage is running out."

From article by San Francisco Chronicle's national baseball writer John Shea, 10/7/07, "Parity Applies to NL not AL," from SFGate.com.

• P.S. What's so bad about the truth? To Verducci and all the MLB/ESPN guys--turn in your BBWAA credentials. Leave Trevor Hoffman to the record he earned. At least one national baseball writer, John Shea, has the courage and character to speak up about a great taboo--the obvious truth about Hoffman. (sm)

****UPDATE, MON. 10/8/07. 3PM: IN A SHOCKING DEVELOPMENT, THE ONE PERSON ESPN CAN RELIABLY DIAL UP TO TAKE THE HEAT OFF THEIR BUDDY HOFFMAN--MAINLY BY DISRESPECTING MARIANO RIVERA--GOOSE GOSSAGE, IS NOW LISTED ON ESPN.COM'S WEB PAGE FOR AN "INSIDER CHAT" IN THE TOP LEFT CORNER BOX.****

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Players who are "single stat compilers" need not apply to Yankees

Tyler Kepner in the NY Times noticing the Yankees aren't keeping a toteboard countdown for Arod's upcoming homerun milestone, a response from Arod:

• "“Being in the middle of a pennant race and being in the middle of team goals keeps you away from that,” Rodriguez said."

Kepner mentions this type of thing is common with other teams.

• (It also gets lots of publicity for the "stat compilers" as the TV cameras promote it). sm

From Tyler Kepner's NY Times article, 7/18/07, "Vizcaino Says He'll Pitch Where Torre Wants Him."

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