Ace deals verbal fastballs

Pedro Martinez questions Piazza's recent actions

Mike Piazza took grief from Mets fans for doing nothing but wear a look of stunned disbelief after Roger Clemens threw a sawed-off bat in his direction during the 2000 World Series. Now the star catcher is getting grief for the one time he did charge the mound -- his bullfight impression last week with Guillermo (The Matador) Mota of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Boston pitcher Pedro Martinez, who said he is friendly with Mota, questioned Piazza for getting tough with the Dodgers hurler but not the Rocket. Martinez said Piazza is "smarter rather than braver" for picking a fight with the 205-pound Mota rather than the 238-pound Clemens.

"Maybe he felt like he had to show off his testosterone," Martinez said. "But this may be more embarrassing than the one before. Why do you go after skinny Guillermo Mota in spring training and do nothing to Roger Clemens in the World Series?"

Asked if Piazza should have retaliated against Clemens, Martinez said, "I would not appreciate a guy picking up a bat and throwing it behind my butt. You have to do something then. Instead, [Piazza] goes after Mota. ... I'm not taking Mota's side for throwing at somebody in a spring training game. There's a time for everything."

Piazza's feud with Clemens actually goes back to a beaning earlier that year. The six-time Cy Young winner hit the slugger on the helmet with a fastball. The Mets questioned the intentions of Clemens, who has been hit hard by Piazza throughout his career.

Yankees pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre, however, said that the beaning was an indication of the lack of command Clemens had that day.

"I distinctly remember we talked about pitching Piazza inside before the game," Stottlemyre said. "Our plan was to pound him in, not let him get to the ball out over the plate. If you look back, Roger did not have sharp command at the time. He was scuffling with putting the ball where he wanted it. But everybody pointed out that Roger Clemens has a great ratio of walks to strikeouts and that he can put the ball where he wants it. Well, he can't do that all the time. No pitcher can. So Roger's not allowed to miss with a pitch. If it's a younger guy without a reputation [for control] they'll say it got away. But if it's Roger, [people say] he always puts the ball exactly where he wants it."

Piazza should consider himself fortunate to be suspended for only five games. Venturing into the opposing team's clubhouse is an extremely rare and dangerous situation. In recent years, Aramis Ramirez, Mike Sweeney and Dean Palmer all received suspensions of seven or more games for charging the mound and throwing a helmet at a pitcher. You could make the case that what they did was reactionary -- wrongheaded, but reactionary. What Piazza did involved will and thought. His actions were planned. What would have happened had Mota still been in the clubhouse? You can bet something would have gone down that would have resulted in a ban of more than five games.

Something Wild, Part II

Does baseball need another wild-card team? The idea has begun informally floating around the bipartisan competition committee of players and executives. (Mets pitchers Al Leiter and Tom Glavine, for instance, are included in the think tank). The idea has some merit. No details have been worked out, and it is extremely embryonic, but here's a rough outline of how it might work:

1. Each league gets two wild-card teams -- that is, the two non-division winners with the best records advance to the playoffs, as opposed to the current system in which only one wild card is awarded.

2. The two wild cards face off in a one-game playoff the day after the regular season ends. The winner advances to play one of the division champs in a Division Series, with the rest of the playoffs proceeding as currently set up.

To get an idea of how the proposed plan might turn out, go back to the 1999 National League playoffs. The Mets and Reds tied for the wild card. They met in a one-game playoff. The Mets won and advanced. The Reds went home.

What's so good about the two wild-card format? There would be a rightful penalty for playoff teams that don't win their division. The current system treats the wild-card team too much like a division champion. The wild cards would probably have to use their best pitcher just to get into the Division Series -- putting them at a disadvantage for that series -- not to mention they would face the high risk of a one-and-done scenario. This format also keeps teams grinding to finish in first place -- no more fiascos as when the Padres and Dodgers played a glorified exhibition game on the final day of the 1996 season because it didn't matter to either squad whether it finished first or took the wild card.

What's so bad about this idea? The playoffs are further watered down. One-third of all teams (10 of 30) would make the postseason. And you run the risk of more ties as you lower the bar for playoff entry. In the American League last year, for instance, Seattle and Boston each won 93 games. In the two wild-card system, the Mariners and Red Sox would have faced off in a one-game playoff in Seattle (the Mariners won the season series) with the winner playing the next day in Anaheim in another one-game playoff, with the winner of that game finally taking on the New York Yankees. Crazy or exciting? It deserves some study.

One committee source did not rule out the idea, but said other postseason fixes are more pressing. The source said Fox television continues to push for a Tuesday night start to the World Series, avoiding traditionally small Saturday night viewing audiences for Game 1 (and Game 6). Moreover, the source said, there appears to be more momentum toward changing the Division Series to a best-of-seven format than for the addition of a second wild-card team. The problem with the best-of-seven concept is that it adds three days to the postseason calendar -- days that would probably have to come out of the regular season, which means many scheduled day-night doubleheaders. You didn't think the owners would give up any gates, did you?

Extra Bases

Newly acquired Jack Cust quickly became the best prospect in the Baltimore system. Said one NL scout, "He may not have a position, but I think he's got the potential to hit 40 home runs." ... Why are the Devil Rays forcing center fielder Rocco Baldelli into the big leagues? Manager Lou Piniella honestly assessed the situation: "We don't have anybody better, number one." Tampa Bay's new skipper intended to bat Baldelli ninth to limit the pressure on the rookie. Now Piniella is already toying with the idea of hitting him as high as sixth. ... Braves outfielder Gary Sheffield revealed he had four cortisone shots in his wrist last year and never did have the usual pop in his swing. He's in full health this spring, likely to be his last with the cost-conscious Braves. "Once they let [Kevin] Millwood go, I told my wife, 'That's it, they won't be offering me any deals,'" Sheffield said. ... The Cardinals have too much pitching? Believe it. Other clubs are just waiting to see whom St. Louis cuts. Several clubs hope Lance Painter becomes available, as the Cardinals are stocked with lefty relievers (Painter, Jeff Fassero, Steve Kline, Rick Ankiel and Kevin Ohme). And manager Tony LaRussa is raving about the comebacks of Cal Eldred and Russ Springer. St. Louis could have as many as three non-roster pitchers make the staff. One side effect to having so many non-roster, non-guaranteed money guys in major league camps: a glut of players will be on the market in the last few days before Opening Day. ... Best hitter in Florida? Easy. It's Albert Pujols, who set the Cardinals franchise record for spring RBIs halfway through spring training. The guy nearly took a chunk out of the Dodgers new offices beyond the right field wall in Vero Beach with a screaming opposite field home run. "If the season started now, yes, I would feel ready," the outfielder said modestly. ... Mike Hampton isn't out of the woods yet. The Braves pitcher still falls in and out of mechanical funks, on an almost inning-by-inning basis. "It's still coming," pitching coach Leo Mazzone said. "When it comes and whether it's sooner or later, I don't know. Nobody knows."... Dodgers manager Jim Tracy is smitten with the hitting of non-roster invitee Larry Barnes, who may be forcing himself onto the roster. ... Six AL teams won 93 or more games last year: Oakland, New York, Anaheim, Minnesota, Seattle and Boston. The Rangers start the season by playing five of those clubs (Minnesota is the exception) in their first 25 games.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci covers the baseball beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com.

 

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