Newsworthy Nicknames

C.C., A.J., J.J., and K-Rod are the nicknames New Yorkers will soon become acquainted with. Baseball fans may or may not know much about the four free agent signings that sparked the Las Vegas winter meetings this week. They soon will be muddled with the monikers as each takes the mound in March. Nicknames are shortened ways to identify a person. They are supposed to be friendly, unique callings or christenings. I like nicknames and think each of the players acquired will have a unique “calling” for their team in 2009.
C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett are both legitimate aces. Sabathia carried the Brewers on his bulging back last fall. Without C.C.’s mound presence, it’s highly likely Milwaukee would have missed the post-season. The hefty hurler will command respect from the other Yankee starters. Sabathia is number one and I assume A.J. is number two for Joe Girardi’s staff. The Sabathia signing is a sure-thing as long as he can endure the New York media and press. I think C.C. will win twenty games next season and live up to his big time contract of $160 million over seven years. I still think the Yankees were better off going after Johan Santana in 2007’s off-season, but C.C. is capable of just as much. He is a workhorse with all the key pitches. I worry only about him coming through in big spots, such as defeating Boston or in the playoffs. His past seasons with the Indians in the post-season were less than spectacular. Sabathia was solid during the 2008 playoffs considering the low run support he received.
Burnett is a hard to figure out. He was arguably the second best pitcher available on the Hot Stove. Derek Lowe is older than A.J., but was probably the better choice for his durability. Jake Peavy also has more quality pitches than Burnett, but indicated to his agent he would have preferred remaining in the National League. The best part about A.J. in pinstripes is he will no longer be pitching against them. In Toronto last season, he and Roy Halladay baffled the Bombers all year. Burnett in particular has a knack for striking out hitters, especially ones from New York. The Bluejays will have to acquire another starter to fill Burnett’s role and that is a good thing of the Yankees. But I worry about Burnett’s health. Signing him for five years at $80 plus million is a risk for Brian Cashman. Burnett has not proven he can stay healthy all year and his ERA is unusually high for a pitcher who whiffs hitters as often as Burnett. I am sure he will be effective enough to win over a dozen times in 2009. But, don’t look for A.J. to be the stopper he was last season.
As far as the Metropolitans go, Omar Minaya deserves an A plus for his off-season so far. The Mets boasted the post-season’s worst setup-closer combination last season. Now, you could argue they have the best in all of baseball, let alone the National League. With Kerry Wood switching from the National League Cubs to the American League Indians, the Cubs no longer can claim they have a better bullpen. The Met added two more relievers in addition to K-Rod and J.J. Putz too. Now all they need is another solid starter, preferably a lefty and a right-handed bat for the outfield.
Obtaining K-Rod for three years at the price they did, the Mets got a bargain. Granted there were no other offers out there for Rodriguez but credit Minaya for pulling off a good deal. K-Rod is ten times better than most closers in baseball and with J.J. setting him up, the game is shortened to at least seven innings. J.J. was a shut-down closer for Seattle so the move to setting up should not be a problem. He was injured last year and played for a team that lost more games than they won. I expect Putz to bounce back beautifully. He throws smoke when he is on and Mets’ fans should enjoy seeing him take the ball at the new Citifield.
Both New York teams still have work to do but they were the only clubs making noise at the winter meetings. Despite a few minor signings and trades, the Mets and Yankees were the clear winners. Nicknames or not, 2009 will be an exciting time for baseball in the Big Apple.


Parting points: Tonight the Heisman trophy will be handed out to the best college football player. The three quarterbacks are all well-deserving. I think Tim Tebow is the best all around player but have a suspicion Colt McCoy will win out. Texas seemed to get the shaft this year and a McCoy Heisman selection would make up for some of that.
Song of the day: REM’s “Losing My Religion”.