[USML Announce] USML Holds First-Ever Combined Bat Miztva/Winter Meetings/Draft

[Andrew Klein]

I'm think Ricky hit $50 one year.  Griffey in his prime also went in the 
high 40s.

Sorry I missed the Winter Meetings.  It sounds like it was a lot of fun, 
and I'm pleased to see that I got Buchholz at such a discount!

-Andy

springkerb at aol.com wrote:
> We've had both starters and closers in at least the low forties.  I 
> think they both went to Winick, so he can probably confirm the exact 
> salaries.  Dennis Eckersley and Mariano Rivera have both gone for 
> about $42 and Pedro Martinez went for about the same (or maybe 
> more) one year.  If I remember correctly, I was the under-bidder on 
> both Eck and Pedro. As for position players, I don't recall exactly, 
> but I suspect Ricky Henderson went somewhere into the high 40's as 
> did A-Rod, of course.  In the final category, I think it's pretty 
> close between Rich and some guys in Winick's old neighborhood.
>
> Mark
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Brad Jansen <bljansen at gmail.com>
> To: USML Announcements <announce at usml.net>
> Sent: Mon, 8 Dec 2008 12:17 pm
> Subject: Re: [USML Announce] USML Holds First-Ever Combined Bat 
> Miztva/Winter Meetings/Draft
>
> Which raises an interesting trivia question for the League Historians:
>   Just what /are /the highest draft day prices paid for (i) starting 
> pitcher, (ii) closer, (iii) offensive player and (iv) close-up view of 
> Doug Shabelman's butt?
> Regards,
> Bailout Brad   
>
>  
> On 12/6/08, *springkerb at aol.com <mailto:springkerb at aol.com>* 
> <springkerb at aol.com <mailto:springkerb at aol.com>> wrote:
>
>     December 6, 2008, Northbrook, IL.
>      
>
>      
>     The USML broke with tradition this year, holding its first-ever
>     combined Bat Mitzva, winter meetings and draft.  In a hastily
>     convened meeting, co-commissioners Rich Robbins, Mark Blocker and
>     Jeff Winick ruled that, due to continuing problems in resolving
>     Draft Day scheduling, an ad hoc super-meeting approach best suited
>     the needs of the league.  League maven Winick explained, "It was
>     obvious that we could not avoid having multiple franchises draft
>     from remote locations.  Under the circumstances, it seemed best to
>     go forward today, which was the only date on which more than half
>     the league was available."
>
>      
>     The unique approach required the commissioners to act as Draft Day
>     proxies for several absent franchises, but all present agreed that
>     the outcome was "fair and balanced," in keeping with the standard
>     long advocated by long-time league curmudgeon Buddha Strotman.
>      The most dramatic moment of the draft came when free agent C.C.
>     Sabathia went to the Riptorns (headed by Winick, bidding on behalf
>     of owner Brad Jansen) for a league record $67, after a protracted
>     bidding war between with the Klein Nine (represented by Blocker,
>     on behalf of owner Andy Klein).  Both the 'Torns and the Nine
>     ultimately spent more than $200 on starting pitchers.  Blocker was
>     philosophical.  "When the 'Torns and the Nine both went with=2
>     0the 'all K's all the time' strategy, it was inevitable that we'd
>     miss out on one or two punch-out artists.  But with Clay Buchholz
>     ($35) and Scott Kazmir ($55), I think the Nine will be a force
>     anyway."
>      
>     Perhaps the most radical strategy was used by the Lake Michigan
>     Calamari (with Robbins acting on behalf of owner Jim Barrett), who
>     bought every available closer and spent only $16 on position
>     players.  Asked to comment on the approach, Robbins simply noted,
>     "I can't believe I gave up Jacoby Ellsbury and Jon Lester for a
>     close-up view of Doug Shableman's butt."
>
>      
>     As expected, Strotman has his own, unique view of the proceedings.
>      "The surge is working," he opined, declining to explain what that
>     had to do with the draft results, recent unemployment figures or
>     stock market performance.
>
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