MVN - Most Valuable Network

Interview with Joe Posnanski

We have a special treat for you boys and girls.  Girls read this site, right?  Today we’re bringing you our interview with Joe Posnanski.  Joe has been sports columnist at the Kansas City Star since 1996, and has twice been named the best sports columnist in America by The Associated Press Sports Editors.  His work has been anthologized in “The Best Ameican Sportswriting” and his latest book “The Soul of Baseball” won the 2007 Casey Award as baseball book of the year. 

He was kind enough to answer some questions for us, and here they are: 

TR: Tough question right off the bat: If you had to start a team with one of these players who would it be, Alex Gordon or Evan Longoria?

JoePo:Whew, impossible to say. I really like Longoria a lot … and I like Alex a lot. I can’t really say which one I would take, but I considered the question this way: If Tampa Bay called and offered Longoria straight up for Alex Gordon, would I make the trade? I’d have to say no. Gordon is pretty close, in my mind, to establishing himself as a good Major Leaguer, and he has a chance to be a lot better than that. Longoria hasn’t done anything
yet. But Longoria has huge, huge upside; I’m probably wrong. When Longoria hits .379 with 38 homers next year, you can use that quote in the “stupid sportswriter Hall of Fame” book.

TR:What do you think about the Evan Longoria contract?

JoePo: Well, it’s risky. But I like it. If Longoria is as good as I think he will be — as Tampa thinks he will be — then it will look like a real steal over those six years, and a good deal going into free agency. If he gets hurt or busts … well, you know, I thought the Royals made a decent deal locking up Angel Berroa after he won the Rookie of the Year award. It was an unmitigated disaster.

TR: Do you think this type of signing will be the next trend in the major leagues, especially with small market teams?

JoePo: It’s a good question. It’s SO risky. If Longoria delivers, then yeah, I could see some other teams going for something like this. But wow, as much as I like Longoria, giving someone that much money based on one great minor league season is, well, I hope it works. I love the Rays, as you know.

TR: If you were the god of baseball you said you’d implement a salary ceiling and floor. Do you think that would really help the Rays compete with the Yankees and Redsox?

JoePo: I think it would probably help some, sure. Of course, it depends what the floor is, what the ceiling is, etc. And it’s probably more intricate than it seems. Everyone talks about parity in the NFL because of the cap, but there really isn’t much parity. New England has dominated the salary cap era. But I do think that controlling the spending of the big dogs and forcing the small dogs to get into the fight couldn’t help but give us a little more fun and be good for Tampa.

TR:You’re on record as saying there will “still be pennant fever on August 25th on the I-4 Corridor.” After the Rays first 19 games, do you still take that stance?

JoePo: Oh, you know I’m not going to back off after only 19 games. They’re right in it. I really do love this team … I didn’t know that Kazmir would start on the shelf. With him, Shields, Garza and soon David Price, I really love their staff. And they’ll score. I might have been a tad optimistic about August 25 of this year … but I’m an optimistic guy. I’m sticking with it.

TR:Recently I read an excellent piece you wrote about Roberto Clement and Al Kaline. I, myself, am a devotee to Roberto Clemente and think his #21 should be retired throughout baseball. Do you think if Clemente lived out his life in Puerto Rico and was an old man right now people would see him differently as a ballplayer?

JoePo: Yes, in some ways he would be viewed differently. But it’s important to consider the other side … Clemente was a great humanitarian as we all know. He died on a humanitarian mission. He very well might have been one of those rare athletes who help change the world, someone like Arthur Ashe. Clemente was a great man, and he was really growing as a man in his final years. It’s a shame we did not get a chance to see what he would have done in his later years.

TR: I know you didn’t get a chance to see Clemente in his prime, but for comparison purposes is it fair to say he was Vlad Guerrero with less power, but with Ichiro speed?

JoePo: The Vlad Guerrero comparison seems very legit to me. He could really run — lots of triples — but not sure he was as fast as Ichiro. And you have to give his arm a whole separate section. It’s one of the greatest tools in baseball history. Hitting: Williams. Hitting for Power: Ruth. Fielding: Ozzie at short (maybe Mays at center). Speed: Willie Wilson. Throwing: Clemente.

TR:In the same piece you said Al Kaline was a good player that nobody really paid attention to. I feel the same about Jim Thome. He seems to be unappreciated because he isn’t flashy, has never really carried a team and has no championship, yet his numbers are staggering. He should finish his career some where in the 550 HR range with around 1500 RBI and right now his career OPS+ is 149. And nobody has ever mentioned Thome as a “steroid era” hitter. Do you think Thome will get in the HOF and do you agree that he is undervalued for our time?

JoePo: I do think he’s a Hall of Famer, and I do think he’s undervalued. I’m a huge Thome fan and have been for many years with my Cleveland background. To me, he is right there with Manny, Albert, Papi, Frank Thomas, a couple of others as the scariest hitter of the Bud Era.

EH: The Royals once had a young star Centerfielder named Carlos Beltran. He was eventually traded due to salary concerns; do you see B.J Upton having the same fate with the Rays?

JoePo: Well, who knows, they might sign him to a nine-year deal in the next week. I like Upton an awful lot. I haven’t seen him enough, I would love to watch him every day. I watched Carlos every day for five years, and on certain days, when he was really good, it felt like watching a young DiMaggio (because of of his smoothness) or a young Willie Mays (because he could do everything). I remember when Beltran blew up in those playoffs against the Cardinals, and everyone was saying “Well, you didn’t know he was THAT good.” And I said: “Yeah, I did.”

EH: We sent you Erik’s blog of Haiku’s about prominent Rays players, did he do well at all in ripping off your idea? What was your favorite, if you have one at all?

JoePo: Tough to do Haikus on every player, so I offer my respect. I liked the Kazmir one best, probably. Anyway, good job Erik. Anyone who rips me off (especially when I’m ripping off other people) is all right with me.

EH: If you had to have a game winning hit, what one Rays player would you want at the plate?

JoePo: Hmm. Who’s hot? Hinske? Upton? I’m a huge Carl Crawford fan … I can’t help it. He’s my guy.

EH: How would you rate the jobs Andrew Friedman and Dayton Moore have done in trying to rebuild struggling franchises?

JoePo: Well, I really like what both teams are doing in different ways. I think Tampa is pretty far along. I love those four starters, and I think that offense will score runs. The Royals are not there yet, especially offensively, but I really do like some of the young players.

EH: Who do you think won in the JP Howell for Joey Gathright blockbuster?

JoePo: I’d say the Royals … I still see some value with Joey, either as a fourth outfielder or a platoon guy or maybe even someone who could develop into an every day slappy hitter. But I see JP is pitching better this year, and a lefty can always emerge.

EH: Don’t know if you’ve followed it at all, but what do you think of the Rays new stadium proposal? Have you ever been to Tropicana Field for a game? If so, did you like? If not, why? How do you feel about domes vs outdoor stadiums?

JoePo: I haven’t really followed it. I have been to Tropicana for baseball and it’s, uh, what’s the word I’m looking for here, um … no I don’t like it much. As an AL East Dynasty beginning 2010, the Rays deserve more, though I’m not much for public financing,

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