Why the Braves Need to Resign Mark Kotsay
The Braves should resign Mark Kotsay. Kotsay (.300, 6 HR, 32 RBI, 2 SB in 293 AB this season) is a solid player who deserves to have a 1-2 year deal at least offered to him this offseason.
Kotsay brings a veteran presence (he debuted in 1997) to the club which is replete with rookies and younger players. And while the Braves have, historically, went for pitching first, signing Kotsay would boost their outfield positions considerably.
No, he’s not Andruw Jones (and we should be thankful for that; Kotsay has produced more than Jones has this season, (.161, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 0 SB in 205 AB this season), much to the dismay of the Los Angeles Dodgers). To be fair to Jones, he is on the disabled list with patella tendinitis in his left knee retroactive to August 10th and has been struggling since the 2007 season when he was still with Atlanta. He batted .222, with 26 HR, 94 RBI, and 5SB in 572 AB’s in his final year in Atlanta.
Kotsay won’t match these numbers. We’ve seen that this year. However, what Kotsay will do is provide timely hitting and good defense and will play hard and with heart.
A player who plays with heart is worth a lot in this day and age when most players are in it for the money and not for the joy of the game.
Investing in Mark Kotsay long term (another 1-2 years, perhaps with an option for a third) can do nothing but help the Braves in the future as they rebuild and retool for another run at a postseason slot.
Here’s hoping Kotsay sticks around for while.
An Open Letter to ESPN
Dear Programming Director,
I am pleased that ESPN is commited to showing Major League Baseball games on Sunday Night Baseball, as well as during the week on Monday’s and Wednesday’s. However, it may come as a surprise to you to learn that not everyone who watches Sunday/Monday/Wednesday Night Baseball is a Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees fan.
In truth, since their are thirty MLB teams, it would be nice to see some variety in the coverage shown on ESPN. To wit, last night (27 July 2008) ESPN broadcast a game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. Tonight (28 July 2008) ESPN will again broadcast a game featuring the Boston Red Sox (this time the opponent will be the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim).
I am curious as to why ESPN is not showing ANY games featuring the Tampa Bay Rays who are having a “Worst-to-First” season? It would seem to me that ESPN would, at least, cover them in some curisory fashion. After all, there are a great many Tampa Bay Rays fans who do not live in the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg area who enjoy hearing about how their Rays are doing.
And while the occasional coverage on Baseball Tonight or Sportscenter is nice to see, it in no way comes close to the coverage granted to the current Manny Ramirez trade talks currently buzzing around the Boston Red Sox.
In closing, Sir or Ma’am, I would encourage ESPN to consider adding some Tampa Bay Rays games to their programming schedule. Does ESPN have some contractual obligation to broadcast Boston or New York games? If so, then these obligations can be met by showing either of these teams playing against the Tampa Bay Rays. (Ah the miracle of interdivisional rivalries!)
Thank you for your attention in this matter.
Sincerly,
WonderGoon
Baseball Fan
mlblogswondergoon
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