Cup of Coffee: March 26, 2024

Good morning!

First a word for non-Premium subscribers. Or, for that matter, Premium subscribers who wanna tell their friends about Cup of Coffee.

Because Opening Day — the real Opening Day, not that business in Korea — is this week, I’m running my annual Opening Day sale! All new Premium Subscriptions are 20% for a limited time:

Take 20% off a new premium subscription!

The sale price will last you for a year on either a monthly or an annual subscription. It’s always a good time to upgrade to Premium, but this week is the best time.

Now, on with the Sho!

 The Daily Briefing

Sho says it ain’t Sho

Shohei Ohtani spoke to the press yesterday afternoon. He didn’t answer questions and, contrary to what I expected, he did not merely issue some broad, bland statement about the nearly week-old scandal. Rather, he came out and directly accused Ippei Mizuhara of stealing from him. He is saying that Possibility One from the breakdown I wrote last week is what went down.

Here is the bulk of the statement, with only the throat-clearing and superfluousness edited out:

Just on a personal note, I’m very saddened and shocked that someone who I trusted has done this.

“Obviously today there’s things that I’m limited in being able to talk about. I hope you understand. I do have a document in front of me that I will refer to that will detail what has happened.

“So, I never bet on baseball or any other sports or never have asked somebody to do that on my behalf. And I have never went through a bookmaker to bet on sports.

“Up until a couple of days ago, I didn’t know that this was happening.

“Just to kind of go over the result, in conclusion, Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has told lies.

“Last weekend in Korea, media had reached out to a representative in my camp inquiring about my potential involvement in sports betting.

“So, Ippei never revealed to me that there was this media inquiry, and to the representatives in my camp he told, Ippei told, to the media and to my representatives that I, on behalf of a friend, paid off debt.

“Upon further questioning, it was revealed that it was actually, in fact, Ippei who was in debt.

“And told my representatives that I was paying off those debts.

“All of this has been a complete lie.

“So Ippei has been telling everybody around that Ippei has been communicating with Shohei on all of this account — to my representatives, to the team — and that hasn’t been true.

“The first time I knew about this gambling, Ippei’s gambling, was after the first game (in Korea) when we had the team meeting in the clubhouse.

“So during the team meeting, obviously, Ippei was speaking in English and I didn’t have a translator on my side. But even with that, I kind of understood what was going on and started to feel that there was something amiss.

“Prior to the meeting, I was told by Ippei, ‘Hey, let’s talk one-to-one in the hotel after the meeting.’ So, I waited until then.

“Up until that team meeting, I didn’t know that Ippei had a gambling addiction and was in debt.

“Obviously at that point, or, obviously I never agreed to pay off the debt or make payments to the bookmaker.

“And finally, when we went back to the hotel and talked one-to-one, that’s when I found out that he had a massive debt.

“And it was revealed to me during that meeting that Ippei admitted that he was sending money, using my account, to the bookmaker.

“And at that moment, obviously it was an absurd thing that was happening and I contacted my representatives at that point.

“So, when I was finally able to talk to my representatives, that’s when my representatives found out that Ippei has been lying the whole time, and that’s when I started contacting the Dodgers and my lawyers.

“And the Dodgers and the lawyers at that moment found out also as well that they have been lied to.

“And my lawyers recommended that since this is theft and fraud that we have the proper authorities handle this matter.

“So, in conclusion, I do want to make it clear that I never bet on sports or have willfully sent money to the bookmaker.

“To summarize how I’m feeling right now, I’m just beyond shocked. It’s really hard to verbalize how I am feeling at this point.

“The season is going to start so I’m going to obviously let my lawyers handle matters from here on out, and I am completely assisting in all investigations that are taking place right now.

“I’m looking forward to focusing on the season. I’m glad that we had this opportunity to talk, and I’m sure there will be continuing investigations moving forward.

“Thank you very much.”

Whereas the lawyers merely used the phrase “massive theft” and were otherwise vague or cute about it last week, Ohtani is now directly accusing Mizuhara of massive theft and has simultaneously foreclosed any explanation of the events in question which would have him helping his buddy out with gambling debts. It’s a stark “Ippei ripped me off of millions and I had no idea about any of it until last week” statement.

First thought: If Ohtani’s story is born out, he will be in the clear, both with the law and with Major League Baseball. Mizuhara, meanwhile, will be in tons of serious trouble and will be facing many years in federal prison.

Second thought: It would be absolutely insane for Ohtani to have made this story up, which goes a long way towards making me believe it is true.

Falsely claiming someone stole $4.5 million from you will necessarily send the feds on a bogus criminal investigation. It also defames a person. It’s the sort of thing that would open a guy up to all kinds of jeopardy, both civil and criminal. I’m sure some people have kept digging in situations like this even when doing so was disastrous — never underestimate the crazy things people can do when under siege — but it would be the height of recklessness and stupidity for Ohtani to affirmatively say what he said yesterday unless it was true. Yes, I realize that he got terrible crisis communications representation last week, but the lawyers are driving now, and the lawyers would not sign off on this statement if they didn’t think they could back it up. Or, again, unless Ohtani is lying and insane and is just going full sociopath.

Further thoughts:

• If Ohtani’s story is true, it means Mizuhara gave a 90-minute interview to ESPN of straight up lies, backed up by Ohtani's PR/crisis communications people, all while his agent stood by, apparently having no reason to believe that Mizuhara was not being truthful. Which means they did not speak directly, let alone independently to Ohtani. I cannot imagine spokespeople and/or agents not making sure the client — the boss! — was affirmatively in the loop before letting an interview like that happen. I think it’s time for Ohtani to pursue a staff shakeup!
• If Ohtani’s story is NOT true, Ippei has every incentive to tell that to anyone who will listen to save his own skin. So, unlike the mess of the last week, we at least have clear battle lines drawn now. This is either about to get very confrontational very quickly or else Mizuhara is gonna roll over, knowing he’s beat.

There are still, obviously, a lot questions here which Ohtani left unanswered. Such as:

• How was the theft accomplished? Did Mizuhara have access to Ohtani’s accounts or authority to move money or was this a digital smash-and-grab? In talking about how it’d be crazy for Ohtani to lie, I leaned hard on the probabilities and human incentives involved. But it’d also be crazy to lie, would it not, because federal financial crimes investigators will absolutely be able to figure out who actually effected these transfers if they are tasked with finding that out;
• Why did the bookie front Mizuhara all that credit? If Mizuhara is a completely-over-the-edge fraudster maybe he forged a letter or something. I don’t know, but the bookie had to have believed that Ohtani was backing Mizuhara’s debts and I’d love to know why he believed that;
• How did Ohtani’s bank or his accountants not notice $4.5 million being wired to an unidentified (to them) account? Even if it was six-figure payments over the course of a year, that has to be noticed and questioned, no? The only way it makes sense to me is if Mizuhara had even more control over Ohtani’s life and business than anyone has let on and he had the ability to handle all of that and wave it all away without Ohtani knowing. Seems a bit far-fetched.

I’m sure there are other questions raised here, but I think I got the big ones for now.

So where do I stand? I tend to believe Ohtani’s story, even if that belief is based more on outsiders like me playing game theory than it is on hard evidence. Ohtani’s story seems credible to me but it’s still a game of “he-said” “she-said” even if it’s an outrageously high-stakes one. Unless, of course, Mizuhara just admits it all. Which could happen.

Harry Marino’s MLBPA insurgency seems to have run out of gas

Last week news broke that Harry Marino, the former player/lawyer/labor organizer who rose to fame by getting the MLBPA to agree to represent minor leaguers, was coming after the top two people in the Players Union: Executive Director Tony Clark and Chief Negotiator Bruce Meyer. Marino and players sympathetic to him explicitly called for Meyer’s termination. It soon became clear that if they were going to get it they had to go through Clark too, and then there seemed to be appetite to depose Clark as well.

The week ended with all three of the principles issuing public statements about the ongoing drama. Meyer defended his record. Marino talked like a revolutionary. None of this seemed like the kind of business unions usually want to have aired publicly, but it all aired publicly all the same.

Now it seems that Marino’s insurgency is being beaten back.

In his statement, Clark announced that MLBPA’s eight-man executive subcommittee is poised to reject Marino’s overtures. Clark said “We [meaning he and the subcommittee] still have issues to discuss, but one thing clear among the MLB executive subcommittee members is that this is no longer a Harry Marino discussion, in any respect.”

One of the subcommittee members, Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty, gave an interview with The Athletic that makes it sound like he and the others who pushed Marino in a contentious phone call about it last week are regretting that and that they didn’t expect things to blow up like it did. Reading between the lines, it sounds like (a) the rebelling players didn’t realize that calling for someone’s head might have consequences; and (b) maybe there is sentiment in the union to get rid of Meyer, but no one really expected Marino to go all Che Guevara like he did last week, bucking to become the next MLBPA executive director or, possibly, chief negotiator. It now sounds like, while some of that anti-Meyer sentiment is still floating around, the players have turned on Marino. There will no doubt be ongoing conversations, but I suspect they’ll be way more subdued and behind the scenes.

The big thing that led to all of this, it would seem, is letting the minor leaguers into the union. While such an effort is obviously laudable — everyone should have representation, and why wouldn’t a baseball players union be the one to represent baseball players? — that also (a) empowered Marino, who sounds like he has his own agenda; and (b) put a lot of people into the union and onto the executive board whose interests are often not the same as those of major leaguers.

I’m not sure what you do about that. Obviously the minor leaguers should still be represented, but the union of 2024 is very different than the union of 2022 given the change in its membership. It’s also now more vulnerable because of the real and potential conflicts of interest involved. I mean, that was already a long-running background issue with respect to high-earning veterans and arbitration-eligible and pre-arb major leaguers, but now that you have minor leaguers in there the divisions have become even more stark. Clark says there’s a lot of work to do and, boy howdy, he’s right about that.

Marvin Miller used to warn the players that ownership’s primary negotiating tactic was to drive wedges into the union membership. To pit veteran interests against rookie interests and to exploit any and all other potential fissures as well. If what happened last week is a preview of how internal union relations are going to go in this new era of the MLBPA, Manfred and the owners won’t have to drive any wedges at all. They can just sit back and watch as the union rips itself apart. Or at the very least weakens itself significantly.

DJ LeMahieu to start the season on the injured list

Yankees third baseman and leadoff hitter DJ LeMahieu will start the season on the injured list because of a bruised right foot. He is expected to miss at least the seven-game trip that starts Thursday at Houston. Maybe more.

LeMahieu has been sidelined since fouling a ball off his foot on March 16. An MRI and CT scan last week were both negative. He is scheduled to have a follow-up MRI this week. With the way the Yankees injury news usually goes, I fully expect the second MRI to reveal that he has foot quinsy, undulant fever, or cholera.

Rockies lock up Ezequiel Tovar

I missed this from Sunday, but the Colorado Rockies have signed shortstop Ezequiel Tovar to a seven-year $63.5 million contract extension with a club option that could bring it to $84 million.

Tovar, who came up late in the 2022 season, hit .253/.287/.408 (77 OPS+) with 37 doubles and 15 home runs in 153 games in 2023. His real value is on defense, however, as he stands out as one of the top shortstop gloves in the game.

Colorado went 59-103 last season, but Tovar, along with left fielder Nolan Jones, are guys who you can imagine being key parts of the next good Rockies team, assuming one ever comes along again. It makes sense to lock him up.

Domingo German still drinks because “I don’t have a problem”

A little over a week ago the Pittsburgh Pirates signed starting pitcher Domingo Germán to a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp. That came after the Yankees waived him. Which came after (a) a suspension for domestic violence; (b) a suspension for doctoring baseballs; and (c) Germán’s 2023 season ending a month early due to is going into rehab for alcohol abuse after he went off on teammates and flipped over furniture in the clubhouse during what appears to have been a drunken rage.

Germán has, of course, been a good pitcher at times despite all of those problems, so the Pirates probably figured that he was worth a chance, especially given how cheap he has made himself. And hey: the last we heard of him he was working on himself and addressing his substance abuse so maybe they’d be the beneficiaries of a more healthy and focused Domingo Germán.

Or maybe not. Yesterday we learned that Germán didn’t think he needed to go to rehab — he said he did so only to save his paycheck, which would’ve been cut off if the Yankees had placed him on the restricted list — and doesn’t think he has a drinking problem. From NJ Advance Media:

German didn’t believe that he belonged in this Jupiter alcohol treatment center. According to him, he’s never had a drinking problem, and on this day, Aug. 3, his 31st birthday, German was feeling like the Yankees’ prisoner . . . Now with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he admits that he’s still drinking and denies he was drunk that day he trashed a lounge in the Yankees clubhouse. Friends and acquaintances who have spoken to NJ Advance Media say they are worried that his denial will lead to more problems.

Germán went on, saying “I drink when I want to drink, but I don’t have any problem.” He added that the rehab facility — which he had been to before, we learn! — was great, even if it was in his mind unnecessary, because everyone there knew who he was and treated him like a celebrity. So yeah, I’m sure he got all kinds of good things out of that and learned all of the right lessons.

NJ Advanced Media asked Pirates GM Ben Cherington about Germán’s claim that he doesn’t have an alcohol problem. Cherington initially refused to answer any questions about that but texted the reporter back later and said he has total confidence that Germán is a changed man and that resources are in place for him, etc. etc. My guess is that Germán’s comments were total news to him and he was covering for his and the Pirates’ failure to properly vet Germán before signing him.

Which, hey, all the Pirates really want out of him is to pitch decently for a couple of months so they can flip him for prospects, so why bother having an extra meeting?

Atlanta signs Jesse Chavez for the fourth time

Reliever Jesse Chavez signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta yesterday. This came a couple of days after the White Sox released him.

I normally don’t do items about relievers on minor league deals, but Chavez is a different story. Partially because he’s 40, and there aren’t many players in their 40s. Also because this is now his fourth tour of duty with Atlanta, and that’s fun.

Chavez first pitched with them in 2010. Jackson Holiday was in kindergarten then if you’re keeping track of such things. Chavez then pitched for them in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Yes, those are consecutive years, but he appeared in those years pursuant to three separate transactions. Atlanta doesn’t really want to keep Chavez around for long but they just can’t quit him either.

For what it’s worth, Chavez has always pitched well for Atlanta. That includes last season when he was humming along with a 1.56 ERA in 36 games before his season ended suddenly due to him taking a Miguel Cabrera comebacker off of his shin, resulting in a microfracture. At some point he’ll cease to be effective — again, he’s 40 — but Atlanta is hoping that he still has something left in the tank.

And if he doesn’t? Hell, they’ll probably sign him again next year just to be sure.

The National Baseball Poetry Festival

There are a ton of great baseball poems. My favorite is Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s “Baseball Canto,” which is at turns hilarious and revealing as it describes an inning featuring the heavily black and Latino San Francisco Giants of the 1960s from the perspective of Ferlinghetti as he sits in the stands. It’s funnier and better to hear Ferlinghetti read it himself so take a few minutes and give it a listen.

It’s a great poem for a lot of reasons but one reason is because it came at a time when some teams, particularly in the American League, were still only reluctantly integrating. As such, when some NL teams seriously scouted and signed Black and Latino talent in the 1950s and 60s — particularly the Dodgers, Cardinals, and Giants — was cutting edge. It went a long way towards explaining why the NL was do much better than the AL during that time and into the 1970s. “Baseball Canto” was current events when it was written, but to us now it is something of a time capsule from a different era. A suggestion of how radically baseball was changing and how, as it so often has throughout its history, it was reflecting what was going on in America at large.

But there are a hell of a lot more baseball poems than that, of course. And there are people who still write them. In light of that, if you happen to find yourself in Worcester, Massachusetts between May 3 and May 5, you should go to Polar Park for the National Baseball Poetry Festival. Which is, I just learned, an actual thing. From the website:

Home of the Worcester Red Sox and hometown of Ernest Thayer, author of “Casey at the Bat,” for a national gathering of Baseball fans and Poetry lovers from all walks of life!

Baseball—the “National Pastime”—is the American sport most represented in the arts.  The National Baseball Poetry Festival aims to unite Baseball—one of our great cultural common denominators—and Poetry—the world’s oldest art form—in a unique and wonderful celebration of both.  This year the Festival takes place the first weekend after National Poetry Month!

There will be all manner of events, including a couple of Worcester Red Sox games, poetry readings, open mics, coffees, youth readings and things like that.

Which means that, if you set your weekend up just right, you can be, to paraphrase Ferlinghetti, watching baseball, sitting in the sun, eating popcorn,
reading Ezra Pound, and wishing that Bobby Dalbec would hit a hole right through the Anglo-Saxon tradition in the first Canto.

Other Stuff

I did a Q&A 

I did a Q&A with a reporter, writer and editor named Deborah Kalb about my book, Legends of Major League Baseball which came out last fall. Nothing I say there will be surprising to most of you who have been around here for a bit, but if someone takes the time to ask me questions, I’m always gonna answer them.

Once again, the rules don’t apply to Trump

Donald Trump had massive fraud judgment entered against him in February. In order to appeal the judgment he was required to obtain an appeal bond of $454 million by yesterday. If he did not, New York Attorney General Letitia James could begin seizing his assets as soon as this week.

He did not do so. But, unlike almost everyone else who has to actually, you know, abide by court orders, Trump was let (mostly) off the hook.

An appeals court gave him a ten-day extension and, what’s more, all he has to post in that ten day period is a $175 million bond. Some of that was probably based on his professed inability to pay, which is a hell of a thing to do in a case where the judgment in question involves the defendant being found to have fraudulently represented his financial status. Whatever the case, he’ll probably be able to post the new amount, based on what I’m reading.

A huge reason why we end up with horrible assholes with no regard for the rule of law is because they start out as run-of-the-mill assholes who are never subjected to any real consequences for their actions. They are constantly bailed out by their fathers or let off the hook by those with the power to actually constrain their behavior and they come out the other end as the absolute worst people in the world. Trump’s entire life has been virtually devoid of consequences because of his family, his money, his fame, and later in his life, his power. And it just continues. It’s absolutely galling and it’s undoubtedly destructive.

Meanwhile, there are thousands of poor, non-violent people sitting in jail cells right now because they can’t come up with bail. No one is reducing that for them. No one is giving them gratuitous extensions. That sort of treatment is reserved for the wealthy in this country.

Update from the American Dystopia 

From the Columbus Dispatch:

The state of Ohio plans to buy two "mobile modular shoot houses" to help train armed employees in 67 school districts how to respond to an active shooter.

The Ohio Department of Public Safety is asking the state Controlling Board on Monday to approve the $78,000 purchase from North Carolina-based Kontek Industries, which sells surveillance systems, body armor, gun turret systems and more.

The shoot houses can be assembled on site − indoor or outdoor − and can be configured to resemble houses, offices or other buildings. "The more realistic we can make the training, the better prepared armed school staff will be to respond to an active shooter," said Bret Crow, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety.

That we’ll use taxpayer money to buy buildings to train police how to deal with mass shooters but won’t countenance, for a single moment, any laws that might make mass shootings less common is a hell of a thing.

Oh, and that the company selling those buildings also sells the sorts of products mass shooters like and use in their mass shootings is the fucking obscene cherry on the top.

Brains

A guy was caught on video in Madison, Wisconsin vandalizing a video game at a bar/arcade. He also put the same tag on the walls in other locations in the place as well:

While the guy is pretty smart to be playing the excellent 1980s arcade game “Commando” — I loved that one, friends — he’s not quite as smart to be wearing a cap that not only has the name of the brewery he owns, but which he is wearing on the website for said brewery:

The Shohei Ohtani matter may still be spinning and whirling with intrigue and unknowns, but not all cases are as hard to crack.

Have a great day everyone.

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