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“Olympian—-1 Great Event….1 Great Lifetime”

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Athletes come in all sizes, shapes and talent levels.

They play for years upon years in their sport, reach the heights of popularity, earning power, and accomplishments.

We marvel at what Tom Brady has done, what Gordy Howe accomplished, the feats of Nolan Ryan or LeBron James.

Rafer Johnson accomplished so much coming out of UCLA.  And he did it just one time, in 1-Olympic.

What he did was set a standard of excellence in his event, the decathlon.

It led him to greater heights as a contributor to society.  His accomplishments after his career as an athlete was over, are greater than what he did in 1960 in Rome.

What he did from 1960 to 2020 is what he should be remembered for.

An obituary worth reading for a man whose “Life was Well Lived”

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Rafer Johnson, who carried the American flag into Rome’s Olympic Stadium in August 1960 as the first Black captain of a United States Olympic team and went on to win gold in a memorable decathlon duel, bringing him acclaim as the world’s greatest all-around athlete, died on Wednesday at his home in the Sherman Oaks section of Los Angeles. He was 86.

Michael Roth, a family friend and spokesman, confirmed the death.

Johnson never competed after that decathlon triumph. He became a good-will ambassador for the United States and a close associate of the Kennedy family, taking a leadership role in the Special Olympics, which were championed by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and joining Robert F. Kennedy’s entourage during Kennedy’s presidential campaign in 1968. He was remembered especially for helping to wrestle the senator’s assassin to the ground in Los Angeles in 1968.

Johnson’s national profile was largely molded at the 1960 Olympics, one of the most celebrated in the history of the Games, a moment when a host of African-American athletes burst triumphantly onto the world stage. Muhammad Ali, known then as Cassius Clay, captured boxing gold in the light-heavyweight division. Wilma Rudolph swept to victory in the women’s 100- and 200-meter dashes and combined with her Tennessee State teammates for gold in the 4 x 100 relay. Oscar Robertson helped take the United States basketball team to a gold medal.

Johnson had been chosen to speak on behalf of the American Olympians at a sendoff rally at City Hall in New York.
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He “flawlessly called out the names of the dozens of teammates who stood at his side,” David Maraniss wrote in “Rome 1960: The Olympics That Changed the World” (2008). “He had a firm grasp of the occasion, and team officials took notice. His performance in New York, along with his stature as the gold medal favorite in the decathlon, convinced the officials that Johnson should be the U.S. captain in Rome and the first black athlete to carry the U.S. flag at an Olympic opening ceremonies.

“There could be no more valuable figure in the propaganda war with the Soviet Union, which wasted no opportunity to denounce the racial inequities of the United States.”

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Johnson’s narrow decathlon victory over C.K. Yang of Taiwan and U.C.L.A., a good friend, provided a thrilling moment in its own right.

Johnson, a 25-year-old graduate of U.C.L.A. and a chiseled 6 feet 3 inches and 200 pounds, was the favorite going into the two-day decathlon, a 10-event test of versatility, strength, speed and endurance that included sprints, high hurdles, pole-vaulting, the high jump and broad jump, the javelin and discus throws, and the 1,500-meter run.
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Image
Johnson winning a heat in the 100-meter dash, the first event in the decathlon, at the 1960 Rome Olympics. He went on to win the gold medal.Credit…Associated Press
He had won silver in the decathlon at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, finishing behind Milt Campbell of the U.S., who turned to pro football afterward. He had bested Vasily Kuznetsov of the Soviet Union at a meet at Lenin Stadium in Moscow in 1958, inspiring spectators to put aside Cold War issues and cheer his achievement. And he scored a world-record 8,683 points in the decathlon at the 1960 Olympic track and field trials in Oregon.
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But he faced a stiff challenge in Rome from the 27-year-old Yang, who was representing Formosa, the Olympic designation at the time for Taiwanese athletes. Both were trained by Elvin Drake, known as Ducky, the U.C.L.A. track and field coach.

The decathlon duel was decided in its final event, the 1,500 meters, in which Yang was especially strong. Johnson, leading on points, didn’t have to win the event to capture the gold medal, but he did need to finish within 10 seconds of Yang.

“I planned to stick with him like a buddy in combat,” Johnson told The Los Angeles Times in 1990. “I had one other advantage, and I don’t think C.K. knew this at the time. This was my last decathlon. I was prepared to run as fast as I had to in this last race of my life.”

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Yang, who died in 2007, recalled, “I knew he would never let go of me unless he collapsed.” Johnson finished 1.2 seconds behind Yang, good enough to capture gold, with Yang getting silver and Kuznetsov capturing bronze.

Image
Johnson with his friend and competitor C.K. Yang after completing the decisive 1,500-meter event in the decathlon in the 1960 Games in Rome. Johnson narrowly beat Yang for the gold medal. Credit…Keystone/Getty Images
Johnson later received the 1960 Sullivan Award as America’s leading amateur athlete. After that, he embarked on new chapters in his life.Rafer Johnson, who carried the American flag into Rome’s Olympic Stadium in August 1960 as the first Black captain of a United States Olympic team and went on to win gold in a memorable decathlon duel, bringing him acclaim as the world’s greatest all-around athlete, died on Wednesday at his home in the Sherman Oaks section of Los Angeles. He was 86.

Michael Roth, a family friend and spokesman, confirmed the death.

Johnson never competed after that decathlon triumph. He became a good-will ambassador for the United States and a close associate of the Kennedy family, taking a leadership role in the Special Olympics, which were championed by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and joining Robert F. Kennedy’s entourage during Kennedy’s presidential campaign in 1968. He was remembered especially for helping to wrestle the senator’s assassin to the ground in Los Angeles in 1968.

Johnson’s national profile was largely molded at the 1960 Olympics, one of the most celebrated in the history of the Games, a moment when a host of African-American athletes burst triumphantly onto the world stage. Muhammad Ali, known then as Cassius Clay, captured boxing gold in the light-heavyweight division. Wilma Rudolph swept to victory in the women’s 100- and 200-meter dashes and combined with her Tennessee State teammates for gold in the 4 x 100 relay. Oscar Robertson helped take the United States basketball team to a gold medal.

Johnson had been chosen to speak on behalf of the American Olympians at a sendoff rally at City Hall in New York.
ADVERTISEMENT
Continue reading the main story

He “flawlessly called out the names of the dozens of teammates who stood at his side,” David Maraniss wrote in “Rome 1960: The Olympics That Changed the World” (2008). “He had a firm grasp of the occasion, and team officials took notice. His performance in New York, along with his stature as the gold medal favorite in the decathlon, convinced the officials that Johnson should be the U.S. captain in Rome and the first black athlete to carry the U.S. flag at an Olympic opening ceremonies.

“There could be no more valuable figure in the propaganda war with the Soviet Union, which wasted no opportunity to denounce the racial inequities of the United States.”

Gift Subscriptions to The Times, Cooking and Games.
Starting at $25.
Johnson’s narrow decathlon victory over C.K. Yang of Taiwan and U.C.L.A., a good friend, provided a thrilling moment in its own right.

Johnson, a 25-year-old graduate of U.C.L.A. and a chiseled 6 feet 3 inches and 200 pounds, was the favorite going into the two-day decathlon, a 10-event test of versatility, strength, speed and endurance that included sprints, high hurdles, pole-vaulting, the high jump and broad jump, the javelin and discus throws, and the 1,500-meter run.
Editors’ Picks

‘The Crown’ Stokes an Uproar Over Fact vs. Entertainment

Amanda Seyfried Finally Stakes Her Claim

The College Athletes Who Are Allowed to Make Big Bucks: Cheerleaders
Continue reading the main story

Image
Johnson winning a heat in the 100-meter dash, the first event in the decathlon, at the 1960 Rome Olympics. He went on to win the gold medal.Credit…Associated Press
He had won silver in the decathlon at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, finishing behind Milt Campbell of the U.S., who turned to pro football afterward. He had bested Vasily Kuznetsov of the Soviet Union at a meet at Lenin Stadium in Moscow in 1958, inspiring spectators to put aside Cold War issues and cheer his achievement. And he scored a world-record 8,683 points in the decathlon at the 1960 Olympic track and field trials in Oregon.
ADVERTISEMENT
Continue reading the main story

But he faced a stiff challenge in Rome from the 27-year-old Yang, who was representing Formosa, the Olympic designation at the time for Taiwanese athletes. Both were trained by Elvin Drake, known as Ducky, the U.C.L.A. track and field coach.

The decathlon duel was decided in its final event, the 1,500 meters, in which Yang was especially strong. Johnson, leading on points, didn’t have to win the event to capture the gold medal, but he did need to finish within 10 seconds of Yang.

“I planned to stick with him like a buddy in combat,” Johnson told The Los Angeles Times in 1990. “I had one other advantage, and I don’t think C.K. knew this at the time. This was my last decathlon. I was prepared to run as fast as I had to in this last race of my life.”

THE MORNING: Make sense of the day’s news and ideas. David Leonhardt and Times journalists guide you through what’s happening — and why it matters.
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Yang, who died in 2007, recalled, “I knew he would never let go of me unless he collapsed.” Johnson finished 1.2 seconds behind Yang, good enough to capture gold, with Yang getting silver and Kuznetsov capturing bronze.

Image
Johnson with his friend and competitor C.K. Yang after completing the decisive 1,500-meter event in the decathlon in the 1960 Games in Rome. Johnson narrowly beat Yang for the gold medal. Credit…Keystone/Getty Images
Johnson later received the 1960 Sullivan Award as America’s leading amateur athlete. After that, he embarked on new chapters in his life.

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“Baseball–Earthquake Coming?”

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The Baseball Free Agent Window has been open for two weeks.  None of the top rated stars have been signed.

As MLB reels under the weight of some 3B in losses in the pandemic season, teams are trying to juggle payrolls.  Move players, find budget space, and then wait to see who becomes available next.

No one has yet signed Trevor Bauer..George Springer…DJ LeMahieu…JT Realmuto…Marcel Ozuna or Justin Turner…the elite names atop the free agent list.  They will be signed.

But what happens after that could be a financial bloodbath.

At 5pm tonite, some more big names are likely to be dumped on the open market.  That’s when teams have to decide whether to tender big money contract offers to a select group of players, who would become free agents.

You can add as many as 50-more names of recognizable players to the 197-free agents already on the open market.

Catch up now, via CBS Sports, who might be dumped on the open market as ‘non-tenders’

An earthquake is coming, and the damage afterwards may be big paycuts for lots of name players.

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Diamondbacks
Biggest non-tender decision: C Carson Kelly ($1.3 million projected salary)

The Diamondbacks do not have any serious non-tender candidates now that Junior Guerra has been released, so Kelly gets the nod by default. He followed up his breakout 2019 season with a down 2020, though I doubt the team will cut bait over that. A 26-year-old catcher with four years of control and one comfortably above-average big-league season under his belt is incredibly valuable. Caleb Smith and Luke Weaver are Arizona’s only other arbitration-eligible players. They don’t have a big decision coming. Those two and Kelly will be tendered contracts and remain with the team.

Other non-tender candidates: None

Braves
Biggest non-tender decision: IF Johan Camargo ($1.9 million projected salary)

Adam Duvall’s huge 2020 season took him off the non-tender chopping block and solidified his spot with the 2021 Braves. Camargo has been hurt and ineffective since his 2018 breakout, with his swing-and-miss issues particularly surprising. Atlanta has Austin Riley at third and they’ve been connected to some bigger-name third basemen in recent weeks (i.e. Kris Bryant), so they do not seem likely to give Camargo another go next year. A soon-to-be 27-year-old switch-hitter who can play all over the infield (and some outfield) is a useful piece for a contender, just not at nearly $2 million.

Other non-tender candidates: LHP Grant Dayton, RHP Luke Jackson

Orioles
Biggest non-tender decision: IF Hanser Alberto ($2.6 million projected salary)

Elite contact ability and near-league-bottom exit velocity have allowed Alberto to dink and dunk his way to a .317 batting average on balls in play the last two years, though he doesn’t do much else other than put the bat on the ball, especially with his glove having gone backward. The Orioles aren’t exactly flush with infield depth, though a rebuilding team spending nearly $3 million on a no power, middling defense journeyman isn’t a thing that usually happens. With Renato Nunez having already been released (and replaced by waiver claim Chris Shaw), Alberto is Baltimore’s biggest non-tender decision.

Other non-tender candidates: C Pedro Severino, IF Pat Valaika

Red Sox
Biggest non-tender decision: RHP Matt Barnes ($4.1 million projected salary)

All you need to know about the current state of the Red Sox is that they’ve had eight pitchers clear waivers this offseason — any team could have had them for free and they all passed — and those eight pitchers threw more than one-quarter of Boston’s innings in 2020. Ouch. Ryan Weber was one of those eight pitchers, leaving Barnes, the team’s nominal closer, as Boston’s only real non-tender decision. His big strikeout rates will get him paid well through arbitration, though his walk and homer issues limit his on-field value. The bet here is the Red Sox keep Barnes.

Other non-tender candidates: RHP Austin Brice

Cubs
Biggest non-tender decision: 3B Kris Bryant ($18.6 million projected salary)

Wouldn’t it be something if the Cubs non-tendered Bryant after all the service time shenanigans (and the grievance that took nearly five years to resolve)? It’s insane Bryant, a 28-year-old former MVP who played at an All-Star level as recently as 2019, is being discussed as a non-tender candidate — teams that are trying to contend don’t even entertain such ideas — but such is the state of Chicago’s finances, or so owner Tom Ricketts claims. Bryant had a miserable 2020 season while playing hurt and, if the Cubs are unable to find a suitable trade prior to Wednesday’s deadline, they very well might cut him loose. I think it’s far more likely they keep him and hope he rebuilds value next year so they can flip him at the trade deadline (or, gasp, contend), but it is not set in stone. Chicago has several non-tender candidates and Bryant is easily the most notable.

Other non-tender candidates: OF Albert Almora Jr., 1B Jose Martinez, OF Kyle Schwarber

White Sox
Biggest non-tender decision: LHP Carlos Rodon ($4.5 million projected salary)

The White Sox are likely to non-tender outfielder Nomar Mazara, a former top prospect who’s spun his wheels in the big leagues and is projected to make close to $6 million in 2021. Rodon is much more up in the air. Tommy John surgery and shoulder trouble have limited him to fewer than 50 innings the last two years and, when he did pitch, he often showed reduced velocity. The ChiSox are a contender now and there is no such thing as too much pitching depth, so I suspect they will keep Rodon even at his projected salary. The same applies to Reynaldo Lopez. He’s projected at nearly $2 million.

Other non-tender candidates: Lopez, Mazara

Reds
Biggest non-tender decision: OF Brian Goodwin ($2.7 million projected salary)

The Reds gave up two mid-range prospects to get Goodwin at the trade deadline this summer but I don’t think that means his place on the 2021 roster is secure. Depending where Nick Senzel plays, Goodwin might only be their sixth-best outfielder, and teams on a budget usually don’t commit nearly $3 million to role players. Squint your eyes and you could see Archie Bradley as a non-tender candidate given a projected salary close to $5 million. Michael Lorenzen’s expected move into the rotation all but ensures Bradley will open next year in Cincinnati’s bullpen though.

Other non-tender candidates: C Curt Casali

Indians
Biggest non-tender decision: C Austin Hedges ($3 million projected salary)

Hedges was part of the Mike Clevinger trade and, truth be told, Cleveland is probably too thin behind the plate to cut him loose. That said, they picked up Roberto Perez’s $5.5 million option earlier this offseason, and a small payroll team may not want to commit $8 million or so on two all-glove, no-hit catchers. Remember, money is apparently so tight in Cleveland that they put Brad Hand on waivers in an effort to avoid the $1 million buyout of his club option. It’s not often you see a team with a small payroll spend roughly $3 million on a backup catcher.

Other non-tender candidates: OF Delino DeShields Jr., OF Tyler Naquin

Rockies
Biggest non-tender decision: RHP Jon Gray ($5.9 million projected salary)

Earlier this offseason Rockies ownership sent season ticket holders a letter strongly suggested payroll will come down — “There will be nothing normal about this offseason as the industry faces a new economic reality,” the letter said, according to The Athletic’s Nick Groke — and the easiest way to chop about $6 million off the ledger is non-tendering Gray. The 29-year-old had shoulder problems and was ineffective in 2020, two things that were very likely related, and if the Rockies don’t believe he is fixable or are confident in their ability to find a trade partner, they could make a clean break at the non-tender deadline. The guess here is they keep him, though I think it’s 50/50 at best.

Other non-tender candidates: C Elias Diaz, RHP Jairo Diaz, RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez, C Tony Wolters

Tigers
Biggest non-tender decision: LHP Matthew Boyd ($6.2 million projected salary)

The Tigers badly overplayed their hand when dangling Boyd on the trade market — they wanted Gleyber Torres from the Yankees — and he’s taken an enormous step back since the 2019 trade deadline, so much so that teams may balk at taking on his projected salary even with a thin free agent pitching class. Miguel Cabrera is the only player on Detroit’s roster with a guaranteed contract, so the Tigers are not desperate to cut payroll this winter. The bet here is they keep Boyd and hope he rebuilds value next year so they can flip him at the trade deadline. Definitely not a good sign that non-tendering Boyd is not completely insane though.

Other non-tender candidates: UTIL Niko Goodrum, RHP Buck Farmer, RHP Michael Fulmer, LHP Daniel Norris

Astros
Biggest non-tender decision: UTIL Aledmys Diaz ($2.8 million projected salary)

The Astros already answered their biggest non-tender question when they outrighted Roberto Osuna a few weeks ago. He’s now a free agent and would have banked more than $10 million through arbitration thanks to his 155 career saves. With Osuna gone, Diaz gets the nod by default because Carlos Correa and Lance McCullers Jr. are the only other arbitration-eligible players on the roster. Diaz is a good enough hitter and a good enough defender at multiple positions to be worth a roster spot on a contending team. The only question is whether the Astros want to commit nearly $3 million to such a player.

Other non-tender candidates: None

Royals
Biggest non-tender decision: 3B Maikel Franco ($5 million projected salary)

Franco’s huge 2015 breakout feels like it was just yesterday, doesn’t it? The Royals signed him to a low risk one-year deal last winter and he responded with his best season since that 2015 breakout. As a reward, he may get non-tendered for the second straight winter. That’s a hefty salary projection for a player who will qualify for free agency next year and may not have a long-term spot in Kansas City. When you have exit velocity darling Kelvin Gutierrez in the organization at the same position, spending roughly $5 million on Franco isn’t the best use of resources.

Other non-tender candidates: None

Angels
Biggest non-tender decision: RHP Hansel Robles ($3.9 million projected salary)

Very quietly, the Angels have had strong success on the waiver wire in recent years, including getting 125 2/3 innings of 3.67 ERA ball from Robles since his 2018 claim. He was the team’s regular closer in 2019, but diminished velocity led to 20 runs in 16 2/3 innings in 2020, putting him in the non-tender crosshairs. The Angels aren’t blessed with great pitching depth, so hanging on to Robles and seeing whether he rebounds with a normal-ish spring training would be justifiable. The guess here is they cut bait entirely and redirect the money toward a pitcher who didn’t allow more than a run per inning this summer.

Other non-tender candidates: RHP Justin Anderson, RHP Keynan Middleton, RHP Noe Ramirez

Dodgers
Biggest non-tender decision: LHP Scott Alexander ($1 million projected salary)

Even with a pricey seven-player arbitration class (Cody Bellinger, Walker Buehler, Corey Seager, and Julio Urias are all arbitration-eligible this winter), the Dodgers don’t have any obvious non-tender candidates. Alexander has spent the last two years as a solid up-and-down depth arm and his projected salary is a drop in the bucket for Los Angeles, plus Caleb Ferguson’s Tommy John surgery creates an opening for another lefty in the bullpen. That said, Victor Gonzalez and Adam Kolarek remain, and the Dodgers have a small army of interesting (and cheap) young arms they could turn to instead. Ultimately, I think Alexander stays.

Other non-tender candidates: None

Marlins
Biggest non-tender decision: 1B Jesus Aguilar ($3.9 million projected salary)

The Marlins have two prominent non-tender candidates in Aguilar and righty Jose Urena, who is also projected for a $3.9 million salary next year. Miami is fairly deep in arms and Urena hasn’t pitched well the last two years, so I think he’ll get non-tendered. His situation is more predictable than Aguilar’s. The Marlins have an extremely similar player to Aguilar in Garrett Cooper, and top prospect Lewin Diaz is knocking on the door. Spending roughly $4 million on a one-dimensional first baseman who can be replaced from within is not usually something a small-payroll team does. Aguilar’s clubhouse leadership and the inevitable approval of the universal DH just may keep him on the roster another year though.

Other non-tender candidates: LHP Richard Bleier, RHP Yimi Garcia, RHP Ryne Stanek

Brewers
Biggest non-tender decision: RHP Corey Knebel ($5.125 million projected salary)

Few teams have been as aggressive with non-tenders as the Brewerslately — they non-tendered eight players the last two years — and they’ve spent the early part of the winter cutting payroll through option declines. Probably not a good sign for their non-tender candidates. Knebel was as nasty as they come from 2017-18, but Tommy John surgery sidelined him in 2019 and hamstring trouble limited him to 13 1/3 ineffective innings in 2020. Milwaukee already has one reliever making big money through arbitration (Josh Hader), and Knebel at more than $5 million just might not be feasible. No doubt the Brewers will scour the trade market before non-tendering him.

Other non-tender candidates: OF Ben Gamel, C Manny Pina, C Omar Narvaez, UTIL Jace Peterson

Twins
Biggest non-tender decision: OF Eddie Rosario ($9.6 million projected salary)

Power pays in arbitration and Rosario’s 96 home runs the last four years are the 30th most in baseball. The problem is he doesn’t do a whole lot other than hit homers. He’s a low on-base hitter, he doesn’t contribute much on the bases, and his left field defense is adequate more than an asset. Alex Kirilloff is one of the top prospects in the game and he’s MLB-ready — the Twins think so much of Kirilloff that they let him make his big league debut in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series — and could easily step in to replace Rosario in left field next year, allowing Minnesota to reallocate that projected salary toward pitching. I think Rosario’s a goner.

Other non-tender candidates: None

Mets
Biggest non-tender decision: LHP Steven Matz ($5.1 million projected salary)

The Mets have a massive 13-player arbitration class and yet only one of those 13 players is on the non-tender fence. Extra outfielder Guillermo Heredia will be non-tendered — that’s not a decision the Mets will have to debate much — and Matz’s spot is up in the air. Matz allowed 33 runs in 30 innings this past season and surrendered his highest average velocity in years, and those numbers usually equal a non-tender. That said, he made 30 league-average starts in 2018 and again in 2019, so you needn’t look back far to see the last time he was an effective pitcher, plus the Mets need rotation depth. New owner Steve Cohen is ready to spend and Matz’s projected salary isn’t onerous. I think this one’s 50/50. It wouldn’t surprise me to see the Mets keep Matz or cut him loose. Could go either way.

Other non-tender candidates: Heredia

Yankees
Biggest non-tender decision: C Gary Sanchez ($5.5 million projected salary)

Sanchez had a “worst player in baseball” kind of season in 2020 and it put his future with the Yankees in doubt. The Yankees are not blessed with much depth behind the plate, however, and it was only a year ago that the soon-to-be 28-year-old Sanchez hit 34 home runs and was an All-Star. I think non-tendering Sanchez is something fans are debating and reporters are speculating about more than the Yankees are seriously considering, though he does stand out as New York’s most notable non-tender candidate heading into Wednesday’s deadline.

Other non-tender candidates: RHP Luis Cessa, RHP Ben Heller, RHP Jonathan Holder

Athletics
Biggest non-tender decision: UTIL Chad Pinder ($2.2 million projected salary)

It has been three years since Pinder’s out-of-nowhere great 2018 season. In the two seasons since, he’s posted a sub-.300 on-base percentage with underwhelming defense no matter where he’s played, and budget teams like the Athletics can’t afford to spend $2 million or so on utility guys. Their current middle infield situation is unsettled, but I don’t think that will be enough to keep Pinder in the green and gold through the non-tender deadline. The A’s have to spend every dollar wisely and there are better ways to use Pinder’s projected salary given their roster needs.

Other non-tender candidates: 2B/OF Tony Kemp

Phillies
Biggest non-tender decision: RHP Vince Velasquez ($4 million projected salary)

There are days you watch Velasquez and wonder how anyone ever gets a hit off him, and days you wonder how he ever made it out of Double-A. The 176 strikeouts in 151 1/3 innings the last two years are nice, but the 5.06 ERA is not, and the Phillies can’t seem to find a good role for him. Velasquez has started and relieved and is a great change-of-scenery candidate — what are the odds he has success with a new team next year and we’re all wondering why the Phillies couldn’t get that out of him? — but at some point you have to move on when things don’t work out, and they aren’t working out. Philadelphia declined its $7 million option for Hector Neris a few weeks ago but I think that’s just an indication the team believes it can retain him at a lower salary through arbitration (he’s projected for $5.3 million) than a sign the Phillies are planning to cut him entirely.

Other non-tender candidates: Neris

Pirates
Biggest non-tender decision: IF/OF Colin Moran ($1.9 million projected salary)

Not counting Ke’Bryan Hayes, who was called up in early September, Moran was the Pirates’ best hitter in 2020. Unfortunately for him, Pittsburgh has younger players who need at-bats at first base (Josh Bell), third base (Hayes), and left field (Bryan Reynolds), the three positions Moran plays. The universal DH is expected to be made permanent at some point this offseason but it may not be soon enough to save Moran’s roster spot. Not sure I’d count on the small-market Pirates spending $2 million on a one-dimensional player with no obvious lineup spot. Bell and Adam Frazier have gone backward the last 18 months or so but non-tendering either would be very shortsighted.

Other non-tender candidates: RHP Michael Feliz, IF Erik Gonzalez, RHP Chad Kuhl

Cardinals
Biggest non-tender decision: RHP John Brebbia ($800,000 projected salary)

The Cardinals don’t have any non-tender candidates other than Brebbia, who had Tommy John surgery in June and will miss most if not all of 2021 while rehabbing. The question is whether St. Louis wants to pay him roughly $800,000 to rehab next year so they can retain him as an arbitration-eligible player in 2022 (and 2023 as well). Declining Kolten Wong’s reasonable $12.5 million option is a strong indication the Cardinals will cut back on spending this winter, though I don’t think they’ll cut back so much that they’ll let Brebbia go just to save six figures.

Other non-tender candidates: None

Padres
Biggest non-tender decision: OF Tommy Pham ($8 million projected salary)

Non-tendering Pham would have been unthinkable just a few weeks ago, even after a down 2020 season in which he missed time with a hand injury. Then Pham got stabbed during an altercation in October and suffered what he called “catastrophic injuries” that will “cause him significant economic damage.” If the Padres are concerned he will not be healthy or productive in 2021, they very well might non-tender him rather than gamble $8 million or so on his recovery. I think they will keep him — Pham said he is “on the road to recovery and I know I’ll be back to my offseason training routine in no time” — but it is no longer set in stone. A non-tender is a distinct possibility.

Other non-tender candidates: IF Greg Garcia

Giants
Biggest non-tender decision: LHP Tyler Anderson ($3.7 million projected salary)

Last offseason the Giants signed Anderson one day — literally one day — after he was non-tendered by the Rockies. He turned in a solid yet unspectacular 2020 season in his return from knee surgery, though the underlying data (hard-hit rate, spin rate, etc.) was much more promising than the surface stats (4.37 ERA and 1.39 WHIP). I think the Giants will keep Anderson because they’re looking for pitching and they’re one of the few teams with money to spend this winter, so gambling close to $4 million on Anderson is worthwhile. Ultimately, this may come down to how confident the front office is in their ability to find a similar (or better) version of Anderson at a lower salary in free agency.

Other non-tender candidates: RHP Trevor Gott, IF Daniel Robertson

Mariners
Biggest non-tender decision: C Tom Murphy ($1.6 million projected salary)

The Mariners only have three arbitration-eligible players and it’s safe to assume J.P. Crawford (this year’s Gold Glove winner at shortstop) and Mitch Haniger (All-Star and MVP vote-getter in 2018) will be tendered contracts. Even though injuries have kept him off the field since June 2019, Haniger’s projected salary is in the $3 million range, and Seattle won’t walk away from that. That leaves Murphy as the team’s biggest non-tender decision. He missed the entire 2020 season with a broken foot but did hit 18 home runs in 2019, and catchers who can bang are always in demand. The projected salary is not exorbitant, so yeah, Murphy will be tendered. It’ll be an uneventful deadline for the Mariners.

Other non-tender candidates: None

Rays
Biggest non-tender decision: 1B Ji-Man Choi ($1.6 million projected salary)

The Rays have already opted to release Hunter Renfroe rather than pay him close to $4 million next year, answering one non-tender question. That leaves Choi. He is very popular, both in the clubhouse and among fans, but he’s essentially a league-average first baseman, and Tampa has depth at the position, including Yandy Diaz and Nate Lowe at near league minimum salaries (plus they owe Yoshitomo Tsutsugo $7 million in 2021). We know money is tight because they walked away from Charlie Morton’s reasonable $15 million option (plus money is always tight with the Rays), and they may believe they can better allocate Choi’s projected salary elsewhere. Non-tendering him would be unpopular but Tampa is not afraid to make unpopular decisions.

Other non-tender candidates: None

Rangers
Biggest non-tender decision: UTIL Danny Santana ($3.6 million projected salary)

Santana slugged 28 home runs in 130 games in 2019 after hitting 13 homers in 349 games from 2014-17. Elbow trouble hampered him throughout 2020 and limited him to a .145/.238/.273 batting line with one homer in 15 games. The ability to play just about any position and the potential for a bounce-back season with a healthy elbow next year would make Santana an interesting free agent target. I just have a hard time seeing the Rangers gambling nearly $4 million on it. They may non-tender Santana and try to re-sign him at a lower salary ($2 million or so?). Joey Gallo, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Rafael Montero are Texas’ only other arbitration-eligible players and all will be tendered.

Other non-tender candidates: None

Blue Jays
Biggest non-tender decision: 1B/3B Travis Shaw ($4.5 million projected salary)

The Blue Jays took a smart one-year flier on Shaw last offseason and it didn’t really work out. He wasn’t terrible, but he wasn’t good either, and there are better ways to use his projected $4.5 million salary. Shaw’s ability to competently play third base separates him from all the other one-dimensional lefty hitting first basemen sitting in free agency and will help land him a job next season. It’s just hard to see him getting something in line with his projected salary. He was non-tendered last offseason and, even though the Blue Jays have money to spend this winter, he is likely to be non-tendered again this offseason.

Other non-tender candidates: RHP A.J. Cole

Nationals
Biggest non-tender decision: RHP Joe Ross ($1.5 million projected salary)

The Nationals have three arbitration-eligible players this offseason and something tells me Juan Soto and Trea Turner aren’t at risk of being non-tendered. That leaves Ross as the only player worth mentioning here. He opted out of the 2020 season and has been injured and ineffective in recent years — Ross has not had an ERA that started with something other than a five since 2016 — but Washington is not blessed with great rotation depth beyond their big three, and Ross’ salary projection is not going to make or break the team’s budget. He’ll be tendered.

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“NFL–Welcome to Real Life”

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The NFL has gotten thru 12-weeks of its regular season.  In doubt now is whether they can finish the season and get to the most important part of the year, the playoffs and the Super Bowl.

A league that has spent over 75M-to do daily Covid-virus testing, now looks as if it might have to take a pause in its schedule.

Baseball shut down spring training then got thru a 60-game season and the playoffs and World Series before the outbreak occurred a second time.

The NBA shuttered in midseason, and restarted in the bubble in Orlando and got to crown a champion.

The NHL, with the toughest challenge of all, crossing the border, and players coming from Canada-USA-Europe…shutdown, and reopened in Hub Cities without a positive test and got thru the Stanley Cup playoffs.

College football was delayed…started…then has had to cancel games every Saturday as their situation worsens.

College basketball just started in delay status but is already encountering problems, one week into the season.

The Covid outbreak that has struck down the Baltimore Ravens is the worst of any team in pro sports.  Worse that the Miami Marlins or St-Louis Cardinals in baseball for sure.

The NFL soldiered on, holding its draft, its free agency, its start of the regular season.  But now, as the country has been brought to its knees, so has Park Avenue, New York, despite its valiant efforts.

The Baltimore Ravens haven’t practiced in 9-days.  Their players were ordered out of their bubble on Monday as they tried to get in a walkthru before the supposed plans to fly to Pittsburgh on Tuesday morning, and play on Tuesday night.  Now the league has pushed the game back a 3rd time-to Wednesday afternoon so long as there are no more positive tests.

The NFL has 23-players on the Ravens IR-Covid list, including star QB-Lamar Jackson and 10-other starters.

Denver lost all 4-QBs and had 4-hours to get a taxi squad WR-ready to play QB in losing horribly to the Saints.  Denver had 1-pass completion in the game and 13-yards passing, taking us back to the 1944-era to see those type of stats.

The Bengals were without 5-assistant coaches.

Jacksonville, in the midst of a 10-game losing streak, lost all its defensive coaches to quarantine.

The Broncos have had 4-different coaches test positive.

The Raiders have had two player outbreaks, but contact testing has saved them more troubles.  They had 7-defensive starters out for nearly a week of practice before reinstatement.

Tennessee had an outbreak with a coach getting ill as the team was arriving for a road game, leading to others testing positive in short order.

The Steelers are without two assistant coaches this week-and have lost their top running back, who is a cancer survivor, but is now positive.

Arizona’s future Hall of Fame receiver is positive.

Teams and players are starting to fray, showing the emotional wear and tear of the Covid crisis, in the lockerroom and at home.

The Broncos quarterbacks and the club will likely get socked with fines..for the violations.

Baltimore’s outbreak dates back to a strength coach, who did not tell doctors he was feeling ill, and infected players in the weight room for more than 24-hours before his test was positive.

New Orleans just got hit with a 500,000 fine for another series of violations.  The Patriots were docked with 350,000 in fines, their second set of discipline action from the league.

The Raiders have been penalized 4-times in the first 8-weeks of the season.

There are solutions, even if nationwide, we cannot put a lid on the virus, positive tests, hospitalizations, ICU issues or deaths.

The NFL could invoke a “Hotel Bubble Plan” now…with five weeks left in the regular season.  Put players, coaches and staffs in lockdown mode for the next five weeks to stop the spread.  Yes the players would be away from their families, but the NBA-NHL did it for 8-to-10 weeks and it worked.

The NFL can hit the pause button on the season if they want.  Cancel the next week of football…and add the missed week of games as a Week 18 to the regular season.

It triggers the expansion of the playoffs to 16-teams, but that means bonus money from the TV contracts they have, and more money for the players too.

The NFL does not want to get into ‘forfeiting games’….is tired of handing out massive fines to owners too and is struggling the police the policies they are demandingl.

Stopping play for one week isn’t the end of the world.  Baseball survived missing nearly two thirds of its season.  Hell, the NHL stopped play for one entire winter in a dispute with its union.

The NFL’s TV ratings are spectacular.  This is always about money, and money will be there at the end of the Super Bowl.  This should be about health and safety, keeping the players well, and making sure games of credibility are being played.

Chargers fans won’t miss Anthony Lynn’s (3-8) team.  The Jets will be winless whether they play or sit.  Denver does not want to do the taxi squad QB thing again.

The NFL is now dealing with things they can no longer control.  The outbreak is in virtually every lockeroom in the league.  A 1-week pause, hell a two week pause if need be, would be the solution to the situation.

Yes the Covid-Virus-Crisis looks like it is about to sack Roger Goodell and the owners….unless the owners do the right thing.

Pause this thing..the season…and the virus.

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Chargers Losing…Head Coach Lost”

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Anthony Lynn is coaching himself into the NFL unemployment line.

His team is (3-8) this season.  They have lost 20-of-28 games dating back to the end of the 2019 season.

If not now blowing big leads, they get blown out, as exampled by yesterday’s 18-point deficit to the Buffalo Bills, a loss caused by a sea of mistakes from the coach and the players.

Justin Herbert and Joey Bosa cannot win these games by themselves.  The coach has shown the ability to make so many mistakes in game management of the clock and down and distance and playcalls, you wonder if he deserves any more time to coach the troubled team.

HMS Lightning Bolt was like a troubled boat in the waters right off Lake Ontario, taking on water everywhere, with a stoic coach making mistake upon mistake, complicated by mistakes by his players.

Pick any and all off the Sunday afternoon menu in Buffalo and see  this is an example of a (3-8) team, who probably cannot save his job now, no matter what philosophy he waxes in his Monday press conference.

..Gerry Tiller 2-personal fouls..blow to head of QB and facemask
..Denzel Perryman helmet hit personal foul
..12-on the field penalty
..Missed extra point
..Allowing 38-26-43Y-kickoff returns
..Bringing a kickoff out of the end zone to the 11-yard line
..Wasting (:15) end of first half on scoring drive-then burning timeout punt
..Burning timeout on 4th and 3-rather than kick FG
..Running the ball twice from the 2-yard line with (:15) left in game
..Offensive pass interference at 1-yard line wiping out 55-yard pass
..Burned on a Buffalo wide receiver option TD pass
..Throwing interception into double coverage killing drive
..Running Aaron Ekeler on the goal-line rather than the tougher Josh Kelly
..Trying to QB-sneak Herbert on a 4th and 2.
..Not targeting Keenan Allen-Mike Williams for long periods in game.
..Not going for a FG early on the final drive-so you could onside kick and try for a game winning TD if you got possession again.

The Chargers spent the entire day running uphill, trying to dig out from an 18-point deficit they created with the lousy playcalls, coaching and execution in the opening half.

Under-seige QB-Justin Herbert threw for (316) and a score.  Austin Ekeler came off the IR to have over 110-all purpose yards.  Joey Bosa may have had his best day in years with 2-sacks, 4-tackles for losses and a pressure.

But the Chargers are porous.  RT-Trey Pipkens gave up 2-sacks.  C-Dan Feeney got beat badly on a sack.  RB-Josh Kelly missed a block and saw his QB get crushed.  The no name secondary kept getting beat.

The Bills tried to self-destruct too with 3-turnovers in an 8-play span, and they too were guilty of major personal foul penalties.

But in the end, Buffalo went to (8-3) and the Chargers got on the plane dragging behind that (3-8) record and an obviously beaten down psyche and a defeated coach.

Nobody in their 4th year as a head coach like Anthony Lynn should be struggling to make the right decisions, instead making these kinds of mistakes Sunday-by-Sunday.

Injuries are one reason for losing.  Incompetence, coaching incompetence is another too.  He already fired Ken Whisenhunt a year ago as his Off Coord.  He just axed special teams coach George Stewart. And yet the problems carry on.

When do we reach the front door of the coach, as being the problem.

Take control of the damn team.  Be decisive.  Call the timeouts at the right time.  Know what play should be called if its 4th and 1.  Be ahead of the curve instead of acting like you are always behind the power curve.

Paychecks are delivered the 1st and 15th of the month.  Anthony Lynn’s may come with a pink-slip soon.

He’s not the only problem of what ails the Chargers.  But he is a problem ailing this team.

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“This-N-That–After Thanksgiving”

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AZTECS….Grit beat Glitz in the San Diego State win over UCLA.  That was so impressive.  The Bruins supposedly the best team in the PAC-12.  Maybe SDSU should file an application to join that league.  Name the game, Brian Dutcher’s team can play it and win.  They beat UCLA, a team laden with 5-star recruits.  They grinded their way to that win.  They forced UCLA into a half-court game the Bruins could not operate.  They defended them all over the court.  They hit three point shots all night.  The bench was as impressive as the starters.  And this with so many new people on the roster, stepping in as if they had been there for years.  Mountain West Conference look out, can you say ‘Best in West’.  For UCLA, alot of work to do.

AZTECS…I have had great regard for what San Diego State’s athletic leadership has accomplished, but I question this move right now.  The Thursday night decision to send SDSU on the road to play the Colorado Buffaloes in a non conference game doesn’t feel right.  No prep time for SDSU, a team struggling right now.  Sending them into Boulder to play a Buffs team that beat up UCLA just a couple of weeks ago.  I know Brady Hoke keeps saying his kids want to play, but they are not ready for this test.  I hope this wasn’t about SDSU getting some 175,000 to have their players go in there to get pounded.  I don’t understand why Air Force wasn’t a better opponent, unless the Covid situation was worsening in Colorado Springs.

CHARGERS…Off to Buffalo they go, the cold and wind and the fury that Bills football is this season.  Won’t be an easy game for QB-Justin Herbert, ringing up great numbers while surrounded by a poor team.  The demotion of Special Teams coach George Stewart was long overdue, not just from this year’s breakdowns, but years of struggles.  But they have more problems that special teams breakdowns.  And after they get blasted by the Bills to go (3-8) you wonder if Anthony Lynn is living on borrowed time as head coach.  This sure feels-looks like the waning days of the Mike McCoy mess.

PADRES….Up next might be some surprise decisions from GM-AJ Preller when it comes time to tender contracts.  The team may not offer super utilityman Greg Garcia a deal.  Do they give up on struggling catcher Francisco Mejia?  Would they entertain an idea on bringing back Hunter Renfroe to be their 4th outfielder after hwas let go by Tampa Bay?  Might there be interest in relinking with just released Indians reliever Brad Hand.  Would they trade young pitching for an established veteran pitcher now that Mike Clevinger is gone for a year?  Stay tuned.

USD…In this fractured year, something to look forward to, USD will play spring football in March and April…a 6-game Pioneer Conference schedule, if this virus is tamped down.  Of course it entails 3-long flights to get back to the Midwest or South.

USD…They won’t be ready to open the season.  A 14-day pause in workouts because of a positive test, has put them behind the practice curve.  No non conference tuneup games.  Alot of new players and a conference schedule ahead.  It will take alot of work by Sam Scholl to be better than last year’s (9-23) collapse.

UCSD…A debut year for Eric Olson as the Tritons start play as a new member of the Big West Conference.  But the same issues there too, late start to practice, no early season games, and a move up to Division 1-status in a much tougher league.  This will be a long run up hill.

GULLS…The NHL has still not announced when their season starts.  No announcement when training camps start and we are up against December 1st.  And the American Hockey League now says they won’t play till February 5th, and don’t know if they can have fans in the stands.  This is a league that needs gate receipts to survive.  The Gulls will have a collection of really good young Anaheim Ducks draft picks coming in, but who knows when this starts and how long they play.

COVID CALENDAR….Root for the vaccine.  Bring on the vaccine.  Sooner than later.

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