Yankees Got Chapman

[Aristotelian]

I think football is done and baseball may be Orioles only.

Happy New Year!

I have been hearing from more than a few family and friends that they are done with football over the concussion issue, which is also related to the "win at all costs" mentality.

[weams]

Previous Champan gunk.

The guests, who were staying in a room on the same floor, went into the hallway to see what was going on saw the woman inside an open room with her hands bound by cloth napkins, police spokeswoman Diane Richard wrote in a news release.

She did not identify the woman, but said she was from Silver Spring, Md., and was "the hotel guest of a male who attended the Pirates baseball game and who was not present at the time of the incident. During this incident the male guest had various items taken and was later interviewed by detectives," the news release said.

The woman, who was taken to UPMC Mercy, told police she answered a knock at the door to find a man claiming to be from the hotel's maintenance department, there to fix a toilet.

Police do not think it was an actual hotel employee who robbed the room and the woman and terrorized her. And Chapman thankfully was not present, as his team was at PNC Park playing in a game delayed by rain. But the crime is at least a disturbing coincidence considering Chapman's recent arrest for speeding on a suspended license, along with a multimillion dollar lawsuit filed against Chapman that accuses him of being an informant for the Cuban government.

What kind of international man of mystery is this Aroldis Chapman?

For all we know, the lawsuit is groundless, or propaganda, or both. It's being brought by a man in prison. In Cuba. And Chapman, 24, is an easy target. But is he helping to make himself one?

Speeding isn't that bad. The suspended license is worse. And now this woman found tied up in his hotel room. What is Chapman's relationship to her, or the robber, if any? Does the robber have anything to do the the lawsuit business, or Cuba? Among the items stolen were jewelry, clothing, a computer, credit cards and ID cards. ID cards. Huh.

If they aren't already, the Reds ought to consider getting a chaperone for Chapman. Just for now, just in case he's in any danger — either caused by someone else, or himself.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/aroldis-chapman-pittsburgh-hotel-room-robbed-woman-found-185506493.html

http://deadspin.com/5915037/aroldis-chapmans-stripper-friend-cant-get-her-story-straight-about-that-hotel-room-robbery

http://thebiglead.com/2012/05/24/aroldis-chapman-has-the-need-for-speed-four-speeding-tickets-in-two-years/

[weams]

Olney ESPN

http://espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/insider/post?id=11973

The Reds might not know Chapman well, but they know him better than any other team, and rather than wait for clarity in the MLB investigation (and any subsequent discipline) and for the possibility that the left-hander's trade value could be restored, they aggressively moved to dump him, pricing him to sell, to get rid of him.

Yankees made their choice with eyes wide open, and in so doing, they knowingly forfeited all rights to excuses if this turns out badly because of off-field problems.

[Beef Supreme]

That's said much better than I attempted. I wasn't anti-Rice/pro-Chapman but rather indifferent to Rice's good acts as an important distinguishing factor between how the two should be viewed.

I agree with you and VaTech re: what I'd *like* to see as far as professional sports and the character of the participants, but pro sports threw morals out a long time ago -- so I guess I'm just numb enough at this point that I don't get fired-up when I see evidence that yet another athlete is a bad dude.

I don't know how long ago you are talking, but I don't think pro sports ever had morals.

[Can_of_corn]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-yankees-bullpen-probably-wont-be-any-better/

[Frobby]

Suspended for 30 games. He has 5.034 years of service time, so he'll still be a free agent unless the Yankees can option him to the minors and keep him there for 2-3 weeks after the suspension ends, claiming he needs the time to shake off the rust. Is that possible, or does Chapman not have options?

[Larry18]

Suspended for 30 games. He has 5.034 years of service time, so he'll still be a free agent unless the Yankees can option him to the minors and keep him there for 2-3 weeks after the suspension ends, claiming he needs the time to shake off the rust. Is that possible, or does Chapman not have options?

There is the 5 year rule which precludes optioning a player without their consent.