January 25th update

Wednesday Spotlight: Prince Fielder

• The Detroit Tigers announced Tuesday that they had come to terms with the biggest free agent fish left on the market, signing first baseman Prince Fielder to a 9-year, $214 million deal. Fielder will be following his father, Cecil, who also played first base for the Tigers into the early 90s. Prince will play first for the Tigers and Miguel Cabrera, who had been playing first, will move back to his natural third base position.
• Fielder is a large man, standing only 5’11” but tipping the scales at 285 pounds. He has turned this size to his advantage showing at times, prodigious power hitting 230 home runs in 7 season. Fielder has had a falling out with his father since he began his own Major League Career. Cecil and Prince were very close, and Cecil helped negotiate Prince’s first contract at the end of which Cecil demanded payment for this service. Unknown to most of the family at the time, Cecil had some major financial issues and has been fighting them for quite some time. Since that time, Prince and the other members of his family have cut Cecil largely out of their lives.
• Prince was a fixture in Major League clubhouses for the 14 years his father was playing. He also hit a home run in the old Tigers Stadium at the age of 12 while taking batting practice. Growing up surrounded by baseball, it came as a surprise to no one that Prince was drafted in the first round of the 2002 MLB draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. Fielder played for the Brewers from 2005 until last year. Prince and Cecil Fielder are the only father/son combination to ever hit 50 home runs in a single season. This is remarkable considering the great father/son combinations that have played baseball such as Bobby and Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. to name two.


Yankee Legend Retires

• New York Yankees longtime catcher Jorge Posada officially retired on Tuesday. Posada played every one of his 17 year career seasons in the Yankee pinstripes. Posada was a member of 4 World Champions, a 5-time All-Star and a 5-time Silver Slugger award winner (for best offensive player at his position).
• Posada was a member of the prolific “Yankee Core Four.” Four players who were part of 4 World Series Championships for the Yankees (most in the late 90s). Along with Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera, Posada anchored a dynasty in the Bronx.
• From Puerto Rico, Posada was originally drafted to play second base. After breaking his leg Posada switched to play behind the plate. A solid catcher and powerful hitter, Posada’s influence in the middle of the Yankees lineup is what he will be largely remembered for.

Love, T-Wolves yet to agree on extension
*Update* On Wednesday, Love signed a 4 year deal worth between $60 and $62 million.

• Kevin Love is one of the top young players in the NBA and is putting up numbers at a staggering pace, but that hasn't convinced the Minnesota Timberwolves that they should give him a maximum 5 year, $80 million extension typically given to big stars when they first become eligible. Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder just received his recently.
• Love's options, to this point, have been accepting a four-year deal from Minnesota or declining the offer and becoming a restricted free agent in July, with Minnesota then able to match any offer sheet Love would receive in free agency. To reach unrestricted free agency, Love would have to be willing to play out the 2012-13 season on a one-year qualifying offer worth just $6 million.
• Love is averaging a ridiculous 25 points and 14 rebounds per game. As a basis for comparison, Timberwolves legend Kevin Garnett's best season was 24.2 points and 13.9 rebounds and that didn't come until his 9th NBA season, after he'd a long time to be coached and to develop.