Knuckleball pitcher Steve Sparks signed a two-year contract with Detroit, which includes a club option for 2004. I have been unable to locate information regarding the dollar amount of the Sparks deal, yet I am convinced the Tigers have a bargain on their paws. Sparks, who did not reach the majors until 1995 with the Brewers, would not have been eligible to become a free agent until the end of the 2002 season, but the Tigers helped themselves by locking him up now.

In my opinion, every team would do well to acquire a knuckleballer. Several players have effectively used the pitch over the years including Hall of Famers Phil Niekro and Hoyt Wilhelm, and pitchers who throw a knuckleball are capable of withstanding usage patterns that would mutilate the arms of other pitchers because throwing it puts less stress on the body. Employing a knuckleball pitcher as an innings' eater could tremendously reduce the stress on an entire staff.

Detroit does not use Sparks in the manner that I am suggesting. However, by utilizing him as a starter last season, they procured 8 complete games in 33 games started and 2 relief appearances over 232 IP.

Baseball should move past thinking of the knuckleball as a gimmick pitch and begin to utilize knuckleball pitchers in a manner that will revolutionize the bullpen. The number one danger in my mind to adding a greater number of such pitchers to the league would be a potential drop off in the effectiveness of the pitch due to increased exposure to batters. Then again, you don't see teams dismissing the fastball just because everyone else is using it.

Todd Van Poppel, Texas Ranger

Free agent Todd Van Poppel signed Monday with the Texas Rangers for $7.5 million over 3 years. Van Poppel is originally from Arlington and now lives in the Dallas area. He spent a short stint with the Rangers in '98 at a time when he was recovering from arm surgery, before being traded to the Pirates as a throw-in with Warren Morris for Esteban Loaiza. He signed with the Chicago Cubs during the 1999 off-season and has been a reliever in their bullpen for the last two years.

Texas recently signed former Cubs' pitching coach Oscar Acosta to be their pitching coach. Van Poppel and Acosta had a good relationship in Chicago and his presence with the Rangers was a definite incentive for Todd when he was choosing a new team.

The new contract is for considerably more money than the relief pitcher has received in the past. He will earn slightly more each year of the deal, $2M in 2002, $2.5M in 2003, and $3M in 2004. The contract also includes appearance-based incentives of up to half a million dollars per year for 65 or more games; if he becomes the Texas closer, the number become even larger with games finished bonuses.

Van Poppel debuted with the Oakland Athletics in 1991 at 19, was claimed off waivers by Detroit mid-season 1996, claimed off waivers by the Anahiem Angels that off-season, released before the start of the 1997 season, signed and released by the Royals in '97, and then signed with the Rangers before his trade to the Pirates. He was in the Pittsburgh system until the end of 1999 when he signed with the Cubs.

Todd began his career as a starter, but has had significantly more success in later years as a middle reliever. The right-hander throws a high 80's fastball, a curve, and a change-up. He should continue to put up numbers similar to or better than those displayed in Chicago for Texas, as long as he doesn't revert to giving up gopherballs every game the way he did in the mid-'90's. Van Poppel will turn 30 in December.

Innovations in Insurance

I first read about Juan Gonzalez's move to secure insurance on himself the day before Thanksgiving, but it slipped my mind when hunting for column fodder in the midst of preparing to host our first ever full-blown turkey dinner. The story popped up in several places on Monday, reminding me that I had yet to discuss it.

Essentially, what Gonzalez has done is to respond to the widespread concern regarding the ability of teams to acquire disability insurance (especially insurance that would include his problematic back) for a long-term contract. Juan's agent has taken out a $50 million policy that provides for full disability coverage and which is fully transferable to any club that signs Gonzalez and takes over paying the premiums.

They feel that the outfielder will be able to draw more free agent interest now that teams know that he can be and is insured. The more teams involved in the bidding, the larger the size of the resulting contract will reach.

The information that I am most interested in learning and which I have yet to see reported is the cost of the insurance premiums. Beyond the difficulties in actually obtaining disability insurance for some players and their multi-year deals, there can be problems with clubs resisting paying premiums that rival the cost of contract. Think about it this way: if a team is paying a player $65 million dollars for 5 years and then has to pay $2 million dollars a year in insurance premiums on that player, that's another $10 million that doesn't help them as long as the player stays healthy and which only covers their asses if he gets hurt. So while I do believe that Juan Gone may have started an interesting trend, I do not believe it will end discussions regarding players receiving less money or shorter contracts due to insurance concerns.