Also, I guess it will take more free agency era players to be on the veterans committee to finally elect Marvin Miller.

And then had to scramble around to find something for Bowie Kuhn and Billy Southworth.

Is subject-verb agreement still dead to you...?

Hell hath no fury like New York baseball cognoscenti scorned.

---

Ah, much better:

Dodgers pursuing Jones over Rowand

http://tinyurl.com/2lusv5

Hey if we gotta pick up somebody, this is the least of the evils.

They are having a rough couple of days but I am enjoying the schadenfreude.

Walter O'Malley's induction into the Hall of Fame will be perfect for them and a great opportunity for them to raise their profile.

Or to have their shortcomings displayed in sharper relief.

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/

http://tinyurl.com/36jl6u

This was the little detail I was looking for in that article.

Finally, in 1950, Rickey decided to force the issue, using another clause in the agreement between the three partners. He offered to sell his stock to the others. Smith, who was terminally ill, wasn't interested. O'Malley, outsmarting himself, offered Rickey the amount Rickey had paid for the stock five and six years before. That had been when World War II and its uncertainties still hung over team, and when people hadn't begun to perceive the financial potential of the team. Infuriated, Rickey found William Zeckendorf, a New York real estate man who was willing to pay $1 million for Rickey's 25%. The partnership agreement allowed O'Malley to match that price. So, he swallowed hard and paid, then announced a fine of $1 for every front office employee mentioning Rickey's name.

From LA Times article re O'Malley's induction into HOF.

Lasorda also praised O'Malley for signing Jackie Robinson and breaking baseball's color barrier.

"He did so much not only for Jackie but for all of them," Lasorda said. "They couldn't play on the golf course down there [in Vero Beach], so he built a golf course so they could play. They couldn't go fishing, so he built a lake out there so he could go fishing. He did everything he could for black players, nobody ever realized what he did for those guys. He took care of them, he worried about them, did everything he could to make them feel like they were an important part of the organization."

O'Malley could have put the kibosh on the whole thing.

I am in a better mood today, but I've got to get going for a meeting in 45 minutes, so I can't expand on my thoughts.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Early trade talk and free-agent buzz from the winter meetings:

The Texas Rangers are quietly shopping third baseman Hank Blalock, who spent last season battling injuries. Even when healthy, Blalock's production has slipped significantly from his All-Star 2003 and 2004 seasons when he hit 61 home runs and drove in 200 runs. The Rangers have spoken to the Dodgers regarding Blalock, who will make an affordable $5.95 million in 2008 with a club option in 2009 for $6.2 million. The Dodgers want to add a big bat at third base because they aren't convinced Nomar Garciaparra will return even to his 2006 form or that prospect Andy LaRoche can shake back pain and become a productive everyday player.

I agree. I am pretty embarrassed about the send off for Vero (at least as much as a fan can be about what their club does).

In other news, the Kingdom of Hell has put in an order for 14 billion pairs of ice skates.

.243/.301/.398/.699

which are Blalocks career numbers away from Arlington.

Heck Nomar could do it.

According to my paid source, UCLA AD Dan Guerrero informed Head Football Coach Karl Dorrell that he was being terminated this morning, there is a team meeting scheduled at noon today.

No other announcements (interim head coach, etc.)have been scheduled nor has a press conference been announced.

Now back to the Hot Stove.

Meaning, you're paying him for that info?

The "paid source" could be a website.

http://blogs.dailynews.com/ucla/2007/12/done_deal.html

Blalock vs righties: 292/358/504

Bad: You'd have another expensive platoon player to go along with Nomar whose value would drop with the platoon role making it hard to trade him if LaRoche tears it up next year.

Good: LaRoche can take a couple days off a week (if that helps his back, if his back is even an issue), you're only committed to Blalock's salary for a year.

Very Good: No Pierre.

Very Bad: It probably won't happen.

If the Rangers were willing to take all of Pierre's contract, I'd almost be willing to throw in Laroche for Blalock.

Rotoworld has reported (for freeeee!) the ESPN.com report about the Dodgers' 2 year offer.

The Dodgers will beat anyone's advertised price or your Jones is freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Nobody east of the Rockies will get that joke above :)

The selling point of the site is to get "inside information" not readily available to the public.

So I do pay for it in that way.

You may find this strange from me, but maybe Nomar had some "hidden injury" this year. There might be some teams that could go for it and try a trade for Nomar and JP and some other guy.

Nomar's B-R page gives the impression '05 and '07 were an aberration caused by injury. Perhaps Nomar just needs a change in scenery. He's only 33 after all.

Defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker could be considered for the potential opening, according to Schad. Walker is also a candidate for the Washington State opening.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Boise State coach Chris Petersen is said to be the first choice of athletic director Dan Guerrero, with Texas Tech coach Mike Leach and former NFL coach Steve Mariucci considered among the other top candidates.

Mariucci???

But then you were out with librarians weren't you.

And then it devolves into just gross speculation about such as flipping Cordero and Milledge and another piece for a real pitcher.

64 - Blalock doesn't appear to be much of an upgrade over even Nomar, much less LaRoche.

that would be a very high potential...and volatile outfield.

Bowden LOVES his toolsy outfielders!

Nomar plays first base!

TB had previously been rumored interested in Cristian Guzman.

Honest.

Bowden for President!

89

Yes :(

http://tinyurl.com/2yu9ml

Does your world include a completed final two seasons of Lost?

I already love your world, but I thought I would check.

The M's are looking at Jackson, and it's ol' friend Edwin Jackson. The terms on 83 are what the Rays are seeking to trade for Jackson, if I read the article correctly.

Interesting loophole of the US Tax Code: All interest earned in Darin Erstad-based investment is not taxable.

My world does include a 2-loss LSU team in the National Title game in the All Compromise Bowl.

That has usually been Colletti's MO..the shorter term, higher annual salary contracts.

except for, you know...that one guy.

I know ESPN has 3 year splits, but I'd like to go beyond that.

On a particular player's page, there are drop down boxes for both splits and gamelogs for single seasons and career.

Example here:

http://tinyurl.com/33tt4h

Thanks guys. Exactly what I was looking for.

Thank you as well.

outfielders: Kearns, Milledge, Dukes, Pena.

Who is the odd man out?

I'd say the better of Dukes and Pena gets the LF job. Kearns in right.

Pena is a bit of a one-trick pony, with his light-tower power (and ~.320 career OBP).

I wonder if Dukes starts the year as a fourth OF while the team gets to know him, evaluates him, etc. When Young was brought in last year, he spent most of the Spring at the minor league facility getting in shape and playing with 18-20 year olds. He has said many times that it was there that he really got his focus back and recommitted to the game. All season, he wore a T-Shirt he had made that said "Field 5" to remind of how close he'd come to being out of professional baseball. You sort of wonder if Dukes will be asked to pay some dues along those lines.

If your going to be a one trick pony, light-tower power ain't a bad trick to have.

I do like the Nats outfield a lot. But I probably like it better for 2009 than 2008. And I'd like it even better if they hadn't dumped Snelling.

Isn't trading Quentin for Carter like trading Quentin for Josh Bell except that Bell's downside defensively is 1st base instead of 3rd base, while Carters is DH. What a come down for a guy who put up LaRoche like Minor league numbers.
http://minors.baseball-reference.com/players.cgi?pid=11722
White Sox just made a good deal.

Some guy on ESPNews (I missed his name) just called Melky Caberra a fourth outfielder. I think the baseball equivalent to the Oxford Dictionary needs to establish an official definition of "fourth outfielder". He's also saying the A's are more interested in moving Blanton more than Haren (high price for Haren and then "bait and switch" to Blanton, "well if two ML ready prospects and a high impact prospect is too much, how about Blanton?")

Walker and Scott are the keys to UCLA's successful recruiting.

OBP #s inflated by HBPs.

And overall numbers have all been in plus offensive environments.

I think it'd be a valid assumption that given the way McDonald pitched last year his ERA could be even lower than Adenharts once he reached Nicks total innings.

Why does James get no love?

I'd disagree with the choice of the verb "inflated." HBPs still get you on base, and Quentin's propensity for getting hit is an inherent part of his value, not some sort of fluke. He's been doing it consistently since he was in college; like Biggio, it's part of his hitting strategy.

-Adenhart was highly rated coming out of HS. So that is always going to stick with him.

-Adenhart is a couple of years younger

-His homerun rates and gb rates are really encouraging.

Or Mike Martz. Then they can go undefeated in the regular season and he can single-handedly lose the BCS Championship Game for them to an inferior team.

He is already drawing Chris Young comps from me but if he can add weight to his frame, an increase in fb velocity is very possible.

If that happens, to go along with his control and ability to hide the ball well in his delivery, his ceiling would definitely increase.

This could mean that someone may have to terminate my command with extreme prejudice if UCLA goes 12-0 some year.

I'm not thrilled with the Rose Bowl's decision to pick Illinois (over Georgia or Missouri) to play USC. But, despite the Rose Bowl's strict party platform ties, it's alright Ma, at least USC is in the Rose Bowl!

I imagine it will still be a good game.

They could not pick Georgia due to agreements with the Sugar Bowl and Missouri doesn't have the same cache with them like a Big Ten school.

Illinois will put together a good crowd from Illinois plus a good So Cal alumni network. The Rose Bowl probably would have preferred Oregon or ASU for the additional hotel nights and spending. USC folks will treat the game like a regular season match against UCLA at the Rose Bowl.

I'm with Kevin. Illinois is underrated, while Georgia is overrated. It'll be fun either way, I'm just glad SC played their way in.

Stanford vs. Hawaii

*
Under Bowl Championship Series rules, with Southeastern Conference champion Louisiana State staying close to home to play Big Ten champion Ohio State in the BCS title game in New Orleans, the Sugar Bowl retained control of SEC-member Georgia.*

That arrangement effectively nixed any chance of the 10-2 Trojans, who were seventh in the final BCS standings, playing 10-2 Georgia, which finished fifth. The Rose Bowl could have asked the Sugar Bowl for consent to take Georgia but never did, said BCS Coordinator Mike Slive, who is also the SEC commissioner.