Anyway, how did we do?
Anyway, how did we do?
Spring Training nears and roster-filling moves start to come around the majors; just in the last day ...
- The Marlins signed LF Luis Gonzalez and 3B Dallas McPherson;
- The Mariners signed OF-1B Brad Wilkerson.
And in the "minor league contract, with an invitation to spring training" category ...
- The Yankees signed 3B Morgan Ensberg;
- The Indians signed P Jorge Julio.
A few thoughts ...
Challenge trades are straight-up, one-for-one deals, usually involving two guys who play the same position. The first such trade I can remember is the legendary My-Bobby-For-Yours deal of 1974 when the Giants sent Bonds to the Bronx for Murcer. The most legendary such deal is one that actually never happened, when (legend has it) the owners of the Red Sox and Yankees got their drink on and agreed to deal Joe DiMaggio for Ted Williams before both backed out the next, more sober day.
So here are your questions for the day ...
Bauxites, it's that time of year again ... time for the Batter's Box Roster to reach out through the magic of the Interwebs to recruit new contributors to "Baseball from a Canadian Perspective."
Want to contribute to Batter's Box? Read on ...
Now's your chance to share either your own baseball-related resolution, posted in public where you'll have no choice but to own up to it a year from now, or -- if you want to go for the cheap laugh, to post a resolution "on behalf of" someone in MLB.
That said, a few pointers ...
Glavine has 242 of his 303 career wins with the Braves, including five 20-win seasons. The 242 wins is fourth on the all-time franchise list (Smoltz and Maddux are fifth and sixth, respectively) and just 26 wins behind Phil Niekro's all-time Atlanta record.
What else is going on?
So why do I want the team to team to spend millions on a 33-year-old reliever who has never pitched in the majors before?
Time's ripe for a discussion based on Blue Jay history (props to Matthew E. for his great start down that road) and Hot Stove memories ... the question on the table is this: What is the dumbest move (transaction or game/season management -- both are open topics) in Toronto Blue Jays history?
Michael Young for Esteban Loaiza? David Wells for Mike Sirotka? Letting Cecil Fielder escape to Japan? The Sil Campusano Project? Name the players -- and give your reasons.
To be fair ...
Here's what everyone remembers about the 1988 Blue Jays.
They remember that the Jays lost the last seven games of the 1987 season, allowing the Tigers to win the division. They remember that the team tried to shift McGriff and Fielder to first, George Bell to DH and Moseby to left field, so that Silvestre Campusano could take over in centerfield. They remember that Bell didn't like it, that it caused dissension on the team, and that this would contribute to Jimy Williams's firing a year later. They might remember that Bell hit three home runs against the Royals on opening day. They certainly remember that the Jays didn't win the division that year, but were somewhere vaguely near the top of the standings, and they certainly remember that Dave Stieb pitched two one-hitters in his last two starts of the season, with both hits coming with two outs in the ninth.
And if that's all they remember, they don't remember the best part.
It's that time of year again ... time to select candidates for the 2008 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually to a baseball broadcaster for major contributions to the game.
As the online ballot explains, "Three of the 10 names on the final Frick Award ballot will be chosen by fans throughout the month of November. Select up to three (3) candidates from the ballot ... You may vote once each day during the month of November. The final 10-name ballot, featuring the three fan selections, will be announced on December 5, 2007. Click a name to see a brief biography of [each] broadcaster."
Yes, Jerry Howarth is on the ballot. So are some other names you'll recgonize. You can cast up to 30 votes, people ... don't waste this opportunity! Vote now!
So here are today's questions and comments ...