Barack, like GWB, seems like he has a strong arm and won't humiliate himself when throwing out the ceremonial first pitch.

Therefore, nothing will change with Bush leaving office.

I just thought to look this up, and curiously, there has never been a MLB player named McCain, Palin or Biden, either -- so we were breaking new ground here either way.

Libtertarian candidate Bob Barr would have provided a nice starting pitcher option, while his running mate (another source of pitching depth!) is, of all things, a Las Vegas-based professional sports handicapper ...

The new senator from North Carolina does have a pitching namesake, Art Hagan.  Don't ask, a 2-18 career W-L tells you what you need to know.

Ah, if only we were looking for basketball players ... North Carolina is a hoops-centric place, after all, so don't go jumping off a Cliff.

What effect -- if any -- will his departure from office (and the impending Obama presidency) have on major league baseball?

Agents have already come out today saying they will be looking to get their FAs signing bonuses paid out in 2008, to avoid the Obama tax hike from 35 to 39%. For someone like CC Sabathia this becomes imperative, because that 4% could very well reperesent over half a million dollars. Share the wealth.

The (not Mike) Green Party VP candidate was a fella named Clemente. Have there been any ballplayers with that name who were any good?

Now that we have Texas on the line, first question, Mick: how do you even know about Obama? Has he ever even step foot in Texas?

Second question: Michael Young. Okay, so that's not really a question. Just a name. But not just any name. As I understand it, he is one of the state's beloved sons. I have been hearing second hand rumours (or rumors, for y'all) about a need to move this beloved son off of shortstop. His ideal destination, 2B, is blocked by a player who, story has it, ain't about to be moved anywhere. And then there's the follow-up talk to move Young to 3B.

Is there a perception (which many defensive metrics, and my two bit opinion, support) that Young is not the greatest of defenders? What else would promote talk of a change in positions? And if so, what has his imponderable Gold Glove done to the conversation? (One presumes that Palmeiro finished second in the Gold Glove voting at shortstop.)

Chuck, good (and fair and balanced) questions. On the first point, I can tell you that my lovely bride and I were two of the nine people in Texas to actually vote for Obama, so ... no, seriously, he took something like 46 percent here , but it didn't help much for the D-team downballot, which was heavily an R landslide.And no, I don't think he spent much time here but then I am pretty sure McCain didn't spend a lot of time and resources in Cali, either.

As for Young -- I actually almost started a thread on this before I saw your post -- he is a fine defensive shortstop, average to slightly above average, in my estimation -- and an average Major Leage shortstop is a hell of a defender. But Gold Glove? Suffice to say, I was beyond shocked to hear that news. Then again, many Gold Gloves -- see your own Palmeiro reference -- are won with the bat. Weird but true.

I think Young might move to 3B (unless Chris Davis settles in there if the Rangers decide to keep Blalock, and he'd have to play  at 1B) eventually, or maybe the outfield, if Elvis Andrus really does turn out to be All That. We'll see in about two years ...