HOT STOVE, COOL SAND

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2678036

Post-Thanksgiving Delight: El Caballo + The Woodrow

Shea at The Stadium?

Dec 1 - Shea Hillenbrand's agent tells the New York Post that the Yankees are interested in Hillenbrand, a right-handed hitter, as a first baseman.
"We are having discussions, and [the Yankees] are one of the teams in the mix," agent Dan Lozano told the newspaper. "We aren't as far along as we would like with all the teams but hopefully in the next couple of days we will have something."

Hillenbrand, according to the newspaper, might be willing to accept a two-year deal.

http://baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=5735

http://baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=5738

Down Frank Catalanotto, up Frank Thomas and Royce Clayton. It's a close call whether the Jays' lineup or Fox News' lineup lists more heavily to the right.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/unfiltered/?p=41

Terry Ryan is coming to the realization that Santana-Bonser-pray for roof collapse is not the best strategy so he's going after FORMER ROOKIE OF THE YEAR! Jason Jennings.

i don't understand the red sox falling in love with Drew and Lugo. for some reason theo has had a boner about lugo for three years now.

http://www.nokahoma.com/lugo.jpg
http://www.nokahoma.com/lugo3.jpg

CAN YOU BLAME HIM?!?!??

That's a lot of money, but it still seems like a better deal than Sorianos.

Is polyphonic around to comment on the Maddux signing?

Some interesting Drew projections:

http://tinyurl.com/yz3gb7

I mean, obviously I'm stoked. I don't think he's appreciably worst than Padilla or Wolf or Eaton and maybe is better than any of them, AND is only signed for one year. Then, maybe there will be more available pitching on the market when he retires.

The Padres have something like $25 million to spend. A rotation of Peavy, Young, Hensley, Maddux, Carillo could be the best rotation in the history of the franchise (not saying much), and they still apparently are interested in adding another starter.

A source at the meetings said that St. Louis and Kansas City are both going hard after free-agent righty Miguel Batista.

Royals = when pigs fly?

http://regulus2.azstarnet.com/blogs/images/1186.jpg

that is true

it's not an absurd move baseball-wise -- they still have two other short-season teams -- but the money being saved is a drop in the bucket

australian baseball league all-star game is now on mlb network live

Was it Dice-K (pre-posting) that one of the BP guys was claiming had some magical never-before-seen pitch?

yeah that was the whole gyroball thing

world 8, australia 5

sydney blue sox dh tyler collins with a key three-run blast

"I suppose it raises the Rangers rep over seas, but really outside of Hideo Nomo has any of these Japanese pitchers been really that good?"

Kazuhiro Sasaki was pretty good, but he was a reliever.

i'm still waiting for that freakishly overpaid Yankees minor leaguer to get his second shot!

@rustindodd Royals believe addition of Betancourt as UTL guy could allow them to carry 8 relievers at times.

brian cashman and the yankees no longer have kei igawa to kick around, as his contract has ended. they also no longer have $46m loooool

career major league era: 6.66

that whole thing is weird -- he could've become a pretty okay bullpen pitcher, even just as a lefty/lefty guy

i think they honestly hated him, first because his suckiness pointed out their horrible blunder, then because he wouldn't just quit and go back to japan. i'm surprised they didn't send him to class a charleston

holy shit - i totally forgot about him!

they could have traded him, right? (if they only agreed to eat a lot of salary) I'm sure a lot of teams would have at least worked the guy out.

@rustindodd Royals believe addition of Betancourt as UTL guy could allow them to carry 8 relievers at times.

UTL guy? He can't even play his natural position!

Beltran iz a Card.

LoMoMarlins Logan Morrison
Maybe u could hook me up w/ a sweet fedoras 2 disguise me? RT @Kevin_Goldstein: LoMo sure gets a lot of attention 4 a LF w/ a .330 OBP

that was so awes

i was still holding out hope that the Giants would give in and sign Beltran. they give up Wheeler and lose Beltran and gain Cabrerra and Pagan, oh fucking boy.

"Kazuhiro Sasaki was pretty good, but he was a reliever."

I completely missed that guy. If it is AL and specifically AL West, I probably don't know the players very well.

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwldj2cCgz1qk9es5o1_500.jpg

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lw1hepY9F61qisuj3o1_500.png

LoMoMarlins
Just heard from my boy that Prince to Seattle is a done deal...

LoMoMarlins
Purple Rain & When Doves Cry are going to sound unbelievable this summer under the lights at Century Link Field youtube.com/watch?v=OjLG92…

lol, they are talking about Prince on MLB Network right now. Mitch thinks the Rangers, Larry picked the Dodgers and some guy named Dave picked the Brewers. don't know who that Dave guy is?

Dave:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/valleda01.shtml

I bet Torrealba is really bummed about his 66 day ban in Venezuelan ball.

A's on the move at last?

http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/12/26/2661744/oakland-athletics-san-jose-new-stadium-christmas-present

With the stadium sitting in the shadows of the Atlantic Ocean, the organization feels it is only natural to display a couple of aquariums. What will make people take notice is where they are located.

Last Friday, two 450-gallon fish tanks were installed inside the wall behind the home-plate wall. They are positioned on the first- and third-base sides, and currently they are not filled with water.

The fish will be protected by shatter-proof glass, and the team has been ensured the fish will be safe.

"The reason this has never been done before, is not that it can't be done," Marlins president David Samson said. "It's because no one thought to do it."

In the early stages of building the ballpark, team owner Jeffrey Loria insisted to make the stadium mirror Miami.

After batting around ideas, it was decided to install aquariums.

With the stadium sitting in the shadows of the Atlantic Ocean, the organization feels it is only natural to display a couple of miami bass clubs. What will make people take notice is where they are located.

Last Friday, two 450 sq. ft clubs were installed inside the wall behind the home-plate wall. They are positioned on the first- and third-base sides, and currently they are not filled with miami bass dancers.

The clubs will be protected by shatter-proof glass, and the team has been ensured the dancers will be safe.

"The reason this has never been done before, is not that it can't be done," Marlins president David Samson said. "It's because no one thought to do it."

In the early stages of building the ballpark, team owner Jeffrey Loria insisted to make the stadium mirror Miami.

After batting around ideas, it was decided to install miami bass clubs.

:)

"The reason this has never been done before, is not that it can't be done," Marlins president David Samson said. "It's because no one thought to do it."

hahah this is such an amazing quote

david samson on signing a free agent:

"The reason this has never been done before, is not that it can't be done," Marlins president David Samson said. "It's because no one thought to do it."

The first time a foul ball rattles off the aquarium I hope the fish go crazy

the team has been ensured the fish will be safe

crazy - like they panic and escape from their tank and start attacking horrified patrons?

(all 200 of them)

crazy - like they panic and escape from their tank and start attacking horrified patrons?

That works for me.

that aquarium idea is seriously one of the coolest things any MLB team has ever done, Marlins games are going to be so neat on TV

bullpen shark tank - think abt it

I can dig it.

http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ept_sports_mlb_experts__56/ept_sports_mlb_experts-509241132-1276200236.jpg?ymtktRDDG1NnFklv

so crazy it just might work

yeah, i kind of like it

put it in the batter's eye

Sheehan's 10 predix for '12:

1. The Marlins won't get a playoff spot for their money.....

10. The Reds will win the World Series.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/joe_sheehan/12/20/predictions.2012/index.html?sct=mlb_t11_a1

keith law interviewing with houston apparently

Greg Spira, sabermetrician and founder of the Internet Baseball Awards, died this week at 44.

Carlos Quentin to the Padres for two prospects: Simon Castro and Pedro Hernandez.

Simon Castro, a 23-year-old right-hander, was ranked as the Padres third best prospect at this time last year by Baseball America. Neither he nor Hernandez, a 22-year-old lefty, made the top ten this year, though.

middle-aged request: mention all teams involved, cuz right now I have no idea who Carlos Quentin is.

dude was (v. briefly) the white sox's next superstar iirc

dude with good power and decent patience who was #5 in the mvp voting in '08, good year in '11, two mediocre years in between. should become a nice, forgettable 40 doubles per year guy in petco.

He probably would have finished higher in '08 MVP voting if he hadn't missed around 30 games near the end of the season (temper-related wrist fracture).