HOT STOVE, COOL SAND

He seems more like 2007's Vinny Castilla.

BTW, I found an article on CBS.com about the RB signing that had this little roffle in the last paragraph:

"The Nationals also announced that director of player development Andy Dunn resigned. Assistant general manager Bob Boone and other members of the baseball operations staff will take over Dunn's duties for the time being."

1. Trade Rocco Baldelli and Tim Corcoran to the Marlins for Dontrelle Willis
2. Trade Jorge Cantu for Chuck James
3. Trade BJ Upton for Derrick Turnbow
4. Sign Ron Belliard
5. Move the team to San Antonio and name them the San Antonio Saints.

You mean like the entire heart of the Cardinals line-up during the 2004 World Series OH SNAP!

To be fair, he was hitting the snot out of the ball in the AL prior to the trade. Guess the switch to the NL effed up his mojo.

Astros clean front-office house

http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/11/28/2591729/ed-wade-tal-smith-fired-houston-astros

Apparently Mitch Moreland went to Walmart here Thursday night after T'giving dinner and got press-ganged into autographing stuff for an hour or two.

A's hitting coach: Chili Davis!

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/51441/valentine_disguise.jpg
http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/51441/valentine_disguise.jpg
http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/51441/valentine_disguise.jpg
http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/51441/valentine_disguise.jpg

This is a final invitation for participants in Cubaball's 10th annual tour of Cuba. Tour dates are January 17 to 26 with the itinerary including games involving more than half the teams in the 17-league Natioanl Series. We will visit stadium in Havana, Artemsia, Matanzas, Cienfuegos and Pinar del Rio and will have the opportunity to meet with some of the greatest stars in the history of post-revolutionary Cuban baseball, including Omar Linares, Orestes Kindelan, Enriquez Diaz and Pedro Luis Lazo. We will again meet wiith 100-year old Conrado "Connie" Marrero, the oldest living majore leaguer who annual regales Cubaballistas with his prodiguous memory and good humor. For more information and registration nformation visit www.cubaballtours.com. There are 8 spaces remaining on the tour.

-Kit Krieger

some good stuff in here

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/18777/so-what-kind-of-manager-is-bobby-v

http://seattle.cbslocal.com/2011/11/28/banned-players-settle-with-gay-softball-group

buddy cole could not be reached for comment

When I briefly wrote for a Toronto baseball publication called *Innings* in the mid-'80s, Bobby Valentine was the only manager (or player) I ever interviewed. Got about three minutes with him on the field at old Exhibition Stadium. I don't remember the wording, but one question went something like this: "Seeing as you were someone who spent a lot of your playing career never quite breaking into the everyday lineup, do you think you have special empathy as a manager for those kinds of players?" (I don't remember the relevance...Texas may have had a few journeymen at the time.) It's pretty funny to think about it now--I think I actually thought he'd respond well to such a question. ("That's a really good point...") What I got was a hateful glare and about a three-word answer.

He did get 400+ PAs twice, both before and after the gruesome leg injury.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/valenbo02.shtml

I do think that the 2000 Mets using 10 different leadoff hitters is a nifty factoid.

cubs signed dejesus to a two year deal -- he'll be better than fukudome at least

now if only soriano injures himself tragically...

What I got was a hateful glare and about a three-word answer.

"Go fuck yourself"...?

My current guess for Bobby V's return to ESPN: June 2013.

I'll try to dig it up tonight--I think it was a very terse "No, not true," or something like that.

Angels get catcher who can reach base:

http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/11/30/2601640/rockies-trade-chris-iannetta-angels-ramon-hernandez

chatwood is gonna get BOMBED in coors

i mean he's not good to begin with, but

how did the Nation react to Bobby V's presser?

who cares

the marlins are giving heath bell $27m

wonder if theyll include a clause ensuring hes not closing under an assumed name

i would enjoy the heath bell era much more if he assumed a different name every time he pitched

the little i saw of heath bell last year... he did not look good. lots of 94 mph fastballs up in the zone.

Capuano takes his amazing calves to Dodger Stadium, 2 yr/$10M