HOT STOVE, COOL SAND

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

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

― Dr Morbius, Friday, December 2, 2011 12:56 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Permalink

resigned kool-aid drinking save a minority of cynical holdouts.

Feds open SEC probe into Miami Marlins stadium deal

occupy jeffrey loria tbh

Trying to think of a good reason to continue being a Padres fan and not coming up with anything.

they can always keep passing their shitty relievers onto the marlins?

nice of the SEC to take notice right before the marlins broke ground. they can really save the taxpayers some money before things get out of hand.

padres getting joe wieland and robbie erlin for mike adams was more than solid tbh

Glad we got some new pitchers to help us keep losing 1-0.

the pads do have one of the best systems in baseball right now tho. granted, the guy responsible for that is now the general manager of the cubs, but oh well.

well yeah, but getting two solid starting prospects for a reliever in his 30s is good.

also i'm from pittsburgh so shut it xp

(btw casey kelly sux)

Pedro officially retiring.

welcome to miami

Ken_Rosenthal Ken Rosenthal
Sources: #Marlins, Reyes in agreement on six-year, $106M deal, pending physical. #MLB

the "miami" marlins have actually signed a free agent. for $100 million dollars. everything i believed in was a lie.

clarkspencer clarkspencer
Confirmed: "Done deal" -- #Marlins and SS Jose Reyes have agreed to terms on six-year deal, pending physical.

SI_JonHeyman Jon Heyman
#marlins, reyes have a deal.

i'm just gonna keep posting this, out of shock

holy hell i just saw this

going to cautiously say that the money is reasonable

if he stays healthy, it has a chance to be

if if if if if if if

JCRMarlinsbeat Juan C. Rodriguez
Confirmed: #Marlins and Jose Reyes have agreed to a six-year, $106 million contract pending physical

whoops!

SI_JonHeyman Jon Heyman
mets get only a third round pick plus a sandwich pick. (miami's 2nd rounder went to SD for bell). timing is everything.

this is the only time in my life that i've ever felt any positive feelings for jeffrey loria

seriously you guys, someone is going to have to put me into a straitjacket

jaysonst Jayson Stark
Even after signing Reyes, #Marlins now plan to make aggressive push to sign Pujols, sources say. More to come at ESPN.com

this is so funny

sorry i don't want to play into miami stereotypes but it's just so

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--a5KNFBGs6w/TdS14tTC5zI/AAAAAAAAAOo/xKMaYh5MBrQ/s1600/scarface.jpg

no it's okay, it's incredibly, incredibly hilarious

i seriously think jeffrey loria got kidnapped

have you seen me?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009_images/owners/jeffrey-loria.jpg

Now that they've checked Reyes off their to-do list, the Miami Marlins have an even bigger name on their radar screen -- Albert Pujols.

Sources told ESPN.com on Sunday night that the Marlins plan to make an aggressive run at Pujols over the next two days.

A source also told ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com that Miami has emerged as the most likely destination for Pujols if the slugger decides to leave the St. Louis Cardinals, the only team he has played for in his 11-year career.

man. this team.

so they get maybe Buehrle, maybe Pujols. do they beat Philly? do we watch another Crawford/Lackey disaster unfold? when was the last time a team went this free agent crazy? the diamondbacks?

buehrle is better than lackey and the marlins new stadium is big, so i think his stuff would play there

reyes... has also been a better player with crawford, but he's fraught with risk. if crash landed like crawford next year i'd be shocked. hopefully reyes actually wants to come to miami and isn't solely running to the money, which i think was part of crawford's prob next year.

er, last year

the phillies will be good, i think they're on shaky ground if anything else goes wrong for them, they're gonna have a hard time scoring runs, and if any of their pitchers gets hurt...

the marlins could win the wild card if they pick up a few more guys if they stay healthy. the problem is that they have no depth, which is why they turned into one of the absolute worst teams in baseball last year when guys started getting hurt. so, things would have to break right, but it certainly would be in play