HANKSGIVING UPDATE

When I named yesterdays blog I intended for this pic to go with it. I love the rare smiling Hank Sr, hes usually such a morose and downtrodden guy that its nice to see him happy for the holidays. Hopefully everyone has the kind of holiday that would make even The Lonesome Cowboy feel warm and fuzzy about!

International Flavor

JAPAN
Today the US media picked up the reports that Bryan LaHair was headed east, far east! I saw he has been rumored in the American press to be close to a deal with the Softbank Hawks. For the better part of the past month, however, the Japanese press has been reporting him linked to many other teams including Rakuten and Yomiuri.

At the center of every baseball in Japan there is the Orange and Black of the Giants

Heads up Hairy, take a few bucks less and enjoy being a Giant - assuming that there is an offer on the table from them. The prestige would be much greater, as well as the chance to  play in the postseason. It would be more work though, as all the Gaijin who come back tell me that "they dont play ball, they WORK ball" in Japan!


HOTANI WATCH
The HamFighters have met with Otani and there doesn't seem to be alot of indication that he wants to sign with them. I am sure he would prefer to play MLB, mostly because he has stated blankly that is the case and even warned Japanese teams they would be disappointed if they drafted him since he didnt intend to play NPB.

A man who has already bought luggage for the trip to the states

The HamFighers did make him an interesting offer, though not a financial one. They told him that they wanted to develop him as both a starting pitcher and a cleanup hitter. An intriguing offer but I would be hesitant to believe that it would come to pass. Hotani pitched and hit cleanup for his HighSchool team, but even in Japan they dont let guys do that at the upper levels of pro ball. The implied that he would be "groundbreaking" and while they didn't go so far as to compare him to Ruth, they made sure to paint that picture for the young prospect.

Otani the next Ruth? A powerhitting pitcher-meets-DH for the Ham Fighters?

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Man that Wrigley kid, he just wont stop. The spicy food and warm climate have helped heat up his bat, having multiple hit games and driving in runs at a torrid pace. I would write about each of his exploits but I simply can't keep up!

Hank leads VBL in runs scored and runs batted in and is only 40 points off the batting average lead in the triple crown race with .333. Usually when I see a guy hit .333 I think, oh he has three hits in nine trips to the plate but not this time. Bad Henry has almost 130 at bats and is already over 40 hits in just 34 games.

To find Wrigley, just look for smoke rising above the diamond in Caracas - dude is on fire!

Bad Henry was here

DOMINICAN
That Manny Ramirez guy hit a homer in his first at bat for the hometown team, and has been rumored to be on the job hunt in Japan. I think he would enjoy it over there, but wouldnt like the small living spaces and the strict workout regimen. Still, I think the Japanese fans would love the same thing I love about Manny, he has fun playing the game and lets it show.

Manny practicing his long distance calls from Japan?

Mexican and Puerto Rico leagues

Sorry guys, I havent seen any, been to busy tryin to keep up with the Caracas Leones! I will get to ya tho, just keep swingin for the fences!

International Fans

Dang, those folks are into it!

I mean INTO IT!

Really, we get some fans but I think America comes out on the very dull side when compared to the way fans get involved in games in other countries. Japanese fans are famously involved, working together to choreograph vast routines and learning songs for each player.

Giants fans in Tokyo

I really enjoy learning about the game in other places, I feel it really widens my understanding of baseball - not to mentions keeps me from freaking out when my Cubs have fallen into the basement by mid-June (again).

So when I went to find some pictures to include on the blog here, I noticed that there was a difference in the cheering squads employed in other countries to get their fans into it, as well as some obvious similarities.

In Venezuela, maybe this is why Wrigs is en fuego

Dominican cheerleader - and a little tiger too!

Mexican cheerleaders drag the infield - probably a hit with fans and players alike!

What kind of cheerleaders do you get in Puerto Rico?

Maybe its just me, but a cursory google search turned up those images, and I cant help but think there are fans across the globe that are enjoying the in-game promotions more than we are here in the states!

Ah, but I kid you Puerto Rico, I know you better than that - your cheerleaders are way more than simply a cheerful open-mouthed, flag waving cousin of Mr.Red and Mr.Met. Puerto Rico has some of the world class cheerleaders, top notch cheering and leaping that probably is working on their next championship level routine at this very moment!

Really, the PR Cheerleaders are impressive!

HanksGiving

Happy Hanksgiving!

This week we celebrate the things we are thankful for here in America by eating its native fowl and spending time with family. It has kept me from getting a new post up for a few days, and until the holiday is over will probably mean sparse posts. I call it Hanksgiving since Hank Sr is from here, and it adds a nice local feel to the holiday!

Turkey traditions

Thank You WBC 

Thanks to the World Classic and winter ball, I have yet to fully freak out about not having baseball. Always a good thing.

Samurai Japan

I learned Japan has an excellent team and watched them hold Cuba to three hits in the first of the matchups between the two teams. I saw Samurai Japan behind Yomiuri Giant Sawamura playing game two vs the Cuban team.

Cool logo, had to use it again!

The Cuban team looks like they miss the presence of the defectors badly, and it makes one wonder what team Cuba could have been. I have met a few former members of the Cuban national team and they all share a common trait - all the Cuban players I have met have a passion and drive to compete that seems to go beyond that of some of the other players.

I suppose there are many factors for it, and I cant point out a single tangible thing that gives me that impression. But the proof is between the white lines and I think everyone can see it when a player has that kind of respect for the game.

Team Cuba has to rely on the talent that is left

 Turkey Time for Bortnick

Tyler Bornick's season finally ended this past weekend. Borty has been with three different teams for two different organizations and each of them made the playoffs. After being dealt from the Biscuits roster to the Diamondbacks he was assigned to Reno. The Aces ended up winning the triple-A championship and Tyler headed to the Arizona Fall League where his team was turned back in the final game of the championship series. Thats a span of nine straight months of play, and if you have seen Bortnick play you know he just doesn't slow down.

Tyler Bortnick - full time baseball player

Heres hoping Tyler gets some rest during the offseason before impressing at big league camp in feb. Maybe relax long enough to have a turkey dinner this week!

Promotions Time!

There are promotions, and then there are PROMOTIONS!
Sometimes a team has a great idea and it really works, getting everyone interested and looking on - players on both sides as well as the fans in thee stands. The Biscuits have had a few really good ones, the Win a Date with Wrigley comes to mind as being one the fans talked about and the players seemed to have good time with.

Now THIS gets fans attention!

This year the Biscuits big promotion is to give away flat screen tv's. I wonder if anyone gives away televisions that arent flat screen these days.

I was hoping for something with a little more life to it, not that I am against giving away electronics, but I would love to get a chance to see Fred McGriff or Wade Boggs. Also there are a slew of local notables who could be given a nice recognition day in their own hometown.

The giveaways could be more team-centric, but the recent years SGA stuff has been heavy with the sponsors logo to the point of being more of an advert than a team item.

RULES WE COULD USE

Back in the 1860s when they got together to standardize the rules of the game, they had some ideas that were tabled for unknown reasons. A few of them are rather viable options and would lend a new twist to the game or improve the flow of the game. The head of the original rules committee, Albert Spalding, knew that picking up  the pace was important and helped design the rules with an eye toward rhythm of the game.

"Two hours is about as long as any American can wait for the close of a baseball game, or anything else for that matter." 

Albert Spalding knew games were too long

I am in favor of doing the small things to speed the game up, especially some of those long eastern division AL rivalries that take five hours. I stop short of time limits like the ones used in Japans NPB, which were enacted to save power usage in the wake of their power plant issue after the tsunami. But I think a few of the old rules could show some usefulness!


Such as the old rule of 21 runs - back in the first days of the game teams played until one team scored twenty one. I think its a no brainer that we should implement this rule again. Any time a guy comes across and scores run #21 the game should end. First inning, third inning, seventh or ninteenth it shouldnt matter, the game should end there.

I think it is better than the DH, there would be whole seasons played that never used the rule. But on occasion it would come into play and save one team a few innings of bullpen wear and tear and save the other team a small portion of dignity.

Only he knows what the strike zone really is

The other olde timer rule I think would be a great addition to the game, at least worth trying in an exhibition game, is for the umpire to keep the balls and strikes a secret during the at bat. It was considered when Spalding chaired the rules meeting but not added to the standardized rules, however it was one of the many variations on the game being played in the early days.

I think it would speed games up, with less debate over strategy pitchers would pitch to contact or try to overpower hitters - both leading to a faster pace. Players and managers would have less to argue than when each pitch can be criticized as it happens. Umpires would have their power back, taking away the need for the umpire strike zone ratings.

But we should implement this after Joe West retires. That guy is terrible and poster boy for showboating umpires that need to be roped in by the league office!

Patching things up

Patching Things Up

The Montgomery Biscuits have a new image added to their 2013 schedule pdf that would make a fabulous patch to put on the home uniforms as a way to commemorate their tenth season. Lets hope thats in the works, it would be great to see the team use it on the field and uniform.

A snazzy patch for the uniform?

It could replace the memorial Don Mincher patch worn league-wide this year after the passing of the longtime League President. The white circle with a black edging around the initials DM was nicely understated and served its purpose very well - I often heard fans ask players what the patch was for. They were always answered politely and given a bit of an education about who he was and what he did, so I think that patch was really good at raising awareness of Mincher and his baseball efforts.

Mincher, great player, executive not so much

Mincher the Washington Senators first baseman

Not that I was a big fan of the former head of the league, though its in bad taste to speak ill of the dead I can only hope that the next boss has more respect for our city and team. I felt that we were lacking in respect from the former administration, the league prez never showed up to hand out pennants to Biscuit champions.

Sort of like the Commissioner not being there to witness Hank Aarons historic blast. Its a responsibility of the executive branch to attend and oversee important events in the league. You can't dodge out on that and expect fans not to notice.

The New Guy

or: Dude looks like a lady

The new guy is actually not. Well, yes the new guy is new, but the new guy is not a guy. This year the reigns of the league are handed to a woman for the first time, not only in our league but in any minor leagues.

Lori Webb, Southern League President

Lori Webb takes stewardship after the passing of Don Mincher left the office fully vacant, while the league was being guided by the MsBraves Gm on an interim basis. The article on MiLB.com states that "The election of Webb represents the second consecutive time the Board of Directors has filled the league's presidential vacancy from within" which for me begs the question - who the hell are the Board of Directors? Not that I am down on the new prez, but I just havent heard of the Board before, much less know who is on it. That bears investigation and when I find out I will let you know too!

The new sheriff has worked the league office before, with titles like Executive Assistant to the League President, Vice President of Operations, Corporate Secretary and Corporate Treasurer. To me it screams that she has been running the league for at least as long as the Biscuits have been in the oven.

Any change from the status quo is generally fought to the death in league offices, and this is likely the same here. I will wait to hand out my judgement of the administration, but I worry that we are in for more of the same or worse than the treatment teams have gotten in recent years. I am sure she is completely qualified, but I wonder if a lack of baseball background has been a factor in the complaints heard around the league geared toward how the league is run.

The favorite band of baseball executives

If you need evidence of the same-old same-old, check out how the Skits have been scheduled. Its basically a blend of the worst of the past three years repackaged and regurgitated. Until we see progress from the new crew, being told they have been the office folks who have already been in place does little to stir warm and fuzzy feelings.

Insane Schedule note

The Biscuits face Pensacola four times this coming year. Three of them we host, a little off but not too bad, right? Except we dont host them over the course of four months during the season, we have them here three times between June 2nd and July 14th!

In the span of six weeks we play fifteen games against one opponent, the only silver lining being that they are home games. Then we don't see them again unless its postseason.

Also insane schedule note - 

During July we go on the road to Mobile for five, come home for five against, of course, Pensacola. Then after a three day AllStar Break we go BACK to Mobile for ANOTHER five game series! The BayBears are in our own division, and other than the lone trip they make here in April we face them ten times over fifteen games in a three week stretch, then none at all!

Used as often as common sense for scheduling in modern baseball, also good for timing very slow baserunners

Trouble In Biscuitville?

As reported by the Advertisers blogger, the Montgomery Biscuits revenue was down drastically from a year ago, which at the time was the low water mark for biscuits income. The rent the team pays to the city is based on the money the team takes in. The figures: 5% of gross revenues, plus 6% of concessions

This confirms what was obvious at the park, seats were empty and concessions went unpatronized. The fact that the team has overpriced its food and beverages slowly over the past five years goes a long way to explain this dropoff.

Sparse crowds are no joke to the bottom line

One school of thought on beer prices is that if teams charge more, they have less trouble with drunken fans since the average fan spends the same amount on beer. If they spend twenty dollars on two beers they are less trouble than if they spend the same twenty on three or four brews.

The Biscuits have used this adage across the board, applying it to hot dogs and soda as well as beer, wine and mixed drinks. They used to be the best place to go, the team was a commercial success because they undercut the entertainment market in the area. It was cheaper to go to the game than see a movie, check out a concert or go to a local bar.

By jacking up prices a little each year they are now no longer the best option for entertainment in the city. If they expect their business to stop dropping off, or even improve, there is only one answer - lower prices across the board. Seriously lower prices, not the token effort made this past season in which a few low cost items were marked down to simply exorbitant.

1954's Shibe Park concessions - back when we could afford to see a game

Even the opportunities to make good on the high prices by offering a promotion geared to save money was turned into a jab at the fans pocketbook by the Biscuits - in 2012 they had "Fifty cent HotDog Night" which is half off the usual "Dollar Dog Nights" (please note that every other team in the league has 50cent HotDog Night as their regular promotion) . The only problem with the Fifty Cent hotdogs were that they weren't the Dollar hot dogs. That is to say, the product sold as fifty cent hotdogs were not the same as what they sold the rest of the time - they double switched us, implying that we were getting half off the usual hotdogs when in fact we were offered cheap-o wieners on tiny buns.

This exemplifies the marketing at Riverwalk stadium, where during a Biscuits Boosters club meeting the complaint was well worded thusly "We must have the best beer in the league, its the most expensive in the league so it must be the best"

Your Montgomery Biscuits - Leading the league in beer prices for the fifth straight season

The Biscuits will be challenged in 2013 to improve something enough to change the trend or be faced with a smaller fan base and diminished support. Inaction is not an option!

PLAYER NEWS

Venezuelan League

 

Our main man and free agent first baseman for Caracas, Henry Wrigley, has moved into the lead in runs scored in Venezuelan league. Henry also leads his team in batting average .327, homers with 8, RBI's, runs and hits. I suspect he also leads the team in swooning female fans, angry opposing pitchers and cheerful high fives from the manager.

That Henry guy just wont stop impressing

He hasn't homered since November 7th, but since that last blast has rapped out four hits in his last three games and scored six runs for the Leones. Vicious at home and also against right handed pitching, I tweeted him for his thoughts on being a free agent but have yet to get a reply. What say you, Henry?


Wrigleys Leones teammate Josh Vitters has a four game hit streak, pushing his average over .300. Not bad for the Cubs prospect who struggled this summer in Chicago.

Dominican League

Vlad Guerrero has four hits in seven games for the Dominican league Tigres de Licey.

What a "Nose to toes, Dugout to dugout" strikezone looks like to a computer

An interesting team, the Tigres have a strong platoon at shortstop with Dee Gordon, Jurickson Profar and Carlos Triunfel just in case. Add Mike Olt and Mexican League powerhitter Michel Abreu and you get a pretty tough lineup!

Looking East

In Japan, players are working in Fall Camps and preparing for the Samurai Japan vs Cuba series, a part of the WBC.

Fall camps are very intensive workouts, especially as compared to american baseball drills. One team had its players work out for seven and a half hours, after which the players ran back to the team hotel.
Another player took five hundred swings with a coach holding a rubber strap around his waist to prevent him from lunging forward. After that, he dragged a 20 kilo tire around for an hour.


Shohei Otani's parents met with HamFighter officials who presented them with a 30 page document covering how players who skipped the Japan league progressed in various sports. There was no discussion of contracts with Otani' parents. It was a long lecture and probably did little to sway Shohei away from wanting to play in the USA.

Upcoming Series

The Samurai Japan will play the Cuban team on November 16 at the Yahoo Dome in Fukuoka and also again on November 18 at Sapporo Dome. It should be an very interesting series!

Cuban National Team cap

Dr.Miraculous

 

MILLER TIME

Today its Miller time!

My tribute to the veterans of our country is in the form of my fave servant of freedom, my dear old departed dad. He was a marine and also served in the airforce during the two wars of the mid-2oth century. He never saw action in either, but did spend time overseas and stateside in the military efforts to defend our future.
So for him I have dedicated the background of the page, as well as  todays content to his favorite minor league team - his hometown Minneapolis Millers!

Minneapolis Millers bench in 1948 after a no hitter by Monte Kennedy vs Louisville

The WayBack Machine

The Millers date back to the 1880s, and quickly developed a rivalry with nearby St.Paul. The Saint Paul Saints are still playing today in an independent league, while the Millers folded when the Washington Senators came to town and renamed themselves the Twins.

By the time my dad came along to join the knothole gang, the Millers had already developed a nice history as a farm team for the Red Sox, but following the second world war the Millers were affiliated with the New York Giants. Ted Williams had come and gone, but the Giants brought some solid farmhands and big league veterans on the back side of their careers to Minneapolis.

Nicolette Park - home of the Minneapolis Millers

Say Hey

1951 was a year I often head about from dad. It was the year he and the rest of the city of Minneapolis went crazy for Willie Mays. Mays was so popular that when he was called to the Giants there was a full page apology from the big league team to the citizens of Minneapolis. Whats amazing about that is the fact that Willie was only in triple-A for less than two months, he made his Giants debut on May 25th!

Willie Mays score a run for the Millers April 1951 - Ray Dandridge is on the right

Willie was known to stay after games to play catch with the kids until the sun went down, Nicollet park didnt have lights. The kids all felt that Mays was their best friend and I imagine each of them carried that sentiment with them for the rest of their lives, as children remember that kind of thing and hold to it strongly - like my meeting with Mickey Mantle stuck with me.

Old Sarge

Also on that team were future hall of famers Hoyt Wilhelm and Ray Dandridge.

Wilhelm was one of the greatest knuckleballers of all time, and taught it to kids who wanted to learn it. My dad was among those who took lessons in the butterfly pitch. Being lefthanded, dads knuckler was kind of goofy, fun to watch but not to catch and almost impossible for me to hit in the backyard! I love thinking that I was able to strike out on a pitch my dad learned from a hall of famer.

Leo Durocher goes to his closer, Hoyt Wilhelm - catcher is Bill Rigney, I think the umpire is Jocko Conlan ca 1951

Wilhelm threw over 200 innings for the Millers in 51, and would the next year redefine baseball by winning 15 games for the Giants out of the bullpen. Before Hoyt the bullpen was where ineffective starting pitchers were sent, nobody had used a relief pitcher as an effective weapon late in games. A large part of Leo Durochers legacy is his mouth but he invented the Closers role and Hoyt Wilhelm was the first really effective closer on a championship team in the modern era.

Oh, btw, Wilhelm was a WWII veteran, earning a purple heart for being wounded during the famous Battle of the Bulge.

Hooks

Ray Dandridge was a negro league great even before playing with white guys, an amazing player who has become one of my personal favorites. Sadly Dandridge never got a chance to play at the major league level, but his career numbers are fantastic no matter where he plays.

Ray Dandridge as a Minneapolis Miller ca 1950

At the time of Mays callup, I think Dandridge was actually a better choice to get the call, but it went to Mays and worked out pretty well for most everyone involved. Later I will get into why I think that, but Dandridge was the reigning MVP of triple-A and at the top of his game that season.

I'm told Dandridge possessed a cannon arm and developed flashy habits to show it off. For dads Millers he played third base which gave him plenty of opportunities. He seemed to have a great intuition for how fast a hitter could run and toy with them, fielding a grounder and waiting to throw to first until the very last moment to get them by an eyelash. He loved to see the hitter run harder as he tried to beat the throw.

He just LOOKS like a dangerous hitter!

With twelve errors in over a hundred games in 1951, his .951 fielding percentage was much better than what the Giants had in 3b Hank Thompson's .925 at the big league level. He could hit a little bit too, starting at age 36 when he joined integrated minor league ball he hit .312 until he was 41, and this after his long and storied Negro League career.

IMPO BARNHILL

I would be remiss if I didnt mention my fave negro league pitcher, who also plays with the '51 Millers - David Barnhill.

Dave Barnhill with the New York Cubans

I found Barnhills name not only on the 1951 Minneapolis Millers roster, but signed on a program from a Millers game that my dad attended and it got me started looking at who he was.

Dave Barnhill was from North Carolina and was as great a pitcher as there ever was. What kept him from being a household name was simply one thing  - Satchel Paige.

1943 East West Negro League All Star Game Starters

While with the Negro League he faced off against Satchel in the AllStar Game in 1943, the East-West game of that year being one of the most legendary of Negro League games in history.  Somehow everyone remembered Satchel, but Barnhill fell off the radar in spite of having 20 win seasons and making All Star game appearances three straight years.

Later with the Ethiopian Clowns he used his slight build to his advantage, developing the "Impo" character by wearing facepaint and proving the Homestead Grays wrong in passing him up for his smaller frame not being durable. Some scholars have called the Clowns the entertainment side of the Negro League games, but I suspect that in the heat of the afternoon when the facepaint starts to melt the cute and funny clowns are downright scary to the point of intimidation.

Barnhill was one of the first to be described as "throwing asprin tablets". He, like Dandridge and many others, played also in Cuba and Mexico with much success and achieving more fame abroad than he got in the States.

rare shot of Barnhill in Cuba

It was a good year...

1951 was the year of Robby Thompsons "Shot heard round the world", Mays won the Rookie of the Year award. Well, except for the fact that the Giants lost the World Series. Kind of let the air out, but still a nice year!

Go West....

or

I'll trade ya my triple-A affiliate for your triple-a affiliate

you can keep the Senators or take what's behind the curtain

A few years after that big 1951 season, in 1958, the New York Giants became the SF Giants and the Millers were part of a deal that saw two whole teams traded. The Giants gave Minneapolis to Boston for the San Francisco Seals and moved their whole base of operations there to become the San Francisco Giants.

A new minor league affilliate was set up, since the need was there after dealing away the Millers home. This was became the Phoenix Giants, who later moved around, but thats another story.

I asked my dad how he took the move, as some in baseball consider the Giants leaving New York to be the end of the golden era of the game. He said that his work with the military relocated him to Arizona in 1958, that he and the Giants and the Millers all went west at the same time!

The good guys

Dad claimed the Millers were all good guys, that they always had time to say hi to a kid and were known around the town. There were times the team would volunteer for civic events that would require strong guys or heavy lifting, and players were often in the volunteer fire brigade.

I heard alot about Babe Barna being a easy to talk to, about Wilhelm showing how to toss the knuckler, Dixie Howell and Bama Rowell having funny accents and the doubleheader days when teams would play in Minneapolis in the morning and St.Paul in the afternoon.

1950 Millers, as close as I have, so sue me

ONE BAD APPLE

There was one guy who left an impression much different than the others. After much prodding, dad told me about meeting Hall of Famer Johnny Mize. After an exhibition game against the Millers in Minneapolis, back when that actually happened, dad was excited to get this big league greats signature on a baseball card. Mize told him "Get lost, kid."

Even The Big Cat can be a crab

Many years afterwards, dad said he came across the Hall of Famer at a baseball card show signing for a fee. Dad said he had wanted to buy a ticket to get Mize to sign a card only to tear it up in Mize's face, just to get back at him and remind him of how he broke a kids heart in 1947.

But when he got to the front of the line, The Big Cat was just an old man. A tired old man who had his whole life in the past. Dad said it was just so sad, he couldn't bring himself to go through with it, and just left, taking the high road forty years later.

I learned alot from dad!
 



Well folks, thats about long enough, right?
Check ya on the flipside!

Chico Esquela - Beisbol been berry good to me

Slow Blog to China

Well, how about the Asia Series? Good for driving away wintertime blues, almost as much as pulling for Caracas inVenezuela!

http://justin.tv/omamechan is the place for Asia Series games, some in the evenings and sometimes late nites - as things that happen on the other side of the globe often are. The players outnumber the fans in the stands, so they would love to have you look in on em. Shout out to me if you see DrMiraculous hanging around the chat at the site!

Sajik Stadium, South Korea, site of Asia Series 2012

Where the Action is!

Its not just in Venezuela or in China or the Dominican where games are going on, or even the GM meetings that are taking place ahead of the MLB Winter meetings. The place where the action is - IS RIGHT HERE!

This blog was cranked up last week and already has a few hundred hits! Too cool, though its a lot of pressure to keep tossing you all funny pictures, okay well not so much pressure there. But I am thrilled to get that much notice, as I havent even put up the best insider info yet so I look forward to having a chance to voice some of the things that wander across my tabla rasa.

I thank all those who read this blog for their time and attention, its humbling to think and I hope I can give everyone something and include a few smiles along the way.

Ozzie is smiling, hopefully you will too!

NOTABLE MOVES AND RUMORS

Brewers interested in Dempster, as a Cub fan it disgusts me.

Teams are already complaining about how expensive Josh Hamilton is. I have suspected collusion for the past few years, ever since the drug testing was stepped up. Improved communication between teams and leagues makes collusion easier to occur and harder to find/prove. This could be a factor in Hamiltons free agency, teams complaining about cost for a guy they havent signed is a red flag.

Mets are reported to be offering Dickey. That team is so broke they would probably trade their outfield fence for money, and include Mr.Met in the swap. Sadly, in a related story, the Mets outfield fence was found to be the teams best outfielder.

Mr.PTBNL

 

Cashman says the Yankees arent trading A-Rod. Sounds to me like Hank told him Alex was his fave player, as there is no other reason not to at least shop the $114 million dollar bench depth. That being said, Cashman  was also quoted as saying he had talked to every team in MLB, so he may just be saying "nobody will take that guy off our hands even if i beg".
 
The Cubs are among the teams said to be in on Ryu Hyun-jin, the Korean lefty pitcher. Here is a look at the guy, you can make your own determination!

CORRECTION

In a previous post I stated that Dan Haren has a glass arm, or elbow, or w/e. In fact Glassy made 30 starts last year and has only ever missed three starts in his career - much to his credit. However he has also experienced a sore back that pushed starts off a few days, and his recent diminished velocity likely means he is either hurt or experiencing severe Suck-itis.
Either way, he has not missed time to injury and probably isnt actually a glass arm guy.
My Bad.

More fragile than Dan Haren, but hasnt lost velocity

Southern League Notes

So, this is odd....
Kellogs bought Pringles chips. Which means for now at least, the Jackson Generals have a bit of a problem at the homefront. Pringles sponsors their team, and most of Jackson Tn, including having naming rights to the ballpark.

For now the team has had to cover the Pringles name across their park, and wait to see how the front office and Kellogs can work out a deal. Till then its not Pringles Park, its Generals Park for the first time ever!

Welcome to Pringles GENERALS park

BISCUITS GEAR

When the Skits start play next April, I hope that all the players will be decked out in this snazzy eyeblack! I dont know how often I have seen our guys don the dark adhesives to help with the sun, but they sure need all the help they can get in the summer. Now even the fans can wear what the team has on!

Monty deflects light & attracts jelly

MORE SOON!