The Golden Sombrero

2007-12-27T14:08:00.000-05:00

Got this note from the Baseball HQ newsletter that I hope everyone stopping by here is already subscribed to. If not, here's the info:

ENTRY DEADLINE: JANUARY 4, 2008
-----------------------------------------------
WANTED:
Looking for one person with the fantasy savvy, obsessionand determination to
compete in TOUT WARS as part of a featurefilm fantasy baseball documentary,
inspired by Sam Walker's bookFantasyland.

In 2006, Sam Walker, of the Wall St Journal took on fantasybaseball's best of the best, competing for one season in theultimate league, Tout Wars. Sam's journey was documented in hisNew York Times best-seller, Fantasyland.

The 2008 Tout Wars season is going to be filmed as part of afeature film documentary, produced by Wonderland Sound andVision, and Sound Pictures. They are looking for one person totake over where Sam Walker left off. You will compete against theTout Wars American League experts and have your entire seasoncaptured on film.

They are looking for someone who is a veteran of fantasybaseball, is obsessed with the game and has followed Tout Wars.They are looking for someone who is interested in not justplaying by the numbers but wants to go out and talk to scouts,players and general managers to help in their decision making.

They are looking for someone between the ages of 30-50 who willbe willing to provide complete access into their life during thefantasy baseball season. There will be some travel involved,including attending spring training. You must be available forthe Tout Wars draft in New York City the weekend of March 21-23. If you are interested and available for this experience, pleaserespond to the following questions.

Please cut and paste thequestions into an email, respond and send to fantasyking@live.com by January 4, 2008.

Your name
Where are you located?
How many years have you been playing fantasy baseball?
What attracted you to fantasy baseball?
How does fantasy baseball dominate your life?
Give us a sense ofthe amount of hours you spend playing, along with stories thatillustrate your obsession in action.
What was your greatest fantasy baseball trade?
What was a decision that you will haunt you forever?
What do you know about Tout Wars and what would it mean to you to be
able to compete in this league?
How does fantasy baseball affect your home life? Your work life?
Which person in Tout Wars would you be most excited to competeagainst and beat? How do you think you would do if given a chance to compete inTout?
Have you read the book Fantasyland by Sam Walker?
What did you think of the way Sam Walker played fantasy baseball(contacting players, scouts,etc)?
Please tell us about your life outside of fantasy baseball: job,relationship, etc.

2006-07-27T14:36:00.000-04:00

Will the Orioles be able to get anything at the trade deadline for any of their players? Here's hoping they can at least get a few decent quad-A types for Conine and Millar (if anyone wants those two).

2005-10-05T19:54:00.000-04:00

The Stats that Matter Most - check out the win differential on the Jays. I think they are a playoff team next season.

2005-08-24T22:39:00.000-04:00

Nationals manager Frank Robinson says wipe out Palmeiro's stats.

2005-08-12T11:20:00.000-04:00

Palmeiro is back but he isn't playing yet.

Also, it looks like Eric DuBose will be starting this weekend leaving John Maine in the minors:

Saturday starter: The Orioles have yet to announce a starting pitcher for Saturday's game against Toronto, but Perlozzo said it will be either Eric DuBose or Triple-A Ottawa's John Maine. Perlozzo indicated that unless DuBose is needed for a relief outing on Thursday or Friday, he would be the starter. DuBose, who was 8-10 with a 3.25 ERA for Double-A Bowie, was in the rotation last season before missing the final three months because of elbow surgery.

2005-07-21T14:01:00.000-04:00

Kerry's Calculus = The Second Half: What Has to Happen for the Orioles to Contend the Rest of the Way

2005-05-04T18:19:00.000-04:00

Great piece by Bob at Birds in the Belfry about Pat Gillick.

2005-03-05T14:08:00.000-05:00

I've been too busy with other projects to post here lately. If you are looking for O's news check the Birds in the Belfry site. The message board there has a number of great O's fans.

I am writing at Creativesports and I also have a Fantasy Baseball Blog that is taking up my spare time. Check me out there if you have the time and have an interest in fantasy baseball.

2005-02-27T22:47:00.000-05:00

FOXSports.com - MLB- Miller goes old school, and Orioles prosper

2005-02-27T00:45:00.000-05:00

FOXSports.com - MLB- Braves close to signing Hudson

2005-02-25T16:37:00.000-05:00

Kerry's Calculus: An interview with Mike Flanagan

2005-02-21T11:46:00.000-05:00

Kerry's Calculus: What We Think We Know - Remembering One of Life's Little Truisms

2005-02-20T11:25:00.000-05:00

FOXSports.com - MLB- Mets balking at potential three-team trade

2005-02-20T11:17:00.000-05:00

baltimoresun.com - Loewen reports no setbacks concerning left shoulder

2005-02-18T21:59:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - MLB - Stark: Sweet spring

2005-02-14T19:29:00.000-05:00

FOXSports.com - MLB- Blue Jays are ready to ante up in A.L. East

2005-02-13T14:08:00.000-05:00

baltimoresun.com - His role unclear, Julio signs one-year deal with Orioles

With the addition of Reed and Kline and the probable elevation of Ryan in the bullpen, Julio is considered an attractive player for a trade.

The New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks had expressed interest, as did the Chicago Cubs, who instead took Jerry Hairston and minor leaguers Mike Fontenot and David Crouthers for Sammy Sosa.

Orioles executive vice president Jim Beattie said nothing is set about the closer situation at this point.

"It's up in the air," he said. "We're confident about B.J. and we'd like for Jorge to be more consistent, but that's one of those things that we'll decide in spring training."

2005-02-09T22:28:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - MLB - Olney: Circumstantial evidence

2005-02-09T22:19:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - Gammons: Motown revival

2005-02-07T18:52:00.000-05:00

Baltimore Orioles Press Release: Orioles statements on Canseco book

Orioles 1B RAFAEL PALMEIRO today issued the following statement regarding the forthcoming book by former major league player Jose Canseco:
"I categorically deny any assertion made by Jose Canseco that I used steroids. At no point in my career have I ever used steroids, let alone any substance banned by Major League Baseball. As I have never had a personal relationship with Canseco, any suggestion that he taught me anything, about steroid use or otherwise, is ludicrous. We were teammates and that was the extent of our relationship. I am saddened that he felt it necessary to attempt to tarnish my image and that of the game that I love."

2005-02-06T10:05:00.000-05:00

New York Daily News - Sports - Daily News Exclusive: Canseco confessions

The tell-all book, "Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big," published by Regan Books hits bookstores Feb. 21.

"The longtime Oakland star, who made a brief appearance with the Yankees in 2000, claims he introduced steroids to the game and injected fellow Bash Brother Mark McGwire in the rear end numerous times in clubhouse bathroom stalls.

He also describes watching disgraced Yankee slugger Jason Giambi and McGwire injecting each other when they both played with the Oakland A's, and says he personally taught All-Star and potential Hall of Famers Ivan (Pudge) Rodriguez, Rafael Palmeiro and Juan Gonzalez to use 'roids after he was traded to the Texas Rangers in 1992.

Canseco claims the team's general managing partner at the time - an aspiring politician named George W. Bush - had to have been aware that his players were using performance-enhancing drugs but did nothing about it."

2005-02-05T17:43:00.000-05:00

Buy advertising space on Jeff Bagwell's ex-wife's cleavage. Bids have passed $10,000.

2005-02-02T14:48:00.000-05:00

GM Night at Fantasy Camp - Mike Flanagan answers questions from the O's faithful.

2005-02-01T20:27:00.000-05:00

Athletics Nation :: Billy Beane Back in AN Part III - Check out all three parts if you have time.

2005-01-31T17:59:00.000-05:00

The New York Times > Sports > Baseball > The Trials of Jason Giambi

2005-01-31T08:23:00.000-05:00

FOXSports.com - MLB- Inside Dish: Burnitz is becoming a hot commodity

2005-01-30T18:06:00.000-05:00

FOXSports.com - MLB- Sosa will have a lot to prove in '05

2005-01-30T12:29:00.000-05:00

Baseball America - Ask BA

2005-01-29T10:39:00.000-05:00

According to the Baltimore Sun, Chicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa will be traded to the Baltimore Orioles for infielder Jerry Hairston and minor leaguers, second baseman Mike Fontenot and pitcher David Crouthers. Sosa would take over in RF and move Jay Gibbons to 1B where he can hopefully be decent defensively. Brian Roberts gets a lot of job security.

I'm not a huge fan of this move if it involves giving a contract extension to Sosa. I have no problem with the minor leaguers given up as they don't look like anything special. I hate to see Hairston go but since the O's wouldn't play him at 2B, where he belongs, and he gets hurt all the time, I can live with it.

I don't have a problem with this move if Sosa is a one year rental. He'll bring some more fans to Camden and maybe the O's can even flip him to a contender later in the season to get prospects. That would be a wise move.

-----------------------------
Jerry Crasnick on the deal.

2005-01-26T14:09:00.000-05:00

Bandbox Revisited: A Quantitative Examination of Camden Yards

2005-01-25T17:19:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - MLB - Marlins land Delgado for 4 years, $52 million

2005-01-25T09:33:00.000-05:00

My first fantasy baseball article of the year is live at Creativesports. It's a column for people that play in single universe leagues using only AL players. Check it out if you have a chance and please provide any feedback. Cheers!

2005-01-24T08:18:00.000-05:00

Lots of Delgado news today:

1) The Mets are out.

2) The Rangers have dropped out

3) The Marlins are the front runners

4) An update on the O's in all this.

2005-01-23T13:42:00.000-05:00

The New York Times > Sports > Baseball > On Baseball: The Orioles Lose Out From Coast to Coast

2005-01-19T22:15:00.000-05:00

Baseball America - Ask BA The new Ask BA has an interesting list of the 20 players have gone to the major leagues without stopping in the minors.

2005-01-18T08:28:00.000-05:00

I'm a fantasy baseball fan and I also do some writing in this area. So, I need to do a little shameless self-promotion. The Creativesports 2005 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit is now available for pre-order. It's cheap at only $9.99 and there will be an update in mid-March (try getting that from a magazine). I wrote some of the player profiles for this kit and I will be writing an AL Only Fantasy Baseball Column for Creativesports starting sometime in the coming months. I'll be sure to post links here once I've started.

2005-01-17T23:23:00.000-05:00

Ken Rosenthal's Inside Dish returns after a long holiday break.

2005-01-14T10:17:00.000-05:00

I posted a link to Baseball Notebook's Top AL Pitching Prospects a few days ago. BN has prospect lists that compare with no one else. Sometimes David Luciani is way off (as anyone who scouts prospects can be) but other times he unearth's prospects that no one else has heard of yet (such as Jason Kubel a few years ago showing up in his top five overall when no one else had him in their top 100 or Dontrelle Willis making his top ten when he was still pitching at Single-A). So, with that intro let's take a look at the O's prospects on this year's list (number is their rank on the Baseball Notebook Top 100 AL Pitching Prospects List; all profiles are written by yours truely):

32. JACOBO SEQUEA (DOB 8/31/81) - Sequea was 3-5 with 27 saves, a 2.63 ERA and a 53/25 K/BB in 65 1/3 innings at Double-A last season. He'll likely start this year at Triple-A and looks like he could be a decent relief prospect. He might even have a chance to emerge from spring training with a bullpen spot. I asked a question about Sequea in a Baseball America chat this winter and was told by BA's Will Lingo that Sequea "is better suited to a set-up role than closing in the big leagues, though, because his fastball isn't overpowering. He doesn't have a power arm but he misses bats. His best attributes are his slider and his command."

33. SCOTT RICE (DOB 9/21/81) - Rice, a first round pick in the 1999 draft, had failed to impress until a move to the bullpen in 2003 where he was impressive at both Low and High A ball. Rice was solid but unspectacular this past year. His 61/40 K/BB isn't going to get it done in the majors. I'd like to see his minor league splits because he was a starter and a reliever last season but I can't find them anywhere. My guess is that his best bet to get to the majors will be as a lefty reliever.

40. JOHN MAINE (DOB 5/8/81) - Maine, who will be 24 this season, made his debut with the O's last season. While that outing didn't go so well he did seem to find his groove at Triple-A after a rough start. His 105/52 K/BB leaves something to be desired but his 7.9 K/9 in 119 2/3 innings at Triple-A Ottowa shows promise. It wouldn't be suprising to see him win a rotation spot out of spring training but he would likely be better off starting the year at Triple-A. If he starts strong there he'll be the first to replace an injured or ineffective starter on the major league club.

42. ZACHARY DIXON (DOB 11/29/80) - Dixon was a 22nd Round pick out of Texas A&M in 2003. He did most of his work at Low A Delmarva last season where he went 9-4 with a 2.54 ERA, a 105/65 K/BB and 97 hits allowed in 120 2/3 innings (7.8 K/9). You'd like to see better control but the K/9 numbers make it look like he could at least have a future in the bullpen. He could be looking at a cup of coffee in September with a solid 2005 season.

71. FREDY DEZA (DOB 12/11/82) - Deza, 22, originally signed with the O's in 1999 as a 16-year-old out of the Dominican Republic. He went 8-11 with a 3.31 ERA, a 93/21 K/BB and 102 hits allowed in 119 2/3 innings (7.0 K/9 & 1.6 BB/9 - great command) at Low A Delmarva last season. In August, he received a promotion to High A Fredrick where he got hit a bit but still managed to sport a solid K/BB of 20/2 in 25 2/3 innings. His best pitch is a fastball but he also has a good slider and change-up. This is a big year for Fredy as he should be moving through Double-A at this age if we are to consider him a real prospect.

2005-01-13T07:32:00.000-05:00

Kerry's Calculus at Birds in the Belfry: Feast or FamineThe 2004 Offense, By Position

2005-01-12T08:32:00.000-05:00

Baseball America has an interesting discussion on the Stats vs Tools Debate with Gary Hughes, Eddie Bane, Gary Huckabay and Voros McCracken. Read it.

2005-01-11T18:25:00.000-05:00

O's: Nats Impacting Their Offseason Plans (washingtonpost.com)

For the first time, the Baltimore Orioles publicly admitted Washington's baseball franchise has forced them to reevaluate their offseason plans.

Hoping to land a premier starting pitcher and a middle-of-the-lineup bat through free agency or a trade, Orioles Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Jim Beattie said the uncertainty of the financial effect the Nationals will have on the Orioles has caused the franchise to be outbid for players. Without an agreement with MLB on a compensation package, the Orioles are unsure how much they can spend

2005-01-04T14:35:00.000-05:00

From the Free Articles at Baseball Prospectus: Prospectus Triple Play: Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies, New York Mets

Also, this will be my last post for about a week as I am off to London for a vacation.

2005-01-03T20:49:00.000-05:00

It appears the big deal is finished. Now we'll see if the O's really have a chance to get into the Vazquez sweeps.

Diamondbacks managing partner Ken Kendrick brushed aside rumors that the Diamondbacks were looking to trade Vazquez, who returns to the National League, where he was most successful as a member of the Montreal Expos.

"Our view of Vazquez is we're delighted to have him on the team," Kendrick said.

2005-01-02T14:50:00.000-05:00

The Minors First - Top 100 Prospect List

2005-01-02T12:47:00.000-05:00

Yankees: Johnson's unique between-starts regimen keeps him in shape to stay at the top of his game at 41

2005-01-01T18:04:00.000-05:00

BaseballNotebook.com - Top 100 Prospects NL Pitchers

2004-12-31T09:37:00.000-05:00

The Bore-ioles

It continues to amaze me that the O's have absolutely no interest in Odalis Perez. I realize that pitchers are mad overpriced this offseason but this rotation is terrible. Do the O's really want another year like last year's mess? Do the O's believe they can develop a starting rotation that is entirely homegrown? The Orioles have announced in the papers a number of times that they won't sign any FA pitchers so I might as well forget about complaining, nothing is going to happen.

The best bet for change is through trades. Rumors are swirling that the O's could land Javier Vazquez from the Diamondbacks after he gets dished there along with a load of cash and a couple of prospects. The New York Post suggests the O's would have to give up some combination of Eric Bedard, Jorge Julio, Luis Matos and Jay Gibbons. Considering the source I wouldn't put a lot of stock in this rumor.

I believe that Bedard is by far the most talented pitcher the O's have from last year's staff. I also believe it would be a mistake to trade him at this point. He struggled with control last season but he was just returning from Tommy John surgery. Usually year two is much better control-wise for pitchers returning from the surgery. His K/9 of 7.9 last season was very good and if you toss in a little control with that stuff you have a very nice starting pitcher (not to mention he's a lefty).

My plea to the dynamic duo, if you are going to trade give up Matt Riley (if anyone even wants him) or Daniel Cabrera (so many GM's overvalue wins) just give Bedard a second year to prove himself before making any rash decisions.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On a side note, Happy New Year to everyone that reads my sporadic posts or finds these links of use/interest. Thanks for wasting some of your time passing through here. Maybe my New Year's resolution will be to give this blog more of my time...

-Brian

2004-12-30T17:17:00.000-05:00

BaseballNotebook.com - Top 100 Prospects AL Pitchers

2004-12-30T10:03:00.000-05:00

Baseball America - Ask BA

They answered my question this week (second one down).

2004-12-28T17:34:00.000-05:00

BaseballNotebook.com - Top 100 Prospects NL Hitters

2004-12-27T10:06:00.000-05:00

baltimoresun.com - Ponson faces arraignment in Aruba: "Orioles pitcher Sidney Ponson could be arraigned today on assault and battery charges in Aruba after a fight on Christmas that put a local judge in the hospital."

2004-12-25T08:19:00.000-05:00

BaseballNotebook.com - Top 100 Prospects AL Hitters

2004-12-24T10:22:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com: Page 2 - Beane will have the last laugh

2004-12-22T21:12:00.000-05:00

The Baseball Notebook Prospect Analysis

Check it. Baseball Notebook is considering producing a product that will project career performance of some 4,000 prospects. They say,

"We would venture to publish not how the player is performing now but answers
to questions such as the following:

What is the percentage chance that this
player will ever play in the majors?

What will his best major league season
look like when he eventually reaches his prime?

In what year will that prime
year be most likely to occur?
What type of a big league career should this
player be likely to experience?

What is his current projected big league
career?

Relative to other players, what is
his overall prospect rating?
What is the player's ETA to the majors?

If he's a starting pitcher, how
will he perform if he ends up as a reliever vs.
how he would perform as a
starter?"

2004-12-21T06:15:00.000-05:00

The 2004 Pinata Award Recipient @ Birds in the Belfry. Who was the worst O's pitcher? (There were so many to choose from)

2004-12-20T07:16:00.000-05:00

Baseball Notebook: Why Beltran Could Be Worth $20 Million a Season

2004-12-19T16:14:00.000-05:00

The New York Times > Week in Review > $53 Million For Pedro? How Do You Figure?

Andrew Zimbalist calculates the potential financial benefits of Pedro's signing.

2004-12-19T15:13:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - Gammons: A's the world turns

2004-12-19T11:40:00.000-05:00

baltimoresun.com - At least unyielding Orioles aren't saps, too

2004-12-16T00:52:00.000-05:00

Very good discussion going on at The Belfry on whether the O's should add a starting pitcher via free agency (the team has stated it will not sign any free agent pitchers). I believe Odalis Perez would make a great FA signing for the O's. I am also very intrigued by the rumor that the O's could be in the mix for AJ Burnett from the Marlins.

2004-12-15T18:43:00.000-05:00

Baseball America: Rule 5 Draft

2004-12-15T08:20:00.000-05:00

baltimoresun.com - Fishing O's cast line to Marlins' Burnett

The O's are looking into trading for AJ Burnett. A very good move if they can pull it off and get him signed long term. This guy has electric stuff. The only drawback is that this will be his first full season back from Tommy John. However, most pitchers do well after the surgery so concern should be minimal.

The crappy part of this article:

Team executives Jim Beattie and Mike Flanagan left Anaheim, Calif., still hoping to plant a veteran starter atop their rotation, but they also were prepared to enter 2005 with the same collection of young arms behind Sidney Ponson.

There is no way they should be resigned to all youngsters behind Ponson again. It is very unlikely for any major league team to have an entire home grown rotation. The O's will be lucky if two of their young pitchers pan out.

2004-12-15T08:11:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! Sports - MLB - Expos' move to Washington could come apart over ballpark financing

2004-12-12T18:04:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! Sports - MLB - Bargains are there for smart shoppers

2004-12-11T12:03:00.000-05:00

Baseball America: Rule Five Draft Preview

2004-12-08T19:56:00.000-05:00

So, who's getting compensation picks?

Baseball America - Ask BA

2004-12-07T17:09:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! Sports - MLB - MLB teams face arbitration deadline Tuesday

Free agent signings start to kick into gear after tonight...

2004-12-06T08:37:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! Sports - MLB - Scrambling for leftovers

It's tough being a utility player...

2004-12-05T20:48:00.000-05:00

BaseballNotebook.com - Bonds and Giambi vs. The Age Curve

A look at the expected home run rate for both and the actual home run rate.

2004-12-05T10:28:00.000-05:00

baltimoresun.com - Politics aside, Delgado worthy of endorsement:
"The Orioles are far enough along in their negotiations with Delgado that they've already resolved the 'God Bless America' issue. Delgado has notified club officials, through agent David Sloane, that he would stand for the song if they ask him to stand.

'Carlos has said he will never do anything that puts himself above the team,' Sloane said. 'There is no policy on the Blue Jays regarding 'God Bless America.' If he signs with a team that has a policy that all players must stand on the top step for 'God Bless America,' that's what he'll do.'

This is a sensitive issue for the Orioles. They respect Delgado's right to have his own political viewpoints, but if Camden Yards becomes his new home, they would consider it his workplace. And they don't want to cause a distraction for other players.

Apparently, Delgado is fine with that, further proof that he's as solid a person as he is a player. The Orioles know they'd be lucky to get him, and probably will make an offer before heading to the winter meetings on Friday. "

2004-12-04T00:03:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - MLB - Neyer: What about the numbers?

Neyer argues against the astrisk for Bonds:

"And whether you like it or not, that's the way it's going to be with Barry Bonds. Bert Campaneris doesn't get an asterisk to denote his fluke, Todd Helton doesn't get an asterisk to denote his home ballpark, and Barry Bonds doesn't get an asterisk to denote his "cream" and his "clear."

The numbers tell us what actually did happen on the field. That's all the numbers are supposed to do. And for the most part, that's all we ask of them. "

2004-12-03T23:47:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! Sports - MLB - Rockies pitcher Neagle cited for solicitation: "Denny Neagle was cited Friday for solicitation after a woman in his car said he paid her $40 for oral sex, police said. "

Nice work buddy...

2004-12-03T23:34:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! Sports - MLB - A scandal years in the making unfolds

This is starting to get very ugly for baseball...

2004-12-02T19:57:00.000-05:00

Baseball America: Angels Sign Cuban Star Morales

More on the Morales signing.

2004-12-02T08:38:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - MLB - Stark: Over and out?

The continuing Randy Johnson speculation...

2004-12-01T19:50:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! Sports - MLB - Deadline nears for baseball, Angelos to cut a deal

2004-12-01T19:18:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! Sports - MLB - Angels ink Cuban IF-OF Morales to six-year deal

A young power hitter who can play 1B, 3B or OF. It's possible he could win a job out of spring training.

2004-11-29T22:21:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! Sports - MLB - Strawberry for Hall of Fame? No joke but no chance

2004-11-26T17:20:00.000-05:00

Baseball America - Arizona Fall League: Top 20 Prospects

More AFL top prospects

2004-11-26T17:00:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - MLB - Down on the Farm: Desert gems

Top prospects from the Arizona Fall League

2004-11-21T23:04:00.000-05:00

The Inside Dish - Percival helping Tigers in pursuit of Glaus

2004-11-20T14:35:00.000-05:00

MLB's Free Agent Advice Form

2004-11-18T18:55:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! Sports - MLB - Baseball owners delay vote on Expos' move

Another delay - not suprising.

2004-11-17T21:29:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! Sports - MLB - Baseball owners set to approve Expos sale

The proposed move of the Montreal Expos to Washington is set to be approved when baseball owners meet Thursday in Chicago.

Originally, owners also were to vote on the $223 million sale of the Milwaukee Brewers from the family of commissioner Bud Selig to Mark Attanasio. But the commissioner's office has not finished processing the transaction, making it likely approval will be delayed for several weeks.

Also, the Washington franchise is expected to announce their team name on Monday around noon. I'm hoping it's the Greys but I think they'll go with the Nationals. One thing is certain, they are off to a terrible start with the Guzman and Castilla signings.

2004-11-16T22:06:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! Sports - MLB - Yankees slugger says he was target of extortion plot

New York Yankees star Gary Sheffield and his wife were the targets of a blackmailer who claimed to have embarrassing sexual videotapes of her and a musician, the slugger said Tuesday.

``I will not be blackmailed. I will not have my family dragged through the mud and filth,'' Sheffield said in a statement read by his Chicago-based business agent, Rufus Williams.

2004-11-16T09:31:00.000-05:00

Kerry's Calculus: DeMacio & The Draft: Part IV - the latest in a great series chronicling the futility of the Orioles' past drafts.

2004-11-15T18:50:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - Gammons: Coming attractions

2004-11-14T12:17:00.000-05:00

BaseballNotebook.com - The Real Minor League Leaders Part 2: Translated stats for minor league pitchers.

2004-11-13T10:35:00.000-05:00

The 2004 Scouting Report by the Fans for the Fans. This is year two of a project by Tangotiger to gauge the interpretation of a player's skill by the "common" fan. Check it out.

2004-11-13T10:31:00.000-05:00

D.C. Baseball's White Elephant Is Running Wild (washingtonpost.com):

"Williams has peddled the stadium deal under a false pretense. Baseball will be a great spiritual and recreational addition but not a financial one. If you really want to define the mayor through baseball, look at his reaction when the Cato Institute published a briefing paper on the fallacy that stadiums bring big economic benefits to cities. 'I can't imagine why, with all the things happening in the world, the Cato Institute would take the time to analyze the impact of baseball in Washington, D.C.,' Williams said.
The answer is that the Cato Institute is a think tank with a serious interest in efficient municipal policy, and its scholars live and work and pay taxes in the District. The mayor's irritated dismissal of independent academic research was a truly defining moment. 'What struck me is, you've spent the last three years trying to get baseball here, with all the things wrong with the city, so where do you get off saying we shouldn't do one study?' Boaz said. 'He's clearly spent a larger percentage of his time on this than anything else.' "

2004-11-12T18:20:00.000-05:00

BaseballNotebook.com - The Real Minor League Leaders Part 1

Translated minor league stats from David Luciani. See who's likely to make a splash in the majors in the future.

2004-11-11T17:26:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - Gammons: Reward Tour

2004-11-08T19:26:00.000-05:00

Baseball America provides an extensive list of the Free Agents and their classifications:

Below is the complete list of Type A, B and C free agents. An asterisk indicates that the player hasn't formally become a free agent yet (usually because there's a option involved that hasn't been resolved).

For a Type A player, the compensation is the signing team's first-round pick plus a supplemental first-rounder. For a Type B, it's the signing team's first-round choice. For a Type C, it's a supplemental second-rounder. However, if the signing team picks in the upper half of the first round, that choice is protected and it loses its second-round selection instead. Also, Type C players who have been free agents in the past don't yield any compensation.

Type A
Moises Alou (ChC), Wilson Alvarez (LA), Tony Batista (Mon), Carlos Beltran (Hou), Adrian Beltre (LA), Armando Benitez (Fla), Jeromy Burnitz (Col), Orlando Cabrera (Bos), Miguel Cairo (NYY), Vinny Castilla (Col), Royce Clayton (Col), *Roger Clemens (Hou), Rheal Cormier (Phi), Carlos Delgado (Tor), J.D. Drew (Atl), Cal Eldred (StL), Steve Finley (LA), Nomar Garciaparra (ChC), Mark Grudzielanek (ChC), Chris Hammond (Oak), Dustin Hermanson (SF), Richard Hidalgo (NYM), Jeff Kent (Hou), Steve Kline (StL), Corey Koskie (Min), *Al Leiter (NYM), Esteban Loaiza (NYY), Derek Lowe (Bos), Matt Mantei (Ari), Edgar Martinez (Sea), Pedro Martinez (Bos), Mike Matheny (StL), Kent Mercker (ChC), Dan Miceli (Hou), Damian Miller (Oak), Kevin Millwood (Phi), Matt Morris (StL), Jeff Nelson (Tex), Magglio Ordonez (CWS), Russ Ortiz (Atl), Carl Pavano (Fla), Troy Percival (Ana), Odalis Perez (LA), Placido Polanco (Phi), Brad Radke (Min), Joe Randa (KC), Edgar Renteria (StL), Richie Sexson (Ari), Paul Shuey (LA), Jason Varitek (Bos), Omar Vizquel (Cle), David Wells (SD), Woody Williams (StL), Scott Williamson (Bos), Jaret Wright (Atl).

Type B
Terry Adams (Bos), Antonio Alfonseca (Atl), Roberto Alomar (CWS), Rich Aurilia (SD), Danny Bautista (Ari), Dave Burba (SF), Chris Carpenter (StL), Matt Clement (ChC), Craig Counsell (Mil), Deivi Cruz (SF), *Mike DeJean (NYM), Elmer Dessens (LA), Brook Fordyce (TB), Chad Fox (Fla), Alex Gonzalez (SD), Juan Gonzalez (KC), Cristian Guzman (Min), Jose Hernandez (LA), Orlando Hernandez (NYY), Todd Jones (Phi), Barry Larkin (Cin), Curtis Leskanic (Bos), Cory Lidle (Phi), Jon Lieber (NYY), Jose Lima (LA), Tino Martinez (TB), Brent Mayne (LA), *Jose Mesa (Phi), Doug Mirabelli (Bos), Greg Myers (Tor), Hideo Nomo (LA), John Olerud (NYY), Antonio Osuna (SD), Todd Pratt (Phi), Steve Reed (Col), *B.J. Surhoff (Bal), Jose Valentin (CWS), Robin Ventura (LA), Ron Villone (Sea), Todd Walker (ChC), Gabe White (Cin), Dan Wilson (Sea), Paul Wilson (Cin), Esteban Yan (Det), Eric Young (Tex), Gregg Zaun (Tor).

Type C
Sandy Alomar Jr. (CWS), Carlos Baerga (Ari), Kris Benson (NYM), Henry Blanco (Min), Ricky Bottalico (NYM), Jermaine Dye (Oak), Shawn Estes (Col), Julio Franco (Atl), Troy Glaus (Ana), Todd Greene (Col), Ben Grieve (ChC), John Halama (TB), Roberto Hernandez (Phi), *Todd Hollandsworth (ChC), Travis Lee (NYY), Al Levine (Det), *John Mabry (StL), Ramon Martinez (ChC), Jim Mecir (Oak), Eric Milton (Phi), Mike Redmond (Fla), Desi Relaford (KC), Rudy Seanez (Fla), Aaron Sele (Ana), Ismael Valdez (Fla), Todd Van Poppel (Cin), Bob Wickman (CWS), Tony Womack (StL).

2004-11-08T18:27:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! Sports - MLB - Key Expos vote set for Tuesday

2004-11-08T08:17:00.000-05:00

Rosenthal - Inside Dish: Finley's second-fiddle only to Beltran

2004-11-07T17:02:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - MLB - Report: Baseball World Cup set for 2006

2004-11-07T16:37:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - Gammons: Trade talk

2004-10-31T09:53:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - Gammons: Curing the Curse

2004-10-28T18:49:00.000-04:00

Yahoo! Sports - MLB - Expos plan debated

2004-10-27T22:06:00.000-04:00

Boston.com / Sports / Baseball / Red Sox / Curt clears the air