The Hall of Very Good

Team Extends Invite to Tim Tebow

2012-01-27T17:38:00.002-06:00

You can't blame a team for trying to draw fans. And that's exactly what the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs are trying to do.

Last week, following the Denver Broncos 45-10 loss at the hands of the New England Patriots, the minor league club sent out an invitation to Tim Tebow to throw out the first pitch before their June 21 contest.

"Tebow has undeniably been the story of the NFL season this year. He and the Broncos made a great run, but as we all saw, Tim doesn’t exactly have a Tom Brady arm. And we’d like to help him with that as he enters the off season," Blue Crabs Assistant General Manager Brian Radle said. "To make the invite more attractive, we’ve even booked the Cowboy Monkeys which have been a national sensation themselves! All the more to set the stage and get Tim’s mojo back!"

Hold on now.

No one said there were monkeys involved. Much less...monkeys that ride dogs. And really, isn't that the best way to describe Tebow's meteoric rise this past season?

That's right, I just said that Tim Tebow is on par with cowboy monkeys riding dogs. Except he's probably not as entertaining.

And monkeys hate Jesus.

Please disregard this whole story and enjoy the awesomeness below.

Talkin' Baseball with Michael Schlact

2012-01-27T12:02:00.001-06:00

If you’re not hip to Michael Schlact…you’re missing out.

Whether it’s going back and forth with his followers (nearly11,000 of them!) or live tweeting an ill-fated bus trip…the former TexasRangers farmhand is no stranger to social media. Recently, the righty was evennamed Baseball Digest’s topMinor League player to follow onTwitter.

But it was this past Tuesday that Schlact took Twitter to awhole new level and tweeted to his nearly 11,000 followers where he’llbe playing this upcoming season.

If you missed it, I've signed with the Southern MarylandBlue Crabs of the Atlantic League. So excited and grateful for the opportunity!

HOVG: Michael, first off…congratulations on re-signing withthe Blue Crabs. Was returning to Southern Marylandan easy decision for you?

SCHLACT: Absolutely. It's a great place to live, a beautifulstadium, an awesome coaching staff and team, plus the league has such highcaliber competition!

HOVG: You’re heading into your ninth season in baseball.What’s the plan going into this year and where do you see yourself a year fromnow?

SCHLACT: My mission in 2012 is to show everyone that I'mhealthy. Yes, a shoulder surgery for a pitcher is a definite negative, but withhard work and taking care of your arm, it is possible to return to full healthor stronger! I set statistical goals for myself each year. I hit those markslast year and I plan to up the ante this year for myself.

HOVG: What’s the atmosphere like there in Waldorf? I’vegotta think playing for an owner like Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson has someadvantages.

SCHLACT: The Blue Crabs really take care of us. RegencyFurniture Stadium is beautiful, and the fan base there is phenomenal. We canalways count on the fans to have our back at home or on the road! The city isclose to Washington DCso there's plenty to do!

HOVG: I mentioned the infamous road trip live tweet fromthis past June earlier. Now, I know I wrote about it hereat The Hall, but were you surprised to see it pop up over at TheWashington Post’s website?

SCHLACT: Haha! Yes, that story got around. I was surprisedto see how popular a broken down charter bus could be. Playing Minor LeagueBaseball definitely has interesting stories that go along with it, but that onetakes the cake for me.

HOVG: Do you have any lasting memories from that night? Wasthere any fallout?

SCHLACT: To be honest, it was amazing to see a group of guys stay upbeat andpositive in a situation that was less than appealing. We made the best of thesituation. If you're referring to fallout from the story being published, no.It showed that even in a bad situation, we could be positive and make the bestof it. I think it was a more noticeable story because at the time, three or fourother teammates were tweeting about it too. There's a right way to go abouttweeting things like that, and I feel like we all did a good job of keeping itentertaining and honest.

HOVG: Lastly, Southern Maryland is also thebaseball home to Josh Caray. I had the opportunity tocatch up with Josh this past season and we talked about his legendaryfamily. Has anyone on the team taken advantage of situation and attempted aHarry Caray impersonation around Josh or is it something that just isn’t approached?

SCHLACT: Oh trust me, it's approached. Just ask him. I probably did it morethan anyone. He has a sense of humor, and everything was in good fun. But, inall seriousness, Harry was one of the most legendary announcers in history.Josh takes that very seriously but also knows that he'll get his fair share ofimpersonators...especially thanks to Will Ferrell on SNL.

This past season, Schlact was 6-4 with a 4.61 ERA with the Southern MarylandBlue Crabs. The best way to reach to him is via Twitter. He isalso on Facebookand maintains his own blog.

Best Tattoo Ever?

2012-01-27T10:04:00.003-06:00

If you're like me (and best of luck to you if you are), you've had the conversation with your friends about what tattoo you'd like to get.

For me...it usually ends up being some sort of tophat wearing skeleton or monster driving a hot rod. The reason? No reason at all. I just want something to regret for the rest of my days.

But now, after seeing Dallas Braden's new ink...I feel as though I've let everyone down with my choice.

The Oakland A's pitcher was recently seen sporting a tattoo of Rollie Fingers riding a dolphin...jumping a rainbow.

Word is that the tat was for a commercial Braden shot with the Hall of Fame closer. I choose to believe that he's juse embracing the gloriousness (gloriousness?) that is one Rollie Fingers.

Introducing...LoMo-ing

2012-01-26T13:40:00.001-06:00

In case you were tired of planking and Tebowing...Miami Marlins outfielder Logan Morrison has got the latest meme for you.

LoMo-ing.

I could go on and on or...you could just watch Morrison's video below. It's up to you, really.

Heath Bell Has a Sick Backyard

2012-01-25T18:17:00.000-06:00

So, yeah...I know what you're thinking. What do you get the All-Star reliever that just inked a three-year, $27 million contract with the Miami Marlins?

Answer...a Benihana grill in his backyard, dummy.

Check out this backyard that Heath Bell had custom-made for his family. I'm pretty sure the patio area is bigger than most places I've called "home".

I can tell you this...it has more TVs and more fire.

And in case you were wondering, Benihana is based in suburban Doral, Florida...right outside Miami. Kinda makes that dumb Q&A at the top all the more relevant now, doesn't it?

Oh yeah!

Jose Canseco at the Porn Awards

2012-01-25T18:02:00.001-06:00

Lost in the hype surrounding Jose Canseco's movie reviews and apparent desire to return to the bigs is a much more fascinating story.

This past weekend, Canseco and his girlfriend, model Leila Shennib, decided to hit the 2012 Adult Video News Awards Show in Las Vegas.

Given in attendance, fellow former "Surreal Life" cast member Chyna and one-time Charlie Sheen "Goddess" Bree Olsen, seeing the 1988 American League MVP walking the red carpet doesn't shock me.

And seeing how the last twelve months gave us Canseco appearing on (and quitting) "The Celebrity Apprentice", taking the reigns of a baseball team, a pair of high profile boxing misadventures, a challenge by Shaquille O'Neal and numerous acts of desperation via Twitter...nothing the guy does really shocks me anymore.

Here's to the rest of 2012!

Adam Dunn: "I Don't Want to Make Excuses"

2012-01-25T15:33:00.000-06:00

In 2010, Adam Dunn hit 38 homers...running his career total to 354.

How good is that? Try this on for size. In Major League history, only Albert Pujols (408), Eddie Mathews (370) and Ralph Kiner (370) were more prolific through their first ten season.

Heck, there was a time when Dunn was looking to tie Babe Ruth to become the only players to have seven straight seasons with 40 or more home runs.

But, thanks to a dismal 2011, all that is in the past. The promise of a great career was forgotten thanks to a .159 batting average, 11 homers, 42 RBI and 177 strikeouts.

“Everything I’ve done my entire life has been discredited by one stupid year,’’ Dunn told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I don’t want to make excuses. There are a few things that I probably look back on and say, ‘I shouldn’t have done this or that,’ a few things I probably would have done a little differently, but it’s over with. I can’t take it back. I don’t want to say anything that would sound like excuses.’’

So, that begs the question...just how bad was Dunn's inaugural season on Chicago's Southside?

I mean, not only did the "Big Donkey" have the worst hitting season this year, but he also had, arguably, worst hitting season in the history of the planet.

He became the second person ever to have a lower batting average number (.159) than strikeout number (177). The guy was so anemic at the plate...he hit below David Eckstein's listed playing weight (170).

Dunn's average was not only the all-time low for anyone who had 400-plus at bats, but it's also 20 points lower than anyone since 1900. The next closest was Rob Deer's .179 in 1991...but, Deer at least banged out 25 homers.

The Slugging Dunn had two fewer home runs (11) than White Sox teammate Brent Lillibridge. In 280 fewer plate appearances!

Just by comparison the second lowest batting average in 2011 for someone with 400 or more at bats was Vernon Wells at .218. That means that Dunn didn't even come within 55 points of the game's next worst hitter.

As if the .159 number didn't stand out enough, hit up Baseball Reference and take a look at some of his splits.

.149 batting average at home
.115 batting average when he also played the field
.115 batting average when batting fifth in the lineup
.103 batting average with RISP and two out
.084 batting average in the 7th-9th innings
.075 (20-264) with two strikes on him
.064 (6-94) versus lefties

If nothing else though at least he was consistent. Dude hit .160 before the All-Star break and .158 after. And if you're keeping track...he only hit over.160 in one month. Dunn hit a robust .204 in May.

So...suck on that one, critics!

***A big thanks to stats maven Mike Garrigan for tabulating Dunn's futility.***

Tony LaRussa Will Manage One More Game

2012-01-24T15:37:00.000-06:00

Former St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa is not done yet.

As if people needed another reason to complain about the All-Star Game, the retired skipper is coming back to manage the Midsummer Classic.

This...from the commissioner's office:

News: Tony La Russa will manage the NL team in the @AllStarGame, Commissioner Selig announced today.

This isn't the first time a retired manager has been invited back however. Danny Murtaugh retired following the 1971 season and returned to manager in the 1972 game.

But back then, it was a true exhibition...it wasn't the farce that it is today.

This one counts people!

Just not for the manager who will be in the dugout for one of the teams.

This Week in Baseball Cards: January 24

2012-01-24T15:15:00.002-06:00

So Manny Ramirez might be going to Oakland? I guess he is a personality fit for Oakland...the Oakland Raiders, that is.

Here's Bo Rosny with This Week in Baseball Cards.

Ramirez would be forty the next time he plays in a major league game. Meanwhile, the Rockies have brought in a guy ten years older than Manny to compete for their fifth starter’s slot. When Jamie Moyer made his big league debut, Manny was in eighth grade. Another way to look at it: This is the Rockies’ twentieth season. When the Rockies franchise debuted, Moyer had already pitched in 143 games over six seasons.

Finally, on a serious note, came the sad news that Gary Carter’s illness took a turn for the worst. Carter was well known as one of the nicest guys in baseball. You may not have known that he was also a huge baseball card collector. Check out this 1983 interview from Baseball Cards Magazine.

And remember, gang, you can check out Bo's daily insights over at his site...Baseball Cards Come to Life.

Jose Canseco Reviews "Moneyball" and, Naturally, Begs For a Job

2012-01-22T22:50:00.000-06:00

When the Academy Award nominations are handed out Tuesday morning, "Moneyball" looks to nominated in a number of categories.

Sure, it was shut out at the Golden Globes, but it does have its fair share of supporters.

Including Jose Canseco...who took to Twitter Sunday night after seeing the film.

Just saw the movie money ball .it was awesome congrats billy I especially loved the part about you and your daughter.ps I would have played for you back then for free.I was one of those misfits who needed a second chance

And in 1997, Canseco was granted that second chance by Oakland.

Prior to the season, Canseco signed with the Athletics for a second tour of duty. He was the second highest paid player on the team behind Mark McGwire...taking home a cool $4.225 million.

On October 17, Billy Beane took over as Oakland's General Manager. Two weeks later...Canseco was granted his free agency in what was to be one of Beane's first cost cutting measures.

So, it's particularly interesting that Canseco is now saying he would have played for free even though Beane had a complete lack of interest in the 1988 American League MVP.

Enter that classic Canseco desperation.

Billy beane call me would love to dh for you just give me a tryout that's all I ask

Ugh.

I've gotta think there's an easier way for Canseco to get in touch with Beane. Heck...the two even shared outfield space for the 1989 World Champions.

Talkin' Baseball with Anna Benson

2012-01-22T19:48:00.001-06:00

Full disclosure here…I haven’t watched every minute of every episode of “Baseball Wives”.

I know. I know. But I’ve paid enough attention enough to figure out what’s going on and know that Anna Benson is the only thing worth paying attention to.

That’s gotta mean something, right?

And even if you've missed the show, you know Anna, don’t ya? She’s the one that famously told Howard Stern that if her husband, then-Mets pitcher Kris Benson cheated on her…she would "do everybody on his whole team."

Well, I had a chance recently to catch up with the with the potty mouthed, gun toting, “cleat chaser” hating baseball wife. Enjoy!

HOVG: First off, thank you for being you. And thank you for driving so much traffic to my little slice of the interwebs last month. I’ll get to why traffic was so heavy in a bit, but first, I’ve gotta know…how did “Baseball Wives’ come about? Was this an idea that you had pitched to VH1 or did they come and seek you out?

ANNA: Actually, I have always thought that a show surrounding the lives of baseball wives was a great idea, so it was fitting that when VH1 wanted to put the show together they asked me to participate!

HOVG: Is the show a fair representation of what it is like to be a baseball wife?

ANNA: Not necessarily, the life of a baseball wife depends on different things...how much money your husband makes, how long he’s been in the league, what team he plays for, what you do for a living, etc. But I’d say it’s a decent representation.

HOVG: Who, if you can name names, should be on the show that isn’t…and why?

ANNA: No one comes to mind, I enjoyed all of the ladies on the show.

HOVG: I alluded to it earlier, but your dildo “attack” on Cheri Knoblauch made a ton of news last month and drove my site’s traffic through the roof. What happened? Can you walk us through it?

ANNA: Absolutely not true, never happened.

HOVG: Okay. Enough about the show. Let’s have some fun…let’s play word association. I’ll throw you a word or phrase and you tell me what comes to mind first. Cleat chaser.

ANNA: Desperate.

HOVG: New York Mets fans.

ANNA: Hopeful.

HOVG: Kris Benson bashers.

ANNA: Anna Benson wanters.

HOVG: Anna Benson bashers.

ANNA: Mentally challenged.

HOVG: Howard Stern.

ANNA: One of the greatest people to influence my life.

HOVG: The whole Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries mess.

ANNA: Boring.

HOVG: PETA.

ANNA: Not scientific.

HOVG: Alright…last question. What’s one thing about you that you’d really like everyone to know?

ANNA: That I am a sweet girl with a huge heart who I adores her family, friends and fans!

HOVG: So what’s next for you? Where can people find you?

ANNA: Hopefully we’ll move on to season two of "Baseball Wives"! Until then, people can find me online by checking out my website or by following me on Twitter. And remember, "Baseball Wives" airs every Sunday on VH1!

Mike Piazza Knows What Cap He Wants to Wear

2012-01-22T00:05:00.002-06:00

A year from now, we'll know whether or not Mike Piazza is a first ballot Hall of Famer.

That said, it appears as though the catching great has already thought about what cap he'd want to be wearing should he be immortalized in Cooperstown.

And if that wasn't the most interesting tidbit to come from his interview with Jill Martin from MSG...his choice for "most impressive" pitcher he's caught should be. Enjoy.

Oakland Interested in Manny Ramirez?

2012-01-20T16:48:00.001-06:00

What do Mike Piazza, Frank Thomas, Nomar Garciaparra and Jason Giambi have in common?
They were all brought in by the Oakland Athletics in hopes to provide veteran leadership and add a little pop to an otherwise lackluster lineup.

Now, I'm not sure what sort of anything Manny Ramirez would bring to the A's, but according to ESPN Deportes...the team is interested in the 39-year-old slugger.

Last week, ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com reported that the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays had a look at Ramirez batting in an indoor cage.

"The Orioles and Blue Jays saw Manny work and Baltimore liked what it saw, but Oakland has been the team that has expressed the most interest, even before having him work out," the source said.

It's a mystery as to who or why anyone would take a chance on the 12-time All-Star, but whoever does...they're looking at Ramirez spending 50 games on the sidelines while he serves his pending suspension.
Your move, Taiwanese animators.

Is the Sergio Romo Bobblehead Too Dark?

2012-01-20T10:19:00.004-06:00

Typically if you were to ask yourself what is better, a gnome or a bobblehead...you're going to say "gnome" every time.

Well, on this...I'm torn.

You see, when the San Francisco Giants announced they were doing a Brian Wilson Garden Gnome night, I got excited. But, have you seen the Sergio Romo bobblehead?

In a word...it's awesome. And I'd love to be by the Bay May 5 when they give them out prior to the Giants taking on the Milwaukee Brewers.

But, there's one problem. Dude is a little dark. And it's something the reliever himself has noticed.

Well im super stoked bout gettin a bobblehead this year! take it everyone thinks its too dark of a skintone? I do! Lol

I guess we'll see if the Giants give the Romo bobblehead the Sammy Sosa skin whitening treatment when it gets unveiled to the fans on the Cinco de Mayo.

Gary Carter in "Grave" Condition

2012-01-19T23:51:00.002-06:00

It's one of those ledes that you hate to write, but I think Bill Madden from the New York Daily News nailed it on the head and wrote it the most succinctly..."Gary Carter’s fight with brain cancer has turned from brave to extremely grave."

Thursday night, Carter's daughter posted on the family website that the Hall of Famer's most recent MRI revealed “several new spots/tumors on his brain".

She also revealed that one of her father’s doctors “will be coming to my parents’ house (Thursday night) to talk to the family about the next step".

Reportedly, the family is debating whether or not to continue treatments of any kind.

All of this is pretty startling news since, back in August, word from the Carter camp was that everything was progressing well. But, then again, that was back in August.

First diagnosed with the tumors in May, the former catcher has had a pretty rough go of it that past few months.

According to Madden:

In recent weeks, Carter’s condition has visibly worsened, and he began complaining of severe headaches, fatigue and balance problems that resulted in a fall on Christmas Day in which he tore his rotator cuff.

This past week, “The Kid” spent almost all of his time at his home in Palm Beach Gardens and was too weak Monday to attend his annual charity golf tournament a few miles away.

I had a chance to talk with Carter a while back...feel free to check out the interview.

Former Pitcher's Daughter Wows American Idol

2012-01-18T20:31:00.000-06:00

Oh, "American Idol"...thank you for bringing a familar face back to my television.

No, I'm not talking about Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler, J. Lo or Ryan Seacrest...I'm talking about former big leaguer and MLB Network analyst Joe Magrane!

In case you missed it, the one-time St. Louis Cardinals hurler was on hand at the Savannah auditions when his daughter, 15 year-old Shannon, belted out an Etta James tune. But it was the exchange between the elder Magrane and Aerosmith frontman Tyler that left a bigger impression.

"How's Beantown," the lefty pitcher asked.

Tyler's response? "Hot, humid and happening...just like your daughter."

Yes...his fifteen-year-old daughter.

And, no, this isn't the first time the spawn of a former Major Leaguer has made it on to the show. Heck, it isn't even the first time a family member from one of the 1987 National League Champion Cardinals has made the show.

During Season Four, Niko Smith, son of Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, made the cut and sang his way to ninth place and a recording deal.

But back to the younger Magrane. Shannon got her ticket and is "off to Hollywood!"...but it won't be her first time performing in front of a crowd.

This past May, she sang the National Anthem before a Tampa Bay Rays game.

Former Jays Slugger: "Bautista is Clean"

2012-01-17T18:17:00.000-06:00

After hitting 59 home runs in his first 2038 big league plate appearances, Jose Bautista exploded for 97 in his last 1338.

Now, I'm not going to say the Toronto Blue Jays outfielder is doing anything sketchy, and even if I was...former Jays slugger Jesse Barfield would be there to shoot me down.

"Bautista is clean. He's been one of the most tested players in the majors," Barfield told reporters at the Rogers London Sports Celebrity Dinner and Auction Monday. "But you just know. You shake his hand and he's got a muscular grip and arm but you can tell he isn't built like those guys on something. And he can throw."

And how can the career .256 hitter tell? It's all in their arms apparently.

"When you look at guys, you have a pretty good idea of whether they are on something or not. It's not natural to have muscles growing out of your neck like this," Barfield said, holding his hands on his neck in a big circle. "They can't get the arm up over the top because of how the muscles are built up...it's not natural. Guys who could throw, suddenly can't throw."

Aaaaah...so there you go.

According to Jesse Barfield, Jose Bautista is not on steroids because dude can throw a ball.

Gotcha.

***Big ups to Michael Clair for staying grounded.***

This Week in Baseball Cards: January 17

2012-01-17T17:50:00.003-06:00

Congratulations to Barry Larkin on being elected to the Hall of Fame. I wonder what is a bigger thrill for him – this or winning the 1990 World Series.

The card above is one of the best Barry Larkin items on eBay, according to Kevin Kaduk at Yahoo! Sports, who also notes that you can get a 1982 Moeller High School photo of Barry for $15.

Also in card news, ABC will soon be airing a reality show at a sports memorabilia shop. Hopefully the show will be more realistic than the episode of “Storage Wars” where Dave Hester, the character who wildly inflates every price, declared that a small pile of decent but hardly spectacular late-1970s baseball cards was worth over $1000.

And remember, gang, you can check out Bo's daily insights over at his site...Baseball Cards Come to Life.

Straight Edge Worlds Collide!

2012-01-17T10:56:00.001-06:00

Newly signed Los Angeles Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson once told me that living drug-free was "the easiest part of (his) life".

WWE Superstar CM Punk lives every day by that same creed.

So, you've gotta wonder what the acronymed athletes talked about when they met up Monday night? My guess...tattoos. Or baseball.

The current WWE Champ is a rabid Chicago Cubs fan. And as for the tattoos? Both man have "straight edge" tattooed on their torso.

And in case you were wondering. The dude in the middle is Toby Morse...font man for the hardcore punk band H2O. Morse tweeted out the picture Tuesday morning.

Mile High Moyer?

2012-01-17T10:27:00.002-06:00

Stop the presses, gang...the mystery of where/when Jamie Moyer might resurface is coming to a close.

According to the Denver Post, the Colorado Rockies are "closing in" on signing the 49-year-old lefty to a Minor League deal.

And, apparently, they are expecting for him to actually compete for a spot in the rotation and help mentor the team's younger pitchers.

Riddle me this...how exactly would the guy who has given up more home runs than anyone else in the history of the game, be able to help pitchers in the homer-friendly Coors Field?

I have no clue. But, to dude's credit, he's only given up five dingers in Denver.

Moyer last played in the bigs in 2010, going 9-9 with a 4.84 ERA in 19 starts for Philadelphia. For his career, he has compiled 267 wins...good for ninth all-time among left-handers.

Thirteen months ago, he had Tommy John ligament replacement surgery. And in case you were wondering...the only other instance of a pitcher north of 40 coming back after Tommy John surgery was John Franco.

The closer was 42 when he returned from the procedure and went on to pitch three more seasons, putting together a 2-11 record and a 4.63 ERA in 95 inning.

Oh, here's a Jamie Moyer fun fact for you that I stumbled upon the other day. At the plate, the pitcher has two career sacrifice flies. One in 1987...the other in 2009.

In that time, future Hall of Famer Craig Biggio played his entire 20-year career.

Cubs to Add a New Scoreboard...GASP!

2012-01-14T21:45:00.000-06:00

Uh oh...I can hear the Chicago Cubs fans complaining already.

Some news came from the team's annual winter lovefest that is sure to cause fans of the team to cry foul.

No, the team is not pardoning Steve Bartman...the Cubs have decided to step into the 2000s by installing a "75-foot LED sign" to a soon-to-be renovated rightfield bleacher section.

I know what you're thinking...why is this a big deal?

I'll tell you. Fans of the "Lovable Losers" don't like change.

They fought the idea of installing lights until 1988, they complained about the possibility of the bathroom troughs being removed and they've been cool with remaining World Series-less since the Roosevelt (Teddy...not Franklin) Administration.

Alright, that last jab was a low blow, but c'mon...how can a state-of-the-art LED scoreboard not add to what is already a pretty popular fan destination?

Sure, the "Budweiser Patio" (or whatever they're actually calling the area above the new board) is a way for team brass to make money...but providing more information to the fans? Color me excited for my next trip to the "Friendly Confines".

Wrigley Field needs an upgrade, people.

It wasn't that long ago that nets had to be installed to keep catch falling debris from hitting the fans. And last year, during that epic Chicago snowstorm...part of the roof was ripped off.

So, yeah, Cubs fans are going to complain (they already are), but here's the skinny...don't want your beloved team to move from their Northside home?

Then embrace the future.

And in case some of you don't know what the troughs are that I referred to earlier...see the picture below.

John Smoltz Unloading His Gigantic Crib

2012-01-14T13:54:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week, word came that former Cy Young winner John Smoltz was putting his $7.2 million house on the market. No big deal, right? Players buy and sell their houses all the time.

But have you seen the listing? Holy cow!

Read!

The Smoltz estate is, at the very least, a sportsman’s dream. Set on nearly 20-acres of land, the property comes complete with separate tennis and basketball courts, separate baseball and football fields, a stocked fishing pond with an oxygenation system, jogging trail and an 18-hole golf course. The 18,265-square-foot mansion includes a total of 10 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, and features exposed beams, cathedral-style vaulted ceilings, marble and hardwood flooring and a lavish two-level grand foyer. Inside, the home includes a wealth of amenities highlighted by a movie theater with adjacent concession stand, home gym, outdoor kitchen and lounge area with a wet bar.

Now that you've read about it...just look at the place!

Smoltz made a ton of money during his career, so it shouldn't come as a shock to anyone that he was living like a king. But do you really need to shell out more than seven million to live like an eight-time All-Star?

For less than a third of the cost, you might want to pick up the house of Smoltz's former teammate Reggie Sanders?

You can check out the former All-Star's crib below.

Baseball Blogger Blogging for a Cause

2012-01-13T18:07:00.001-06:00

Blogging and baseball go together kinda like baseball and apple pie. Blogging and blogging for charity? Not so much.

Until now.

Michael Clair, head honcho over at Old Time Family Baseball, is dedicating 24 hours of his life to blogging for a cause. That cause? Doctors Without Borders.

"Sitting in front of the internet and making fun of Yuniesky Betancourt is the least we can do for the doctors and nurses that are in over 60 countries supplying much needed humanitarian and medical aid," the 24-year-old blogger told The Hall.

In all seriousness, Clair is doing a pretty cool thing here and I am glad to be helping out a friend. Make sure you follow dude on Twitter for status, donation, and mental health updates throughout the day.

Also, be sure to watch for a fun post from yours truly.

It all starts Saturday morning at 11am EST.

"Pawn Stars" Meets Baseball?

2012-01-13T16:07:00.002-06:00

It looks like reality TV is setting up shop in Baltimore..."Ball Boys" debuts on ABC in a couple of months.

Unfortunately, it doesn't focus on The Hall's favorite Charm City resident...Timmy Anderson.

Apparently, "Ball Boys" is the next in a long line of "Pawn Stars" rip offs, but, this time (according to the Washington Post) it's not a pawn shop...it's a sports memorabilia shop called Robbie's First Base.

Each week, we’ll see staffers Robbie Sr. and Jr. — along with sidekicks Sweet Lou and Shaggy — as they negotiate, buy and sell various sports merchandise, both at the store and other locations. Plus, appearances from athletes such as Jim Brown and Pete Rose, who visit for some banter and “smack talk.”

And look for a Baltimore Orioles shout-out in the first episode — a customer is convinced that a baseball caught over right fielder Nick Markakis’s glove is worth lots of money, though Robbie Sr. has different ideas.

But why wait until March 24 to see what Robbie's is all about...check out their website!

Shane Larkin Happy Dad is in The Hall of Fame

2012-01-13T00:01:00.000-06:00

After the Hall of Fame announcement became public Monday, University of Miami freshman Shane Larkin did what most people...expressed his enthusiasm on Twitter.

The difference between him and the rest of us though...the newest member of the Hall of Fame, Barry Larkin, is Shane's dad.

Yall dnt know how proud i am to be the son of a HOF'er! He worked so hard nd now it is all paying off! Love you Dad! Congrats

But here's the cool thing.

Coming off the high of his dad making it into the Hall of Fame, the reserve guard hit the floor for the Miami Hurricanes the next night and, not only led the team in assists...but also matched a season high with six steals.

Sure, the 'canes lost 73-56 against third-ranked North Carolina, but still...not a bad 30 hours for the Larkin family.

Barry Larkin is "Red Hot"

2012-01-11T17:55:00.000-06:00

In the hours since Barry Larkin became the newest member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, countless stories have been written about the former shortstop.

One of the best things to come from it, obviously, is a picture of the Cincinnati Reds icon doing his best to illustrate how awesome the 90s wanted to be.

But "B. Lark" going all Ronnie DeVoe on us isn't my favorite relic from Larkin's playing days..."Red Hot" is. And much like with "Get Metsmerized"...I blame the Chicago Bears.

Enjoy.

Blue Jays Draft Pick Responds to Critics

2012-01-10T22:38:00.000-06:00

It was Shaquille O'Neal who, in a 1999 Sports Illustrated article, said "when you watch MTV, you can tell all the musicians want to be athletes, and when you watch ESPN, you can tell all the athletes want to rap."

Well, MTV rarely shows anyone actually performing music anymore and, outside of wanting to fight Jose Canseco, Shaq has precious little to do with a baseball site...but The Big Philosopher does make some sense.

Enter Tyler Beede.

This past June, the pitcher was selected 21st overall by the Toronto Blue Jays. Pretty cool, right?

Well, dude turned down $2.4 million from the Jays so he could head to Vanderbilt and play college ball and, hopefully, make a bigger name for himself in the future. And in the process, the 18-year-old was the lone first round pick not to ink a big league deal.

This move, as you would suspect, drew a lot of criticism.

So what did Beede do? He decided to explain himself...via a rap.

Forever 21- Young Beedah by Tyler Beede

This Week in Baseball Cards: January 10

2012-01-10T18:09:00.001-06:00

Unless you were living under a rock, you know that former shortstop Barry Larkin was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Monday. That aside...it was another former shortstop's apparent experience living under a rock that made news.

Here's Bo Rosny with This Week in Baseball Cards!

Nomar Garciaparra is in the news this week for casting doubt that there ever was a moon landing. I can’t fault him for being skeptical...the man is 38-years-old and there has never been a man on the moon in his lifetime.

The "other" Jason Grilli was arrested this week for cocaine trafficking, a development the Pirates pitcher is following closely. Arrested with Grilli was a man named Valentine Torres. No word on whether the former Subway Series managers are closely following this story as well.

Finally, I recently got my first new Ross Grimsley card since joining this blog. Feast your eyes on this 3D image of "Scuz" himself, courtesy of a trade with Scott Crawford on Cards.

And remember, gang, you can check out Bo's daily insights over at his site...Baseball Cards Come to Life.

Reds Legend Was Almost a Met

2012-01-10T13:25:00.000-06:00

On his third try, Barry Larkin made it into the Hall of Fame with more than 86% of the vote Monday afternoon.

For those of you under a rock, Larkin was a fixture for the Cincinnati Reds. Dude help the team win the 1990 World Series, was the first shortstop in baseball history with 30 steals and 30 home runs in a season and, in 1995, brought home the National League MVP award.

All for his home team.

Yeah, Larkin is from Cincinnati, but, if you recall...he almost didn't end his career there.

Let's take a trip down Memory Lane...courtesy of New York Baseball Digest's Mike Silva.

What many forget is Larkin almost became a member of the Mets in July of 2000. With Rey Ordonez out for the season due to an injury, then GM Steve Phillips dealt top prospect Alex Escobar and two other prospects for Larkin. Because of his 10 and 5 rights, Larkin had to approve the deal and was granted 72-hours. A free agent at the end of the season, he was looking for a contract extension, something the Mets were unwilling to do since they still were committed to Ordonez for another 3 years and $17 million dollars and wanted to pursue Alex Rodriguez after that season. Larkin would eventually turn down the deal and remain in Cincinnati. The Mets would deal Melvin Mora to Baltimore for Mike Bordick, and a year later use Escobar as the centerpiece of the Roberto Alomar deal with Cleveland. Larkin would sign with the Reds for another three years and $27 million dollars.

The newly elected Hall of Famer actually addressed the near trade Tuesday at the Hall of Fame press conference. Simply put, he didn't want to be "big with the Reds and go somewhere as a rental".

Makes sense to me.

Looking Ahead to the Class of 2013

2012-01-09T14:04:00.001-06:00

I've made the joke for a while now that when the Class of 2013 gets enshrined, The Baseball Hall of Fame might just explode.

A year from now...we'll know for sure.

The BBWAA has taken a pretty harsh stance against those that have used or been suspected of using steroids. And with all due respect to Mark McGwire (who can't seem to get more than 23.7% of the vote) and Rafael Palmeiro (12.6% this past voting cycle), 2013 is when we'll see where the line in the sand is drawn.

You see, in 2013, it is possible that three of the best players to ever suit up in the modern era and take the field might be left out in that Cooperstown cold. But here’s the rub…as of now, none of them have been found guilty of using any banned substances.

NOPE (regardless of what they did “before they started using steroids”).

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa.

IN.

Craig Biggio.
To the casual fan…the words “Craig Biggio” are synonymous with “consistency”. And it’s true, the dude was…to the tune of 3060 hits, 668 doubles (good for fifth all-time) and a career .281 batting average. His seven All-Star appearances, five Silver Slugger Awards and four Gold Gloves pale in comparison to one of his greatest/oddest achievements…the 285 times (two shy of the record) he was hit by a pitch.

Mike Piazza.
A little while back, rumors started swirling that the 1993 National League Rookie of the Year was a user of PEDs. Fortunately for the 12 time All-Star, the idiom “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” has (seemingly) not been fully investigated. As it is, Piazza finished his career with a bloated .308 career batting average, nine straight seasons with an average of .300 of higher, 427 home runs, including eight straight seasons with 30 or more and 1335 RBI. Not bad for a guy who was taken as a favor in the 62nd round of the draft.

OUT (in random order).

David Wells.
“Boomer” finished his career with a 239-157 record and 13 seasons with ten or more wins. Add to that his perfect game, two World Series rings and three All-Star appearances and you have a very, very good pitcher…but not a Hall of Famer.

Roberto Hernandez and Jose Mesa.
Easily confused as the same dude, Hernandez had 326 saves (12th all-time) and Mesa notched 321 (13th all-time). Hernandez is 12th all-time in games played with 1010, while Mesa is tied with Lee Smith with 1022…ninth all-time.

Mike Stanton.
After Jesse Orosco, Stanton is second on the all-time games pitched list with 1178. Gotta mean something to someone though, right? Maybe?!?

Steve Finley, Shawn Green, Jeff Cirillo, Jose Valentin, Reggie Sanders, Jeff Conine, Royce Clayton, Bob Wickman, Ryan Klesko, Aaron Sele, Woody Williams, Rondell White, Mike Lieberthal, Tony Batista, Sandy Alomar Jr., Damian Miller and Todd Walker.

ON THE BUBBLE.

Curt Schilling.
When he finally hung up his bloody sock and called it quits, plenty of people were already willing to hang up Schilling’s plaque. Sure, his post-season performances are legendary, but his overall body of work was just very, very good. Sure, he won close to 60 percent of his decisions and won 216 games. Sure, he topped 3000 strikeouts with 3116, but did you know that he finished his career second all-time with a 4.38 strikeout to walk ratio? Yeah…me neither.

Kenny Lofton.
Ask anyone if Lofton is a Hall of Famer and they would say (without hesitation) “no”. And they’d probably be right. However, if you compare his stats to “could be HOFer” Tim Raines, they stack up. Raines has 2605 hits, carries a .294 career average and scored 1571 runs. Lofton finished his career with 2428 hits, a .299 average and 1528 runs. Throw in six straight All-Star appearances and four straight Gold Gloves and the case for Lofton looks halfway decent.

Julio Franco.
I've taken a lot of flack for saying Franco is "on the bubble" but this is how I would vote...not the BBWAA and not the SABR community. I put him here for the simple reason that he was his generation’s Satchel Paige. If you believe what he told you…he played until he was 48. Some folks suggest that Franco was older. Dude holds the distinction of being the oldest player ever to hit a grand slam, pinch-hit home run, two home runs in one game and to steal two bases in a game. And goofy stuff like that means something to me. Also, throughout his career, he has more than 4200 hits joining Ty Cobb and Pete Rose as the only three to surpass 4000. The breakdown: Major League Baseball-2586, Minor Leagues-618, Mexican League-316, Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball-286, Dominican Winter League-267 and South Korea's Korean Baseball Organization-156. Not too shabby!

It's going to be a fun 12 months, gang!

And Your Cooperstown Class of 2012 is...

2012-01-09T14:02:00.001-06:00

I think it is pretty fair to call 2012 the "calm before the storm" given the headache that the potential Hall of Fame Class of 2013 looks to cause.

You know, 2013...the ballot with Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa. Yikes!

That said, there was still an announcement Monday afternoon and, suffice it to say, some good, worthy players on the ballot.

And with close to 86 percent of the vote, Barry Larkin has been voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

I guess the third time really is the charm!

So, on July 22, the longtime Cincinnati Reds shortstop will join "Golden Era" selection Ron Santo, Ford C. Frick Award winner Tim McCarver and J.G. Taylor Spink Award winner Bob Elliott in Cooperstown.

Here's the break down among the top vote getters.

Barry Larkin (86.4%, 62.1% in 2011)
Jack Morris (66.7%, 53.5%)
Jeff Bagwell (56.0%, 41.7%)
Lee Smith (50.6%, 45.3%)
Tim Raines (48.7%, 37.5%)
Alan Trammell (36.8%, 24.3%)
Edgar Martinez (36.5%, 32.9%)

Two potentially Hall-worthy players branded with the scarlett "S" for steroids failed to gain much ground. Mark McGwire (19.8% in 2011) garnered 19.5% this year. Rafael Palmeiro (11.0% last year) earned 12.6%.

The year's most notable first ballot player, Bernie Williams, earned 9.6% of the vote.

A complete breakdown of the 2012 Hall of Fame selection is on the way...believe it! And for a look at the 2012 ballot (by the numbers)...click HERE!

Your 2012 Hall of Fame Class:

BARRY LARKIN
Third Year on Ballot

PLAYING CAREER: Cincinnati Reds (1986-2004)

ACHIEVEMENTS: Career batting average of .295, with 2340 hits, 198 home runs, 960 RBI and 379 stolen bases. 1995 National League MVP. 12 All-Star Game appearances (1988-1991, 1993-1997, 1999, 2000 and 2004), 9 Silver Slugger Awards, 3 Gold Gloves and 1990 World Series Champion.

Jorge Posada...Hall of Famer?

2012-01-07T23:41:00.000-06:00

With news swirling around New York that Jorge Posada is planning on announcing his retirement...you're going to start hearing Hall of Fame chatter surrounding the longtime Yankee.

But, is it warranted?

Through 17 seasons with the New York Yankees, the catcher hit .273 with 275 homers and 1065 RBIs. The five-time World Series winner was also selected to play in five All-Star games.

Not stellar, but Hall of Famer Gary Carter, by comparison, hit .262 with 324 homers and 1225 RBIs in 19 seasons. He won only one World Series, was selected to 11 All-Star games and won three Gold Gloves.

Regardless of who you root for, you've gotta give Carter the edge because of the era in which he played and when you consider just how much better he was when compared to his contemporaries.

With Posada, though...everyone will look at his postseason accomplishments. Heck, even dude's longtime skipper Joe Torre brought it up a couple of months ago when asked.

"I've noticed over the years when guys get voted in, whether it’s first ballot, second ballot...if you play in postseason, people get a chance to see you in a different light and it may carry a little more weight," Torre told reporters back in November, "but as much postseason as he’s played in, I think consideration is certainly warranted."

I get the postseason inclusion when you talk about someone who rose to the occasion in October. But let's face it, Jorge Posada is no Reggie Jackson or Curt Schilling.

Dude is more, well...dude is Jorge Posada.

Posada's lifetime .248 batting average in 125 postseason games is not something that was written in the stars. And for what it's worth...he hasn't had a World Series home run since Game Three of the 2001 Series.

Should Posada be immortalized in Monument Valley? Probably.

Cooperstown? Not a chance.

Fenway Park: The Stage Play?

2012-01-06T11:32:00.004-06:00

If you're like me, you've always wondered how the thrilling purchase of Fenway Park came about.

Not really.

But, thankfully, through the magic of the internets, you can watch the re-telling of how the century old park came to be...as a stage play.

That's right, drama zealots, you read that correctly!

"The plot, John, is crudely shapened. I admit, there are uses for it...but a baseball diamond on that bog? You expect your players to field balls in a marsh?!?"

"We will find a way to play ball on that plot!"

And find a way they did. Riveting. Really.

I suppose anything is better than the Morris Buttermaker act the Boston Red Sox pulled in the last month of the 2011 season, right?

A-Rod and The Diva Hit the Big Apple

2012-01-06T10:56:00.000-06:00

I've gotta ask...is anyone else tired of seeing new pictures of Alex Rodriguez and Torrie Wilson in a different location every other day?

I know, I know, the other day I said I was done with it, but I can't quit them. I am intrigued as to how A-Rod and The Diva not only pick where they will show up next...but how they get there.

Seriously, this couple does more globetrotting than Meadowlark Lemon and Curly Neal.

But something tells me that that legendary duo doesn't have that sychronized douchebag coffee walk down.

So, let's break this down.

Cabo with George Clooney and Stacy Keibler
Biking in Miami
Exercising in Boise(!)
Cabo again?
Courtside in Los Angeles with Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber
And, now, New York

Here's the question...where is the World Tour going to take the pair next? Better question...when will the New York Yankees superstar decide it is time to stay put and improve on his paltry 2011 output?

***UPDATE: For what it's worth (not much), the pictures of Rodriguez and Wilson grabbing coffee in SoHo was from the middle of December.***

Cubs’ Starlin Castro Accused Of Sexual Assault

2012-01-06T09:25:00.001-06:00

Well...this isn't good.

Reports of out Chicago are that Chicago Cubs star Starlin Castro has been charged with sexually assaulting a Chicago woman last September.

No criminal charges have been filed, but the 21-year-old shortstop is reportedly wanted for questioning by Chicago Police.

Long story short...the alleged victim claims she was drinking with friends at a River North nightclub on the night of Sept. 29 when she met the 2011 National League hits leader . They left the bar at 3am and, along with friends, and went to Castro’s nearby apartment.

According to the police report, she blacked out and when she came to...Castro was sexually assaulting her.

This...from WBBM out of Chicago:

It says that when she woke up she screamed and yelled at her alleged attacker, and left the apartment at about 5:30 a.m. getting a ride home from her friend.

It would be 12 hours before the alleged victim would go to a hospital, and police would become involved.

By then, it is believed that Castro was on a plane, heading home to the Dominican Republic for the off-season.

As you would expect, this has gotten the attention of both Castro's attorneys and Cubs brass. Here's what the former had to say about their client.

We are aware of certain allegations that have been made against our client, Starlin Castro. We have thoroughly investigated this matter, and we are confident that these allegations are baseless. Given the sensitive nature of this matter, we cannot comment any further.

And...here's what the Cubs had to say.

We are aware that a police report was filed regarding an incident involving Starlin, but we have received limited information. While this is something we take very seriously, there is not enough information to make any further comment or take action at this time. We are hopeful when the facts are brought to light, Starlin will be cleared of any wrongdoing.

Castro has not been back in the States since the season ended in September. He is, however, expected to be in attendance when the Cubs Convention hits Chicago next weekend.

By then, you can assume that, if something comes from these allegations, the papers will be flooded with "Fallen Star(lin)" headlines.

The Hall of Fame Class of 2012...by the Numbers

2012-01-05T23:29:00.000-06:00

After missing Hall of Fame induction by a combined 13 votes in 2010, Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven got the numbers they needed a year later to get enshrined in 2011.

And I think we can all agree...whether you’re a metrics guy, a black/gray ink guy or something else, it’s the numbers that make you a fan.

4192 hits, 56 games and 61* (or for that matter 70...maybe 73?) home runs all mean something to someone. And while we wait to see who going to get enshrined in Cooperstown next, here are some more numbers to play with.

1993
Actress Holly Hunter brought home the Academy Award for her 1993 role as a mute pianist in "The Piano". Coincidentally, just a few weeks before its US release, Hunter's cousin, then-California Angels outfielder Tim Salmon was name the American League Rookie of the Year.

478
Closer Lee Smith's 478 career saves is third all-time behind only Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman and the most of any closer not in Cooperstown. By comparison, Hall of Famers Dennis Eckersley and Rollie Fingers have 390 and 341 saves respectively. Lastly, the big righty held the Major League record from 1993 to 2006.

173
In 1989, Brian Jordan was selected in the seventh round (173rd overall) of the NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. While he never made it to the pros with the Bills, he did play three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, playing in alongside fellow two-sports star Deion Sanders. In 36 games, Jordan collected five interceptions, four sacks and two safeties.

162
My favorite era of baseball is the 1980s and for that reason...Jack Morris' 162 wins in that decade is pretty impressive. Morris went 162-119 (good for a .577 winning percentage) and exhibited his amazing consistency by finishing in the top ten of the Cy Young Award voting in half of the decade’s contests.

101
In 1998, Juan Gonzalez reached 101 RBI mark before the All-Star break. With that feat, the eventual American League MVP became the first player (and still most recent) to do so since Hank Greenberg in 1935. In April 1998, "Juan Gone" drove in 35 runs...a Major League record for the month that still stands.

80
As if four World Series wins with the New York Yankees isn't impressive enough...Bernie Williams is also the career leader in postseason RBI with 80. Tops among active players? Williams' former teammate Derek Jeter with 59.

14
Say what you want about Jack Morris (and many people do), you can't question his consistency and durability. And while they are the reason to induct someone, Morris was the epitome of a pitching "Iron Horse". Matter of fact, this innings hog (he had eleven seasons of more than 235 innings pitched) holds the record for most consecutive opening day starts with 14.

9
The Silver Slugger Award is one of those awards that, while probably pretty cool to receive, has to be the baseball equivalent of a "Hallmark Holiday". Sure, it's not a major award, but only three players (Barry Bonds, Mike Piazza and Alex Rodriguez) have taken home more trophies than Barry Larkin. With nine to his credit, the former shortstop has more than anyone else at his position.

2
An accomplished jazz guitarist, former outfielder Bernie Williams has also released two studio albums. His second effort ("Moving Forward") made it on to five different Billboard charts...peaking at number two on the Contemporary Jazz charts. At the 2009 Latin Grammy Awards, it was even nominated for Best Latin Jazz Album.

1.2
And lastly, I couldn’t end this without feeding my SABRmetric friends at least one stat. While Tony Womack's career WAR of 1.2 is pitiful, it is nowhere near Lenny Harris’ -0.9 from last year...the worst by anyone on the Hall of Fame ballot since 1985 when Jesus Alou bested (worsted?) everyone with a ballot low -2.3.

So there you have it, gang…your Hall of Fame election by the numbers. Now sit back, relax and wait for the Class of 2012 to become official!

Behold...the Brian Wilson Gnome!

2012-01-05T23:25:00.000-06:00

Remember back in November when the San Francisco Giants announced plans to have a Brian Wilson Gnome night?

Well, on Thursday, the team showed it off via Twitter.

My guess is that the team is praying their colorful closer doesn't decide to shave anytime soon.

So, yeah, on May 20, be one of the first 20,000 fans to see the Giants take on the Oakland A's and get your gnome. Or, naturally, you wait a day and "Get Heeem" on eBay.

Nomar Garciaparra is Skeptical

2012-01-04T17:25:00.000-06:00

Remember the Sports Illustrated piece where Carl Everett dispelled the notion that dinosaurs existed?

"No one ever saw a Tyrannosaurus Rex" the then-Boston Red Sox outfielder told SI's Tom Verducci.

And the bones? "Made by man" he said.

Well, as it turns out...Everett isn't the only member of the 2000 Red Sox that can be classified (politely) as "skeptical".

Enter Nomar Garciaparra.

Apparently the All-Star shortstop was sitting in the clubhouse with writer Doug Bailey following the 2003 space shuttle Columbia disaster and decided to go all "Capricorn One" on some visiting astronauts.

Nomar curiously watched my interaction with the two women, who were dressed in their bright-blue flight suits, and finally nudged me and asked who they were. I explained that they were astronauts. “Hey,” Nomar replied, “I saw this show on Fox that said we never really went to the moon. The whole thing was faked. Can I talk to her about that?”

“Sure,” I said, eager to witness this conversation.

Coleman diplomatically handled the inquiry from Nomar. “I’ve heard about that,” she said, “but it would have to be an enormous conspiracy.”

“Did you see the show?” he quickly rejoined. “It was really convincing…. I don’t know.”

So, wait...Garciaparra thinks that the moon landing was faked? What's next...is someone going to suggest that Curt Schilling's bloody sock wasn't legit?

We Get It, A-Rod...You're Getting It

2012-01-04T09:03:00.000-06:00

Just in case you were (still) curious as to whether or not Alex Rodriguez and Torrie Wilson were an item...the dynamic duo popped up (again) in front of the cameras.

This time...it was Tuesday night's Los Angeles Lakers game.

The New York Yankees superstar and the former WWE Diva locked lips while laughing it up courtside with Cindy Crawford and her husband Rande Gerber.

I'm not going to say I'm done with this whole A-Rod thing, but, well...I'm done. Sure, dude and the Diva is far better than when he was fed popcorn by Cameron Diaz, but, frankly, I feel dumber for caring.

If you'd like to see more pictures of the pair...head on over to toofab.com.

Yu Darvish to Get Ultimate Honor

2012-01-03T18:17:00.000-06:00

Alright, this is kinda cool.

Instead of retiring numbers of their stars players like most teams do here in the States...Japanese teams go the other way.

According to NPB Tracker, Japanese clubs traditionally assign a number (usually 18) to their top pitcher. This is their "ace number". I did not know this. Did you?

Here's the skinny.

Apparently, only one Japanese club has assigned the number 18 to a non-pitcher. You'll remember that when Hideo Nomo, Hiroki Kuraoda and Daisuke Matsuzaka came over from Japan they all wore 18.

That said, future Texas Rangers ace Yu Darvish wore the number 11 while with the Nippon Ham Fighters...and this is where it gets cool. The Fighters are planning on bucking the trend and making his 11 their new “ace number” as a way to honor his short, but legendary career.

The number will remain out of circulation until the team can develop another “absolute, Darvish-caliber ace.”

As for what number Darvish will wear when he hits the Arlington...who knows? Number 11 is currently on the back of hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh.

This Week in Baseball Cards: January 3

2012-01-03T15:36:00.002-06:00

Lots of news surrounding New York baseball players...past and present. Here's Bo Rosny with This Week in Baseball Cards!

Alex Rodriguez’s romance with WWE diva Torrie Wilson is the latest in a long line of connections with baseball and wrestling, though it may be the first romantic one. Maybe we’ll see A-Rod in the ring one day, much like another troubled baseball superstar, Pete Rose.

Maybe it shouldn’t be so surprising that a North Korean kid wore a Yankee hat to Kim Jong-Il’s funeral. After all, the biggest embarrassment a South Korean had in baseball was Byung-Hyun Kim giving up game-tying home runs in back-to-back games to the Yankees in the 2001 World Series. He also lent his bad luck to the 2003 Red Sox, who were defeated in the ALCS by another dramatic Yankee home run, though Kim did not pitch in that series after getting torched by the A’s in the ALDS.

Finally, I was looking up “Get Mesmerized” and found an interesting tidbit in Jeff Pearlman’s The Bad Guys Won. Apparently it was the brainchild of George Foster, who had one crazy get-rich scheme after another. His previous scheme had been to sell knock-off polo shirts (the horse on the shirt had three legs) in the visiting clubhouse in Shea Stadium. Maybe if he had spent more time focusing on baseball he wouldn’t have been released by the Mets in the middle of their championship season.

And remember, gang, you can check out Bo's daily insights over at his site...Baseball Cards Come to Life.

Another A-Rod and Torrie Sighting

2012-01-03T10:37:00.002-06:00

Well, according to the internet...the Alex Rodriguez-Torrie Wilson World Tour is continuing and so far, you can cross Cabo San Lucas, Miami, Boise(!) and Cabo (again?) off the list.

Apparently, the New York Yankees star and the former WWE Diva liked their trip to Cabo last month so much...they went back to ring in the New Year.

You'll recall it was just last week that the pair was spotted in Wilson's childhood home of Boise, Idaho working out at a local gym.

Has the off season been this boring that we care who A-Rod is navigating the globe with? Apparently.

When do pitchers and catchers report again?

BBA Recommends Barry Larkin and Jeff Bagwell for Hall of Fame

2012-01-02T00:49:00.000-06:00

As a longstanding member of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance (BBA), I take great pride in having been able to participate in their Hall of Fame vote the past three years.

This year, the 347 member strong BBA is recommending Barry Larkin and Jeff Bagwell be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame alongside Chicago Cubs legend Ron Santo and broadcaster Tim McCarver this July.

Here's the official word:

In the annual polling of members of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin and former Houston Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell were recommended for induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame. This is the third year the organization has conducted this survey of the membership.

Larkin, a 12-time All-Star who fashioned an .815 OPS over 19 seasons, received the largest percentage of votes, being named on 84.25% of the 148 ballots cast. This is the highest percentage garnered by any player in the three years of BBA voting.

Bagwell, who hit 449 HR and had a .948 OPS in his 15 seasons in Houston, was selected on 115 ballots for a 78.77% rate. As with the official voting done by the Baseball Writers of America, a player must be named on 75% of the ballots to be recommended by the alliance.

And since everyone else on the web is throwing their own theoretical picks out there, here are mine (along with links to their Hall of Fame capsules from this site)...Jeff Bagwell, Barry Larkin, Fred McGriff, Tim Raines and Lee Smith.

I really wanted to go with more and, honestly, was surprised that I ended up with only five. But, unlike the BBWAA...I like to stay consistent.

Take a gander at the complete press release from the BBA and check out how all 27 players fared in the vote by clicking HERE.

Wait...the "Other" Jason Grilli?

2012-01-01T23:48:00.001-06:00

A few months ago, one of my favorite guys on the interwebs, Paul "Sully" Sullivan posted his "All Nope... Not THAT One Team". Basically, it was a roster of players who share the names of other famous people.

And if the modern day king of shedding light on the "things that make you go hmmm" makes a sequel...I'd like to add Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Jason Grilli to the list.

Here's why.

Right before Christmas, a different Jason Grilli was, along with two buddies, arrested at a suburban Boston Holiday Inn with eleven kilos of cocaine. The trio was charged with trafficking cocaine and conspiracy to violate drug laws and, if convicted, faces a minimum of 15 years in prison.

"Grilli the Arrested" has even gotten the attention of "Grilli the Pitcher" who, interestingly enough, has been tweeting story developments to his more than 16,000 followers.

The best part though...the coke dude was carrying around in that duffle bag when he was busted was worth $1.1 million or, wait for it, roughly the same amount the Pirates spent to re-sign the 35-year-old righty less than two weeks prior.

Things that make you go "hmmm" indeed.

2011: The Year That Was

2012-01-01T18:28:00.000-06:00

So, here we are. We just said “adios” to 2011 and whatever “hello” is to 2012.

Now, while many sites across the interwebs have filled their space with “best of” lists…The Hall of Very Good is, well, absolutely no different.

This past calendar year was a record one for The Hall and it couldn't have been done without the support from each and every one of you. So, with that, here are the Top Ten* stories to have hit this site in 2011.

*-“Top Ten”…meaning the stories that had the most traffic.

10. Cursed! Wrigley Field Falls Victim to the Snowpocalypse (February 1).

The first day of February saw 20 inches of snow fall in the city of Chicago. The drifting was terrible, Lake Shore Drive was a ghost town of abandoned cars and the "Friendly Confines" started, litertally, falling apart.

9. Evan Longoria's Ride Gets "Purloined" (March 9).
You've seen the New Era commercials where the Tampa Bay Rays star gets his hat stolen, right? Well, in March, his 1967 Camaro goot boosted from an Arizona car lot. Spoiler alert...it was recovered two days later.

8. Deion Sanders' Daughter Goes Off! (December 28).

A late addition, but, thankfully, people like reading about crazy. And if I learned anything in 2011...people LOVE crazy. As the story goes, Deion Sanders' wife Pilar alledgedly found out that the NFL Hall of Famer was divorcing her via TMZ. This didn't sit well with Prime Time's daughter.

7. Shaq Wants to Fight Jose Canseco (November 11).

Jose Canseco was scheduled to fight "White House Party Crasher" Tareq Salahi in early November...only to have him replaced by Lenny Dykstra who, in turn, opted out. So, no fight. Enter Shaquille O'Neal, who issued a Twitter challenge to the one-time AL MVP. Canseco accepted the challenge, by the way.

6. Ichiro Donates 100 Million (Yen) to Japan (March 18).

In a year where youTube videos of kids giving fould balls to other kids, this is probably one of the coolest acts of kindness you'll ever find. After the earthquakes that ravaged Japan, the All-Star opened up his wallet and donated $1.25 million to the Red Cross efforts.

5. Derek Jeter...Rockstar (December 13).

Much bigger news than Derek Jeter's 3000th hit...Derek Jeter giving away signed memorabilia to hook ups. 'nuff said.

4. Nickelback Goes After Braves Reliever (December 3).

Need another reason to dislike Nickelback? Read the comments on this one and decide for yourself if the writer was joking or not when they compared the Canadian rockers to The Beatles.

3. The "Buckner Ball" is For Sale (October 25).

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Game Six the 1986 World Series...singer/songwriter/collector Seth Swirsky put one of his prized possessions (the "Buckner Ball") up for auction.

2. Hey, Tito...This Doesn't Look Good (September 30).

Sometimes, you re-post rumors about clubhouse antics found in gossip columns by a Boston writer and they turn out to be nothing. Other times, they define the downfall of the 2011 Red Sox.

1. Yup..."Baseball Wives" (October 26), Anna Benson's Sex Toy, er, Weapon (November 30), Anna Benson Takes Aim at PETA (December 1) and Talkin' Baseball (and "Wives") with Kris Benson (December 9).

Ugh..."Baseball Wives". These stories alone created more traffic than anything else on this list combined. That said, Anna Benson's alledged 12-inch dildo attack (she tells me it isn't true) on Chuck Knoblauch's ex made December 1, the busiest month in The Hall's history. That's right, one day's traffic was more than any other month.

Ever.

(Dis)honorable Mention: Were More Canseco Brothers Shenanagins Afoot? Perhaps (July 9). Back in July, some friends of mine and I roadtripped to Zion, Illinois to watch Jose Canseco and his band of misfits take on the woeful Lake County Fielders. Jose wasn't there, but his twin brother was...and, perhaps, trying to take his place. But that was just the opening act of what would follow. Some of you know what transpired next. And while I won't get into it here, let's just say...shit got interesting.

A story for another time perhaps?

So, again, a huge thanks to Yardbarker, Big League Stew, Hot Clicks, Hardball Talk, Deadspin, Grantland, FOX Sports.com, The Score, The American Mustache Institute, The Baseball Bloggers Alliance and everyone else who continues to link to The Hall on a regular basis. And, of course, a bigger thanks the readers that made 2011 what it was.

What story (stories) did you enjoy most? Click on “comments” below and go bananas.

A-Rod Dating Former WWE Diva

2011-12-29T22:49:00.000-06:00

There was a lot of talk a while back about Alex Rodriguez having a "type" when it comes to the women he dates.

Given his track record, the New York Yankees slugger likes them buff and blonde and considering his new squeeze is a former WWE Diva...he's staying true to form.

According to numerous reports (including a number of wrestling sites and The New York Daily News), Rodriguez spent the holidays in Boise, Idaho with Torrie Wilson.

Boise TV news anchor Mike Murad told the Daily News he was at Axiom Fitness Monday when the top-paid player in Major League Baseball walked in with Wilson, a retired World Wrestling Entertainment star.

Murad said he asked if he could take a photo, but A-Rod declined, saying, “I’m trying to keep a low profile.”

And, wouldn't you know it...this wasn't the first time the two were spotted together.

Earlier this month, Rodriguez and Wilson, both 36, were photographed riding bikes in Miami. And right before Christmas, the pair were spotted in Cabo San Lucas with George Clooney and his lady (another former WWE star and ex-roommate of Wilson), Stacey Kiebler.

Rodriguez has been linked to a number of women since his divorce in 2008. Wilson, also divorced since 2008, was married to pro wrestler Billy Kidman...I guess you could say the former Playboy covergirl has a type as well.

But I'll leave the steroid jokes up to you.

***Above picture "borrowed" from X17online.com.***

Introducing..."Kid Jong-il"

2011-12-29T09:54:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure why (peer pressure, something in my DNA?)...but I'm just not that into the New York Yankees.

That said, I do have some favorite Yankees fans.

First on the list, Hall favorite "Bald Vinny" Milano of the famed "Bleacher Creatures".

Next, the dude who shot and killed Moammar Gadhafi.

And the latest entry to that short, short list...the kid (I'm calling him "Kid Jong-il") whose parents let him wear an "NY" lid to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il's funeral.

As Paul Lukas over at Uni Watch points out:

Seeing a Bronx Bombers chapeau in Libya is one thing; seeing one in North f*cking Korea — the most God-forsaken place on Earth, where virtually any trace of Western culture (to say nothing of American League East culture) is anathema — must surely qualify as one of the least likely uni sightings in history.

Something tells me that this is the first time a Yankees lid has been worn on a Korean in public since Chan Ho Park pitched for the Bronx. And, yes, save the comments...I know Park was South Korea. It was a joke people.

But, seriously, outside of a buddy of mine who claims wearing a Steve Grogan throwback jersey to a fancy restaurant led to his divorce...can you think of a less appropriate place to don some apparel of your favorite team?

I'm just glad "Kid Jong-il" was wearing a real Yankees cap and not some multi-colored one.

I'll let you make the Fred Durst jokes...I've got to believe there are plenty.

A Year of Talkin' Baseball: 2011

2011-12-29T00:07:00.000-06:00

A "Bleacher Creature", a Hall of Famer and two ballhawks. Individually, they mean precious little, but collectively, they've each touched the collective heart of this website.

And much like last year, I take great pleasure in bringing you the best of what has become my favorite part of doing this site...talkin' baseball with whoever will respond.

Click the BOLD text to read the entire Kato-free piece!

Hall Favorite JOSE CANSECO...Almost (January)

Do you work for free because I don't if you want your rating to skyrocket then negotiate a deal with me I am the only 1 that really knows what was really going on

And speaking of Canseco (I know, I know), two of the biggest stories to come from his stint as the manager of the Yuma Scorpions was his hiring by team General Manager JOSE MELENDEZ (May) and the on air resignation of Lake County Fielders announcer QUMAR ZAMAN (July).

"Survivor" Hall of Fame Creator GORDON HOLMES (February)

I’m going with the alliance that is going to put a million dollar check in my pocket. I’m going to start off with Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa. While I’m making good with the rest of the tribe, he’ll be off going over every possible jury combination. When he would interact with the tribe, they’d hate him because he wouldn’t take off his sunglasses under any circumstances.

Hall of Famer ANDRE DAWSON (April)

Well, Barry (Bonds) did what he did (but) the record probably is tainted as a result of the steroid scandal. Hank Aaron was a guy that I idolized growing up because his journey to get to where he was and how he accomplished what he did. To me, he’ll always be the all-time home run king.

Third Generation Broadcaster JOSH CARAY (April)

The people who "expect" me to be another Harry/Skip/Chip are generally people who don't know this industry and all the politics that go into it. My grandfather and father could get away with a lot of things that I cannot.

Former First Round Pick JOSH BOOTY (June)

Shaq is a bud…a great guy that everyone loves. He used to come by my apartment in college and it scared my Jack Russell terrier to death when he walked in. My dog would bark non-stop.

My Favorite Ballhawks TIMMY ANDERSON (August) and ZACK HAMPLE (October).

I'd like to have my hands on a milestone homerun, whether it be from Bonds or someone's 500th or 600th. Imagine having a Babe Ruth homerun ball? Wow.

"Bleacher Creature" BALD VINNY (July)

My only feat of strength is that I’m a loud motherf*cker. I was kind of anointed the job by Tina Lewis, who is our Queen Bee. She is the one who asked me to start and as it turns out…I’m really loud. It was “you did a really good job yesterday…do you want to do it today?” “Okaaaaaay.” After that it sorta took on a life of its own.

VH1's "Baseball Wives" Husband KRIS BENSON (December)

Anna's in her element. She was the first wife to make it cool to follow sports wives and for players wives to pose in magazines and spreads. Now everyone does it! Google it up.

In addition to the cast of characters above...I also touched base with three of my favorite baseball writers...MATTHEW SILVERMAN (April), DAN EPSTEIN (May) and JEFF PEARLMAN (October).

But, I think my favorite posts are the ones that include personal favorites. WGN's NICK DIGILIO offered up his favorite baseball movies (September) and, for no reason, Tampa Bay Rays superstar SAM FULD shared his favorite superhero (June) and holiday films (December).

Which was your favorite? Please sound off in the comments section below!

Deion Sanders' Daughter Goes Off!

2011-12-28T19:42:00.000-06:00

As 2011 winds down, can we safely call the 32 tweet barrage by Deion Sanders' daughter (naturally named Deiondra, of course), the Twitter Rant of the Year?

It all started when the current (and future ex) wife of the former big league outfielder and NFL Hall of Famer claimed she found out about her pending divorce via TMZ.

Suffice it to say, Deiondra didn't take Pilar Sanders' actions all that well...and knew her famous pops would be none too happy with her outburst.

FIRST&FOR MOST I WOULD LIKE 2 APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT IS BOUT TO HAPPEN MY DAD IS GOING 2 BE VERY UPSET AT ME 4 HE ALWAYS TAKES THE HIGHER ROUTE

Some choice samples:

LIES! LIES! ALL PILAR DO IS LIE!! wait till i leave this office

NORMALLY I JUST SIT BACK & WATCH ALL HER LIES & MESS BUT ITS TO WHERE SHE'S GETTING PERSONAL. SHE IS TRYING 2 SLANDER MY DADDY NAME. #STOPIT

Pilar stop tryna play the VICTIM. MAYBE IF U WOULD OF ACTUALLY LOVED MY DAD AND NOT LOVED THE LIFE HE GAVE YOU WE WOULD BE HERE TODAY!!

Two thoughts.

First...finding out "Prime Time" named his daughter "Deiondra" might be one of my favorite acts of narcissism (or is it nepotism?) since George Foreman named all his kids after himself.

Next...is it safe to say Deiondra and Pilar probably didn't exchange presents this holiday season?

***Props to Black Sports Online for posting all of Deiondra's tweets.***

A Chip Off the Old Doc?

2011-12-27T00:10:00.000-06:00

I've gotta think that when Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry and the rest of the band of misfits from the 1986 New York Mets got together to make a rap song...they thought they were on to something.

I mean, Steve Fuller and Mike Singletary made it all look so effortless when they recorded the "SuperBowl Shuffle" less than a year before.

But I've got news for you "Get Metsmerized!", even though you've included an exclamation point in your title (and a reference to George Foster's "black bat" in your song)...you're no "SuperBowl Shuffle".

Exclamation point!

And if you want some laughs...read the YouTube comments.

While he might not have gotten his Dad's fastball...it's safe to say that Dwight Jr. (born just before the Mets 1986 championship season) also didn't get his famous father's rapping skills.

And yes, that's actually a compliment.

Lil' Doc's been at the rap game for a while now and his new single is, as the kids say, about to drop. Enjoy. And then listen to "Get Metsmerized!" again.

This Week in Baseball Cards: December 27

2011-12-27T00:01:00.000-06:00

Oh, Christmas...we hardly knew ye.

Last week, Hall contributor Bo Rosny posted a nifty little gem about Todd Stottlemyre's 1993 Upper Deck. Honestly, as a former collector myself...I love it when card companies have a little fun and include an Easter egg every now and then.

With that...here's Bo with his weekly installment of This Week in Baseball Cards!

That 1987 Yankees spring training promo sure brought back memories for me. I probably watched that game on WPIX as a nine-year-old. That was the spring where minor league pitcher Steve George achieved his greatest baseball fame by impersonating Al Leiter on his baseball card.

Spring training is a time for all kind of hijinks. Pictures of Don Mattingly in drag this week bring back memories of Barry Bonds as a steroidal Paula Abdul. This would be a great baseball card some day, though it will probably up to some fan to make an unlicensed one.

And speaking of unlicensed cards, French Met fan Amelie Mancini is making a bizarre custom card set called Left Field Cards. The first series, Bizarre Injuries, is out now and available for purchase on her website. Future series include Edible All-Stars, Curious Second Careers and, most excitingly for HOVG fans, Remarkable Mustaches.

And remember, gang, you can check out Bo's daily insights over at his site...Baseball Cards Come to Life.

A Very Merry (Baseball) Christmas

2011-12-23T00:07:00.000-06:00

This past week, some Hall of Very Good regulars dropped by to spread cheer and, in the process...suggest some last minute gift ideas, share a few of their favorite holiday standards and suggest some classic movies.

All that aside, the question on my mind is this...what's in a name this holiday season?

Since Major League Baseball was founded 140 years ago, close to 20,000 men have stepped between the foul lines and taken their turn at America's pasttime.

Thankfully, a handful of them have done their best to keep the spirit of Christmas alive throughout the baseball season.

So, with all apologies to my Jewish brothers (I'm looking your way Ryan Braun and Sandy Koufax) allow me to regale you with some thoughts on the longstanding partnership between baseball and December 25. I mean, what would the dog days of summer be like without such popular holiday staples like Ebenezer "Ed" Beatin, Frosty Thomas or even George Bailey?

And what about Charles Dickens Bold? I don't know if he could write a story, but I do know that in his only at bat with the St. Louis Browns, well...he struck out.

Perhaps the classics aren't your thing and you'd rather hear a song?

No, no, Burl Ives never played baseball professionally...but both Brett and Jamey Carroll are active and I'm willing to bet they could hum you a tune.

"Granny Hamner got ran over by a Rob Deer" anyone? Anyone?!?

Maybe some jingling Bell(e)s ("Cool Papa", Heath or even Albert) are more your style. To be honest, you could fill a team full of them, but more on that later.

You'd be hard pressed to find a Santa or a Claus that played ball (former infielder Billy Klaus comes closest), but let's face it...without his four-legged friends, he's kinda worthless. And yeah, I'm talking about Dasher Troy, Rolff Dancer, the "Cuban Comet" Minnie Minoso, Cupid Childs and Joe "Blitzen" Benz.

But what about "the most famous reindeer of all"?

No...not "Reindeer Bill" Killefer. I'm talking about 152 game winner, and former Yankee hurler, Rudolph "Rudy" May.

Anyway, in the spirit of former catcher Steve Christmas...here are The Hall's Top Five Major Leaguers to remember this Christmas.

MATT HOLLIDAY, Outfield
Colorado Rockies (2004–2008), Oakland Athletics (2009) and St. Louis Cardinals (2009–present)
Holliday will enter 2012 with a career batting average of .315, 202 home runs and 770 RBI. The five-time All-Star was, in 2007, awarded the NLCS MVP. Not too shabby.

J.T. SNOW, First Base
New York Yankees (1992), California Angels (1993–1996), San Francisco Giants (1997–2005), Boston Red Sox (2006) and San Francisco Giants (2008)
Known as a spectacular fielder, Snow won six-straight (1995-2000) Gold Gloves throughout his 16-year career. His career numbers...a .268 batting average, 1509 hits, 189 home runs and 877 RBI.

IVAN DeJESUS, Shortstop
Los Angeles Dodgers (1974-1976), Chicago Cubs (1977-1981), Philadelphia Phillies (1982-1984), St. Louis Cardinals (1985), New York Yankees (1986), San Francisco Giants (1987) and Detroit Tigers (1988)
Perhaps the most noteworthy accomplishment of DeJesus (other than somehow lasting 15 years in the Majors and leading the National League in runs scored in 1978)...being the punchline to the question "who did the Phillies trade future Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg for again?"

JON GARLAND, Pitcher
Chicago White Sox (2000–2007), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2008), Arizona Diamondbacks (2009, Los Angeles Dodgers (2009), San Diego Padres (2010) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2011)
Quietly, Garland strung together a streak of nine consecutive years (2002-2010) with double-digit victories and for his career, the member of the 2005 World Champions has 132 victories and a 4.32 ERA.

COOKIE ROJAS, Second Base/Manager
As a player...Cincinnati Reds (1962), Philadelphia Phillies (1963–1969), St. Louis Cardinals (1970) and Kansas City Royals (1970–1977)
As a manager...California Angels (1988) and Florida Marlins (1996)
Rojas was a five-time All-Star in his 16 year playing career...and even made it to four straight games (1971-1974) while with the Royals. While with the Phillies, Rojas played at least one game at all nine positions in the field, including pitcher and catcher. As a manager, he posted a career 76-79 record.

GUS/BUDDY/DAVID BELL
As previous mentioned...you could put together an entire team of Bells. That said, Gus, Buddy and David make up a rare three-generation Major League family. In his 15-year career, Gus Bell hit .281 and was an All-Star four times. His son Buddy managed close to the same batting average (.279), while stacking up more than 2500 hits. From 1979 to 1984, he brought home six Gold Gloves. And lastly...David. In 2004, he hit for the cycle while with the Phillies...joining his grandfather to become the only grandfather-grandson duo in Major League history to accomplish the feat.

And yeah...Merry Christmas, everyone.

Merry Christmas from John Axford

2011-12-22T11:07:00.000-06:00

I actually think one of my favorite things about Milwaukee Brewers closer John Axford isn't the award-winning mustache he cultivated throughout this past season...it's that he has a pretty good sense of humor about himself.

Can you think of another pro athlete on Twitter that would "Elf" himself and share the results to his 38,000 closest friends?

I can't.

Click through to see the entire video.

5 Days of Christmas: Sam Fuld

2011-12-22T10:02:00.000-06:00

You're going to be reading a ton of Christmas-related posts during this, the week leading up to the anniversary of the birth of the baby Jesus...and this site is no different.

All this week, The Hall is presenting the "Five Days of Christmas". That's right, five straight days of one of The Hall's most popular features...the "Friday 5".

Earlier this season, Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Sam Fuld broke down his five favorite superhero movies.

Now...in the spirit of the season, here are "Super" Sam's favorite holiday flicks.

Love Actually (2003, directed by Richard Curtis)
Says Sam: I'm an unabashed sucker for rom-coms.

It's a Wonderful Life (1946, directed by Frank Capra)
Says Sam: Jimmy Stewart is unreal in this, I try to watch it every year.

Elf (2003, directed by Jon Favreau)
Says Sam: Will Ferrell in tights...enough said.

Home Alone (1990, directed by Chris Columbus)
Says Sam: So good they made a Home Alone 4.

Polar Express (2004, directed by Robert Zemeckis)
Says Sam: I loved the book as a kid...love Tom Hanks.

Jon Bon Jovi...Still Not Dead

2011-12-21T10:12:00.000-06:00

Hey, internet, Jon Bon Jovi still isn't dead.

That said...it has been a long time since he was providing the score for New York Yankees promos. And man, isn't it sure is good to see some of those old Yankees. Anymore...the only time we see them is in drag.

***Props to Craig Robinson for tweeting this clip.***

5 Days of Christmas: Ashkon

2011-12-21T09:47:00.000-06:00

You're going to be reading a ton of Christmas-related posts during this, the week leading up to the anniversary of the birth of the baby Jesus...and this site is no different.

All this week, The Hall is presenting the "Five Days of Christmas". That's right, five straight days of one of The Hall's most popular features...the "Friday 5".

Hooray!

And in case you were in the need for some suggestions on what to listen to...our favorite San Francisco Giants fan (and a decent singer in his own right) Ashkon Davaran has some suggestions.

Jingle Bell Rock
Ashkon says: A timeless classic.

Little Drummer Boy

Ashkon says: It's just so...epic.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Ashkon says: Always loved Rudolph as a kid. Great underdog story.

Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

Ashkon says: I had to get Lennon up in here.

All I Want for Christmas is You

Ashkon says: Mariah. Guilty Pleasure.

But if you really want a modern holiday classic...you've gotta check out Ashkon's "Shake it Like a Snowglobe".

Another Day...Another Theatrical Endeavor

2011-12-20T16:33:00.000-06:00

In the past week, we've seen Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly as Mother Ginger in a community theater performance of "The Nutcracker" and the Washington Nationals taking the stage with The Washington Ballet.
Now...comes this:

It's a theatrical "grand slam!" Chicago White Sox Manager Robin Ventura and nine-year-old Emily Beazley of the Make-A-Wish Foundation make a one-night-only special appearance in A Christmas Carol on Wednesday, December 21 at 7:30pm. Ventura and Beazley don costumes tailored especially for them and make their Goodman Theatre debut in select scenes of the 34th annual production of Chicago's favorite holiday tradition.

Ventura probably won't be "donning" a dress (see what I did there?), but, did I miss the call to action pleading for the baseball community to take part in theatrical endeavors?

If so...I'm hoping pitcher-turned-author John Rocker gets asked to do "Rent" or someone solicits Alex Rodriguez to play the lead centaur in "Equus".

And, yes, that's the second "Equus" reference in a week...for the one of you who is counting.

5 Days of Christmas: Jonah Keri

2011-12-20T08:58:00.000-06:00

You're going to be reading a ton of Christmas-related posts during this, the week leading up to the anniversary of the birth of the baby Jesus...and this site is no different.

All this week, The Hall is presenting the "Five Days of Christmas". That's right, five days straight of one of The Hall's most popular features...the "Friday 5".

Hooray!

In just a few weeks, we're going to find out if anyone will be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA and one guy who has taken the time to break down the ballot every which way is New York Times bestselling author Jonah Keri.

And if Keri had his way...these are the five, er, six guys on the current Hall of Fame ballot who would have their Christmas dreams fulfilled.

1. Tim Raines

Raines’ worthiness has been documented at length. He’s the best pure base stealer of all-time, swiping 808 bases at an 85% success rate...easily the highest rate of success for any base stealer at or near that frequency. He also reached base more times in his career than Roberto Clemente, Tony Gwynn or Lou Brock. Replace 400 of Raines’ walks with singles and he has 3,000 hits and strolls into the Hall. Or just replace, say, 600 Raines walks with 400 singles and 200 outs...he’s an inferior player at that point, but he still has his 3,000 hits, and he’s in.

2. Jeff Bagwell
There are three plausible reasons for why Bagwell didn't get in on last year's ballot:

Voters are extremely reluctant to vote for players on their first ballot, unless they've had extraordinary careers. This is the Joe DiMaggio argument. If Joe D didn't get in on his first try, why should Player X make it?
Suspicion of PED use. There is no hard evidence to suggest Bagwell used. We're not doctors. We don't try to fake our way through brain surgery. Let's not feign expertise when it comes to outing PED users either.
Bagwell gets lumped in with all the other slugging first basemen of his era. I am slightly more attuned to this argument. It is certainly true that the era in which Bagwell played featured a cavalcade of first baseman who can mash (partly due to PED use), but likely even more so because of smaller ballparks, smaller strike zones, and other factors. And Bagwell did fall a bit short of some round numbers, just missing a .300 lifetime batting average (.297) and falling more than a bit short of 500 homers (449).

3. Barry Larkin
Last year, Larkin bagged the highest percentage of the vote (62.1 percent) for any player who didn't gain the 75 percent needed for induction. History tells us that players who fare that well in the voting on their first two tries are a lock to eventually gain induction sooner than later. He might even get in now, in a very weak year for first-time candidates. Apply a sniff test, or a numerical test, and he should get in.

4. Mark McGwire
And here we come to a player who actually has acknowledged using PEDs. There are any number of ways to handle a player like McGwire, with no perfect answer to quandary. My stance: It's a tiebreaker, that's about it. We know many players used in McGwire's era, and we know that offensive conditions were extremely favorable to players even without chemical helpers. So if a player is borderline by statistical standards and has either admitted to using or been busted for it, I'll leave him off my fake ballot. McGwire was not borderline.

5. Edgar Martinez
There's some merit to the argument that a designated hitter should be highly scrutinized when weighing his Hall of Fame worth, given their lack of defensive value. But Edgar was a godless hitting machine, hitting .312/.418/.515, placing 44th all time in WPA. He benefited from the hitter-friendly Kingdome in the early part of his career, but then continued to rake at Safeco Field, a nightmare of a ballpark for right-handed power hitters. The Mariners' near-sightedness prevented Edgar from cracking the everyday lineup until age 27; even the biggest DH haters would likely back him had he broken in three or four years earlier. But there's no need to play what-if here. He gets my vote.

6. Alan Trammell

There's a running theme to all of these picks: Each one requires nuance to properly evaluate their skills. Now if you're an extreme Small Hall voter (or fan) who believes Cooperstown should enshrine Ruth, Mays, and maybe five other guys, Trammell's not your man. But if we're going by existing Hall of Fame standards, Trammell is a worthy choice. His career looks fairly similar to Larkin's, with comparable career value to Ozzie Smith (66.9 WAR for Trammell, 64.6 for Ozzie). The Hall of Fame doesn't get diminished if Trammell gets in. If anything, Tram and double play partner Lou Whitaker (69.7 WAR, but somehow off the ballot for not even getting the needed 5% to stay on) should go in together, with the spirit of Ernie Harwell ushering them in.

You can check out Keri's entire ballot breakdown over at Grantland or better yet...head on over to Amazon and buy his latest book, The Extra 2%: How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Baseball Team from Worst to First.

This Week in Baseball Cards: December 20

2011-12-19T18:19:00.000-06:00

Week in and week out, Bo Rosny drops by and ties his world (baseball cards) to The Hall of Very Good. And, man...if you're not checking out Bo's slice of the interwebs...you're missing out.

With that...here he his with This Week in Baseball Cards!

Barry Bonds is going to serve house arrest in a mansion with a huge pool and more rooms than days in his sentence. It sure does make the home that Randy Wolf bought for $6 million from Slash look like a hovel by comparison.

So, clean-cut quarterback Tim Tebow could have been a baseball player? So could less-clean cut running back Ricky Williams, who toiled in the Phillies minor league system for a couple of years. Imagine if he was traded to the Red Sox and was a teammate of Manny Ramirez?

Finally, the lights bulbs have been busted in the Wrigley Field neon sign. That’s not the only strange thing that goes on in the dark near the Friendly Confines. Click the link to read about Kevin Mitchell famously said, “Painting nuts ain’t fun.”

And remember, gang, you can check out Bo's daily insights over at his site...Baseball Cards Come to Life.

Chan Ho Park is Heading Home to Korea

2011-12-19T18:13:00.002-06:00

Last year at this time, it was announced that the Majors winningest Asian-born pitcher was heading to Japan.

Monday, word came that Chan Ho Park Park would be introduced as the newest member of the Hanwha Eagles in the Korea Baseball Organization.

"I plan to spend the rest of my career helping to develop Korean baseball," the former All-Star said. "I'd like to help young players perform in an even better environment and stay focused on the game."

The Eagles inked the righty to a one-year deal worth 24 million won or $20,547. Sure, it's a far cry from the $15 million a year he once made for the Texas Rangers, but Park is opting to go with the league minimum.

And dude has his reasons.

Reports were that the Eagles had planned to pay Park 400 million won per season (close to $350,000) with a club option for another 200 million won. Instead...that money will be donated to charity.

Classy.

In 17 years with seven different clubs, the 38-year-old Park was 124-98 with a 4.36 ERA. And in four appearances during the 2009 World Series...managed a 0.00 ERA.

Don Mattingly in Drag?

2011-12-19T11:54:00.000-06:00

In a couple of weeks, we'll know whether or not New York Yankees legend Don Mattingly will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

And while he probably won't (he was at just 13.6% last year)...it's probably a good thing.

No, not because he isn't a viable candidate, one could argue that his six-year stretch from 1984 to 1989 was one of the best of the 80s...but this. The six-time All-Star and current Los Angeles Dodgers manager recently took the stage during a Evansville (Indiana) Ballet performance of "The Nutcracker".

His role? Mother Ginger..."a wigged, made up female character whose gigantic skirt and petticoats hide more than a half-dozen children who spill out to dance in the ballet's second act."

You can check out video from the performance over at TriStateHomepage.com.

5 Days of Christmas: Aaron Perlut

2011-12-19T10:24:00.000-06:00

You're going to be reading a ton of Christmas-related posts during this, the week leading up to the anniversary of the birth of the baby Jesus...and this site is no different.

All this week, The Hall is presenting the "Five Days of Christmas". That's right, five days straight of one of The Hall's most popular features...the "Friday 5".

Hooray!

With only a few days left to get that baseball (and mustache) lover in your life a present...why not get them a Nike Hair-itage shirt?

But which one? Thankfully, Dr. Aaron Perlut from the American Mustache Institute broke down your five best options...and they're all priced under 20 bucks.

Andre Dawson

Randy Johnson

Eddie Murray

Willie Stargell

Reggie Jackson

So, yeah, I know what you're asking yourself..."self, why did Dr. Perlut omit reigning Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year John Axford from the list?"

According to Perlut..."Axford was too far above the rest so we just let the secondary Mustached American tees fend for themselves."

Makes sense to me.

For more great gift ideas for that mustache lover (or Mustached American) in your life...why not check out the AMI's 2011 Mustached American Holiday Gift Guide Video?

And a Merry Christmas to You, Ball State!

2011-12-18T14:48:00.000-06:00

Question. What do you get when you put nine mortals, two Mustached Americans, buckets and a microphone together in a locker room?

Answer. A Christmas miracle.

I was going to wait until later in the week to post this, but, honestly...I've got a better Christmas music post coming. So, in all its glory, please...sit back, relax and enjoy the Ball State University baseball team's "rendition" of Band-Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?".

And while you're listening, remind yourself...what the Hell was Bono thinking when he belted out the lyrics "well tonight, thank God it's them instead of you"?

***Props to Big League Stew for bringing this video to our collective conscience.***

Barry Bonds Sentenced (Maybe) to 30 Days of Trampolining and Swimming

2011-12-16T14:36:00.002-06:00

You're going to be hearing/seeing/reading plenty about Barry Bonds today...and, honestly, there isn't much more to add.

Here's the skinny.

First, the home run kind was handed a sentence of 30 days of house arrest, two years of probation and 250 hours of community service. Then, the sentence was delayed the sentence pending an appeal that is likely to take a year or more.

Silent during the procedings was Bonds. But do you know why the seven-time National League MVP said nothing?

Because this is the home that he's confined to for the next 30 days. And, yes, you'll want to click that link.

Good God, man!

Something tells me he can sleep in a different room every night and still not see every square inch of that place.

Whenever this sentencing comes to fruition, I'm hoping dude gives that trampoline a thorough workout.

Tim Tebow...Baseball Player?

2011-12-16T10:41:00.003-06:00

Everyone's talking Tim Tebow and, unfortunately, I've been no different. Thing is, unlike the rest of you, I'm a recent convert.

Honestly, I was numb to the hype (avoided it actually) until the last couple of weeks. What turned me around?

I started listening to the guy.

Tebow isn't out there preaching rhetoric and spewing cliches...he's actually talking about what he believes. And what he believes, he fully believes. I mean, dude is fully committed and for season, I like that he's wrapped up in his own delusions.

Oh, the kid wins too.

So...does baseball need a Tebow? And, no, I'm not talking about baseball needing another person praising his God after a game winning home run or no hitter. I mean the actual guy himself.

Well, depending on who you ask...it probably could've happened.

You see, last year, the quarterback was hiding out and working out in Memphis and did what any fun loving athlete would do if/when asked...he took a few swings with a local high school baseball team.

How'd he do? He saw 15 pitches and blasted 12 out of the park.

"The kids were just awed by how far he hit the ball," Tebow's agent Jimmy Sexton told newspapers at the time.

What was the former Heisman Trophy winner's take?

“Um yeah, I hit it pretty decent that day. I hit it pretty good. That was awesome though, that was fun,” Tebow told the Palm Beach Post. “That was my first time to hit since my junior year of high school. And I was running pole laps in the outfield, and just conditioning, with Jim Denton, one of my agents. So I was just out there conditioning, and the baseball team was about to take BP, and I was talking to the coach and stuff. And Jim, he was the one, he was like, you don’t have a swing anymore, so he got me competitive. And then (the coach) was like, you can take some hacks, so I was like, alright. I warmed up and went up there, and then missed I think the first two. I didn’t miss them but I didn’t hit them out. Then I went on a good streak from there, so it was decent.”

The current Denver Broncos quarterback actually played some high school baseball before focusing solely on his future profession and, maybe, that's what prompted team exec John Elway to take a chance on the guy.

Elway himself was, famously, a two-sport star having been drafted by the New York Yankees in 1981. The Hall of Famer was actually taken six spots ahead of Tony Gwynn.

This is going to sound dumb, but quarterbacks being well-rounded athletes is nothing new.

Some other notable NFL quarterbacks that had their phone ring during the baseball draft...Dan Marino (1979 by the Kansas City Royals), Tom Brady (1995 by the Montreal Expos) and Michael Vick (2000 by the Colorado Rockies).

Kerry Collins found himself drafted on three separate occasions...1990 and 1991 by the Detroit Tigers and in 1994 by the Toronto Blue Jays.

Anna Benson is Getting Trickerish

2011-12-15T11:39:00.000-06:00

I told myself I was done with "Baseball Wives" and, well, that's almost the truth. Truth is...I'm not watching the show, but I am reading re-caps and watching clips.

I know...I know.

The bombshell from this week's episode...Hall favorite Anna Benson is plotting to trick her husband Kris into having another kid. Basically, she told Erika "wife of Matt" Williams that she’d stopped taking her birth control pills and was planning a romantic night together with her husband.

Gasp!

I'd explain more, but you can just watch the clip...after you get re-directed to 5min.com of course.

Anna Will Get Her Baby! On 'Baseball Wives'

Curious what Anna's husband Kris thinks about her involvement on the show? Why not read The Hall's exclusive interview with him?

Are the Cubs Broke?

2011-12-14T21:14:00.002-06:00

I think we now know why the Chicago Cubs left the Winter Meetings only having added David DeJesus to the roster.

They're obviously out of money.

Seriously, if you drove by Wrigley Field Wednesday night...part of their sign is out.

Riddle me this Cubs fans, is this something they do often...or do they need to change some bulbs? I'll just sit here and wait for your answers.

***Picture courtesy of Wayne Buckner.***

John Rocker Backs Newt Gingrich

2011-12-14T18:13:00.000-06:00

In case you were wondering...the always controversial John Rocker is endorsing a presidential candidate.

The former big league reliever is throwing (get it?) his support behind former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

"He is an absolute genius; just a marksman in historical value of pretty much anything you want to discuss," Rocker said while on Mike Silva's New York Baseball Digest radio show. "But I have always liked Gingrich; I would like to see him get the nomination."

So, why would anyone be giving Rocker time to talk about anything (much less politics) nowadays?

Dude's gotta peddle his book somehow, right?

You can hear a replay of the interview by downloading the mp3 here.

Derek Jeter...Rockstar

2011-12-13T10:22:00.001-06:00

I'm struggling with how to start this one. So here goes...Derek Jeter bangs chicks and sends them away with signed swag as a parting gift.

There.

Done.

I said it.

According to one of his buddies, the New York Yankees captain, well...this is what the New York Post is saying:

“Derek has girls stay with him at his apartment in New York, and then he gets them a car to take them home the next day. Waiting in his car is a gift basket containing signed Jeter memorabilia, usually a signed baseball,” the friend dished.

“This summer, he ended up hooking up with a girl who he had hooked up with once before, but Jeter seemed to have forgotten about the first time and gave her the same identical parting gift, a gift basket with a signed Derek Jeter baseball,” the pal said.

“He basically gave her the same gift twice because he’d forgotten hooking up with her the first time!”

Classic.

At least this is better than a few years ago when he just simply paid for their parking.

Seriously...an autographed ball from the newest member of the 3000 hit club can come at a pretty hefty price. But, how would one of these ladies get it authenticated to draw top dollar if they flipped it on eBay?

Sure, the story itself would be awesome, but still.

Better question...how would you respond if your lady slid an autographed Jeter ball under the tree?

***Picture stolen from Jimmy Traina.***

Gerrit Cole's Twitter Hacked?

2011-12-13T00:12:00.001-06:00

***UPDATE: Numerous Pirates bloggers are hitting the interwebs, supporting Cole saying that he's not on Twitter and this is a fake account.***

I'm no conspiracy theorist (actually, I totally am), but I'm willing to bet we're going to hear soon that Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Gerrit Cole's Twitter was hacked or that this is a fake account.

You see, late Monday night, the 2011 number one overall pick (or someone claiming to be him) tweeted the following piece of eye candy to his 980+ followers:

Considering quitting baseball to smoke weed. Fuck it

Someone needs to tell dude that he's a sure bet Major Leaguer with a million dollar arm and not running up and down a basketball court for a living.

Sure, it's possible Cole was joking around, but, in all seriousness...he should probably pick a better thing to joke about given the sport's pending crackdown on social media..

That is, of course, unless he was hacked...or this isn't even him! And just in case it gets deleted (and it probably will), here was the tweet in question.

The hard throwing righty was 21-20 with a 3.38 ERA in his three years at UCLA. Prior to being the Pirates number one pick this past summer, the 21-year-old was selected in the first round of the 2008 by the New York Yankees.

Ryan Braun "Juiced"? Here's an Idea

2011-12-12T21:59:00.001-06:00

With this weekend's revelation that Ryan Braun was found guilty (not guilty?) of using performance-enhancing drugs, the interwebs were abuzz as to whether or not to strip the 2011 National League MVP of his award.

While that would probably make the Matt Kemp fans out there happy, it's probably not likely to happen.

Less likely to happen...the suggestion by Arizona Senator John McCain via Twitter.

Ryan Braun juiced - can we do the playoffs over again?

The one-time anti-steroids crusader might be on to something, though.

I mean, if it wasn't for Braun batting .500 (9-for-18) in the Milwaukee Brewers' best-of-five series against the Arizona Diamondbacks...there's no telling how the rest of the season would have played out. Heck, if they could have gone on to beat the eventual World Champion St. Louis Cardinals, it could have meant another trophy for the snakes.

You remember the last time McCain's beloved Diamondbacks hoisted the trophy, right? It was 2001 and on that team...current coach Matt Williams and team favorite Luis Gonzalez who were both suspected of, wait, nevermind.

Ugh. Steroids. Next topic please.

This Week in Baseball Cards: December 12

2011-12-12T18:07:00.003-06:00

I'm starting to get the feeling that This Week in Baseball Cards scribe Bo Rosny and I are bad influences on each other.

He makes me dig out my old baseball cards and I, well...I make him post about "Baseball Wives" and mustaches. Poor guy.

Here's This Week in Baseball Cards!

Ballplayer wives is the theme this week, coming off a number of posts including a great interview with Kris Benson, who seems almost as outspoken as his famous wife Anna. While the new VH1 show has some colorful baseball wives, it just scratches the surface of the varied careers of ballplayers’ better halves.

Too bad they couldn’t get Tawny Kitaen, the famous Whitesnake girl who later beat up her husband, former Angels pitcher Chuck Finley. Perhaps she was jealous of his beautiful frosted hair.

Some MLB wives are on TV because they are actually talented. Did you know that David Eckstein’s wife, Ashley Eckstein, is the voice of Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice Ahsoka Tano on the Clone Wars TV show? And for those of you Star Wars fans who were turned off by early episodes of the show, give it another chance. It’s gotten much darker and more interesting the last two seasons.

Hot baseball wives are nothing new. Back in the 1977, Dodgers star Steve Yeager’s wife Gloria, showed off just about all the goods in the team yearbook, as recently revealed by superstar baseball card blogger Night Owl.

The "Machine Burger" is a Gutbuster

2011-12-12T09:05:00.000-06:00

So...what do you do for a superstar slugger who just inked a quarter of a billion dollar contract to head west and join the Los Angeles Angels?

If you're the OC Sports Grill, you celebrate the signing of Albert Pujols by developing the "Machine Burger".

And what's on the burger? Funny you should ask.

The quarter pound of chimichurri seasoned burger is joined by queso frito, pulled pork and cabbage tossed in “savon” sauce, tomatoes, avocado and if that wasn't enough...crispy onion straws.

Interestingly enough, the three-time MVP's own restaurant, also has a Pujols-themed burger.

Aptly called the "Pujols Burger"...it is a half pound of charbroiled Angus beef with lettuce, vine ripe tomato, served on a soft brioche bun and with fries.

The biggest difference between the two gutbusters...you can still get the "Pujols Burger" for the hometown discount of $7.95. The "Machine" is going to cost you $13.99.

Harrison Ford Joins Jackie Robinson Biopic

2011-12-10T22:00:00.001-06:00

Hollywood megastar Harrison Ford has been tabbed to play famed baseball executive Branch Rickey in an upcoming biopic about Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson.

According to Variety:

Pic follows the iconic story of Robinson, the first African-American to play in the major leagues. Rickey, the innovative Major League Baseball executive who is best known for breaking MLB's color barrier by signing Jackie Robinson to a minor league contract in 1945. Two years later, at the start of the 1947 major league baseball season, Robinson was signed to the Brooklyn Dodgers major league baseball team with the help of Rickey.

As for who will play Robinson in "42"...that honor goes to the relatively unknown Chadwick Boseman. Ironically, Boseman also appeared in "The Express"...which was based on the true story of Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.

On tap to direct is Brian Helgeland, whose many screenwriting credits include “L.A. Confidential" and "Mystic River”. In 1998, Helgeland became the first person to win both an Academy Award ("L.A. Confidential") and a Razzie ("The Postman").

This isn't the first time Robinson's story has been brought to the silver screen. In 1950, "The Jackie Robinson Story" was released with Robinson himself playing, um...himself.

C.J. Wilson is a Champ

2011-12-09T20:07:00.001-06:00

This past week saw some serious cash exchange hands at the Winter Meetings in Dallas.

First off, the Miami Marlins shelled out $191 million for shortstop Jose Reyes and pitchers Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell.

Not to be outdone, the Los Angeles Angels broke the bank when they inked lefty C.J. Wilson and three-time MVP Albert Pujols to contracts in excess of $330 million.

Naturally, fans of the players' former teams were none to pleased when they found out their beloved stars had left for seemingly greener pastures.

New York Mets fans hit Twitter to hurl racial slurs at their former batting champ, while in St. Louis, Cardinal faithful took the the streets to burn their Pujols jerseys.

But in Texas, Rangers fans reacted differently to Wilson signing with a divisional rival.

And my guess is it had something to do with this:

I just want to say thank you to all the ranger fans who have supported me, and my efforts in the community the last six years in Texas. Surely it's both hard for some to understand that I left for a different team let alone a division rival- it was bittersweet for me as well. At the end of the day the rangers didn't make a push to keep me on the team. The angels an marlins wanted me on their... teams and proved it. everything written about an asking price etc was media speculation and never had an ounce of truth. The rangers are a great organization with talented front office and players and will be a difficult team to beat and it's very sad to leave such awesome teammates and fans. The last few years in ranger stadium were special- going from a losing team to bankrupt to american league champs was a complete transformation and obviously everyone should be proud of it. The charity will continue even stronger now and we will continue to support North Texas kids as well as SoCal kids. Please keep that spirit of philanthropy alive for your local causes like cooks children's hospital, Scottish rite, dallas children's and the boys and girls club.

You see, instead of thanking the fans via a press conference while wearing the opposing teams' colors or taking out the cliched full-page ad in the local fishwrap...Wilson did what he always does.

He worked his social media channels and thanked his "friends" directly.

So, yeah, it doesn't matter that Wilson didn't get the biggest contract this past week. Further more, it doesn't matter if dude ever wins a World Series with his new team.

C.J. Wilson is a champ, folks.

Talkin' Baseball (and "Wives") with Kris Benson

2011-12-09T09:47:00.000-06:00

Naturally, the main subject on everyone's minds this offseason has been the Winter Meetings. That said, another topic of conversation heating things up has been VH1's latest hit show "Baseball Wives".

Plenty has been written and said about one of the show's breakout stars Anna Benson, wife of Kris Benson, but has anyone caught up with the former pitcher to chat about his wife's on screen antics?

Well...I had the opportunity.

HOVG: You're a former number one pick and Olympian...you also started your career with 200 consecutive starts before heading to the bullpen, what would you call your greatest accomplishment on the mound?

BENSON: There's really too many to say just one. Number one overall pick, bronze medal in my hometown, first game in the Majors, coming back from shoulder surgery. Tough Call!

HOVG: Where does that gem you tossed June 17, 2006 versus your former team, the New York Mets, rank?

BENSON: It definitely ranks right up there because I hit my first and only home run (off Pedro Martinez). I won, but it's all about the homer!

HOVG: It's pretty well documented that you met your wife Anna at a stripclub. Love at first sight or did it take a while for the two of you to hit it off?

BENSON: A mutual friend introduced us as she was about to walk out the door and it was on like Donkey Kong!

HOVG: Also well documented are Anna's comments about some of your former teammates. Did her outspoken demeanor hurt your relationship with your Mets teammates and team management? If so...how?

BENSON: Not at all. It was business as usual. It was more about the media sensationalizing it all, but it made for a good read. Writing about 162 games of baseball gets boring after awhile. Sports people would rather see a player's girl take her clothes off, look hot, and be quite, then keep her clothes on and have a personality and opinion. They're all intimidated.

HOVG: But you're getting the last laugh now with "Baseball Wives"...aren't you? The show seems to be a hit and your wife looks to be the breakout star. Has anything changed for you guys in the past week?

BENSON: Anna's in her element. She was the first wife to make it cool to follow sports wives and for players wives to pose in magazines and spreads. Now everyone does it! Google it up. She's the pioneer and no one gives her credit for that. Oh wait, yeah they do, because she's the only one on NBC, ESPN, TMZ, FOX, you name it! Really though, would anyone be watching if Anna wasn't on there?

HOVG: I can't disagree. How accurate is the portrayal of the baseball wife lifestyle?

BENSON: It depends on what environment you put them in. Do they party? Hell yeah. Do they get into drama at and away from the field? Hell yeah. But you have to entertain when you're on TV. Everyone wants to see the "true life of a baseball wife". Well, does everyone want to fall asleep or flip the channel after the first 10 minutes? That's what documentaries are for. Boring.

HOVG: It looks like the producers selected a pretty good mix of "wives" to appear on the show. Who did they miss? I mean...what "baseball wife" did they miss out on casting? Who out there is an absolutely goldmine?

BENSON: I didn't pay attention to any of the other wives. We would run home to do our thing...with the kids that is. When it comes to reality show material, Anna's the only true home run, believe it!

HOVG: What's next for you...where can people find you? Facebook, Twitter, website, etc.

BENSON: I'm Managing Director for a boutique business management firm out of NYC, working under the man who started it all in this industry. I run the Atlanta office. We rep athletes, entertainers, and high net-worth individuals...actually, REALLY cool clients everyone has seen and heard of. I'm on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter at @KrisBenson34.

Kris Benson spent parts of nine seasons in the Majors, with stops in Pittsburgh, New York, Arizona, Texas and Baltimore. For his career, he compiled a 58-62 record and posted a 4.26 ERA. On April 9, 1999, he became just the second number oneoverall pick to win his big league debut.

Breaking Down the "Baseball Wives" Husbands

2011-12-08T22:58:00.001-06:00

Last year at this time, I had the pleasure to talk with Brad Mangin about his career as a San Francisco Bay area photographer. A year later, I realized that Mangin and I have something more in common than baseball and me looking at his pictures of baseball.

Enter the newest VH1 guilty pleasure "Baseball Wives".

Over at Mangin's blog, the acclaimed photographer broke down, one by one, the better halves of the cast of "Baseball Wives". And it turns out...he's snapped some pretty awesome pictures of the "Wives" husbands along the way.

Here's Mangin's breakdown, and yeah...you can click on the BOLD names to check out a photo gallery of that player.

KRIS BENSON
Benson is still married to Anna, his wife who became more famous than him during his days of toiling for the Pirates, Mets, Orioles and other squads. In 2004, Anna, the former stripper, posed for the cover and a spread in FHM magazine and was named “baseball’s hottest wife.” In an interview with Howard Stern later that year, she vowed that if her husband ever cheated on her she would take revenge by sleeping with the entire Mets organization. Awesome!

Needless to say Anna’s husband must be used to being married to his controversial wife, but I wonder what he thinks about the show?

MATT WILLIAMS
The former All-Star is on his third wife, and her name is Erika Monroe Williams. The good news for him is he has an insanely awesome 20,000 square foot house in the Scottsdale area and a nice job coaching with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The bad news? His wife is looking pretty ridiculous on “Baseball Wives.”

I covered Matt for his entire career and he was always a classy guy who will forever be beloved in San Francisco. He has been through a few troubled marriages, and I can’t see how this show will help his current one. Erika got off to a rocky start in the premier episode while hosting a cocktail party for the other “wives.” How cool it would have been to see Matt wander through the kitchen looking for a beer. No dice. What we got was the beginning of a verbal cat fight that spilled into episode two.

For Matt’s sake I hope that things slow down for Erika on the show and that Anna stops beating up on her. For the show’s sake it would be great if she keeps causing trouble!

JASON KENDALL
The recently retired catcher’s ex-wife Chantel Kendall has a checkered past and is a very polarizing character on “Wives.” Jason always seemed kinda goofy when I photographed him. He was a real hard-ass with the A’s and helped them to their great season in 2006. I never saw Chantel at any of the family softball games at the Oakland Coliseum. I can’t imagine how entertaining that would have been!

After two shows it seems that Chantel hates pretty much every other “wife” with the exception of a surprise guest we will learn about down below. Also, her skinny arms and tattoos scare me.

MARK GRACE
First of all I was surprised to hear that Grace was ever married. He was always a great interview on the Jim Rome show during his playing days talking about “slump busters” and strip clubs. I learned that he USED to be married in the first episode of “Wives.” Tanya Grace is Mark’s ex-wife and one of the more outgoing stars of the show. The avid golfer met Mark when she was a golf cart girl.

Mark seems to have a good sense of humor and is a local TV broadcaster for the Diamondbacks. I wonder what he thinks of seeing Tanya on “Wives.” I bet he kinda gets a kick out of it!

RON VILLONE
Villone's current wife Brooke has come out of the first two episodes pretty unscathed. Brooke is a model with a really long neck and seems to stay out of everyone’s business as she hangs out with some of the looser women on the show.

NYJER MORGAN
The nutty Morgan has the unfortunate task of being the former boyfriend of the youngest star of “Wives” Jordana Lenz. Lenz is a young and trashy stalker who went to the Milwaukee Brewers team hotel during the 2011 NLDS whole Morgan and the Brewers were in town to play the Diamondbacks. She practically chased him into the elevator! She complains that once Morgan got to a good team he dumped her.

The thinking here is that T. Plush can do much better than Lenz.

CHUCK KNOBLAUCH
The best part of Wednesday night’s episode was the arrival at Scottsdale Airport of Cheri Knoblauch, the current wife of Chuck. Cheri was picked up by her good friend Chantel Kendall and they instantly plotted how there were gonna harass nemesis Anna Benson. Anna has been a bitch to Chantel and Cheri has come to town to save the day. It seems that Cheri and Anna know each other from the 1990′s when Kris Benson pitched for the Pirates and Cheri was dating his teammate Brian Giles. You just know that sparks will fly when they get together, and I was not disappointed.

In a future episode Anna will supposedly attack Cheri with 12-inch dildo!

Knoblauch was a good ballplayer and a former World Champion with the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees. I can’t imagine that he is too thrilled to have his wife on this show, but who knows? Maybe they need the cash!

BRIAN GILES
Giles won a big court decision against his ex-girlfriend Cheri Olvera (Knoblauch), who had sued him for more than $10 million in 2008. Giles allegedly abused Olvera and the jury also awarded Giles the return of the $107,000 engagement ring he purchased for their canceled 2007 wedding. During the trial Giles testified that he didn’t strike his girlfriend at a bar in Phoenix in 2006, testimony that contradicted witness statements to Phoenix police.

But wait...it gets better.

Giles suggested in his testimony that the 2006 incident was a case of Olvera being drunk. He said Olvera “often falls when she’s intoxicated” and wearing high heels. Giles’ attorneys tried to portray the case as part of a pattern by Olvera to pursue rich men for money to satisfy her lavish lifestyle. Olvera testified she was currently engaged to Chuck Knoblauch. Olvera also testified that while living with Giles, she had someone to help her shop, an occasional driver, housekeepers and a woman to blow-dry her hair for $100 each time.

Awesome!

Well, there you have it. The men behind the women. I hope you enjoyed this rundown of the active and in-active roster players who have laced’ em up with the “Baseball Wives".

Wednesday nights on VH1. Don’t miss it!

John Rocker Strings Some Words Together... Calls it a "Book"

2011-12-07T20:38:00.001-06:00

Just in time for Christmas...John Rocker is releasing a book.

Matter of fact, baseball's favorite bigot even claims that he wrote at least 98 percent of the book.

"These are John Rocker's words, these are my thoughts, these are my opinions," one-time Atlanta Braves reliever told Macon, Georgia's WMAZ Wednesday night.

Rocker wrote "Scars and Strikes" in response to a 1999 Sports Illustrated article that he says "ruined his good name forever." The book is said to mix "baseball memories with his political and social opinions".

Oh, and what social opinions they are!
On ever playing for a New York team:

I would retire first. It's the most hectic, nerve-racking city. Imagine having to take the [Number] 7 train to the ballpark, looking like you're [riding through] Beirut next to some kid with purple hair next to some queer with AIDS right next to some dude who just got out of jail for the fourth time right next to some 20-year-old mom with four kids. It's depressing.

On New York City itself:

The biggest thing I don't like about New York are the foreigners. I'm not a very big fan of foreigners. You can walk an entire block in Times Square and not hear anybody speaking English. Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and Indians and Russians and Spanish people and everything up there. How the hell did they get in this country?

On one-time Mets manager (and current Boston Red Sox skipper) Bobby Valentine:

The guy is not professional. Could you see [Yankees manager] Joe Torre or Bobby Cox getting thrown out of a game and then putting on a Groucho Marx disguise and sneaking back into the dugout? If a player got kicked out of a game and did that, Joe Torre would probably suspend him for a week. Bobby Cox would probably demand that the player be traded and tell him not to come back to the team. The Mets' manager did it! That, and his college rah-rah s---? I don't like it.

So, do you think Rocker is now naughty or nice? Better question (and not as cliche given the season)...are you going to check out his book?

Stan Musial is Stumping for a Pujols Return

2011-12-07T13:51:00.001-06:00

Add Stan Musial to the long list of Cardinals fans who are hoping slugger Albert Pujols returns St. Louis.

On Thursday, the Hall of Famer took to Twitter (yes, "Stan The Man" is on Twitter...kinda) and posted his support for the three-time MVP.

Your move, Pujols.

Theo Epstein Drop $3.25 Million on a House

2011-12-06T16:36:00.001-06:00

I guess when your new employer throws $20 million your way in hopes to end their century-old curse...you can afford to buy whatever house you want.

Even if you end up paying more than the asking price.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Theo Epstein, the Chicago Cubs new president of baseball operations dropped $3.25 million on his new digs.

The rub...the house was listed at $2,999,999.

The reason (or reasons) for the price hike...an alledged bidding war with Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp. You see, Sharp signed a contract to buy the 7800-square-foot house on September 15, but canceled the contract on October 21...a mere five days before Epstein closed on it.

Of course, we'll never know if it was really a bidding war or, simply, coincidence.

That said...I have a feeling that Epstein really, really wanted to live "just block away from Wrigley Field" and opened his wallet to do so.

Calling All "Contenders"

2011-12-06T10:54:00.001-06:00

Remember the line from "Pulp Fiction" about Elvis and The Beatles?

There are only two kinds of people in the world, Beatles people and Elvis people. Now Beatles people can like Elvis and Elvis people can like the Beatles, but nobody likes them both equally. Somewhere you have to make a choice. And that choice, tells you who you are.

Well...I believe the same could be said about your gaming systems.

I was never a big Nintendo guy...I liked Sega. I prefer my Dr. Pepper over Mr. Pibb, too...but that's a whole different conversation for another time.

Anyway...back to Nintendo people.

Video gaming site Kotaku posted an from an Oklahoma newspaper where an avid fan of the NES game RBI Baseball boasted that he or she (but let's face, it's a dude) cannot be defeated on the classic 8-bit game.

The ad goes on to provide a phone number for "contenders" to call and given the 405 area code...dude is located somewhere around the Oklahoma City area.

***Idea stolen from Deadspin.***

Jose Reyes is Gone...Free Beer!

2011-12-06T09:54:00.001-06:00

So, you're a fan of a team and you buy a shirt of said team's superstar. What do you do when that guy leaves your city and you're left holding wearing an outdated jersey?

Well, if you're a New York Mets fan left with a Jose Reyes jersey...you drink. For free.

You read that right.

Foley's NY Pub and Restaurant is offering fans of the newly inked Miami Marlin a chance to bid adieu to the popular Mets shortstop. The bar is offering up a free beer, champagne or appetizers to fans in exhange for their Reyes jerseys.

“New York baseball is feeling a swirl of emotions as Jose Reyes heads south this winter. We’re giving Mets fans a chance to drown their sorrows, or celebrate, and bid adios to Jose, one of the best and most popular Mets players ever,” said Shaun Clancy, owner of Foley’s. “By doing this, we can have a little fun and donate to clothing drives for people who are less fortunate.”

Not a terrible idea, really. I mean, it sure tops burning his stuff in the streets, doesn't it Cleveland?

Oh...and speaking of old faces in new places that, in turn, magically transform into an old place...can anyone find me a Mike Piazza jersey from his day(s) with the Florida Marlins?

Please.

***Props to The Eddie Kranepool Society for the head's up.***

This Week in Baseball Cards: December 5

2011-12-05T17:01:00.000-06:00

Forking, fighting and Nickelback...that's all I can say about the last week at The Hall.

With that...here's Bo Rosny with This Week in Baseball Cards!

Violence in Harrisburg this week as teens brawled over a Mickey Mantle card. Hope it was a valuable one and not the mass-produced 1987 Hygrade every kid in the 1980s got in their Baseball Card Collecting Kit.

One of the teens in the incident is accused of “forking” the other teen. Seems that would be more appropriate over a card of famous forkballer Mike Lacoss.

In another baseball-related fight, Mrs. Kris Benson threatened the former Mrs. Chuck Knoblauch with a 12-inch dildo. What was unreported was that Hall of Famer Jim Rice quickly rushed in with his own.

And remember, gang, you can check out Bo's daily insights over at his site...Baseball Cards Come to Life.

Ron Santo Get the Call from the Hall

2011-12-05T09:41:00.001-06:00

Since the 2012 Hall of Fame ballot is pretty much a bust, I've actually turned more of my attention to the "Golden Era" (1947-1972) Committee vote.

And after one of the more exciting ballots in the last few years, it was announced Monday that Ron Santo would be, posthumously, joining his peers in Cooperstown.

The Chicago Cubs legend received 15 of the 16 possible votes...12 were needed.

Also on the ballot and receiving votes...Jim Kaat (10), Gil Hodges (9), Minnie Minoso (9) and Tony Oliva (8).

Buzzie Bavasi, Ken Boyer, Charlie Finely, Allie Reynolds and Luis Tiant each recevied three votes.

Santo, who passed away last December, is one of six former Cubs to have his number retired by the team when they celebrated him with the honor in 2003.

Throughout his 15-year career (all but one with the Cubs), the third baseman managed a .277 batting average, 2254 hits and 342 home runs. He brought home a Gold Gloves in five consecutive years (1964-1968) times and was an All-Star nine times.

When Santo first became eligible for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980, he was named on less than 4% of all ballots...meaning he would be removed from subsequent ballots.

In 1985, he was one of several players re-added to the ballot following widespread complaints about overlooked candidates.

After receiving 13% of the vote in 1985, his vote totals increased in 10 of the next 13 years. He received 43% of the vote in his final year played 15 seasons at third base for the Cubs and White Sox.

The "Golden Era" Committee is the second of a three-year cycle of consideration for Managers, Umpires, Executives and Long-Retired Players by Era. Next year, "Pre-Integration Era" Committee candidates will be considered for induction in 2013.

Santo will be inducted in July alongside whoever gets selected by the BBWAA next month.

Pedro Martinez Set to Retire...Finally. Again.

2011-12-03T23:47:00.001-06:00

Stop me if you've heard this one before...Pedro Martinez is set to call it quits.

Or not. Really...who cares anymore?

I mean, we've heard it all from the three-time Cy Young Award winner, haven't we? But this time, apparently...it's legit.

"I'm going to [officially announce it], I'm going to do it. But I want to throw a party too," Martinez told MLB.com. "I want to make it part of every place that I'm going to be remembered and loved by the fans. I'm going to start by doing something in the Dominican, officially signing the papers, probably coming back to Boston and getting something going with you guys."

You're going to read a lot of pieces that highlight Martinez's dominating stretch from 1999 to 2002, but c'mon...why limit it to just those four seasons? If you stretch out that a few years (1997-2003), dude was 118-36 with a 2.20 ERA...those three Cy Young Awards and two second place finishes.

Best seven-years ever? Perhaps.

Overall, the 40-year-old's career spanned 18 big league seasons. He was 219-100 with a 2.93 ERA and 3154 strikeouts with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies.

Martinez last threw a pitch in the 2009 World Series and barring any stupid revelations (fingers crossed), he should be a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame Class of 2015...unless he decides to come back and pitch again.

Again.

Nickelback Goes After Braves Reliever

2011-12-03T19:47:00.001-06:00

I'm going to say it...making fun of Nickelback was a lot more entertaining BEFORE they were in on the joke.

Allow me to explain.

Last month, some Detroit fans protested the band's appearance during the Lions annual Thanksgiving Day beating.

I mean, seriously...why should a Canadian rock band play halftime in, perhaps, the most blue collar city in America during an all-American holiday when a guy like Kid Rock is out there, seemingly, doing nothing?

But the joke was on us. Chad Kroeger and the boys had to go ahead and ruin it...by poking fun at themselves via a video over at Funny or Die.

And...they played halftime.

Now, there's this.

Friday, Atlanta Braves reliever Peter Moylan sent the following tweet out into the Twittersphere.

Note to Nickelback please attend a Foo Fighters concert. That's how's it should be done chad.

Funny and true.

Then, Nickelback responded.

Foos are killer for sure. We're doing just fine too thanks. ? for you Pete, is watching Kimbrel better from the bench or on TV?

Yee-owch.

Now, I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that even Moylan would probably say its better watching the National League Rookie of the Year from the bench versus on television, because, well...front row watching Craig Kimbrel would best anything.

But, the fact that the band even responded, when, well...oh, who am I kidding, it's still a blast to poke fun at Nickelback.

As you were, everyone.

***UPDATE***

Apparently I'm on Nickelback's radar. Shit. Tell my family I love(d) them.

Kid Forks Buddy Over Mickey Mantle Card

2011-12-02T10:59:00.001-06:00

At the conclusion of every baseball season, highlight reels are littered with footage of bench clearing brawls. Heck, I'm sure somewhere there is an MLB Network intern working on a "Prime 9" dedicated to such a topic.

Now, there's a story hitting the wires of a 17-year-old forking his buddy teen over a Mickey Mantle baseball card.

Is the world we live in really that violent?

Here's this from Philly.com (via Deadspin):

A central Pennsylvania teen is facing juvenile charges after he stabbed another teen with a fork in a fight over a baseball card.

The Patriot-News of Harrisburg reports a 17-year-old boy faces assault and harassment charges after jamming the fork into a fellow teen's arm while they fought over a Mickey Mantle baseball card.

Investigators say the victim suffered minor injuries.

Now, I don't know where forks rank on the hierarchy of weapons...but I do know that this incident should probably warrant some sort of honorable mention then next time someone cobbles together a "Stupid Baseball Injuries" list.

Is Bill Buckner Headed Back to Boston?

2011-12-01T23:40:00.001-06:00

More intriguing than the lack of creativity behind the numerous headlines proclaiming Thursday "Valentine's Day" is the possibility Bobby Valentine is open to bringing Bill Buckner in as his hitting coach.

"I respect his every opinion, in baseball and worldy matters," the new Boston skipper said of the former Red Sox first baseman.

But if Valentine and Buckner happen to be paired up in the Red Sox dugout, it won't be the first time they've occupied the same space. The two were college roomates and fraternity brothers while at the University of Southern California as well as teammates in the Dominican Republic and with the Ogden Dodgers in 1968.

Of course, Valentine also told reporters at Thursday's press conference that if he hired Buckner, it wouldn't be about their nearly lifelong friendship...it would be about "who's best for the job".

And qualified Buckner is.

In his 22-year big league career, the mustached one collected 2715 hits, a .289 batting average and never struck out more than 39 times in a season.

Oh, he's also the current manager of the Brockton Rox of the Cam-Am League.

And like that...an entire post about Bill Buckner without once mentioning the 1986 World Series.

Shit.

Mariano Rivera to Have Surgery

2011-12-01T14:15:00.001-06:00

Just before the Thanksgiving holiday...Mariano Rivera disclosed that he might need to have surgery.

But before any of you New York fans get up in arms, the Yankees closer is set to have polyps on his vocal cords removed on Friday.

“I don’t like surgery, but the sooner, the better,” Rivera told reporters gathered at a charity event last week.

Now...if only eBay would revoke their "human remains and body parts policy" the 42-year-old closer, who is set to make just under $15 million next season, could make some money for retirement.

Suffice it to say...this surgery will have zero effect on his pitching and the future Hall of Famer will be fully recovered by the time Spring Training rolls around.

Anna Benson Takes Aim at PETA

2011-12-01T09:54:00.001-06:00

Now that VH1's "Baseball Wives" has debuted as some sort of, wait for it, hit (zing!)...it appears that it's brash star, the animal hating/loving, gun-toting Anna Benson is already hitting the Twitters to take on a predictable foe.

oh no I am so afraid. PETA is boring and tired and liars. I hope they hate me half as much F*CK U PETA

Yup...the dildo-wielding wife of former pitcher Kris Benson is taking on PETA.

Not a surprise really if you watched the show Wednesday night. Anna hit up a furrier to purchase a gift for fellow baseball wife Chantel "actually the ex-wife of Jason" Kendall and, naturally, one for herself.

Included in what she was looking for...a stole with a head for a hood. Now, I searched online and, honestly, I'm not even sure that exists!

This should be an awesome fight to watch play out.