How was Sparky Anderson only 76 years old?

The Blue Jays will get a draft pick for him if another team signs him. They pretty much bought an extra pick in the draft.

I want Lee but I'm afraid that he's going to want 6 years or something ridiculous.

Sad news to hear about Sparky Anderson.

<font color=goldenrod>Hisanori Takahashi will not return to the Mets in 2011 :(

Gonna miss him, but I applaud Sandy for not caving in and giving a multi-year deal to a reliever who will be 36 by Opening Day</font>

yea, I thought Sparky was in his 90's. his hair was white in his 30's.

that's what I'm thinking.

<font color=goldenrod>Mets are interviewing a shitload of candidates for manager. Seems like teams rarely interview this many guys:

Wally Backman*
Terry Collins*
Chip Hale*
Clint Hurdle
Dave Jauss*
Bob Melvin*
Ken Oberkfell*
Don Wakamatsu

* = Internal candidate

A lot of internal interviews, which is fine as there aren't too many external choices I'd want (I heard Ken Macha mentioned but thankfully he hasn't set up an interview) plus I figure the new GM wants to talk to everybody currently in the organization.

Backman is the one I want most, but the only ones I really don't want are Melvin or Collins.

Unfortunately, I feel like Melvin is the front-runner along with Hurdle and Wakamatsu. Sounds like Alderson wants a manager with recent big league managing experience so they are the only ones that fit. I guess I have to trust him...but ugh, Melvin.</font>

Open Season on all free agents kicks off in roughly 8 hours.

CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!

<font color=goldenrod>So glad they changed the rules this year. There used to be a period of like 2 weeks after the World Series where teams had exclusive rights to sign their free agents. Would be boring as hell, glad it got shrunk to 5.</font>

Giants want to resign Huff and Uribe but won't do it as soon as free agency starts since they want to see how much interest both players have to return with the team.

Jeter will enter free agency just to raise his new contract's value since one of the problems involve the Yankees refusing to let him match the age A-Rod is allowed (39 vs 42) and a clause that demotes him in the lineup.

Cliff Lee is expected to only last until the December meetings before being delt and the Yankees are going to be the first team to talk to him the minute free agency starts.

Bidding for the services for Hisashi Iwakuma has closed. And reports are coming out that the Rangers, Mariners, and the A's have submitted bids. The Golden Eagles were looking for $16-$17 mil. to talk, and Iwakuma prefers the west coast.

Tigers and Jhonny Peralta are close to a 2-year, $11.25 mil. deal.

And finally, the Astros have came out and said they won't try to bring Lance Berkman back.

Looking at his stats- should be able to teach the fine art of striking out and not walking. Not that anyone could help the Orioles anyway

I'm still totally pissed the Cubs hired Quade and not Sandberg. Super pissed. Again, not that anyone could help the Cubs.

It's mind-boggling. Sandberg asks Hendry what he has to do in order to someday manage the Cubs, so he starts managing Class A ball, moves up to Doble A, then goes to Triple A, takes the team to the playoffs, gets named Manager of the Year...and then when the managerial opening materlializes...he doesn't get the job. It's a slap to the face, really. He's a former All Star, is a Hall of Famer, spent his whole career with the Cubs, yet they don't even give him a chance.

Anybody wanna play tpww Free Agent Frenzy? Choose where you think these guys will wind up.

Cliff Lee
Carl Crawford
Jayson Werth
Adrian Beltre
Adam Dunn
Victor Martinez
Rafael Soriano
Mariano Rivera
Derek Jeter
Paul Konerko
Hiroki Kuroda
Jorge de la Rosa
Carl Pavano
Jake Westbrook
Aubrey Huff
Juan Uribe
Carlos Pena
Jim Thome
Vlad Guerrero
Manny Ramirez
Magglio Ordonez
Orlando Hudson
Derrek Lee
Lance Berkman
Andy Pettite
John Buck
Javier Vazquez
Brian Fuentes
Adam LaRoche
Brandon Webb
Miguel Tejada
Jason Varitek

Include some other ones you can think of.

Cliff Lee - Cleveland
Carl Crawford - Kansas City
Jayson Werth - San Diego
Adrian Beltre - Washington
Adam Dunn - Seattle
Victor Martinez - Japan
Rafael Soriano - Milwaukee
Mariano Rivera - Oakland
Derek Jeter - Pittsburgh
Paul Konerko - Isn't he dead?
Hiroki Kuroda - Milwaukee
Jorge de la Rosa - Toronto
Carl Pavano - San Diego
Jake Westbrook - Dodgers
Aubrey Huff - Retired
Juan Uribe - San Francisco
Carlos Pena - White Sox
Jim Thome - Arizona
Vlad Guerrero - Retires
Manny Ramirez - Pittsburgh
Magglio Ordonez - Kansas City
Orlando Hudson - Arizona
Derrek Lee - Cubs
Lance Berkman - Seattle
Andy Pettite - Kansas City
John Buck - Toronto
Javier Vazquez - Detroit
Brian Fuentes - Florida
Adam LaRoche - Detroit
Brandon Webb - Kansas City
Miguel Tejada - Toronto
Jason Varitek - San Francisco

Some of those are joke answers, some are not.

Figure out which ones!

The FA class is loaded this year. I need to Cubs to make a run at Jayson Werth. I dont think they'll get Cliff Lee, but Werth is a PTP'er as Vitale would say. Move Tyler Colvin ( the F'ing man ) to 1st base and put Werth in RF. Ship Kosuke back to japan.

I look forward to the Dodgers not doing ANYTHING even though we have 20 more million to spend this offseason.

A's win the bidding for Hisashi Iwakuma.

Mets hire Paul DePodesta as V.P. of Scouting and Player Development.

Jon Miller and Joe Morgan out as the announce team for Sunday Night Baseball. About time Morgan got the axe. Miller is ok, I guess.

the "Fire Joe Morgan" campaign won out.

Joe Morgan, Wade Phillips, who's next to go? Norv Turner better watch his ass

Mets making some nice front office moves.

Hall of Fame Veterans Committee ballot has been released.

THE BOSS George M. Steinbrenner III
Billy Martin
Marvin Miller
Vida Blue
Dave Concepcion
Steve Garvey
Ron Guidry
Tommy John
Al Oliver
Ted Simmons
Rusty Staub
Pat Gillick

<font color=goldenrod>Liking the front office moves the Mets have made. Also liking the way Alderson has been up front about the fact that he won't be spending much money this offseason. I don't blame him. Next offseason will be fun with the horrendous Perez and Castillo contracts off the books, plus Beltran and likely K-Rod.</font>

The Boss and Marvin Miller should both be in. Can't see any of those players getting in. I guess Tommy John is famous for his surgery and he did win 288 games. I don't think he's in though. Feels way too much like a "counting stats" guy, who didn't even reach the big 300.

Billy Martin was a great manager, I'm a Yankee fan though so of course I am sort of biased towards him. Definitely a "famous" figure in baseball though. Lots of demons that kind of work against him.

Vida Blue had some HOF quality years but not enough of them. Concepcion was a great shortstop but not great enough. Steve Garvey is solid but doesn't have any of the numbers. Gator had some filthy years but again, not enough of them. No way Al Oliver or Rusty Staub have a chance. Ted Simmons maybe because he's a catcher with decent numbers and a lot of longevity which counts a lot at such a physically demanding position. I still don't think he's a HoFer though.

Pat Gillick maybe has a chance. Kind of hard to evalute GMs for the HOF. He pretty much made baseball in Canada, putting together those great Blue Jay teams wthat won 2 World Series, oversaw the Orioles before they started to suck, lead the Mariners to their ridiculous 120 win season and won another World Series with the Phillies, who are now an NL juggernaut. Not a bad GM to consider... pretty much everything he has touched has turned into absolute gold.

If Pat Gillick doesn't get into the Hall of Fame then the Hall of Fame is really dumb.

Cliff Lee - Yankees
Carl Crawford - Angels
Jayson Werth - Red Sox
Adrian Beltre - Red Sox
Adam Dunn - Cubs
Victor Martinez - Red Sox
Rafael Soriano - Diamondbacks
Mariano Rivera - Yankees
Derek Jeter - Yankees
Paul Konerko - White Sox
Hiroki Kuroda - Dodgers
Jorge de la Rosa - Nationals
Carl Pavano - Twins
Jake Westbrook - Cardinals
Aubrey Huff - Giants
Juan Uribe - Giants
Carlos Pena - Nationals
Jim Thome - Rangers
Vlad Guerrero - Rays
Manny Ramirez - A's
Magglio Ordonez - White Sox
Orlando Hudson - Cardinals
Derrek Lee - Orioles
Lance Berkman - Blue Jays
Andy Pettite - Yankees
John Buck - Blue Jays
Javier Vazquez - Nationals
Brian Fuentes - Pirates
Adam LaRoche - Orioles
Brandon Webb - Nationals
Miguel Tejada - Padres
Jason Varitek - Red Sox

Moreso the vets who get to vote on this ballot, Legend.

Which is made up of:

Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Whitey Herzog, Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer, Tony Perez, Frank Robinson, Ryne Sandberg and Ozzie Smith are on the veterans committee with Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, Baltimore Orioles President Andy MacPhail, former Phillies owner Bill Giles, Royals owner David Glass, Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun, Tim Kurkjian of ESPN, Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated and retired Los Angeles Times reporter Ross Newhan.

:( this sucks. really liked both of them. they've been there forever that it will be weird watching without them.

yea, and no player on that HOF list is really worthy enough to get in

ESPN source inside the Yankees are saying the team will overpay for Jeter and expect it to be a "Ryan Howard"/mega-bucks type boost compared to his declining stats.

Red Sox officially join the Jayson Werth bidding war and expect to go hard to get him after other teams joined in the bidding. If they do get him, Cameroon might end up as the 4th outfielder or Ellsbury gets released since he's in arbitration.

Former Mariners manager, Wakamatsu, joins the Blue Rays for next season.

Wow, horrible. It won't be the same watching Sunday Night Basebll without those two.

Regarding the Veteran's Committee Hall of Fame Ballot, it would only be fitting that George Steinbrenner goes in with Billy Martin.

What the hell. How can Santo not be on the Veteran's Committee ballot? Fucking hate the Hall.

It's going to be very, very sad if Ron Santo dies and THEN gets elected to the HOF, after all the heartache he has gone through the last couple of years trying to get in and not getting the nod. If he doesn't get elected when he's alive, and when he's able to actually attend the Induction Ceremony, and when he's able to see the fruits of his patience, then they shouldn't elect him at all after he dies, because it would have no sense. Same goes for Pete Rose, by the way.

Reds are going to give Arroyo two more years on his deal for about $26 million. Ehhhhhhh I'm not so sure. I love Bronson and everything he brings to the table, but $13 million a year seems really expensive for a guy who's going to be 37 at the end of the deal and it's entirely possible that in two years he won't even be one of the 5 best starting pitchers on the team.

that seems like a lot for Arroyo

Derek Lowe is owed $30 mil over the next 2 years and is 38. The Braves are looking to trade him. Are there any teams looking at Lowe.

I mean I know he is old and has a horrible contract, but the guy is still a decent pitcher. Since he was a relief pitcher in the beginning of his career, he doesn't have as much stress on his arm that a normal 38 year old pitcher has.