Baseball

Excessive Politics and Subjectivity in Uneven Voting Process

When someone asks me if so-and-so should be in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, I have always stuck to my rule of thumb:

If you can't say yes in three seconds, the guy doesn't belong.

It's that simple, yet every year we argue about who belongs and who doesn't.

This year, Andre Dawson got in and Roberto Alomar did not. How could that be? How does Dawson get in and Roger Maris and Dale Murphy not?

Matt Kemp and Rihanna are still in Mexico, and they don't care who knows it. The two were romantically linked earlier this week, and those reports seem to be right on the money judging by these latest pics. The two are pulling no punches, and have no problem playing to the camera. The life of a professional baseball player, and that of a pop princess. Does it get any better than this?

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As some of us Sox fans might remember, the Evil Empire outbid the Red Sox all of last winter and, in turn, won itself another World Series. Many people, myself included, figured that the Sox would end up responding this year.

Well, my friends, it appears that is not the case. With issues at the dish last year, names like Jason Bay and Matt Holliday on the market, and plenty of revenue, the Sox seemingly downgraded their lineup this year.

So it seems that the Braves are probably done for the offseason with the Hinske and Glaus signings.

Time for Frank Wren's off-season grades.

Starting Pitcher :

The offseason started out with signing Hudson to a three-year, $28 million extension. Below market value for Hudson, a great leader in the clubhouse and community. The type of player the Braves want to build around.

Unfortunately, once the Braves signed Hudson to an extension, they were put into a position where they needed to trade Lowe or Vazquez.

Over the past week, talks between the Minnesota Twins and left-handed starting pitcher Jarrod Washburn have begun to heat up.

Scott Miller of CBSSports.com  reported on Tuesday that the Twins made an offer to the lefty but the figures of the deal had not yet been disclosed. 

As the Aroldis Chapman sweepstakes heat up, one thing has become a bit more clear:  Chapman will not be signing with the Yankees, Mets, or Astros.  Chapman is set to decide on a club very soon, and these three clubs have fallen out of contention for the flame-throwing Cuban lefty.

Three doors have been shut.  Which means three more have opened.  Behind door No. 3 stands Boston GM Theo Epstein.  Behind door No. 2 stands Florida GM Michael Hill, and occupying door No. 1 is Anaheim GM Tony Reagins. 

Let's take a look at door No. 2, shall we? 

What's the potential of the Pirates in 2010?
Let's take a look in this preview around the bases.

All projected stats are based solely on myself. A stat you may not recognize is home run percentage. This equation is simple it's at bats divided by home runs hit. In doing calculations for 2010 previous years are taken into account along with the possibility of improvement.

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Paula Volpoff loves the Cleveland Indians.

She suffered through the early 1950s, when great Cleveland teams were edged out by the slightly better, or as she says, "luckier," Yankees.

Volpoff vividly recalls what happened to the Yankees in 1954.