Baseball

Not since the days of Corey Patterson have the Cubs had a clear cut center fielder. This search is finally over, with the Cubs singing 32-year-old Marlon Byrd to a 3-year, $15 million deal.

On New Year's Eve, almost exactly a year after Chicago last signed a free agent outfielder away from the Texas Rangers, the Cubs try again with Marlon Byrd.

The Cubs announced Thursday that they have agreed to a three-year, $15 million deal with Byrd.

Byrd's a nice complimentary player. As Danny Sisto will tell you, he'll play at least above average defense and will hit the ball fairly well. Last year in Texas, he hit 20 home runs and drove in 89 runs.

In the summer of 2008, Decatur, GA product Xavier Avery found himself in a very precarious situation. The two-way star could have signed a letter of intent to play football at the University of Georgia, where he would have led a very talented backfield.

It seems hard to believe, but we are almost to the year 2010. And with any impending new decade, it seems only fair to look back on the best of the previous 10 years.

So with that, I present my Top 10 picks from each position between the years 2000-2009: Second basemen.

As with any ranking, there will always be snubs. I welcome any comments suggesting players that may have been left off this list.

Begin Slideshow

According to MLBTR , the Phillies have signed first baseman and corner outfielder Tagg Bozied.

Bozied batted .288/.360/.447 while hitting five home run and driving in 18 runs in 240 plate appearances last season playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates' Triple A affiliate, the Indianapolis Indians, after starting the year in Taiwan.

Originally posted on: BringingHeat.com

After long-exploring multiple trade and free agent options, the Chicago Cubs finally decided to sign 32-year old Marlon Byrd. Bruce Levine of ESPN reports that it will be a three-year contract worth $15 million.

Byrd didn't hit his stride offensively until reaching Texas, having struggled previously in Washington and Philadelphia. Things changed when he became a Texas Ranger though.

Ok, so I've spent a few blog postings whining about how Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane knows as much about baseball as ESPN columnist Rick Reilly (who famously has whined about how boring baseball is despite getting euphoric about that wonderful cure for insomnia, golf). I've also worried about Houston's off-season moves and how creamed cauliflower will have a better 2010 than the 'Stros will.

Today, we take an acrostic look at what Richard Zowie (that's me) thinks will happen to the Astros in 2010:

The 2000’s were a roller coaster of a decade for Cubs fans. From the excitement of the 2003 playoffs and the 97 win season in 2008, to the disappointment of the Bartman-led collapse and the futile effort against the Dodgers, there were many ups and downs.