Below are the 11 most recent journal entries recorded in angelsevents' LiveJournal:

Monday, January 29th, 2007
6:45 pm	January 9, 2007 - Brad Strauss Q&A set for 1/16 Brad Strauss in a 2003 photo pulled out of the archives Strauss Next To Do Q&A: Brad Strauss of the Camden Riversharks will be the next participant in our Inside the Atlantic League series. The 2003 AL Batting Champ will be stopping by on January 16th at 4PM to answer fans questions. To send in a question for Brad, use MASHMORE@PATRIOTSBASEBALL.COM and fire away. I expect a strong turnout from our Riversharks fan base on this one, as well as Ducks fans who remember Brad from his stay there. January 19th Q&A: Which Atlantic League player will be participating in a Q&A at 2PM on the 19th? Check back tomorrow for the details. Two Patriots Sign Affiliated Deals: One of these moves might surprise you, the other might not. C Fernando Lunar and P Jeff Urban have signed minor league deals with the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants, respectively. Both players have previous experience in their respective organizations, with Lunar playing in the big leagues for Atlanta and Urban spending a few years in the Giants minor-league system. The Lunar move was somewhat surprising, as he abruptly left the Patriots towards the end of the season. Furthermore, his performance didn't seem to warrant a return to affiliated ball, as he hit just .193 with two home runs and 18 RBI last season. Not to rip the guy, but I'm constantly amazed that there are guys who consistently put up good numbers in the Atlantic League that can't get a look in affiliated ball. As for Urban, who stands roughly eight feet tall (OK fine, he's 6' 8"), the lefty performed well in a variety of roles for Somerset last season. He finished with a 3-1 record and 3.23 ERA, recovering nicely after allowing four earned runs in his first two innings pitched with the team. He joined the team as a middle reliever, but was eventually forced into the starting rotation at the end of the year. Moss Invited To Spring Training: P Damian Moss, who spent part of 2006 with the Long Island Ducks, was one of 26 players the San Francisco Giants extended a non-roster invite to for Spring Training. Moss will be joined by INF Tomas De La Rosa, who played for the Nashua Pride before they joined the Can-Am League. Speaking of Nashua... Mr. Rojas Goes To Washington: The Nashua Pride announced they sold the contract of C Tommy Rojas to the Washington Nationals. Rojas and Elliott Ayala joined Somerset in a "trade" with Nashua at the end of 2006. The Pride Is Back: Curtis Pride, the only man in Atlantic League history to wear his last name on the front of his jersey when he played for Nashua, re-signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Rocha To Northern League: Juan Rocha, who most recently played in the Atlantic League for Bridgeport, inked a deal with the Schaumburg Flyers of the Northern League today. - Mike Ashmore, mashmore@patriotsbaseball.com (Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 26th, 2006
5:35 pm	Boston Bullpen Better Now! From the Globe, charting the Red Sox 2006/2007 pursuit of everything.....JOIN THE RIDE!! "The Red Sox today announced that the team has acquired righthanded pitcher Brendan Donnelly from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in exchange for lefthanded pitcher Phil Seibel. The Red Sox released the following details on the announcement: Donnelly, 35, has compiled a 23-8 record and a 2.87 ERA with 295 strikeouts in 295 innings over 276 relief appearances with the Angels in the last five seasons. His .742 winning percentage in that span ranks as the best among all major league relievers with at least 20 decisions. He has 20 victories in the last three years, tied for the third most relief wins in the majors from 2004-06." Peter here. From my keyboard plea for bullpen help earlier this afternoon, and many other times, to REALITY! Scary! ENJOY........ (Comment on this)
Thursday, November 2nd, 2006
1:11 pm	War on Christmas update Victory!.. uhh... Tree lighting gets new name By Sarah Day Owen Assistant Campus Editor After forming a committee and holding two open forums over an 11-month span, SGA announced this week that the new name of the former Holiday Tree Lighting will be “Holiday Celebration featuring the Lighting of the Christmas Tree.” Wes Bonds, spokesman for the Holiday Tree Lighting/Holiday Celebration committee, said the committee got a lot of ideas from the two open forums. “We wanted to find (a name) to encompass everything going on,” Bonds said. The generic term “holiday” can include New Year’s Day, Diwali, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and Thanksgiving. I for one am glad the Holiday Tree Lighting/Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Committee was able to come up with a name that was awkward not in the least. (Comment on this)
Friday, September 29th, 2006
7:43 am	Randomization: 08/22/06 Get this crap off my television. I'm not one to get into discussions about things like "what baseball games get on national TV". It's not because I don't think it's a worthy issue (after all, we're talking about sports here, so there isn't much that can't be fairly brought up and discussed). It's just not something that needs to be brought up every 30 seconds. But I've had enough. I've finally been driven to the point of no return when it comes to Major League Baseball. Here is the national television schedule for the current NFL preseason from NFL.com (not counting delayed broadcasts on NFL Network): Sunday, Aug. 6 Oakland vs. Philadelphia (HOF Game) (NBC, 8 p.m. ET) Thursday, Aug. 10 Indianapolis at St. Louis (FOX, 8 p.m. ET) Friday, Aug. 11 New England at Atlanta (CBS, 8 p.m. ET) Saturday, Aug. 12 Pittsburgh at Arizona (NFL Network, 4 p.m. ET) Sunday, Aug. 13 Washington at Cincinnati (NBC, 8 p.m. ET) Monday, Aug. 14 Oakland at Minnesota (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET) Thursday, Aug. 17 Kansas City at N.Y. Giants (FOX, 8 p.m. ET) Friday, Aug. 18 San Diego at Chicago (CBS, 8 p.m. ET) Saturday, Aug. 19 Arizona at New England (NFL Network, 8 p.m. ET) Sunday, Aug. 20 Seattle at Indianapolis (NBC, 8 p.m. ET) Monday, Aug. 21 Dallas at New Orleans (Shreveport, La.) (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET) Thursday, Aug. 24 Miami at Carolina (FOX, 8 p.m. ET) Friday, Aug. 25 Pittsburgh at Philadelphia (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET) Saturday, Aug. 26 Tampa Bay at Jacksonville (CBS, 8 p.m. ET) Sunday, Aug. 27 Houston at Denver (NFL Network, 8 p.m. ET) Monday, Aug. 28 Green Bay at Cincinnati (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET) 16 games. 24 of the 32 NFL teams featured. Repeat appearances for Cincinnati, New England, and Pittsburgh, three playoff teams from 2005, along with recent Super Bowl participants Oakland and Philadelphia. Arizona got two live games on NFL Network, with one of them being against media darling New England, and the other being the opening of their new stadium against the reigning and defending champions. It could always be better, but this is pretty good. Now, here is a month's worth of games scheduled to air on FOX Saturday Baseball. These are the only baseball games scheduled to air on over-the-air network television on a national level. Every market gets one game per week. Saturday, August 12, 2006 1 p.m. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at New York Yankees Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox Detroit Tigers at Chicago White Sox 4 p.m. San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday, August 19, 2006 1 p.m. New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs 4 p.m. Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres Saturday, August 26, 2006 1 p.m. Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals Washington Nationals at Atlanta Braves 4 p.m. New York Yankees at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Saturday, September 16, 2006 1 p.m. Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees Florida Marlins at Atlanta Braves 4 p.m. San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals Philadelphia Phillies at Houston Astros For good measure, here is the ESPN schedule from the last week and for this week: Wednesday, August 16 Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox Thursday, August 17 Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers Friday, August 18 New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox Sunday, August 20 New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox Monday, August 21 New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres Wednesday, August 23 Chicago White Sox at Detroit Tigers Thursday, August 24 St. Louis Cardinals at New York Mets Sunday, August 27 Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals 23 total games. 19 of 30 teams are featured. The best part? Four teams with winning records, including AL West-leading Oakland, combine for ZERO appearances. One of them, Minnesota, just went head-to-head with the White Sox for three games, and they meet again this weekend. Six games featuring the top two teams in the AL Wild Card race, and none of them are televised nationally. Meanwhile, seven sub-.500 teams make national television appearances. Just what I want to see on a Saturday afternoon. The 59-65 Braves against the 54-71 Nationals. The Yankees are featured in nearly one-third of those games. The Red Sox are on in seven games. The Cubs, inexplicably, are featured three times, one more time than the cross-town rival White Sox, who have a noticeably better record. Baseball's best team, the Tigers, are on four times. The National League's best team, the New York Mets, are on once. And when you decide to hate on ESPN for their selections (which admittedly suck), look for a few moments at FOX's games. When they're not busy jamming the Yankees and/or Red Sox down everyone's throat, they're torturing Midwest viewers by continually airing Cubs games, even though the Cubs are absolutely wretched. Maybe you'll get lucky this week and get that Braves-Nationals game instead. That oughta be a barnburner. No wonder the Blue Jays can't keep up. The Shea Hillenbrand thing happened. When it did, people talked about it and moved on. (Hillenbrand was DFAed by Toronto after he got into a heated argument with Jays manager John Gibbons that ended with Gibbons challenging Hillenbrand to a fight.) But when the manager and a player get into an argument that ends with the manager getting a bloody nose, people aren't going to be so quick to move on. The Blue Jays have problems. Last night, starting pitcher Ted Lilly didn't like being taken out of the game. He got into it with Gibbons, and the argument spilled into the tunnel between the dugout and clubhouse, where things apparently got physical. Gibbons ended up with a bloody nose, but said after the game that he talked things over with Lilly. Team president Paul Godfrey said he doesn't think either man will be disciplined. Huh? Your manager got into a physical altercation with a player - in a public setting of all places - and you don't think discipline is necessary? I'm not calling for a trade or a firing here, but to say that no discipline is necessary is a joke. Happy Madden-oliday! Today marks the national release of Madden NFL 07, the latest edition of EA Sports' signature video game. The popularity of video games, and even the popularity of sports video games, can be, in part, credited to this game. As usual, early reviews are mixed, though it's hard to imagine that the game will be a bigger disappointment than last year, when the only significant changes were the "passing cones" that were strangely conceived and somewhat difficult for the non-hardcare gamers (they were also optional, so you didn't have to master the concept) and the emphasis on the passing game (cover boy was Donovan McNabb). They are emphasizing the run this year, featuring Seattle running back Shaun Alexander on the cover. The major change is the ability to take control of the lead blocker on running plays. One of the minor changes, allowing QBs to scramble without taking down the passing icons (makes throwing on the run and evading the pass rush more effective) is similar to one made in the NCAA 07 game. I'm not going to tell you to go buy the game because I'm not sure I'm going to buy it yet. But chances are that most Madden junkies are going to buy the game, many of them today, whether I tell them to or not. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 29th, 2006
6:35 pm	MLB: White Sox Trounce Cardinals By VOA Sports 22 June 2006 The Chicago White Sox of the American League put on another show of offensive firepower for the second straight game in their 13-5 win over the National League's St. Louis Cardinals during major league baseball's interleague play Wednesday.   A day after their 20-6 rout over the Cardinals, the White Sox went on another offensive tear, scoring nine runs in the first two innings. Chicago ended with a total of 16 hits, including home runs from Paul Konerko, Jim Thome, Joe Crede and Juan Uribe.   Wednesday's other interleague winners included Milwaukee, the Los Angeles Angels, Boston, the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Baltimore, Houston, Kansas City, the Chicago Cubs, San Diego, Oakland and Seattle.   In the only scheduled league game, the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Mets 6-5.   The Milwaukee Brewers achieved a 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers, ending the Tigers' six-game winning streak. The Los Angeles Angels beat the San Francisco Giants 6-3. The Boston Red Sox routed the Washington Nationals 9-3, as David Ortiz hit a grand slam home run and rookie pitcher Jon Lester struck out 10 of Washington's batters in six innings.   The New York Yankees got a 5-0 shutout victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays eked out a 3-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Toronto Blue Jays downed the Atlanta Braves 6-3.  The once-mighty Braves have now lost nine consecutive games, and 19 of their last 22.   The Baltimore Orioles shut out the Florida Marlins 4-0. The Houston Astros beat the Minnesota Twins 5-3, snapping Minnesota's eight-game winning streak. The Kansas City Royals defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-4. The Chicago Cubs got eight runs in the third inning and went on to beat the Cleveland Indians 9-2.    The San Diego Padres eked out a 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers. The Oakland Athletics beat the Colorado Rockies 3-2 in 11 innings.  And the Seattle Mariners downed the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-5.   Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters. This story originally ran at VOANews.com This story was originally posted here. (Comment on this)
Friday, August 18th, 2006
11:39 am	I left work early yesterday and took Anonymous Son to the Angels ... I left work early yesterday and took Anonymous Son to the Angels game, way out in Anaheim. I don't know why. I don't know why they call themselves the Los Angeles Angels now. No one in Los Angeles gets on the 5 and drives through that traffic to get out to Anaheim to see the Angels play. They're no more Los Angeles than the valley is. I mentioned to a few associates that I was going to see the game, while I gave them an assignment to keep them in the office all night, and they looked at me like I was crazy. They didn't even know where Anaheim was. Never heard of it. I only knew because I had to do document review out there as an associate once, for some client in the middle of some industrial park out in the sticks. I don't who these people were at the game. They weren't from Los Angeles, and they didn't look like lawyers. Well, some of them were probably from the city. Like Dodgers fans, they left the game in the sixth inning to beat the traffic back, even though there's never any traffic going back, it's just getting out of the city at 5:00. Because Anonymous Son was with me, I didn't even need to use the blow-up doll I have for the passenger seat so I can use the HOV lane and save some time. I love the HOV lanes. Very smart move by the state. The Angels won, although a 9th inning rally from the Indians made it close. Anonymous Son wanted a funnel cake. I didn't let him get one. It's a nice stadium out there. They renovated it a few years ago. Added a waterfall to the outfield, some fireworks when an Angel hits a home run. I think we should have vendors in the office who go around the halls giving away drinks and food. It would be really convenient to not have to get up to get something to eat. I'm going to bring it up at the next partner meeting. Since I got last minute tickets, they were pretty high up, but I gave an usher a $20 to let us sneak into the good seats, so it wasn't like I had to expose Anonymous Son to any poor people. My wife and I are trying to keep him away from those for as long as I can, to keep him unspoiled. Unspoiled may be the wrong word. Untainted. Unspoiled is harder. I sent an e-card to the incoming class of associates, just a week away from the Bar Exam. I hope they appreciated it. You can send one here, from me, to your colleagues taking the bar exam too. I thought it would be a nice service to provide, save you from having to write your own. I'm hoping for some failures this year. Not that it's good for the firm, but it's just so much fun to know. To watch someone wandering the halls, knowing he's thinking about how everyone around him knows he failed the bar. It's one of the highlights of the year. (Comment on this)
Friday, August 11th, 2006
10:58 am	Can you figure this team out? One of our intrepid CCT columists made his way to McAfee Coliseum on Thursday, and his initial hunch was that he'd be writing about why the A's are always so unbeatable in August. Six straight wins, the apparent thawing of the offense, and an impressive comeback on Tuesday seemed to underscore his idea. Then the home nine came out and laid a 14-0 stink-bomb against the Texas Rangers. This is how it goes with these guys. The minute you think you have your hand around them, they go and do something that has you questioning everything. Of course, this one could be chalked up to a lousy afternoon by Barry Zito, and he was entitled to one. He hadn't been cuffed around like this since Opening Night. That said, it remains difficult to handicap the A's chances heading into the final 6 1/2 weeks. They've gotten fat on the Seattle Mariners (they've beaten them 12 straight times), and they've always played no worse than even against the Texas Rangers. They rarely score runs against the Los Angeles Angels, but they do enough to win about half the one-run decisions those teams play annually. Put all of that together, and what you have is a team with the parts in place to win the AL West. What you also have is a team that still is flawed _ good right-handed pitching still tends to shut the A's down. Where it all leads probably won't be determined until the final two weekends, when the A's face the Angels seven times. Until then, enjoy the ride. (Comment on this)
Thursday, August 3rd, 2006
6:00 pm	A Few Random Thoughts Sorry for the delay in writing... Beth and I took her brother to Boston for his 18th b-day. He's a big Red Sox fan and we saw them beat the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (worst sports team name in the world) in 11 innings. We didn't get to do anything nature-related and I passed on an attempt at the nearby Black-tailed Godwit at Parker River NWR. It hadn't been reported in a few days, so I passed. It hasn't been reported since Sat., so I don't feel so bad. Just some random notes for today: Rick Wright posted a nice review of Beadle and Rising's new book Tanagers, Cardinals, and Finches. Thanks to Birdchaser for this story of a hawk that was shot with an arrow. What the heck is wrong with people? If I found the guy who did this, that arrow would be somewhere unpleasant. A participant on a recent field trip sent me this article about the insane invasion of butterflies in South Texas. It's worth a click just for the picture. Two Yankees Fans Being Incognito (Comment on this)
Monday, July 31st, 2006
9:57 pm	Baseball Notebook and Etcetera Bonds Not Indicted Hits 721st Homer Barry Bonds is not indicted and hits his 721st homer the same day. He may not ever admit it but his chances of going into Hall of Fame may depend on how his legal problems unravel in the coming months and years. Bonds is arrogant enough to think this will all pass away and he will take his place in Cooperstown. If he is convicted of a felony his chances of getting into the hallowed halls of the Hall of Fame will be reduced to slim and none. Greg Anderson is the key to whether Bonds is convicted and has done jail time to avoid testifying to whether Bonds lied to the grand jury. If he testifies that Bonds took steroids on specific dates it will be the death knell for Bonds and his baseball career. Bonds may have captured the attention of baseball fans everywhere with his 73 homer season but at what price. He may have traded a few years of prodigious home run numbers for a prison cell if Greg Anderson explains the doping schedule on the calendars that were seized by law enforcement officials and proving beyond a doubt that Bonds knew exactly what he was taking and it wasn’t flaxseed oil but undetectable steroids. So for now Bonds can continue to play baseball and possibly even break the record of Hank Aaron for lifetime homers of 755 but even more likely is that he will be convicted of a felony before that ever happens. Trade Rumors From Sportsline.com Team by Team Arizona Diamondbacks Updated:07/18/2006 The Cleveland Plain Dealer writes the Diamondbacks have sent a scout to follow the Indians this week. It is believed Arizona has its eyes on pitcher Jake Westbrook. Atlanta Braves Updated:07/14/2006 According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Braves are interested in Padres setup man Scott Linebrink. Baltimore Orioles Updated:07/19/2006 The Baltimore Sun reports the Orioles and Phillies have held discussions about sending Rodrigo Lopez to Philadelphia in exchange for either Bobby Abreu or Pat Burrell. ... Jim Duquette, Baltimore's vice president of baseball operations, told the Washington Post there was no truth to the rumor the Orioles are planning to trade Lopez to the New York Mets. Boston Red Sox Updated:07/19/2006 According to the Providence Journal, the Red Sox may be willing to move Wily Mo Pena in exchange for a pitcher. The Cubs and Nationals have contacted Boston about the outfielder. Chicago Cubs Updated:07/19/2006 The latest rumor involving Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux, as published in the Daily Southtown, has the former Cy Young winner returning to Atlanta. Chicago White Sox Updated:07/19/2006 GM Ken Williams said there have been no takers for reliever Cliff Pollite, who was designated for assignment on Sunday, the Daily Southtown reports. ... The Chicago Tribune says Williams does not have any meetings planned between front office personnel and professional scouts before the trade deadline. ... According to the Daily Herald, the White Sox may consider trading for Philadelphia's Tom Gordon or Pittsburgh's Roberto Hernandez. Cleveland Indians Updated:07/18/2006 If the Indians decide to trade Jake Westbrook, they would want a power-hitting outfielder in return, says the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Colorado Rockies Updated:07/19/2006 The Rockies are working on a deal that would send Ray King to the Red Sox for Julian Tavarez, says the Rocky Mountain News. ... The Denver Post says Colorado is also interested in Boston's Rudy Seanez and Atlanta's Jorge Sosa. Detroit Tigers Updated:07/20/2006 The Tigers are reportedly in the running to acquire Washington's Alfonso Soriano, but White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen told the Chicago Sun-Times he heard the asking price was Justin Verlander and Joel Zumaya. Florida Marlins Updated:07/12/2006 The Dontrelle Willis front remains quiet, the Sun-Sentinel reports. Although several teams talked with the Marlins regarding the lefty, Florida was quick to reject any offers. Houston Astros Updated:07/16/2006 The Astros are shopping Willy Tavares and the Cubs and Marlins have shown interest, says the Chicago Tribune. Kansas City Royals Updated:07/17/2006 It is believed the Royals are going to be big sellers before the trade deadline by moving veterans Reggie Sanders, Matt Stairs, Mark Grudzielanek and possibly Mark Redman, says the Boston Globe. Los Angeles Angels Updated:07/20/2006 The Riverside Press Enterprise says the Angels will start shopping second baseman Adam Kennedy. Previous reports had Kennedy headed for Toronto in exchange for Shea Hillenbrand, but after the third baseman was released Wednesday, that seems unlikely. GM Bill Stoneman would not say whether there was still interested in the former Blue Jay, writes the Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Dodgers Updated:07/20/2006 If the Dodgers are unable to trade Jose Cruz Jr. or Ricky Ledee, the Los Angeles Times says Sandy Alomar Jr. could be moved. Milwaukee Brewers Updated:07/18/2006 GM Doug Melvin denied rumors he contacted Philadelphia about trading for Bobby Abreu, says the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Minnesota Twins Updated:07/20/2006 The Minneapolis Star Tribune says scouts from the Dodgers, Brewers, Cardinals and Yankees have been frequenting the Metrodome to scout pitcher Kyle Lohse. New York Mets Updated:07/20/2006 According to the Newark Star-Ledger the Mets would be interested in White Sox pitcher Freddy Garcia, but would probably have to give up pitcher Aaron Heilman or Duaner Sanchez in return. ... The East Valley Tribune reports the Mets have scouted the starts of Arizona's Miguel Batista and Juan Cruz and the teams have held preliminary discussions. New York Yankees Updated:07/20/2006 Newsday reports owner George Steinbrenner has switched his preference in outfielders from Philadelphia's Bobby Abreu to Washington's Alfonso Soriano. Oakland Athletics Updated:07/19/2006 Barry Zito and the Athletics have mapped out the lefty's final 15 starts for this season, suggesting the Oakland ace will not be traded before the July 31 deadline, says the Oakland Tribune. Philadelphia Phillies Updated:07/20/2006 The New York Daily News says GM Pat Gillick would be willing to move Pat Burrell or Bobby Abreu, but not both. ... The most recent rumors involving Abreu have the Yankees, Mets and Red Sox among the interested parties, says the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Inquirer also says the Orioles are considering trading for Abreu, but it would take more than Rodrigo Lopez to get him. Pittsburgh Pirates Updated:07/20/2006 The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says trading Craig Wilson is almost certainly in GM Dave Littlefield's pre-deadline plans. San Diego Padres Updated:07/20/2006 With the release of Vinny Castilla the Padres are definitely in the market for a third baseman and the San Diego Union-Tribune suggests Houston's Morgan Ensberg and former Blue Jay Shea Hillenbrand are possibilities to fill the role. San Francisco Giants Updated:07/19/2006 The Giants have set their sights on Pittsburgh's Sean Casey, but the Oakland Tribune says the team may go after lefty Mike Gonzalez as well. ... The Tribune also speculates San Francisco could try to acquire Javy Lopez, who reportedly wants out of Baltimore. ... According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Giants are also considering Rockies first baseman Ryan Shealy. Seattle Mariners Updated:07/19/2006 The Seattle Times says several teams have asked about the availability of reliever Rafael Soriano. St. Louis Cardinals Updated:07/17/2006 The Cardinals have considered contacting the Phillies about spare outfielder David Dellucci, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. Tampa Bay Devil Rays Updated:07/20/2006 Julio Lugo's contract demands of about $8 million over four or five years make it likely he'll be traded before the July 31 deadline, says the St. Petersburg Times. The Toronto Sun says there have been conflicting reports as to whether the Blue Jays are interested in the shortstop. Texas Rangers Updated:07/20/2006 The Rangers have held internal discussions on whether Shea Hillenbrand, who was released by the Blue Jays on Wednesday, would fit into the club's plans, says the Dallas Morning News. Washington Nationals Updated:07/20/2006 The Washington Examiner reports the Nationals have ordered emergency scouting reports of the Mariners' farm system. Recent rumors have suggested Seattle has joined the fray to acquire Alfonso Soriano. A’s Move Further Ahead Of Rangers and Angels A’s didn’t play yesterday yet they still put more distance between them and the Rangers and Angels who both lost. A’s are now a game and a half ahead of Rangers and 2 games ahead of Angels. Blue Jays Defeat Yankees in 11th Inning Blue Jays take a much needed win against the Yankees when Vernon Wells hits his 24th homer in the 11th inning. Blue Jays really need a sweep in this series to make an impact on the AL East race because it is not likely the Red Sox or Yankees will let them back into the race. Braves Fall 12 Back of Mets Braves fall back to 12 games back of Mets. It is looking more and more like their only hope is the wildcard. They have 7 teams ahead of them in wildcard but they could pass 3 of those teams if those teams lose and Braves win today. Nineteen Teams Still in Pennant Race There are 19 teams that are either leading a division or are 10 or less games behind the leader. The AL West and NL West finds all their teams with a chance to win the pennant so there should be a lot of exciting baseball left this season. Etcetera Roberta Gambarini Exciting New Singer Very seldom does a singer like Roberta Gambarini come along and release such an excellent album on her first try. To me she sounds a little like Diana Krall. Even though raised in Italy you would never know it from the way she sings. Her first release contains songs that are standards. It is a very good business decision to first release songs that people know of because some record buyers will buy an album for the songs in it. You can listen to her music at amazon.com. The following is a review at amazon.com about her first American release Easy to Love with John Clayton who has backed up Diana Krall in some of her recordings playing the bass. "outstanding vocal & jazz arrangements...Roberta Gambarini", June 30, 2006 Reviewer: J. Lovins "Mr. Jim" (Missouri-USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME) Roberta Gambarini once quoted..."I am concentrating to a standard repertoire because people relate to it more in America, more original material will come later on."...As a teenager, when her peers were listening to American and Italian pop, she was checking out her dad's jazz record collection. She got hooked on the music and has developed a captivating, confident voice as she has matured into a serious artist..."The most important thing for me now, even more than style, is to establish a connection with the audience."...Roberta now puts her own spin on jazz chestnuts, works from the "Great American Songbook", and waits for the recording industry to notice how well she does it with her singular approach...Roberta Gambarini has an instrumental approach and possesses a warm timbre, impeccable timing and intonation, incredible technique and scatting and improvisation skills. Born in Torino, Italy from a family where jazz was much loved and appreciated, she began listening to this music as a child...started performing while still in her teens, touring jazz clubs in northern Italy...Since 1985 she has played the most important festivals and venues in her country as well as many of the renowned international jazz festivals...Gambarini's been recording since 1986 both under her name and as a featured singer with most Italian musicians. In 1998 she moved to the United States with a scholarship from the New England Conservatory in Boston. In the same year she won third price at the International Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition. Appearing with Roberta on this album as backup Chuck Berghofer (Bass), John Clayton (Bass), Gerald Clayton (Piano), Joe La Barbera (Drums), Willie Jones III (Drums), James Moody Sextet (Tenor Saxophone, Vocals), Tamir Hendelman (Piano)...with outstanding arrangements by Dizzy Gillespie, Billy Strayhorn, Roberta Gambarini, Tamir Hendelman...Gambarini is now performing under her own name...just stand back and take in her warm and dusky timbre, with which she can scat well-known solos remarkably subtly. As Michael Brecker stated "Finally a singer whom musicians have long known is one of the greats, Roberta's recording debut is breathtaking"...a quote from Kevin Lowenthal of the Boston Globe "Gambarini is a true successor to Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae"...take a listen and see if you don't agree --- outstanding vocals and jazz arrangements on her latest release from Koch is "Easy To Love", and my friend this album is just that! (Comment on this)
Saturday, July 29th, 2006
4:50 pm	The Wild Wild West In the National League, the wild card race features one team over .500 and a bunch of teams under. That isn’t how things will likely finish, but right now it has allowed a lot of mediocre teams to remain in it. That isn’t the case in the American League battle, where the Blue Jays at 4.5 back would be leading in the NL by a healthy three games. Heck in the AL West, the Rangers and Angels, back of the White Sox by nine games, would be neck and neck with the Reds if they played in the other league. As a result, there really aren’t any “long shots” so to speak in the American League with the exception of the Mariners, who sit 12.5 back of Chicago for the wild card. Still, even they remain within four games of the AL West leading A’s, despite having a record of 47-51. So rather than do a contender and long shot column, we’ll break it down division by division. Today the West gets the spotlight. It isn’t a pretty sight, where by virtue of overall mediocrity, even the aforementioned Mariners still have a chance. The anomaly of the rest of the league will still produce a playoff team however, so let’s see how the West could be won. Oakland Athletics 51-47, 1st place- One look at the Athletics runs per game and run allowed per game tells you all you need to know. Oakland ranks second best to Detroit in pitching and second worst to Tampa Bay in offense. In fact, with a ratio of 4.44 to 4.47 respectively, the A’s are averaging just three hundreds of a run more than they are allowing. That says .500 ball club, and the A’s haven’t been much better than that all year. So bats are what Billy Beane needs to focus on at the deadline. Could he try to spin Barry Zito into a couple of players? Might he try to pull off one of his three way trades to bring back a bat and some prospects? The A’s do have some prospects they could trade. Outside of that, shortstop Bobby Crosby, who’s miserable .644 OPS is killing Oakland’s chances this year, could be an intriguing piece. At 26 years old and injury prone the A’s might be willing to give him up in the right deal. Dan Johnson, who was recently demoted to AAA, is another young player someone might want to take a chance on in exchange for a veteran. Don’t be surprised if Beane pulls the trigger for someone like Reggie Sanders; a low cost player who can give the A’s a boost in production but is no real difference maker. In the end, the A’s will be watched, but mainly to see what they do with Zito. I don’t think he’ll be traded unless some team steps up with an overwhelming offer. Thus, A’s will remain the popular favorite in the West, whether or not they make a move. However, those who make that assumption could not be more wrong. Texas Rangers 51-48, .5 games back of A’s, 9 behind White Sox for wild card- Ameriquest Field has long been called the American League version of Coors and this year is no exception. Much like Coors is playing more pitcher friendly this year, so is Ameriquest, which actually has been neutral overall. Perhaps not coincidentally, the Rangers are seventh in both runs scored and runs allowed. Being middle of the pack in those two categories suggest the Rangers could go either way at the deadline. The likely emphasis will be on pitching since that is where Texas’ reputation is the weakest, but a hitter would cost less in this arms starved market. They’re probably not involved in either the Zito or Soriano hunt, but might be interested in a guy like Bobby Abreu. They’ve had issues in the outfield all season outside of Gary Matthews and would not shirk at taking on Abreu’s deal. Remember, this is the team that handed A-Rod 250 million dollars (and is still paying a good chunk of it). Since Ameriquest still is a homer happy park despite playing neutral overall, someone like Jake Westbrook would be the best fit pitching wise. Miguel Batistia, who has a GB/FB ratio of 1.97 this year, would be a more likely acquisition, though he is being hotly pursued by a number of teams. The Rangers run differential is the best in the division, so in fact, they probably should be the favorites over the A’s if the teams stand pat. If they can get a ground ball pitcher in there, and they have the prospects in Jason Botts and John Danks to do it, then the Rangers will have set themselves up in prime position to win the West. If they can get a bat and an arm, they actually have a shot at the American League too. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 50-48, 1 game back of A’s, 9.5 back of White Sox- Outside of the Rangers, the American League West teams can be summed up with this description; solid pitching, lousy hitting. The Angels offense has struggled through veterans like Tim Salmon and Garrett Anderson hanging on too long while youngsters Casey Kotchman and Dallas McPherson have struggled with consistencies and injuries. Therefore the Angels need a bat, plain and simple. They have the chips to get a Soriano or Abreu with their solid farm system. The Phillies might be a good choice since they probably wouldn’t ask for Jered Weaver, given his propensity for fly balls. The Angels could also go the route of the cheaper 3rd outfield type, though with their offense they’d likely need more than that if they want to seriously contend. The question with the Angels should be how much are they willing to gamble for this season. There are lot of appealing players on their team they could deal, but for someone like Soriano, such a move could set them back a couple of years if things don’t pan out. Since the Angels are a mix of young players and aging veterans, they probably would be wise in actually trying to sell at the deadline. Seattle Mariners- 47-51, 4 back of A’s, 12.5 back of White Sox- Hanging on by a thread, the Mariners might have stalled off the reaper with victories over the Red Sox on Saturday and Sunday. They too have lackluster hitting to go with solid pitching, but they likely need a pitcher to stay competitive. Why are they different? Because their pitching has held it together by virtue of pitching at Safeco, outside of Felix Hernandez, who should continue to improve as the year goes on. Gil Meche has decent peripherals and Jarrod Washburn is an okay third or fourth starter. But neither is a top of the rotation guy that slots in well behind Hernandez, who also isn’t being treated as an ace yet. So a pitcher that can replace Joel Piniero or Jamie Moyer (especially on the road) would be a great help to their playoff chances. One can't give away road starts when you're already behind in the race. Meanwhile the lineup doesn’t need that much work. Richie Sexson’s career numbers indicate a turnaround is in order. Carl Everett isn’t a particularly good DH, but an upgrade there shouldn’t cost much. Of course, they’re rumored to be after Soriano. It’s not certain what the Mariners would have to give up to get him, but unless Hernandez is involved (and he shouldn’t be), it’s doubtful they could match a team like the Angels or Tigers in terms of prospects. And considering where the Mariners are, they probably shouldn’t be giving up any solid young prospects for a rental. Before the season, I said the Mariners would be around .500. That’s exactly how they’ve played so far. In this division that’s enough to stay competitive. But this is not a good baseball team and one move will not make them a contender. The Mariners should sit back, deal a veteran or two and get ready for 2007. However, indications are that is not their current plan. We shall see. That’s the AL West, the weak sister of the league. Tomorrow it’s on to the surprising two team race that is about to become three in the AL Central. (Comment on this)
Thursday, July 27th, 2006
10:47 am	Tribe 14, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 2 I know I'll offend the purists of Anaheim in the audience, but I love being on the winning end of a blowout of Anaheim. It was nice to see Cliff Lee of Anaheim get his first solid outing in a month, and a grand slam by the birthday boy of Anaheim made it a very enjoyable afternoon of Anaheim overall. Currently, the Detroit Tigers of Anaheim are losing to the Boston Red Sox of Anaheim 1-0, and the Texas Rangers of Anaheim are beating the Chicago White Sox of Anaheim 2-1. It's early, but keep your fingers crossed-- the Cleveland Indians of Anaheim could make up some ground in the AL Central of Anaheim. (Comment on this)