Coco Crisp trade is a 'Done Deal'

The trade for Coco Crisp has reportedly gone through tonight, pending approval by the MLB commissioner's office. The approval from the commissioner of baseball is likely due to the inclusion of cash in excess of $1 million as part of the deal.

And we will likely hear above the "player-to-be-named-later" after the Indians see whether Mota reports and performs well during Spring Training.

Final Word on Red Sox general management : Theo returns

While everyone is being critical of both sides of the GM topic, I've got to give kudos to everyone involved.

Theo Epstein, Larry Lucchino, John Henry and everyone handled themselves perfectly: they dealt with the situation not by over-reacting... they instead learned from the various discrepancies... And ultimately they became a better organization via the process.

We all wish they'd done so quicker and prior to the public learning of the situation... But they dealt with organizational issues and they've moved on. We could all hope for the same in our professional lives!

A-Rod - grow a pair

Alex Rodriguez may just be the biggest "wus" in professional sports history.

He caught the attention of Red Sox fans mainly when the potential there was a potential he'd be traded to the team before the 2004 season. (Most Sox fans are glad to not have a player like him on our team, despite the numbers he puts up. He's now Enemy #1, after all.)

A-Rod went to the Yankees for 2004 and the Sox gained an enemy - and we are all the more happier for it!!

We are happy to not have a cheater (remember he needed a hockey-style glove-shove from Jason Varitek when he got plunked during a game in late July 2004) and later the Hamburger-Helper gloved-one slapped the ball out of Arroyo's hand further helping turn the tide for the Sox in the '04 ALDS.

Then, during the 2005 pre-season, he made a dumb-ass comment to the effect that he'd rather be working out at 6am than driving his children to school. The dead-beat was called out on that comment by Trot Nixon of the Red Sox.

It's recently been reported that A-Rod enjoys late-night poker games and he had to be asked by Yankees team officials to stop risking his life via illegal late night New York City gambling - at least until his baseball career is over!

Yet still, this off-season, A-Rod hasn't been able to decide what country he belongs to. Though born in the US and an American citizen, the gloved-one apparently felt he was a Dominican! OK, his parents were from there, but he was born in the US, he grew up in suburban Florida and couldn't hold a native-language conversation with David Ortiz if the ALDS depended on it!

He had finally made a choice though, a few weeks back, that since he couldn't decide between the two countries he would not "dis-respect" either country and thus he'd sit out the World Baseball Classic altogether. How's that for no dis-respect!!

Now, today, after the rosters have already been announced for all teams, A-Rod has decided he'd like to participate for the U.S. team.

What did he do? Wait until he saw the rosters to help him decide who might win the tournament?

I don't know who gets to vote on team rosters, but I'd suggest just saying no to A-Rod!!

·» A-Rod Reversal: He'll Play For U.S. (via Hartford Courant)

·» A-Rod might be on pair of WBC rosters

World Baseball Classic rosters announced

·»
Dominican's initial roster star-studded
(via MLB)
·»
Timlin honored to play for Team USA
(via Official Red Sox and MLB Releases)
·»
Team USA unveils all-star roster for World Classic
(via Boston.com baseball - AP)
·»
Bevy of stars heads U.S. WBC roster
(via MLB)
·»
U.S. makes 1st cut for WBC roster
(via Boston Herald)
·»
A-Rod might be on pair of WBC rosters
(via MLB)
·»
A-Rod on Dominican team but may not play
(via Boston.com baseball - AP)

Rice may have sealed his own Hall fate

Excellent article on how personality may have played a factor in Hall voting for Jim Rice. Most of us forget the individual flaws a person has/had after theyv'e left the limelight - just as we will with Manny Ramirez once his days are past, put certain things remain issues for those who study baseball history (and write it). There is more to history than stats.

Rice was "being Jim", long before "Manny being Manny."
Link to full Article by Bill Reynolds in the Providence Journal.

Hot Stove, Cool Music by Peter Gammons to be held today

Hot Stove Roundtable to be held at 1pm: Guests include Theo Epstein, Toronto G.M. J.P. Richardi and Peter Gammons

Watch here for any news that comes out of the event. This is Theo's first time talking baseball publicly since turning down the job of G.M. to the Boston Red Sox on October 31st.

Later today, at the Paradise Rock Club: Hot Stove Cool Music show.

website :: Hot Stove, Cool Music ::