Rumors: Kuroda will stay in USA, wants $13-$14
million

post from Bronx Baseball Daily » Bronx Baseball Daily, a New York Yankees blog on 09 January 2012 11:02:26 PM. © Bronx Baseball Daily » Bronx Baseball Daily, a New York Yankees blog

Read The Full Article:
http://bronxbaseballdaily.com/2012/01/rumors-kuroda-will-stay-in-usa-wants-13-14-
million/

Digg this

Is there a Kuroda and Oswalt Alternative

post from Beyond the Box Score on 09 January 2012 09:02:57 PM. © Beyond the Box Score

This off-season starting pitching hasn't been as deep as past years. C.J. Wilson was the top prize, following him you have the likes of Mark Buehrle, Edwin Jackson, Hiroki Kuroda and Roy Oswalt.Buehrle signed with the Miami Marlins and Edwin Jackson is[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2012/1/7/2689607/hiroki-kuroda-and-roy-oswalt-al
ternative

Digg this

Requests for Questions for Mike Swanson

post from Royals Review on 09 January 2012 09:01:16 PM. © Royals Review

The Royals have been nice enough to allow me another interview with a member of their staff. Mike Swanson, the VP in charge of Communications and Broadcasting, has agreed to an interview in the near future (exact date is not set). Here is his bio from kcroyals.com:

In his 33rd season of Major League baseball in 2011, Mike Swanson is in his fifth season as the Royals Vice President-Communications and Broadcasting. Known as "Swanee", he worked in the Royals PR department in the 70s and returned to Kansas City after nine seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks as Senior Director of Public Relations.
In 2002, he earned the prestigious Robert O. Fishel Award for Public Relations Excellence. The award, named after the long-time baseball executive, goes to the "Active, non-uniformed representative of Major League Baseball whose ethics, character, dedication, service, professionalism and humanitarianism best represents the standards propounded by Robert O. Fishel." The honor came two years after he served as the Public Relations liason for the MLB All-Star squad that played an eight-game series in Japan in November, 2000.
Prior to his start-up role with the Diamondbacks, Swanee had a similar experience with the Colorado Rockies, joining their staff in 1992 a year before they played their first game. He has also worked in public relations with the San Diego Padres.
Though baseball is his passion, Swanee has had the opportunity to work in other sports. His mother, the late Betty Swanson, worked for both the Kansas City Athletics and Chiefs over a 36-year span, with the younger Swanson tagging along and working in the equipment rooms of both franchises.
Around his baseball career, Swanson has also served as a statistician, starting in 1977 with Keith Jackson on college football and evolving into stints with Monday Night Football, and the sharing of booth space with some of the top announcers in sports. The Kansas Jayhawks fan has worked a total of six Final Fours, six Super Bowls, four NFC Championship Games, five Sugar Bowls, six Cotton Bowls, three Fiesta Bowls, the 2007 BCS Title Game and numerous Maui Invitationals.
Swanson and his wife, Renee, have a 12-year old daughter, Rachel, and reside in Lee's Summit, Mo.

Let me know if you have any questions that you want me to ask him. I will mainly focus my questions on the All-Star Game, but will gladly ask any reasonable question.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.royalsreview.com/2012/1/9/2695113/requests-for-questions-for-mike-swan
son

Digg this

Angels keep Kendrick for 4 years, $33.5M (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 09 January 2012 07:44:27 PM. © MLB News Blog

All-Star second baseman Howie Kendrick agreed to a $33.5 million, four-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels on Monday, passing up a chance to hit the free-agent market after next season. The move was the latest in a busy offseason spending spree for Angels owner Arte Moreno and new general manager Jerry Dipoto.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2012/01/10/angels-keep-kendrick-for-4-years-33-5m-ap/

Digg this

Ex-Yankees 3B Carey dies at 80 (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 09 January 2012 07:02:28 PM. © MLB News Blog

Andy Carey, third baseman for the New York Yankees dynasty of the 1950s that won four straight American League pennants and two World Series, has died at 80. Daughter Elizabeth Carey tells the New York Times (http://nyti.ms/zPIC61) he died Dec. 15 in California of Lewy body dementia. Joining the Yankees in 1952, Carey became a [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2012/01/10/ex-yankees-3b-carey-dies-at-80-ap/

Digg this

Giants Inactivity A Cause for Concern

post from The Giants Baseball Blog- A San Francisco Giants Blog and Fan Website on 09 January 2012 07:01:14 PM. © The Giants Baseball Blog- A San Francisco Giants Blog and Fan Website

I know Ronny Cedeno isn't going to get anybody excited or optimistic, but the 27 year-old was, not too long ago, a top prospect in the Cubs organization. Granted, he hasn't yet materialized at the big league level, I still think he's well worth the $1.15 million he'll make to back up Ruben Tejada for the Mets, and could have been a defensive utility guy the Giants could have used.

Sure, missing out on Cedeno isn't some big blunder by any means, but in the grand scheme of things, as I've said all winter, I wouldn't mind another option up the middle outside of Manny Burris and Mike Fontenot. Cedeno is a terrific defender, who's near gold-glove caliber at short and above average at second, so if your motto is pitching and defense (like the Giants), this guy would appear to have fit in nicely. Even though Cedeno had an off year with the bat in 2011, in roughly a full-season's worth of at-bats (616) spread out over '09 and '10, he put up a .258 average with 13 home runs, 59 RBI with 14 steals to go with that great defense. What really weighs him down though, is his low on-base percentage, which sits at .297 for his career. I could very well seeing this guy becoming a late bloomer, a la Jose Bautista, obviously not a power hitter like that, but becoming a .300 hitter or so eventually, and that would make him a pretty good player. I'm sure Sabean at least inquired about Cedeno and tried to see if they could get him in on a minor league deal since the 40-man is full and they likely wouldn't want to cut anyone lose for Cedeno. It's not like he's the difference between the Giants contending and not, but again, I would have liked to see Sabean pro-active in his attempt to upgrade this roster, especially if you can get a middle infielder that can pick it and provide some competition for Burris and Fontenot heading into Scottsdale next month!

With Cedeno off the market now, it leaves the middle infield options dwindling down. With Freddy's uncertainty and injury-ridden past, and Brandon Crawford's greenness, the Giants seriously need to look into another option on the free agent market, and there still are a couple infielders waiting to be snagged. The two guys I like the most that are left, are Ryan Theriot, who could actually start at short for this team if Crawford proves again that he's not to hit at this level, and Wilson Betemit, who would be a sound insurance policy for Freddy Sanchez at 2nd, while also playing some 3rd base. He's another guy, who in 2010 and 2011 combined got about 1 season's worth of at-bats, and put up some sneaky good numbers (.290/21/89/.844 OPS). The only reason teams are scared off is because of the 29 year-old's sketchy defense (.947 fielding percentage in '11), but the Giants already have a bunch of glove-guys on their roster. A Betemit signing improves the bench tenfold, and yes, I would drop someone like Tyler Graham or Dan Otero off the 40-man in order to get him! They shouldn't do nothing and send Burris the message that he'll be on the 25-man roster in April, whether he shows up and hits .150 in spring training or not, that's just not what winning teams do. They stock pile all the good players they possibly can. Plus, they sure want Betemit back in Detroit!

That's my exact train of thought when I think about re-signing Cody Ross as well. Why not bring the guy back on a one-year deal when he's proven a clutch player already for the Giants? And don't give me that "it'll take away AB's away from Brandon Belt" crap cause if Belt hits ML pitching this year, he'll be playing, over Huff, Ross or somebody else, so don't even worry about that. I love Timmy, Matty and what the bullpen did, but this team doesn't win the World Series in 2010 without Cody Ross. Bring him back and upgrade the infield Sabes, or SF will be looking up at AZ once again!

Read The Full Article:
http://giantsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/giants-inactivity-cause-for-concer
n.html

Digg this

Roy Disney family mulls bid for Dodgers (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 09 January 2012 06:56:29 PM. © MLB News Blog

The family of the late Roy E. Disney is in talks with other investors about making a joint bid to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers out of bankruptcy. The talks were confirmed Monday by Clifford Miller, managing director of the Disney family’s investment vehicle, Shamrock Holdings. Roy Disney was the nephew of Walt Disney, but [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2012/01/09/roy-disney-family-mulls-bid-for-dodgers-ap/

Digg this

New Books To Add To My On-Deck Circle!!! YES!!!!

New Books To Add To My ‘On-Deck Circle’!!! YES!!!! Well friends, one of my favorite Christmas gifts was a $50 gift card to Amazon.com. I enjoy a lot of the product categories that Amazon has to offer, but none more … Continue reading →

Read The Full Article:
http://bapple2286.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/new-books-to-add-to-my-on-deck-circle-
yes/

Digg this

To the BBWAA: Focus on the Great, Not the Very
Good

Editor’s note: One thing that I love about this blog is that we have a range of viewpoints among the writers here. I personally differ from Joe Guzzardi on how many players should be the Hall of Fame (he’s an exclusionist, I’ve become more welcoming in the last couple years), but I’m glad to share [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://baseballpastandpresent.com/2012/01/09/bbwaa-focus-great-good/

Digg this