Former Mets manager Frazier dies at 88 (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 17 February 2011 11:19:30 PM. © MLB News Blog

Former New York Mets manager Joe Frazier, who led the team for just one full season before it went into a sharp decline, has died. He was 88. Frazier’s wife, Jean, said Thursday that her husband died Tuesday of a massive heart attack in Broken Arrow, Okla., where he was a longtime resident. Joe Frazier, [...]

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http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2011/02/18/former-mets-manager-frazier-dies-at-88-ap/

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The MLB Optimist Club: Looking At The Bright Side
For All 30 Teams

post from Hitting The Cutoff Man on 17 February 2011 11:16:37 PM. © Hitting The Cutoff Man

The sky is blue, the grass is green, the uniforms are spotless and everyone is tied for first[...]

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http://www.sportsfanlive.com/hittingthecutoffman/entry/02152011_mlb_optimism

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Johan Santana To Return In June or July

post from The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on 17 February 2011 10:35:58 PM. © The Ghost of Moonlight Graham

As Adam Rubin reported via Twitter, New York Mets’ GM Sandy Alderson said that staff ace Johan Santana will throw on flat ground through April and then start throwing off a mound in May. The goal is to have Santana return to the Mets in June or July. This news should come as no surprise [...]

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http://theghostofmoonlightgraham.com/2011/02/18/johan-santana-to-return-in-june-o
r-july/

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Here’s What Badger Thinks of Us

post from LADodgerTalk.com - Daily Dodger Talk, Dodger News and Dodger Rumors on 17 February 2011 10:02:44 PM. © LADodgerTalk.com - Daily Dodger Talk, Dodger News and Dodger Rumors

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http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2011/02/heres-what-badger-thinks-of-us/

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Julio Borbon Named Texas Rangers Starting Center
Fielder

post from The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on 17 February 2011 09:26:43 PM. © The Ghost of Moonlight Graham

In an interview with the Dallas Morning News, Texas Rangers’ manager Ron Washington said that Julio Borbon will be his starting center fielder in 2011. Washington hopes that putting Borbon in center will help keep Josh Hamilton healthy as left field isn’t as stressful on the body as center. Nelson Cruz will continue to be [...]

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http://theghostofmoonlightgraham.com/2011/02/18/julio-borbon-named-texas-rangers-
starting-center-fielder/

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Signings Hotline is on Twitter

post from Sports Locker on 17 February 2011 09:02:58 PM. © Sports Locker

Signings Hotline has a twitter account. You can follow them at twitter.com/SigningsHotline.

I'd like to see their twitter feed used for:

Offer some free autograph listing tips
Twitter contests for free autographs - I'm sure some of their sponsors would participate
Twitter trivia contests for 30 day free trials or membership extensions
Re-tweets of autograph show recaps from bloggers
Signings news from autograph companies like CSA, Mounted Memories, and MAB

I think it's great to see SigningsHotline on twitter.

I hope it's used for making connections with collectors, listening and learning more about the collectors' needs instead of treating it like a megaphone.

#fingerscrossed

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http://sportslocker.blogspot.com/2011/02/signings-hotline-is-on-twitter.html

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Non-Hyped Royals Prospects: 3B Jamie Romak

post from Royals Review on 17 February 2011 09:02:51 PM. © Royals Review

More photos » Charlie Riedel - AP

Completely unrelated picture of Dayton Moore and Ned Yost. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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Our next non-hyped prospect is 3B and FORMER BRAVE Jamie Romak. Romak is no longer hyped, but once, back in 2007-08, he kinda was. These two facts are not unrelated. When the Braves trade a guy, he tends to enjoy a brief period of fame. Thus, when the Pirates picked him up along with Adam Larouche in exchange for Mike Gonzalez and Brent Lillibridge (weird trade) Romak instantly became one of Pittsburgh's better prospects. Supposedly. I mean, he was a Brave.

(Though he loses Magic Tomahawk Points because he's Canadian. Nothing beats a Brave + Southern combo. If a broadcaster can't fill two minutes of dead air by saying "nobody scouts the South like those Braves. They've done it for years and you can't argue with the results," during a game, then you aren't special.)

Three years later, Romak was just another minor league free agent. Signed by the Royals in 2010, Romak split last season between Wilmington and NWA and has been resigned for the 2011 season. Taken in the 4th round of the 2003 draft, the dude's been around forever. Through three organizations and a handful of injuries, Romak has posted consistently interesting but not that great offensive lines. 2009 was a notable low point and 2010 was a high one. As a 24 year old, Romak hit .304/.388/.458 in 82 games at Wilmington and .278/.389/.459 in 49 games at NWA. Interesting.

Romak's always taken a walk or two and he really looks like a classic 3B in terms of offensive profile: below average BA but a good OBP and above average power. Of course, you generally don't want to be 24 before you play a game at AAA, but we all have things we're ashamed of. The bigger problem might be that he can't stay at 3B, something that may have already happened. 1B/DH is paradoxically a tough place to break into the Major Leagues, and the Royals look pretty set there for the next decade or so.

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http://www.royalsreview.com/2011/2/17/2000049/un-hyped-royals-prospects-3b-jamie-
romak

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Various baseball-related things

A couple of things that I should have mentioned in this space earlier. Just to tide you over while I stall on writing the 2011 defense or baserunning preview post (haven’t decided which one I’m doing next). Beyond the Box Score’s Ball on a Budget fantasy game is accepting entrants. I’m running it this year. [...]

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CapitolAvenueClub/~3/xwoDbstjl1E/

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Gary Sheffield Officially Retires

What has been unofficial for over a year now, became official on Thursday. Gary Sheffield officially retired on Thursday as he filed his retirement papers with Major League Baseball. Sheffield played 22 seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, [...]

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http://theghostofmoonlightgraham.com/2011/02/18/gary-sheffield-officially-retires
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Mets Links- Spring Training, Wilpon, K-Rod, Reyes

Fred Wilpon arrived in Port St. Lucie today and defiantly told reporters that his family will be vindicated. He spoke to reporters at length about the Madoff trustee lawsuit against him and said that he’s done nothing wrong and the Mets won’t be affected by the suit. It’s the same thing he told reporters at ... Continue Reading

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MetsReport/~3/7uM90w9UIOI/

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