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Yesterday Rob Neyer wondered whether the Mariners — who have had what most agree to be the most successful offseason of anyone — have added too many good players: I’m wondering if maybe it’s time for Jack Zduriencik to call off his little off-season shopping spree. Sure, he’s picked up Cliff Lee and Chone Figgins…

There’s an interesting story in the New York Times today about how The Greatest Fans in the World* are taking to the McGwire stuff.  As you might expect, there are some people who care a lot and some who kind of don’t.  I found the quote from a long time Cardinals fan that kicks the…

FOX’s Jon Paul Morosi thinks it’s time for the 15 or so teams that continue to provide alcohol to players in the clubhouse after the game to ban the practice: A universal ban on alcohol in major league clubhouses is long overdue. Until every team removes beer from the working quarters of its employees, each…

You recall on Friday we linked to an angry email sent by a Yankees fan, canceling his season tickets because he thought the team had “lost its focus on winning” this offseason.  Today he speaks, courtesy of an interview with the New Stadium Insider. For what it’s worth he comes off far more lucid and…

Today is the first day of the Atlanta Braves’ voluntary pitching camp at Turner Field. The AJC’s David O’Brien reports on a meme getting tuned upside-down: Pete Moylan packed on a little winter weight during his 3 months back in Australia. “Meat pies,” he said of the diet staple in his homeland. Of course Aussies…

UPDATE: Sam Mellinger, who ran the original story this morning regarding Albert Pujols and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, received a response from Pujols’ foundation: Sam, Albert’s wife, Deidre is expecting their fourth child this week. She has been given “any minute” status from her doctor since last Monday. Albert has asked us not to…

Jerry Crasnick reports that Former Dbacks closer Byung-Hyun Kim is coming out of retirement and has agreed to a minor league deal with the Giants. We last heard from Kim about a year ago, when he was unable to join up with his South Korean teammates for practice at the World Baseball Classic because he…

That’s the viewpoint of someone associated with the group of creditors meeting with prospective Rangers’ owners Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan in New York tomorrow in an attempt to iron out their differences regarding the team’s sale. It’s an ominous sign with respect to something that everyone is assuming is a done deal. As you’ll…

Jerry Crasnick tweets that the Cubs have signed a minor league deal with Kevin Millar. Or, as he’s known on MLBPA-licensed video games, “Guy Incognito.”

J.J. Putz throws another couple of logs on the fire burning under the Mets’ medical staff: “When the trade went down last year, I never really had a physical with the Mets. I had the bone spur (in the right elbow). It was discovered the previous year in Seattle, and it never got checked out…

Hey Bob Gibson! Would you have considered using steroids? “Absolutely. I’m just happy they weren’t available (when he played), because if I knew somebody else was doing it and appeared to be getting an edge, I think I have would have been tempted.” Gibson is also less than impressed with the Jack Clarks and Whitey…

I had no idea that former Royals catcher Brent Mayne even had a blog, but Buster Olney points it out this morning with a link to a great post.  Brent Mayne on why pitchers need to pick up the pace: Here’s a question for you. From 2003 to 2009, can you guess who the five…

John Tomase of the Boston Herald has a story this morning about the Red Sox and free-agent-to-be Josh Beckett which deals mostly with how much dough Beckett can expect and whether the team and the pitcher will negotiate during the season.  I find this part more interesting, however: But there could be complications. The Red…

The Rangers have had two pitching prospects — Omar Beltre and Alexi Ogando — on their roster for several years now, though they’ve been unavailable to join the club or its minor league affiliates because of a visa problem. The kind of visa problem that comes from taking part in a human trafficking ring.  I…

The New York Post’s Joel Sherman writes this morning about how the Mets screwed up by passing over Seattle Mariners’ GM Jack Zduriencik back when he worked for the club. Let’s go back to the fall of 1997: Because he was good with computers and had ties to Sandy Koufax — a real bonus in…

When you’re coming in the kitchen, you better bring the noise.  – Dustin Pedroia on WEEI’s Mut & Bradford Show on Saturday talking about liking to hit high inside fastballs. I shouldn’t make fun of ballplayers for mixing their metaphors, however. They’re paid to hit, not to speak, and given that they’re not always the…

The Yankees are taking the World Series trophy on an Asian tour next week, hitting Tokyo, Beijing and ending up in Hong Kong.  According to the story, Brian Cashman will be in the delegation. He had better watch his back. After letting Hideki Matsui walk, I have a feeling someone is going to be all…

“Adam really doesn’t want to DH in the American League. He wants to play the field, and believes his first base defense has reached the adequate level. He knows he’s no Gold Glover, but believes that he’ll get better, and is anxious to improve that aspect of his game.” – Statement of a person “close…

Last night Pablo Sandoval was in San Jose to drop the puck before the San Jose Sharks-Chicago Blackhawks game. Because of that, other Giants’ promotional obligations and the team’s desire to get his beefy butt back into Camp Panda, it was assumed that he would not be participating in tonight’s deciding game of the Venezuelan…

With the hot stove season winding down, my favorite annual meme begins to pick up steam: With Spring Training less than three weeks away and arthroscopic surgery on his left knee more than three months behind him, Griffey figures to be in much better shape. “I’m not saying he will look like he did in…

Bob Klapsich explains why A-Rod has been allowed to moonwalk from his steroids scandal while McGwire keeps getting ripped. As an explanation, I find it to be lacking: First, he appeared to be more honest than McGwire in revealing the detail of his cheating. While A-Rod may have fudged some details, he at least provided…

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale is in Minnesota taking a tour of the new ballpark and tweets “Twins manager Ron Gardenhire says talks with Joe Mauer couldn’t be going better,” and that “It would be massive upset if Mauer contract extension isn’t resolved by spring.” This wouldn’t be at all surprising in that I think everyone’s…

Yahoo!’s Jeff Passan has learned that the Tigers and Justin Verlander are negotiating around a five-year deal in the $75 million range.  The holdup at the moment, Passan reports, is that Verlander wants a 6th year guaranteed.  Presently, the team and the fireballer are poised for arbitration, where Verlander has requested $9.5 million, while the…