Best. Sports Day. Ever.

I knew about Manny finally signing before I went to bed last night, but when I awoke with insomnia at 5 AM, I tuned into Sportscenter just to see the news again. And what to my wondering eyes did appear- that the Cowboys had released T.O!!!! While it's hard to quantify which makes me happier, getting a player back that makes my team so much better (Manny), or getting rid of the only player I have ever hated that was on one of teams, I am going to call it a draw.

And the cherry on top of this sports sundae? Karma had a table for one- A-Rod is out for 8 weeks- 4 months. Shoulda stayed on the 'roids.

New (And Old) Minor League Nicknames

The baseball season is fast approaching, and you will be seeing some new, and old, logos and nicknames all around Minor League Baseball. Here's my two cents on some of them.


Bowling Green Hot Rods (A, South Atlantic)- I like this logo and name, despite the fact that it's replacing a great name/logo (Columbus Catfish). It's flashy, but not over the top. I rate it: B+




Salem Red Sox (A, Carolina)- I not only can't stand when a team adopts its MLB affiliate's team name, but when it gets rid of one of the best nicknames (Avalanche) in the Minors, well, that's even worse. I didn't like it when my current employer did it in '05(Cannons became the Nationals), and I don't like it now. Rating: C-




Quad Cities River Bandits (A, Midwest)- This is a team that realized the error of its ways and returned to a classic. Quad Cities was known as the River Bandits until '04, when they became the Swing of the Quad Cities. Horrible name, and 5 years later, a return to the way it should be. Rating: A-




Gwinnett Braves (AAA, International)- Okay, so despite the MLB name, I actually like this logo, and the fact that we didn't lose a good nickname in the deal (Richmond Braves), I guess it's okay. Rating: C+




Winston-Salem Dash (A, Carolina)- Awful. Just awful. This is exactly why you don't let fans vote on team names. We lose the unique Warthogs name and logo, and we're left with this atrocity. No character, no relation to the team, nothing. Rating: F

Conan Says Goodbye

Friday was Conan O'Brien's last day on "Late Night." The good news is he is replacing the tool known as Jay Leno. The bad news is that Conan is being replaced by the even bigger tool of Jimmy Fallon. Anyway, here is a clip from his last show, his favorite moment: his visit to an 1860's baseball game!

Goodbye to Q-Town

Our last day in Q-Town

It was a bittersweet on Saturday to say goodbye to our home for the last 1 1/2 years in Quakertown. We are so happy to be around friends again in VA, and of course I am thrilled with my new old job with the P-Nats. But there was something special about Q-Town for us, a nice break from the craziness of Lorton(our previous home). And it was our first real place as a married couple. Who knows, we may someday return, but either way it was a good run. Thanks for the memories, Q-Town.

For Staci's take, see here.

Bye Bye Shea

It was reported on ballparkdigest.com today that the last piece of Shea was taken down yesterday. And good riddance to it. Out of the 26 MLB stadiums that I have watched a game in, Shea was by far the worst, worse than Tropicana, Olympic, and the Vet combined. Its sightlines were horrible, there was no intimacy, and for all the cookie-cutters of its time (DC, Philly, Cincy, Pitt), Shea stood out like a sore thumb. However, as with any place, if you had good memories there, it will hold a higher place in your heart. RFK would be much lower on my personal list if not for all the great memories there.

So goodbye, old Shea. You're being replaced by a shiny new Ebbets Field-like stadium across the street, and even fickle Mets fans have to be happy about that.

Steroid Fatigue

Just another day of crappy Northern weather in February, so would you like to focus on baseball? Spring Training, beautiful weather, hope eternal, blah, blah. Well good luck with that- instead there is nothing but steroid talk. And I, for one, am sick of it. 5 of the top 7 baseball stories on ESPN.com are steroid-related. No new revelations, mind you. Just more of the names Canseco, Tejada, Clemens, and A-Rod. The world we live in rehashes everything over and over again, but I will try to avoid this on this blog, unless something new comes to light.

So here's some of what you should be hearing about:

- The World Baseball Classic Deux is gearing up, and while names are dropping out, it should be an exciting tournament all around. Pool C looks the most promising, with the US, Canada and Venezuela all sporting solid teams (sorry, Italy, but looks like you're the odd team out).

- Indians, White Sox, and Dodgers all have new digs in Arizona, and word so far has been positive. Let's see if the intimacy of Dodgertown carries across the country. My bet is it will not.

- The Nats are having drama very early. Ryan Zimmerman denying problems with the team, Odalis Perez no-showing for camp. Don't you actually have to be a good team to have these type of problems?

Pitchers & Catchers Report Today

And that is all you need to know! That, coupled with nice weather this week, makes it feel like winter is over (it's not, but hey..). I leave you with a pic of the new Dodger Spring Training Complex in Glendale, AZ, where we hope to see a game this spring:

Sigh...

Well, here we are again. Another big star, another steroid scandal. And this one is big, folks. The one who was going to save us from the last 15+ years of tainted numbers is now one of the tainted. The one who would save us from Big Head Bonds and the ** home runs will now face the same scrutiny and disdain. A-Rod, the very divisive "savior" has fallen from his perch, and now no one is left that can save us from the fake numbers of Clemens, Caminiti, Canseco, etc, etc.

At least, A-Rod admitted his fault, albeit after getting caught. And he did seem somewhat sincere, given the circumstances. But he will never be looked at the same, nor should he be.

So where this leave us? Nowhere good. There are no names left that can really shock us, and perhaps more importantly, no one who is a legitimate threat to all the illegitimate records. Albert Pujols? Perhaps someday, but whispers have surrounded him as well.

So I propose what I have in the past- erase all numbers for all players who were or are cheaters. Wipe off Clemens from '98-'07, Bonds '99-'07, Mcgwire ?-'01, et al. Of course, it will never happen, but something has to be done to correct this era. It just gets sadder and sadder.

For my wife's take, see here.

Back To My Two Loves

The 2 loves I speak of? Why, working in baseball and blogging. This week starts a new old era for me, as I started yesterday with the Potomac Nationals, my '07 team that got me started in baseball. And the most exciting part is being full-time (read: paid an actual salary) for the first time. And it is great to be back among old friends again as well.

And with pitchers and catchers just 2 days away, this is the perfect time to get back to my much-neglected blog. I hope all my faithful readers, all 3 of you, will enjoy what I have to say in the coming weeks and months.

It's Over!

Bye Bye Governor, err, President Bush! Enjoy your status as the worst president in US history!