Top News:
Joe Sheehan / Baseball Prospectus:
Goose, Rice, and Confetti — To no one's surprise, it was announced yesterday that Rich Gossage had been elected to baseball's Hall of Fame. One of the five best relief pitchers in history by any standard, Gossage picked up 85.8 percent of the vote (with “only” 75 percent required for election) in his ninth year on the ballot.
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Dayn Perry / Fox Sports:
McGwire will likely wait in vain for Hall — Dayn Perry is a frequent contributor to FOXSports.com and author of the new book, “Winners: How Good Baseball Teams Become Great Ones” (Available now at Amazon.com). — Each round of Hall-of-Fame voting is mostly about the new inductee or inductees …
Rick Telander / Chicago Sun Times:
No erasing empty feeling — This non-vote is not frivolous. Instead, a blank Hall of Fame ballot sums up what the Steroid Era has done to my feelings about baseball — Ilook at my 2008 Hall of Fame ballot with sadness. That's a photocopy of it on the right, and as you can see …
Kat O'Brien / Newsday:
Yankees still eye Santana — Roger Clemens is dominating headlines these days, not Johan Santana. Yet nearly two months after the Yankees first engaged in trade talks with the Twins over Santana, the Minnesota ace is not off the Yankees' radar. — “There's definitely still a possibility …
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Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
So, who's really in charge of the Yankees? — For the better part of three months, Hank Steinbrenner has said that it'll be up to him whether the Yankees trade for Johan Santana. He made similar comments about signing Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada. — Turns out that's only half true.
Discussion:
River Ave. Blues
Phil Rogers / Hardball:
Looking like a high price for Roberts — On hold over much of the last month, the Brian Roberts talks are on again between the Cubs and Baltimore Orioles. This deal is almost certainly going to happen — the only question is when and how much it is going to cost the Cubs.
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Tony Pente / Voice of the Fan:
Reports: Roberts Traded to Cubs — Orioleshangout.com has learned through several sources that the trade of All-Star second baseman Brian Roberts to the Cubs has been finalized. — The early reports indicate that Orioles will get back 22-year old right-hander pitching prospect Sean Gallagher …
ESPN.com:
Steroid hearing delayed — WASHINGTON — Congress wants to be prepared when Roger Clemens and his former trainer, Brian McNamee, head to Capitol Hill. — The House hearing involving Clemens, McNamee and Andy Pettitte was postponed Wednesday from Jan. 16 until Feb. 13 …
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Patrick K. Thornton / The Biz of Baseball:
The Clemens Defamation Lawsuit: Proving the Case — Contrary to what most legal experts believed, Roger Clemens has now filed a defamation lawsuit against his former trainer and friend Brian McNamee. Lawyers for both sides had been posturing for weeks with McNamee's lawyers stating several times …
David O'Brien / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Braves considering Kotsay or Patterson for CF? — A couple of things to ponder while wondering who among you would've believed a few years ago that Marcus Giles would be reduced to signing a minor-league contract this winter at age 29. — Giles, who in 2003 had 49 doubles …
Associated Press:
Duchscherer, A's avoid arbitration — OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Reliever Justin Duchscherer avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year deal Wednesday with the Oakland Athletics. — The right-hander missed most of last season with a strained right hip but was an All-Star in 2005, going 7-4 with a 2.21 ERA in 65 games.
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
Buddy LeRoux; was part owner of Sox, real estate baron; at 77 — Buddy LeRoux, who rose from team trainer to part owner of the Boston Red Sox in the 1970s and 1980s, died of natural causes Monday night. He was 77. — Often a controversial figure in Boston sports - both with the Red Sox …
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Rob Neyer / ESPN:
Neyer: Top 10 individual seasons … In the spirit of the occasion, below you'll find this writer's choices for the 10 best individual seasons in major league history. One could make such a list and ignore just about everybody except Barry Bonds and Babe Ruth, and both figure prominently below.
Discussion:
Hot Foot
Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
Brewers sign Shouse to one-year deal — Left-handed reliever worked a career-high 73 games in 2007 — The Milwaukee Brewers signed left-handed reliever Brian Shouse to a one-year, $2 million contract on Wednesday, thus avoiding arbitration. — Shouse was 1-1 with a 3.02 ERA …
Discussion:
Brewers Bar
Doug Miller / mlb.mlb.com:
Piazza shows metal maniac colors — All-star catcher enjoys pounding the skins to hard rock — Mike Piazza's vicious yet poetic right-handed swing at a baseball has led to the most home runs by a catcher in Major League history and a sure spot in the Hall of Fame.
Associated Press:
Mariners sign veteran IF Cairo to jump-start Lopez — SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners signed veteran infielder Miguel Cairo to a one-year, major league contract on Tuesday, giving starting second baseman Jose Lopez more prodding to improve. — Cairo, 33, played 82 games for the New York Yankees …
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