Top News:
Kuiperfan / Joe Posnanski:
Hall of Fame: The Eight Definites — In my mind, there are eight players on this year's ballot who are clearly above my Hall of Fame standard. That does not mean that they are without their flaws. A couple of them have significant flaws ... I refused to vote for one of them for a while until …
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It's About The Money:
The problem with believing everything our eyes see — And Pearlman's counter: … I left the links in the blockquotes above because those links sent me on a multi-hour Google search exercise. My goal: To show that just because a player is larger at 35 than they were at 20 does not automatically mean that chemicals were used.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Bill Conlin / Philly.com:
Jeff Bagwell, Juan Gonzalez belong in Hall of Fame — THE 2011 HALL OF FAME ballot presented the usual challenges and tough decisions common in years without a slam-dunk first-ballot presence. — Bert Blyleven and Roberto Alomar, both painfully close to the magic 75 percent a year ago, are back for another run at the tape.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Jeff Pearlman:
Jeff Bagwell and why I disagree with Joe Posnanski — I was recently directed to this SI.com column, which was penned by Joe Posnanski. — Joe is one of the finest sports writers out there and—from my limited exposure—a genuinely good guy. His passion for baseball blows mine away.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Baseball Prospectus, Hardball Times, MVN, Can't Stop The Bleeding, Deadspin, Fanhouse MLB Blog and ESPN
Dan Graziano / Fanhouse MLB Blog:
Jeff Bagwell a ‘No’ for This Hall Voter — No, I didn't vote for Jeff Bagwell for the Hall of Fame. Yes, it's for the reason everybody loves to hate. I don't know for sure that Bagwell took steroids or any other performance-enhancing drugs to help him attain his Hall of Fame-caliber numbers.
Nick Collias / MLB Rumors:
Rangers, Yankees, Indians Interested in Bartolo Colon — Bartolo Colon's work in the Dominican winter league has continued to draw the attention of major league teams, and the 37-year-old starter sounds eager to sign. According to an AP story out of Santo Domingo, Colon told reporters …
Discussion:
HardballTalk, River Avenue Blues, Fenway West and Sliding Into Home
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T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Colon says Rangers, Yanks, Tribe interested — ARLINGTON — Former American League Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon has not pitched in the Major Leagues since July 24, 2009, but he is still planning a comeback and said there are three teams interested in him.
Discussion:
The LoHud Yankees Blog and BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Sabernomics:
So Long, From Sabernomics — Well folks, I'm afraid it's come to an end. What started as an experiment nearly seven years ago became more than I anticipated. For the past seven years I've had a place to explore my whimsical ideas on baseball in public, and I've enjoyed having the outlet.
Associated Press:
Tom Vandergriff dies at 84 — DALLAS — Tom Vandergriff, the former Dallas-area mayor who lured the Texas Rangers out of Washington nearly 40 years ago, has died. He was 84. — The former Arlington mayor's son, Victor Vandergriff, said his father died of natural causes at a Fort Worth hospital Thursday.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Jordan Bastian / MLB.com:
Germano accepts Triple-A assignment — Approval of Kearns' pact by MLB, Players' Association delayed — CLEVELAND — Indians right-handed reliever Justin Germano has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Columbus. Germano will attend Spring Training with the Tribe as a non-roster invitee.
Associated Press:
Harmon Killebrew Says He Has Esophageal Cancer — MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Hall of Fame slugger Harmon Killebrew has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. — The 74-year-old Killebrew released a statement through the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, saying he expects to make a full recovery from the “very serious” condition.
Discussion:
The Sommer Frieze
Murray Chass / Murray Chass On Baseball:
MLB LOSES PILLAR OF HONESTY — Bill Lajoie was one of the most remarkable men I ever encountered in Major League Baseball. One reason for that status was he was one of the most honest men I ever met in Major League Baseball. I don't mean he fell short of being 100 percent honest while others didn't.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
