KCAL 9 and the Dodgers have agreed to an eight-year broadcast contract, starting in 2006 (via Rob). KCAL currently broadcasts Angels games on a contract that ends after the 2005 season.

How does this effect Arte Moreno's bargaining position in the next round of broadcast negotiations? I have no clue, but I'm sure that his 3-step business plan is sound as a pound.

Commenter Steve points me to this Richard Justice column from the Houston Chronicle:

Angels may be top of Beltran's list, but Anaheim's apparently not interested

The Astros have been told that the Carlos Beltran sweepstakes are "yours to lose."

[snip]

Based on conversations with club officials, the Astros appear ready to offer a six- or seven-year deal worth around $13.5 million per season.

New York newspapers have reported that the Yankees will offer $13 million a year. The Cubs will also be serious players, but the Angels, who are believed to be Beltran's first choice, may not be interested.

My first impulse is that this report is crap. There's no way teams like the Yankees, Angels, and Cubs are bowing out of the Beltran sweepstakes at $13.5 million per. You can't afford not to sign Beltran at $13.5 million - it's robbery!

It may be true that the Angels are out of the running, but if that's the case, the price would be substantially north of $15 million (I would hope).

Obligatory Beltran "news":

Although many industry sources believe he is essentially a lock to join the Yankees, people close to Beltran, 29, say the center fielder enjoyed his stint with the Astros enough to stay. The Cubs, Angels and Mets are showing interest, but nobody appears willing to give Beltran a 10-year, $200 million deal.

The article goes on to say that the Angels have "given indications they won't break the bank for Beltran". That would seem to clash with a report from Will Carroll (which I can no longer find), who claimed the Angels had offered Beltran a 5y/$100m contract some weeks ago. Take from it what you will.

UPDATE: From the same article:

"I think the key time (with Beltran) will be the winter meetings," said [Astros owner Drayton] McLane, who is prepared to go to those meetings in Anaheim from Dec. 10-13 if necessary. "When (the Rangers) signed Alex Rodriguez, that was the winter meetings in Dallas."

Could holding the winter meetings on home-turf be advantageous for the Angels? I doubt it, because the top free-agents aren't likely to follow their agents down here. Still, every advantage you can get...

Three years, $21 million. Pending physical.

This puts into sharp focus how much the Tigers overpaid for the services of Troy Percival. For just $1 million more, the Giants grab the premier closer on the market and one that's three years younger at that. Good move by Sabean.

The Bearflag League of California bloggers is taking part in the "Friends of Iraq Blogger Challenge", a program set up by the wonderful folks over at Spirit of America. Its goal is to assist the Iraqi people in building a free and stable nation, and a brighter future through the charitable spirit of the American people. 100% of your donations go directly to the programs you select - programs such as toys for Iraqi children, supplies for schools and universities, canal construction, and even blogging tools for budding Iraqi pundits.

Click here if you would like to donate, or just know more about this worthy cause.

Thanks to Deo over at The Daily Spork for setting this up.

With their giant robots and their eyebrow shaving...

Former Cardinals pitching prospect Chad Hutchinson will start at quarterback for the struggling Chicago Bears this Sunday.

Raise your hand if you knew Chad Hutchinson played for the Bears... anyone... anyone? That's what I thought.

Arte Moreno appeared on TJ Simers' radio show yesterday to discuss a wide range of topics, including the proposed name change, Carlos Beltran, the NFL in Anaheim, and his plan for the Angels franchise.

On the name change:

"We are still looking at all our angles," Moreno said. "Eventually, we'll sit down with the city of Anaheim and try to resolve the issue."

[snip]

"I come from the school that any reaction is a good reaction," Moreno said, "and local people are talking about the Angels and baseball in the marketplace."

Is it all a publicity stunt? It's entirely possible, but I'm not sure the old axiom of "all publicity is good publicity" applies here. Moreno has created an intensely negative focus on himself - not the club. He lowered beer prices, brought in Vlad, and was considered a god by many fans. Now a lot of people are beginning to rethink their opinion of the man.

Of course, Moreno continues to insist it's a move intended to increase revenues:

He said the World Series champion Boston Red Sox generated $120 million more in revenue than the Angels last season. The Red Sox spent $27 million more than the Angels on their season-opening player payroll.

The Angels, who set a club record last season by selling 3.4 million tickets, sold out more than half of their games.

"If you [could] put another million people in our stadium, it would only bring you Randy Johnson at $16 million," Moreno said.

That's all well and good, but explain how the name "Los Angeles" does anything to increase revenues? As a business plan this is strikingly similar to South Park's "Underpants Gnomes". "Step one: Collect underpants. Step two: ... Step three: Profit!"

On Carlos Beltran:

[W]hen Simers asked whether the Angels are considering signing center fielder Carlos Beltran, who is regarded as the top prize in free agency, Moreno said yes.

"We would be doing a disservice to our fans not to look at the opportunity," he said.

c At this point I don't care how much they pay for his services - the Angels need Carlos Beltran. This lineup is looking very ugly at the moment, and there's not a whole lot of areas the Angels can add a bat. A big hitter in centerfield is going to be required if the Angels are going to have any hope of repeating as AL West champs.

On the NFL in Anaheim, and possible ownership:

Moreno said he is intrigued by the NFL's interest in Anaheim — the city has proposed building a football stadium next to Angel Stadium — but said he is not interested in NFL ownership at this time.

"I'm not going to go so far as to say that," he said. "Right now, I'm economically committed to the Angels."

I'm not surprised - the duel ownership rules for the NFL are ridiculous. I don't know what Moreno's finances look like, but if Malcom Glazer was precluded from buying the Dodgers, I doubt Moreno could make duel ownership work.

Sweet.

I was listening to the Hugh Hewitt show on cable radio (finally, the cable radio package pays off!), and near the bottom of my on-screen guide I found a network called ABC World News Now (channel 807 on my service).

I was shocked to find that ABC had entered the cable news business. (They had discussed the possibility around the time that FOXNews and MSNBC came along, but the idea never got off the ground floor.) Even more shocking than the discovery that the network existed at all, was the abysmal production values that accompanied it. If ABC is hoping this network will compete with FOXNews, CNN and MSNBC, they have another thing coming. This couldn't hold a candle to Bloomberg or Headline News.

UPDATE: This USA TODAY article explains all:

What they're talking about is ABC News Now, a low-budget channel now available via an increasing number of digital TV channels over the air and on cable in major cities, the Internet and, in some cases, your cell phone.

ANN came of age during the recent Democratic National Convention, when Jennings anchored gavel-to-gavel, while ABC News limited network coverage to three hours in prime time.

ABC won't say how many people tune in at any given time, but ANN drew a record 250,000 computer "hits" one night during the convention on partner AOL. Disney President Robert Iger says the 14-week, 24/7 experiment, intended to last through the November election, will probably become permanent.

The emphasis being on "low budget". Seriously - this thing is unwatchable.

Columbian authorities claim they foiled an assassination attempt against President Bush while he was in the country for a meeting of APEC leaders this past week. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (or FARC) ordered the operation, to be carried out in the city of Cartagena last Monday.

Can you imagine the shit storm that would have formed if the President was harmed? And just days after this ugly incident? That would almost be cause for war...

UPDATE (12/1): No Aaron, not that FARK - this FARC.

Not exactly a rumor, but interesting nonetheless. From today's Detroit News:

The Tigers could benefit mightily from adding center fielder Steve Finley, no matter that he is 39 years old. Detroit needs short-term insurance in center field as Curtis Granderson grows ever closer to arriving in Detroit as the team's new full-time choice there. He could ripen at some point next season, which is why Finley -- or even Anaheim's Jeff DaVanon -- makes sense as the interim center fielder.

You keep your grimy little hands off the superstar!

Simple: A great family, strong enough to keep the Thanksgiving tradition alive - even in the roughest of times.

Have a great Thanksgiving everybody!

Two gaming notes in one day - it's strange, I know. But why are people still talking about the Phantom?

Do you suppose a small part of DePo was disappointed that the Dodgers made the playoffs? He's made it pretty clear that Tracy isn't his guy, but how can you fire a manager who just led your team to the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons?

For all you gaming fans out there, John Romero's official website has a gallery of pictures from inside the infamous Ion Storm Dallas offices. My favorite extravagance from the $2.5 million facility: bullet-proof glass (and steel shutters) in the main conference room. You know, just in case someone wielding shotgun attempted to steal the masterpiece that was Daikatana.

The crisis in Ukraine is starting to get scary. The presidential election was quite clearly stolen from the pro-Western candidate, Viktor Yushchenko (who I actually mentioned awhile back). His supporters have staged two days of protests, and several of the nation's largest cities (including Kiev) have acknowledged Yushchenko as the winner. He even took a mock oath of office today during a session of parliament.

From the beginning this smacked of Russian interference, as Vladimir Putin quite obviously supported the current Prime Minister, Viktor Yanukovych. That's why this development, as reported by former Congressman Bob Schaffer (who is acting as a poll watcher), is so troubling:

"Russian special forces dressed in Ukrainian Special forces uniforms are in Kyiv. Ukrainian militia have been instructed by the mayor to protect the people from the Russian troops. Ukrainian militia have established a hotline for Ukrainians to report any incidents with the Russians and pledged to protect Ukrainians.

"These Russians flew into Ukraine this morning. They're now surrounding the administration buildings they say "to protect Kuchma (the outgoing president and his PM Yanukovich). Following is a chain of email messages I've been sending by blackberry. Please pass along to others."

He's posted a whole string of correspondence from Kiev - read them all. One gets the feeling that Congressman Schaffer fears for his safety. Here's hoping he - and the Ukrainian people - come out of this violence-free.

$6.5 million over two years, with a club option for a third at $3.75 million.

Where did the Brewers come up with that kind of cash?

UPDATE: That's Damian Miller, in case you were wondering.

UPDATE: There's an interesting twist in the third year of Miller's contract. In addition to the club's $3.75m option, Miller has a $2.25m player option. Practically guaranteeing a 38-year old catcher $2.25m is a questionable decision at best.

Today's Times:

The Dodgers don't want to pay Tracy as similar managers are paid.

The "Moneyball" world of General Manager Paul DePodesta doesn't much value managers, considering them simply uniformed extensions of a front office that calls the shots.

Baseball bellhops, if you will.

You can almost see the look of disdain on Plaschke's face when he uses the word "Moneyball"...

God I love Brit Hume...

Juan Williams looks to be coming down with a severe case of BDS. He's echoing what's quickly becoming a tired talking-point from the left; "Bush is surrounding himself with "yes men" in an attempt to strengthen his grip on power. Just look at Colin Powell's resignation, and Porter Goss' purge at the CIA!" To which I respond: "You lost, he won - get the fuck over it."

Why is it too much to ask that the people who serve the President work for him, and not against him?

51% of Americans re-elected George W. Bush for a second term as President - the Presidency being the sole embodiment of power within the executive branch of the federal government. That means that every agency and every person working in the executive branch (including the State Department and the CIA) derive their authority from the President and serve at his pleasure. There are no checks and balances.

Yes, there is something to be said for having a dissenting voice in matters of great importance such as foreign policy. But ultimately the President dictates that policy, not the Secretary of State. The Constitution bestows that power upon him, and him alone. There is absolutely nothing wrong with him exercising that power. In fact, I would accept nothing less from my President.

(And do I need to point out that President Clinton partook of a similar purge of the CIA upon entering office, almost destroying it as an intelligence-gathering entity in the process? Outcry from Democrats? Shockingly, there was none.)

UPDATE: John Podhoretz comes up with my new favorite word ("Bonkerswackocrazymeshugah") in today's NY Post.

The fourth major shift in leadership in as many years. The constant game of musical chairs being played in the CNN board room is probably the single biggest reason for the rise of FOXNews. CNN has still yet to find itself in this new era of cable news - it's stuck in between the "news is the star" vision of Ted Turner and the personality-driven punditry mastered by Roger Ailes and FOXNews. I'd say the hiring of Kline signals the network is finally ready to commit to the latter, as he's the former producer of "60 Minutes", which isn't exactly known for it's journalistic integrity.

You can find the 2005 ZIPS projections here, courtesy of Baseball Think Factory. They're mighty ugly for the Angels...

On the web at least. I really like the new logos.

The Angels' AFL affiliate, the Pheonix Desert Dogs (shared with the Marlins, Royals, A's, and Phillies), won the league's championship on Saturday, 6-2 over the Scottsdale Scorpions. Here's how the Angels' prospects did during the AFL campaign: Congratulations to all the Desert Dogs, and best of luck in the future!

Where in the fuck did that come from? I usually hate it when the local media won't shut-up about the weather, but it would be nice if someone would mention the fact that my parking lot was an inch deep in water last night. When I woke up at around 2:00 in the morning to turn off my car alarm (which was activated by the massive thunder claps), I took a second to check the Register's forecast. Sunny all week - not a hint of rain. Boy, what a relief that was...

Footage of French troops firing indiscriminately on a crowd of civilians in the Ivory Coast. (Warning: it's graphic.)

Where's the outcry? Anyone?

Ben Jacobs picks up the late Doug Pappas' study of marginal wins over at BP. It's always been a very interesting study, highlighting how much each club paid for each "marginal win" (wins above .300). The Angels come in at $2,107,838, which is slightly above average. But they do get the best value for teams with a payroll north of $100 million. Pity the poor DiamondBacks, who come in at a ridiculous $36,131,454 per win!

Stoneman on Izturis

From today's LA Times:

Rivera is expected to be a reserve, but the Angels might have found a starting shortstop in Izturis. Stoneman said Izturis, 24, the younger brother of Dodger shortstop Cesar Izturis, would be given the opportunity to win the job in spring training. David Eckstein is slated to move to second base until Adam Kennedy returns from a right knee injury that is expected to sideline him early in the season.

Rob thinks this is a mistake, and I couldn't disagree more. As I said in his comment section, Izturis is basically a David Eckstein clone (Eckstein from the 2001/2002 seasons) with a better glove. In open competition with Eckstein, I'm confident Izturis would win the job. But for some reason we're not talking about open competition as short. Why isn't Figgins being considered the front runner at second?

Angels interested in Morales

From the same article:

The Angels are one of five teams that have expressed interest in Cuban defector Kendry Morales, a switch-hitting first baseman and left fielder. Morales, 21, might be willing to sign an incentive-laden contract for the opportunity to play in the major leagues, his agent, David Valdes, said.

"This is a kid that hit cleanup on the Cuban national team at 19 years old," said Eddie Bane, the Angels' scouting director. "This isn't like anyone else who has come out of Cuba. He's legitimate."

Yeah, and so was Jose Contreras.

Angels, Weaver still not close

Scott Boras continues to insist on a major league contract, Bill Stoneman continues to do the right thing.

Here's something the left and right blogosphere should be able to unite in defiance of:

But the FCC bureaucracy may try to survive by expanding its jurisdiction to encompass the alternatives -- cable TV, satellite TV and radio, maybe even the internet. Earlier this year, a Senate committee barely rejected a plan by Louisiana Sen. John Breaux, a Democrat, to allow the FCC to oversee some cable programming.

This is first (and most likely last) time I'll say this: "I agree with Matt Yglesias."

This makes the Oakland bullpen incident look like a tea party. Ron Artest and Steven Jackson are going to be suspended indefinitely, natch. I'd bet that this was the last time we see Artest in a Pacers uniform. In addition, Ben Wallace should get 10-15 games for starting the whole thing.

As for the fans, the NBA (and all American sports, for that matter) should take a page from FIFA (the world's soccer governing body) and start forcing teams to play behind locked doors in empty stadiums in response to fan violence. Not so much as punishment for the fans themselves, but for teams who can't keep their fans under control. The Pistons should have to play one game in an empty house after refunding anyone who has already bought a ticket. Looking forward, security at the Palace clearly needs a major overhaul, as I didn't see a single security guard in that whole mess.

One thing is for sure - the people of Detroit should be ashamed of themselves tonight.

UPDATE: A Pistons official was just on ESPNews attempting to lay all the blame on the Pacers. Yes, players should always stay out of the stands. When they do go into the stands they deserve to (and will) be shit-hammered by the league. But at the same time, we must realize that there is a limit to human restraint. Getting hit in the face with a cup of beer is just about at that limit. Honestly, who among us wouldn't have a similar reaction given the circumstances? I know from personal experience that I would have done the same thing. Why should athletes be the only ones held to such an impossible standard?

Ron Artest is going to get the punishment he deserves, but I can hardly blame him for what happened.

Jose Guillen to Washington for Juan Rivera and Maicer Izturis. No time to blog at the moment, but Chronicles is all over this.

UPDATE: I'm pretty happy with this deal. Obviously Guillen is the best player involved, but it looks like Stoneman got pretty good value considering the position of weakness he was dealing from, acquiring two guys who fit nicely on a major league roster. He's also managed to dump a fair bit of salary in the process. The only thing that disappoints me is that he didn't manage to fill any of the glaring holes on the Angels' roster. I would have thought that someone would be willing to offer a middle reliever of some standing in return for Guillen.

Rivera is serviceable fourth outfielder, but nothing more. A free-swinger with some pop, he's basically Jeff DaVanon without the walks at this stage. He's young still - just 26 - so it's possible he could improve. I don't see a spot for him on this club, so he could be trade-bait.

Izturis has a slick glove and shows some promise with the bat. Like his brother Caesar, his power isn't going to impress anybody. But he has displayed a very good eye throughout his minor league career (105 BB to just 81 SO), and if he follows a similar path he should turn into an acceptable hitter. He seems a more than worthy heir to Alfredo Amezaga, and could (should) get a chance to prove his worth with the Angels' middle infield problems. I've always liked the younger Izturis - he's a keeper.

UPDATE: Early indications from the Washington Expos/Nationals/Grays/Senators blogosphere show that they are pleased with the deal. So everybody's happy. Isn't that nice?

UPDATE: Baseball America named Maicer Izturis as one of their "Breakout Players" for 2005 back in September.

UPDATE: Mad props from David Cameron as well.

I don't agree that the Angels have "[a]quired a player who should be reasonably expected to contribute a similar performance to the one he gave up at ten percent of the cost" in Rivera. Besides the fact that the numbers just don't add up (correction: the numbers are similar - 118 OPS+ for Rivera to 119 for Guillen. But the rest of the argument still stands.) let's remember that Guillen's power was sapped by nagging injuries for much of the season. His April wasn't so hot (.398 SLG) because of a hand injury, and his September was horrible (.329) for any number of reasons. What's he going to do with an entire healthy season?

Juan Rivera is a nice player, but he isn't a replacement for Guillen, nor is he "the answer" for a club with title aspirations. I would be very surprised if he ever pulls on an Angels jersey - this deal is just getting the house in order in anticipation of a big arrival (or two).

A marketing expert looks into the merits of the name "Los Angeles Angels" in today's OC Register:

Don't assume Moreno's aim in seeking a name change - from Anaheim Angels to Los Angeles Angels, or some derivative thereof - is strictly about leverage for more lucrative television contracts.

He might have a greater goal in mind.

"He's looking international," said Marc Ganis, president of Sportscorp LTD, a Chicago-based sports-marketing firm. "It's a very smart approach on his part. He's trying to position his team as the bridge for baseball between Latin America and the United States. It makes sense because he himself is of Latin American heritage. They're in a geographic location where it works, and a number of the players are from Latin America.

"He's trying to carve out this market recognition for his club. Calling them the Anaheim Angels limits him in that strategy."

That is the only plausible explanation, as it's highly unlikely any name change would have any effect on media contract revenue, ad revenue, or attendance. I still doubt the name "Los Angeles" would appeal more to Hispanics in Southern California, but it would certainly add some instant name recognition outside the US. Even then I would argue that the club is better off branding itself simply as "The Angels" - a form that would be inclusive, distinctive, and reminiscent of international soccer clubs (which often forego any geographic label).

Is it just me, or does the Bill Clinton Presidential Library have a phallic quality?


UPDATE: Better pic from Ensie's place.

This could be the worst idea I've ever heard (it's right up there with the Braille driver's manual):

Los Angeles joined Anaheim in opposing Angel owner Arte Moreno's proposal to change the name of his team to the Los Angeles Angels. In a nonbinding resolution, council members decreed that "Los Angeles is currently home to one and only one Major League Baseball team, and that is the Los Angeles Dodgers."

Meanwhile, the team has offered a compromise to Anaheim, saying it would change its name to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

City officials rejected that too, and reiterated that they will sue the Angels for breach of contract if they remove the city's name from the team.

I like Ben Maller's take: "Artie Marino should change the name of the Angels to the "New York Angels"... They can take the NY and place it on the cap... bring back pinstripes... just think of the extra TV revenue..."

Bill Plaschke knows that the name "Los Angeles Angels" would be good for business. He just can't explain why, which is ok, because you're too stupid to understand anyway. You should believe Bill, because he knows about this kind of stuff.

It is just me, or is Plaschke's telegram style of sports writing becoming more and more pronounced? Stop

Today's column: 47 sentences, 47 paragraphs. Stop

That's quite impressive. Stop

2-year deal, no word on money.

UPDATE: ESPN is reporting that it's 2 years at $6 million per. Not bad, considering what he was asking from the Angels.

Good luck to Percy.

UPDATE: Transaction Guy doesn't like it one bit...

At long last, somebody is putting the hurt on this little punk (via SoCal Law Blog):

LOS ANGELES -- A former Orange County assistant sheriff's son, who is awaiting trial on charges of participating in a videotaped gang rape, must be transferred to county jail.

Greg Haidl must be transferred to the jail from the psychiatric ward of a Laguna Beach hospital by Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, according the judge's ruling.

Judge Francisco Briseno ruled Monday that Haidl violated the conditions of his bail by drinking.

Police said the 19-year-old Haidl tested positive for alcohol after he was involved in a minor traffic accident on Oct. 30. Although he was not legally drunk, Haidl is too young to legally consume alcohol and, under the terms of his $100,000 bail, had agreed not to drink while awaiting trial on the rape charge.

Here's hoping the serial rapist gets a dose of his own medicine.

I could have gone forever without seeing this.

UPDATE: Ok, what the fuck is going on today? (found via Wonkette - there's a shocker!)

There must be something about that office...

If we're going to have four more years of this kind of whining, I'm moving to Canada:

Mental health officials in South Florida blasted Rush Limbaugh on Monday, saying the conservative talk show host's offer of "free therapy" for traumatized John Kerry voters has made a mockery of a valid psychological problem.

[snip]

The Boca Raton News reported last week that more than 30 distraught Kerry supporters in South Florida contacted the non-profit AHA following their candidate’s Nov. 3 concession to President Bush. AHA officials have diagnosed the disorder as Post Election Selection Trauma (PEST) and have scheduled the first of several free group therapy sessions for just after Thanksgiving.

Cooperman, whose professional practice is based in Delray Beach, said the election-related symptoms she sees in the Kerry supporters more than quality PEST as “a legitimate syndrome or disorder within the trauma spectrum,” according to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Funny, I wasn't aware that being a petulant brat was a valid psychological disorder...

“Well, Britain gave its support but I did not see anything in return. I’m not sure it is in the nature of our American friends at the moment to return favours systematically.”

- French President Jacques Chirac

American deaths in World War I: 116,516
American deaths in World War II: 405,399

And this is all we get in return? I think we're still owed, "friend".

You'll be happy to know that Sean is back to blogging. I found his take on the name change talk rather interesting. Can you tell that he lives in Texas?

Vlad receives 21 of 28 first-place votes. Sheffield second with five, Ramirez and Ortiz split final two.

Guerrero second Angel to be named AL MVP (Don Baylor, 1979).

UPDATE:More from MLB.com, ESPN.

UPDATE: AL MVP Top Ten:

1. Vladimir Guerrero (ANA)
2. Gary Sheffield (NYY)
3. Manny Ramirez (BOS)
4. David Ortiz (BOS)
5. Miguel Tejada (BAL)
6. Johan Santana (MIN)
7. Ichiro Suzuki (SEA)
8. Michael Young (TEX)
9. Mariano Rivera (NYY)
10. Ivan Rodriguez (DET)

FIRST THOUGHTS: How is it possible that Vlad earned the same percentage of first place votes (75%) as did Barry Bonds? You can't tell me he was as equally dominate as Bonds this season.

And why no love for Manny Ramirez (one first place vote)? I would have expected a much closer race, with Guerrero barely edging out Ramirez.

Just becuase teh Iraq War Wrong Blog is closed (not posting any-more), it dose NOT meen the Iraq War rite. It is, in fact, still is wrong still (not rite).

The Angels have exercised the 2005 option on Bengie Molina and have declined the option on Ramon Ortiz, making him a free agent.

Not surprising, but I thought there was a small chance the Angels could let Molina walk (with a $100,000 buy-out) and attempt to resign him for substantially less than the $3 million he will be owed. That's over a million more than he made last season, when he was one of the worst everyday hitters in the AL and his defensive contribution deteriorated from gold-glove caliber to simply average. He was slowed by injuries for much of the season, but I wouldn't expect much of an improvement over those numbers next season.

UPDATE: According to this note from ESPN, Ortiz isn't a free agent quite yet, as the Angels could still offer him arbitration. But they won't, so I don't why I even mentioned it...

In his latest column, Peter Gammons reveals a Jose Guillen for Chad Cordero offer made to, and rejected by, the Washington Nationals/Grays/Senators:

[Washington interim GM Jim]Bowden tried to acquire Jose Guillen, whose career he rescued in Cincinnati, but the Angels insisted on getting Cordero back in return. Guillen may end up in Florida in a three-way trade that would send Randy Johnson to Anaheim, or he'll be moved to Kansas City.

Very interesting. I hadn't heard anything about Kansas City, but when Peter Gammons says something I tend to believe it. This also lends a little credence to the Randy Johnson talk.

UPDATE: Also from Gammon's column (well, the 2005 Bill James Handbook really), Dallas McPherson's projected line: .293/37 HR/.945 OPS. God, I hope so. James also projects Vladimir Guererro at an OPS of 1.000.

Barry Bonds is clearly in a league of his own, so I figured we should give out a third award.

Seriously though- why was the voting this close?

Rumors, rumors everywhere, but not a news story to be found:

Angels and Mets in Piazza talks:

The New York Daily News (which is like the fourth or fifth biggest newspaper in all of New York!) is pushing the Mike Piazza-to-the-Angels story pretty hard, but with an interesting addendum:

[An] intriguing player for the Mets might be Anaheim first baseman Darin Erstad, who recently became the first player ever to win a Gold Glove as both an infielder and an outfielder. Erstad, who won the award as a first baseman for the first time last season, would appear to fit the Mets' criteria of a defensively responsible player to anchor their young infield. Erstad, a career .289 hitter, is slated to make $8.25 million in 2005.

Hmmm... I'd go for that. That is assuming we're talking about a straight swap here. If you think of Erstad's departure as a salary dump, it would cancel out $8.25 million of Piazza's $16 million deal. Although I suppose you would be taking a gamble that Kotchman's production would at least match Erstad's (and that Piazza's decline would be slowed somewhat by playing DH everyday). But that's a risk that I'm willing to take...

Angels/Marlins/DBacks in three-way?

You probably saw this one over at Rob's yesterday. From the LA Times:

The Florida Marlins have expressed considerable interest in troubled Angel outfielder Jose Guillen, but an inability to consummate a two-team trade has motivated executives to be more creative by formulating possible three-team deals, one of which could net the Angels pitcher Randy Johnson.

Talks are in the exploratory phase, but according to baseball sources, the Angels, Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks have discussed a trade that would send Guillen to the Marlins, Johnson to Anaheim and a package of prospects - and possibly a big league player or two - to Arizona from Anaheim and Florida.

A lot of that contract is going to have to get eaten by someone for the Angels to go for Johnson. And the DBacks's insistence on a package of top prospects is shocking to me. At this point Johnson - and his ridiculous, crippling contract - are impediments to the rebuilding process. But they're still treating him as some great commodity. Take what you can get, clear as much salary as possible, and be in contention a year earlier than you would be otherwise!

Not a rumor, but just as fake.

Now I know how Billy Beane must feel. I've been involved in a sim league for the past couple of years, and during that time we've simmed through about 6 seasons. In all six of those seasons I've had the best starting pitching in the league and the worst bullpen. It's not for lack of trying- I've gone through at least a hundred different bullpen combinations, but it seems that when a reliever pulls on that Detroit Drive jersey, he completely loses the ability to get outs.

The best example of this phenomenon is one James Wilette (we play with randomly generated players). I signed Wilette to a ridiculous contract last off season, after he had led the league in saves the previous two seasons. He was supposed to be my savior. What do I get for my substantial investment? 5.60 ERA, 30 S, 14 BS (not including blowing the sixth and final game of the world series). I did manage to trade him this off-season, acquiring a 42 year-old overpaid outfielder in return. And what does Wilette do? 0.96 ERA, 58 S. Mother fucker!

Thanks for letting me vent.

I'm listening to the Drudge Show, and he's flipping the fuck out about radio transmitters on medicine bottles or some crap. That's his big lead story.

The election's over, Peterson's guilty, and Drudge is on suicide watch...

The Giants have made Omar Visquel the first free agent signing of the off-season with a three-year, $12.25 million deal. Yes, you read the correctly- three years for a 37 year-old shortstop. Wow.

Gentlemen, I think we may have found the perfect weapon in the fight against terrorism (via Tim Blair):

The soldiers shared laughs during the more surreal moments, such as when a psychological-operations truck rolled through the city blaring the theme song to the movie "Team America: World Police." In the film, Rambo-like puppets hunt terrorists and blow up the Eiffel Tower in the process. There is no need to thank us, the puppets tell outraged Parisians.

Ol' Dirty Bastard has died. No, not Yasser Arafat- I'm talking about Dirt McGirt. No? How about Big Baby Jesus? Osirus? Dirt Dogg? Ok, I'm talking about this guy here. I'm afraid he'll be remembered more for his affinity for nicknames (oh, and crack- can't forget the crack) than his music.

I guess this marks the end of the Wu Tang Clan. For me anyways, because Wu Tang without ODB is like... like... I don't know what it's like, but it's going to suck.

I've often wondered. Aaron over at Raincross Conservative runs the numbers, and what he finds may surprise you. Now if only we could escape they tyranny of our northern neighbors...

The saga continues:

Relations between the Angels and the city of Anaheim deteriorated further during a meeting Friday, when club President Dennis Kuhl refused the city's demand to say once and for all whether the team would change its name to the Los Angeles Angels.

Although the meeting was designed to ease tensions between the two sides, a plan to issue a joint statement collapsed. Kuhl issued a statement that did not mention the possibility of a name change; the city's statement focused on that issue and blistered the Angels for being "unwilling to publicly clarify their position" and "not committed to honoring the terms of their lease."

I wouldn't say that Kuhl was necessarily "unwilling to publicly clarify [the club's] position", because just a few hours later he released this statement:

"We are all interested in the long-term economic health of this club in our efforts to field a perennial contender and maintain ticket affordability for our loyal fans," Kuhl said in the statement. "The Angels ranked third in payroll throughout Major League Baseball last season while maintaining the 23rd lowest average ticket price out of 30 teams. The Angels televised over 98 percent (159) of our games in 2004, yet we still finished in the bottom half of broadcast revenues.

"As an organization, we are continuing to explore opportunities to expand our reach in the No. 2 media market in the country, as well as other revenue options. Today's discussion was centered on our overall objective of Angels Baseball providing a consistent contender and making Angel Stadium of Anaheim one of the premier sports venues in the country."

He may dance around the issue at hand, but it pretty clear what he's hinting at. Of course the argument that the Angel's broadcast revenue is somehow connected to the team's Orange County location is asinine. All you have to do is compare the Angels and Dodgers franchises historically, and it becomes plainly obvious why the Angels play second fiddle in the So. Cal media market (and it has nothing to do with geography). Let's face it; the team was a perennial loser with no hope when the last broadcast deal was hammered out. That is no longer the case. And while the club likely will never surpass (or even equal) the Dodgers in revenue, they should be able to increase their own revenue substantially, without re-branding.

Later in the day Angels' spokesman Tim Mead confirmed what we already knew- that a name change is in the team's plans:

Mead acknowledges the discussion of the team's name has become a "hot-button issue," but it's one that has been in play for some time now.

"Nothing's changed from what we've said previously, that it's a concept we've been talking about," Mead said. "It's been an issue we've discussed for several months. It's a major issue, but it's one of many major issues."

Clear enough for you? Anyway, this is still a very unlikely scenario, especially now that the City of Los Angeles has weighed in:

And some officials with the city of Los Angeles aren't crazy about the Angels using their name either. Councilman Alex Padilla on Friday introduced a motion to the city council protesting an Angels name change. The full council will vote on the measure Wednesday, but Padilla said he's confident it will pass. His concern is that none of the revenue Angels owner Arte Moreno will generate using the city's name will go back to Los Angeles.

"If I were an Angels fan in Anaheim, I'd feel a little disrespected," Padilla said. "There may not be a lot of things the city of Anaheim and the city of L.A. stand in common on, but this is one. This is a no-brainer."

So it looks like the Angels are caught between a rock and hard place. There's an awful lot of negative press surrounding this story (including a protest at the stadium today), so I wouldn't be at all surprised if Arte Moreno backed-off in the next few days. The longer this gets dragged out, the worse it is from a PR standpoint- and the City of Anaheim is prepared for a long, dragged-out battle through the courts. It's a battle the club may very well win- but one that will do irreparable harm to the club's image.

Oh man, this is rich. God forbid five minutes of real news should slip through the cracks. If this keeps happening, it might ruin CBS' reputation! So for those of you keeping score at home:

Non-fireable offences at CBS News:

• Using forged memos to defame a sitting President.
• Reporting stories with little or no supporting evidence under the guise of "investigative journalism".
• Reporting unsubstantiated rumors as legitimate news.

Fireable offences at CBS News:

• Reporting actual news.

What a back assward way to run a news organization. Good news is, they're starting to pay for it.

ESPN has assembled their list of the Top 50 free agents, along with predictions on the ultimate destination for each. (Although they do have every other free agent signing with either the Dodgers or Braves, so don't put much any faith in these guesses.) A useful resource for drawing up your Christmas list...

(Seriously- Brad Radke to the Devil Rays? Are they picking these with a dart board?)

When did NBA basketball become completely unwatchable? I tried to sit down and watch a Clippers game for the first time this season, but around about the fifth or sixth time I saw Marco Jaric pick up his dribble without so much as a second glance from the refs, I was too disgusted to stick around.

Someday soccer is going to become this nation's third most popular professional sport, and the NBA and NHL will have no one to blame but themselves.

You gotta respect Rupert Murdoch- at least you know where he and his media empire stand:

Wretchard, over at The Belmont Club, has been supplying the best coverage of the Battle in Fallujah, bar none. Not only does he cover the minute-by-minute news from the front, but he has also done a tremendous job of explaining the broader strategy involved with crushing the insurgency. It's required reading if you wish to gain some understanding of what's happening over there.

Start here and work your way backwards.

Well, the sports writers were bound to get one right eventually. Is it possible for Santana to donate a few of those extra first-place votes to Randy Johnson?

Francisco Rodriguez garnered one third place vote to finish in three-way tie for fourth. Hoo-ray!

Rob has the low-down on a possible Mets/Dodgers deal involving Mike Piazza, while Newsday makes mention of a similar possibility for the Angels:

Now it appears that Minaya - granted "full autonomy" by owner Fred Wilpon - is seriously investigating whether he can find a taker for Piazza, who hit .266 in 129 games last year with 20 homers and 54 RBIs.

"I'm going to explore what interest teams have in all of our players," Minaya said yesterday, while declining to discuss specific players.

[snip]

Piazza, who has a home in Southern California, would also probably endorse a move to Anaheim, and the Angels have the payroll room to take on a decent chunk of his salary.

"A decent chunk", eh? How decent a chunk are we talking here? I'd bet that Piazza could have a pretty good run as a DH, but I wouldn't be willing to bet anymore than, oh let's say, $2 million. Considering that Piazza is due $16 million (!) next season, a deal doesn't appear very likely.

Also, the same Newsday article mentions the possibility of new Mets GM Omar Minaya dumping Jose Reyes so he can make a run at former Expo Orlando Cabrerra. Ugh... is there a more disturbing combination of statements in the English language than "Omar Minaya" and "full autonomy"?

Rob has a truck-load of rumors for you digest. Go check them out. Two thoughts:

• What possible use could the Angels have for Jeremy Burnitz? I could have sworn we were in the market for a center fielder. I suppose there's always designated hitter, but I always thought your DH should be able to, you know... hit.
  
  
• Like Rob says, a Randy Johnson deal is "more plausible than it was yesterday", and IMO getting more likely with each passing day. The conventional wisdom in July was that the DBacks' asking price was too ridiculously high for anyone to put together an acceptable package. Management honestly felt they could compete for the playoffs this coming season, contingent the return of Johnson and Sexon. It was obvious to everyone outside of Joe Garagiola's inner circle that such hope was always a pipe-dream, and it's entirely possible the new management has forced Garagiola to abandon any such notions (especially now that it's a near-certainty that Richie Sexon won't be back).
  
  Since it's clear the DiamondBacks will not be competitive again during Johnson's final years as an effective pitcher, it really makes no sense to keep paying him the $22.5 million he's due over the next three years ($10m in 2005, $12m in deferred payments). That's why I think the DiamondBacks are now ready to sell, and at a reasonable price this time. (None of this applies to the Angels- they should be out of this lottery by now. The Yankees are probably the only club willing to eat that contract.)

"Mr. Satan, there's a 'Mr. Arafat' here to see you."

"Send him in Doris."

UPDATE: Charles is a little behind on this- I figured he'd have his 'dancing in the street' post locked and loaded. (Maybe he was watching Lost like the rest of us...) Anyway, when he does get his post online, you'll be able to find it here.

UPDATE: Similar thoughts from the Alchemist.

The club has announced that all coaches have been retained for the 2005 season. Not a surprise. Though it is rather surprising that none of these guys were seriously considered for managerial positions.

So here are some more links:

Jim Treacher has the details on another non-mandate.

Speaking of mandates, Jim McGreevey! (Get it? MAN-Date?)

Moxie has apparently named herself Immigration Secretary of our new utopian society. I call Secretary of War! *glares at France*

Iraq Wrong Blog has decided to close-up shop in the aftermath of Bush's re-election. So does this mean the Iraq War was rite (not wrong?) So confused! (just a little).

Let's be honest: They really are.

...he'd be blogging. He'd also be some kind of undead zombie pioneer, which would be AWESOME!

You're looking at a proud new member of The Bear Flag League of California bloggers! (Thanks to Kasey from The Doggy Diaries for getting me all signed-up.) Ok, I admit it! I just joined so I could have a new button to replace my 'Bush/Cheney '04' logo. I didn't have a choice- it would have fucked up the feng shui of my whole blog!

The League's blogroll is down there on the left, adding to my already too-long list of links. I'm going to go through them all in the next few days, getting rid of the dead ones (there must be a slew of abandoned blogs, what with the baseball season and the election having past), and re-organ-a-zize the whole list. There's also a few more blogs I've been meaning to add, so I'll get those up as well.

In the days following the election the web was flooded with those Red/Blue America maps examining the vote by county. The indisputable fact was that there was a ton of red- it must have looked mighty imposing for most liberals. But those maps weren't really representative when you take into account population density. Well, a few guys from the University of Michigan have taken on the challenge of creating a truly accurate map, and they came up with... whatever this is...


I'm somewhere on that bulbous mass to the left... I think...

Anaheim City Council member Dave Morgan has vowed to use legal action "to enforce the lease we have with the Anaheim Angels", after the Los Angeles Times reported Bud Selig had given the club permission to move ahead with a proposed name change.

"We're pretty fired up. We want the Angels to understand this is very important to us," Anaheim city manager Dave Morgan told The Associated Press on Monday. "They won the world championship as the Anaheim Angels two years ago and should remain the Anaheim Angels. The mayor and City Council of Anaheim are very clear and unambiguous that we will do whatever we need to do legally to enforce the lease we have with the Anaheim Angels."

[snip]

"This isn't strictly a matter of civic pride, although that's also very important to us. When this lease was negotiated, the city made major contributions as part of the negotiations to the renovation of the stadium, anywhere from $20 million to $30 million. We also significantly adjusted our revenue-sharing downward as part of this deal and agreed to some significant limitations on our development ability around the stadium itself."

I had completely missed this Times report- color me surprised that this name change talk has gotten this far. The city of Anaheim does have legal recourse if the club were to attempt a name change (the Angels' lease specifies that the team go by the "Anaheim" moniker), and what's more, they should use it if push comes to shove. It is a simple matter of civic pride- I'm not ashamed admit it. I love Orange County, and the Angels, Disneyland and that show are just about the only things that put us on the map. Otherwise we're just another suburb of LA.

The Angels have struck a nice balance at the moment, having dropped the name "Anaheim" from most promotional items and the uniforms, and simply going by the name "Angels". I like that. It alienates no one and allows the club to promote itself in both markets effectively. The label of "Los Angeles", on the other hand, would alienate a lot of people- namely the 5 million sum-odd folks south of Long Beach.

Besides, I just don't see how pretending that the team plays in Los Angeles would sell anymore shirts or bring in more advertising dollars. The only way to accomplish those goals is to win year in and year out, and Arte Moreno surely knows this.

UPDATE: Here's the Times article. It doesn't say anything we didn't know three months ago, but Bill Shaikin can be proud that he managed to kick-start a rumor with some legs.

Why the Democratic Party will never win another national election in my lifetime.

The Christian right is the problem, sure...

Could this be the least effective ad campaign- political or otherwise- in history?


If you live in California, you've seen this ad. Paid for by the San Manuel tribe of Indians, it features former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, who attempts to paint California gaming tribes as victims for having signed Governor Schwarzenegger's new gaming compacts. He even goes as far as to accuse Schwarzenegger of "ripping Indians off" in a tone which implies some kind of anti-Indian prejudice on the Governor's part.

Put aside for a moment the fact that the ad is running after the election. It's hard to figure out what the San Manuel tribe is hoping to accomplish with these ads. I would assume this is part of a PR battle- the tribe is attempting to brew a public outcry and put a stop to these new compacts. But is attacking the insanely popular Governor the right way to go about it? Schwarzenegger has an approval rating that consistently reaches the high 60's. He is, at this stage of his term, the most popular governor in the state's history.

So even if the Indians had a valid argument (which they don't), this is a misguided way to make their point. More than anything, this ad is likely to piss people off and turn them against the Indian casinos (if they weren't already there). Personally, I don't particularly care for Mr. Schwarzenegger, but he seems to be a good and decent man. He's obviously very likeable, and accusing him of some sort of subtle racism (especially when coming from a source as vilified as the Indian tribes) just makes him out to be the victim.

Didn't they screen test this at all? If anything this ad makes me want to tax Indian tribes more...

Rob reports that the Angels have made their first signing of the winter, inking Curtis Pride to a minor league deal. It makes sense for all concerned, as Pride wasn't going to get a Major League contract from anybody and the Angels' system has almost nothing in the outfield at that level. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Pride spent substantial time in the Bigs next season, in the event of injury.

Michele at A Small BIG Victory says her good-byes to the Simpsons. As you probably know, yesterday was the big season debut, with volume XV (yes, that's volume 15) of "The Simpsons' Tree-house of Horrors"- a franchise that was once the funniest in all of television.

Well, last night was a disappointment to say the least. I laughed once throughout the entire episode, and that was during the closing credits. ("The Republican Party" was listed as an executive producer- good for a belly laugh.) It was just about the least funny 30 minutes I've ever experienced. I've had a better time at funerals- I shit you not.

While suffering through all 30 minutes of it, I couldn't help but think that this signaled the sorry end of a once great program. Yes, the show has been heading downhill for years (ever since the producers decided to focus almost exclusively on Homer), but it was still good for laugh. Not anymore.

South Park once did an episode in which the characters lamented that every comic scenario had already been done by The Simpsons- and there's some truth to that. Anyone else notice that this was the second time they've used the Homer/Mr. Burns sharing a body gag? And how many times can "Homer is dumb" be used as a comic device before it gets stale? There is nowhere else for this family to go.

The Simpsons has entered Michael Jordan territory here. With each passing episode, as they refuse to admit that the show's run is over, the producers are tainting their own legacy. I'm sorry to say it, but it's time to call it quits. Goodbye Simpsons. We'll always have the 90's...

The President of Paramount Pictures is blaming the poor box-office showing of the company's new Jude Law vehicle, Alfie, on the conservative "mood of the country":

Paramount's "Alfie," a remake of a romantic comedy about a roguish womanizer starring Jude Law, opened to a dismal $6.5 million in more than 2,000 theaters, far below expectations. The tepid response was the latest blow to Sherry Lansing, the chairwoman of Paramount who last week announced her plans to leave the job when her contract expires in 2005, and whose movies have performed poorly this summer and fall.

Wayne Llewellyn, the president of distribution at Paramount, said that the conservative ethos reflected in last week's election results might have hurt the film.

"It could be the mood of the country right now," he said. "It seems to be the result of the election. Maybe they didn't want to see a guy that slept around."

It's now considered "conservative ethos" to not blow ten bucks on a thinly-veiled chick flick? I guess that's what passes for "fiscal conservatism" these days...

If it was conservatism that kept Alfie to an abysmal $1,000 per-screen average, then I'm pretty sure Bush would have won by an Obamaesqe margin. No, this was a bipartisan rejection of recycled Hollywood crap. You see, we can reach across the aisle and work together for a better America!

Deleted about 30 items of spam from the comments section this morning. Does this mean I've "arrived"?

That utter lack of Angels news is starting to get to me. It seems that every team in baseball has something boiling on the hotstove, but what are we hearing surrounding the Angels? The conspicuous sound of silence...

Anyway, NJ.com is reporting that Jose Guillen is something of a safety net for the Mets if they are unable to land a marquee outfielder such as Manny Ramirez or Sammy Sosa. That will have to do for your daily Angels fix.

Links!

This is just too sad...

...and this is just too funny. (Another good one here.)

Relive the most rousing moments from the campaign with this "audio slideshow" from the BBC.

God told me to link to this Moxie post, so here it is.

Suggesting that "murder is bad" is now racist. Make note of it. (BTW, I keep seeing Theo van Gogh referred to as a "critic of Islam", due to a film in which he exposed the horrific beatings Arab women often suffer at the hands of their family. It sounds to me that he was an outspoken critic of domestic violence- not Islam.)

This seems fair- just so long as we get Orange and San Diego counties. We did win them fair and square, after all. (We also end up with all the oil, so that's cool.)

Because we've worked too hard for these judicial nominations just to let Arlen Spector fuck them up at the goal line...

UPDATE: One more I forgot to add- The Daily Recycler examines how "first-time voters" broke for Bush. Interesting stuff.

The media has finally called Iowa for Bush, so I figured this is a good time to look back on the predictions I made a few days before the election.

Here's my electoral map:


And here's the actual map:


Not too shabby. I only missed by two states, two electoral votes, and two percentage points in the popular vote.

To tell you the truth, I never really thought that Kerry was going to win Colorado. The problem was that I wanted to keep Bush's votes in the 280-290 range (don't ask me why- it just sounded right) and I couldn't get the math to work. I was 100% positive that Bush would carry Wisconsin, so Colorado became the easiest state to drop from his column.

**********

Perhaps my boldest prediction: "Libertarian Candidate Michael Badnarik will finish third in the national popular vote- just ahead of Ralph Nader."

Darn! Just missed! Badnarik finished fourth in the national popular vote, with a respectable 381,235 votes- just 18,507 votes behind Ralph Nader. (I demand a recount!) I made that pick based on the assumption that much of the anti-war Republican vote would fall to Badnarik. Granted, that is a very small constituency, but surely it's larger than the coveted pot-head/Seattle coffeehouse/mental ward vote that makes up Nader's base, right? I guess not. (That, and he was on far more states' ballots than was Nader.)

**********

My Senate predictions held-up pretty well. I only missed the Alaska race, in which Lisa Murkowski came back from the dead to beat Tony Knowles (and I've never been happier to be proven wrong!). Also, I believe mad props are in order for my call of the Louisiana race, where I correctly predicted that David Vitter would win without the formality of a run-off. That was by no means a foregone conclusion, and I didn't see many other bloggers going out on that limb.

**********

As for my House prediction: "Republicans will gain four seats in the House (due in large part to multiple successes in the state of Texas), bringing their majority to 231-204."

Wow... eerie...

UPDATE: A reader points out that Jennifer Tilly was, in fact, an ardent Dennis Kucinich supporter, and presumably not a Nader supporter. Obviously there's no way to confirm that, so just to be on the safe side, I've removed her name and replaced it with something a bit more appropriate.

With 337,000 jobs added this month and 156,000 added in the revised August/September numbers, INDC Journal points out that the first Bush administration will end up with a positive job-creation number (projected to be about 300,000) by the end of the year. Not too shabby when you consider that Bush inherited an economy reeling from the tech-crash, and was then hit hard by the events of 9/11.

So much for John Kerry's "jobless recovery"...

Four days after getting the job, Wally Backman's checkered past has cost him his position as manager of the Arizona DiamondBacks. Bob Melvin has already been announced as his "replacement". Incredible.

Newsweek has a ton of great inside-the-campaign insight in this week's issue. Check it out.

Trench Warfare
Fits and Starts
Inner Circle

If Bush voters are so dumb, why are they the only ones who can fill out their ballots correctly?

From ESPN:

Houston Astros free agent center fielder Carlos Beltran is seeking a 10-year contract, his agent told a television station on Thursday.

I'll give you three guesses as to who Beltran's agent is. You're only going to need one...

"All of the fundamental aspects about the desire of him to stay in Houston and to look at Houston as a serious contender for his services I think are there," Scott Boras said in an interview with KRIV.

Boras said Beltran is also interested in a couple of other teams, but he did not name them. He declined to discuss salary figures.

"He is going to just go through the process, talk to those teams, and we are going to evaluate the ability of the club to have a winning environment every year, and certainly the economics of it."

10 years!? Boras has officially stepped over the line of sanity if he's serious with this crap. Keep in mind that Beltran is 27 now, meaning you would be locking him up for the five or so years of his peak production, and then the five years after that. And all at some exorbitant sum, I would assume.

There is no team crazy enough to give any player another A-Rodesqe deal- not even the Yankees- and that's pretty much what Boras is asking for. (Now watch Steinbrenner prove me wrong...)

I could have sworn that Galarraga was all set to retire (of course this would be the third or fourth time he's announced his impending retirement), but perhaps the lure of 400 is too much to ignore. Then again, this could signal that he still intends to hang them up and he's just keeping his options open. Personally, I would love to see him catch-on somewhere- he's still got a pretty good bat, and is truly one of the best guys in the game.

BTW: Where’s Transaction Guy when you need him? I know he must have his hands full with the baby, but that’s no reason to let the blog lapse. How selfish you are, Transaction Guy!

Get Fuzzy by Darby Conley

Last night I called the California election results "sorry". Well, when I woke up this morning things were looking a bit sunnier. Prop. 66 (3-strikes limitations) looked sure to pass when I decided to hit the sack, but now that all the votes are in it has gone down to a fairly decisive defeat. The people of California also defeated prop. 72 (health care coverage requirements), albeit by a shockingly close margin of 49.1-50.9. Both tribal gaming propositions were laughed out of the booth as well.

On the other hand, prop. 71 (stem cell research) passed rather easily. I don't particularly care about the moral implications, but I do care about $6 billion in new spending and the ever-expanding bureaucracy that come along with it. Prop. 69 (DNA database) also passed by a huge margin. I know nothing about law, so I could be completely mistaken, but collecting DNA from someone who hasn't even been charged with a crime doesn't sound like it's going to hold up in a court challenge. And, of course, the people of California have returned Barbara Boxer to the Senate. Ugh.

But perhaps the most depressing result from last night is the fact that several million people who voted yes on Prop. 60 (closed primary) also voted yes on Prop. 62 (open primary)- two propositions that were completely contradictory. That doesn't reflect well on our state.

Complete results here.

This thing is over. The President is poised on the edge of 270, with his current total of 269 amounting to a de facto victory. The Democrats continue to argue that Ohio is within reach, but that is an impossibility at this point. (No complaints about the lack of a concession here- Kerry is entitled to examine the possibility that these provisional ballots will make up the difference. They won't, be he's entitled.) New Mexico, Iowa, and Nevada are all painfully close to calls in the President's favor.

He's also received 51% of the national popular vote- no cries of illegitimacy this time. When you combine that with the fact that Republicans should pick-up four Senate seats and several seats in the House, it's difficult to see this as anything less than a clear mandate from the American people.

I'll have more thoughts (particularly on the sorry results from here in California) in the morning, but for now I need to grab some grub. I haven't eaten all day- my stomach just wasn't up for it.

...but the real story is Adam Kennedy getting robbed at second. Bret Boone wins again, despite being one the worst defensive second basemen in the league this past season. And he didn't even have the offensive numbers to put him over-the-top this time! Someone call the cops!

No blogging yesterday, as I was purposely avoiding all forms of news. I was at the point where if I saw on more poll, one more electoral projection, or one more unsubstantiated accusation of fraud, I was going to vomit. Anyway, it gave me time to go pick up my plane tickets to Sydney, just in case this thing doesn't turn out (just kidding- I hate those "I'm moving if my guy doesn't win!" moonbats).

BTW: How in the fuck did Jim Treacher find his way onto the pages of the Wall Street Journal? Next thing you know, Puce is going to have a weekly column in the Old Gray Lady...

UPDATE: Just voted. Took all of five minutes. Apparently I'm one of the few people who thought to bring their sample ballot along, as in the time it took me to sign in, get my number, and vote, no one had left their respective polling booths. One of the poll workers told me that the woman who had the booth before me was in there for almost half an hour.

UPDATE: The guys at NRO (K-Lo, specifically) really need to shut the fuck up. They've posted a number of exit polls, including one showing Bush down by 20 in PN (which has now been confirmed as coming from the Kerry camp, and thus crap), and then tell Republicans "Don't get demoralized! GOTV!" It doesn't work that way, fucktards. Just shut-up! Especially when the only numbers you have are from a source as reliable as Wonkette!

UPDATE: Drudge is now reporting that early exit polling was sampled at a ridiculous 59/41 female/male ratio. Just another reason for NRO to stop posting these things. Don't these people pride themselves on being more reliable than the MSM? Well, act like it- stop posting unconfirmed and incomplete information!

UPDATE: Why are Republican's freaking over this? By all accounts, Bush is either ahead or very close in Florida and Ohio. Those are the only two states he needs!

UPDATE: Reuters: "Dow Dips, Others Inch Up on Internet Talk". Happy now, K-Lo? Good news: Last I saw, the DOW and NASDAQ were down big- both rallied late in the day as these poll numbers have been discredited and blog talk has mellowed.

UPDATE: Treacher: "I'm posting this in the 30-second window while I can still access the dang page. We done broke the Internet, y'all." It sure looks like it- Instapundit crashed earlier today. Instapundit! And all of us poor bastards on blog*spot have been having trouble, too.

UPDATE: Hugh Hewitt chastises the blogosphere for today's exit poll fiasco. Here here.