yankees re-sign hideki matsui for 4 years / $52 million. that probably takes new york out of the race for brian giles, which is good; but it sets a high market for giles, not so good. matsui is four years younger and a better fielder, but giles is a more potent offensive player -- at least for now. won't be true in two years . . . . .
TSF at the birdwatch has the best piece i've seen about wayne hagin's firing. seems to be very little reaction to his departure on the internet, which speaks volumes; the man just didn't make a connection. i've spent many a summer's eve listening to this guy -- in the late 1980s, when i lived in the bay area (he was doing giants games), and then out here in denver, where he was the rockies' lead announcer for the franchise's first decade (1993-2002) -- and have never been much of a fan. he shoulda stayed here in colorado -- the listeners adored him, and he coulda spent another 30 years doing the rockies, maybe been the jack buck of the mountain time zone . . . . but you can't blame hagin for wanting more. this is and always will be a football town, with hockey running second; nobody really gets or cares about baseball, particularly the rockies, a clueless franchise with a seemingly insoluble problem (viz. how to pitch effectively at altitude). so 30 more years of that, vs a shot at broadcasting for a great franchise in the nation's best baseball city? a no-brainer, really. i'm sorry it didn't work out better for him; by all accounts he's a person of great character and integrity, and miklasz for one thinks the cardinals screwed hagin over.
cardnilly has grades for half of the cardinal bullpen -- can you guess which reliever elicits thoughts of ringo starr?
the drive to retire willie mcgee's number got an endorsement from deadspin, friend to all persons and things cardinal.
roto authority thinks matt morris is a bad bet . . . . dayn perry thinks larry walker's a famer. . . . . this guy is the official busch demolition photographer and takes fancy pictures.