By Thom Henninger
Spring training camps open in less than 10 days, and there still are several free agents who could make significant contributions in 2010. Tim Dierkes of MLBTradeRumors.com has assembled an “unsigned all-star team,” which contains a number of players who, with the skills they possess today, might have been paid a pretty penny as recently as two years ago. And they probably wouldn’t have waited until February to sign.
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By James Bailey
This year marks the 102nd anniversary of the Chicago Cubs’ last World Series championship. Suffice it to say, the game has changed nearly as much as the team’s fortunes since then, when they were the three-time defending National League pennant winners and had just won back-to-back World Series.
George R. Matthews recounts Chicago’s 1908 season of glory in “When the Cubs Won It All.” To read the full review, visit BaseballAmerica.com.
By Thom Henninger
If you were asked whose ongoing free-agent status was a surprise this late in the offseason, Orlando Hudson or Johnny Damon may come to mind first. Or maybe lefty Erik Bedard, though all three of these free agents will require draft compensation when they are signed and Bedard is coming off another arm injury.
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By James Bailey
Now that the Mariners have locked up young ace Felix Hernandez for the next five years we can speculate where he might rank in franchise history by the time his $78 million contract expires after the 2014 season.
The club has seen its share of pitchers come and go over its 33-year history. Most notable, of course, is lefthander Randy Johnson, who spent parts of 10 seasons in a Mariners uniform. [click to continue…]
By Thom Henninger
The opening of spring camps is just a month away and most of the top talent is picked over, but a number of productive major leaguers are still searching for jobs.
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To All My Fans … from Norm Who?, by Norm Miller
Double Play Productions, 2009
By James Bailey
Baseball readers first met Norm Miller when Jim Bouton’s “Ball Four” shook up both the game and the literary scene in 1970. Miller was something of a cutup–and slightly disgruntled by a lack of playing time–which made him a natural as Bouton’s sidekick and roommate. Forty years later he’s decided to have a go at book writing himself, with the release of “To All My Fans … from Norm Who?” [click to continue…]
By James Bailey
Paul Richards bridged a baseball generation gap, working for managers like Wilbert Robinson and Connie Mack as a young player and passing the torch to current skipper Tony La Russa in his twilight years. His resume included stints as player, manager, general manager, scout and special assistant. He helped several Hall of Famers get their careers under way, including Brooks Robinson, Joe Morgan and Nellie Fox. So why don’t you know more about him?
Warren Corbett wrote a strong biography on Richards called “The Wizard of Waxahachie.” To learn more about both, see my review, now available on BaseballAmerica.com.
By Thom Henninger
Featuring arguably the best curveball of his era, and an equally refined wit as one of the game’s best pranksters, Bert Blyleven belongs in the Hall of Fame. He inched within five votes of the Hall this week, a sign that he may finally get the call a year from now, in his 14th year of eligibility. [click to continue…]
