Top News:
Gerry Fraley / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Hall Of Fame: 10 who should be here — If the National Baseball Hall of Fame does not call Tuesday, Mark McGwire should not be surprised. — Gavvy Cravath never got the call, either. — In the heart of the dead-ball era, Cravath set the single-season home run record with 24 blasts for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1915.
RELATED:
MLB.com:
How our writers voted — MLB.com scribes reveal their Hall of Fame picks … Mike Bauman — Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken Jr., Bert Blyleven, Goose Gossage, Lee Smith, Jim Rice, Andre Dawson — Gwynn, an eight-time batting champion with a lifetime .338 average, is automatic for the Hall.
Discussion:
6-4-2
dailysouthtown.com:
'Dew' tell: Ripken, Gwynn votes won't be unanimous — EDITOR'S NOTE: The Daily Southtown's Paul Ladewski, a longtime member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, did not vote for any candidates listed on the 2007 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, meaning neither Cal Ripken Jr. nor Tony Gwynn …
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Tim Sullivan / San Diego Union-Tribune:
The swing voters — Gwynn will get in, but it won't be unanimous; it never has been — Tony Gwynn has as many batting titles as an octopus has arms. He owns eight Silver Bats, five Gold Gloves and, come July 29, a bronze bas-relief likeness in Cooperstown, N.Y.
ESPN:
Simulation: Hall of Famers vs. non-Hall of Famers … The same passionate arguments are made this time every year — for Pete Rose, for Jim Rice, for Bert Blyleven, and many others. And year after year, the same players are denied entrance into baseball's most exclusive fraternity, the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Tim Sullivan / San Diego Union-Tribune:Writer who turned in blank ballot says it's not a sign of disrespect
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Associated Press:
Unit agrees to new deal; physical likely Monday — NEW YORK — Randy Johnson agreed Sunday to a $26 million, two-year contract with Arizona, leaving physicals and final approvals to complete his trade from the New York Yankees back to the Diamondbacks. — Johnson most likely …
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Peter Botte / NY Daily News:
Unit gets pact, needs physical — A physical examination today is all that stands in the way of the Yankees finalizing their divorce from Randy Johnson, and possibly setting up a reconciliation with Roger Clemens. — The Big Unit's agents reached agreement with the Arizona Diamondbacks …
Discussion:
Bronx Banter
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Garcia close to selecting Phillies or Colorado — The reinvention of outfielder Karim Garcia began in Japan and extended to Mexico this winter. — Maligned for never reaching his potential, Garcia has dropped 20 pounds, regained his power and will decide today whether to sign a minor-league deal …
RELATED:
Deadspin:
Look Who's Talking On ESPNU — Well, well, look who's branching out. Ladies and gentlefolk, meet the newest college basketball analyst for ESPNU. … The games themselves haven't been announced, but according to ESPN's Web site, ESPNU will be showing the following games on January 15:
Sal Baxamusa / Hardball Times:
Inside Job (Part 1) — While checking out Greg Rybarczyk's awesome Hit Tracker website, I noticed that some of this year's homers didn't even travel 300 feet from home plate. It took me a minute to realize that these were inside-the-park home runs. I've heard that triples are the most exciting play …
John Beamer / Hardball Times:
Zoooomaya and speed guns — Radar guns, and their efficacy have always been a hotly debated topic, largely because no one is ever sure how accurate they are. This year the tongue wagging intensified with the emergence of perhaps the hardest thrower ever to step on to a pitching mound: the flame-arm tattooed Joel Zumaya.
Discussion:
TigerBlog
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Miami ballpark deal progressing — DuPuy says finishing details is 'highest priority' — BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Major League Baseball is closing in on finalizing a new ballpark deal in downtown Miami that would keep the Marlins in South Florida for a generation, the sport's No. 2 official …
NY Daily News:
Mets, Yankees wise to save their money — In contrast to the mind-boggling signings by so many other teams, one would have to admit it's been a rather frugal and prudent winter for our local nines. — While Omar Minaya has seen to it that the Mets will be AARP's team of the year …
