1776

From the WSJ this morning: At least 103 people were killed in explosions in Iran near a public ceremony commemorating the death of a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officer killed by an American airstrike in 2020, the country’s state media reported. Iranian officials said the blasts were the work of terrorists. At least 170 others were wounded by the blasts, which took place as crowds gathered near the tomb of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, according to Iran’s government-run Islamic Republic News Agency. Iran said it was investigating the cause of the explosions.

How so?

FSU had over 20 guys opting not to play today because of the draft and portal entries. Two guys were out due to existing injuries. There is no way I could get excited about college football the way it has disintegrated the last couple of years. At best, it’s a cluster****!

I considered posting the same comment you did here about an hour ago but I don’t think anybody really cares that the two leagues are, for the most part, indistinguishable now. I’ll never come around to the changes of the past several years as far as the leagues/schedules are concerned.

Longoria?

Regarding Chapman, I’m a bit surprised SF hasn’t signed him yet. Chapman played for Bob Melvin in Oakland and is a California native. The Giants are not in a good position right now. The strength of their minor league system is pitching. They have a lot of subpar position players and like a bazillion outfielders at the major league level. To bring their position players up to par they would have to deal their future pitching prospects, and they have several good ones. All the while the fan base is about to explode because other than Jung Hoo Lee, they’ve done NOTHING this off-season. They’ll overpay for what’s left at this point. Zaidi should have followed Kapler out the door.

“The first step to failure is trying.” Homer Simpson

I’m going to laugh when they don’t even get to the world series again.

If you look at the Glasnow trade, the Rays got the best of that deal. The Dodgers were unwise to trade Pepiot away at his age and where he is in his progression. There is a good chance he will step right into Glasnow’s spot in the rotation.

The Dodgers have committed a little over a billion dollars for Ohtani and Yamamoto combined.

Off topic a bit… The Tigers single game spring training tickets are on sale already. In past years they’ve gone on sale the second Saturday of January. ….back to the discussion in progress.

Can you believe SF just extended Zaidi through 2026 at the end of this season?

A couple of years ago I visited a CVS store looking for a pair of compression socks. This store was definitely not in what might be considered a bad area, fwiw. A clerk happened to be close by so I asked for a certain kind of sock. The clerk opened the first box that appeared to be the brand I was looking for and voilà! the box was empty. She opened another box and, you guessed it…empty. The third box on the rack had been spared and did have what I was looking for. She explained to me that this is borderline normal. She said that the store we were standing in budgets for an $80,000 loss annually from shoplifting. Like most all businesses the employees there have been instructed not to confront anyone in the process of a crime.

The Giants are in a tight spot right now. Their position players are all so-so or young and yet unproven. Zaidi should have been out the door with Kapler. The team has very little, if any, leverage in trade talks with other teams. Boras played Zaidi like banjo on Jung Hoo Lee.

Shooting from the hip?!?! Hear! Hear! My comments were based on interviews conducted over a full 12 month period with several of Chapman’s former team mates at every level he has ever played…including T-Ball! I also interviewed several of his former managers and coaches. Bob Melvin was very gracious to give me a few minutes of his time with all he has on his plate right now. In fact, a minor league bus driver for an unnamed minor league team on which Chapman played, informed me Chapman gave him one of the best tips he’s ever received. He stated the tip afforded his family a “real Christmas” that year. 😢 Of his present and current neighbors that responded to my inquiries, there were nothing but positive responses regarding his character and willingness to help others. Shooting from the hip indeed!

KC has been pretty active recently.

I think Matt Chapman would be a good fit in Detroit. Money and length of contract is more than Harris will commit to a contract to get him. I view him as a veteran guy, as in Canha, that younger guys could relate too. He played with a younger and successful team in Oakland and his experiences would probably serve well in Detroit now.

I believe the Rays did well in this deal. The Dodgers are the “drunken sailors” Avila referred to a couple years back.

pending an extension, which I guess they’re negotiating now.

https://www.morningstar.com/economy/we-predict-6-interest-rate-cuts-2024 Their take is that leaving rates higher for longer May contribute to a recession.

fwiw… Morningstar is projecting six rate cuts next year. I would not have imagined that many cuts. There appears to be a Santa Claus rally if it can hold. Santa has a new elf, his name is Jerome.

The two mystery names have been revealed and it’s kind of what you’d expect. Mark Walter, the Dodgers’ controlling owner, and Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations

https://theathletic.com/5133154/2023/12/12/giants-shohei-ohtani-offer-buster-posey/ Good read on the Giants effort to sign Ohtani.

Ohtani has an opt out in his 10 year deal with the Dodgers. The opt out can be exercised if an unpublicized person, or persons, leave the organization. I would imagine this person, or persons, would be front office people that have a lot of influence on the decisions and direction of the team. He can exercise the opt out at the end of the year of the departure of the unnamed.

I’m not suggesting anything. Them’s the facts.