Opinion

In 2009 the Atlanta Braves were somewhat of an enigma. They went from an offseason of misses, to a season of offensive frustration, pitching brilliance, offensive brilliance, a late season run, to losing it's last six.

So as we are just weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting, I have been contemplating a few moves the Braves should look at making (or preparing to make) to having a very formidable chance at unseating the Phillies as the National League East champions and beyond.

David Murphy tweets that the Philadelphia Phillies have contacted the agents of free agent starting pitchers Ben Sheets and Chien-Ming Wang, though he says that there aren't any indications that something will happen on either front.

Color me pessimistic, but I was happy when the A's non-tendered Jack Cust at the Dec 12 deadline and I am not happy about the re-signing of Jack Cust today. I've tried very hard to wrap my head around whatever it is that Beane is planning this offseason, but doing so is like when my NASA scientist father speaks his science speak at me.

When did Theo Epstein become so smug?

If you listen to the Boston GM these days, his off-season moves were just short of scintillating and have the Red Sox poised for a big run in 2010.

He's either had too much to drink, or if he doesn't, he needs to down a couple real quick.

Speed kills, right? Well when it comes to MLB, that isn't always the case. In fact, six of the top 10 teams in base stealing in 2009 missed the playoffs.

And over the last few seasons, it is pretty much a coin flip on whether or not the top base stealing teams in baseball make the playoffs. But in particular, speed at the top of the order has proved more critical in the National League.

The NL had three of their four postseason participants from last season in the top 12 in the MLB in stolen bases.

Matt Holliday’s re-signing with the Cardinals was a victory on all fronts.  The Cardinals got the perfect protection for Albert Pujols and solidified their standing atop the NL Central. 

Holliday also won big time because his deal, seven years and $120 million, makes him this offseason’s only $100 million dollar man. 

You may have noticed that it has been almost a month since my last post here. Suffice it to say, this author is one pretty unhappy Royals fan. My last post (regarding the Jason Kendall signing ) felt to me that it was coming from somewhere near my wit's end.

Well, such a hope was short-sighted. Today, the assumption that many of us made last night was realized as a Scott Podsednik signing is about to be finalized. One year? Two years? Who gives a f***?

Whenever the Baseball Writers Association of America goofs up a vote, most of the complaints seem to start the same way: “I don’t understand.”

I don’t understand why Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven were not elected to the Hall of Fame. I don’t understand why Andre Dawson is 10.9 percent worthier of enshrinement than he was last year. And I definitely don’t understand why anyone voted for David Segui.

This past week we heard Andre "The Hawk" Dawson was the only former Major Leaguer inducted into Cooperstown, N.Y., site of Baseball's Hall of Fame.

It was also learned, that it was Dawson's ninth attempt, at earning enough ballots from the Baseball Writer's Association of America (BWAA) to join the likes of ex-Expo greats Gary Carter and Tony Perez at the Hall.

Dawson was the only player chosen for Hall status in 2010, when he received more than the 75 percent threshold needed for induction. "The Hawk" got 420 of 545 ballots sent in by the members of the BWAA.

Howard Jackson was an avid New York Giants fan.

Willie Mays is his favorite player, and Howard is easily upset when it is claimed that Mickey Mantle was better than Willie.

He merely refers to the great year of 1954.