Thoughts From Booth's Grill
Most of you who know me, know that I'm a grilling kind of guy. I've been trying
to branch out and try some new things with the grill other than meat. Last night
I tried grilled quesadillas (which a certain family, the head of which reads
this page, missed out on). Of course I grilled chicken and beef skirt steak
beforehand, and made fresh pico de gallo. Since quesadillas are so easy to make
anyway, you might be asking if grilling them was an improvement or not. Overall
I give grilling a slight edge. Here's why: 1) If you want to add wood chips to
your grill, the tortilla will absorb the smoke flavor. 2) You can cook as a many
as your grill will hold (my small grill holds four), rather than a max of two in
large frying pans. 3) Grilling makes wonderful grill marks on the tortilla with
minimal effort (and you know how I like my quesadillas - with grill marks). 4)
If you have a gas grill they will cook faster than on the stove. 5) Grilling
them means you're doing quesadillas on the grill, and that's cool.
Occasionally I like to read a P.J. O'rourke book; in fact I'm in the middle of
one now. P.J. is a political humorist who can be a bit much. He's probably a
drunk and difinitely not a Christian, but he does write books about how
ridiculous the governemnt is, so how bad can he be? In my opinion, he's the best
humor writer of our day, though I'm willing to amend that statement as I haven't
read all of them. Anyway, he's at least better than Dave Barry. If you haven't
read any P.J., then please do, but be warned, he says bad words sometimes.
Here's a little sample: (In this bit he's talking about why the world would be
better if more people where drunks - one more thing, this very male humor)
"Beerjerkers and mug blots are careless and badtempered, it's true. But consider
the greatest evils in history. Is 'careless' the word you'd use to descride
Auschwitz? Was the rape of Nanking something Tojo did instead of kicking the
cat? It's smoking in bed versus the firebombing of Dresden. Real evil requires
the kind of thoughtful planning that is hard to do when you're wearing a soup
tureen on your head and trying not to let your wife notice your taking a leak in
the potted palm. The worst people always have an abstemious streak. Hitler was a
teetotaler. What if he'd been a soak? What if Himler and Goring emerged from the
Reich Chancellery asking each other, 'How do we persecute the gnus?' Real evil
also requires lying, and in vino veritas. "Adolf, you really ought to shave that
booger broom." A drinking man couldn't have written Mein Kampf. Give him a few
silly milks, you get Turn Your Head and Kampf. And think of all the suffering
that mankind would have been spared if the Communist Manifesto said, "Workers of
the world, it's Miller Time." - P.J. O'rourke, The CEO of the Sofa
Just a Quick Thought
My sister Christin told this bit from an anonymous comedian:
How do the Morten Salt people do it? You buy a container of it for 45 cents and
it last you ten years? How are they making money? They need to look at what Arm
& Hammer is doing. They took their product and said, "What you need to do is
pour this stuff down the drain, it'll smell better."
Why Baseball Is Best
Before we get going, we need to clarify some terms and make some distinctions in
the conversation. So far the comments we’ve seen in this discussion have raised
several issues, and all of them can’t be addressed in one post. It seems to me,
and you can correct me if I’m wrong, there are three major issues before us: 1)
What is a sport? (discussion on ride across the sky) 2) What is an athlete? 3)
What is the best sport?
Question 1 is being discussed on another ride across the sky, and the answer to
question 2, simply put, is one who competes in the answer to question 1. So far
in the discussion about what a sport is, the main part of the debate has been
whether judged events such as figure skating, gymnastics, diving and the like
are sports. The major question on those sports has to do with whether or not the
scoring in those sports is objective (I argue that it is objective, but see the
other site). There are, however, some undisputed sports, and these are the ones
we want to focus on. I would be willing to add others to this list (it is by no
means exhaustive), but here are the major sports in America, listed in no
particular order: Baseball, Football, Basketball, Soccer, Ice Hockey, Tennis,
Golf (I’m sure some of you will debate this), Volleyball, Lacrosse, Track &
Field, Combat Sports, Swimming, and I’m sure more could be added to this list. I
believe that team sports are more difficult, and therefore superior, to solo
sports. This eliminates Track & Field, Swimming (please don’t argue that relays
in these two sports are team events – also these two sports are very one
dimensional), Combat Sports, Tennis, & Golf. Volleyball is out, because it’s
really very simple and not nearly as demanding as the other sports we’ve already
crossed out. Lacrosse is a tough one because when you consider the basic
elements of the game, strategy, and physical requirements it matches up with the
remaining sports, however, there’s no discussion that the other five sports are
significantly more popular. Popularity is not an end all to the discussion, but
there’s only one person in the conversation (I think) who has ever even played
it. Besides that Deacon Blues (who even coaches Lacrosse) says Baseball is best,
so we don’t really have to argue about it. Finally, Lacrosse is essentially Land
Hockey. There are differences, but the basic elements of the game are very
similar. So, that leaves us with Baseball, Football, Basketball, Ice Hockey, and
Soccer; these are the ‘big five’ American sports.
One more preamble to the discussion – I am a Baseball man. I have played these
other sports (except hockey) at in some limited capacity, but I have not given
nearly as much thought to the other games. As far as I’m concerned, when we come
up with ranking system for these sports, positions 2 through five are completely
debatable (although I have a suspicion which way it will go). That is to say,
after baseball I have no specific loyalty to another sport. Also, I’m going to
post this in four different posts so we can discuss, if necessary, each facet of
the argument.
The Actual Arguments
Baseball is the most difficult, most original, and the most demanding in
strategy of the sports listed above. If you read up on it, you’ll find that some
of America’s greatest scholars of past and present have loved it above all
others, such as, George Will and Donald Kagen; literary giants like Garrison
Keillor, Walt Whitman, W.P. Kinsella (for a quick essay on the literary aspects
of baseball, click here); Christian scholars such as Pastor Steve Wilkins and
Doug Jones. On top of that, there have been many brilliant men of sports who
choose baseball as #1 like Bob Costas, Peter Gammons, Roger Angell, and Bart
Giamatti. Even the greatest basketball player of all-time, and perhaps the
greatest athlete, Michael Jordan, would have played baseball if he could.
Difficulty: Hitting a baseball is the most difficult task in all of sports, so
says The Physics of Baseball by Robert K. Adair, a professor of physics at Yale.
The second most difficult task in sports he says, is to hit a golf ball (well).
Hitting a baseball is clearly more difficult that a golf ball, the golf ball is
sitting still while a baseball is thrown between 90 and 100 mph from 60 feet
away and can be made to twist, spin, curve, wobble, rise, or fall away. Hitting
is so difficult that the guys who do it better than anyone else in the world
still fail over 60% of the time. And hitting is only one element of the game.
There’s playing the field. You have a piece of fitted leather about three times
the size of your hand, and on the infield, the ball can come at you faster than
it comes from pitcher to batter. In the outfield, a fielder may have to run a
great distance to get the ball – a 2 and a half-inch ball that started 300 feet
away and will be there in just a few seconds. Then whether in the infield or
outfield catching the ball is usually only half the task. Then there’s pitching,
which I really don’t think even needs a defense. Suffice it to say that no other
ball movement in any sport is as demanding as pitching. On top of these
activities, there’s running and jumping, which are not as crucial in baseball,
but still make you better if you can do it.
Originality: There have been many who have pointed out the differences in
baseball and other sports. Comedian George Carlin comes to mind in his bit
comparing baseball and football. Carlin comes to the wrong conclusion; he should
realize the Christian virtue that is inherent in a game centered around going
home. The single greatest difference is that baseball is an original game and
the others are just PPRs. You can see an explanation of PPR by clicking on the
link. This is an editorial written by Doug Jones. He mentions a debate that he
participated in against Doug Wilson, and that there were students involved.
Wilson was teamed with son Nathan, while yours truly was teamed with Jones on
the correct and winning side.
Strategy: I read Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball by George Will a few years
ago. In the book Will goes to great lengths explaining the strategical details
of four facets of the game: managing, pitching, hitting, and fielding.
Obviously, the detail of baseball strategy cannot be explained in one blog
paragraph – it took Will 350 pages, but the point is it took will 350 pages, and
many more great men have written on the subject. Most baseball managers (as well
as most catchers and pitchers and a lot of players) know the details of every
opponent: where they hit the ball in particular situations, off of certain
pitches, or pitchers, at what point in the count did he hit hit it, and to
exactly what part of the field, what percentage of the time. The Managers chart
pitches the same way. And they do this for every player (about 750 guys). Now
they have help in compiling this information, but they do know the information
and make decisions accordingly. Maybe football can rival baseball in this regard
(which is why I personally rank it #2), but no other sport comes close. If you
don’t believe me, read the book. You can probably get a used copy pretty cheap.
Finally, The Booth Has Come Back. . .
We have made it back from the great Northwest. We had a fantastic time, and
discovered that a week is not enough. We greatly enjoyed seeing our friends, but
there were other folks we missed out on, simply because of our limited visit.
Flying across the country will really mess with your head. I was talking to
Robbie tonight, and I said, "When I was in Potlatch yesterday. . . " Maybe that
doesn't seem odd to most of you, but no matter how many times I fly I come back
amazed at what God has given us the ability to do.
Since I was away from the computer for 48 hours, there have been several posts
that I really want to answer - especially the ridiculous rantings of one Son of
Thunder. I've been promising a "why baseball is the best" post for a few days,
and again I have to extend my promise another day. Hopefully I'll have plenty of
time tomorrow evening to make good on my word.
There's a great new discussion over on ride across the sky about the definition
of a sport. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to come up with a definition
that excludes soccer. Anyway, take a look and tell The Blues what you think.
This is our last day in Moscow. Amy and I have had a great time being with the
peeps up here. I hope we can come back sooner rather than later. We attended the
Christ Church dinner last night. This is a large function where the adults of
the church get together for a banquet-type meal. They have entertainment from
various members of the church, and the whole thing is emceed by Mark LaMoreaux,
who's a pretty funny fellow. We're sad we have to go.
Finally, the Mariner's signed pitcher Jamey Wright to a minor league deal and
gave him an invitation to spring training. Wright has been around a few years
pitching for the Rockies, Brewers, and Cardinals. I've always thought this guy
had the ability to be a great pitcher, although his stats don't reflect it. He
did go 2 and 0 in about six weeks with the Cards. Maybe playing for a winner
will bring out the best in the guy. At least at this point I'm happy with the
signing.
Some of my friends and I like this comedian named Mitch. I was thinking about
some of his jokes and thought I should share one with you today:
My friend asked me if I wanted a frozen banana. I said, "No." But I want a
regular banana later, so, "Yeah."
A Little Baseball News
The biggest free-agent still on the market, Ivan Rodriguez, has signed a one
year deal (10 million) with the Florida Marlins. Good thing Pudge was interested
in a non-contender, he sure found one.
I am surprised I-Rod went to the Marlins, but this tidbit is just plain
astonishing: The Yankees signed former Cubs ace Jon Leiber (20 game winner in
01, great season in 02 until injuries struck) to a two year deal, 3.5 mill in
03, 8 mill in 04. But here's the deal, Leiber's injury was so significant he's
not even expected to pitch in 03. The Yanks signed him as an insurance policy
for 04 when a few of their starters could retire or sign elsewhere. Leiber's
going to bag 3.5 for doing nothing. This happens all the time, when a guy gets
hurt during the season he still gets a check. But to know that a guy won't pitch
at all until September at least (if at all), and to give him that kind of cash
is insane. Furthermore, a guy with an injury like this might not even be a good
pitcher when he gets back, but the Yanks will be on the for 8 million.
Just so you know, I hate the Yankees. I like individual players on the team, I
just wish MLB wasn't the Yankees and everyone else. The Yankees started the
offseason with seven starting pitchers, added an eighth, traded back down to
seven, and still felt the need to get an 11.5 million dollar insurance pitcher -
you know, just in case. The two guys who won't make the five man rotation would
be number three's or better on almost every other team, maybe even number one's
on some. If you've been keeping up, the Yankees do this every year, at least
since '95, and I'm sick of it.
New Blogs, New Font Size, and a Linking Plan
I would like to welcome my long time friend Deacon Blues to the blogging world.
Deacon is one of those computer guys from Moscow, ID who wrote his own comment
system. He's calling the place Ride Across the Sky, but he's done so without
capital letters. Anyway, you should check it out. Also on the scene are Toby
Sumpter with "Having Two Legs" (Tody used traditional title format) and Jeremy
Wilkins who has "Glory is a Broken Hill" - Jake did use capital letters, but no
spaces in his title.
Also, I have finally increased the font size. I hope you like it.
And finally I have made a linking decision: I'm only going to link to Lounge
Legends. Loungers are people who lived in or frequented one of many bachelor
pads in Moscow. The three guys mentioned at the top of this post are Lounge
Legends, which is why you find their names over on the left. I'm not trying to
hurt anyone's feelings or make somebody think they're not good enough, but I
have to draw the line somewhere or I'll have a links list as long as the one on
A minor. If your looking for a reformed blogger, you can probably find the link
there; I use A minor as my own personal list of links anyway. I do want to send
a shout out to the first blog I ever saw, amber Bach, the blogging home of one
Duane Garner. Duane is a is cool fella and baseball fan and, in addition Jon,
was my blogging inspiration. And in order to accomodate the two link
solicitations I got today, there's Emeth Hesed Smith - a guy I don't know yet,
but he did give me some blogging advise, and Micah Lewis who is an AAPC member
that named her blog (and I'm not making this up) "Choreography of a Coincidence"
which, if you scoring at home (and I know you are) is 26 whole characters.
That's this long : ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ plus three spaces. Perhaps I'll
change my mind in the future.
Odd Thoughts
The other day, our olympic hero Jon Amos, or at least someone with us mentioned
a new website to me called Black People Love Us. We looked at it, and it's
pretty funny. I can't say I endorse it entirely, but it did make us laugh. One
of the other bloggers may have already told you about, or at least linked to it,
so if that's the case, I didn't mean to steal anyone's link.
I Am Extremely Honored
Fellow blogger, Rick Capezza has paid me a wonderful honor by quoting me in his
quotes of the week.
New Words in the English Language
I purchased the 2003 World Almanac and among many interesting facts, I have
found a list of several words that have been added to the Merriam-Webster
Dictionary. I thought I should share some of them with you:
Blunt: a cigar that has been hollowed out and filled with marijuana
Booty, also Bootie: slang buttocks
Duh: 1) used to express actual or feigned ignorance or stupidity; 2)used
derisively to indicate that something just stated is all too obvious or
self-evident
Hottie: a physically attractive person
Noogie: the act of rubbing one's knickles on a person's head so as to produce a
mildly painful sensation
Tree Hugger: an environmentalist; especially: an advocate for the preservation
of woodlands
I don't think I have much to say about all that.
The Truth About Beer
I spent my college years, plus one extra year (five years total), here in the
Northwest, where salt is an exotic spice in the cuisine, but they do take pride
in brewing. Whether it's tea, coffee, or beer, the folks up here like special
things in the brewing department. Living in the area I became a coffee and beer
snob and that made it hard to even find acceptable coffee and beer when I came
home to the South. But now that I'm back in the South I have to come and say
that Bud Lite is my beer of choice. You can take you porters and stouts and
ambers and throw them out. Give me the King of Beers and that's all I need. I'll
drink other things, but my BL theory was confirmed when I went to the grocery
store in Moscow last night and actually choose the BL. That's not to say I
dislike the other kinds of beer, I just don't prefer them anymore and am
certainly not above a good old-fashioned American macro-brew. Nothing beats a
freezing cold BL, in a can; it actually quenches thirst rather than most stouts
where you have to drink a glass of water afterward just to keep from
dehydration. If you go to Bennigan's you'll find Guiness on the appetizer menu,
and that's a good place for it. It's like a meal in a pint glass, which is fine.
But after a hard day of work or play, give me the Bud Lite - it taste great and
it's less filling.
We're Going for a While
We are leaving Monday morning to go to Moscow, ID. It is the first time I have
been there in over three years. I'm really looking forward to being back, even
if it's only for a week. I don't know if I'll get to keep up with Odd Thoughts
while I'm there, but I'll do my best.
Mariner's Pitching
Like the rest of the team, the M's are counting improvement by experience rather
than through aquisitions. They resigned Jamie Moyer, who despite his age is
still a crafty pitcher. I think he'll be the number three guy in the rotation,
but is the number one guy in tough games. He can be counted on for 14 to 16 wins
and be among AL leaders in ERA. Freddy Garcia will be relied upon as the ace
again, although he is not officially signed. He is waiting for the arbitration
ruling, but he will definitely be a Mariner. He really needs to return to 2001
form after a drop off in 02. I do think he is the anchor of this staff, and
without him in the 17 to 20 win range, the M's will be looking up at the A's and
maybe even the rest of the division. Moyer will start out number two, but the
hope is that Joel Pineiro will improve upon his solid season in 02. I think he
will and I like his stuff. We can count on 15 and could be a surprise 20 game
winner. After that the rotation has some question marks. I think they'll start
the Season with Ryan Franklin and Rafael Soriano going 4 and 5, but Ryan
Anderson (called the Young Unit - because he's tall not because he pitches well)
and Jeff Heaverlo are waiting in Tacoma and could make an impact in the rotation
as well. The bulpen was the greatest strength on a great team in 01 and was
still good in 02 but not quite as sharp due to injuries from Jeff Nelson and a
slump from closer Kazuhiro Sasaki. But with those two guys along with Shigetoshi
Hasegawa and Arthur Rhodes, I'd take the Pepsi challenge with any other bulpen
in the game. The group will be rounded out with the young guys that don't make
the rotation and possible the ageless wonder, Norm Charlton. The M's did get rid
of four pitchers this offseason: John Halama, who they'll miss, Ismael Valdes,
who they might miss, and Paul Abbott and James Baldwin, who they won't miss.
Overall, they don't have the names like the Diamondbacks, Braves, or Yankees and
they don't have the up-and-coming talent of the A's, but this staff could be
very good with a repeat of the mediocre offense from last year, and phenomenal
with an offensive improvement.
A Mariners Update
The Mariners re-signed shortstop Carlos Guillen and came to terms with
outfielder Randy Winn. These moves remain consistent with the other M's moves
this offseason - staying mostly with the same group, hoping they do better, and
hoping the A's and Angels will not continue to overachieve. The M's aren't going
to beat the rest of the American League out of the ball park, but they should be
able to single, double, and steal them to death. We just need a reprise of 2001.
And Now a Word About Our Sponsors
Okay, they're not really sponsors, but I did put some links over there on the
left and I feel I should say something about them. Covenant Media Foundation is
an operation run by my parents. The sell lots of books and sermon/lecture tapes
by Greg Bahnsen, Doug Wilson, Steve Wilkins, and other noted heretics (that is a
joke - please don'y skewer me for that one). They are the only source for the
2003 AAPC Pastor's Conference on video and DVD (I don't think these are ready
yet, but they will be soon). I mentioned the Decent Films site in an earlier
post. This is really a great site. Steven Greydanus reviews almost all current
movies and has also done quite a few older movies. He is a Roman Catholic and
you might find hints of that pursuasion in some of his reviews, but it is still
and excellent resource. He looks at films with several different things in mind,
and he's not afraid to say a well-made movie is trash or that a trashy movie is
well made. Finally, Baseball Reference is a site for baseball fans who are
looking for brute facts. This is note a place to find articles or commentary,
but you will find a stat page for evry team, from every year, along with every
player who ever stepped foot on the field in an official game. You'll find
information about all-time stat leaders, award winners, and the Hall of Fame.
This site is not for everybody, but for the true baseball fan this site is
incomparable.
And now a question for all you pro bloggers out there. Is it blogging protocol
to link to every blogger you come in contact with? I don't mind either way, but
I wouldn't want to violate the code.
Concerning the Peacock Wedding
Hopefully I can address all the comments on the wedding post here. Matthew
proposed to Christie back in October. The first plan was for Matthew to go to
Basic Training in Feb. and then go off to his assigned duties in Ohio and return
in June for a wedding at Christie's church in Vidalia, LA. Then Matthew moved
his BT date up so he could have more time in June for the wedding. Then Christie
decided she didn't want a big or traditional wedding and they decided to get the
job done in New Orleans. Then (as recently as last week) it was going to be some
wedding chapel/honeymoon resort somewhere in Georgia. But they decided Sunday
night to try and go for it this week. So they talked to Pastor Steve and their
parents and got the green light. Matthew drives out to Dayton, OH on Sunday.
Meanwhile Christie will still be here in Monroe finishing her last semester of
school. Matthew will have occasional three-day weekends to come home; he can get
cheap Air Force flights right into Shreveport (90 miles from Monroe). He can
also get those kind of flights for her. She will have a ten day spring break in
March. So they will be apart for the majority of their first few months. She
will be moving up ther in May/June - whenever school gets out.
On Another Note. . . .
I've been out of the e-mail/cyber world for a while now. As a result - and in
embarrassed to say it - I don't know most of your screen names. For instance,
Son of Thunder and kristen are mysteries to me. At least for now, if you
wouldn't mind identifying yourself in your comments it would help me a lot.
Today's News
Matthew Peacock to be Wed. . . . .Tomorrow!
First off, I am generally opposed to the exclamation point, especially in titles
or headings, but I used one her because I am deeply moved. Anyway, Matthew, who
just returned from Air Force basic training, will be married in his parent house
to his fiance of three months, Christie Berkley. The two were planning on having
a get-away wedding in June, but he called me yesterday to cancel the plans we
had for Friday because of the wedding. Like I said, it's going to be at the
Peacock's house with no guest other than family. How about that?
Harry Potter
The date that you can all release your breath has finally been anounced: June
21. That is the date that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be
released. The book is already available for pre-order through most major on-line
book stores. The reports say the book is one third longer than Goblet of Fire,
which was a lengthy book in its own right. The publishers also put out two
paragraphs as a teaser for the book. The first was the first few lines of the
book, which don't tell us anything more than Harry is back at #4 Privet Drive
and it's summer time. The second excerpt is much more of a true teaser. Here it
is:"Dumbledore lowered his hands and surveyed Harry through his half-moon
glasses. 'It is time,' he said, 'for me to tell you what I should have told you
five years ago, Harry. 'Please sit down. I am going to tell you everything.'" So
there you go. If you haven't read these books, you should. Amy and I can't wait
for this one to come out.
It Seems You've Found Some Odd Thoughts
Welcome to my new blog. I don't even know if I will stick to this or update it
regularly, but I thought I'd give it a try. I've also decided not to bind myself
to a particular topic on this page, which does two things: 1) it allows me to
discuss anything I want 2) this makes my blog no more special than any other
blog I've seen. While I reserve the right to talk about anything, you'll
probably see posts that deal specifically with sports (mostly baseball) and my
personal life. Of course, you, the reader, may also feel free to ask me to
discuss something else; just drop me a note.
Some Personal Notes for Those of You Who May Not Know
My name is Aaron Booth, sometimes known as David Booth, Booth, The Booth, or
Chef Chuddy. I am 24 and have been married to Amy for a little over a year. We
are expecting our first child, which we are told is a girl, in late April or
early May. I live in Ruston, LA where I am an insurance agent and attend Auburn
Avenue Presbyterian Church (hereafter AAPC). I was born in Shreveport, LA, grew
up in Texarkana, TX, went to college at New St. Andrews in Moscow, ID, and then
came back to the Monroe, LA area in 2000.
We Saw a Movie
Amy and I went to see Catch Me if You Can last night, and had a great time. You
can find an excellent review from a Christian perspective at decentfilms.com.
This site is not some kind of cheesy "they said 36 bad words" Christian site,
but a site that really takes all areas of a film into account. You'll also find
some essays by the site host, Steven Greydanus, including an excellent piece
called "Harry Potter vs. Gandalf." I highly recommend it to you.
Some Off-Season Baseball Thoughts
I know the Super Bowl is just three weeks away, at this point I'm rooting for
Tampa Bay, but for me the sports world revolves around still having about a
month to go until pitchers and catchers report to spring training. This has been
an odd off-season in that the free agent market has been slow and there hasn't
been nearly as much money thrown about as in recent years. It will work itself
out over time, but these things have to go in cycles. The owners can't keep
spending money they don't have. A baseball team, or any pro team, has to be a
profitable business venture, and if the owners say they're loosing money then
they have to make decisions based on that. I have no problem with the idea of
someone making ten plus million a year for playing a game, as long as the profit
margin is there for that player to get that much without putting the
organization in debt. However, I have no sympathy for players who complain about
making five million a year when they thought they deserved seven. Certain
players will threaten rash moves, Ivan Rodriguez has even threatened to play in
Japan, but they'll find out soon enough that the foreign leagues don't pay as
well as the teams in the US, and they'll all be back with less money and soiled
reputations.
In other news, my favorite team, the Seattle Mariners, has done very little to
make itself a better team. Besides resigning some key free agents (Edgar
Martinez, John Olerud, Jamie Moyer) the team has done nothing but sign utility
infielder Greg Colbrunn. These kind of moves are not going to help them keep
pace with the ever-improving Oakland A's, World Series Champion Anaheim Angels,
and the bound-to-get-it-together Texas Rangers. I have a great fear that the
Mariners days atop the AL West are over.
Finally, the Baseball Writers Association announced it's 2003 Hall of Fame
choices last week, and the winners were: Eddie Murray, a former first baseman
mostly with Baltimore, and Gary Carter, a legendary catcher from the Expos and
Mets. Both guys are highly deserving, but the writers did fail to elect several
other notable candidates including first time nominees Ryne Sandberg and
all-time saves leader Lee Smith. I hope next year the writers will try to
rectify some of their errors.