Random Baseball

• 07/23 - The Red Sox are confusing me. They have an All-Star 1st baseman and a back up. They trade for Pittsburgh's starting 1st baseman Adam LaRouche. In addition they traded for the Card's Chris Duncan. Duncan has been playing the OF (if you want to call it that) his whole time with the Cards but is a natural first baseman. Admittedly Duncan is on his way to AAA but that's a lot of 1Bs on a single team.
  
  
  
• 07/23 - It has become pretty common practice in the majors for each player to have an introduction song played when he comes up to bat. Ryan Ludwick with the Cards chooses Brass Monkey by the Beastie Boys. Paul Konerko and Jim Thome of the White Sox use Metallica songs.
  
  Last night I was at my first White Sox game of the year and rookie Gordon Beckham came to plate to... wait for it... The Outfield's "[I Just Want To Use] Your Love".
  
  It's a cool song in a mid-80's kind of way, but the song was released the year before he was born.
  
  
  
  
• 07/24 - THE CARDINALS ARE GOING FOR IT! They just picked up Matt Holiday from Oakland for 3 minor leaguers. Holiday is a big bat that will protect Pujols in the line up. Earlier this week they traded away Chris Duncan, the pitching coaches son, for a veteran, back up SS. Back in June they picked up Mark DeRosa to be a solid 3B and bat.
  
  
  
• 07/27 - In general I've been in favor of reinstatement of Pete Rose and allowing him in the HOF. How can you deny the all time hits leader? But Rose played most of his career when I was quite young and I don't really have no real direct memories of Charlie Hustle. Mr. Trend at Alterdestiny has some different ideas of what Rose deserves. Paul Campos at LGM recently expanded on the Pete Rose sucked in the end theory.
  
  I find my original opinions beginning to break down. Probably not lease of which is that I find the HOF to be more and more of a joke in general. When I talk to Papa Cardsfan this weekend I'll try to see what his memories of Rose's career are.
  
  
  
• 07/29 - Mark Buehrle, following up his perfect game, retired the first 18 batters he faced in Minneapolis last night. That set a MLB record of 45 straight batters retired.
  
  
  
• 08/03 - It looks like the inglorious career of Mark Prior has come to an end. I remember the rookie phenom and his play off melt down. To this day I blame Dusty Baker and the other veterans on the field for Prior's meltdown. He was a rookie in the biggest game of his career and he was left to hang. But it seems Prior had bigger problems going forward. He was perpetually injured and for long periods of time. I've heard rumors he was on 'roids. I heard theories that his agent was compelling him to stay on the DL to avoid major injury until he got a big contract.