None of the proposed trades intrigue me enough to trade Jermaine. I am sick of hearing about Figgins…by the time we acquire him he will have lost his speed for goodness sake. I say stick with Dye for this year….see how he does…if he does well pick up the option in 2010 and let him DH.

http://www.rrstar.com/sports/columnists/x1017436078/Mike-Nadel-Grace-isnt-Hall-worthy-so-who-is

he’s a lock, douchebag

http://deadspin.com/5129816/erin-andrews-has-a-sister-who-also-will-not-date-you
http://www.bustedcoverage.com/?p=9959

rookie chuck knobloch….good ole kirby and smoltzy! (a young one!)

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/01/13/braves_lowe.html

If teams decide to put a a value on draft picks they may receive for a Type A free agent, there are a lot of probabilities they’ll need to calculate. Given the uncertainty of off season events, it can be rather difficult in estimating these probabilities. Because of this, I feel that the most reasonable projection for the value of Type A draft picks would be something between $3-5 million.

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/valuing-the-draft-part-one/

DEAR ABBY: You’re in a position to do young people a great service by educating a generation that has grown up in a casual-dress world that there’s a line between how one dresses in one’s personal life and how one dresses for work. Cross it, and it could negatively affect your career.

I work for a large multinational company, and I am often shocked at the way people dress. Although there are clear business/casual guidelines, these lines are crossed by men and women alike. Talks behind closed doors have no effect. Sending out the corporate dress code to the staff has yielded no change in behavior.

I finally consulted the HR department and came up with an approved solution. The dress code was again sent out to all employees in my department, with the warning that the next violation would mean being sent home and deducting the time as a vacation day.

Sure enough, “Disco Dolly” showed up in a sheer, low-cut, sleeveless blouse with a micro-mini skirt and strappy sandals. When I sent her home, she complained that she was saving her vacation days. I told her she had violated the company’s dress code — again.

I also pointed out that her chances of promotion were now compromised thanks to the demonstration she had given that following simple instructions was beyond her capabilities. If you want to be regarded as a serious professional, dress like one! Some “suggestions”:

1. DRESS FOR SUCCESS, not sex. Women should not dress like streetwalkers. Leave the sexy, short, filmy dresses, cleavage-baring blouses and spaghetti straps for your personal life. This is an office, not a cocktail party.

2. COVER UP. No sandals or designer flip-flops. We don’t want to see your pedicure, your toe rings, the crust on your heels, or smell your feet.

3. MAKE IT FIT. Anything that hugs the body too tightly is not right for the office. We have a woman working here who looks like a sausage stuffed in a floral polyester casing. It’s hard to take her seriously. The same goes for a man whose pants are so tight that you can tell his religion. Ditto for pants that are so loose and low-slung you can see his underwear or her thong.

4. DON’T POLLUTE. By this I mean go easy on the fragrance. Some people have breathing problems and allergies. Do not pollute the office with a scent that arrives 10 minutes before you do and lingers hours after you’ve gone. This applies to men as well as women.

5. BATHE. There seems to be a new “natural” cult popping up whose adherents believe that washing removes vital oils from the skin and should be avoided. This phenomenon is more often, but not always, a male habit. Anyone in close contact with others should bathe or shower DAILY. — TRYING TO RUN A BUSINESS IN FLORIDA

DEAR TRYING: I’m willing to wager that your letter will be posted on millions of bulletin boards in the business world. Your “suggestions” make good sense. While many companies allow employees to dress down on “casual Fridays,” any business that wants the people it hires to be taken seriously should impress upon them that they must present themselves in a professional manner. Some companies do this in the form of an employee manual that lays it out in black and white. Because your directive was ignored, you were right to let “Disco Dolly” know there would be a penalty for noncompliance.

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/features/rumors?&action=login&appRedirect=http3a2f2finsider.espn.go.com2fmlb2ffeatures2frumors

Only 4 days until 2005 WS highlights on MLBN.

I hope that the audience isn’t confused when teams other than the Yankees and Red Sox are featured.

I love the way it’s being promoted…“Watch Ozzie Guillen and his no name White Sox take on the Houston Astros.”

Huh? Timo Perez, a no name? Come on!

http://sitemaker.umich.edu/heart_of_the_city/heart_of_the_city

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/quickhits/1372599,CST-SPT-1hit12.article

3B or CF?

Angels Unlikely to Pursue Dye

The White Sox have been asking teams for top pitching prospects for Dye but aren’t necessarily insisting that those prospects be within a year of the big leagues, as teams often do when they dangle stars. But no one has bitten yet. The Chicago Sun-Times reported the Angels could now be in the mix for Dye.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jon_heyman/01/13/scoop.young

With the Braves signing Lowe, saying again “we are serious this year”, shouldn’t they look hard at Dye again?