Trade Deadline Sports Chowdah Update- Sox To Be You, Sox on Sox Action in Chicago's South Side; Lets Get Bedarded

RED SOX: This weekend saw the Red Sox head off to Chicago's South Side for a quickie 3-game road trip against the Pale Hose. Friday night saw the series get off on the wrong foot for Boston, with Gavin Floyd outlasting Tim Wakefield in Friday night's 3-1 win. ChiSox catcher AJ Pierzynski's 2-run homer in the bottom of the 7th proved to be the game winner while BoSox 2B Dustin Pedroia's hit streak came to an end at 25 games.

On Saturday, the Red Sox finally broke a scoreless deadlock in the top of the 4th with an Saltalamacchia RBI double, RBI sac flies from Pedroia and Marco Scutaro and an RBI single from Youkilis to make it a 4-0 game. That really would be all they needed, although they got another RBI from Scutaro in the top of the 8th before breaking it open with a 5-run 9th inning. Jon Lester would go 8 complete innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits (two solo homers- one from Paul Konerko and the other from Gordon Beckham) while striking out 8 and walking two for Saturday's 10-2 win.

That set up a rubber game for Sunday with Andrew Miller getting the start against Mark Buehrle against Boston's Andrew Miller. Miller would last 5 and two thirds innings, but would leave trailing 3-2 before Boston rallied thanks to a 2-RBI single from Dustin Pedroia after Buehrle left in the top of the 7th to put the Sox up 4-3. The Red Sox would then get some insurance thanks to a 1-out Adrian Gonzalez RBI single to make it a 5-3 game. Papelbon was able to come in from the pen and strike out all three batters he faced to preserve the Red Sox 5-3 win and Alfredo Aceves gets credited with the victory pitching in relief. Boston takes two out of three in the South Side and manages to maintain a 2-game lead over the Yankees in the AL East standings (not to mention the best record in the AL).

The Red Sox will next head home to take on the Cleveland Indians for a Monday night game that will be televised on ESPN. John Lackey (9-8; 6.20 ERA) will get the start against Josh Tomlin (11-5; 4.01 ERA). First pitch is at 7:10 PM.

OTHER RED SOX NEWS: The Red Sox have acquired starting pitcher Erik Bedard from the Seattle Mariners in a 3-team trade at the Sunday deadline. For Bedard, the Mariners get minor league outfielder Trayvon Robinson from the Dodgers and Taiwanese outfielder Chih Hsien Chang from Boston while the Red Sox send righties Stephen Fife and Juan Rodriguez along with catcher Tim Federowicz to LA.

The trade took place less than a day after a tenative deal with the Oakland A's for starter Rich Harden fell apart after closer scrutiny of his medical records by the Red Sox led to doubts about his ability to complete the season.

Bedard (4-7; 3.45 ERA with Seattle this season) didn't even last 2 innings in Friday night's 8-0 Mariner's loss to Tampa at SafeCo field on Friday night. It was his first start in nearly a month after spending time on the DL.

ELSEWHERE IN MLB: Although Boston may not get to see him this week, the Tribe made some waves in the AL Central with their acquisition of starter Ubaldo Jimenez (6-9; 4.46 ERA)from Colorado shortly after acquiring outfielder Kosuke Fukudome from the Chicago Cubs.

The Astros dealt most of their outfielders to the NL East, sending Hunter Pence to Philly and Michael Bourne to Atlanta.

The Cardinals acquired SS Rafael Furcal from the Dodgers while the Diamondbacks obtained Jason Marquis (8-5; 3.95 ERA) from the Nationals.

Curiously, the Yankees did hardly anything before the deadline- a time in which the organization is usually looking to make a move. Reportedly their scouts were present in Seattle when Bedard had his meltdown.

27 Automatic Rifles Go Missing From California Army Base

Twenty six AK-74 Automatic rifles and a SVD Dragunov SVD sniper rifle were reportedly stolen from from a warehouse in Southern California's Fort Irwin this month.

ATF and military officials say that one of the missing rifles has been recovered and one arrest has been made, but the agency is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to additional arrests and the recovery of the remaining weapons.

The weapons were reported missing on July 15th, although ATF and Army officials declined to clarify why it took 2 weeks for word of the missing weapons to be made public. Military and federal officials also declined to say whether or not the suspect in custody was military or civilian.

Both the AK-74 and Dragunov rifles and variants are common in former Soviet Bloc countries as well as the middle east. The Army base in the Mojave desert is home to the National Training Center, which has a dedicated OPFOR (Opposing Force) unit- the 11th Armoured Cavalry Regiment. Using weapons and equipment typically found elsewhere, the OPFOR is designed to mimic tactics that regular the Army units rotating through the NTC would encounter in combat zones elsewhere.

Two years ago, theives in northern California broke into locked parking lots at police stations in Contra Costa county and stole law enforcement-issue shotguns and AR-15 rifles from the California Highway Patrol and Contra Costa County Sheriff's Dept. patrol cars.

Fort Irwin is located between the Los Angeles area and Las Vegas. The nearest town would be Barstow, which is located about a 3 hour drive from the Mexican border. Numerous media reports claim that the Mexican cartels have a preference for the AK variant rifles, hinting at a likely destination for the pilfered weapons.

Giants Make Another Move, Add Cabrera

Well, I can't say I completely love this deal like I did the Beltran trade, but the Giants felt they needed to add one more hitter before Sunday's 1 PM trade deadline and Sabean apparently felt Orlando Cabrera was the best, most attainable option.

Now, don't get me wrong, Cabrera is an upgrade over what the Giants are currently trotting out to shortstop each night, but only slightly, and I think they could have packaged Neal up to get someone of more value. Thomas Neal (pictured) isn't an A-prospect, but he's no slouch, and with Cody Ross, Pat Burrell and Carlos Beltran all coming off the books next year, the Giants could have used the extra insurance in the outfield. While the Beltran deal does get an A in my book, this one is more like an average C, C+ move. Cabrera's numbers are pretty identical to those of Miguel Tejada's, and his defense isn't as good as Brandon Crawford's. He's hitting a modest .244 with 4 homers and 38 RBI and was slowly losing playing time to rookie Jason Kipnis. My guess is that Cabrera will come in and hit in the lower part of the order, either 7th or 8th, and although the Giants could still go after an upgrade behind the plate, I don't see them doing anything else between now and tomorrow's 1PM deadline. There were a couple other names floating out there linked to the Giants as well, and they were Baltimore first basemen Derek Lee (since dealt to the Pirates) as well as Houston Astros center fielder and leadoff man Michael Bourn but I just don't see anything else serious materializing. They could get a backstop before the waiver deadline of August 31st, but I'd expect closer to Pudge Rodriguez than Ramon Hernandez.

Something tells me Sabean watched these first two games in Cincinnati and made the decision that he wanted to add more offense to shortstop without getting a big drop off in defense from Brandon Crawford. Tejada is becoming a defensive liability out there and this move allows him to move around the infield and be more of a utility guy. The Giants had thoughts of adding Cabrera this winter too, but felt they'd get more offense out of Tejada and added him instead. Should be interesting to see if Cabrera will be in Cinci Sunday for the Giants finale. The one area where Cabrera will absolutely help, and is probably a large reason why the Giants got him, is in the clubhouse and during pressure situations down the stretch. He's a guy who's been to the postseason 6 different times and knows how to play on that stage. I don't think the Giants would have felt comfortable trotting Brandon Crawford out there in a potential NLCS game as he's still trying to get his legs under him at the big league level. He's been great defensively, but his sub-.200 average left too much to be desired offensively. Not that Cabrera is a whole lot better, he's a vet and the Giants are pining hopes that he'll be their "Edgar Renteria" in October this year.

It's Official: Rafael Furcal traded to the Cardinals

The Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers have finalized a a deal that would will bring shortstop Rafael Furcal to St. Louis before Sunday's trade deadline.
The Cardinals are likely to also receive cash in the deal, and they will be sending a minor-league outfielder who is not on the 40-man roster to the Dodgers.

Furcal should join the team by Sunday afternoon to play in Sunday Night's game against the Cubs. I kinda like this deal. It didn't take much to get him. Most of the year he has been hurt and his numbers are down. Furcal has the speed we need and his batting average has been better lately. He is an upgrade over Theriot. This move may move Theriot over to second base.

source: Derrick Goold

Cardinals Getting Close in Deal for Furcal

The St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers were in serious negotiations Saturday on a trade that would send shortstop Rafael Furcal and cash to St. Louis, according to a source close to the situation.

The Cardinals have been looking to upgrade at shortstop for some time, and the Dodgers have been listening to offers to move either Furcal or Jamey Carroll to give shortstop prospect Dee Gordon an opportunity to play in the final two months of the season.
Because Furcal is a 10-year veteran who has spent more than five years with the Dodgers, he has to approve the trade before the deal becomes final. The Dodgers are expected to eat a significant portion of money still owed to Furcal, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.
Furcal told ESPNdeportes.com's Enrique Rojas by phone that he is inclined to approve any trade to a contender.
"As of right now, on the way to the stadium, nothing has happened yet," Furcal said. "Neither the Dodgers nor my agent have told me anything about a trade.
"The only thing I know is that several teams are interested and that I must approve any trade. I'm waiting to see if something happens, but if nothing happens, I'll be happy just as well to complete my contract with the Dodgers."
Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said there are a handful of issues still to be worked out, including Furcal approving the deal. As far as the players coming back, he said, "We've got a pretty good feel for it, but again, we're not done.
"If Furcal is moved, we obviously will bring up Dee Gordon.''
Furcal's departure would mean the Dodgers will keep Carroll for his leadership and versatility, and make Gordon the every-day shortstop. The 33-year-old Furcal, who has battled injuries much of the last two years, would get an opportunity to take over at short for the Cardinals, who would likely use their current shortstop, Ryan Theriot, as a utility man if Furcal can stay healthy.
Colletti said that Furcal has had a great impact on the club over the last six years.
"He was really the first free agent we went after," he said. "We signed him at the winter meetings in '05, and we needed somebody who could lead off and play in the middle of the diamond and play with energy, and he always did.
"He had some rough spots with injuries from time to time, but when he is at the top of his game and healthy ... that was when the offense moved. He had quite an impact on this club, and he will always be a special guy for us."

Source: Jayson Stark, ESPN MLB

Today's Train of Thought- Electric Orange: July 29, 2011

Today's train of thought brings us to the side of the street at a quiet residential neighborhood in Oregon's Willamette Valley.

Genesee and Wyoming's Portland & Western features a cluster of secondary and branch lines of Southern Pacific, Spokane Portland & Seattle, Northern Pacific and Oregon Electric Railway lineage that were systematically acquired in Western Oregon via lease or purchase throughout the 1990s.

The Oregon Electric started out life a little over a century ago as an interurban running between Portland and Salem, OR. Not even three years after it began operations, the OER was purchased by the Spokane, Portland & Seattle and extended further south to Eugene, OR to compete with the parallel Southern Pacific line. Like many of the interurbans that sprouted up throughout the country in the early part of the 20th century, they went into decline shortly after WWII. Although most of the electric equipment was retired, the SP&S continued freight and passenger operations on the line until rail travel was eclipsed by the advent of commercial flights and the opening of interstate 5 parallel to both the Southern Pacific and Oregon Electric lines.

Along with the Northern Pacific, Great Northern and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, the SP&S was merged into the Burlington Northern in 1970. About 25 years later- just before the merger with Santa Fe formed BNSF- the Burlington Northern divested itself of the remaining OER line between the Portland area on south to Eugene- The new operator would be G&W's Portland & Western Railroad.

Even though entire interurban and trolley systems were abandoned, torn up and dismantled throughout the country, a surprising amount of the Oregon Electric remains intact. In fact, the 100-mile stretch of track between suburban Portland and Eugene is referred to as the 'Oregon Electric Division' by Portland & Western. In and around Portland itself, the Tri Met's MAX Blue line between Portland and Hillsboro uses what was once OER right of way, the line having gone full circle back to a people-mover.

To the south, the Portland & Western's OE Division still provides the regional with all sorts of online traffic- mostly lumber and paper products. Here, railpictures.net contributor Kyle Weismann-Yee caught Portland & Western GP9 #1803 trundling down 4th St in Harrisburg, OR with a few cars it's picked up after switching local industries on its way back to Eugene in Feb 2006. Towns along the old OE line such as Harrisburg, Junction City, Albany, Hillsboro, Salem and Independence still feature street running trackage.

And what would a post featuring 1st generation motive power be without a gratuitous mention and image of actress/poker player Jennifer Tilly? Again, both are products of the 1950s and both are still looking pretty damn good to this day.

The #1803 came over from sister Genesee & Wyoming railroad Louisiana Delta in the late 1990s and was purchased secondhand from the Southern Pacific shortly after the GWRR venture in that state started up. Although bigger power such as SD45s or GP39-2s are the go-to power for Portland & Western's bigger freights, the Portland & Western still roster a number of largely unmodified GP9s and SD9s- a few of them even repainted into Southern Pacific's 1950's vintage 'black widow' paint scheme.

Pujols gets 2,000th career Hit

So here I was sitting at home enjoying the Cardinals beating the Cubs. Impressed with Edwin Jackson's pitching. My mind wanders and I begin to wish I was at the game, it was until the 8th inning that Albert Pujols hits a double off of Carlos Marmol and drives in a run for his 2000th career hit. Pujols become the fifth Cardinal to get over 2000th hits. He joins such Cardinal stars like Stan Musial (3,630), Lou Brock (2,713), Rogers Hornsby (2,110) and Enos Slaughter (2,063).

Current major league players with 2000 career hits include:

Derek Jeter: 3018
Ivan Rodriguez: 2842
Omar Vizquel: 2834
Alex Rodriguez: 2762
Johnny Damon: 2678
Chipper Jones: 2567
Vlad Guerrero: 2518
Ichiro Suzuki: 2361
Miquel Tejeda: 2358
Bobby Abreu: 2351
Todd Helton: 2334
Edgar Renteria: 2292
Jim Thome: 2249
Jason Kendall: 2195
Magglio Ordonez: 2122
Carlos Lee: 2076
Orlando Cabrera: 2027
Scott Rolen: 2005

I am glad I was able to experience this on television. Pujols is a gamer and will become part of Cardinal lore for years to come. Congrats Albert Pujols

source: AP

Cardinals Closing in on a Shortstop

Well it looks like the Cardinals are not done trading yet. It was reported earlier that they are still going after Heath Bell, but it appears the Rangers are closing in on the Heath Bell sweep stakes. Since Ryan Theriot is slumping and happens to have the worse defensive numbers in major league baseball, the Cards are talking to the Dodgers about Rafeal Furcal. According to Joe Strauss, the Cardinals are pursing a short stop that's a difference maker. He also reports it is more than likely a trade will be done by deadline. What kind of short stop difference makers are out there? Jose Reyes? I thought Jose was untouchable. Hanley Ramirez? I thought he was the Marlins leader and a franchise player. I would love to have Ramirez but I think the Cards will go after Furcal not unless they will try for a bigger difference maker.

Source: MLB and Joe Strauss

Rhode Island Gov. Chafee Initiates Legal Proceedings to Protect Slaying Suspect from Feds, Possible Death Penalty

Arguments are underway in the First Circuit court of appeals in Boston in which the state of Rhode Island is outlining its case for refusing to surrender a jailed murder suspect to the Feds.

“Governor [Lincoln D. Chaffee] exercised his discretion on a public policy basis, and refused the request,” Claire Richards, Chafee’s chief legal officer, told the three-member panel of the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

“The governor has a right. … The state has a sovereignty right,” she said.

But Donald Lockhart, a lawyer for Rhode Island US Attorney Peter Neronha, argued that the governor’s office has no standing in the case -- and that the federal government was exercising its right to prosecute a murder that occurred under its jurisdiction.

Jason Wayne Pleau allegedly shot and killed 49 year old gas station clerk Jason Main when he went to deposit more than $12,000 in receipts at a Citizen's Bank branch in Woonsocket, RI in September 2010. Since the bank is federally insured, this gives the US Attorney for Rhode Island jurisdiction.

Pleau had a lengthy criminal background including robbery, burglary and assault. Earlier, he had offered to plead guilty to killing Main and accept a sentence of life without parole- the toughest penalty under Rhode Island law.

Chafee, however, refused to turn Pleau over to the Feds while citing his opposition to the death penalty. Neronha's office sought a court order to have Rhode Island turn over Pleau to their custody, but Pleau's legal team took the case to higher courts, citing Chafee's opposition.

With an unemployment rate of 11%, you would think Gov. Chafee might have better uses for state resources and time than protecting a career criminal from the Feds. Chafee- a former Republican Senator whose voting record and policy statements were more in line with left-wing progressive Democrats- ran as in independent for governor of Rhode Island and won last year.

Lincecum Strong, Giants Beat Philly Again

Well, their prized new acquisition went 0-4 with a couple of K's, but the Giants got a gutsy return performance from ace Tim Lincecum to complete their series victory over the Phillies, once again frustrating Philly fans and getting into the head manager Charlie Manuel.

Although Lincecum was probably still feeling many effects from the flu that's had him down all week, he rose to the occasion Thursday night, throwing 6 shutout innings allowing just 3 hits while striking out 6. After his team was again shut down by Giants' pitching, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel called the Giants pitchers "good pitchers, not great pitchers", which to me is a comment out of pure frustration. I don't want to jump on Manuel and beat this to death cause I really don't care what he thinks about a team who all the sudden has his number, I'd rather talk about what good baseball the Giants have been playing. Especially on the pitching side of things. Pablo Sandoval and Nate Schierholtz each had nice games Thursday and drove in runs to help support Timmy. Also, even though he didn't have a direct impact with the bat, I think Carlos Beltran's presence was felt throughout the lineup and everyone was carrying a new level of confidence. Apparently Beltran suggested to Sandoval to try and go the other way before his first at-bat vs. Kendrick, and the result was a Sandoval solo homer to left field. Beltran also made very nice grab in right field that had everybody holding their breath a bit as he landed on that surgically repaired right knee and carved out some ground in right field.

Again though, it was really all about the arms vs Philly, the one bad start by Zito turning into a loss, then the two dominant outings by Cain and Lincecum. Had the Giants thrown Philly killer Jonathan Sanchez at Philly instead of Zito, I'm sure things would have come up different, but we'll have to wait until early next week before Sanchez reclaims his spot over Zito. Matt Cain more than atoned for Zito's ugly outing Wednesday with 7 innings of 1 run ball with that 1 run being of the unearned variety. The Phills couldn't touch Cain or Timmy, then when Bochy brought in the left-handed relievers, it really exposed the Phillies middle order hitters. They're so left-handed heavy and the Giants have such good left-handed relievers that the Giants just match up terrifically with Philly as each team stands now. It's prompted talk in Philadelphia that he Phills will try desperately to add Hunter Pence before Sunday's trade deadline in order to break up all those lefties in the middle for Philly. The Giants themselves may not be done either, in fact I'm kind of expecting Sabean to make another move. The Giants have had upgrading catcher on their mind ever since Buster Posey went down in May, and they may be squaring off against the best possible target this weekend in Cincinnati.

Ramon Hernandez has been the latest name linked to the Giants, and I think it would be a great move to get a .300 hitting catcher with some power and solid defense in here. Although Whiteside's bat seems to be picking up, his defense and decision making is falling off the map and I just can't imagine this guy behind the plate in the heat of late playoff game... Also, the Giants have yet to announce a starter for the Sunday game in Cinci which is supposed to be Zito's spot. Sanchez just threw for Fresno on Wednesday so he won't be ready, some have even mentioned new top pitching prospect Eric Surkamp as a possible replacement for Zito Sunday, but I doubt he makes the jump up from AA. I expect Zito to get the start and depending on how it goes, it could be his last one in quite a while for the Giants.

AWOL Soldier Arrested With Bombmaking Materiels and Ammuntion in Texas, Confesses to Plotting 2nd Ft. Hood Attack

Police in Killeen, TX arrested a 21 year old Army private who went AWOL from Ft. Campbell, KY earlier this month and was reportedly plotting to carry out an attack on Ft. Hood similar to Nidal Hasan's November 2009 shooting spree.

An AWOL infantry soldier caught with weapons and a bomb inside a backpack admitted planning what would have been Fort Hood's second terrorist attack in less than two years, the Army said Thursday. He might have succeeded at carrying it out, police said, if a gun-store clerk hadn't alerted them to the man's suspicious activity.

The 21-year-old suspect, Pfc. Naser Abdo, was arrested Wednesday at a motel about three miles from Fort Hood's main gate. He had spoken out against the 2009 Fort Hood shootings last year as he made a public plea to be granted conscientious objector status to avoid serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Like the soldier charged with killing 13 people in the shootings, Abdo is Muslim, but he said in an essay obtained by The Associated Press the attacks ran against his beliefs and were "an act of aggression by a man and not by Islam."

Abdo was approved as a conscientious objector this year, but that status was put on hold after he was charged with possessing child pornography. He went absent without leave from Fort Campbell, Ky., during the July 4 weekend.

On July 3, he tried to purchase a gun at a store near the Kentucky post, according to the company that owns the store. Abdo told an AP reporter a week later that he was concerned about his safety and had considered purchasing a gun for protection, but had not yet done so.

Police in Killeen said their break in the case came from Guns Galore LLC — the same gun store where Maj. Nidal Hasan bought a pistol used in the 2009 attack. Store clerk Greg Ebert said the man arrived by taxi Tuesday and bought 6 pounds of smokeless gunpowder, three boxes of shotgun ammunition and a magazine for a semi-automatic pistol.

Ebert said he called authorities because he and his co-workers "felt uncomfortable with his overall demeanor and the fact he didn't know what the hell he was buying."

According to an Army alert sent via email and obtained by The Associated Press, Killeen police learned from the taxi company that Abdo had been picked up from a local motel and had also visited an Army surplus store where he paid cash for a uniform bearing Fort Hood unit patches.

Agents found firearms and "items that could be identified as bomb-making components, including gunpowder," in Abdo's motel room, FBI spokesman Erik Vasys said.

The Army alert said Abdo "was in possession of a large quantity of ammunition, weapons and a bomb inside a backpack," and upon questioning admitted planning an attack on Fort Hood. Officials have not offered details about a possible motive.

Baldwin, the police chief, said Abdo "was taken down rather quickly without incident."

Vasys said the FBI would charge Abdo with possessing bomb-making components and he would be transferred from Killeen police into federal custody. Vasys said there was nothing to indicate Abdo was working with others.

Abdo had gained a number of progressive admirers thanks to his opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and his applying for Conscientious Objector status with the Army last year. The 21 year old PFC grew up in the Fort Worth suburb of Garland and was most recently stationed at Ft. Campbell, KY.

Although his request to become a Conscientious Objector (CO) was ultimately approved by the US Army, he was arrested in May of this year for having images of child pornography on his computer. A hearing held under Article 32 of the UCMJ recommended that he be court-martialed from the Army on those charges- Abdo went AWOL shortly after the hearing.

[Hat tip: Support Your Local Gunfighter; Weasel Zippers; Lonely Conservative]

Could LaRussa become the Whitesox Manager next Year?

This is a must read article written by Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune. This is a great read and some food for thought.

Turning up the heat.

It's usually not what you want to do in the middle of a Midwest summer. But that's exactly what the Cardinals have done.

By trading the occasionally electrifying Colby Rasmus in a short-sighted move that brought them Edwin Jackson, they have turned up the volume on an already pressurized situation. And they may have quietly telegraphed the end of the Tony La Russa era in St. Louis.

La Russa's close friendship with White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf long has suggested they will work together again in the future. The Sox's curious handling of the Jackson trade suggests this reunion could begin in 2012, assuming Ozzie Guillen gets money-whipped to jump to the Marlins after this season.

Rasmus is exactly the kind of young, (potentially) rising star the Sox have not been able to develop for themselves during the Ken Williams era. He was only made available, or so La Russa hinted on the eve of the trade, because he turned to his father/high school coach rather than sticking to the Cardinals' program.

(Tony Rasmus vehemently denied the charge, saying La Russa had only his son to deal for much-needed pitching.)

But why didn't the Cardinals just do a trade with the White Sox? Why not use Rasmus to get Jackson? Why turn this into a three-team combination of trades that left Rasmus in Toronto?

The White Sox would have cleared salary by doing Jackson for Rasmus more or less straight up, as the 24-year-old center fielder is earning only $443,000 this season. Sure, other players were involved, notably reliever Jason Frasor, but Rasmus is the big fish here, and the White Sox allowed somebody else to catch him, almost like they were guides rather than fishermen.

The Cardinals also got pitching depth to go along with Jackson (relievers Mark Rzepcyznski and Octavio Dotel from the Blue Jays) but the Sox continue to shop Matt Thornton so they could have put some pitching next to Jackson without waving a white flag for 2011.

It doesn't look like the Sox really wanted Rasmus, and there are only a few answers for that: They believe he's over-rated, a tease who promises more than he can deliver. They think improving the bullpen is more important than adding to a lineup that ranks 11th in the American League in scoring. They are keeping the coast clear for La Russa to arrive next winter, after his work is done in St. Louis.

La Russa almost walked away from the Cardinals after the last two seasons, hoping for one more trip to the World Series behind Albert Pujols.

Both La Russa and Pujols will be free agents after the season, along with Jackson. The Cardinals have mortgaged at least some of their future with three years of moves La Russa's will influenced as much as general manager John Mozeliak's judgment. If they don't re-sign Pujols, everything could change/.

"This is a window to win,'' Mozeliak said when he announced the trade. "… Today we feel like we're a better team than we were yesterday.''

But are they good enough to outlast the Brewers, who gave up four runs in three games to sweep the Cubs?

The National League Central leadership has been a changing proposition throughout July, with the lead bouncing back and forth between the Cardinals, Brewers and Pirates. The Brewers probably are the favorite even after the Jackson trade.

It's probably easier to forecast what happens after this season than during it.

The Marlins want Guillen, and Guillen wants to be one of baseball's most highly paid managers (why wouldn't he?). La Russa wants to keep working in baseball and isn't looking to start over with a new ownership group. There is no Guillen heir apparent in place, as bench coach Joey Cora probably would follow him to Florida.

Oh, one other thing.

Joe McEwing, the White Sox's 38-year-old Triple-A manager, is considered a top managerial prospect. He started his career playing for La Russa in 1998 and '99, and La Russa remains a huge supporter. He probably will be a big-league coach next year, most likely La Russa's bench coach. In Chicago.

A move to the White Sox would allow La Russa to retire as baseball's second-winningest manager all time (he can't catch Connie Mack but he's currently third, only 70 behind John McGraw), and after a couple of years he could turn his U.S. Cellular Field office over to McEwing, moving upstairs to become team president.

Then again, maybe La Russa's Cardinals will meet Guillen's White Sox in the World Series, thanks to clutch pitching by Jackson and Frasor. It's a crazy world, isn't it?

Sports Chowdah Update- Are You Ready For Some Football? So Is the NFL; Ain't it Grand? Lucky #1000 For Papi, Francona

PATRIOTS: The philanthropist wife of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft passed away last week. Myra Kraft, 68, had been fighting cancer for an extended period of time.

The daughter of Lithuanian immigrants who settled in Worcester in the 1930s, Myra Kraft was active in the United Way of Massachusetts Bay, Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston and Boys & Girls Club of Boston and managed the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation and Kraft Family Foundation. For the past two years, Myra had served as chair of the board of directors for the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley.

In leiu of flowers, the Kraft family has asked that donations be made to the Myra & Robert Kraft Giving Back scholarship fund for the Boys & Girls Club of Boston.

NFL: Almost as an afterthought, the NFL lockout has come to an end. The final major obstacle appeared to be the implementation of a wage system for rookie players, which was cleared last week and approved by the NFL player's association.

Since then, this has set off a flurry of trades, free agent signings and transactions that had been building for months, since free agents couldn't be signed while the lockout was still in effect.

The New England Patriots acquired Defensive Tackle Albert Haynesworth from the Washington Redskins in exchange for a 5th round pick in the 2013 draft. The Redskins signed Haynesworth to a big money contract in 2008 that included a then-NFL record $41 million in guaranteed money.

The Pats also signed flamboyant former Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco to a 3 year deal, although it wasn't immdiately disclosed what the Bengals got in return [aside from peace & quiet- NANESB!]

Other noteworthy transactions in the past couple of days include the Miami Dolphins reportedly finalizing a trade deal that would New Orleans Saints RB Reggie Bush to South Beach. Free agent quarterback Matt Hasselbeck left Seattle after signing a multi-year deal with the Tennessee Titans after they cut Vince Young.


MLB: Red Sox Manager Terry Francona notched career managerial win #1000 in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Seattle Mariners. True to form, the understated manager downplayed the milestone in the postgame press conference.

[On a personal note, I sometimes shudder to think where the Red Sox might've ended up without Francona. Not just the 2004 and 2007 World Series, but bouncing back from that atrocious 2-12 start this season- NANESB!]

The Red Sox managed to sweep the Mariners over the weekend before playing host to the Kansas City Royals. During that series, another milestone was reached.


On Wednesday's game against the Royals, David Ortiz scored his 1000th RBI with Boston in memorable fashion as he belted a Bruce Chen offering into the bullpen with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 5th to break the game wide open for Boston. The grand slam ties Papi with SS Rico Petrocelli (1963-1976) for 2nd all time in Red Sox history- Ted Williams has 17 to his name.

Dustin Pedroia also extended a career-best hitting streak to 24 games and John Lackey didn't have to worry about much in the way of run support in Wednesday night's 12-5 win over the Royals.

However, the series was bookended by close losses to Kansas City, with Monday night's 14-inning 3-1 loss and Thursday's 4-3 loss. Josh Beckett Gave up a 3-run homer to KC DH Billy Butler and an RBI double by 3B Mike Moustakas to give KC the 4-2 lead in the top of the 4th during Thursday's day game that would turn out to be the game-winner. Dustin Pedroia made it a 1-run game and kept his hitting streak alive with a solo homer in the bottom of the 8th, but Joakim Soria was able to close out the game for KC in the bottom of the 9th after giving up a 1-out single, preserving the Royal's 4-3 win.

The Red Sox will next travel to Chicago from some Sox on Sox action when they take on the White Sox Friday night. Tim Wakefield (6-3; 5.15 ERA) gets the start against Gavin Floyd (8-9; 4.11 ERA) and the game will start at 8:10 PM ET, 7:10 Central.

ELSEWHERE IN MLB: Former Yankees and Expos pitcher Hideki Irabu was found dead in his Southern California home on Wednesday afternoon. Irabu was billed as 'Japan's Nolan Ryan' when he signed with the Yankees in 1997. The San Diego Padres had originally purchased his contract from the Chiba Lotte Marines, but he refused to join San Diego, insisting he would only play for the Yankees.

Irabu had been playing in Japan and for Long Beach in the independent Western League after falling well short of the high expectations for him in New York. Between 2008 and 2010, Irabu was also arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct and suspicion of DUI by police in both California and Japan.

ANGELS: After giving up an unearned run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 1st inning, the Angel's Ervin Santana threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on Wednesday afternoon. Santana struck out 10 and walked one (the batter in the 1st inning reached on an error) in nine no-hit innings of work. Santana pitched the 1st complete game no-hitter for the Angels since 1984 behind Mike Witt and their first no-hitter since 1990- 7 no-hit innings from Mark Langston and the final two hitless innings from Mike Witt, again.

The win was Santana's first against the Tribe in 11 starts and the first no-hitter thrown at Jacobs/Progressive Field.

NATIONAL LEAGUE: The San Francisco Giants have acquired Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran for righty prospect Zach Wheeler. Boston, Texas, Atlanta and Philadelphia were among the rumored destinations where Beltran would end up by the trade deadline, but Wednesday's trade ended that speculation.

On Thursday, the Chicago Cubs dealt outfielder Kosuke Fukudome to the Cleveland Indians for minor leaguers Abner Abreu and Carlos Smith. This season, Fukudome had a .279 batting average with three homers and 13 RBI in 87 games with the Cubs.

NCAA FOOTBALL: Former Boston College linebacker and cancer survivor Mark Herzlich was signed as an undrafted free agent by the NY Giants last week.

He was cleared to play after a routine checkup on Monday. Interestingly, Herzlich is one of 14 players to have an NFL Flims camera crew follow him as the league is documenting their transition from pre-draft workout to their first NFL game.

Hideki Irabu Found Dead

Former major league pitcher Hideki Irabu has been found dead near Los Angeles, according to the Kyodo News. Police are investigating the death as a possible suicide. Irabu was 42 years old.
Irabu was a star with the Lotte Orions (now the Chiba Lotte Marines) in Japan before making the jump to Major League Baseball in 1997. He spent three years with the New York Yankees, winning the World Series in 1997 and 1998, but fell out of favour with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. Disgusted at Irabu’s weight, Steinbrenner famously called Irabu a fat toad.
Irabu joined the Montreal Expos in 2000 and spent his final year in the big leagues with the Texas Rangers. He has run into legal problems since retiring after the 2002 season — he was arrested for allegedly assaulting a bar manager in 2008 and for driving under the influence in 2010.

Source: National Post

Cardinals Searching for a Short Stop

This morning Ken Rosenthal tweeted that the Cardinals are looking for middle infield help. I thought to myself, who is out there that could help the Cardinals at this position? I then saw this by ESPN's Buster Olney, "several teams are showing interest in Dodgers infielder Rafael Furcal". The Dodgers would have to eat part of what they owe him $4.8 million to be able to trade him. Rafael is having a horrible year but he could help the Cardinals defensively. He would make a lot of sense for the Cardinals. He can be had at a cheap price. At this time there is no direct connection between Furcal and the Cards but I wouldn't be surprise if the Cardinals make a move for him.

Carlos Beltran Coming to Town

It was a deal that's been in the making for the better part of the month, and it appears to have finally come to fruition Wednesday. The Giants will send top pitching prospect Zach Wheeler to New York for outfielder Carlos Beltran, the top bat on the trade market, in a deal expected to be announced Thursday.

I've been discussing Beltran here a lot in recent weeks, so you know I'm pretty pro-Carlos Beltran, I just really hoped the Giants could get the deal done with Peguero or Surkamp and could have hung onto Wheeler. I've seen Wheeler pitch, and I think he can be a #2 of 3 starter, but he hasn't dominated the minors like Cain, Lincecum and Bumgarner did and he's not really standing out in A-ball this season, so who knows when he'll be ML ready. Also, the Mets had other offers for Beltran who was the prize bat of this market by far, and the Giants made a bold move in order to ensure their spot in the playoffs and boost their chances for a repeat. Beltran should come right in and take over the everyday job in right where he's most comfortable, forcing Cody Ross Nate Schierholtz and Brandon Belt scurrying for AB's in LF. It's also possible Beltran could see some time in center field too if Andres Torres can't get his batting average up. Carlos Beltran easily becomes the Giants best outfielder since the Barry Bonds era and is quite possibly the biggest trade deadline acquistion in decades for the San Fran. Wherever he's playing, he'll be entrenched into the middle of the batting order with Pablo Sandoval and Nate Schierholtz, giving the Giants two strong switch hitters in that middle which bodes very well for late inning relief match-ups. My guess is that Beltran will hit 3rd in front of Sandoval, Huff and Schierholtz. It should also be interesting to see what happens to Brandon Belt's PT, and who exactly will be out of a roster spot with the arrival of #15?

Though I wasn't hoping for the departure of a top prospect, I do approve of this move. The Giants don't need to eat all of Beltran's remaining salary which adds more to the pot for a potential contract extension after the season. Speaking of which, I do think Sabean and Co. will be very serious about keeping Beltran in San Francisco beyond this year. Even though the Giants dealt from strength, Wheeler was their prized arm in their minor league system and I don't think Sabean dealt him away without any plan of trying to keep Beltran for a few more years if all goes well. The Giants do have a few bright young outfielders in the minor leagues, but nobody too close or with the extra-base power of Beltran. Plus, a potential Giants lineup for 2012 that includes Beltran, Posey, Sandoval, Belt, Sanchez and Huff (hopefully he rebounds) is mighty compelling. I just hope that this deal doesn't mean less playing time for Schierholtz. Nate's having a much better season than Cody Ross, and until Ross gets into one of his hot streaks, he should be relegated to left-handed pitching and righties he's crushed in the past. Then again, with Torres' struggles, it wouldn't surprise me to see Beltran in center flanked by Schierholtz in Ross a lot of nights as well. Again, no matter how you look at it, the Giants gave up a quality young arm to get a very good outfielder who'll help them win now and drastically help out their faltering offense. I give the deal a double thumbs up, now if Sabes could get him to ink a reasonable 3-year extension, that would be icing on the cake!

Back on the field, the Giants just finished off a win over the Phillies to even up the series at 1 apiece for Thursday's rubber match. Beltran apparently left Cinci Wednesday and is expected to be in the lineup for the finale in Philly. The Giants will either trot out Tim Lincecum if he can finally shake the flu, or it will be Vogelsong. Either way, the Giants will be in good shape going up against Kyle Kendrick who's very hittable if the Giants can be patient. It should also be noted that he Giants may not be done on the trade front either. I still think they would like to upgrade catcher if they can.

Today's Train of Thought- Hoosier Home Cookin', July 27 2011

Today's appetizing train of thought takes us to the Hoosier state and the Anacostia Pacific-run Louisville & Indiana shortline.

The LIRC began operation of the former Pennsylvania Railroad line between Louisville and Indianapolis in 1994 and has served as a regional bridge line between the Midwest and the Bluegrass state. Online traffic includes potash, cement, scrap metal and plastic products, but in recent years it's role as a bridge line has become increasingly prominent with the CSX and Indiana Railroad shifting traffic off the former Monon Hoosier subdivision between Chicago and Louisville in late 2009- each of them opting instead to use trackage or haulage rights over the LIRC between Indianapolis and Louisville.

Here, railpictures.net contributor Micheal Biehn caught Louisville & Indiana GP39-2 #2376 heading south with northbound the Columbus, IN- Jefferson, IN symbol freight CJ as it passes by the front steps of Lucille's Home Cookin' in Crothersville, IN on April 22, 2009.

Colby Rasmus Traded to the Bluejays

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Well it finally happened. The Cardinals traded Colby Rasmus, P.J Walters, Brian Tallet and Trever Miller to the Toronto Bluejays for Edwin Jackson, Corey Patterson, Octavio Dotel and Marc Rzecpzynski. Wednesday the Whitesox sent Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen to the Jays for Jason Frasor and Zach Stewart. The deal needs to be approved through MLB. Looks like the Cards would also get cash in the deal. My outlook: To me this is a deal to get rid of Rasmus. Larussa wanted him out and so did Colby's dad Tony Rasmus. The trade itself is unbalanced. When you trade a 24 year old outfielder like Colby you should get another young player in return and a proven player. I like Jackson but he has some control issues. Dotel is an old pitcher that can strike out one per inning. Corey Patterson is a filler in the outfield. The one gem the Cards did receive is Marc Rzepczinski, a hard throwing lefty that the Cards would have control of for 2-3 years. Marc's arsenal include fastball, curveball, slider, and a change up. I am very happy we landed Marc. He is 25yrs old and very dominate against left handed hitters. Sorry to see Colby go, he will do well with the Bluejays. Their field is very home run friendly.

                                                                      Marc Rzepczysnki

Mexicana Calendar Girls Make Playboy Debut as Former Co-Workers File Suit Against Equity Firm

Within a few months of their wildly popular 2011 calendar, the stewardesses from defunct carrier Mexicana took it off for their debut in the April 2011 edition of the Mexican version of Playboy. At present, there is no word whether or not a 2012 calendar is in the works.

Meanwhile, the 'Aeromozas' former coworkers have filed a lawsuit against Mexican equity firm PC Capital. Some 8000 former Mexicana Airlines employees filed suit against PC Capital after the firm was unable to come up with the US$200 Million it offered for the bankrupt carrier in March. The suit alleges that PC Capital delayed the sale by overstating the funds available and making an offer that wasn't backed up by available economic resources.

Mexicana ceased all flights a just under a year ago, with some of the routes being taken over by low-cost competitors Volaris and Viva Aerobus. Since late 2010, there has been talk among Mexicana's creditors and the government to restore limited service.

Beltran, Outfield Decision Looming Large

We're now just 5 days away from Sunday's MLB trade deadline, and like I said in our last post, it appears to be a 2-team race for the services of Carlos Beltran. The two favored teams happen to be starting a crucial 3-game set tonight vs. each other, and by the end of it, I'd be willing to bet that on either Philly or San Fran will make a move to grab Beltran.

There is the rumor floating out there that the Braves could be in the running as well, but they'd probably jump in only if Philly or the Giants can't get a deal done and the price for Beltran drops. Either way, their is no reason for the Mets to hang onto him at this point. If they keep him and offer him arbitration, he could take them to court and win $18-20 million bucks for 2012, though chances of him not landing a multi-year deal with someone after this season he's had isn't likely. So if it came down to it, would the Giants eat the salary and sweeten the pot with a prospect like Francisco Peguero or Thomas Neal? I'm starting to think they just might be. I've been saying all along this team is definitely good enough, as is, to win their division, just because the Rockies are having an off-year and the Dodgers are a mess. It would be a dissapointment if they didn't win this division. But the point of adding Beltran isn't to help him get you to the playoffs, it's to help you win it all, and that's what Sabean should be focusing on right now. We've mentioned B.J. Upton here a few times as well, but he's going to cost more in trade than Beltran and isn't as effective right now in his career as the Mets outfielder. Upton would still improve this teams offense by bringing in power and speed as well as providing a 26 year-old all-star to build an outfield around, but the Giants don't need another sub-.250 hitter in their lineup and that's where Upton's at right now. The more I look at the Giants situation and the trade market, the more Beltran's starting to make sense. We can't forget that if the Giants don't get him, another NL contender will and be that much tougher in October!

On the field, as I said, the Giants are taking on these vary Phillies in a match-up of last years NLCS and you know that Philly will be hungry for some payback and the fans will be wild. If you thought the Brewers/Giants series over the weekend was exciting, fasten your seat belts for these next three cause they're bound to be nail-biters. Unfortunately, the Giants got some bad news right off the bat, as ace Tim Lincecum was scratched from Friday's start and replaced by Barry Zito due to a flu. So Zito will have the honers of taking on bright young right-hander Vance Worley, and this is going to be a huge test for Barry. Jonathan Sanchez is pretty much through with his rehab work and rearing for a chance to get back on the mound for the Giants, and if Zito bombs tonight, it could happen sooner than later. There was speculation that Sanchez would re-join the Giants in relief if Zito kept his strong pitching up, but Sanchez has worked as a starter during his assignment which tells me the Giants indeed plan to return him to their rotation. Luckily for Zito, most all of Philly's thump comes from the left-side of the plate, so he won't be totally exposed out there, but this 83 mph fastball paired with that live yard doesn't bode well on paper. Offensively, the Giants need some production out of that bottom of the lineup if they're going to keep up with Philly's offense. Their 6-7-8 hitters for Tuesday are hitting a combined .236!

Trade Talk: Besides the pursuit of Carlos Beltran, things have been pretty quiet on the Giants rumor front. Surprisingly, I haven't heard them asking about any catchers or shortstops, both areas where the Giants are sorely below league average. They may be banking on Mark DeRosa returning and playing 2nd while moving Keppinger to short, but I sure hope they're not pining hopes on a guy who's spent the last 2 seasons on the shelf. I know the catching market isn't booming with potential targets, but I don't know if I can put up with another 2 months of Whiteside's soft hitting and overrated throwing arm. I think personally think Miguel Olivo's 14 home runs and 45 RBI would look beautiful in the 7th or 8th spot in San Francisco without missing a beat behind the plate.

Will Colby Rasmus be Traded or Not?

The rumors still continue to swirl in regards to Colby Rasmus. John Mozeliak continues to deny that the team will not trade Colby. This morning Joel Sherman of the NY Post reported that a AL official told him that the Cardinals are definitely shopping Rasmus, and may be asking for a lot in return. The Nationals also had a scout at the Cardinals game last night scouting Rasmus. As of right now the Whitesox, Rays, Mariners, and the Giants have inquired about Colby. Giants may go after him if they are not able to land Carlos Beltran. Chris Capuano is another pitcher that the Cards also have interest in.

Congressman Wu Announces Resignation After Admitting to Sexual Encounter W/ Donor's Teenage Daughter

Congressman David Wu (D- OR 1) announced on Tuesday his resignation pending a resolution of the current debt crisis after the teenage daughter of one of his donors accused him of an unwanted sexual encounter.

A distraught young woman called U.S. Rep. David Wu's Portland office this spring, accusing him of an unwanted sexual encounter, according to multiple sources.

When confronted, the Oregon Democrat acknowledged a sexual encounter to his senior aides but insisted it was consensual, the sources said.

The woman is the daughter of a longtime friend and campaign donor. She apparently did not contact police at the time.

One person who heard the voice mail described the woman as upset, breathing heavily and "distraught."

In the voice mail, the young woman accused Wu of aggressive and unwanted sexual behavior, according to sources with direct knowledge of the message and its contents.

Reporters could not verify the young woman's age. Notes on Facebook over the past 18 months indicate she graduated from high school in 2010. California records show she registered to vote in August.

Wu, like Anthony Weiner last month, was facing increasingly tough re-election prospects and diminishing support from his own party, leading to Tuesday's announcement.

The sexual misconduct allegations come a few months after campaign and Congressional staffers resigned from Wu's office after the Portland congressman displayed increasingly erratic behavior.

Strong Pitching Prevails Over Brewer Bat's

It's no secret that the Giants offense cannot match blows with powerful teams such as the Brewers, so they need their pitching and defense to be on point in these types of series, and they received some tremendous outings from their starters this weekend.

The Giants finished off the 3 game set on Sunday with a 2-1 win over the NL's top offense behind the arm of 21 year-old lefty Madison Bumgarner. MadBum had a rocky start in the first inning allowing a solo big fly to Ryan Braun, but that was all the scoring the Brewers would do on the afternoon. Bumgarner settled down after that and was nails, going 7 2/3, allowing just the 1 run with 8 strikeouts. Over the whole weekend set, the Giants allowed the Brewers to score just 8 runs, thanks to the starting performances by Bumgarner, Matt Cain and Ryan Vogelsong. Cain and Vogelsong didn't even have their best stuff, but Vogelsong still pitched well and won his 8th game despite some rocky control. Cain did suffer the only loss in the series opener on Friday night, as he was out-dueled by Shawn Marcum, but he didn't pitch badly. I said in Friday's post that this series would tell us a lot about the Giants and whether or not they can beat a team with great offense as well as strong pitching like Milwaukee's, and although they prevailed and won 2 of 3, the Brewers were just a couple swings away from a series sweep, that's how close it was. It also proved a wise move by Bochy to skip Barry Zito's turn in the rotation this weekend, cause I think he would have been doomed vs. this right-handed heavy lineup.

The Giants had very little room for error this weekend, and when they made one like they did on Friday night, it cost them. Overall, they looked strong, they pitched well, got good relief, got some timely hits and played pretty good defense, but I still see room for improvement, especially offensively. Pablo Sandoval came back down to earth a bit this weekend, and Nate Schierhotlz has quieted down a bit but a guy who has really disappeared over the last few weeks has been Cody Ross. The outfielder really has been quiet all year long after exploding in the postseason last year and it could be his spot that's in jeopardy if the Giants indeed add another outfielder like Carlos Beltran. In 9 games since the all-star break, Ross has just 1 home run and 5 RBI paired with a .133 average and a .510 OPS. That's hardly the production the Giants can afford out of a corner outfielder and it wouldn't surprise me to see Ross start to lose a little bit of playing time to Brandon Belt in the outfield. Belt has gotten just one start in the outfield since his return and it came Sunday. He went 2-2 with a walk vs. Brewer ace Yovanni Gallardo and played a nice left field in the process. I said it in out last post and I'll say it again, Belt needs to be playing a near daily basis, whether it's at first base, left field or a combination of the two, he needs at-bats.

Also, speaking of Carlos Beltran, it seems like we can't get through a single post lately without mentioning his name, and with the deadline just days away, things are starting to heat up. According to Yahoo! Sports reports Sunday, the Beltran sweepstakes is narrowing down to just a few teams, and those close to the situation believe Beltran to be on the move and it will be either the Phillies or the Giants that end up with him. The Giants have supposedly been most active because they're willing to take on Beltran's contract but they cannot agree with the Mets on what prospect(s) would got to New York in the deal. The Phills don't have the money to pay Beltran his $6M over the next 10 weeks, so they'd need to give the Mets at least 1 of their top-3 prospects for Beltran's services. I think this gives the Giants the edge in acquiring him if they choose to do so, but they'd still likely need to part with at least one young promising player.

Trade in Works with Whitesox and Cardinals

Reports coming in regarding the Whitesox in talks with the Cardinals for Colby Rasmus. Looks like the Whitesox may trade Edwin Jackson and a minor league player in the deal. Matt Thornton's name has also been mentioned in the trade. There is also talk about a possible third team to facilitate the trade. Saturday afternoon LaRussa has announced Jon Jay as his starting center fielder. This looks like a good sign that he will be moved. The Nationals have sent a scout out to be with the Cardinals while they where on the road. Could the Nationals be the third team?  We will have to see. I am still not sold on Theriot at short stop. We need a short stop that is better defensively. The Nationals Ian Desmond is just as bad as Theriot. Let me get back to Edwin Jackson, currently Jackson is 6-7 with a 3.97 ERA and a 1.47 Whip. At the age of 27 Edwin has a lot of upside. His pitches include fastball, cutter, change up, and a curve ball. Jackson is a free agent at the end of the year and his agent is Scott Boras. Hard to believe we will sign him at the end of 2011 if we get him. So keep your eyes pealed here at the McBrayer Baseball Blog for more on the story...

                                                                        Edwin Jackson

Source: Joe Strauss                                      

At Least 87 Reported Dead in Norway Bombing, Mass Shooting

Officials in Norway are saying the death toll is expected to top 80 after twin attacks in downtown Oslo and an island just outside the capital on Friday.

Seven people were killed when a bomb detonated outside of buildings housing the prime minister's office and several media outlets in Oslo. The blast was followed by two hours later by a horrific mass shooting by a gunmen disguised as a police officer at a summer youth camp on an island northwest of Oslo.

According to eyewitnesses, the gunman arrived on the island by boat and waited for the kids to assemble before opening fire with a pistol and an automatic rifle. Some of the children at the camp heard the gunfire, and were coaxed out of hiding by the uniformed shooter before being killed.

A government spokesman had initially said that the death toll was at 17, but according to eyewitnesses and investigators, there are dozens of bodies on the island of Utoeya as well as in the water and along the beaches. Rescue workers and volunteers moving to evacuate the island reported seeing as many as 20 bodies in the water.


In both instances, the target of the attacks was the ruling Labor party in Norway. The bomb heavily damaged Prime Minister Jans Stoltenberg's offices, the headquarters of state news agency NRK, Norwegian tabloid VK and the headquarters of the oil ministry. The island youth camp was run by the youth wing of the Labor party and the Prime Minister was reportedly scheduled to visit on Saturday.

Norway's justice ministry named a suspect they had in custody in the mass killings- a 32 year old farmer named Anders Behrin Bervik. Bervik is reportedly a Norwegian national and is also the prime suspect in the Oslo bombing, although investigators have not ruled out the possibility of accomplices.

Today's Train of Thought: Is this Heaven? No, It's Iowa- July 21, 2011

While no ghosts of baseball legends were able to appear for Today's Train of Thought, there's still plenty of rail traffic originating in Iowa thanks to the various ventures in ethanol in addition to the more traditional application of corn.

In the northwestern corner of the state, the Dakota & Iowa has earned its keep hauling gravel, ballast and aggregates from the LG Everist quarry in Dell Rapids, SD to interchange with the BNSF in Sioux Falls, SD and Canadian National and the Union Pacific in Sioux City, IA while operating on ex-Milwaukee Road tracks owned by the state of South Dakota and tracakge rights on BNSF south of Sioux Falls. The D&I has gotten by with chopnose GP9s and GP7s until fairly recently, when the ethanol boom and longer trains from the Dell Rapids quarry called for bigger power. Unlike many other railroads, the D&I retained many of their 1st generation Geeps, using them for switching the yards in Dell Rapids or Sioux Falls. With that in mind, though, the newer power seems to be the norm out on the road.

Here, railpictures.net contributor John Leopard caught D&I SD39 #4028 leading GP50 #2512 northbound through Westfield, IA with a load of tank cars bound the the ethanol plat at Hawarden, IA at the end of June 2009.

Brewers vs. Giants: Playoff Preview Series?

Well, we're still over a month away from Postseason play, but as things currently stand on July 22nd, this Brewers-Giants match-up could very well be a preview of a possible postseason series, with an atmosphere sure to match that of October baseball.

Right away we get a playoff caliber pitching match-up Friday night between All-Star's Matt Cain and Shawn Marcum. Cain has really been terrific all year for the Giants, as evident by his 2.99 era and 1.09 WHIP. His walks are way down this year and it's allowed him to go deeper into games and factor into more decisions. In his 2 starts since the All-Star break, Cain has thrown 12 innings, allowing just 1 earned run on 8 hits with 13 strikeouts. After Cain, the Giants will trot out fellow All-Star Ryan Vogelsong vs. Randy Wolf and then Madison Bumgarner vs. Yovanni Gallardo in game 3. Needless to say, all 3 should be fine pitching matchups, but at home with the three arms the Giants are set to throw at the Brewers, I feel pretty good about the Giants chances. Cain and Vogelsong have been great, but Bumgarner has been the tough luck pitcher on the staff this year, with twice as many losses as wins despite terrific numbers. I'm also looking forward to seeing how Bruce Bochy fills out his lineup card now with Keppinger in the mix. I was a little surprised he wasn't out there Wednesday vs. Clayton Kershaw, but I absolutely expect him to be a regular in this lineup and entrenched into the #2 spot unless he absolutely tanks in his first few weeks as a Giant, which I don't see happening. Keppinger isn't an All-Star and is probably a notch below Freddy Sanchez, but he's a darn good hitter and a very tough out (.305 avg with just 7 K's this season). He should strengthen the top part of the order for this team and allow it so Bochy doesn't need to keep using .220 hitters in the 2 hole.

The Brewers also, along with the Giants, are one of the few teams said to still be in the Carlos Beltran sweepstakes as apparently the Mets are asking for either prospects or for a team to absorb the remaining $6 million left on Beltran's contract. If that 2nd option is on the table, it would put the Giants in excellent position to grab Beltran without having to give up anyone too promising in return. They'd still have to give up a prospect or 2, possibly someone as high up as Thomas Neal, but it wouldn't cost them Brandon Belt, Hector Sanchez, Zach Wheeler, Gary Brown or Erik Surkamp. Having a chance to get a star like Beltran without having to give up too much in return may be too good for the Giants to pass up. That said, even if they do pass on Beltran, it doesn't mean they don't have their sights set on somebody else. We all know Brian Sabean, and I highly doubt he's just sitting on his hands right now. The Keppinger deal was a nice additive to the infield and strengthens the team up the middle, but in order to keep up with the offense of teams like Milwaukee and Philadelphia's, the Giants will need another bopper in the middle of that lineup. It doesn't need to be Beltran, but I really think he may be the most logical option. Sure, Hunter Pence or B.J. Upton are a lot younger and better long-term options, but in order to get one of those guys, the Giants would most assuredly need to part with at least one of Zach Wheeler and Brandon Belt combo.

Bite Sized Cuppa Sports Chowdah- O Really? Sox Take Rubber Game of Baltimore Series

RED SOX- After technically winning two games in two cities on the same day on Monday (thanks to an 8-run rally in in Baltimore to put away the second game of the day), Boston dropped Game 2 on Tuesday by a 6-2 final. This set up a deciding game 3 on Wednesday afternoon in a sweltering Camden Yards.

After getting into a 1-out bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the second, Red Sox starter Andrew Miller managed to escape by getting O's catcher Craig Tatum to ground into a double-play.

Miller would soon get some run support thanks to a Jacoby Ellsbury solo homer in the top of the 3rd. That was actually all the Red Sox would need, although Ellsbury had another solo homer to his credit in the 7th inning. A bases-loaded walk to Carl Crawford and Jason Varitek grounding into a fielder's choice with Josh Reddick at third rounded out scoring in Boston's 4-0 shutout of the Orioles.

Miller went 5 and two-thirds, allowing two hits, giving up 6 walks and striking out 3 batters. The bullpen came on and didn't allow a baserunner for Baltimore, with Papelbon closing out the game on a 1-2-3 bottom of the 9th.

Boston has now won a second consecutive 3-game series with an AL East opponent since coming back from the All Star game. The Red Sox will be returning to Fenway on Friday night to take on the Seattle Mariners. Seattle ace Feliz Hernandez (8-8; 3.26 ERA) is scheduled to go up against John Lackey (7-8; 6.70 ERA) with a first pitch at 7:10.

OTHER MLB NEWS: With the non-waiver trade deadline coming up at the end of the month, the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox are reportedly top among the likely destinations for Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran.

While the Red Sox have expressed an interest in Beltran to the struggling Mets, Boston's front office feels that the Mets may be asking too much in terms of prospects, especially after the offseason trade that brought Gonzalez over from San Diego. Beltran has been batting .293 this season with 15 homers and 61 RBI.

Reports from the west coast indicate that Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier has also publicly expressed an interest in playing for Boston. Ethier has been batting .299 with 9 home runs and 44 RBI.