happy holidays to the 3 dozen readers of my blog. I know there has been a lot of banter on the Newberg Report and Lonestarball.com about the recent Hamilton for Volquez trade, so if you are sad here is a pair of vids to cheer yourself up with.

another classic for the vaults- we've all seen the original and possibly the subtitled version, but this one is my favorite.

I actually like the trade for the organization- Hamilton is the toolsiest OF we've ever had. Back in '99 when he was a pitcher as a side job in high school, homeboy could throw 94 mph according the Baseball America. He's also got ridiculous power- and anyone who hits balls I don't have to chase in batting practice is cool by me. I know that Hank Blalock might be bummed out because Hamilton is covered in tattoos, so that means he's gonna have to step up his game and get ink on his neck or rib cage to compete. This trade will also be good for Jason Botts- because him and Hamilton are similar sizes (yes botts you're taller and probably way better at guitar hero) but having another behemoth around will speed up his development.

Certainly Volquez is a big time talent, but the problem here in texas has been finding consistent starters, not guys that have good stuff...we've got a lot of guys now have good stuff. I like Edinson personally, but I'll guess he's really happy to get a fresh start, and a new chance. Plus national league teams have no DH- so that dude gets to try and score for himself which is always cool.

I'm back in Southern California for a few days to enjoy the weather, hang out with wesley snipes (randomly saw him in LA two days ago; tough break on that tax evasion rap dude) kick it with the friends (straightedge) and family, and play catch up against the concrete wall at moffet elementary school. why? well because it allows me to work on fielding a bit. no not really. actually it's just because I can run across the street and get my throwing done in 12 minutes completely on my schedule.

random image for the day:

I've been up all night working on a big marketing project- hopefully I nail it despite getting about 40 minutes of sleep.
anyway- in case you can't tell I like youtube...here's actually a video my brother made for his clothing company- Paer.

they do really cool hoodies and t's for guys and gals, so if you're a hipster or emo, or just stylish give it a look. www.paerclothing.com

and here's one of the videos I made while over in europe- I just like the song...but for some reason the iMovie formatted it in widescreen and youtube only posts in 4:3 so the sides are cropped too much. of course I could repost it and all that- but you get the idea.

if you lurk around there's a video of me going 165 mph on the A1 autostrada. Don't do that in america! it's illegal! only drive fast on de-restricted european highways and race tracks! seat belts! look both ways before crossing the street! wear your sunscreen! bring a jacket so you don't catch a cold! okay that's my disclaimer.

oh man I better not vote for alex rodriguez for MVP- that means he's gonna get a contract bonus...
check the breaking story on mlb.com or espn.com about the BBWAA

okay is this really a problem? according to the baseball writers of america- who get to vote on anything from Hall of Fame inductees to the respective MVP in each league...they felt the need to vote 41-21 in favor to:

"Deny MVP and CY Young Award votes for those players who receive additional contractual compensation for winning the awards"

what the **** is that?

I spoke with Evan Grant and TR Sullivan who informed me why this is-

apparently writers are under scrutiny- by who? their employers and audience. Kinda like how we're under scrutiny by the media, our employers and fans, eh? Everyone is under the microscope now and then, I mean that's why they write a column and put their name on the top- accountability.

okay look how ridiculous is it to make a personal vote against a player because of his contract?
'Media Bias' is now going to be a huge opinion issue with players- some or most of whom are skeptical enough because of the access and freedom that they're granted while in our locker room. A lot of writers are really qualified, intelligent, cool people- maybe that's the 21 people who voted against this.

all this came forth because of Curt Schilling (38pitches.com) made a joke about bribing a guy to get a vote cast for him as a Cy Young candidate, thereby activating an incentive clause in his contract where he gets a bunch of money. Well hey good for Curt to be an amazing player, with a good agent, and negotiate a large contract for himself...we're all entitled to these rights under the CBA- basically if the owners sign it, we get it.
Well like I said below Greg Maddux gets a free golf membership- why are people so tense that just because Schilling makes a joke they've got to take ludicrous and drastic measures? maybe the owners and players can remove the right to vote for MVP and Cy Young for anyone who feels so much pressure (peavy for NL CY- really tough decision!) that they can't remain unbiased. kinda like how people who are scared of foul balls so we give them tickets in the upper deck.

of course this measure won't kick in until 2013- but it would be funny if they really tried to enforce this, and miguel cairo ended up winning the mvp award by default since he didn't add it into his contract.

well I really don't spend that much more time in AZ then I would have to, because the lack of humidity just doesn't jive with my lifestyle...I'm a beach guy who will substitute rain in a pinch.

I'm out in Scottsdale for the Player's Union meetings- when Mark 'teshy' Teixeira got traded, I became the union rep for the Rangers- this means I get a free trip out here to learn about all the goings on and historical significance of my job from a corporate standpoint, from how contracts work all the way to how we as current players help support those great guys that are now retired and taking pensions. Our health insurance and overall benefits really are amazing and we owe a lot to Marvin Miller who back before the disco days and DH rule actually bonded all the future generations together by helping us form a union.

Well anyway, some of the guys that I'm meeting are here for the first time too- and as some readers may or may not know, this is obviously my first time being able to talk to these guys. Fellow MLBloggers Ryan Garko (indians) and Kevin Youkilis (red sox) are out here too. I think having 3 bloggers in one room is the highest density of player-blogger slashies (seen zoolander?) in one place historically, so that's history in the making right there. I also had a good conversation with Randy Flores (st louis cardinals)- you know us lefty relievers have to stick together! Other highlights- seeding the ground with Bobby Bonilla for me to beg my way onto the MLB tour of Japan and possibly the WBC team later down the road. I've always wanted to compete internationally with a USA jersey.

I just read on here that los tigres del detroit have made a trade of baseball playing people with the marlins- involving some really high-profile millionaires, so hey that's cool but I hope those dudes pack their beanies because word is april is a very cold month in motor city. oh yeah and also of note- fashion in michigan won't be involving any orange gucci pants or other miami staples, so feel free to leave those behind.

This is always a fun time of year for me, and all sports fans- a world champion team is basking in the glow of victory, all the other ones are scrambling with trades, free agents, and leftover turkey sandwiches. Other sports like hockey, basketball, international football (for my european friends), and the Dallas Cowboys are all frequently live in HD for me to watch in between working out, playing video games, and working on my ninja skills at the dojo. Reading about all the trades, signings, and weird contracts which include lines like

Greg Maddux will receive membership at the Del Mar Country Club for length of contract

Troy Percival will receive a vintage automobile as per contract with Tampa Rays

always make me laugh...just picturing TP rolling hard in a '78 pimped out pinto is great. I mean this video is great too- but for different reasons.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=GlC1445FJ2E

my wild nightlife will include me going solo to see a moviefilm somewhere locally. probably choosing "american gangster" as "I am Legend" is still 10 days out. "No Country for Old Men" was a really good one that I saw last week...tense, creepy, and well acted if you're into that sort of thing.

jagsemash.