Blogging In 1974

Daniel Shoptaw, the man behind the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, is posting short Q&As of BBA members. Here's mine.

One thought: this blog is a clear descendant of the sports pages I created on my parents' electric typewriter roughly 35 years ago. Also, I love hearing about other writers who did similar things when they were kids.

Bay Rejects Boston's 4/60 Offer

Not a surprise, as Theo Epstein said.

He may end up back in Fenway, but at age 31, Bay wants to see what is out there in the free agent waters.

Terry Francona held court on a number of matters, including Bay:

He has earned the right to be a free agent. This is his first time, and he wants to see it through. You know we're going to be a major player. We always are. Do I hope it gets done? Yeah.

The Red Sox's exclusive rights to negotiate with Bay end at midnight tonight.

While Tito would like the Sox to go after some pitching (like John Lackey), David Ortiz says the team needs a power bat:

I said that like a year ago and everybody was looking at me like I was a (expletive) clown. You know? I said we needed another 30-home run hitter. Everybody was talking trash. There you go. Now what? ... You want to compete with those guys across the street? You better bring it. Period.

The Sox have asked Atlanta for the medical records of free agent relievers Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano.

Sox Release Kottaras

Zachary Nicholson, Sox Prospects:

With the deadline to add players to the 40-man roster and protect them from the Rule 5 Draft rapidly approaching, the Red Sox [Tuesday] made another move to clear space, releasing catcher George Kottaras. ...

Links: 40-man roster deadline and Rule 5 draft (to be held on December 10).

Greinke Wins AL Cy Young

It's a rout.

                      1st  2nd  3rd   Pts
Zack Greinke, KC       25    3        134
Felix Hernandez, SEA    2   23    1    80
Justin Verlander, DET   1         9    14
CC Sabathia, NYY             2    7    13
Roy Halladay, TOR                11    11

NL Cy on Thursday.

Rookies of the Year: Andrew Bailey (A's) and Chris Coghlan (Marlins).

Dock Ellis And The LSD No-No

On June 12, 1970, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis took the mound in San Diego while high on LSD.

A video from No Mas and James Blagden.



Ellis:

I started having a crazy idea in the fourth inning that Richard Nixon was the home plate umpire, and once I thought I was pitching a baseball to Jimi Hendrix, who to me was holding a guitar and swinging it over the plate.

The audio in the video comes from an interview Ellis did with NPR shortly before his death last December.