A much better summary of the Everett child saga
Containing herein my best understanding of what happened, the courts, the distinction between family courts and why this is important, formed in consultation with a bunch of people who I really, really wish had been around when I first posted on this, before I went into trying to write this up long ago.
And with this, I close the book and hope this never arises again.
Read more
Villone to Yankees
So much for his rumored return to your Seattle Mariners; Villone dealt from Florida to New York for 26-yo lefty Ben Julianel.
Mariners close to bloated Washburn deal?
CBS is reporting that the Mariners are closing in on a four-year deal with Jarrod Washburn worth between $36 and $38 million.
I am near-apoplectic. This is utterly terrible news that, if true, could have awful consequences on the franchise for years to come. Dave already ably explained why Washburn is notably bad. Let me just add that this contract would keep him a Mariner until he turns 36 years old. He’s older than Kevin Millwood and markedly worse.
Sometimes, taking the cheaper alternative is preferable. Not this time. Even if it takes five years and $50 million to get Millwood, that would be preferable to paying this type of scratch for Washburn.
Saturday: Me and Jonah Down by the Schoolyard
Well, actually, at Third Place Books in Seattle, at a joint Baseball Prospectus/USSM event tomorrow night. Besides myself and the talented Mr. Keri, there will be the ever-popular Special Guests To Be Announced.
The event will herald the release of Mind Game (which was airplane reading for one of my Vegas crew) and will be a chance for Jonah to preview BP 2006. I have a softshoe routine planned, or possibly karaoke. If you’re so inclined, come by to talk baseball with us and our secret pals.
Sat. Dec. 17, 6:30 pm
Third Place Books
Lake Forest Park Towne Centre
17171 Bothell Way NE
Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
Tel: 206-366-3333
I’m kidding about the karaoke.
The Hit King Sits On The Strip
Hunter S. Thompson is dead, and I am in Las Vegas. This is equal parts appropriate and absurd, since I loathe excess and am embarassed by spectacle. But now that Hunter has passed, somebody has to bear witness. Read more
The tedious citations of Carl Everett’s 1998 child problem
Updated! More citation goodness and further sorting out of much contradictory writing! And more to come! Whee!
Since this seems to be the center of controversy, I would like to provide in one place a set of citations anyone who wants to argue this can go to. Though, frankly, the more I look into this the more frustrated I become.
If you’re particularly interested in detailed citations and related stuff, as well as me detailing exactly what I mean when I rant about the child abuse charges not being dropped, go right ahead (strictly speaking, child abuse charges were dropped or, in some stories, never filed, and it was in family court that a finding of child neglect was made, but I’ll rant about why that’s important later). Anyone with Lexis-Nexus access or with family court knowledge who wants to add or clarify is welcome to drop us a line.
If, like me, you’d really much prefer to move on, please feel free to do so.
Read more
Fun With the MLB Photo Wire
Frivolous Friday links: If you haven’t been introduced to the magic of the MLB photo wire, take my word and take a gander.
There you’ll find a host of photos that, for one reason or another, won’t make it into your local Dead Tree Edition. In certain cases, you can even run your own private caption contest. Here are just a few examples:
“Hey, look! A dinosaur! Jeff Kent’s trying to steal your car!”
* “Please, Lord, let Major League Baseball adopt softball-like rules that allow teams to play five outfielders.”
* Marlins President David Sampson attempts to one-up Juan “Wiggly Feel” Pierre by getting busy with a beat-box to set up his new joint, “Fire Sale Delight.”
* “We loooooove The Leader! The Leader protects us from players with value!”
And, finally:
* “TheoEpsteinsayswhat?”
Try this at home: it’s fun for the whole family.
Wiki-pedia Gonzalez
The Nationals signed Wiki Gonzalez to a minor league contract yesterday. Perhaps taking a page from the M’s 2005 approach, they also signed three other catchers to similar deals with the hopes that one of them will stick as the backup next season.
Back With Jeff (Clement, that is)
So, did I miss anything?
After spending the past week in scenic Las Vegas — sans Internet access — I’d scarcely hit town before a barrage of news hit me like stones from Red Rock Canyon.
Carl Everett? What? The club has interest in Sidney Ponson? Rumors of a Jeremy Reed trade? What in the name of Asterix the Gaul is going on here? And speaking of magic potions, if the team does sign Ponson, can I get a personalized “Sir Drinks-A-Lot” jersey?
I’ll have a hopefully amusing and definitely surreal post up tonight or tomorrow about my baseball-related experience in Vegas. For now, I’d like to direct you toward this hometown paper feature on Jeff Clement. Happy reading.
Mueller to LA, Transaction news
No word still on who gets cleared off the 40-man roster to make room for Mr. Everett. They’re at 41 now. Likely suspects now that Harris is off: RHP Baek, RHP Franklin (pleeeassee), OF-R Strong. There are a couple guys you could see them trying to sneak through (Rivera, for instance, or Choo) but as long as Baek’s on the 40-man, he’s likely to be the next one off.
From the comments: Harris made it through to Tacoma, and yup, it’s Baek that gets designated for assignment.
Bill Mueller (who was mentioned in the “Everett alternatives” post) signed a two-year deal to play for the Dodgers. Looks like two years at $9.5m, which (assuming the easily-vestable Everett 2nd year kicks in) would be a little more expensive than Everett’s deal.