November 3, 2002
Quick hits
If you haven't already (or even if you have) please make sure to check out the article containing my picks for the various 2002 awards.
I have gotten a lot of good feedback (both positive and negative) from readers already on my picks, although, surprisingly, few of the emails begin with "Aaron, you ignorant slut..."
This blog just went over the 10,000 visitor mark!
The site meter is at the very bottom of the page.
Not too shabby for a site that started almost exactly 3 months ago.
About 3,300-3,400 visitors a month.
I would like to get that number up over 5,000, so tell all your friends!
You may have noticed the lack of an annoying advertisement at the very top of this page.
Blogspot, in exchange for this wonderful free space, requires that everyone have a advertisement on their site, unless, of course, you pay them to take it off.
So, you can thank "Mark C." for the new ad-free environment at Aaron's Baseball Blog.
Mark (who requested his last name not be used) is a loyal reader of this site who graciously ponied up a small amount of his hard earned cash to help support the site.
So, thanks a ton Mark, it is much appreciated.
And to anyone else who enjoys the site and might be interested in donating a very small amount of money (or a big amount!) to help support the site, just drop me an email at AaronGleeman@aol.com and let me know.
The Yankees and Rockies are apparently discussing a deal that would put Mike Hampton in pinstripes.
Unless the Rockies are going to ask for nothing of value in return AND pay almost all of Hampton's salary throughout the life of his contract, I don't see why the Yankees would possibly want to do a deal like this.
And, if the Rockies don't want anything in return and they are willing to pay that much of Hampton's salary, why wouldn't they just keep him?!
If a good pitcher ever signs a long term deal with the Rockies again, he should be forced to a wear a dunce cap for the rest of his natural life.
New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon has decided that Mo Vaughn needs to lose some weight.
According to ESPN.com, Wilpon is "threatening to terminate the first baseman's remaining two-year, $32 million contract if Vaughn does not drop pounds before spring training."
It's a great idea Fred, but there is only one problem: MO VAUGHN WAS FAT LAST YEAR TOO!
It might have been a good idea to try to talk Mo into getting into shape when you first acquired him, instead of waiting until now.
Also in the article was this quote: "Vaughn was listed at 275 pounds in last season's Mets media guide."
In a related story, I was listed at 150 pounds in my junior high basketball league's media guide.
Chris Kahrl from BaseballProspectus.com has an article on ESPN.com about the off-season questions facing each team in the AL Central.
Nothing really earth shattering, but some interesting stuff.
On Thursday I told everyone how I don't like to get involved in the yearly Pete Rose discussions that are bound to occur.
I am going to stay true to my word and not discuss anything involving Rose.
However, Derek Zumsteg, also of Baseball Prospectus, has written an extremely good article that looks at various aspects of the Rose situation, including a breakdown of Bill James' semi-famous discussion of Rose from his New Historical Baseball Abstract.
