On February 3, 2010, Deep Focus, Inc. withdrew its application to trademark the term “sabermetrics” for social media consulting services.

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Spring training is almost here and living right outside of Philadelphia I can tell you that most Phillies fans are up in arms about dealing away Cliff Lee to the Seattle Mariners. It is not that there is unhappiness with Roy Halladay, it is just that the fans wanted Halladay AND Lee. Does it sound like a spoiled fan base?

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In the Spring of 1991, seven years after his retirement as an active player, former Orioles’ pitcher Jim Palmer was attempting the most intriguing comeback in baseball history.

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You may recall my last post when I wrote about how I ended up attending Murray State University, tried out and made the baseball team. While there, I was part of a most remarkable experience. It all began with one of my teammate’s box score: 3 At Bats 0 Hits 0 Runs 0 RBI and it ended with “Stay tuned … for the rest of the story” and “Paul Harvey … Good Day.”

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I was recently contacted by George Case III, who happens to be the son of former American League All-Star George Case Jr. and who has a fantastic product he’s offering baseball fans.

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Tom Erickson grew up in the Chicago area, but spent some of his summers during his youth visiting his Uncle Pete Husting in Mayville, Wisconsin.

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If there were a report card for front office moves by the Nationals in the off-season, it would be upbeat, but still a mixed bag.  In an economic climate where almost every team–even the Yankees–is cutting back, the Nationals will end up spending more than last year.  They will have a better team in 2010, but when you been down so long that it all looks like up, how do you keep score?

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With the start of spring training only two weeks away, the gap has narrowed somewhat between one year ago and 2010 in the number of former Independent players invited to major league camps as non-roster players.

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While doing research for a few book projects I’m working on, I came across some interesting and sometimes odd stories on and off the diamond. Here are a handful:

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As many of you probably heard, J.D. Salinger, the author of the “Catcher in the Rye” died a few days ago. That was my favorite book, especially the part where he wrote about the person who could really whistle. He writes about how every person has at least one thing that they do very well even though it may not be known to others, even something as minute as whistling. At least, that is my take on what I read, but the point is that every person is worth respecting because they have something of worth about them. You may never know it but you may find out that they went on to achieve, like maybe, becoming a major league baseball player.

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What do Independent Baseball managers do in the offseason?

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George Culver pitched for the Cleveland Indians (1966-67), Cincinnati Reds (1968-69), St. Louis Cardinals (1970), Houston Astros (1970-72), Los Angeles Dodgers (1973), Philadelphia Phillies (1973-74), and Nippon Ham Fighters (1975), and tossed a no-hitter in 1968.  He only led the league in one category once in his career – hit batters (1968). In nine seasons, he pitched in 335 games including 57 starts, and finished with a career record of 48-49 with 23 saves and 3.26 ERA.

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Please skip the cross-border shin-kicking and go straight to what was left out of the contrived debate about Andre Dawson’s Hall of Fame plaque.

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In 2009 the Nationals scored 4.4 runs per game and allowed 5.4.  Nationals GM Mike Rizzo has said his team will narrow that gap in 2010 and no where can the progress be seen more sharply than in the Washington bullpen that is emerging this off-season.

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The definition of a true hero is not a guy who leaps tall buildings in a single bound, but, more realistically, a person who heaps the world’s problems upon his or her broad shoulders without regard for their own personal health or well-being. A person who sees a situation and devises a solution rather than to turn their backs and complain.

By definition that would qualify Frank Guzman as more than just a baseball coach, but as a mentor, a leader and yes, a bona fide hero in the eyes of everyone who knows him. When assisting those in a state of crisis from his security position with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Guzman has turned his passion for baseball into a rescue for many of Rochester, NY’s Latin population.

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Of course, we all know of great rivalries in sports. Yankees vs. Red Sox, Michigan vs. Ohio State, and Celtics vs. Lakers all come to mind when I think about great rivalries.  I had the opportunity to be part of one of those in my playing days and it all came to a violent, crazy head one night.

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Cory Snyder knows a lot about the ups and downs in the life of a baseball player from his nine-year (1986-94) major league career and his current managerial days, but the Snyder family is dealing with an issue right now that is so much bigger than a batting slump.

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It isn’t that position players cannot work their way through a farm system and reach the major leagues, but Independent Baseball pitchers succeed with much greater frequency.

Among the newer faces this typist has come across who seem to be intriguing candidates for major leaguers to give a long look at some time in 2010 it once again is moundsmen who stand out.

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“Some of these guys are going to make it. Most won’t. But they all share a dream and passion for the game of baseball. Nobody tells their compelling stories of hard work, determination and sense of tradition better than the players themselves.”

That sums up the story of “The Road to the Show” the much awaited project of co-creator and producer, Larry Richards. “The Road to the Show” tells the real life stories of players as they fight their way through baseball’s minor leagues in hopes of getting their day in the sun as full-fledged Major Leaguers.

Richards, a graduate of Syracuse University, has been working on the “original baseball docuality” for better than two years and continues to work tirelessly to get it into the hands of those who will make his personal baseball dream a reality, as well.

As Richard’s states on the show’s web-site, “Somewhere in the minor leagues is the next legend”.

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Though the snow continues to pile up on every baseball field from Montpelier to Miami and the four most famous words in the baseball vocabulary, (pitchers and catchers report), have yet to be uttered, local New England fans got their first taste of baseball last week at “The Road to Success”, a Ct. Dugout Club event.

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The last thing that needs to be written is another post burying Mark McGwire, who has finally placed the steroids noose around his neck and stepped off of the ledge that his hollow records have built, merely confirming what any reasonable person has known for years. I am rather surprised, though, that Tony LaRussa has not taken more of a hit from the media.

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Vada Pinson spent most of the ’60s starring for the Cincinnati Reds as one of the great centerfielders in the game. He was also one of the earliest members of the class of great black players that emerged from Oakland starting in the ’50s and continuing on until today. Here’s his longtime friend Curt Flood talking about Vada: “I always remember Vada Pinson’s smile. It was always present. If not on his face, it was in his voice.”

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Last post I mentioned that I hoped that the good memories of my professional playing career never end so I could keep writing about the happy times. Then of course, I couldn’t think of another good memory that I haven’t already written about. I hope that is only a case of temporary amnesia. Below is one of those nightmarish episodes in my career.

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Although Jimmy Dugan told me, “There’s no crying in baseball” I didn’t listen the other day. I cried a lot. So did Mark McGwire. Only the difference between me and Mark McGwire is that we cried for two different reasons.

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Brian Myrow never seems to have a clear path to a major league job despite his 11-year .307 minor league batting average with decent power (115 homers in 3,181 at-bats). We can mark down 2010 as more of the same, though there seems to be some wiggle room for the 33-year-old, whose first two and a half professional seasons (1999-2001) were in the Northern League (Winnipeg).

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Andre Dawson was the only player to receive 75% of the votes necessary for induction.   Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven came close and are well positioned to be elected in 2011. Here are the numbers:

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MLB Owners used Mark McGwire and steroids to rejuvenate baseball.

Why couldn’t we use pharmaceuticals to fix all of baseball’s concerns?

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Carl Weilman had about as unlikely a major-league career as one could expect.

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30th Anniversary Thurman Munson Awards Dinner to be held at the Grand Hyatt In NYC; AHRC New York City Foundation To Benefit From Gala.

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A look at a quickly failed attempt to add a third major league in 1912.

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“Roberto Alomar, arguably one of the greatest second basemen to ever play the game didn’t garner the necessary 75% of voters needed.

I don’t get it.”

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While we often track players who have their contracts purchased by a major league organization, Independent Baseball also is a stepping stone to many an affiliated managing, coaching, scouting or front office position.  This offseason has seemed especially busy with hirings and promotions.

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Many baseball fans already know about how Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees after the 1919 season, apparently to fund his production of the play My Lady Friends in 1920, which became Frazee’s musical hit, No, No, Nanette, in 1925. But the superstar he sold did some acting of his own.

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“And on the seventh day He rested and watched the MLB Network.”

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