Changes!

Well, yours truly wound up switching over to Blogger beta which had an adverse effect on the old template...which is why I changed it to this one. Marcel, Randall and James...when you guys switch over to the beta (or receive the invite from Google to do so), you'll be automatically added back as contributors to this blog.

Feel free to make any template changes to add back in the Email Subscription feed (thanks Donny!) or anything else that you think could spruce up this blog...

And be sure to use the "Labels" so we can start categorizing our posts!

The Missing Man

It's a sad day for Giants fans...fan favorite and long time shortstop Jose Uribe was killed in a car accident in the Dominican today.

He was part of the infield that had Will Clark at 1B, Robby Thompson at 2B, Matt Williams at 3B (Williams replaced the stiff Chris Brown), and Uribe at SS. He became a Giant when Jack Clark was traded to St. Louis in exchange for pitcher Dave LaPoint, 1B David Green, and a young kid named Jose Gonzales - who briefly changed his name to Uribe Gonzales, then Jose Uribe.

Thanks for the reminder earlier, Will...

U........RIBE!

U........RIBE!

U........RIBE!

JASON YOU KNOW WHO

It's sort of like how Yankee fans felt immediately after Johnny Damon turned in his Sox for pinstripes and a haircut. It was hard to swallow. Acceptance of a stranger from the wrong side of the street joining the family would take some time. You need to get over your resentment and swallow your pride before you get to know the guy.

And so it is with the new member of our family who just signed his lease agreement to move in. His name is Jason Schmidt. I'm not about to welcome him with open arms just yet. We're gonna keep an eye on him, make sure he's not going to be a slob, eat all our food, drink all our beer and hit on our girlfriends and wives.

So Mr. Schmidt, I hope you like your new home. Weather is nice and warm, sky is always BLUE. We have a nice organ in the living room. But before you get comfy and start walking all over our lawn, remember that $47 million for three years means we expect great things from you, like the good work you did in 2003 and 2004 for those people we don't like very much. Oh, and take out the trash on your way out. And light a match after flushing, will ya?!

New Foreign Pitching Prospect

All the hype of the new pitching prospects from Japan is far from over. Move over Matsuzaka and make way for Chewbacca!

This impressive left hander hails from the snowy mountains of Kashyyyk and is shown here putting on a clinic for the MLB scouts yesterday. Accompanied by his agent Princess Leia (yes, she really is a princess), Chewbacca wooed the scouts by pitching fastballs in the 124 mph range! However, his most impressive pitch is the never before seen, furflip ball that moves like a butterfly on crack and is deemed impossible to hit by the likes of A-Rod and Barry Bonds. This pitch just comes natural to Chewbacca because it utilizes his raw arm speed and hairiness to accomplish the strange ball flight.

Rumors abound throughout the league over who will jump to sign the big fellow that stands 7'11" tall and weighs nearly 700 pounds. Sox GM Theo Epstein was quoted as saying, "Holy Crap! I wish I wouldn't have squandered all my money on that gyroball joker!". George Steinbrenner was all smiles and hoped to see Chewbacca in pinstripes come April.

Since Chewy (as he prefers to be called) is not from any country, at least on earth, he can be purchased for whoever the highest bidder may be. It pretty obvious that the leading candidates are the Yankees and also the San Francisco Giants that are planning to dispose of Mr. Bonds in order to free up the cash need for the acquisition.

Baseball expert Donny Prater was quoted as saying, "This puts a whole new paint job on the face of baseball. Finally, there can be a merger between man and alien man-beast! This is what the people want." Mr. Prater went on to say that he wouldn't be surprised if the likes of Sasquatch (aka Bigfoot), the Abominable Snowman, and the Chupacabra don't come knocking on the MLB door.

So a new and exciting chapter in the saga we know as baseball is opened. May the force be with us all!!!