MLB Bullets Stares Out The Window

In a rather early holiday gift to Cubs fans, the MLB Network is going to televise tomorrow night's game between the Mesa Solar Sox and the Salt River Rafters at 8pm Central time. So there's another chance to see the Cubs prospects in action. Thank you very much, MLB Network. Good job. It may be more expensive than simply rerunning "Intentional Talk" or showing "Ken Burns Baseball," but it's much more compelling off-season programming.

• Jeb Lund waxes poetically about baseball and how much it's a part of our lives until it isn't, when the off-season comes. He does this despite saying that people who wax poetically about baseball are a drag on the game. Despite the hypocrisy, which he admits, it's a great essay.
• The Red Sox finished the season with a "rolling rally" of a parade from Fenway Park to the Charles River. So you know how they say it's all over but the shouting? The shouting is now over.
• Tomas Rios thinks Series MVP David Ortiz should go into the Hall of Fame, but only to illustrate the hypocrisy of the selection process. Rios doesn't actually think Ortiz is qualified.
• Ortiz, Shane Victorino, the Fenway bullpen cop and "one lucky fan" will shave off their beards today.
• When asked if Ortiz is the new "Mr. October," Reggie Jackson responded "Don't say nothing silly now." To be fair, Jackson was being playful, but it is clear he's pretty protective of his nickname.
• So now the offseason is officially underway. Tim Kurkjian looks at ten storylines to expect this winter.
• And Cliff Corcoran has his own take on ten offseason storylines. He's got three that Kurkjian doesn't have! (And vice-versa)
• Masahiro Tanaka's streak of 30 straight starts without a loss came to an end in game six of the Japan Series as the Yomiuri Giants beat his Rakuten Golden Eagles 4-2. Tanaka threw 160 pitches in the loss.
• But all's well that ends well! Rakuten starter Manabu Mima held Yomiuri to one hit over six innings as Rakuten won game seven 3-0, clinching the team's first ever Japan Series Championship. Rakuten is located in the north of the country that is still recovering from the devastating earthquake and tsunami of 2011. Former Cub Casey McGehee drove home the first run of the game. Andruw Jones also plays for Rakuten.
• And getting the save in game seven was Masahiro Tanaka, who, one day after throwing 160 pitches in a start, threw 15 more pitches and retired the side in order in the ninth. So I think we know what happened to Dusty Baker after the Reds fired him. Yes, scouts are worried.
• As noted on Saturday here, the Tigers hired Brad Ausmus as their next manager.
• Ken Rosenthal notes that Ausmus, Reds manager Bryan Price and new Nationals manager Matt Williams continues a trend in baseball towards inexperienced managers.
• One inexperienced manager who won't be hired is Cal Ripken Jr. Nationals manager Mike Rizzo says Ripken was never a candidate for the job and Ripken agreed it wasn't the right time for him to take over the team.
• Someone else without major league managerial experience is Joey Cora, who is a finalist for the Mariners job. Cora has at least managed in the minors and in winter ball.
• The Yankees signed Derek Jeter to a one-year deal for 2014 for $12 million.
• Bob Nightengale says the salary, which is $2.5 million more than he would have made on the option year of his current deal, was an act of goodwill by the Yankees. That and an act of public relations, as the team couldn't afford an acrimonious relationship with the Captain.
• That's because Alex Rodriguez has enough of an acrimonious relationship for everyone. The New York Times traces how the situation deteriorated to where it is and how both sides are pursuing a scorched earth policy towards the other. This will not be pretty when it ends, either way.
• Reports came out on Sunday that A-Rod failed a test for stimulants in 2006. A first failed test for stimulants would not result in a suspension, but a second one would. Rodriguez's representatives have denied the report.
• Here's a list of prominent players with an contract option for 2014 and whether or not the option was picked up.
• We've known this for years but now it's official: The Giants will not exercise their option on Barry Zito for 2014. There was a moment back in April when there was a chance it might go the other way, but that insanity passed quickly. Still, the Giants don't win the 2012 World Series without Zito.
• David DeJesus had his option picked up by the Tampa Bay Rays. So there will be no return to Wrigley there. Meanwhile, his wife Kim and her partner Nicky Getz finished in second place in this week's leg of The Amazing Race, their best finish yet. This week's leg took the teams to Vienna, Austria.
• The Rangers made a qualifying offer to outfielder Nelson Cruz, meaning any team signing the free agent will have to forfeit a draft pick.
• Free agent pitcher Bronson Arroyo says the Mets are among the teams he would like to pitch for.
• Howard Bryant says that for all the talk of being smart with money in baseball, all that goes out the window when it is someone like Robinson Cano or Clayton Kershaw who is looking for a new contract. He also doesn't understand why there is a fan backlash against players who sign these big contracts.
• Steve Dilbeck thinks signing Clayton Kershaw to a long-term deal is a "no-win situation" for the Dodgers. Either pay him too much and risk an injury, or risk seeing him pitch for another team.
• The Tigers will be hard-pressed to find the money to make a major acquisition this off-season.
• The Marlins reiterated that they are not trading Giancarlo Stanton.
• The Cardinals look increasingly like they will deal a young pitcher to get a shortstop or other position player. In fact, the NL Pennant Winners may shake up their team quite extensively this off-season.
• Even though he's not managing, Charlie Manuel can't stop talking baseball. He's currently considering an offer of a front office job with the Phillies. He still wants to manage, but he knows teams all want younger managers today.
• Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell signed a two-year deal, staying in the Peach State. There had been rumors connecting him with the Phillies.
• The Arizona Fall League "Fall Stars" game was a bonanza for fantasy baseball players.
• Jay Jaffe says that with Rawlings introducing advanced metrics into the Gold Glove Award process, they're doing a much better job selecting the best fielders. He also lists the Fielding Bible Award winners.
• Former Yankees pitcher Johnny Kucks has died. I never saw Kucks pitch, but I always liked him because his last name was "Kucks."
• Finally, they had a "Yard Sale" for all the junk that was still inside the Astrodome. I got a great deal on a bunch of Mike Scott game-used emery boards.