MLB Bullets Is The New Fugitive

It's still pretty quiet in the baseball world as teams, and writers, took the Christmas holiday off and have yet to return to work. Don't worry, things will start to pick up after the new year, at the latest.

• The big news is that the Hall of Fame ballots went out this week and writers began to announce who they're voting for. The big story goes to the BBWAA's resident old coot who wants nothing more than for you kids to get off his lawn. Murray Chass wrote an essay attacking Cooperstown for taking a stand against players who used steroids but then unanimously voting in the managers who turned a blind eye towards PED use in their own clubhouses. Fair enough.
• But that wasn't what made headlines. Chass also announced his Hall of Fame ballot and it includes only three names--Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Jack Morris, whom he probably voted for just because it upsets people he doesn't like. He says he might also vote for Frank Thomas. But he says he won't vote for anyone who has been "proven to have cheated, admitted they cheated or are strongly suspected of having cheated." On that list he includes Craig Biggio, who has never been connected to steroids before, well, before Chass' column. Craig Calcaterra calls Chass a "full blown kook" and wonders how the BBWAA allows people like him to continue voting.
• Rob Neyer also takes apart Chass' ballot not for excluding "steroid cheats" but for excluding of a bunch of other players who were a lot better than Jack Morris. He also thinks Chass has an obligation to explain why he thinks Biggio is a steroid cheat if he's going to make that accusation.
• Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun also won't vote for any steroid users, but draws a distinction between those with evidence that they used and those who are subject to just speculation. So he votes for Jeff Bagwell. But he doesn't vote for Craig Biggio and he doesn't say why. Instead, he voted for Jack Morris and Lee Smith. He only voted for nine players, so he does have one more vote.
• Ken Rosenthal had been refusing to vote for any candidate on the first ballot as his protest against PED use, but Greg Maddux's candidacy has changed his mind.
• Joe Posnanski gets at the heart of this controversy and says that the Hall of Fame is going to have to decide one way or the other whether PED users are eligible for induction. They can't leave it to the BBWAA to decide the matter because they never will. He compares the controversy to the controversy over the induction of Negro Leagues players.
• In other news, the bidding for Masahiro Tanaka starts today. Mike Puma of the New York Post examines the Yankees interest and lists their potential competition, which does include the Cubs.
• The Yankees know the risks in signing a Japanese player, recalling the Kei Igawa fiasco.
• A look at Casey Close, who is Tanaka's agent. Close represents Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, among others, so there is some tea-leaves reading that Tanaka's selection of Close gives the Yankees and Dodgers a leg up.
• Richard Justice thinks that Tanaka has the stuff to be an elite pitcher and somewhat ridiculously compares him to Felix Hernandez, although it's not entirely clear what he means by that comparison.
• Former Iowa Cubs pitcher Guillermo Moscoso has signed with the Yokohama Bay Stars.
• Some sad news. Former gold glove center fielder Paul Blair has died. Blair was on World Series winning teams with the Orioles in 1966 and 1970.
• Also, former major league first baseman and longtime Indians broadcaster Mike Hegan has died.
• The Red Sox are thinking about bringing back Stephen Drew.
• Here's a look at some possibilities for the Red Sox lineup for 2014. Seriously. It's a slow news week. Cut me some slack.
• Tyler Kepner takes a look back at the 2013 season and the day Pittsburgh became a baseball town again.
• Rich Dubroff thinks that Orioles fans want the team to sign some free agents for Christmas.
• David Schoenfield wonders if we'll ever see the 2011 version of Justin Verlander again.
• Patrick Saunders thinks new Rockies outfielder Drew Stubbs could be the Rockies leadoff hitter in 2014. And he even seems to be aware that Stubbs' OBP the past two seasons is .305 and .277. To be fair to the Rockies, he does say the Rockies are planning to use him as a fourth outfielder.
• Rob Neyer hears back from Bill Bavasi, who was the Mariners GM in 2006 who traded Shin-Soo Choo for Ben Broussard. Bavasi goes into some detail, but his final sentence sums it all up; "I just blew it." He gets real credit for honesty from me.
• Matthew Kory plays Blue Jays GM for a day.
• Phil Rogers thinks Terry Francona has brought a "winning culture" back to Cleveland.
• This piece in Forbes blasts Cobb County for paying for a new stadium for the Braves.
• Finally, Twins prospect Alex Meyer got a $2 million signing bonus from the Nationals as a first round pick back in 2011. He still has the money, but he's working as a substitute teacher for $63 a day this off-season because he likes it. I've got to tell you, I can't imagine anyone wanting to be a substitute teacher for only $63 a day. I'm surprised this school district in Indiana has any substitute teachers who aren't millionaire ballplayers.