The AL West was the best division in baseball last season with an average of 86 wins per team.  The Angels won the division by ten games for their sixth consecutive win. The last time the Angels did not win the division was 2003 when Oakland won 96 games and Anaheim had a losing record.

As we turn our thoughts to the 2010 edition, let's start setting the context. Yup, it's Data Table time.

The Blue Jays have to replace some starter pitcher innings this season. You probably knew that.

This not an official trivia thread, though it may read that way. I stumbled across an odd stat today and am baffled; maybe some younger, clear-headed Bauxite can help me out.

In 1942, Warren Spahn made his first four appearances, including two starts, with the then-Boston Braves. His stats show he had one complete game in those two starts; his win-loss record that season, however, was 0-0. How is this possible? How can a pitcher throw a complete game and not get a decision?

Even if you don't know the answer, feel free to speculate, and to post your own "posers" for the Box community herein.

 

Every once in a while, you see a story that reminds you -- while the Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers certainly would be nice-to-haves, sometimes the face of the franchise finds itself staring into the soulful eyes of a child. From today's Fort Worth Star-Telegram ...

Vernon Wells hits home run with camp for homeless kids

Chicks dig the long ball. That's always been good enough for me.

Here's part two of the update.

William Houston blogs that Rogers are nowhere near bringing a dedicated TV channel to Canadian TV, after acquiring a CRTC license for such a channel 18 months ago.

"By email, Jan Innes, vice-president of communications for Rogers, stated, “There is nothing to report at this time. Our discussions are still ongoing.”
The “discussions” would be tied to Rogers partnering with MLB Network to produce MLB Canada, or purchasing content from MLB Network for Baseball TV."

I hit .300 and led the majors in home runs. My team went to the World Series, and there I was in the Game 1 lineup.

Batting ninth.

Why?

About four years ago, I produced a series in five parts (it was supposed to be six!) under the general  heading of "Chasing The Big Numbers." It examined how a number of active players were faring in pursuit of six fairly Famous Career Milestones.

As Ski mentioned, Tom Cheek is the winner of the online 'Facebook limited' vote for the Ford Frick Award (HOF for broadcasters basically).  This ensures his presence on the ballot for every season that the ballot has been made public.

These last decade retrospective things are all over the place at the moment, and since I never saw a bandwagon I wasn't tempted to jump on, here's my picks for a Jays' team of the last ten years.

These guys.

Whatever it is, it ain't gonna be "Free"!
Okay, let’s see if I have this straight … according to ESPN.com’s not-very-user-friendly MLB Baseball Free Agent Tracker, there are 214 players who are/were free agents this off-season, some via non-tender, many via traditional contractual terms, with the occasional Cuban refugee tossed into the mix. (though they are two of the Top 10 ESPN.com ranks, they are not considered in this exercise.)

If I am counting right, 67 are no longer “on the market” as 55 have signed with a major league club and another dozen have inked minor league deals.

Every year, as Christmas passes, we ask gathered Bauxites to share with everyone here -- taunt us, really -- with what your best baseball-related Christmas/Winter holiday gift was this year.

Whether it be a new Rawlings ball glove, Louisville Slugger, or new set of cleats, season tickets in your favourite section of Rogers Centre, a complete, mint condition 1976 Topps set of 660, a traditional Strat-O-Matic baseball game or the new EA Sports MLB edition -- or whatever -- 'fess UP! What'djaget???

Hey, I got nothing. I'm examining how complicated the schedules of the past made a manager's life.

Seriously.