Dropping Links: February 7

So how did you spend your SuperBowl Sunday?  Me...I avoided the computer, only to emerge from a Twitter and Facebook-less evening to discover Ozzie Guillen spent his night eating JELL-O.

Tony Arnoldine spent his night checking out what you should have been reading.

Andy Pettitte's Hall of Fame candidacy is up for debate, but Big League Stew's Alex Remington thinks Mike Mussina should get in well before the recently retired lefty.

Via Baseball Musings, the Chicago Tribune's Phil Rogers suggests the Yankees could be a suitor for John Danks to help fill the void created by Pettitte's retirement.

The Red Sox inked Dennys Reyes to a Minor League contract this weekend.

PastaPadre has an explanation of the Dynamic Ratings Feature in MLB 2K11.

The Mets still have interest in Kevin Millwood. The veteran is coming off a pretty poor season, but a switch to the National League could help him rebound.

Do you have a story you'd like to point out to Tony?  Drop him a line over at tdine05@yahoo.com. Also, be sure to follow him on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook to get your daily fix!

Dropping Links: January 31

If you're like me...you spent a lot of time in front of the TV this weekend.  No, not watching one of the many All-Star Games (NFL, NHL, Lakers vs. Celtics)...discovering that nearly the entire run of "Quantum Leap" is available via Netflix Instant.

Thankfully...Tony Arnoldine is around to let us know what we missed.

The highlight of the week that was in the world of baseball was clearly Brian Wilson's appearance on George Lopez Tonight. The eccentric San Francisco Giants closer was more like a comedian than a pitcher during the bit. Check it out on YouTube.

ESPN announced its Monday and Wednesday night baseball announce teams this week. Sean McDonough, Aaron Boone and Rick Sutcliffe will call the Monday offering, while Dave O'Brien and Nomar Garciaparra will handle the Wednesday affair.

The Mets' Citi Field will reportedly host the 2013 All-Star game, according to sources.

The Orioles signed Justin Duchscherer and continue to be interested in Vladimir Guerrero. The O's are quietly putting together a nice offseason.

Steve Garvey is interested in buying the Dodgers.

Do you have a story or website you'd like to point out to Tony?  Drop him a line over at tdine05@yahoo.com. Also, be sure to follow him on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook to get your daily fix!

Dropping Links: January 17

After watching four teams advance to their respective conference finals in the NFL and Ricky Gervais hosting the Golden Globes (can he just host ALL awards shows, please?)...it finally occurred to me.  We are officially well into the new year.

So what else is going on in this, the third week of 2011?  Tony Arnoldine is dropping links!

Albert Pujols is giving the Cardinals an ultimatum. But the birds can't really let him get away can they?

The A's are close to signing Brian Fuentes, according to sources.

Baseball Analysts compare Bobby Jenks and Kyle Farnsworth, two relievers who have new homes. Farnsworth's agent somehow persuaded the Rays to give him $3.5 million for one year.

The Rangers and Angels are among the lead suitors for Manny Ramirez now that Jim Thome is off the market. I keep scratching my head seeing the Rangers tied to all these DH types, when they just pushed Michael Young to that spot.

When you're the Mets, potentially signing Willie Harris to a minor league deal is big happenings.

With Rafael Soriano in the fold, the Yankees might consider trading Joba Chamberlain for a starter, according to Jon Heyman.

And since I mentioned it off the top...here's the video of Gervais' opening monologue from Sunday's Golden Globes.  There's not a mention of baseball, but enjoy nonetheless!



Do you have a story you'd like to point out to Tony?  Drop him a line over at tdine05@yahoo.com. Also, be sure to follow him on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook to get your daily fix!

Dropping Links: January 10

The news of the past week, obviously, was the election of Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Thank God, as Tony Arnoldine points out, that wasn't the only news of the week.

Let's drop some links!


The Chicago Sun-Times welcomed Matt Garza to the Cubs by putting a picture of Joaquin Benoit next to its headline about the acquisition. Oops.

Operation Sports has some impressions of MLB 11: The Show from CES.

Edgar Renteria is officially a Cincinnati Red, after signing a one-year, $3 million deal with the team. He'll be the club's full time shortstop, if he can stay healthy.

Keith Olbermann wanted the Yankees to let Derek Jeter walk, move A-Rod back to shortstop and sign Adrian Beltre to play third.

Dave Allen goes all "line chart" on the baseball Hall of Fame votes from this year, matched up with past votes.

Do you have a story you'd like to point out to Tony?  Drop him a line over at tdine05@yahoo.com. Also, be sure to follow him on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook to get your daily fix!

Dropping Links: January 3

To kick off 2011...Tony Arnoldine has a quick re-cap of what went on this weekend and what you should've been reading instead of trying to figure out how/why they're keeping Dick Clark alive.

Seriously...did you see the guy Friday night?  Yikes.


Orioles reliever Alfredo Simon is the prime suspect in the murder of one man and the shooting of another in the Dominican Republic. Simon was one of many men who held the role of closer for Baltimore during 2010.

On a more positive note, the Orioles continued to add to their roster, agreeing to terms with Derrek Lee this week. It's a one-year deal, rumored to be full of incentives, and somewhere in the neighborhood of $8-10 million when it's all said and done. Lee struggled last year but is a strong defender and the O's hope he can bounce back. He was a better and more logical option than Adam LaRoche, whom Baltimore was also pursuing, since LaRoche wanted a three-year deal.

Julian Levine of Splashing Pumpkins shares some thoughts on the Hall of Fame.

Athletics Nation prepares us for what will be a bumpy ride through January.

Anheuser-Busch and Major League Baseball settled their potential lawsuit dispute and announced a multi-year agreement this week. AB will continue to be the official overpriced beer of baseball stadiums everywhere!

While many agree that the Angels are the most logical landing spot for free agent Adrian Beltre, the Rangers apparently remain very much in the mix for the third baseman.

Believe it or not, Mets tickets are still in demand.

Do you have a story you'd like to point out to Tony?  Drop him a line over at tdine05@yahoo.com. Also, be sure to follow him on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook to get your daily fix!

Dropping Links: December 20

I'm pretty sure the last time the Milwaukee Brewers were making headlines...Pittsburgh's Randall Simon had taken a bat to one of the sausages that race around Miller Park.  That said...Tony Arnoldine has a couple more pieces on Zack Greinke.

The folks at Brew Crew Ball weigh in on the Zack Greinke trade, surmising (like most others) that the Brewers didn't have to give up too much to get the former Cy Young winner.

With Greinke off the market, the LoHud Yankees Blog looks at five other pitchers whom the Yankees could pursue.

The Red Sox continued stockpiling arms, adding Dan Wheeler to their stable of relievers this weekend.

Brendan Bowers has an interesting piece at Waiting For Next Year about the time he met the late Bob Feller.

The Rockies signed 1B Mike Jacobs to a minor league contract, giving the team depth and some insurance for Todd Helton.

Carlos Pena is the latest athlete to thank fans of his former team, taking out an ad to run in Monday's St. Petersburg Times.

Do you have a story you'd like to point out to Tony?  Drop him a line over at tdine05@yahoo.com. Also, be sure to follow him on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook to get your daily fix!

Dropping Links: December 13

So...the Winter Meetings have come and gone and a few big money contracts were hammered out.  Tony Arnoldine has a re-cap of what you should've read.


Maury Brown compares the deals that Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth got and how it will affect their new teams.

Brew Crew Ball revisits that age old "Should baseball have a salary cap" debate.

Subway Squawkers give us five reasons Cliff Lee will not be a Yankee.

The Dodgers have added Tony Gwynn, Jr. and Sons of Steve Garvey are hoping he's this year's Cody Ross.

As has been rumored for a few weeks now, the A's might finally be ready to sign Hideki Matsui.

Do you have a story you'd like to point out to Tony?  Drop him a line over at tdine05@yahoo.com. Also, be sure to follow him on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook to get your daily fix!

Dropping Links: December 6

A lot of money changed hands over the weekend and a few hot stoves were cooled...but what other deals might be on the horizon?  Tony Arnoldine has a re-cap of the weekend's biggest news. 


The Adrian Gonzalez-to-Boston trade will happen after all. Jon Heyman reported late Sunday night that the Sawx and Padres agreed to a new deal after Boston couldn't work out an extension with Gonzalez before Sunday's 2pm deadline. There isn't official word on whether or not an extension has been agreed to this time around but Heyman says it's likely one will be announced soon.

Jayson Werth signed a seven-year, $126 million deal with the Washington Nationals. Yes, the Washington Nationals. It will be hard for Werth to convince anyone this move wasn't purely about the money, but there is a lot of potential on Washington's roster. Fellow league GM's are reportedly upset with the structure of Werth's deal and what it could mean for other signings.

The rumblings of a Mark Reynolds trade have been popular this offseason, but they seem to be increasing lately. The latest rumor has Reynolds going to the Orioles.

Bleed Cubbie Blue wonders if Adam LaRoche might be a good fit in Chicago.

With Adrian Beltre and Lance Berkman out of the picture, the A's are interested in Hideki Matsui, who wouldn't be opposed to playing in Oakland.

After sluggish sales performance the last few years, 2K Sports looks to be ready to abandon the MLB license. Their exclusivity deal for Xbox 360 runs out soon and the license will be opened up to more production teams.

Do you have a story you'd like to point out to Tony?  Drop him a line over at tdine05@yahoo.com. Also, be sure to follow him on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook to get your daily fix!

Dropping Links: November 29

It was a long holiday weekend, so as you emerge from a tryptophan coma and head back to whatever it is you do between Sunday and Saturday...here's Tony Arnoldine with some stuff you might have missed:


According to Bill Madden, Derek Jeter and the Yankees remain about $80 million apart in their current salary negotiations.  Jeter's agent, Casey Close, has since denied any truth to that report but it is certainly interesting offseason drama. It's hard to picture Jeter in any other uniform, but you never know.

Speaking of the Yankees, Javier Vazquez has reportedly agreed to a deal with the Florida Marlins. Vasquez was not very good during his second stint with the Yankees, but a change of scenery could do him good. His numbers in the National League have always been better than in the AL.

Justin Morneau says he'll be ready for spring training.

Several teams are reportedly interested in Miguel Tejada, including the Giants, Padres and Cardinals. Tejada finished the year with San Diego, although the team did not offer him arbitration.

Michael Baron of Mets Blog wonders if the Amazin's will hang on to John Maine. The team has until Thursday to offer him a contract or else he'll become a free agent. Maine is recovering from surgery.

The Los Angeles Times' Dodgers Blog has some news on the Dodgers targeting Juan Uribe, with intentions to play him at second base.

Lastly, The Cubs are apparently interested in Carlos Pena. The move would make sense, adding a strong defensive first basemen and slugger to the lineup. But get ready for plenty of strikeouts with Alfonso Soriano and Pena in the same lineup.

Do you have a story you'd like to point out to Tony?  Drop him a line over at tdine05@yahoo.com. Also, be sure to follow him on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook to get your daily fix!

Rest in Peace "Monday Morning Link Dump"...We Hardly Knew You

It might not be the wisest move, just hours after putting up a post about the passing of Leslie Nielsen, to post an "in memoriam" of a weekly feature once found here at The Hall of Very Good.

But it's warranted.

A few months back, an attempt (albeit a feeble one) was made to bring you, the loyal soldiers of The Hall, a weekly link dump that would keep you up to date on what is catching the collective eye of us here at the home office.

Well...it has run its course.

That said...The Hall of Very Good is proud to announce to addition of someone that specializes in scouring the interwebs to find the stories that should be of interest to you and relevent to this site.

Lady and gents...Tony Arnoldine is now calling The Hall home every Monday.

"Every Monday I'll be bringing you links from around the baseball blogosphere for you to peruse as you settle back into your work week, and it's a pleasure to be doing so," Tony told me to tell you via email earlier tonight.

Tony has been a fan of this site for some time, can grow a far better beard than me and has been a fixture on the internet for a while now, having been writing in some capacity for more than ten years. He's got his own site, the appriopriately named tonyblogs.net and you should check that out as well.

Oh, yeah...one last thing.

His weekly feature "Dropping Links" will debut here at The Hall today at 12pm EST (11am CST) and EVERY Monday at 9am EST (8am CST) thereafter.

And lastly, for no reason...here's a picture of him as a kid that I swiped off his Facebook page!

Welcome aboard, Tony!