Welcome to the Neighborhood, Cliff!

While former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer is still having a hard time selling his house in Seattle...the team's newest lefty is in acquisition mode.

Cliff Lee and his wife Kristen just dropped what had to have been a sizable chunk of coin on a crib at 1706 Rittenhouse, Philly's new 31-story highrise.

Here's what the 2008 American League Cy Young Award winner is getting for his money...according to CenterCityRealEstate.com:

The gem of Rittenhouse Square with 29 full floor units; virtually column free space, floor to ceiling windows open to expansive views, 10 to 20 ft. ceilings, two terraces for each unit and the top of the line finishes make this the most desirable address in Philadelphia. Each unit has over 4100 square feet of customizable space. Common amenities include state of the art fitness center with sauna, massage rooms, endless pool, private boardroom and garden.  Included in each unit price is an on-site parking space in the fully automated, state of the art, underground garage.

And here I sit...unable to find one person willing to even pretend to want to buy my home.  Harrumph.

Is Texas Looking to Add Jim Thome?

Let's say you're the Texas Rangers and (A) you've lost the World Series and (B) you've lost the pitcher that helped get you there...what do you do?

Simple.

You re-load.

First, you bring in Brandon Webb, the 2006 National League Cy Young award winner.

Next comes a thirdbaseman in the form of Adrian Beltre who is coming off his eighth season of 20 or more home runs in the last eleven years.

And lastly...you add future Hall of Fame slugger Jim Thome.

It's true. Thome, who turns 41 in August...might just be the one to provide Texas with the left-handed power they're looking for according to The Dallas Morning News.

According to two baseball sources, the team has interest in free-agent designated hitter Jim Thome.  The left-handed hitting Thome, who enjoyed a big year for Minnesota last season, would split the DH chores with Michael Young.  Young would be a part-time DH and fill in at all four infield positions.

Last season, Thome hit .283 with 25 home runs and 59 RBI in 340 plate appearances for the Minnesota Twins.  His career total of 589 home runs ranks him eighth all-time.

If/when he finds work for 2011...he'll be looking to become the fifth player to surpass the 600 home run mark in the last ten years.

Moyer Monday: January 10

Once again, in conjunction with the great Moyer Foundation...The Hall is pleased to present this month's "Moyer Monday".

Question:  What player(s) do you recall as being a challenge to retire? Are there hitters you are most proud of having gotten out?

Moyer:  The players that have good comprehension of the strike zone are always the toughest hitters to get out. Any Major League hitter I am proud to have gotten out!

Question:  I’ve heard that one of your hobbies is collecting wine. What is your favorite kind of wine and/or winery?

Moyer:  My favorite type of wines are bordeaux, super tuscans, piedmonts, barolos, cabernet and merlot.

Question:  When you were younger, did you ever consider playing a different position in baseball? If so, what position other than pitcher do you think would best suit you?

Moyer:  Being left-handed limits the positions you can play so pitcher has become my favorite.

Question:  Do you have any New Year’s Resolutions? What are you most looking forward to in 2011?

Moyer:  Getting through another rehab while enjoying my family. Also becoming more involved with The Moyer Foundation.

Question:  What do you think of the most recent Baseball Hall of Fame inductees?

Moyer:  I think all of this year's inductees are worthy of the honor including Pat Gillick. They have all greatly contributed to the game of baseball.

Remember, you can follow The Moyer Foundation on Twitter at @moyerfoundation. To learn more about the foundation or make a donation to support one of their programs, please visit them online at The Moyer Foundation.

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!

Get Well, Harmon

When Minnesota Twins legend, Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew announced publicly a little over a week ago that he is undergoing treatment for esophageal cancer...the collective heart of fans everywhere broke.

The baseball community had just lost Bob Feller a few weeks prior and now, another one of its favorite sons is facing what he called "perhaps the most difficult battle of my life".

While status updates on Killebrew's condition haven't been made public, fans can send their well wishes to the 74 year-old electronically via the Get Well, Harmon Blog.

If you'd like to drop him a card or letter...feel free to send it here:

Harmon Killebrew
c/o Minnesota Twins
1 Twins Way
Minneapolis, MN 55403

Killebrew played all but one of his 22 seasons in the bigs within the Twins organization.  For his career, the 1969 American League MVP hit .256 with 2086 hits and 1584 RBI.  His 573 ranks him 11th all-time...he was fifth (behind only Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Frank Robinson) when he retired in 1975.

He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984 with 83% of the vote
 
 

Now Batting...Michael Vick?

Sometimes...it's fun to play "what might have been"?

On this, the opening weekend of the NFL Playoffs, we're reminded that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick once had a chance at becoming another one in a long line of two-sport stars...joining the likes of Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders or even Brian Jordan.

You see, following his spectacular freshman season at Virginia Tech (you know, the one where he led his Hokies to the BCS National Championship Game), the Colorado Rockies made him the 887th overall pick in the 2000 MLB draft.

''The way he ran around the field we figure he could track down some balls in the outfield at Coors Field,'' Rockies scouting director Bill Schmidt following the draft. ''It really wasn't a big risk taking him at that point.''

Here's the kicker...dude hadn't played baseball since he was a 13-year-old eighth grader.

''I didn't believe them when they told me,'' said Vick in a 2000 interview with USA Today.  ''I didn't think anyone would be interested in me for baseball.''

Since we know now that Vick was destined to become, well, Michael Vick and not, say, Juan Pierre...it's interesting to look at some other notable current NFLers that turned their back on baseball.

Famously, Miami Dolphins runningback Ricky Williams spent four years as a professional baseball player in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, compiling a .211 batting average in 613 Minor League plate appearances.  A shortstop in high school, he became an outfielder in the pro ranks.  His current teammate Ronnie Brown also has a baseball past...having been selected by the Seattle Mariners out of high school.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers Hines Ward and Antwan Randle El were drafted in 1994 by the Florida Marlins and 1997 by the Chicago Cubs respectively.  Another Steeler, Mewelde Moore was picked in the fourth round of the 2000 draft by the San Diego Padres.

And yet another Steeler, backup quarterback Dennis Dixon was also a highly recruited baseball player and found himself initially drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 2003. 

Washington Redskins wide receiver Roydell Williams was selected by the Reds in the fifth round of the 2000 draft.  A year later, Cincinnati Benglas runningback Cedric Benson found himself snatched up by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Kerry Collins saw himself get drafted three separate times.  He was first drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 1990 and was one of three straight future NFL players (Greg McMurtry and Rodney Peete were the others) they picked.  The next year, Detroit tried again taking him in the 60th round.  Lastly, he found himself again selected in the 1994 draft...this time by the Toronto Blue Jays.

And lastly, yeah, even that shaggy-haired quarterback in New England has a baseball past.  Then a high school catcher in San Mateo, California, Tom Brady was taken in the 18th round of the 1995 MLB Draft by the Montreal Expos.

Yankees Contact Andruw Jones

In an effort to put together the Majors' best 2005 fantasy team...the New York Yankees have, according to Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman, contacted outfielder Andruw Jones.

Last season with the Chicago White Sox, the ten-time Gold Glove Award winner batted .230 with 19 home runs in 328 plate appearances. 

For his career, Jones is a respectable .256 hitter with 407 home runs and 1222...but dude is a long, long way away from the guy who finished second in MVP voting in 2005.

Earlier in the off season, you'll remember, the Yankees snatched up pitcher Mark Prior after they were left at the alter by Cliff Lee.  Prior, who last pitched in the bigs in 2006, was awesome back in 2003.

Similarly, last week it came out that the Bombers were also considering 2005 Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon.

Yes...THAT Bartolo Colon.

I'm not sure what the Yankees are trying to do here.

Sure, the Boston Red Sox broke open the piggy bank to bolster their lineup...but the Tampa Bay Rays have all but given up.

Yankees, if you don't screw it up, you've got a playoff spot already sewn up...and pitchers and catchers don't report for another five weeks.  Why, oh, why, are you trying to go all Al Davis and bring in the heroes of yesteryear?

That said, if Gary Sheffield is looking still looking for a gig...New York could probably talk him out of that "99.9%" retired talk.  And if that doesn't work...I've heard somewhere that Jose Canseco thinks he can still swing a bat.

Gary Sheffield "99.9%" Sure He's Done

Close to a quarter century ago, slugger Gary Sheffield was getting ready for his first spring training.

Flash forward a couple years to September 9, 1988...Sheffield takes Seattle left Mark Langston deep for his first Major League hit.

Now, 508 home runs later...he's ready to call it quits.  This according to tampabay.com:

Sheffield told ESPN 1040 in Tampa this afternoon that he's "99.9-percent" sure he's going to retire. Sheffield, who last played in 2009 with the Mets, wanted to play with his hometown Rays, and had dinner with manager Joe Maddon last month. Maddon had said the meeting was just to get to know him, and there was no expression of interest, but Sheffield said on ESPN 1040 that he felt a "little disrespected" he didn't get a call back.

Sheffield has a pretty solid, Hall of Fame-worthy resume to his credit...including a career batting average of .292, 2689 hits, 509 home runs and 1676 RBI. 

He was the first player to hit at least 25 home runs for six different teams and along with Fred McGriff...one of two players to have 30 or more home runs in one season for five different teams.

The journeyman has not swung a bat in the bigs since September 2009.