Benjamin Grimm

Well, he wouldn't be the first gay guy to have married a woman and had kids.

themetfairy wrote: I'm pretty sure that Beauty and the Beast was the last animated film to be nominated for Best Picture (and it should have won - IMO it was better than Unforgiven), but that was the last year before the Best Animated Film category was created. I think that Up and Toy Story 3 were nominated.

Amour is from Austria? And they made it in French? I saw The Impossible last week, and judging from the credits, it had every appearance of being a Spanish-made film, but it was entirely in English. Is this a new trend? Also, I'm wondering, if Amour can crossover and be nominated in two categories, has a documentary ever been nominated as best picture? Or an animated film since that category was created?

Five Crane bucks on Ceetar.

I voted for Piazza here, but I'd be quite happy if Travis d'Arnaud merely turned out to be Ted Simmons.

I'd say that Clemens, for example, was defiant when caught, and started suing people and acting like an asshole. If he had been contrite from the beginning, and apologized, then this would have been a much quieter story, and it would have faded quicker. Instead, he brought a great deal of negative attention to the sport and was part of a big ugly mess. Personally, I don't mind at all when baseball gets a black eye. Since 1994, I get a perverse enjoyment out of it. But as I've said before, it's not the "Hall of Great Statistics", it's the "Hall of Fame" and there is a morality clause. Sure, they're part of the permanent record and I would be against having Bonds' home runs, for example, erased. And Barry's bat and uniform and stuff should definitely be displayed in the museum. But don't give him a plaque.

So, what time is the big announcement today?

Gwreck wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: I agree too. Except that I want McGwire, Bonds, and Clemens to never get in. Anyone who has disgraced the game the way that they have should not be enshrined in a Hall of Fame. What's your position on Gaylord Perry? Even if he hadn't thrown a spitball (and he surely did) I don't know that his numbers would merit election. (As I've said before, my view is that the Hall should be very exclusive.) But I suppose my issue with Clemens and Bonds and McGwire is the disgrace they brought to the game, more than the cheating. These guys gave the game a huge black eye, and that should disqualify them. Their achievements can (and should) be recognized in Cooperstown's museum, but they should not get a plaque in the Hall.

I wouldn't wear it. I'd just go capless for the post-game interviews.

I agree too. Except that I want McGwire, Bonds, and Clemens to never get in. Anyone who has disgraced the game the way that they have should not be enshrined in a Hall of Fame.

I can only assume that this means that the Yankees are planning to fold after the 2013 season.

HahnSolo wrote: So, Heyman doesn't believe in "magic" numbers, OK. Clearly true, since: Morris's credentials - most wins in the 80s! IN!! Biggio's crednetials - most doubles by a righthanded better EVER! NOT IN!! Well, to be fair, by magic numbers I think he means "round" numbers. Like 500 homers or 3000 hits. And I tend to agree that those should not make anyone an automatic.

Wallace Matthews, ESPN wrote: It appears that the bidding for free-agent outfielder Scott Hairston mainly involves two teams: The Yankees and the Mets. According to Casey Close, Hairston's agent, talks are continuing with both teams and Hairston expects to make a decision about where he will play in 2013 in "a matter of days." A Met for the past two seasons, Hairston had the best year of his career in 2012, batting .263 with 20 home runs and 57 RBI. He played 131 games in the outfield for the Mets, most of them in left-field. "I think he's a good fit for either team," Close said. "But there are different roles at each place and Scott is deciding which is the best option for him." It is expected that if Hairston returns to the Mets, he will play every day, while with the Yankees he will start out as a backup to left-fielder Brett Gardner and rightfielder Ichiro Suzuki. And he is reportedly seeking a multi-year deal, which could be a hang-up for the Yankees, who have shied away from multi-year deals this off-season due to the $189 million payroll limit for 2014 imposed by owner Hal Steinbrenner.

Well, that sure stimulated the old gag reflex!

New York Post wrote: The Mets are still the lone team that hasn�t signed a major-league free agent. But they continue to collect bargain-basement reserves on minor league contracts. On Thursday, the Mets brought back Omar Quintanilla, who had a semi successful run with the team in the first half of last season, according to ESPN.com. Quintanilla, 31, hit .243 with four home runs and 16 RBIs in 169 major-league at bats for the Mets and the Orioles in 2012. The Amazin�s sent him to Baltimore in July for cash to make room for Jason Bay when he came off the disabled list. Quintanilla will likely compete against Brandon Hicks, who the Mets acquired from the Athletics for cash in November, for a spot as a backup middle infielder

I suppose that's a nice thing.

Yeah, as tired as I am of the Wilpons, they're going to hang in there as tenaciously as they can. Better that they have money to spend on the Mets. The alternative is to watch them stubbornly hang on to a dying franchise.

As someone who thinks there are too many people in the Hall of Fame, I don't have a problem with a year in which nobody gets elected. I have a partisan interest in Piazza, so I hope it doesn't happen this year, but in general, the fewer the better. There was a year not so long ago, I think, where the only inductees were from the Veterans Committee. Does anyone remember if that's so and if true, what year that was? Oh, and since Harold Baines came very close to 3,000 hits, I'd have to say that that total should not make anyone automatic for the Hall. 3,000 hits and 500 homers are not what they once were.

What does Nate Silver have to say about this?

I think the plan is to go with Buck and Recker to start the season. It will get Travis some more time in AAA (his season last year was cut short by injury). Also, and perhaps more importantly, it will delay his eligibility for free agency by a year. If he goes north in April, he can become a free agent after the 2018 season, but if they keep him in the minors for a while, the Mets control him through 2019. They'll probably do the same with Wheeler. It's what they did with Ike Davis as well.

The Second Spitter wrote: there's a 99.95% chance he'll make the 25 man roster I'm not so sure of that. I expect he'll play for the Mets before too much of 2013 has elapsed, but I doubt that he'll go north with the Mets when they break spring training. My guess is that we'll see d'Arnaud in June some time.

And look at the Mets half of the scorecard; there were four cases where there was a missed third strike and the catcher had to throw the ball to first. That seems unusually high.

Wow; I've only seen Avengers, Dark Knight, and Brave. There are a bunch that I do intend to see once they get to cable.

If he can put up numbers in the majors similar to those he's put up in the minors (far from certain, I know) then he could turn out to be a good find. More likely he'll just be another guy in the mix, but it can't hurt to give him a shot.

This scorecard and 161 others from the 2012 season.