Winter Meetings

Further proof that baseball is a liturgical sport: Winter Meetings. They are the point when baseball fans everywhere stop analyzing, rejoicing in, or bemoaning last year, and start looking at the hope of the next season. New players are signed and hope springs anew and we start counting down the days until Spring Training, which is where players subject their bodies to the needed training and discipline in wait for the season to begin in April (around the time of Easter!).

Anyway....The Dodgers have made me happy. Nothing fabulous or mind blowing, but important all the same. We've signed a back up infielder - Mark Loretta - a good, steady guy who can play all positions and who did us enough damage as a Padre a couple of years ago. I've always liked him, and he's been great on my fantasy team.

But I am so happy we managed to sign Casey Blake to a 3 year contract. He is just wonderful. He is so clutch and he's a good support to the rest of the team. We managed to get him from the Indians last year (and I was roundly congratulated in that) and he is just great.

I don't know if we will re-sign Manny. I don't want him on his terms, or for more than a couple of years at a time, and we need pitching. But all in all, I'm looking to next year, and with our young'ns, I'm starting to get just a bit eager.