New Year's Observations

The Gary Cohen move to the TV booth may be a great thing. I've thought him the best announcer, on TV or radio, but had no idea until recently how many people feel the same way. The upgrade from the Seaver-Healy team will be considerable, but I almost feel like Cohen will be wasted on television. His uncanny ability to communicate the action of the game will really not be called for in his new job. But maybe we'll only regret the move wasn't made sooner.

I wouldn't mind seeing the Mets make a deal for Miguel Tejada, provided they don't sell the farm. But man, Tejada needs to shut his pie hole. You signed a long-term deal for huge money with a team with no recent track record of success. This is the business you've chosen.

I don't hate Toronto's offseason. The BP heads were generally outraged by the money and years of the Burnett and Ryan signings, and Glaus is rightly considered an unsure thing. As I mentioned earlier, I am a BJ Ryan fan. Will he be fairly old (35) at the end of that deal? Sure, but I think will be $9M/yr-type dominant for the bulk of it. He hasn't been this good for very long, but you don't do what he's been doing by accident. We're not talking about Danny Kolb here.

Dayn Perry wrote a dissenting opinion, which I mostly agree with, in which he argues that the Blue Jays are now legitimate contenders for the division title. The one point of his that no longer holds is the synergy of the high GB:FB Burnett with the awesome defense of Orlando Hudson (as the latter was dealt for Glaus), but they should be good regardless.

I would trade Lastings Millege before Aaron Heilman, and I wouldn't trade either for Danys Baez.

It could be mostly the ones I know, but it seems like Red Sox fans are getting way too bent out of shape out of Johnny Damon's departure. Maybe it was just about the money. Maybe not. In either case, pull yourselves together.

Kevin Millwood's new contract with the Rangers makes Benson's look fiscally responsible.

If the Mets make even a modest upgrade at 2nd base (having come to grips with the awfulness of Kaz Matsui), they really should be the betting favorite for the division. Florida will be terrible. Washington should be terrible. Atlanta doesn't appear any better, but I haven't really looked into them yet. Maybe I should hold off on the predictions, come to think of it...

I'm not putting money on the Rose Bowl, but if I were, it would not be on Texas.