HAPPY HOLIDAYS

**Some people got an early Christmas present, Tony LaRussa for one. In a plea deal, he got his DUI charges reduced to Reckless Driving.  La Russa was sentenced to one day of home detention and fined nearly $1,400, and he is required to complete 20 hours of community service. Let me get this straight. He goes from DUI to DWI - Driving When Incompetent, and as a punishment, they sent him to his room for a day. I sure hope he's learned his lesson.

 **The Toronto Blue Jays have an interesting problem while trying to sign free agents. No, it's not the money that's creating the problem. Free agents want to know if the Blue Jays will be playing in Toronto. It seems Canadian officials haven't given the Blue Jays permission to play regular season games in Toronto yet. Toronto did play a number of regular season games in Buffalo at the end of last season. I don't think Toronto will go along with that again. especially if MLB decides to allow fans to attend the games.

 **Still no signings of the big money free agents. One of the problems facing both the players and the clubs is how long the season will be. If they only play 100 games for example, clubs will be reluctant to sign big contracts because they could go broke. Players don't want to sign reduced contracts, especially long term. Some of the major big money players are considering signing one year deals and wait till the 2022 season when things may open up a bit. Historically, however, no big signings take place during the holiday season, so nothing will be resolved until January.

**MLB has decided to alter the Negro Leagues status to Major league status and incorporate the statistics into the historical record. The Negro Leagues had some phenomenal players, no doubt, but the record keeping is somewhat spotty. Scheduling was so irregular, it was difficult to determine which games were official and which ones were exhibitions. There were many leagues and players often played for different clubs in different leagues in the same season. There is no way to determine level of quality since statistics and even players names were lost. I don't think this will ever be resolved and that is a shame since players like Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige definitely belong in the same conversation as baseball's best white players. I still maintain that people should make every effort to visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. Only then will you understand the heritage of the Negro Leagues and their players. 

**The Yankees have non-tendered two relievers who have been very effective in the past. Jonathan Holder has signed with the Cubs and Tommy Kahnle with the Dodgers. Most analysts believe that with the Yanks starting pitching so iffy, they'll need a strong bullpen. This isn't how you go about it. 

**This is very nice. People say bad things about the Yanks and complain because they have (and spend) so much money. This past season, they lost money, just like all the other clubs. Instead of whining about it, this is what they did:

The Yanks announced their economic support of local businesses.  Gave out 10 $5000 awards to local businesses, to be paired with a Community-Based Org. to provide food and services to the community. They donated 68,000 lbs of food for children in need. Also donated $200,000 worth of food vouchers for families preparing holiday meals. All for the area surrounding the Stadium. The Yanks also donated toys to children directly in the area, since their annual Winter Wonderland extravaganza where free food and toys were distributed to local families had to be cancelled due to the COVID. 

That's impressive.

***THEY SAID IT***

" The Consumer Price Index claims the 12 Days of Christmas today would cost $170,298. That's about $62,000 less than the Angels pay Mike Trout — per game."  -- RJ Currie

"The Washington Football Team QB Dwayne Haskins has apologized for a picture posted to social media, taken of him Sunday night, in a strip club, without a mask. You can take the stupid embarrassing name off the team, but apparently you can’t take the stupid embarrassing behavior off the team."  -- Janice Hough

"Buffalo clobbered Denver 48-19 in Mile High City. The Broncos all-orange Color Rush uniforms got trampled into Orange Crushed."  -- RJ Currie

"After the N.O. Saints 31-3 win over the hometown Denver Broncos, "I really felt bad for the cardboard fans.""  -- Saints Coach Sean Peyton 

"Big Ten officials just announced that Northwestern players must play the second half with one arm tied behind their backs. Anything to help Ohio State."  -- Brad Dickson

"What's it like watching your team lose 43-6 to the Falcons? When you go to the dentist and have to have your teeth pulled out. Pretty much like that." -- Raiders coach Jon Gruden

"After the Yankees signed Gerrit Cole for $324 million, they also announced that beer at the stadium will now cost $734."  -- Blogger Eric Stangel

"Nothing is certain but death, taxes, and the Falcons blowing big leads against Tom Brady."  -- Janice Hough

"Marco Wilson, the Florida DB who picked up an LSU player’s shoe and hurled it downfield to keep the Tigers’ winning drive alive. Who would’ve guessed that blaming a defeat on somebody throwing a shoe would involve a football game and not a horse race?"  -- Dwight Perry

"I want to be watching college basketball on a night when the fan cutouts storm the court."  -- Bob Molinaro

"So, last season Browns DE Myles Garrett, already fined for dirty play, ripped off the helmet of Steelers QB Mason Rudolph then clubbed him with it. This season Garrett is the Browns’ nominee for the Walter Payton Award for superior character, on and off the field. Wonder who finished second."  -- Phil Mushnick

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY FRIENDS

Chad Picasner