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Brethren:

Just a very short second issue of From the Bullpen, primarily to thank Tricko for lining up our Winter Meeting last Friday at the Mid-America Energy luxury suite at the Qwest.  I still feel bad that he told Warren Buffet and Walter Scott that they couldn’t attend the UNO-Alaska hockey match because our Hot Stove League boys would be using their suite, but I am sure that he will find a way to make it up to them.

Anyway, a good time was had by all, except McJester, who stiffed us and has decided to keep the HSL Loving Cup on his mantle for another two-three months.  (None of us believe his BS story about a late mediation on a wintry Friday afternoon.)

Kudos and thanks to Shamu and B.T. for the championship apparel, our new black “hoodies” with the snappy Cubs logo on the front.  A quality garment, to be sure, and one that will be well used by all of us.  In fact, U-Bob already has his hoody employed in his back yard, covering up a half cord of firewood. 

MOCK DRAFT

For what its worth—not much—we provide below the results of our 3-round mock draft done at the Winter Meeting:

AROUND THE OLD HOT STOVE

The subject of this year’s election to the Hall of Fame (Andre Dawson) has been covered thoroughly enough on the Message Board, but there has not been a great deal of commentary about Mark McGwire “coming clean” about his prior steroid use, other than Grandma Hurlbut’s “MERCY” exclamation, which we will make sure he does not soon live down.  Anyway, does anyone have any higher opinion of McGwire now that he has admitted to steroid use?  I get it about him wanting immunity back when he testified before Congress, and essentially taking the 5th when he did not get it, but I don’t really understand why he waited all this time to come out and admit to his steroid use.  Do you think that his puny numbers in the Hall of Fame vote had anything to do with it?  Naahh!

What do the rest of you think about Big Mac’s press conference?  Let’s get that Message Board lit up.

DRAFT DAY

Since nobody has objected, it looks like we are a go for our Draft Day on Saturday, April 3, 2010, at 1:00 p.m. at Pansing Hogan Ernst & Bachman.  If there are going to be any new rule changes for this year, I ask that the Commissioner provide us with them more than ten minutes before the Draft this year.   And, I strongly suggest, we should really make sure that any rule changes are reduced to writing so that we don’t risk having another Nikita Khrushchev moment on the last day of the season. 

THE TRIP

I previously provided you with some potential dates for the Trip to Minnesota this summer.  The only response that I got was an e-mail from Mouse indicating that the first listed weekend would not work for him.  I think he has some sort of white-gloved cotillion affair that weekend that he has already committed to, so we will have to shoot for one of the other three possibilities, as follows: 

July 30-August 1 (Twins v. Mariners)

August 13-15 (Twins v. Athletics)

August 20-22 (Twins v. Angels)

Please let me know no later than the end of this month whether any of you have any irresolvable conflicts on any of these three weekends.  We want to start planning this sacred event, and will need to have a solid head count so that we can decide on how big of a Mobile Sewage Treatment Plant to commission for this junket.

Finally, I am providing herewith by attachment an updated Owners/Managers Roster.  If there are any corrections to be made, please be sure to let me know.

That will do it for this issue.  Time to sack up the bats and head for home.

                                                                   Skipper