What a week. That’s all I have to say on that topic.

10 Songs I’d Like to Play Live (Whether I Can or Not)

• Bob Marley: Redemption Song
• Incubus: Mexico
• Dave Brubeck Quintet: Take Five
• Police: I Can’t Stand Losing
• Rush: Earthshine
• Sarah Vaughan: Key Largo (I would gladly learn the bass for this one)
• Cheap Trick: I Want You to Want Me
• Was (Not Was): Knocked Down, Made Small
• They Might Be Giants: Ana Ng
• Jane’s Addiction: Just Because

Ask me tomorrow, it’ll probably be 10 different songs.

Who Went Where?

Never mind the Pirates’ Aramis Ramirez giveaway (did he really have less trade value than Mark Bellhorn?), what’s going on in Padre land? Well, Jesse Orosco agreed to be traded to the Yankees for a PTBNL or cash. I love this move for everyone involved. The Padres no longer have to waste a spot on a 46-year-old situational lefty; Orosco, who by all accounts has been a great guy in the clubhouse, gets another shot at a ring; and the Yankees don’t get Scott Sauerbeck but instead have to settle for Old Man River.

With Orosco gone, the prematurely healthy Phil Nevin returned to the lineup Wednesday afternoon and collected his first hit of the season. Nevin started in right field, and following the game, Xavier Nady was optioned to Portland to make room for the newly acquired Joe Roa, who was picked up off waivers from Colorado. Got it?

Meantime, according to various sources, the Pads are looking to land a top-tier outfielder. Among those rumored coming to SoCal are Pittsburgh’s Brian Giles, Cleveland’s Milton Bradley, and St. Louis’ J.D. Drew. The Cardinals, thanks in part to Mark Kotsay’s liner off the right hand of Matt Morris, are desperate for starting pitching. Kevin Towers would love to unload Kevin Jarvis and his contract. Jarvis has actually pitched well enough since returning from the DL to have trade value, so who knows.

Oh, and Charles Nagy (remember him?) was named special assistant to the GM in Cleveland. Actually, with the Indians, that may entail his working a few innings in relief.

Mailbag

Haven’t done one of these in a while. Today’s message comes from Howard Lynch, who has some thoughts on the recently concluded and much maligned All-Star game:

I STRONGLY disagree with this statement: "I understand that a player from the fifth worst team in all of baseball ultimately decided home-field advantage for the World Series." When Hank Blalock hit that HR, he was representing the American League … that league won / earned home-field advantage. I think deciding World Series home-field advantage this way is a good idea … you (and MANY others) seems stuck on insisting it’s not a good idea because of its (perceived?) source = Bud Selig. Hey, I’m not a Bud Selig fan … how can ANYONE be … his handling of labor relations, his handling of the All-Star game last year (letting it be tied, not awarding an MVP, …), his overall whiny attitude … his image is bad for baseball … BUT … if it’s a good idea, then it’s a good idea. Anything that keeps Barry Bonds in the game longer is GOOD. Maybe next year he’ll take 4 ABs

First off, as always, thanks for writing. It gets lonely here sometimes, and nobody wants me going Jack Torrance on the world.

To the topic at hand. First let me make it clear that I don’t think that having the All-Star game determine home field advantage for the World Series is a bad idea because Bud Selig came up with it and by definition he cannot have any good ideas. Comforting as it sometimes may be to think this way, and as much as I hate defending the guy, it ain’t true.

When Selig does something good for the game, he deserves credit for it. For example, Selig’s handling of the Pete Rose situation has been surprisingly good to this point. He’s shown a lot more spine than I thought possible. It may not last, but it’s nice that he’s held the line this long.

Okay, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, it’s time to let ‘er rip. The main problems I have with the New and Meaningful All-Star Game are as follows:

1. A game that isn’t important enough to merit a change in the regular-season standings shouldn’t be deemed important enough to be a potentially determining factor in the championship series.
2. A player representing a team that won’t make the playoffs shouldn’t have such a strong impact on a factor as important as home field advantage when it matters most.
3. A team that compiles a superior record in the regular season shouldn’t be punished due to the outcome of an exhibition game.

What I’m trying to say, Howard, is that we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one. I understand why Selig did it. He is pretty sure there is something very wrong with Major League Baseball, but he has no idea what that something might be. So he decides to try to fix what probably was his biggest faux pas of 2002 by assigning the game some artificial meaning. Now, when folks complain because the institution he’s been entrusted with still ain’t right, he can at least say, like the guy who attempts to fix his backed-up toilet with increasing doses of air freshener, that he’s trying to do something about it.

The idea isn’t bad because it’s Bud Selig’s. But this particular idea of Selig’s is really bad. And I hope it doesn’t last.

Thanks again for writing. It’d be pretty boring if we all thought the same way.

Obligatory Shameless Plug

The band is playing tonight and tomorrow night at Janie’s in Chula Vista. We always have a blast down there. Stop by if you’re in the area. I’ll be stage right, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and Storm baseball cap.

Otherwise, we’ll catch you some other time. Keep the faith!