More later, after I’ve had a chance to recover, but for the moment a few quick notes:

• Two most impressive players I saw this weekend: Florida’s Jeremy Hermida and Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire. Hermida has a real nice left-handed stroke. The homer he hit was to dead center, on the first pitch he saw from southpaw Jeff Housman. Baseball America has more coverage of the AFL championship game. As for Stoudemire, I haven’t seriously followed the NBA in years, but dude had a heckuva nice game against the Lakers Friday night. Guys his size aren’t supposed to be that quick. At any rate, it was fun to see some hoops in person after having been away for so long.
• Hit nine used bookstores in two days, picked up some gems:
  • The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (2nd ed.). Where else can you find out that Coronado fielded a baseball team in 1929, that Jack McKeon led the Omaha Royals to the American Association title in 1969, that Kevin McReynolds and Gerald Davis represented Las Vegas on the 1983 PCL All-Star team, or that Bob Crues once knocked in 254 runs in a single season for the 1948 Amarillo squad in the West Texas-New Mexico League?
  • The Scouting Report: 1990 Includes reports on current Padre broadcasters Mark Grant and Rick Sutcliffe, as well as Oakland GM Billy Beane (“Beane isn’t disciplined at the plate and didn’t draw a single walk in 79 at-bats with the A’s.”)
  • Baseball: The Early Years and Baseball: The Golden Age, both by Dr. Harold Seymour. As I get older, I find myself increasingly interested in the history of our game. I’m looking forward to losing myself in one or both of these books this winter.
  • The Tao of Baseball. I have an interest in Eastern philosophy. Obviously I have an interest in baseball. What could be better?
  • William Zinsser’s On Writing Well and Joseph M. Williams’ Style: Toward Grace and Clarity. Always trying to learn more about writing. The hope is that we will both benefit from these books.
• Padres picked up another unknown reliever, this one from the Mariners. Randy Williams is 29 years old and throws left-handed.

That’s all for now…