Well, then, Baseboogle (love the name) just might be for you. From the site:
Baseboogle uses Google’s search engine to sift through a set of custom selected websites that concentrate on studying, analyzing, and advancing our understanding the great game of baseball.
Coolness. [Hat tip to Baseball Musings.]

Ready for the Mitchell Report? Totally psyched? Man, it’s just like the World Series, only with allegations of drug use instead of baseball games. I can’t believe it’s almost here, just in time for [insert winter holiday of choice].
Howard Bryant at ESPN writes a detailed piece outlining the troublesome nature of this investigation (hat tip to Baseball Musings). You really need to read the entire article, but here are a few little nuggets worth mentioning:
The teams’ general managers, too, felt pressured by questions that led them to believe the Mitchell report will judge them harshly for condoning widespread drug use …read more

Fish Stripes reports that Wednesday’s game between the Washington Nationals and Florida Marlins drew 375 people. Both teams are pulling up the rear of the National League East, so low attendance should come as no surprise, but triple digits?
Two aspects of this story fascinate me:

The announced attendance was 10,121, but a photo from the game tells a very different story. Er, forget steroids for a moment; someone is cheating here, and it ain’t the players.
The Marlins are a great case study in the difficulties of promoting a team that has no identity. This is a franchise that came into existence …read more

The Houston Astros have fired (hat tip to Baseball Musings) manager Phil Garner and GM Tim Purpura. Garner is replaced on an interim basis by bench coach Cecil Cooper, while speculation abounds on who will be the new GM.
A reader points out that Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle has mentioned Padres GM Kevin Towers as a possible replacement. Although I have no doubt that Towers would do a world of good in Houston, I’m not sure what the incentive would be for him to leave San Diego and an organization that is on the rise.
Whatever the Astros end up …read more

Hey, finally some good news. The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed 44-year-old left-hander David Wells, who apparently doesn’t know when to say when.
Wells spent most of the season pitching for the San Diego Padres. It’s great to see that he is doing everything he can to help propel his former employer toward the playoffs.
[Tip o' the Knuckle Curve cap to Baseball Musings.]

ESPN reports that the Baltimore Orioles are bringing back Dave Trembley as manager in 2008. Trembley had been a minor-league manager in the organization for the past four years before signing on as bullpen coach for the big club this season.
The Orioles have played well under Trembley, and it’s great to see a “lifer” rewarded for his efforts. There are far sexier names available right now, but none have enjoyed the success that Trembley has since taking over for Sam Perlozzo in mid-June. Congrats to Trembley and best of luck to him in what will continue to be a challenging …read more

FOX Sports reports that the Cubs have signed right-hander Carlos Zambrano to a 5-year, $91.5 million contract extension (tip o’ the Knuckle Curve cap to David at Baseball Musings). On the one hand, $18 million a year is a bit much for a pitcher. On the other, that’s what the Giants are paying Barry Zito.
Of course, there are differences between Zambrano and Zito. The most important are:

Zambrano is three years younger.
Zambrano’s contract is two years shorter.
Zambrano is a much better pitcher. He’s having an off-year, but it’s still better than anything Zito has done since 2003.

I guess the real take-home …read more

Former MLB commissioner Bowie Kuhn died Thursday at age 80. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.
I don’t have a strong recollection of Kuhn’s tenure (I was in high school when he vacated the office), but David Pinto at Baseball Musings shares his opinions on the matter.
One passage from the ESPN article stands out to me:
Kuhn did battle with ornery owners such as Charlie Finley, Ted Turner, George Steinbrenner and Ray Kroc. Finley once went so far as calling Kuhn “the village idiot.”
Can you imagine, in this day and age, a commissioner that isn’t universally loved by the …read more