Manny to Toledo?

I love this stuff! The Toledo Mud Hens have offered Manny Ramirez a spot in their lineup. The best part of the deal is no doubt the incentives. In addition to getting jersey No. 24...

Manny will receive a 24% discount on all merchandise in the Swamp Shop souvenir store, and he can enjoy 24 complimentary Muddy Dogs (chili, cheese, and onions) per homestand. Yummy!

If you don't remember, they made a similar offer to A-Rod in 2007 after he opted out of his 10-year $252 million with the Yankees. They even produced a Hall of Fame plaque featuring Rodriguez wearing a Mud Hens hat.

Kudos to the Mud Hens for trying to illustrate how ridiculously greedy and self-absorbed these guys are.

Sounds of baseball are in the air

Like the first bird tweets of spring, the sounds of baseball are in the air. Soon the sounds will migrate north.

Today's schedule of games: MLB.com, XM.

Update 5:16PM: Listen to Ernie Harwell's "The Voice of the Turtle."

There is no better role model than Curtis Granderson

Curtis Granderson is an exemplary ambassador for the game of baseball. Grandy busts out of the box as if he's going for a triple every time. He plays the game the right way, does oodles of charity work, and is a well-spoken advocate for education. In my opinion, there's no better role model in baseball, and in life, than Curtis Granderson.

Read this excellent article on Granderson by Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press.

"There are so many fine young men playing Major League Baseball today, but I can think of no one who is better suited to represent our national pastime than you." - Bud Selig, in a letter to Curtis Granderson