So, what did Santa Put in Your Stocking, Little Boy?

Nothing dirty here.

Just curious. Since all of our families, friends and neighbors know, we are Tiger fans. So what did they, er Santa, get you?

My Santa got me "100 Things Tiger Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die." Kind of like our bucket list of a few months ago.

Haven't had time to read it yet, but I think I've done many of them, like visit Lakeland and Tigertown. They say something about Earl Wilson being one of the earlist black Tiger heroes; just to show you my Tiger loyalty easily out paces my racism, I got his autograph at Nemo's Bar, about 1974.

Finally, in these dark days of winter, I present to you a picture of better days, my brothers Roy, and Chuck and me, at a Toledo Mud Hens game, sucking in our guts the best we could. A Tony Packo's hot dog with chili, beer, onions, and then two hours later a two hour trip back home with three flatulent, middle-aged digestive systems.

Torture!



"Oh God, couldn't you have held it for another 50 miles?

"Me? That wasn't me, that was him!

"Yeah, well it wasn't half as bad as when Dad used to rent an ice fishing shanty on Anchor Bay, and blow the doors off the shanty. Who was afraid of drowning if we went through the ice? We were afraid of asphyxiation."

Family. I love 'em.

Plenty of Pitching Prospects for Sale

O.K. Lee is gone, Greinke is gone.

But there's still some good pitchers to be had by purchase, or trade. Unless I missed some news in the last few days, here's a summary, and my thoughts:

Bandon Webb threw 227 innings per year for the Diamondbacks 2004-2008. He can't do that for long, but maybe a one-year contract?

Carl Pavano went 17-11 with a 3.75 ERA for the Twins in 2010, but word has it he wants a big multi-year contract. He's a fine pitcher, but he's 34 with a lot of innings on that arm. I wouldn't touch him on a long-term basis

Also available for trade are Ricky Nolasco and James Shields (no relations). As much as I like his name, I wouldn't give up prospects for Shields -- too many innings on his arm.

I heard a commentator the other day who said that long-term deals with free-agent pitchers rarely turn out well for the team. I guess if they put up the money, they want you to pitch...and perform, regardless of how your arm feels.

You guys know more than I do: what do you think?

A note from our pal Jim Domzal

Jim Domzal, good friend to all of us from Sacred Heart Seminary/Cardinal Mooney sends us this note through me, cause he can't figure out how to work At the Corner. Pio, you had your challenges, maybe you can help him.

"Hey greg, put my comment on the post a comment board on at the corner if you can. Sox signed adam dunn today at 2pm. Not good for the central division, tiges included."

(BTW, anybody else see the Oklahoma/Nebraska game Saturday night, where they did a long feature on famous coaches like Stoops, Bellinni and many others who cut their teeth at Cardinal Mooney High in Youngstown?)