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A little history of Bell Helmets!
Do you know that the company that makes Bell helmets did not start out making helmets? It was a company that sold auto parts -- Bell Auto Parts -- started by George Wight in Bell, California, in 1923. In 1933, Rogy Richter went to work for Wight....
College Baseball - Who is the Best Ever?
The University of Southern California has a baseball team, the Trojans. The USC Trojans are undoubtedly one of the very best college baseball teams to every play the game. Over 95 of the baseball players from the college level who've made it into...
Golf And Zen - Chapter 3
About Golfing Zen: This is the third in a continuing series of
short essays dealing with the application of Eastern spiritual
philosophy to your golf game.
The surface intent is that, as you apply the ideas, your golf
and your enjoyment of...
Gymnastics History – A Brief Overview
Gymnastics: History and Value - A Perspective Gymnastics, as an activity, has been around for more than two thousand years in one form or another, from the ancient Greek Olympics, to Roman ceremony, to today’s modern meets. As an organized and...
The Best Golf Exercises Are Very Simple
The best golf exercises are not complicated; you don’t need to be a member of a gym; and you don’t need thousands of dollars in equipment. Yes…there are new golf fitness machines coming out in the market that look respectable, but they want an...
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Baseball Trade Review: Carlos Beltran Deal
The Carlos Beltran sweepstakes are over and the Houston Astros are the winners. After spending the offseason recruiting Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, the Astros have found themselves mired back in the pack of a tough NL Central division race.
Beltran brings a flashy glove to center field and some excitement and run production to the top of the lineup. Of course, players like him don't come without a cost. Houston sent away closer Octavio Dotel and catcher-of-the-future John Buck.
The added wild-card is that Beltran's contract expires at the end of this season. Should the Astros fail to reach the playoffs and also lose their new star center fielder to free agency, this deal could haunt them in the future.
Kansas City, Beltran's former team, sent Dotel on to Oakland in exchange for two prospects, third baseman Mark Teahan and pitcher Mike Wood. The Royals had decided they wouldn't be able to match Beltran's asking price this offseason and picked up the best value they thought they could get. Oftentimes these deals turn out very favorable for the team willing to trade current talent for high-potential minor leaguers.
The Oakland Athletics jumped in to make this a 3-way deal and filled a big need by picking
up a consistent closer. Arthur Rhodes had excelled with other teams in a setup role but hasn't fared well closing out games for the A's. Nothing is more frustrating to a starter than to pitch hard through seven or eight innings in a close game only to see a win slip away in the ninth. Oakland boasts one of the best rotations in baseball and a solidified bullpen should help them overtake Texas and maybe even make a run in the playoffs.
This trade will be seen as a success or failure for both Houston and Oakland by the end of the 2004 season. For Kansas City, however, it could be a few years before anyone knows how their 3 new players will pan out. All three teams did well in accomplishing something that made sense for their situation.
About The Author
Dustin Smiley, Owner of The Baseball Corner http://www.thebaseballcorner.com, your online site for everything baseball. (**You may reprint this column onto your site only if the following information is attached at the bottom and the link to The Baseball Corner is active**)
admin@thebaseballcorner.com
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