What a day of trades!

Not too many people expected this to happen, but the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pick up 1B Mark Texeira from the Braves in exchange for 1B Casey Kotchman and a minor league hurler.

This definitely makes the Angels the best team in baseball. Consider this lineup with switch-hitting Teixeira and the power righty Vladimir Guerrero, to go along with speedster Chone Figgins. I think we have found an early World Series favorite.


Meanwhile, the NBA offseason just got more interesting, with the Houston Rockets picking up defensive specialist Ron Artest from the Kings. Now granted, Artest isn't just a defensive kinda guy, he cal also score.

I still don't think this really helps put the Rockets over the top, however. Shane Battier was their starting SF for the most part, and he is a defensive specialist who has range from beyond the arc. Artest is a little more athletic, but I still don't believe this gets the Rockets past the first round. And, maybe more importantly, I think Ron Artest still has the potential to be a headcase.

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Tomorrow on the show, we'll be talking to Rocket Rod Pacheco to preview the state Canoe Racing Championships at Keehi Lagoon. I'm going to try something different tomorrow. I plan on taking video of the in-studio interview and putting it online later on. I'll let you know how that goes and you may see that here tomorrow afternoon!

When should we start talking about "The Perfect Game?"

In the past three days, we have had two instances of so-called "near perfect games" between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves (oh, and both times, the Braves were on the short end of the stick).

On Monday, Hiroki Kuroda had a perfect game through the first seven innings before being broken by the first batter in the 8th, Mark Texeira, with a double.

On Wednesday, Derek Lowe had a perfect game through six innings before being ended by a Gregor Blanco base hit.

During the "Tuesday Night Confessional" with me and a group of well-versed sports fans out in town, we talked about this very thing, and I asked the question: "When is it okay to start telling people that there is a perfect game in the works?"

One person said, "going into the Ninth inning." But the majority, myself included, said after the 7th.

See, I could be sarcastic and tell you that after the 1st inning, ANY pitcher could have a "perfect" game. But, a perfect game isn't really impressive until after the 7th. Once you start going through the order a third time around, and still get everyone out, then I can be impressed.

So, shame on you ESPN, for telling me that a perfect game was going after 6 on Monday. And shame on you for wasting a "BREAKING NEWS" crawl on the TV Screen telling me Lowe's perfect game was foiled after 6 innings. Tell me about it when it starts sounding really impressive.

John Smoltz, Hall of Famer?

210 Wins, 154 Saves, 8 Strikeouts per 9 Innings, 3.26 ERA.

That appears to be the final line for John Smoltz, who will undergo season ending shoulder surgery on his bum right shoulder. The amount of saves almost stands out, especially because he isn't a closer. He only was in that role coming back from injury.

Compare that to Dennis Eckersley, a current Hall of Famer, who has seen time as both a starter and a reliever:

197 Wins, 390 Saves, 3.50 ERA, 6.6 K per 9 innings.

The thing with John Smoltz that will help him stand out is that he played his entire career with the Atlanta Braves. Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux will always be remembered for their time in Atlanta, but John Smoltz stayed, despite the other two leaving.

Let's not also forget that Smoltz has over 3,000 strikeouts. Smoltz is a sure-fire first ballot hall of famer.

Smoltz' career may not be over, however. He might try to play professionally on the PGA / Champions Tour. But, just as a fan of the game of baseball, I hope Smoltz can come back for one more year, just to leave the game on top.