Follow the Bouncing Ball...

Preston Wilson came to Washington because the Red Sox needed bullpen help:

• Oakland A's trade RP Chad (Moneyball) Bradford to Boston for OF Jay Payton;
• Having accquired Payton, the A's trade OF Eric "Crash Test Dummy" Byrnes and INF Omar Quintanilla to the Colorado Rockies for SP Joe Kennedy and RP Jay Witasick;
• With Byrnes on board the Rockies trade OF Preston Wilson to Washington for SP Zach Day, OF J.J. Davis and a federal highway project to be named later.

If Zach Day wins 10 games in the second half I'm coming after Jim Bowden with a torch and a pitchfork.

Thoughts from the AAA All-Star Game

Watched the AAA All-Star Game last night, starring two of our own AAA New Orleans Zephyrs, 3B/DH Rick Short and OF Tyrell Godwin. The PCL (our guys) beat The IL 11-5.

• Rangers AAA C Gerald Laird hit the 1st Grand Slam in AAA All-Star history, not bad for a last minute replacement pick.
• A's AAA OF (and Watson clone) Matt Watson has a ridiculously hot, and very pregnant wife.
• Tampa Bay SS-of-the-future B.J. Upton is the reason "Moneyball" guys hate "tools" guys. Despite great range and a cannon arm he has 30 errors so far this season, and added two more in the All-Star game.
• Rick Short ought to be playing in the Majors, for someone, right now. All he can do is hit? C'mon, that's like Buddy Ryan slamming Cris Carter with "All he does is catch touchdowns." Way to evaluate talent.