Bunch of things going on today. PD day for the kids, court appearance, drop by Lynx stadium. I hate to say it, but the stadium is not nearly as inviting when it’s cold - and not April cold, I mean -17C with the wind chill cold. Having said that, I’m looking forward to taking the kids to see Skratch tomorrow at the Skratching Post (12 till 2 p.m.). Earlier this week, I pulled out my winter coat for the first time. Reached into a pocket and pulled out some Lynx ticket stubs from April - ahh, good times. Better times are coming though my friends, and they’re just around the corner. With that in mind, as we drove out to the park today, I asked Zak which player he wanted to meet as part of his birthday party . He didn’t know yet as he hadn’t seen any of the new players; but this was the amazing part. I suggested he might want to meet a guy like Michael Bourn and he said he knew who he was. So I asked - “Who’s Michael Bourn”? Centrefielder for the Red Barons, came the reply. How do kids remember this stuff? Who was the catcher when they were here? Carlos Ruiz. Third base? Bobby Scales. Unbelievable. Keep in mind though, that this is the same kid who can NEVER remember to make his bed or pick up his socks. Never.

From there we were off to provincial court - I had to testify as a witness to an accident from July 05. The kids were as good as gold - Zak addressing people as “sir”, taking off his hat in the court room, and he displayed good, healthy respect for the police officers. This is another reason I really enjoy taking my kids to the park - they learn how to interact with adults and other people in authority. The police at the park are great - Rebekah was very reluctant at the beginning of the season to approach any officer. By the end, she recognized some of them and would talk to them incessantly (if you let her). Zak had “discussions” with security staff about the prohibition on playing catch near the Lynx bullpen. It was nice that staff weren’t dictatorial about it; they took the time to explain the rule to the kids. I think these “respect” type lessons are important for kids to learn - and I think the park is a perfect venue for learning. It’s also reassuring for me as a parent to see that my 3 year old daughter now recognizes the uniform of a police officer and connects it with someone she considers a “friend”.

See you there tomorrow! (or the 16th or 23rd) I hope to have photos of our visit up by the end of the weekend.

As promised, following the Winter Meetings in Orlando, it appears that next year’s roster is taking shape. Gone are pitchers Gavin Floyd and Gio Gonzalez, traded away to Chicago (White Sox) for starter Freddy Garcia. He sounds like a classy guy - money quote from the White Sox GM, Kenny Williams after the trade:

“Man, Freddy Garcia was so great,” the White Sox GM said, his voice literally quivering with emotion, Wednesday night, “he thanked me for the opportunity to come over and win a World Series. He asked me, if he saw me in a bar, could he sit down and buy a drink for me. By the end of the conversation, he had me apologizing for trading him.”

Larry Shenk weighs in on the Garcia signing over at the Baron’s Corner.

The Phillies were also busy in the Rule 5 draft picking up three more players, Alfredo Simon (RHP), Jim Ed Warden (RHP) and catcher Ryan Budde. Given that they’ve picked up another catcher, it will be interesting to see what they do with Carlos Ruiz.

Former Lynx catcher, Eli Whiteside was left exposed in the draft but wasn’t picked up.

As promised, following the Winter Meetings in Orlando, it appears that next year’s roster is taking shape. Gone are pitchers Gavin Floyd and Gio Gonzalez, traded away to Chicago (White Sox) for starter Freddy Garcia. He sounds like a classy guy - money quote from the White Sox GM, Kenny Williams after the trade:

“Man, Freddy Garcia was so great,” the White Sox GM said, his voice literally quivering with emotion, Wednesday night, “he thanked me for the opportunity to come over and win a World Series. He asked me, if he saw me in a bar, could he sit down and buy a drink for me. By the end of the conversation, he had me apologizing for trading him.”

Larry Shenk weighs in on the Garcia signing over at the Baron’s Corner.

The Phillies were also busy in the Rule 5 draft picking up three more players, Alfredo Simon (RHP), Jim Ed Warden (RHP) and catcher Ryan Budde. Given that they’ve picked up another catcher, it will be interesting to see what they do with Carlos Ruiz.

Former Lynx catcher, Eli Whiteside was left exposed in the draft but wasn’t picked up.