Quick notes and self-promotion

Self-promotion: I haven’t been blogging here all that much lately, but I’m still blogging at Bugs & Cranks. I have a new post up today.

Am I the only one who thinks the A’s trading Joe Blanton away actually helps them this season? He had an ERA of 4.96 in a pitchers park (ERA+ of 77). Can his replacement be much worse? And the A’s got three prospects for him? That’s a steal.

Hideo Nomo has officially retired (he was released by the Royals in April). It was always fun watching him pitch, especially during the height of Nomo-mania.

I’m sure many of you are familiar with the series The Sporting Blog’s Chris Mottram does where he “stalks” athletes by randomly appearing in the backgrouund of pictures of them. Well, Keith Olbermann gave Mottram a taste of his own medicine — these pictures had me laughing at loud. (Hat-tip to Either Relevant or True)