Buc Fever – you have 15 minutes to email and tell me, is it behind door #1, door #2, or door #3?

Ok.. just kidding.

Pittsburgh Pirates discussion forum user Buc Fever was selected by Alex over at Baseball Interactive Media as the winner of the limited-edition Neil Walker bobblehead contest.

Keep watching – they have several more promos coming your way this year. One way to get your name out there is to send Alex 500 words or so on what trades you would like to see or not see, and why, Monday or Tuesday and he’ll post them here while I’m gone Tuesday – Saturday this week.

Good Luck!

Baseball Interactive Media (BIM) has asked me to extend the contest through January 6th to allow everyone who was on vacation during the holidays a chance to get involved.

So, anyone who registers at the new Pittsburgh Pirates discussion forum anytime before the stroke of midnight on January 6th is automatically entered for a chance to win the 2007 limited edition Neil Walker bobblehead.

One forum user will be selected by BIM and I’ll post the winner’s name January 7th.

Good luck!

And don’t forget..

Baseball Interactive Media (BIM) has a contest for you.

Every person who registers at the Bucco Blog forum: Pittsburgh Pirates Forum before the stroke of midnight on New Year’s eve has a chance to win a limited edition Neil Walker bobblehead from the Curve last year. Only 2,000 were distributed so this would be a major coup to add to your collection. Those that have already registered are included.

BIM will select one winner January 2cd and let me know who it is before I post that night.

Remember now, use your valid Internet connection email account to register because the free service types like Yahoo and Hotmail won’t work. BIM has indicated to me they will never sell or distribute your information, and your email is hidden on the forum.

So get involved for a chance to take Neal home. Sorry for the image below.. it’s a fast Photoshop job. The bobblehead is brand new – just out of the box.

The Pittsburgh Pirates ownership got together today at Seven Springs and had a board meeting, I just found out. Evidently, Ogden Nutting hit Kevin McClatchy where it counts pretty hard and limited partner Don Beaver dumped on Robert Nutting.

Good stuff.

Anyway, a distressed Pirates’ fan who works at the resort secretly recorded a video for us which is below:

Baseball Media Interactive (BIM) has put up a brand spanking new VBulletin board discussion forum for Pittsburgh Pirates fans to have a ball with. It’s lightening fast, offers a lot of extras (like a calendar system they are working on to include the Pirates schedule, MLB important dates, etc), and even has a classifieds section where you can sell or buy tickets, among other things.

The URL is: http://www.pittsburgh-pirates.org/forum/

But before you go let me warn you that you’ll have to register with a valid email account that isn’t from a free system like Yahoo or Hotmail. Just use your main Internet account and you’ll be fine. Your email will always be hidden from other users. If you don’t have one, email me on the right sidebar and I’ll get you one.

The old discussion forum at buccoblog.com will be closing so move on over and get it rocking!

BIM has also put up a chatroom or shoutbox which is in beta mode. I haven’t tried it yet but I know they are working on refinements, so have patience as it evolves.

That URL is: http://www.pittsburgh-pirates.org/chat/

I’ll talk about the Torres deal tonight. It’s nothing to get excited about on quick look.

–

Look like the Indians are setting up shop to get Bay in what will probably amount to a 10 player deal.

Don’t laugh.. it’s not funny.

Buzz heard around the hotel lobby:

5:00 PM: I heard the MLB.com report that Dejan’s article this morning was a pure fabrication. Almost everything he’s written since coming back has been that way it seems. I’m not one to jump to his aid by any means but you should know there was talk, there still is, and the Indians just haven’t met Huntington’s "let’s make a deal" price yet.

4:50 PM: Yankees won’t give up Hughes – perhaps the Pirates asked for him and the Yankees laughed? Not sure. Ian Kennedy won’t get it done I’m hearing. Maybe Jose Tabata’s name will enter the picture?

3:10 PM: Confirmed.. Braves sought Duffy and rejected his medicals. The same thing could have happened on Grabow and Torres. Now I’m wondering if Bay will even pass scrutiny.

2:30 PM: UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH!

12:40 PM: PULL THE STRING HUNTINGTON. My bud close to the Yankees say they want Snell and we can get Hughes. They also want Marte. What the total package is I don’t know, but Huntington seems reluctant to do it. OMG.. so much for the "mystery" deal. The D’backs have been calling on Snell too. Wait, is Bay in this deal somehow too? Hmm.. it might be getting interesting.

12:02 PM: Did Huntington miss out on a Phil Hughes package for Snell? Some say the Yankees called. Hmm…

11:30 AM: Some are saying the PG’s report about the Indians and Bay is in left field. Hmm.. I’m not so sure – I’ve heard Shapiro will be Huntington’s primary trading partner since, oh.. since October. Nothing new there.

11:27 PM: good gosh – just what we need, Bedard to the Reds? OMG.

11:05 AM: The Indians/Bay talk could be causing another team to move in. Word has it Huntington’s phone has started to ring in earnest for, perhaps, the first time since the start of the meetings for a player not named Marte.

9:20 AM: The last text message says the "mystery" deal is still alive.. just stalled. Perhaps later today, I’m told.

9:10 AM: Third text message indicates the Indians couldn’t get Rios as I mentioned yesterday so they will have to upgrade their offer, which they have. Huntington has rejected that as well, and now they are talking about adding Gutierrez and a prospect.

Gutierrez’s stats:

Paulino vs Shoppage:

8:57 AM: I wake up to find four text messages from overnight – my latest post struck a nerve and it very well could be get off the pot day. Well good.. the ship is sunk and is now being covered up with sediment from the bottom of the sea. Somebody better start bailing.

Buzz heard around the hotel lobby:

8:15 PM: Can Torres’ medicals even pass another teams scrutiny? Ughhh..

7:23 PM: Who knows what happened. Maybe medicals are an issue? More later when I can devulge what I heard. No.. it wasn’t Gomez.

4:55 PM: I swear.. it’s –><– this close. And not who you expect. Hang on.

1:57 PM: Rumors are running that the Indians tried to get Rios from the Jays to be able to talk better with the Pirates on Bay. Kudos to Huntington for holding his ground on the Lee offering.

(side note – Nate McLouth is going to probably reap more than Bay in terms of return for production achieved. It’s simply amazing how many teams are after him. Huntington is smart to keep shopping him.. waiting for that solid return, if it comes.)

1:30 PM: Hmm… we might be getting close to a deal. Stay tuned.

Winter Mettings Buzz (stuff others are hearing around the lobby):

That’s all for tonight – many of the clubs are out eating now. I’ll post any additional rumors in tonight’s daily post.

7:45 PM: The White Sox just DFA’d AAA southpaw Heath Phillips (26 years old) and are listening to offers for him:

		ERA	xERA	IP	H/9	K/9	BB/9	BAA	OBA	SLG
2007	CHA	4.30	4.90	173.2	10.3	5.6	2.9	.289	.342	.456
2006	CHA	2.96	3.47	155	8.8	5.9	2.3	.258	.304	.374

6:24 PM: Bay to Indians seems to be nearly a done deal – Cliff Lee (owed $9.5M yet and a real makeup problem guy) and Kelly Shoppach. Wow.. wow.. wow.. not good folks. There has to be more to this than we know. Mitchell’s report perhaps? Either that or the lobby is seeing pigs flying.

6:22 PM: Coco Crisp a Ranger? Tonight?

6:20 PM: Brewers are supposedly in on Scott Rolen.

Our aquisitions:

Ty Taubenheim:

Yr	LG	IP	H/9	K/9	BB/9	xERA	BAA	SLG	OBA
2007	IL	89	10.8	7.4	3.3	4.99	.299	.468	.358
2007	EL	31.1	6.1	8.4	3.2	2.36	.189	.285	.262
2006	IL	75.2	9.0	5.7	2.2	4.21	.260	.413	.303

Josh Wilson:
not even worth posting – I would have kept Brian Rogers on the roster over this guy but I’m assuming Huntington has Rogers dealt, probably to the Rockies.

Taubenheim is a solid pickup if healthy. I’m lost on the Wilson pickup.
update: Taubenheim is fodder, one scout suggests, wondering why the Pirates even bothered.

5:40 PM: Miguel Cabrera is getting play from three new teams, one thought to be the White Sox of all things.

5:35 PM: a Pittsburgh paper is reporting we might acquire utilityman Jamey Carroll from the Rockies. (ughh)

5:32 PM: Bucs might take Fernando Hernandez (White Sox) or Padres Paul Abraham in Rule 5 if they get a shot.

5:30 PM: nearly every AL team in baseball is tied to Marte, one person writes jokingly. Favorite suitors so far seem to be Yankees and Braves. Maybe a Jair Jurrgens Duffy/Marte deal with some backend in the package? Who knows.

5:30 PM: Talk about Duffy in the lobby – the Braves may have a luke warm interest.

5:20 PM: Rays Elijah Dukes is a Nat, some are saying. For a PTBNL, of all things. update: PTBNL is Glenn Gibson 

5:18 PM: Steve Finley has a sign around his neck walking around the lobby that says: "hire me"

5:15 PM: Reds 3B Edwin Encarnacion is being floated around as available.

5:05 PM: Finally a real Pirates rumor. D’backs might have an interest in Ian Snell and Carlos Quentin could be one of the players being offered. update – Quentin is being dealt to the White Sox for Chris Carter.

5:00 PM: More talk about Bay to the Tribe and Alex Rios (Jays) being shopped.

5:00 PM: the Reds are all over the lobby – now it’s Tim Lincecum; the Astros are said to be on Joe Nathan from the Twins! which sounds nuts.

5:00 PM: Bucs did two wire deals – Rays Josh Wilson and Blue Jays Ty Taubenheim. More on them later. Eldred and Rogers were DFA’d.

5 pm – geez, maybe I shouldn’t have left for a couple of hours!

1:50 PM: Tony Gwynn Jr (Brewers) to Padres?

1:40: Talk on the floor about Heyman’s article at ESPN saying the Mets may have an interest in Nady.

1:40 PM: Reds after Dontrelle Willis?

1:25 PM: Sounds like the Yankees told the Twins do the deal for Johan Santana today or we are outta’ here.