Baseball free agency starts tomorrow, but my free agency started a few weeks ago.  Soon after the regular season ended, I got a nice e-mail from the writers at www.crawfishboxes.com offering me a chance to come and write for them.  I've thoroughly enjoyed my time writing on the MLBLogs and have met a lot of nice, interesting and intelligent people, along with some people that are... well not so nice, interesting or intelligent.  I really appreciate all that Mark has done for the MLBLog community and I think he does an outstanding job promoting other writers blogs and giving everyone an equal shake.  With that being said, my posting on this blog will cease after this post.  I want to thank all of the readers that have frequented my blog for their e-mails, responses and just for being avid baseball fans, and I hope that you will continue to read my work over at the crawfish boxes. 

'Stros Bro

It's not very often that I take the opportunity to abuse my Bro's weblog.  But today just seemed like the day!  He's at work slaving away.  Ummm..  Feet up watching the clock, I mean and the Astros are making the news!

Biggio signs 1 year 5.15 million dollar contract which is about .15 million more than I was expecting.  I was hoping they would give him an incentive based contract with only 3-4 million guaranteed and then about 2 million in incentives.  I.E. bats over .250 or something like that, but it's all good.  I'm personally happy that we don't have to worry about it anymore.  I know, I know.  There wasn't anything to worry about but still! 

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This concludes my session for the day; everyone thank Thomas for being at work!  Yay, thanks Bro!

Brad Ausmus, the Astros steady receiver behind the plate won his 3rd gold glove this year.

Ausmus, also a Gold Glove recipient in 2001 and 2002, led all catchers in games caught (138), starts (124), fielding percentage (.998), total chances (994) and innings caught (1,124 2/3). He committed only two errors and allowed one passed ball.

Link

One passed ball?!?!  That's crazy considering how many innings he caught off Brad Lidge and that sick, sick slider.  The Astros keep Brad for his defense and the way he handles the Astros pitchers, so it's really nice for him to get some gratitude from the league for his fine work. 

To all of you Cardinals fans crying foul saying that Molina got robbed...  Go cry yourself to sleep.  Yes we all know Brad had more runners advance on him this season.  Brad led in basically every important category except the stolen bases categories... then take into consideration that he had almost 200 more put outs than Molina and it's a no contest.  Molina had a fine year... a great defensive year...  but Brad was better and deserved the award.  Molina will get his gold glove eventually... probably year after next when Brad retires though. 

On another note, Adam Everett who is in my opinion is the best defensive short stop in the game, failed to claim the gold glove this season being beaten out by 11-time gold glove winner Omar Visquel.  Some Astros fans say he got robbed, but saying that Adam got robbed is basically just home town prejudice.  Visquel is one of the best defensive short stops in the game... ever.  Visquel also had a better fielding percentage this season beating out Adam's .990 with a .993.  It would have been nice for Adam to win the gold glove, and I'm pretty sure he will in the near future.  But Omar deserved it this year as well... so him winning it isn't robbing Adam in any way.