Ah, the Pirates. The team with the worst management and the best fans. Charlie at Bucs Dugout is previewing all of the teams in the NLC. The Cubs and Brewers aren’t up yet, but you can check out the previews for the Reds, Cardinals, and Astros.

The Pittsburgh Lumber Co., the MVN page for the Pirates, is previewing the season by taking a look at Andrew McCutcheon.

And our favorite, Pat at Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke? rounds up some of the Pirates news of the day. The Bucs have already made their first cuts of the season, Steve Pearce is very promising, and Pat is demonstrating depth of potential incompetence by using the name of the Reds’ manager. Good stuff.

Pat, the mighty fine writer of the Pirates’ blog Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke? and contributor to the Fanhouse at AOL brings us a video preview of “The Horrific NL Central.” Man, it’s great. I especially liked the parts about Dusty Baker.

While the Reds were busy giving Gary Majewski a very long rope, the other teams in the Central division were busy playing their own fake games. Only there games were even more fake than Cincinnati’s.

• The Pirates got down and dirty by killing a Manatee. Not only politically incorrect and illegal, but it sounds like a great euphemism, too! But Pittsburgh started off the Spring right by beating up on a local community college. This Bud’s for you, Buccos!
• The Brewers played with themselves not once, but twice.
• Lastly, the Cardinals played St. Louis University and managed to squeak out a win even with the absence of Scott Spiezio (hat tip: BubbaFan). I have to say that I’ll miss that Kool-Aid facial hair a little bit this year.

It looks like tomorrow brings a whole slew of Grapefruit and Cactus League action. I know more importance is placed in the games than they deserve, but it’s still awesome to be able to listen to baseball again. And during the Spring, there’s never a shortage of games to stream during the workday.

OK, finally here’s an update on player transactions in the NL Central. Egad, Feb. 11, has it really been that long? How time flies. Fortunately, many of the deals that have transpired since have already been reported by my colleagues here on RHM and there were a few “slow news days” so hopefully this won’t be too painful if I move along quickly

Yes, Feb. 11 – the Pirates signed 1B Doug Mientkiewicz to a MLCWSTI.

Feb 15 – The Pirates invited nonroster C Steve Lerud to spring training, while the Reds locked up their probable 2008 cleanup hitter for the next four years by signing 2B Brandon Phillips to a four-year, $27 million contract through the 2011 season with a club option for 2012.

Feb. 18 – The Cubs signed IF Alex Cintron to a MLCWSTI (Also on this date, Leatherpants Vampire added Bret Boone to his collection of former Reds).

Feb. 19 -  The Cardinals signed LHP Ron Villone, a former Red, Brewer, Astro, and Pirate, to a MLCWSTI – and Bubba copped a job.

Feb. 20 – The Astros signed free agent RHP Shawn Chacon, a former Pirate, to a $2 million, one-year contract. The Brewers signed LHP Mitch Stetter to a one-year contract and signed 3B/OF Russell Branyan, a former Red Brewer, and Cardinal, to a minor league contract (Incidentally, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel erroneously reported that Branyan was with the Reds, Padres, and Cardinals last year. Oops. Well, two out of three ain’t bad, right? Russ was with the Phillies, Padres, and Cardinals last year and hasn’t worn a Reds uni since 2003. You Brewers fans might want to tip off Tom Haudricourt about the existence of Baseball Reference).

Feb. 21 – The Brewers signed C Lou Palmisano to a one-year contract. The Reds signed RHP Josh Fogg, a former Pirate, to a one-year, $1 million contract, placing LHP Bobby Livingston on the 60-day DL to make room for Fogg on the 40-man roster.

Feb. 22 – The Reds released OF/1B Craig Wilson after he reportedly failed his physical. Wilson spent most of last year on the DL with shoulder problems and even had surgery to try to clean things up. I wish Craig the best of luck.

Feb. 24 – As previously reported here on RHM, the Pirates signed RHP Byung-Hyun Kim to a one-year, $850,000 contract.

What wasn’t reported is how they made room for Kim on their 40-man roster: They DFA’ed Little Ray Ray.

🙁

I hope they finish in the cellar…but then, what are the odds of that? Oh, wait…

That’s a wrap. You’re now caught up on all the wheeling and dealing in the NLC since our last update. I’ll have more to contribute soon, if I don’t completely trash my computers upgrading the operating systems later this week (it really is about time for me to ditch Windows ME, don’t you think?).

HMZ

This week on the podcast we talk fantasy baseball with Brad Stewart of MLB Front Office. I’m no fantasy expert, but the advice he gives sounds pretty sound, and the breadth of information available on the site sure couldn’t hurt your extensive baseball research time.

Dusty Baker should stop talking

Prince Fielder is a Vegetarian?

• “I tell people I don’t eat meat, and they’re like, ‘Oh!'” Fielder said, raising his hands and making a sour face. “They forget there’s so much other food out there. Beans, rice, tofu. You’ve got a lot of good food, baby!”
• Fielder made the decision to cut out meat after reading a bestselling book, Skinny Bitch.

The Cubs Mark DeRosa is undergoing heart tests

The Pirates signed Byung-Hyun Kim

• A $1 M Major League deal.
• Ray Olmedo DFA’d to make room.

The Astros signed Shawn Chacon to help with their rotation

The Cardinals signed Ron Villone.

Cincinnati signed Josh Fogg.

Joe Nuxhall didn’t win the Ford C. Frick Hall of Fame award

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