Some very minor news and notes around the baseball world. Just quick-linking for your perusal.

• Phil Hughes changing his number (but he doesn’t know to what, yet. I vote for #19. Righetti’s old number.)

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I guess today is Video Thursday…. More real baseball stuff coming soon.

Oh yeah, I’m serious: don’t dare try this at home!

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Good times when the camera keeps a’rollin’.

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According to “sources“, the Mets and Santana/agent remain far apart on contract terms, both in dollars and years. OK, we all knew any first offer by the Mets would be rejected. That’s S.O.P. But, could they actually fail to get Johan to say “I do”? I mean, is that even in the realm of possiblity? Imagine the fallout?

Great writer, Joe Posnanski, hooked me with a great headline, joking that the Royals finished a close 2nd to the Mets in the Johan Sweepstakes. But, what compelled me to drop a posting here was this paragraph below. Enjoy, Twins fans.

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Looks like good ole Hank was somewhat concilatory yesterday, taking calls, as usual, and delivering quotes. I swear, the NY beat writers must be giddy about having Hank in charge and so incredibly accessible. Whenever they need a quote, just dial up Hank and -presto-

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Here in NY, we’re used to self-important writers in our face all the time (Lupica anyone?). But when we see THIS from a Pittsburgh writer, absolutely trashing Pirates fans, well, we just have to acknowledge the hate.

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Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record had this to say today, and it really got me thinking, which is always dangerous. The guys at Pride of the Yankees didn’t help, either! I’ll keep it brief, I promise, after last night’s manifesto…

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Seems that the good folks at MLB Security are quite passionate about their jobs and not sticking to the written scripts they have reportedly been provided. Or so the World Umpires Union claims.

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Unfortunately, we take a brief break from the excitement of the MLB hot stove and trades and the coming of the season to step back into the dark, hazy smog that is the PED side of the game. Bummer. Will make it quick, folks.

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Wow. Just wow. Not that Johan got dealt. Not that Johan got dealt to the Mets. That Johan got dealt for a package of prospects that, according to ESPN, “a package which some talent evaluators believe could be the fourth-best offer that Minnesota received during this process”.

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UPDATE #2: Looks like the 4 prospects sent by the Mets were their 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 7th best prospects, according to Baseball America. Seems like Bill Smith overplayed his hand a bit, doesn’t it? From Ellsbury/Buchholz or Hughes as a headliner, he’s got Gomez. Quite a miss.

UPDATE #1 (courtesy of MLBTradeRumors.com):

Johan Santana Traded To Mets

UPDATE, 1-29-08 at 3:15pm: Bob Nightengale of USA Today says an agreement to trade Santana to the Mets has been reached. They’ll send Carlos Gomez, Philip Humber, Deolis Guerra, and Kevin Mulvey to the Twins. The Mets still have to work out a six or seven year extension for Santana, according to Nightengale. If this baby reaches its true conclusion we’ll sit down and analyze.

UPDATE, 1-29-08 at 2:55pm: More from Olney. His sources say the Mets have the best offer, the Red Sox also made offers, and the Yanks are out. Santana apparently asked the Twins to make a decision, wrap this thing up. Wrap it up! Olney is not sure whether F-Mart is part of the Mets’ offer.

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We’ve seen the lowest of the low, the dumbest of the dumb, the biggest abortion of the use of “facts” in quite some time. Frankly, I am just stunned that this was even published somewhere other than a dumb blog like this. And Boston fans wonder why they are viewed as INSUFFERABLE. Wonder no more: