Look at what happened to Michigan when Lloyd Carr watched the clock closely against Penn State and had two seconds added back. Chad Henne threw for the winning TD with one second left, and that was all that stands between Penn State and a perfect record. You'd think the Raiders would have at least wanted a chance at a kickoff return--or a play from scrimmage had the Chiefs kicked it into the end zone or out of bounds.

That would be one good reason to take the kid out of daycare for the last month of the year. Anyway, have fun.

And looking forward to listening to you on Bob Edwards, although, while you may be on Bob's show on December 15 and 29, we'll hear you on December 16 and 30. I suspected he was recording those a day in advance, and now the cat is out of the bag!

Meanwhile here in Philadelphia, unless you subscribe to Comcast, at a starting price of something like $45 a month for basic cable, you'll be staring at your radio dial for 108 of the Phillies' 162 games this year. Comcast refuses to allow DirecTV to carry its Comcast Sports Net Philadelphia (at least until some antitrust regulators wake up from their slumber, which nap has been going on for at least three or four years now). Furthermore, it won't license out the CSN Philly broadcasts to the Extra Innings package or MLB.TV, thereby forcing Phillies fans around the country to rely on catching the occasional Phightins' game on those media with the opponents' broadcasters calling the action. Maybe Comcast considers its own channel an "overpriced network that offers little programming" (to use their description of the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network) and is just looking out for the wallets those of us with dishes on our houses, but somehow I suspect it's more like, "We'll do it because we can." And I doubt that anything will change, given the power Comcast has in this state.

By the way, King, something about "He's managed three hits, both of them doubles." reminds me of the least insulting insult ever hurled at me (and two friends): "You three guys are a couple of idiots."

If A.J. Pierzynski's &@!# only works in the playoffs, maybe that's the type of player that the A's should be looking to sign....

Technically, there is no writers' wing or broadcasters' wing of the Hall of Fame. Those people, while "hall of fame caliber" in their fields, are the recipients of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award and the Ford Frick Award, respectively. To actually be _in_ the Hall of Fame, you have to get in through the BBWAA or Veterans Committee elections (or other similar processes over the years, including the special election held this year to admit the 17 people associated with the Negro Leagues and its predecessors).* King is calling for the full-blown admission of Bill into the Hall, not just the Spink Award, and I am all in favor of it.

The Spink Award is described on the HoF website as "named after the late founder of The Sporting News, [it] has been voted upon annually since 1962 when Spink himself was the recipient of the inaugural honor. The award honors a baseball writer (or writers) 'for meritorious contributions to baseball writing'." Clearly Bill would be eligible for it, but looking at past recipients, as far as I can tell, all have spent significant portions or all of their careers as daily sportswriters, covering their local teams for a newspaper. Some are also known as authors, such as Grantland Rice, Damon Runyon, Ring Lardner, Leonard Koppett, etc., but most have put in their time as a beat writer. I suspect that the BBWAA, consisting as it does entirely of people who work as reporters, editors, or columnists who covers baseball for non-Internet-only outlets (sorry BaseballProspectus.com), would not consider Bill for the Spink Award. The actual Hall of Fame may be his only way in to Cooperstown without paying admission. (Well, if I saw him in line, I would gladly pay for him!)

Anyway, with Henry Chadwick out there as a precedent, there should be little to stand in the way of his admission. Well, except for the fact that 75% of people generally can't agree on anything, let alone adding someone to join their exclusive club. I fear Bill James (and Marvin Miller) will only be admitted by a special election outside the bounds of the current Veterans' Committee structure. But the Hall did it for 17 people this year; for all the reasons King cited, they can and should do it again for Bill (and Marvin).

*To be a "member" of the Hall of Fame, you just have to pay $40, and you also get free admission for a year, a membership card, and a yearbook! Shouldn't they come up with a better name for that--"supporter" instead of "member," maybe?