Last year, I wished you all a happy Rickey Henderson's birthday. This year, it's time to keep the tradition going.

Hideki Okajima says, Merry Christmas everyone! Oh, and happy Rickey Henderson's birthday, too.

Well, the bidding is over and the Nippon Ham Fighters totally ignored my advice. They waited until the last possible moment to announce they were accepting the Rangers' $51.7 million posting bid for Yu Darvish. Now the fun begins.

You see, Darvish likes to portray himself as a sort of iconoclast. From getting caught engaging in underage smoking and gambling, to outspoken comments, he tries to cultivate an image as someone who bucks the system. Though I'm not sure how marrying and then divorcing an actress and pinup model fits into his rebel persona. That sounds more Beckhamish to me, and he's nobody's rebel.

Darvish has been an outspoken critic of the posting system. He says it's unfair to players, and I have to agree, I'm not a fan of it either. There's been some rumblings that, the higher the winning bid, the less likely Darvish would sign with the MLB team that ponied up the cash. He would view his stance as a condemnation of the system and a refusal to play the powers-that-be's little game. Of course, that's why he hired superagent Arn Tellem, right? Let's face it - Tellem didn't get where he is by tilting at windmills. My guess is that he'll knock some sense into Darvish and we'll see him in Ranger blue next year. I also believe that Darvish's favourite colour is green.

Now I'd like to turn my attention to the newly-minted Reds pitching ace, Mat Latos. It's commonly accepted wisdom that if you have the chance to trade for proven performance in exchange for prospects, you make the trade. Exactly how much proven performance Latos brings is up for debate, but the prospect status of Yonder Alsono, Yasmani Grandal and Brad Boxberger is beyond dispute.

The general consensus is that the Reds gave up too much in this trade. But that consensus is also predicated on several factors, none of which is a slam-dunk certainty. For example:

1. The Reds will lose Joey Votto to free agency, and they just traded away his ready-made replacement.
2. Alonso will be happy sitting on the bench waiting for Votto to depart, because the Reds have tried (and failed) to find another place for him.
3. Yasmani Grandal will be a better catcher than Devin Mesoraco, and the Reds just traded him away.
4. Brad Boxberger will develop into a shutdown major league closer, and the Reds never gave him a chance.

I look at this trade, as many small-to-mid market teams and fans do, in terms of control. In other words, is four years of Mat Latos worth trading away four years of Alonso and six years of Grandal? I don't know, but I'm certainly not going to evaluate it on the basis of "four years of Latos being a head case vs. four all-star seasons from Alonso and six years of Grandal being the next Pudge Rodriguez" like the naysayers have decided will happen. The reason these players are called prospects is because we don't know what will happen with their careers. Alonso might develop into the next Joey Votto, then again, he might not. Grandal might be the better catcher, but maybe Mesoraco is. We don't know what their future career holds, but we have a better idea of what Latos is likely to do, and the future looks pretty damn bright for him.


As a side note, I don't count Edinson Volquez in this trade because, frankly, I'm glad to see the back of him. Likewise, I don't count Boxberger because, if projecting a ballplayer's potential is a fool's errand, then the phrase "closer prospect" is downright farcical. The hand-wringing over his inclusion in the trade smacks of lingering regret over Trevor Hoffman's exposure in the 1993(!) expansion draft.

People have all but written off the Reds chances of retaining Joey Votto once he becomes a free agent, but I'm not so sure. The only team I really fear getting their hands on Votto is his hometown Blue Jays, suddenly resurgent and seemingly keeping their powder dry for a run at Votto in two years. However, I do worry that signing Votto to a big contract significantly reduces the chances of keeping Latos four years hence, unless the Reds can lock him up to a Cleveland Indians/Tampa Bay Rays-style below market contract. However, if at the end of 2015 the Reds have no Votto, no Latos, no real hardware to speak of and only a handful of compensatory draft picks, then what will we think of the trade?

(By the way, yes, I am collecting the 2011 Lineage set)

Dear Nippon Ham Fighters,

You already have the coolest name in all of professional baseball, so please don't do anything that will endanger all of that goodwill. You have already publicly stated that you will accept the highest bid for Yu Darvish. Well, the bids are all in, you know what they are (heck, we even know that the highest bid is a monster), and we all know you're gonna take the cash.

Please don't make us wait until the Tuesday deadline. Just announce, today, that you have accepted the bid, and then we can all find out who massively overpaid for the next Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Sincerely yours,
JonathanRGB

P.S. My money's on the Rangers

I couldn't post pictures to my blog when using my phone. But now we have moved back into the house (yay!) and the computer and internet connections are set up. So I've added the pictures I wanted to have in the Travels with Raleigh post in the first place. Here's a link to the posts - Raleigh is a damn cute dog, if I do say so myself.

Day 1 (Derby to Port Hedland)
Day 2 (Port Hedland to Carnarvon)
Day 3 (Carnarvon to Perth)

Other good news - most of my cards have been unpacked already (priorities, don't you know!) At some point on the trip, when thinking about Raleigh and his brother, Charlie, I realised that I subconsciously lifted the title of this series from John Steinbeck's book Travels with Charley. Thanks again for indulging my inner Steinbeck.

6:30 am: An on-time departure. I like those when I'm travelling. Raleigh jumps into the car straight away, then curls up on the seat and goes back to bed almost as quickly. I guess he's tired from barking at the other dogs in the caravan park all night.

The landscape south of Carnarvon is noticeably different yet again. The Gascoyne region is more agricultural (as opposed to the Pilbara which is mining and the Kimberely which is cattle ranching), so even the bush looks taller and greener. Is it tastier? Raleigh will be the judge of that.

6:50 am: Kangaroo tail is apparently a delicacy. I was reminded of this when I saw a dead roo on the side of the road with its tail sticking out. All I know is that when I went in the shops at Roebourne there were a bunch of kangaroo tails in the freezer.

7:45 am: We cross back over the 26th parallel - the official border of the Northwest of Australia. Living above the 26th parallel actually entitled us to a tax break - we say good-bye to that now.

The land is reminiscent of the Southwestern US, minus the cactus. Buttes and mesas dot the landscape, and the trees are very similar. It's funny how there are places that remind you of other places very far away.

8:30 am: Rain?!? It's summer! It doesn't rain here in the summer. At least not south of the 26th parallel.

11:00 am: Lunch in Geraldton was an ordeal. My wife wanted Subway, but their computers were down and didn't take credit cards. Raleigh went for a walk in a park and ended up with prickles in his fur. And then there was all the construction delays, which backs up traffic behind road trains. I was hoping to get to Perth by 4 pm, but a late finish to the lunch, followed by all the back-ups, has probably put paid to that goal. We shall see.

Raleigh is being very good and patient, though. And now he has all the prickles out of his fur.

1:30 pm: More construction, this time outside of Ennabba. There's really nothing much to say right now. When you've travelled 2500 km already you just want to finish up the last 250 as quick as possible.

3:15 pm: Raleigh is the doggy Isaac Newton. My wife was rounding a corner and a bag of apples fell on his head. Poor puppy!

3:30 pm: We are now in the Perth outer northern suburbs. Guess what? It's raining again! It doesn't rain in Derby, where the wet season is supposed to have started by now, but it's raining here in Perth, where it's supposed to be dry. Anyway, we're about to turn on the freeway. Let's hope we beat the rush hour traffic.

7:30 pm: We got to my in-laws house close to 5:00 pm and had a nice dinner with everyone. Raleigh has enjoyed having his brother to play with, and Charlie has enjoyed having his brother around, too. He's not too happy about his new haircut, however.

It's been a long trip, but just like the trip up to Derby, Raleigh passed with flying colors. I hope you enjoyed the journey, and I promise normal service will resume once I have set everything up at the house. Until then, let me just say that it's good to be home.

1:00? am: There's a scratching at the tent door. It sounds like Raleigh is trying to pull the zipper open with his teeth. I put my glasses on, and there he is, sitting there, with a silly grin on his face. Guess he has to go out.

5:15 am: Still stupid o'clock, but it's light out now. Time to get ready to go.

6:30 am: The car is packed, and we're off. Raleigh did absolutely nothing to help. He needs to start pulling his weight. And since he only weighs 22 pounds, it's not much.

Today we'll be traveling about 880 km (550 miles) to Carnarvon, which should take, with stops, about 9 hours. The second half of the drive contains some of the most boring bits of the whole trip. The highlight is crossing the Tropic of Capricorn, and I already got my picture taken there on the drive up.

8:15 am: Passing through Roebourne. If you ever get the chance to go to Roebourne, don't. It's dirty and smelly and they make you drop your speed down from 110 kph all the way to 50. I don't like Roebourne.

9:30 am: We're doing good with the stops today. My wife drove the first hour, then an attack of sleepiness necessitated a driver change and I've been in the seat since then. We were supposed to have gotten to the next stop, Fortescue Roadhouse, by now. However, road construction shut down one lane, and now we're stuck behind two road trains, neither of which will pass the other, and a car which won't pass either. Grr.

9:40 am: Pull into Fortescue ten minutes behind schedule. Instead of staying in the nice shady green grass, Raleigh is insisting on walking in the sun. The plants of the Pilbara don't look as tasty, apparently. Or maybe he's learned his lesson after throwing up yesterday.

10:30 am: When we drove up to Derby, we were stuck at a water crossing for about an hour waiting for the level to go down. It was somewhere between Fortescue and Nanutarra roadhouses. Now, it's so dry that I can even pick the spot where we were stuck. We had to passed it by now. Crazy how the landscape changes so quickly here in Australia.

11:00 am: The landscape around here is dotted with mountains. They're not really mountains, but that hasn't stopped the highways department from putting up signs at scenic lookouts indicating "Mt. Something" and proclaiming heights of 218 meters. Nice try, but I'm from North Carolina, and I know that 218 meters does not a mountain make.

11:30 am: Lunchtime at Nanutarra is finished, and we're back on the road to Carnarvon. Different chambers of commerce have nicknamed their various coasts; Broome has the "Pearl Coast," Exmouth has the "Coral Coast." I call this stretch the "Boring Coast." Do you think it'll catch on?

12:00 pm: It is hot here in Australia. As you learned from school, December is the summer. The temperature in the car has been reading a constant 37-38 degrees Celsius since the sun got high in the sky. 37 is normal body temperature - 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. 38, well, that's over 100.

You think that's bad - yesterday, the thermometer in the afternoon was reading 43 and 44. It's like being in a Midnight Oil song: "The Western desert lives and breathes in 45 degrees."

1:00 pm: Tropic of Capricorn

1:15 pm: We pull the ol' traveling greenhouse over for a driver change. Into the cockpit goes J.A. Hart. The American has done this drive before, on his own, so the 160 km left into Carnarvon should be a piece of cake.

In other news, Raleigh says "Yuck-o-rama! The scruby little plants in the Gascoyne do not look tasty AT ALL!"

2:45 pm: Win! We pull into the campsite ahead of schedule by about 30 minutes. Our campsite is great - nice and shady and close to the toilet block. We pitch the tent and head off to find a dog beach.

3:30 pm: Pelican Point is an awesome dog beach. Raleigh was running up and down the beach, trying to avoid the waves and munching on the seaweed. He even made a doggy friend - a pug who was already at the beach. They took turns sniffing each other's butts (as you do) and pointing out the good smells on the beach.

I think Raleigh missed having a beach around. We didn't have that option in Derby - the water was brown and there are salt water crocodiles that would just as soon eat you as look at you. It will be good for him to have his beach back again.

4:30 pm: The "big" (literally) tourist attraction in Carnarvon is the Big Banana. Originally built for a fruit and veg stand that went out of business, it was purchased by the Chamber of Commerce to serve as a monument for the area's status as a fruit farmers' mecca, particularly bananas. Here's a picture of Raleigh and I in front of the Big Banana.

5:30 pm: Time for a nice refreshing dip in the pool. Raleigh would love to come, but he's not allowed.

Speaking of which, yesterday when I was checking in to the other campground, the lady pointed out some sites on the map. "Here's the pool," she said. "You can't take your dog in the pool area."

"Well that goes without saying," I replied.

"You'd be surprised how many people think they can bring their dogs in the pool," she replied.

7:20 pm: I'm now sitting here with a homemade ginger beer and posting this day's entry. I am looking forward to sleeping well tonight.

See you again tomorrow for part three...

7:00 am: He knows something is up. Usually, when we pack up the car, he's not allowed outside because he's not coming. This time, however, the car is full of stuff, much more than usual, and he's darting in and out, usually in the car, sometimes running around it, with a big smile on his face.

Our year here in Derby is done, and we're heading back home. Originally we were planning on staying here for two years, but circumstances (a dream job coming up) and other things meant we're coming home now. And that means another three-day car trip with my dog, Raleigh, and this time, also my wife. It'll be nice to share the driving duties.

7:35 am: we were down a quart of oil, so we pull into the town service station to get that sorted. Who do we see? The one kid from my class that I don't really want to see. The type of kid who eats paste. Raleigh was a good boy - he didn't bite the paste eater. Although I wish he would have. ;)

7:45 am: All ready to hit the road. My wife is taking the first shift.

8:15 am: When driving around country Australia, it's a lot different then a long-distance drive in the States. It's more like how drives used to be, before Interstate highways. The main roads are two lanes, and services, particularly in remote areas, are sparse. Every 200 - 300 kilometers you'll find a roadhouse - a place to fill up, grab a sandwich and a drink, and, if it's time to stop, pitch a tent or park your RV. There's one such roadhouse 60 km out of Derby - it's where I usually stop to get a chocolate milk. Not today, though - it's big picture time. With a 2700 km drive ahead of us, we can't be stopping 60 km in. Sorry, Willard Roadhouse!

8:30 am: And...it's time for our first pit stop! I spent most of it trying to keep Raleigh away from a barbed-wire fence that apparently looked tasty.

9:15 am: We've reached the turnoff on the main road for Broome and Port Hedland. With the exception of one time when we went camping about 60 km from this spot, I haven't turned left to go to Port Hedland for a year. Yet, that is what we need to do now to head home. Even though, geographically, it's not true, by turning left and putting that stretch of road behind us, it feels like we're leaving Derby and the Kimberley behind.

10:00 am: Another pit stop. This time, Raleigh apparently mistook the side of the road for an all-you-can-eat salad bar. Lots of tasty looking grasses. I have taken the wheel, and will be driving the rest of the way today.

10:30 am: I have a terrible sense of distance, but an inborn compass and always know where I am in relation to landmarks, etc. When you're traveling the highways here, there are distance markers every 10 km toward the next town (or roadhouse). It's really not hard to know where you're at. All you have to do it's make note of a marker, note the time and the speed you're traveling, and do the math. My wife, however, fails to grasp this concept, and always guesses at least 20 km off. She thinks we'll get to Sandfire (the next roadhouse, where we're stopping for lunch) at 12:30. But, since we're 180 km out at I've got the cruise control set at 120, there's no way. Barring an excessive number of pit stops, we'll get there by noon, easy. Probably a couple of minutes before.

11:58 am: We pull into Sandfire. Wife not pleased with smug look on my face.

12:00 pm: Lunch is just what I needed. I had a Mountain Dew to drink with my sandwich, then cracked open a Red Bull when I started driving again. I feel like an alcoholic mixing his hard liquors.

Raleigh enjoyed his lunch - water. Don't feel sorry for the pooch, though. For the last two weeks, we've been trying to eat down our fridge. We didn't quite make it, though, so Raleigh got a special treat for dinner last night - a whole steak! It was either that or through it in the bin. So he can afford to have just water now. Besides, he doesn't eat lunch.

12:20 pm: Back on the road. Raleigh has finally started laying down on the back seat instead of sitting up and looking through the window. I guess the excitement of the long card ride is starting to wear off.

12:30 pm: Whoops, I spoke too soon. He's back up.

1:30 pm: We've reached another roadhouse, which means another pit stop. This time it's Pardoo, which is where Raleigh and I stayed on the second night of our trip up. This time, he whined and whimpered the whole time my wife was inside, and wouldn't go for a walk until she came out. He's such a momma's boy.

This 300 km stretch between Sandfire and Port Hedland is pretty easy, which also means it's pretty boring.

3:00 pm: We arrive in Port Hedland, right on schedule. I like having the short first day so we can relax. After going to the shops for some groceries (my wife and Raleigh go for a walk while I'm shopping, Raleigh got squirted by a fountain), we check into the campsite, pitch the tent, and go to the beach. Raleigh has earned a run-around and a swim.

4:30 pm: The place we were directed to go by the campsite manager, Pretty Pools, is a great spot. It's sandy tidal pools with lots of families and some other dogs. Raleigh is a good swimmer, but he can be apprehensive at times, and usually only goes into the water to follow his brother, Charlie (who is owned by my in-laws). There was another family next to us, but the kid (and wife) weren't too keen on dogs, so we kept having to keep calling Raleigh back to us.

At one point, I look up and see the father of that group has wandered quite a ways around the edge o the pool. And then I see Raleigh, swimming over there trying to get to him. I'm wearing regular clothes, so I'm not going to swim after him. He's back on dry land now, so I call him. He goes running, then swimming, then he reaches a sandbar, so he's running again, then...SPLASH! The water was deeper then he was expecting. But his little head pops right back up and there he is, dog-paddling his way back to us. Very cute. But not so cute when he got out and started rolling around in the sand. He looked like a crumbed sausage.

5:00 pm: Guess who got a bath before we got back in the car?!?

6:30 pm: Dinner time! Remember that steak I told you about? Well someone thinks that the steak sandwiches we're pan frying on the camp stove are for him. Nice try, Raleigh. Have some dog food instead.

8:20 pm: As I write this, Raleigh and my wife are asleep in tent and I'm about to join them. The first time he and I camped, he wouldn't sleep on the air mattress. He slept all around it on the floor of the tent, but wouldn't get on. But now that my wife's here as well, he's sleeping on the mattress.

Like I said, he's such a mamma's boy. :)

Big, long day tomorrow. The end point is Carnarvon, the town where Raleigh and I were trapped by the cyclone (hurricane) on the way up to Derby. If there are going to be any tricky water crossings on the highway this trip, tomorrow's the day we'll get them. It's a cloudless, starry night, though.

Until tomorrow...