Thole, Richard Hidalgo, K-Rod, Kelvim in winter ball... and Babe Trade Turns 90

Josh Thole:

Caracas Leones (41-22) - Top Hitter: Josh Thole was clearly the top hitter on the team with a .381 average and three homeruns with 28 RBIs. But he left the team on December 7 and may not return for the playoffs. So the top hitter playing in the playoffs would be ex-Pirate now Yokahama Bay Stars Jose Castillo. Jose is hitting .344 with seven homeruns and 34 RBIs. While Thole was second in the league in hitting Jose was sixth. His 17 stolen bases were second in the league -  myob

Richard Hidalgo:

Magallanes Navegantes (41-22) -  Richard Hidalgo (.306, 8, 31) just keeps on hitting. He will be 35 during the middle of the 2010 season. You would think some major league team would like to pick up a solid bench player. Ezequiel Carrera (.269, 1, 14) has a lot of talent and his 14 stolen bases are tied for third in the league. Deolis Guerra (2-0, 5.63) has four appearances and three starts. His ERA is so high because his first start and his last appearance he gave up all his runs. The two starts in between were solid. - myob

Francisco Rodriquez:

La Guaira Tiburones (32-31) -  Victor Zambrano has pitched much better for the Tiburones (3.40) than Magallanes (7.50). He is 0-4, 5.63 when his numbers are combined between the two teams. Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez took over the closer job, but his 7.20 ERA to start the season is pretty ugly. All the runs he gave up were in his first two appearances. He hasn’t given up a run in his last four appearances. Ronald Belasario (1-1, 2.93) provides an excellent setup man. -  myob
 

Kelvim Escobar:
 
Lara Cardenales (29-34) - Other Pitchers to Watch:  Kelvin Escobar made one relief appearance, but since signing with the Mets it is unclear how much they will allow him to pitch. He pitched one inning without giving up a run, striking out one and walking one.  -  myob

Babe Ruth:

Saturday marked the 90th anniversary of the Red Sox selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees. There was a time when that topic got people's blood boiling. Now, it is just a transaction in the bio of the greatest player ever.

If you look up the history of Dec. 26, in fact, that secret deal in 1919 doesn't look as big anymore. That same day in 1776, the British lost at the Battle of Trenton. Chairman Mao was born that day in 1893; FM radio was patented that day in 1933; Time magazine's 1982 Man of the Year went instead to the personal computer; the United Soviet Socialist Republic was formally dissolved that day in 1991; and disasters occurred with an Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and a Taiwan earthquake in 2006. -  Mark Newman