The New Peter Gammons

Greensboro, NC – When the great Peter Gammons steps down as the "King of Baseball Knowledge," I believe that I have found his replacement. Up and comer, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports has emerged onto the scene as the best baseball insider these past two seasons. When Gammons went down with a brain aneurism in June 2006, his weekly column, “Diamond Notes” was discontinued. “Diamond Notes” consisted of a smorgasbord of inside baseball knowledge; juicy trades, free agent signings, and players to watch. You felt 10 times smarter after reading it. The column took you inside the office of a general manager and allowed you to snoop through their files. It was a treat every Sunday afternoon to read the latest column. Upon being released from the hospital a couple of weeks after the aneurism, Gammons debuted with his own blog. The blog still has a touch of Diamond Notes; however, the main content is nothing but random thoughts. Gammons’ love of rock n’ roll saturates the blog. With the infrequent postings, I’ve had to look elsewhere for insider information.

Ken Rosenthal, who is from Maryland, is the sideline reporter for Fox’s "Game of the Week" on Saturdays. After reading his column last year before the trading deadline, Rosenthal ended up dead-on with his trade projections. His thrice-a-week column is loaded with baseball knowledge. It’s well worth your click. Rosenthal, who comes across as very articulate and concise, has become the expert at sniffing out trade proposals. In his latest column, he was the first to point out that Jim Bowden is highly interested in Adam Dunn. Rosenthal cites all of the key pros and cons about Dunn coming to DC. Rather than attempt to stand out by being provocative (Stephen A. Smith) or developing a signature line (everyone), Rosenthal is plain vanilla. It’s the simplicity that catches my eye in the age of sportswriters and reporters doing anything for ratings. Watch out Kenny, ESPN will be knocking on your door before too long.

For my baseball knowledge, I’m turning to the accurate, straightforward Rosenthal over Gammons. I think Gammons has lost a step. That’s no disrespect to Peter, he will always be my all-time favorite baseball writer and reporter. It’s just that Rosie has the inside step right now.

Trade Talk

• Dunn to DC? Bowden would have to talk Dunn into staying long-term, much like he did to Kearns prior to this season. The Nats could surely use his bat in the lineup, but this guy is a strikeout machine. He’s the Rob Deer of his era – he’ll either be the hero or rally killer. The Nats will NOT part with top prospect Chris Marrero in any deal.
• Heard a rumor that Cardinals GM Walt Jocketty and Manager Tony LaRussa may walk away at the end of the year and take over the Reds together.
• Peter Gammons has always praised the personality of Torii Hunter over the years. I think Peter has this one wrong – this guy is money hungry. When asked where he would like to sign in the offseason, Hunter said, “pay me, just pay me.”
• The NL Rookie of the Year race just opened back up with the injury to Hunter Pence – not that my fantasy team was struggling enough.