BBA Link Fest - Generally Giving

Welcome to another week of links from around the General Chapter of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance. What follows are some of the best baseball writers around the country and the world. Plus, we have a very special event taking place this weekend that you really need to know about. So please be a good egg and gives some of these links a click and some comments. You won't be sorry you did.

- We start with a very special event happening this weekend. Old Time Family Baseball will host a "blogathon" to raise money for Doctors Without Borders. The event has received national recognition (see here) and as that link indicates, there will be at least one big name that participates. As this is a terrific organization being supported, please stop by this weekend and do what you can to help. And just so you don't think the site has been sitting around waiting for the weekend, here's one of their current posts. It's hot.

- Another one of our General Chapter sites has received national attention of a different sort. The Platoon Advantage lost their Sweet Spot affiliation with ESPN.com because they tell and spoof the truth. The same day that was announced, Bill, questioned a BBWAA member and got called, "Saber-Boy." So Bill became Saber-Boy and gained more followers than anything the site ever garnered at ESPN. What a mixed up world, eh?

- It's hard to follow acts like that. But on we go. 85% Sports reports on some interesting comments by Barry Larkin on suspected PED users and the Hall of Fame.

- Analysis Around the Horn analyses (hey, that's what they do) fantasy draft results from several different sites. By the way, this Fan voted for Mechanical Brains as a preference for AATH's fantasy league name. 

- Sooze at Babes Love Baseball thinks the Ozzie and Zambrano show should be reality television. The Fan would watch that. It would be more entertaining than that baseball wives travesty.

- Probably this Fan's favorite read this week is this excellent post by Stevo-sama over at The Baseball Enthusiast. It concerns what everyone calls, "The Ryne Sandberg Game," but the post is oh, so much more than a memory.

- Baseballism reports on and celebrates the election of Barry Larkin to baseball's Hall of Fame. The Fan adds his congratulations here as well.

- Aaron has a great read over at Blogging From the Bleachers on how the San Diego Padres are slowly revitalizing their team. Great stuff.

- Call to the Pen loves the deal the Giants just game Ryan Vogelsong. Couldn't agree more.

- Our Italian site, Che Palle! celebrates forty years of Sal. Who is Sal? You'll just have to click the link and read the entertaining post to find out.

- Matt Whitener of Cheap.Seats.Please took a stab at his own "ballot" of Hall of Fame votes and wrote a very good piece supporting his picks.

- It would truly be a surprise if Diamond Hoggers didn't celebrate Barry Larkins vote into the Hall of Fame. So this Fan looked forward to their post. It was not a disappointment.

- Dugout 24, our German entry, has some thoughts on the news that Jorge Posada is hanging up his spikes.

- For Baseball Junkies also reflects on Jorge Posada's career and this Fan pretty much agrees with their conclusions.

- Projecting a team's line up in the coming season is always a fun idea and The Baseball Index runs with the idea for the Toronto Blue Jays. 

- Going Yard has some very interesting thoughts about what the Brewers will do if Ryan Braun is suspended. Great read.

- Golden Sombrero continues its excellent prospect series, so you are all encouraged to read that. But this week's link for them is one of this Fan's favorite site features, the lookalikes. This one features Mike Quade with fun results.

- Love, love, love Grubby Glove's "What's Wrong With This Card" series. Last week, we gave you the puzzle. This week, the puzzle is solved.

- Curley Bender of the Crum-Bum Beat builds the case for Edgar Martinez for the Hall of Fame. Couldn't agree more.

- Our French friends at MajorBaseball.fr contemplate Manny Ramirez's return to baseball. 

- A Tyler Beede rap? Who would imagine such a thing from the only first round draft pick not to sign. The Hall of Very Good fills us in with style.

- In a terrific post by Theo over at Hot Corner Harbor, he compares the BBA Hall of Fame voting with the BBWAA. Yes, we are way smarter.

- The Fan's good buddy over at Left Field continues to write great posts no matter what he is writing about. This week, he ties some of his favorite music for 2012 to some of those artist's favorite baseball team.

- MLB Dirt has so much great content, it's really difficult from week to week to pick a favorite. Between Jonathan's superb prospect series and Andrew Martin's terrific interviews and that other guy from Maine who writes over there, how to choose? This week, the Fan is going with Mike Schwartze's prospect pitching duos because the Fan really liked that one.

- What is WAR all about? And how is the statistic useful? Look no further than this terrific article on the subject over at MLB Reports.

- J-Doug over at Rational Pastime gives us that site's picks for the Hall of Fame. Great stuff!

- It really bugs a writer at the Replacement Level Baseball Blog that no player has ever received a 100 percent vote for the Hall of Fame. So the writer gives us thoughts on which players should have been unanimous. The Fan picks this post as the best post of the Generals this week.

- The consistently entertaining Sully of Sully Baseball has ten thoughts on the recent Hall of Fame vote. Terrific read.

- In another candidate for the best post of the week, Logan Lietz of Through the Fence Baseball explains Theo Epstein's real value to the Cubs. 

Thank you again for supporting our sites. We certainly appreciate you, our readers. And please, stop by Old Time Family Baseball on Saturday and support a great cause (and view some terrific blog posts!). Have a great weekend, everyone.