BBA Link Fest - Generally Optimistic

Thursday sneaked up fast this week (spell check doesn't think "snuck" is a word - pshaw). Must be that Monday holiday thing. Except, this Fan is self-employed or unemployed, however you want to categorize it. Thursday is link day here in the FanDome and as the president of the General Chapter of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, one of the goals as such is to introduce you to a world of great baseball writers. So please be kind enough to click the links below and leave a comment or two. Bloggers love comments.

- What kind of president forgets one of his chapter members? This one apparently. Completely left out Mike Cardano and his excellent X-Log last week. To make amends of sorts, you get two links from Mike this week. First, there is the chop-licking thinking about media coverage of the Marlins this season. Next, Mike analyses what Adam Dunn's fantasy value will be in 2012. 

- Jackie Micucci over at Through the Fence Baseball ponders the Yankees quiet off-season.

- Over at Sully Baseball, Sully thinks Theo Epstein is earning his keep after last night's news.

- The Sports Banter's focus is on all sports, so we'll have to be content again this week with the ever entertaining Monday Mullet, Dave Stieb!

- The Replacement Level Baseball Blog bounces some great thoughts on the recent BBA press release of our organization's Hall of Fame choices.

- Curley Bender over at Crum-Bum Beat thinks that Larry Walker is a Hall of Fame player. This Fan loves when smart people come to the same conclusion he does.

- Our French baseball expert expounds on Francisco Liriano's Winter League debut over at MajorBaseball.fr.

- While three of the four writers at The Platoon Advantage logged in this week with their HOF picks, the fourth had an interesting thought process on intent and what PED users were trying to accomplish.

- While Old Time Family Baseball always has great writing and interesting post, this week, this Fan is eternally grateful for the site linking to another site's 50 great baseball gifs. What fun! And thanks! Laughed until there were tears.

- Another great week of content over at MLB Reports. The featured link this week is Peter Stein's take on Gio Gonzalez and Mark Buehrle in the National League. But the Jon Heyman interview was super too.

- MLB Dirt picked up another great writer this week. Don't they ever tell this Fan anything? Geez. But how can you quibble with the high quality of kvschnitz and his first article there?

- Oh man, this is terrific. What a genius post as Michael Holloway reinvents a scene from Moneyball. Bwahaha. Check it out and Michael Holloway's Baseball Blog.

- Over at Major League A**Holes, their writer thinks Chicago's American League GM is acting all Theo Epstein-like.

- Left Field doesn't want to be out in...well...left field on his 2012 Hall of Fame "ballot." But it's certainly worth reading!

- Theo over at Hot Corner Harbor continues his excellent retired numbers series. This one is on the Cleveland Indians. Has this Fan mentioned that it's high time the Red Sox retired Wade Boggs' number?

- The Hall of Very Good, or HOVG if you are hip like this Fan is, has a very entertaining post this week on Nomar Garciaparra's incredible belief system. Amazing.

- This Fan loves Grubby Glove's "What's Wrong With This Card" series. Talk about fun. Here's the latest.

- If you want to read something really good, check out Golden Sombrero's excellent prospect series. But since we are stuck on gifs this week, check out this one on Vlad Guerrero.

- This Fan's wife calls all of A-Rod's women post-marriage, "Skanky." Ouch. Baseball Index has all the information you need on A-Rod's latest...no...can't say it...

- Over at Diamond Hoggers, TheNaturalMevs is not shy in giving opinions. So this week's Francisco Cordero post shouldn't be a surprise. But it is good reading!

- Self-deprecating humor is often good humor. Matt Whitener makes an art of the craft in his recap of self-booboos for 2011. Cheap.Seats.Please!


- Mario Salvini (our Italian friend from Che Palle!) recalls some great moments from 2011.

- There was a lot of buzz around our chapter about the Zambrano trade (including yours truly). And Call to the Pen has a great take there too. But let's talk about Fernando Rodney instead!

- Yay! Blogging From the Bleachers is back! Aaron has a great new gig covering the Nationals (which should be exciting in 2011!), but at his original site, he covers the Jason Frasor trade. Welcome back, mi amigo!

- Sooze over at Babes Love Baseball marvels at Coco Crisp's afro. It is a thing of wonder!

- Ryan Sendek wants you to help him pick his fantasy baseball team name(s). Head over to his Analysis Around the Horn post to vote. The Fan will withhold his pick until next week. Why does "withhold" have two "H's" and "threshold" only one?

- 85% Sports has some information on the Ryan Braun situation that is definitely worth the read.

And finally, this Fan will toot his own horn a little bit. 2011 was this site's most successful year ever. So thank you readers and thanks to many of these sites for their retweets and friendship. Your faithful Fan churned out 695 posts last year for a three year total of 2,095 posts. To quote Ringo, "There's blisters on my fingers!"