Next time you starting wishing your favorite team’s horrible owners would “disappear” for reals, thank your lucky stars you aren’t among the fans of Manchester City. Their ownership makes the owners of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (for example) look like your favorite babysitters from childhood.

Of course, he’s spending money, which puts him one up on the Devil Rays.

Via The Offside, “Arrest Warrant issued for Manchester City Owner”—

Thaksin Shinawatra is known to football fans as the guy who bought Manchester City earlier this year and who has opened his extensive wallet to lure Sven-Goran Eriksson and a bunch of new players. In the non-football world, he is known as the guy who used to be the prime minister of Thailand until he was overthrown in a peaceful military coup last September.

These two worlds might collide if Shinawatra is forced to go back to Thailand where he is charged with corruption. This could lead to him having to relinquish his assets in the UK, including his shares of Manchester City.

You might surmise from the surname, and you’d be correct, that today is a special day for yours truly. As fellow Irishman Vin Scully said prior to this morning’s first televised Dodger spring training game, “Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all, especially if it applies.” :)

The Dodgers are wearing their traditional green uniforms and caps to commemorate the day, and have added green bases as well. There’s a long history of celebrating March 17th at Dodgertown, which you can read about on Walter O’Malley’s official website, in the feature “St. Patrick’s Day Parties A Legend At Dodgertown”

I have a Guinness waiting in the fridge for later. This should be an especially tasty treat — it’ll be a celebratory drink, of course, but I also haven’t had a beer since before the bike accident, not wanting to get too interactive with the Vicodin. A beer and the first Dodger game on TV for the year — Brilliant! :)

There was an interesting story over on Slashfood a couple of days ago about how drinking habits in Ireland are changing to incorporate more wines and other fermentations, with a corresponding decline in Guinness sales. “Wine, instead of Guinness, for St. Patrick’s in Ireland”

Guinness sales are booming elsewhere in the world, so nothing to worry about for next St. Patrick’s Day. :)

The Baseball Databank (BDB) is dedicated to creating and maintaining a comprehensive record of all baseball statistical data in a form that makes them useful for researchers and product developers. This databank, once it is fully normalized and proofed, will be the standard source for those professionals creating new data products. By providing this data to the public in a free and open format, the BDB hopes to encourage the development of third-party applications, including web sites, standalone query tools, games and simulations. Or perhaps something completely different. The ultimate purpose is to extend our understanding of the game of baseball.

Looking back over the past year of Dodger- and baseball-related posts here on Celsius1414 or, heck, the last couple of weeks, it should be pretty obvious that the subject has become pretty popular ‘round these parts. A glance at the tag cloud page confirms it.

I’ve been thinking of splitting off baseball content into its own website for some time now, and with the Hot Stove League in full swing, this seems as good a time as any to debut trolleydodger.com.

The Trolley Dodger website is a standalone blog dedicated to the Dodgers, affiliated teams, and baseball in general. There are a few posts there already, and while I won’t be transferring any existing stories here on Celsius1414 to the new site, I am really looking forward to covering one of my favorite topics in great verbosity over the coming months. Given the events of the off-season so far, there should be a lot to write about.

Celsius1414 will continue on as always, minus the new baseball stuff.

Thanks for reading!

I’m hoping they do a dual news conference for Jason Schmidt and Luis Gonzalez like they did for Juan Pierre and Randy Wolf, because I would love the over-the-top surreality of seeing two former foes donning Dodger Blue simultaneously. With their names on the back.

Schmidt, while not the over-powering monster he once was, can still bring it — witness his striking out 16 Marlins in this complete game last season. From what I’ve read, he is bolstering the not-as-high heat with crazy changeups, so keep an eye out there. (Of course that was 6/6/06, so perhaps the Devil was involved that day. ;)

The 39-year-old Gonzalez is a long ways away from his own salad days, but he will likely still be able to contribute with doubles (52 in 2006) instead of homers. He isn’t the powerful corner outfielder with the big bat we need and were hoping for, but that particular item might still be in the works.

So far this off-season, the Dodgers are being touted as the big winners, at least in the National League. Even the newspapers in rival NL West cities seem to like the moves so far.

San Diego Union Tribune — “Dodgers early leaders in I-5 road rally”

Ned Colletti is only in his second year as general manager of the Dodgers, or any club, but to this point he’s the one burning up the NL West. Whether paying above market value or not – and $44 million to Juan Pierre is above and beyond – he’s putting together a club that would be favored to win the West if the season began Dec. 11.

San Francisco Chronicle — “Dodgers are close to a winner”

While the Giants pin their hopes on a man who turns 43 in July and will face a season’s worth of innuendo about Human Growth Hormone or post-steroid breakdown, depending on how his body holds up, it’s important to notice what’s happening in the rest of the division. The Dodgers, for example, are one strong move away from clinching it right now.

The Arizona Republic — “Dodgers emerge as big winners”

Hard to imagine a team signing future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux and having only the second-best success in its division at baseball’s annual winter meetings.

But that’s pretty much what happened in the National League West this week.

The Dodgers outdid everyone.

The Denver Post — withholding comment so far. ;)

An exciting time, even if it is still December. Much like how hard it is for kids anticipating Christmas this time of year, waiting months until Spring Training is going to be tough.