Despite being a cute story for a few weeks, the Pirates are actually still kinda terrible. The top link below is a look at Huntington and Moore both getting contract extensions at strange times. Huntington is a guy who has been defended by the internet community before, especially when the mainstream went after him for making a zillion trades that needed to be made at the beginning of his tenure. Nevertheless, like Moore, many of those trades haven't really generated much, and like Moore circa 2009, the farm system is still struggling to take off. Anyway, an interesting read.

Royals:

• Is Neal Huntington The New Dayton Moore? - Baseball Nation
• Rany on the Royals: And His Name Is Spanish For "Savior". 
• Eight notable Storm Chasers postseason performances " mindahaas.net
• Making the Royals Contenders – Part 3 - Royals Authority
• The 2011 Pine Tar Press Royals minor league awards (Schaum and Scoles) | Pine Tar Press
• Tangled Up In (Royal) Blue: My Batting Practice With The Stars (And Jerry Terrell)

Baseball:

• How Much Did Carpenter Leave on the Table? | FanGraphs Baseball
• The San Diego Padres and the REAL Moneyball Players - Gaslamp Ball

Grab Bag:

• Swing State Blog: The Dying Swing States of New England
• A MAN'S GUIDE TO A WOMAN'S WARDROBE | More Intelligent Life