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It's that time of the winter when annual publications of note start hitting the bookshelves. Baseball America's Prospect Handbook is now shipping and Baseball Prospectus will land at the end of February. Myself, I re-read The Glory Of Their Times while waiting for the new books to arrive.
Meanwhile...
Links of Royal and general baseball interest:
Tampa Bay Times: Leaving Tampa Bay area difficult for former Ray James Shields
Shields bids Bay area fans adieu.
The Classical: Cold Mountain
Judge Kinnesaw Mountain Landis did nothing to integrate the game, yet is in the Hall of Fame.
Pine Tar Press: Performance Evaluation: Dayton Moore and Drafting Pitchers
Using bWAR to grade Royals and Braves; pre and post Dayton Moore.
Royals.com: George Brett and other Royals recall their favorite Earl Weaver tales
If you haven't read Weaver On Strategy, do yourself a favor. Then weep for Frank Yost.
Kings of Kauffman: I've got the power?
Can Billy Butler continue to improve his home run rate?
Some other links of varying length and interest:
The New Yorker: Obama Urged to Resign Over Beyonce Scandal
Are we any closer to learning the true identity of im_not_that_bright?
Grantland: Donald Westlake, the man who created Parker, and the quest for the perfect character
I stumbled upon the Parker series when looking for books to read on the Kindle. It was cheap and short. Why not? I was unprepared for my purchase. I've read six of them and keep one on standby, for when the mood strikes. They are nothing short of brilliant.
WSJ: For Jurgen Klinsmann, Mediocrity Will Not Be Tolerated
Jurgen Klinsmann, the former German star who now coaches the U.S. men's national soccer team, is taking his sword to the game's sacred cows in the U.S., determined to point out shortcomings of a culture that he sees as having largely accepted mediocrity.
The Week: Mad Men season 6: Everything we know so far
The best current show on TV returns April 7. "Are you alone?"
Life.com: WWII, D-Day | Before and After D-Day: LIFE in England and France, 1944
Yes, I'm linking to a slideshow. Yes, it's well worth your time.
Deadspin: A History Lesson For Sacramento: How Kansas City Lost The Kings
Karma is a bitch, Seattle.