More photos » by Eric Risberg - AP

In this Feb. 16, 2009 file photo, Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff, left, and general manager Billy Beane, center, talk with pitcher Brad Ziegler, right, during spring training baseball in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

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I spoke with Oakland GM Billy Beane this morning. Here is a transcript of the interview.

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I interviewed Oakland GM Billy Beane this morning and will have a transcript posted for you soon.

Now working on the Los Angeles Angels. Preliminary player list after the jump. Who am I missing?

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More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

The Franchise (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi, File)

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Top 20 Washington Nationals Prospects for 2010.

All grades are EXTREMELY PRELIMINARY and subject to change. Don't get too worried about exact rankings at this point, especially once you get beyond the Top 10. Grade C+/C guys are pretty interchangeable depending on what you want to emphasize.

Feel free to critique the list, but use logic and reason rather than polemics to do so. The list and grades are based on a blending of present performance and long-term potential. Full reports on all these players can be found in the 2010 Baseball Prospect Book. 

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Still working on the Washington Nationals....preliminary player list and some early grades after the jump.

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The previous thread was getting unwieldy, so here's a new one. Go ahead and ask questions here about players in the Arizona Fall League, and I will answer them starting tomorrow.  Be patient as I'm also working on the book right now.

Arizona Fall League

I have returned from the Arizona Fall League and the First Pitch Arizona Conference. As usual, I had a great time, learned a lot I didn't know, and even got to meet a few Minor League Ball readers.

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Good Morning.  As you might have figured out from the headline, John will arrive home this afternoon.  He will no doubt be filling you in on his trip details in the coming days. 

I know he is excited to be getting back to work on the book (The Baseball Prospect Book 2010), which oh, by the way, you should consider ordering if you have not done so.  www.johnsickels.net is the site.  There is a link somewhere on this page, on the right side column, that looks like a mock-up of the cover.  It's so easy!

It's Sunday night, and John is somewhere in New Mexico, on his way home.  He seems really excited about the players he saw, so that's good. 

Sorry I didn't post this weekend...It's been a little hectic.

I'll TRY to be interesting tomorrow...Here's something I'm curious about your thoughts concerning:

Are there too many MLB teams?  Not enough?  What area do you think needs a team, or has a successful enough minor league team in terms of attendance and money that it could likely support a major league team? 

PLEASE NOTE:  I AM NOT ASKING IF ANY PARTICULAR CITY SHOULD LOSE THEIR TEAM.  THAT IS A QUESTION THAT CAN ONLY LEAD TO PROBLEMS AND STRIFE, AND WE WANT HAPPY FUN BLOG TIME.

The reason I'm asking is this:  I've been trying to think of an area that has the population and financial demographic that could support a team that isn't already within drivng distance of one.  I'm positive that there are areas where a team could succeed, but I'm not able to think of too many. 

The only thought I could come up with is Las Vegas.   However, I can't really see people giving up a day at the casino, (or other less mentionable adult attraction!) in order to see a game for a city they are just visiting, or to follow their home team to Vegas.  On the other hand, there are lots of people, and lots of money there, so maybe.  I know there is a minor league presence, so I don't know if a major league team would move in too, or if it would take over, or what.  Also, they would have to come up with a NOT LAME mascot name so we don't get something stupid like the Vegas Gamblers, or the Nevada Elvises...or would that be Elivisi?  At any rate, you get the picture.

And, who would be a good stadium sponsor?  I'm really disgusted by the corporation named Target Stadium, and Cellular One whatever... I think stadiums should be named after something that honors the city they are in, like a famous citizen or a famous landmark.  I want to see a stadium for Sin City named after something awesome...If it must be named for a corporate sponsor, what about Trojan Stadium?   (SLOGAN: See the big bats swing in the Trojan!)

Or, get a casino to sponsor the stadium.  Ceasar's would be my choice.  The stadium could replicate the shape and cool decorations wherever possible.  They could show live feed of people playing roulette rather than those warm-fuzzy-get-to-know-the-players pieces they show when the game stalls. 

Just a thought!

Where would you like to see a team?  Anywhere?  Even if you think we have the proper team saturation, you can still play...Just name a city or state, suggest a mascot if you want...we're just having fun.  I strongly suspect that the MLB powers that be won't be taking advice from any of us!

I got it!  The Sin City Wayne Newtons!

******************************************************************************

PS..the picture is from hamsterdance.com, a website we used to play to amuse Nicholas.  They've changed it since then, so it's not the same, but still worth a giggle.

I must make a confession.  I have gotten totally hooked on these cooking contest shows on the food network: Iron Chef America, The Next Iron Chef and Chopped.  There is also a show on Bravo, Top Chef, that I watch, but not as consistantly.  The Next Iron Chef and Chopped, especially, really are just horrilble, in that the contestants are a little desperate, and totally willing to stab their fellow contestants in the back, or just straight in the heart for a small advantage. 

Up until these shows came into my field of vision, I prided myself, somewhat snobbishly, on the fact that I never have watched reality television.  Eight thousand Survivor seasons, American Idol, the dancing shows, the Bachelor, Girl Bachelor, Loser Bachelor, The Apprentice, all these shows were just way beneath my interest level.  They bring out the worst in people, and the contestants who show themselves to be the biggest asses, the worst people, seem to be the most celebrated.

Then I got hooked on Iron Chef, which is ok--it makes me feel like I, too, could make five dishes out of King Crab toenails.  And, the chefs seem to have some respect for one another.  After that, I discovered Chopped, which is way harder than Iron Chef, and waayyyy more interesting.  The contestants actively smirk when their competition messes up, and they do these interviews where the chefs all bag on each other in between rounds.  I lap this stuff up, to the point of being mildly ashamed.

The point, and I do have one, is this:    Would a reality competition about baseball work?  Would anyone watch it?  The setup I'm thinking about would be pretty dismal, and would likely show the contestants to be on the pathetic side....which is kind of why I think it could work. 

Here's what I see:  the contestants would be guys who either didn't get drafted and would normally go to independant league ball or to used car dealer school, or guys who were stuck in triple A so long that they have been forgotten.  The prize would be to start in ten games for whatever team they could bribe into participating...probably a cash poor team (you know who you are!).

Each week they would have contests that the players would have to accomplish and be judged on.  One week each player could coach a little league team on fundamentals, one week they could have a homerun contest, one week they could each have a one-armed guy who they had to teach to hit, one week they could have to hand sew regulation baseballs.  Interspersed throughout would be actual stuff having to do with actual baseball ability.  There are literally endless numbers of demeaning, pointless tasks these contestants could be judged on.  The weekly elimination could involve having a mascot shoot the loser with one of those hotdog guns.

I am going to say it first:  This is an absolutely horrible idea.  However, I think people would watch.  Here's a chance for the average out of shape couch potato to see real athletes, with real abilities, put through the ringer and (hopefully) humiliated.  You would get to see dreams made, but also dreams dashed.  I always thought I was above liking that type of entertainment, and I'd like to think I would not watch, but I admit....my favorite episodes of my cooking shows is when there is a huge blunder or ego meltdown....I think we are all a little closer than we would like to admit to the whole 'let's go watch the lions eat the Christians' mindset.

So...what do you think?  Would you watch this show?  We could call it Iron Baseball Idol Survivor Apprentice.  It could be hosted by one of the Kardashian sisters.  If you would never lower yourself to watch such a thing, do you think anyone else would?