Atlanta Braves trade Derek Lowe to Cleveland Indians, sources say – ESPN.

The Keltner List was developed by Bill James as a device to evaluate a player’s Hall of Fame candidacy. In The Politics of Glory James says that it is probably his favorite tool to do that. (You can read about the background in that book, or do a Google search, for further information.) I’m going to run it for Joe Torre, even though he is going to go into the Hall, as a manager, as soon as they get around to voting on him. While there are several Hall of Famers who are in as players who probably got a boost from their managing career, Torre will probably be the only man voted in as a manager who has a legitimate claim to go in as a player.

Like I would skip Tennessee week. Road teams in disgusting orange.

And I wish there was an easier way to say it. The surgeons were unable to operate on Tuesday, because scans showed the regrowth of tumors that had been removed in July. From all appearances, the remaining cancer has entered a virulent stage. It is not likely to kill me directly; instead it will decrease the effectiveness of my organs by taking away the space they need to operate. The time frame is unclear, but basically I was told that the best measure if they don’t find a treatment is months rather than years.

I am posting at this ungodly hour as part of a psychological ploy. In case you have never had surgery, the doctors make you come in ridiculously early, after which you wait for several hours in which you are denied food and drink, even water. This is to soften you up so you’ll let them do anything to you as long as they give you drugs.

I am going to go into the hospital on Monday for a minor but invasive procedure. On Tuesday, I am scheduled to have major surgery. It’s not without risk but I have some of the best doctors there are working on me, led by the surgeon who worked on me in early 2009. Hopefully, this will be the last surgery for a good long time and will clear up some issues I have had with my health that I won’t go into right now.

We need a hitting coach. Who shall it be? TP? Don Baylor? Chris Chambliss? Chipper? Chipper’s dad? Lance Parrish?