Galactic Baseball Competition

APBA players will compete in the GBC this march, as the league's best players and minor league prospects will divide into 4 groups and compete for the title.

The 4 teams will be:

Team USA: Featuring United States born humans and other mammals. Could be led by Roger Chillingworth, Keith Lee, Jake Cisco, and Lou Zamuda.

Team Beisbol: Featuring earthlings from Mexico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and other spanish speaking countries. Top players include Luciano Cedeno, Domingo Chavez, and Andre Castillo

Team World: Featuring earthling players from other counties, such as Japan, Europe, Australia, and the Elven lands beyond the sea. The team will feature Joe Young, Dirk Lindros (Canada), Sithas Kawasaki, and Dragomir.

Team Tattoine: Featuring Jawas. This team may prove that Jawas are superior to all others. They will be led by Cy young aces Roger and Pedro Lewis, and feature the games's top hitter in Frank Lewis.

How the Shockers lost Keith Lee

Lyman L Solo: Welcome to The Herman Radio, I'm your host, Lyman L Solo, and with us tonight is Los Angeles GM Shockwave Junior. Shockwave, when did you first feel something was wrong in the Keith Lee negotiations?

Shockwave Jr: I thought we had a clear shot at signing Lee. We have a good size budget in Los Angeles, and the other teams that expressed interest, Mars, Hollywood, Cleveland, and Springfield, are not usually prepared to spend 15 million or more on one player. While scouting Lee, I could see scouts from all over the league, but every now and then, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. Sometimes I just felt its presence. It was huge, menacing, but hidden.

LLS: Did you ever get a closer view of your stalker?

SWJ: I never saw anything until it was too late. Sometimes I heard things, though. When Lee was in the field and had to make a throw, sometimes I'd hear a booming voice declare "DAMN WHAT A THROW". But I'd turn around, and never figure who it was.

LLS: When did you first see him?

SWJ: Not until the final negotiations. I went to the office of Keith Lee's agent for a final round of bidding. Vawk Henderson of Cleveland shared a cab with me, he confessed that his team would not go beyond 14 million. We spend most of the time discussing backup catchers. When we got to the conference room, I felt a presence. Then, out of the shadows stepped a giant figure dressed all in black. He shed his coat, showing his bow tie, turned to Keith, and said "Come to the dark side, sir. Join me and we will rule the major league east" It was, to my horror, Brad.

LLS: Did you continue with the bidding?

SWJ: I shouldn't have. Its a fool's game, but I did anyway. It was over before I knew it. I was prepared to pay 85 million, maybe a little more, but the numbers escalated so quickly. Brad put me in a financial headlock, gave me one hell of a noogie, and finally I cried uncle. It was over. I left in shame.

LLS: And Brad walked away with a new right fielder for 160 million over the next 8 seasons.

Renseller is a Rabbit

Joey Renseller has joined the Denver Rabbits, signing for 69 million over 6 years according to agent Jerry Maquire. Denver traded the rights to 3rd baseman Walter Short and second baseman Sam Robinson to Portland in return for Portland not matching the contract. Both players are also free agents, but could remain in Portland. Robinson may replace another free agent 2B, Bobby Hill.

Portland is working on a contract extension for center fielder Jorge Nunez. According to my sources, the two sides are very close and likely to reach an agreement soon.

It pays to be a World Champ: Charlotte second baseman Jacen Solo has recently been seen with Evangeline Lilly, of the hit TV show Lost.

Decker signs

The Cleveland Spiders report that closer Jake Decker has accepted their offer. He will make 28 million over the next 4 years. Decker, 35, has a career ERA of 2.59 and 363 saves. Last year, playing for both New York and Detroit, he saved 23 games and had a 3.45 ERA.

Decker had been the closer for Brad in New York since 2000, but fell out of favor in the 2004 playoffs after allowing back to back 9th inning homers by Joey Renseller and John Conner.

Renseller, also a free agent, has accepted an offer from Denver worth at least 10 million per year. Denver is now in the processing of deciding just how much to sweeten the pot, hoping that Portland won't match the offer.