Elephant Rumblings: Barreto, Mateo Among Top SS Prospects, A Vandal Strikes the Field of Dreams

A’s Coverage:

• Barreto, Mateo among Top 10 SS prospects...
• Oakland Athletics release 2018 minor league spring training schedule...

MLB News:

• 2018 Baseball Hall of Fame announcement: How to watch, start time, TV channel...
• Vandal damages ‘Field of Dreams’ site in eastern Iowa...
• Former top Astros prospect Jon Singleton suspended 100 games after third failed drug test...

Baseball Interest Stories:

• Why does everybody love Vlad Guerrero so much?
• Sawchik: Someone Should Sign Lorenzo Cain...
• Should MLB front offices worry about what rivals are doing?
• Longtime DH Edgar Martinez nears vote threshold for Hall of Fame...
• Postcards from Vacation: An Overview of Baseball’s Winter Leagues...
• Charlie Blackmon and a look inside the backstabbing world of sports agents...

Today in Baseball History:

• 1913 - In a story in the New York Times, Detroit Tigers President Frank Navin blames the length of the games on the coaches’ boxes. Navin, reacting to American League President Ban Johnson’s complaint that too many games the previous season had taken two hours to play, says the boxes should be moved back so that the catcher can give the pitcher his signals more quickly. From where they are now, he said, the coaching players can detect the catcher’s signals unless he takes a lot of time to hide them. Navin said this slow signalling is the reason for the longer games.
• 1961 - The Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Athletics agree on a six-player trade. The Orioles acquire outfielders Whitey Herzog and Russ Snyder from the Athletics in exchange for infielder Wayne Causey, pitcher Jim Archer, and outfielders Bob Boyd and Al Pilarcik.

Best of Twitter:

• A former minor-leaguer moves to the Twins...

• Darvish expected to sign soon...

• A fun warm-up for baseball on this chilly winter day...