Dan Gould

Sad situation and I agree that he 'earned' the money he'll get. It could actually be argued that this outcome could turn out best for the Rangers, if you believe that Fielder was likely to see steady decline in production over the remaining four years, even if completely healthy. The contract he signed with the Rangers was enormous and extremely questionable given his body type. And the Rangers traded for that contract! They had to do it with their eyes wide open and justify it in hopes of immediate return on investment, future results be damned. Now we'll never know if Fielder was going to decline into suckitude or not but he gets paid regardless. The Rangers have to replace his bat and the financial hit isn't as bad due to the insurance. Imagine if he was riding the pine like A-Rod and making all that money down the line. But I agree he earned the money. If only teams would take to heart the fact that "past performance is not indicative of future returns".

Nor has anyone noted that this is $2000 for a glass CD, an SHM transfer (presumably not glass) and vinyl. So really the glass CD is less than $700.

It's allright Paul, eventually you'll just be wishing the Yankees would release Harper already and be done with it. If those wishes aren't aimed at Cashman, you'll probably be counting your blessings!

I'd really like to know who has tossed around a figure like $750 million, because um, NO. NO team in the next three years is signing anyone for $750 million dollars. Maybe his son, or son's son, signs for money like that. After you and I are long gone.

Is it coincidence that we've had more "weak" free agent classes, or are fewer really talented players going to free agency? What I am trying to say is, I don't know who their agent's are but I could see the Nats paying what it takes to keep Harper on the team. Not everyone is holding out for Yankee money anymore, or else more players are finding that money elsewhere.

What really didn't make sense about Miller is making the move at the trade deadline instead of the off-season. Relievers may be over-priced July 31 but the Yankees will never know what they might have been offered if they'd waited until the off-season and any team might have made an offer rather than only contenders, and only contenders that needed a closer.

The Paul Secor Tri-fecta, as it were: Teix, A-Rod, Sabathia. The quote that strikes me is: “As far as 700, or any of those type of milestones, I would have had an unbelievable, fun time going after them,” Rodriguez said. But “those are not the cards I was dealt,” he added. “Again, I’m at peace with the organization’s decision.” So for a team going nowhere they couldn't carry him on the roster for the rest of the month (after September 1 it hardly matters who is up with the big club) and let him play a game a week, pinch hit a couple of times a week, and see if he lucks into four taters and reaches 700. No, it's, "you won't do us a favor and quit so we're off the hook for next season's salary, so f-off, we'll pay you but you'll get no final send off unless we give you one next Friday. Let's see if the Red Sox fans let bye-gones be by-gones. Just be gone, Alex." If the team were fighting for a spot in the playoffs they should have done it long ago but now even Yankee fans won't get a chance to send him off into retirement. Pretty cold if you ask me.

What Bill said!

Ray Brown, Blues for Jazzo (Revue) is available gratis to a good home. Brown, John Lewis, Rodney Jones, Mickey Roker and vibes player Darwin Gross on a program of blues. I believe it was Gross's date when issued on vinyl and might have been his vanity project. The date's nice there's just a sameness to the tunes. YMMV. PM if interested in finding out.

Actually I jumped the gun and they skipped one scan ... both arrived on my front step, dumping into the PC right now so I can hear Julian Dash and the Harlem One More Time band soon! (For some reason my PC speakers stopped monitoring the line-in so I can only monitor levels then hear when I edit into tracks.)

Two LPs coming, both ended up in Jacksonville before heading to Plant City. They were scanned as arrived at Post Office within three minutes of each other. Looks like one is out for delivery and the other is going to wait until tomorrow. Not the biggest f-up but really, USPS?

My question for Paul would be, what would your ideal GM do? Stick with the youth and hope for the best? Or spend all that Steinbrenner money on whatever halfway decent free agent(s) out there? Or for that matter, package some of the youth they've gotten to land "proven major league talent" or heaven forbid, a Chris Sale? Because I think the Yankees chose to punt on this season to get whatever value they could but they don't at all intend to punt on 2017 or 2018. They are going to spend, and they are going to trade what they can, to try to reload and compete again.

#3 and 4 ranked prospects? I'd definitely say an overpay even if Lucroy is a big upgrade (catcher has really been a sinkhole for offense for your boys) and he's under team control for another year or two. If I were giving up #3 and #4 I'd want a bigger return then a good-hitting backstop. I guess J.D. sees a wide-open AL and this is his chance to get back to the World Series and finally win the damn thing.

Lucroy is done and it will be nice to see him face the spurned Indians in the playoffs. And the Yanks wave goodbye to Ivan Nova, so highly regarded that they got ... a PTBNL.

Beltran to the Rangers (nice replacement for Prince Fielder's limp bat). They got the #4 pick in the 2015 draft and two others. The headlining prospect may be struggling in his first year of pro ball but getting such a highly rated prospect for two months of Beltran is a pretty good get for Cashman. (BTW, does anyone know how Cashman prevailed on the Steinbrenners that they had to start the rebuilding process? Someone slip some truth serum into Hal and Hank's lattes?)

Now these are the kind I was hoping for. Thanks Cliff.

Well the fact is that LF has been a sinkhole of offense on the best offensive team in the league. Beltran is a HUGE upgrade over what they've run out there but as a two month rental there is no reason to give that much for him. I'd rather dream about Chris Sale, at least until 4 pm. He would cost a crap-ton of prospects but would actually be worth it.

This is what I was looking for though I'd add, in regards to artist-financed, that we probably don't necessarily need a list of Sun Ra recordings. Also mileage may vary on recent recordings put out on artist labels and, say, sold thru CD Baby. I was really hoping for obscure recordings from the age of vinyl.

There's a full day to go before the deadline. Beltran could certainly be gone by then, and Teix too. I am a little surprised that they moved Miller as his cost is reasonable and his performance is high but my question for my Yankee fan friends is, should they be rebuilding? At long last, isn't it time? Because Beltran and the other overpriced old folks aren't getting you squat compared to the talent they've gotten for Chapman and Miller.

Stumbled across something on eBay that made me think of a new topic ... "private press" recordings - albums pressed by obscure organizations, not recognized "labels". What I found (and grabbed) was this: if that's hard to read it features Norris Turney, Taft Jordan, Benny Morton and Norman Simmons in a program of mostly blues standards from a 1977 NJ concert. Apparently put out by the organization "Harlem One More Time". So I wonder, does anyone know of other "private press" recordings of note?

Blue Mitchell, 1978 Otter Crescent Washington

In the midst of about 8 different recordings from Smalls, all Killer Ray Appleton with various young-ish front lines (Lynch, Rotondi, DiRubbo, Hendrickson-Smith). Great hard bop!

I just scored the Eric Dixon and the Julian Dash. Hope the latter lives up to Chuck's billing!

I just scored some very inexpensive vinyl from a previously unknown label, MJR, Master Jazz Recordings: Cliff Smalls Septet, Swing and Things (Norris Turney is on this one and I've heard the leader on a Black & Blue date or two) Jimmy Rushing All-Stars, Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You Jimmy Rushing All-Stars, Who Was it Sang That Song? Wondering the derivation of these (are the Rushings reissues?) and if there are others of note on the label? As always, thanks in advance!