Mark Grudzielanek, the only Royal eligible for free agency filed on the first day. Three pitchers and three position players from the Cardinals have also filed, including starting pitcher Braden Looper.
Looper has made a good transition from a reliever to a starter in the last two years, but the Cardinals’ interest in bringing him back will be based on the health of Chris Carpenter.
Backup catcher Jason LaRue joined infielders Cesar Izturis and Felipe Lopez. Manager Tony LaRussa is a big fan of Lopez and wants to bring him back for sure.
Relief pitchers Ron Villone and Russ Springer also filed. Springer wants to come back and pitch one more year with the Cardinals and it appears that the team will look elsewhere for left handed relief.
As far as Grudzielanek, last season he was limited to 86 games because of injuries, but the Royals would like the 38 year old back. In three years in KC, he’s hit .300 and won a Gold Glove Award in 2006.
Six Cards and one Royal file for free agency
Royals complete trade for fish first basemen
The Kansas City Royals, in a first step to making guaranteed off-season moves traded relief pitcher Leo Nunez to the Florida Marlins in exchange for first basemen Mike Jacobs .
The 28 year old Jacobs hit .247 and had just an on-base percentage of .299, but he hit a career hig 32 home runs last year. Royals’ GM Dayton Moore sees the upside of his power. Home runs have come at a premium the last few years and Moore is hoping that Jacobs will provide some support for Jose Guillen.
Moore also said that with the logjam at first base now with Jacobs, Ryan Shealy, and Billy Butler, more deals could be expected.
Obama rallies faithful in Columbia with two words
Democrat Barack Obama has a simple message for supporters gathered at the University of Missouri-Columbia: five days.
Obama reminded a large audience gathered outside at the university’s quadrangle late Thursday night that the campaign is five days away from transforming America.
"The question in this election isn’t, ‘Are you better off than you were four years ago?’ We know the answer to that," Obama stated, "The real question is, ‘Will this country be better off four years from now?’"
Obama promised a break from Bush Administration policies which he said would continue under Republican John McCain. He said the McCain campaign has offered up false choices. Obama says he offers a new politics to transform America.
Obama sought to tie McCain directly to President Bush, especially on economic policies. Obama blamed the current economic crisis on the policies put into place the past eight years by the Bush Administration. At one time, Obama contrasted the economy under Bush with that under President Clinton, a fellow Democrat, insisting that he would return to the policies that spurred the economy during the Clinton years.
An outline of policies for an Obama presidency was given. Obama promised to change trade relationships that he said have cost the United States jobs, to end tax breaks that encourage companies to transfer jobs overseas and to invest $15 billion in renewable energy. Obama issued a promise that he would change health care policies and stop insurance companies from discriminating against the sick who need health care the most.
Another promise came during discussion of the war in Iraq. Obama said he would never hesitate to defend the country, but said it was time to quick spending billions on the war and time to hand over responsibility to the Iraqi government.
"As president, I will end this war," Obama promised to great applause from the audience.
Change has been the theme of Obama’s presidential campaign from the beginning. He told the audience that meant more than just a change of policies. He says it meant a change in attitude and a new politics that seeks to unite, not divide.
Obama’s visit to Columbia came only hours after running-mate Joe Biden spoke at Arnold, south of St. Louis. Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s visited Cape Girardeau that morning.
Keeping kids safe tonight
Hundreds of Missouri sex offenders are under strict orders to isolate themselves from trick or treaters tonight. The state board of probation and parole has told sex offenders under its supervision they have to stay inside their homes between 5 and 10-30 tonight unless they have a justifiable reason to leave. Their porch light has to be off. They have to post a sign that they have been given saying "No candy or treats at his residence." And they cannot try to engage in any kind of contact with children or go anyplace where there might be children to take part in any Halloween activities.
Board Chairman Steve Long says local police will help enforce the orders. But he says the board of probation and parole does not supervise many with sex offenses on their records. They’ve completed their terms and their probations.They do have to be registered, however. Long says police know who they are and can be checking on them throughout the evening.
He says the board had similar restrictions in place last year and there was only one infraction–He was out of his house at an activity and the violation did not result in any negative consequences..A lawsuit had challenged enforcement of the standards. A federal court has blocked a lower-court ruling that would have kept the standards from going into effect in some places.
Political observers keeping close watch on Missouri’s 6th Congressional District race
The Missouri Congressional race most closely watched, both by Missourians and those outside the state, might very well be the 9th District contest in northeast Missouri, in which a vacancy was created by Congressman Kenny Hulshof’s decision to run for Governor.
But there’s another contest in the Show-Me State that is getting a lot of attention. It’s the 6th District race in northwest Missouri, where incumbent Republican Sam Graves is facing a tough challenge from Democrat Kay Barnes , the former Mayor of Kansas City.
Part of the campaign has focused on ideological differences between the two, with Graves saying he represents the conservative values of the people of the district, while saying Barnes is too liberal. Barnes counters by saying she is a moderate who is in touch with the hard working people of the district, adding Graves is too closely aligned with the Bush Administration.
Energy has also been an issue in this campaign, with Graves saying Barnes refuses to embrace domestic options, like drilling for more oil, to address America’s energy needs. Barnes says she does want to address those needs, but prefers to do so with clean alternatives.
