Some news...

It looks like Dan Gerstein has been actively blogging as of late. On that note, it also looks like both DLC blogs have moved to the Blogger system.

Anyone hear the reports of Jeff Bagwell being forced into retirement? ESPN has reported that Bags wants to stay with the Astros but they don't want to renew his contract.

The first baseman has played his entire career in Houston and leads the franchise in home runs (449) and RBI (1,529), but missed much of last season after shoulder surgery.

"Nothing is going to keep me from attempting to play baseball next season," Bagwell told the Houston Chronicle.

The team, however, wants him to announce he can't play anymore, he and agent Barry Axelrod told the paper. Then the Astros would be able make an insurance claim for $15.6 million of the approximately $17 million he is owed in 2006.

"We're trying to get some objective information," Astros general manager Tim Purpura told the paper. "A healthy Jeff Bagwell is what we want. If he can't be a full-time player, we have to figure out if we can collect on the insurance or not."

Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio have been teammates since as long as I can remember. Maybe Greg at Greg's Opinion will have some commentary on this soon on this matter.

Speaking of baseball, Rich "Goose" Gossage has some harsh words for the writers who vote in the Baseball Hall of Fame members. I don't blame him. Look at his numbers. They are very impressive for a closer. There aren't too many closers in the Hall and Goosage should have been inducted as well as Lee Smith.

"I just don't get it," a frustrated Gossage told The Post from Colorado on Tuesday. "I'm at a loss for words."

Gossage, a former Yankees' fireballer, seems angry that he failed to get into the Hall of Fame despite the fact that he has, among other things, more career saves, victories, and strikeouts (948) than Sutter.

"I just can't believe Sutter got in before me," Gossage added."He deserved it. I was hoping Sutter and I could go in together. ... I don't know if I ever will make it."

"You know what, I never hear from these guys who don't vote for me," Gossage said. "But I'll take on any writer, anywhere, on any show, and I will bury him."

Gossage also feels badly for peers such as Rice, Andre Dawson and Bert Blyleven — all of whom were left on the outside looking in.

The "Goose's" feelings concerning Rice's snub were particularly strong as he called it a "joke" that the Twins' Kirby Puckett was elected on the first ballot. Rice meanwhile is now 0-for-12 in Hall entry attempts.

"If Jim Rice had played in the Metrodome, he would have torn the place down, and that's nothing against Kirby Puckett, that's just the way it is," Gossage said.

What's more, Gossage often pitched two or three innings to earn his saves, and he says comparing him to current closers such as Trevor Hoffman or Mariano Rivera is like comparing apples to oranges.[...]

And don't get him started on Barry Bonds and other allegedly drug-enhanced sluggers we watch now.

"Hitting in a game is no different than hitting in a home run contest," Gossage said. "It [ticks] me off to say Barry Bonds is the greatest hitter. He's playing in a wussy era. The game is soft. You never get thrown at today. Last thing a hitter has to worry about today is getting hit. The first thing Hank Aaron had to worry about is: Am I going to survive this at-bat because I'm black."

I didn't realize that Jerry Bruckheimer was a member of the tribe.

And for a man deemed a "rabbi" by many in the business because of his ability to offer sage talmudic advice, the producer concedes that Judaism is something he can sink his teeth into.

And, to a degree, he will be doing just that. "I'm working on a film about a Russian Orthodox fighter who got beaten up every day at school because he was Jewish," says Bruckheimer of the Ukrainian-born, now U.S. resident Dmitriy Salita.

Beaten up, until he made a new acquaintance, that is. Dmitriy, meet Gym.

"He developed so much, he became a fighter," a Golden Gloves champ. No one could lay a glove on him, but his professional career stalled "because he wouldn't box on Friday nights."

"Others rallied behind him," and Salita now has an ongoing career in boxing.

Just never on Shabbat.

It's all a lesson on rites and wrongs - and belief, according to Bruckheimer.

Bruckheimer does have some Kentucky ties and does own a house within the commonwealth.

Cardinals middle-reliever Julian Taverez is headed to Boston.

New Hampshire State Rep. Peter Sullivan can be found at the Old Town Hall in Farmington tomorrow evening at 7:00 PM for a forum that is being sponsored by Farmington Democratic Committee. I hope it goes well.