But sometimes, when Harden needed more violence, bus trips with hockey teammates would feature videos of old mixed martial arts bouts. The guys would vicariously release anger cheering for their idols, cagefighters such as Mark Coleman. They'd also cheer for blood.

"It was from back in the day, when there were less rules and no weight classes," Harden said appreciatively.

Relatively quiet and usually friendly Rich Harden, the new leader of the Texas Rangers pitching staff, has a blood lust?

A little bit. A younger Harden enjoyed MMA so much that he saw himself stepping into the octagon to compete someday.

"I was so into it growing up, it was something I could see myself doing once baseball ended," said Harden, who's now 28. "I always thought it would be kind of fun."

Harden insists he's never actually stepped into the ring to fight, and probably never will, now that MMA has become, using his word, "popular."

"Everybody's doing it now and it's the 'cool thing' so I haven't been into it lately," Harden said. "And it's changed."

Harden — and he's mentioned this before — says he still misses the physical aspects of hockey. Such a dimension barely exists in baseball.

"Occasionally you get a chance to block the plate," Harden said with a grin.

But there's no checking in baseball. Unless it's for the sign.

"In hockey, if you get frustrated, you can ... I always played better. I always played better when I was angry," Harden said. "I'd get more physical."

With nobody to smash into the boards and detached from cagefighting, what does Harden do these days with his frustration?

He thinks it through.

"I've learned to kind of control it," Harden said. "When I was younger, I'd almost be out of control. Some days, it would make me a better pitcher. Others, it would work against me."

Harden had a 4.09 ERA this past season with the Cubs, his worst since 2006. He also hit six batters, a career high. Coincidence?

Harden also has made a conscious effort in recent season to not throw 100 mph on every pitch, which he used to do simply because he could. Changing speeds and hitting spots, he's learned, is more important than brute velocity.

And his strikeout rates the past two seasons are higher than ever.

"Still, occasionally I'll get frustrated and throw it hard," Harden said. "It's hard not to. I don't know what else to do. It feels good."

Big ol' BLS hat tip to @ari_bo_bari.

* * *

Dave's desert trek continues this weekend. See where he goes next by following him on Twitter — @answerdave.

Every day in spring training until we're finished with the entire league, Big League Stew takes a brief capsule look at each team that we visit in Florida and Arizona. Today we look at the Cincinnati Reds, who are aiming for their first NL Central title since 1995. 

CINCINNATI REDS

'09 RECORD: 78-84, 4th in NL Central

BIG ACQUISITIONS: Perhaps you heard about the Reds shocking the baseball world to sign Cuban pitching prospect Aroldis Chapman(notes) for $30 million? ... Less heralded was giving Orlando Cabrera(notes) his 34th home in the past seven years, but the shortstop should improve the Reds up the middle.  

BIG DEPARTURES: Are we counting Willy Taveras(notes)? No? Well, then Walt Jocketty's core remained pretty much intact for what it hopes will be a run for a division title in 2010.  

FIVE QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT THE REDS:  

1. Will Joey Votto(notes) become the best first baseman in the division not named Pujols or Fielder? With Derrek Lee(notes) and Lance Berkman(notes) getting another year older, there's a good chance. Despite battling depression following his father's death, Votto put up great numbers — .322/.414/.567 with 25 homers and 84 RBI — in 130 games for the Reds. The 26-year-old is the main cog in the Reds' offense and an increase in numbers during his third full season would place him among the league's most elite hitters.

2. Can Scott Rolen(notes) stay healthy the entire season? Despite looking more like a seller than a buyer, Jocketty acquired his old third baseman from St. Louis near the trading deadline and then crowed on how Rolen's leadership was going to help a young squad in 2010. That's a fine plan, but Rolen has missed at least 30 games in four of the last five seasons and will turn 35 years old a few days before the season opener. Ken Griffey has made it fashionable to be a cheerleading veteran, but the Reds will also need Rolen to stay on the field and produce if they want the ultimate playoff payoff. 

3. Will Aroldis Chapman go north with the big league club? A lot of people got excited after watching Chapman's debut earlier this week and the Reds certainly aren't paying him that kind of money to pitch in AA ball. Still, here's hoping the Reds are patient with their newest arm and send him to the minors until whenever he's ready. Dusty Baker is often rightly criticized over his reliance on older players, but in this case he and Jocketty need to let their vets handle the workload while Chapman gets the seasoning he needs.  

4. What does the rotation look like without him? The Reds are looking at a slate of Aaron Harang(notes), Bronson Arroyo(notes), Homer Bailey(notes), Johnny Cueto(notes) and Justin Lehr(notes). It certainly isn't the stuff dreams are made of, but if Harang can pitch well in a contract year while Bailey and Cueto fulfill their promise, it has a chance to be quite solid.  

5. Is this the year that Cincinnati finally awakens to fulfill its sleeper status? It seems like the Reds have been a fashionable NL Central pick for a few years now and there's no doubt that Reds fans are hungry for a winner. Headed by Votto, Jay Bruce(notes) and Drew Stubbs(notes), the team definitely has a lot of young talent in its lineup and I think it's hard to rule out many teams in the chase for the NL wild card. But there are still a lot of questions on this team and until it proves it can stay healthy and productive, I'm still going to harbor a lot of doubt it can knock the Cardinals from their perch.   

"But Didn't We Have Fun?" combines terrific archival history with indifferent presentation. It's a nice airplane read for someone interested in baseball's roots, but nothing more than that. It's a shame, because the material is rich and the author is well-suited to tell the story. Peter Morris is one of the preeminent baseball historians in the country — he was an inaugural laureate of the Society for American Baseball Research's Henry Chadwick Award, along with Bill James, Pete Palmer, and SABR founder Bob Davids.

But his book is saddled with a bizarre thesis: 19th-century baseball players founded and shaped the modern game, he argues, for no other reason than that they wanted to have fun. "Fun" provides the book's entire structure, and it's right there in the title, but it's hard to understand quite why he thought that was the most penetrating insight to illuminate the old game. Baseball is a game. Of course it's fun.

I came to the book as a lay reader, not at all versed in baseball's prehistory (except for that old Conan O'Brien clip about 1864 baseball), so while I didn't know anything about the historians who may have argued that old baseball players didn't have fun, I learned a great deal about the old game. Money has been a tension in baseball from its beginnings. Many people know that the first baseball club was probably the New York Knickerbockers, whose official rules became adopted by clubs across the country in the 1850's. (Among other things, the Knickerbocker rules specified that players had to be either "members" or "gentlemen.") Morris makes great use of the recollections of the players of that era, from diaries, memoirs, and newspaper stories. The first baseball clubs were, quite literally, gentlemen's clubs that decided to play pickup games every now and then. Many of the players had as much interest in banquets afterward as the basepaths.

Being gentlemen, of course, they had their own private income sources, so they privately footed the bill for all costs, including equipment and travel, and all games were free, because the games were played in parks that didn't have fences or walls, so anyone could just walk up and watch. This meant that baseball could be a rather expensive hobby, and one only available to a private man of means. Many clubs asked their older members to help subsidize the games that the younger men played. Eventually, some clubs prized winning highly enough to be willing to import a non-member to play for the club, which was the start of professional baseball. At the start, baseball was a boy's game played by rich men. That was unsustainable — as was the expectation that clubs would continue to foot all their own costs, especially once they had to start paying for players. Gradually, enclosed ballparks were built so that teams could charge spectators admission and cover their costs.

In the wake of the increased professionalism of the larger teams, amateur baseball began to appear as a near-parody or burlesque of the more expensive game. Bad players formed teams that reveled in their own ineptitude, as if they were playing games where both teams were the Washington Generals. But this helped underline the difference between the clubs where the players were paid athletes and they teams that couldn't afford to. Many at the time protested; the Eckford Club of Brooklyn gave up the game in the 1860's, when seemed that baseball had become more about the money and less about the fun.

Morris has a solid grasp of all the history, and the book is beautifully illustrated by photographs and diagrams, many of which are taken from the collection of Tom Shieber, curator of the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. The trouble is the meandering presentation. He begins compelling stories but never finishes them — like the untimely death at age 21 of Jim Creighton, baseball's first professional, or the fate of a St. Louis Empires game during the Civil War in which the Home Guard arrested players and fans alike for possible sedition. It's a collection of good stories that could be told better. This book is a good primer to the era, and for someone not interested in reading one of the more monumental tomes about prehistoric baseball, it is a fine place to start. But it could be better.

The Colorado Rockies are always among the teams that release a great annual crop of commercials and they've just released the newest batch for the 2010 season.

The most topical of the ads is Todd Helton's(notes) Twitter lesson as taught by the much younger Dexter Fowler(notes). I lurve the idea of players checking the local beat writer's Twitter account for the lineup instead of walking across the clubhouse to see it posted on the wall.

But considering that Dexter Fowler isn't even on Twitter — at least not to my knowledge — I have to crown the ad featuring Eric Young Sr. and Eric Young Jr. as the best of the bunch. Maybe the presence of Boo-boo and Wooby will help Junior stick in the bigs this year.  

Stew lieutenant David Brown is visiting Arizona and his swing took him to an unusual forum on Thursday night — a concert performed by several desert-dwelling ballplayers

Greetings rock fans! 

When a reporter asked Barry Zito(notes) on Thursday night about what it's like being famous, the richest San Francisco Giant somehow delivered a believable answer without conceit.

"People think I'm cool, people want to hang out with me," Zito said.

Yes, but is that because he's a major leaguer or a budding John Mayer?

Maybe the answer is both.

Instead of organizing a celebrity golf outing, Chicago White Sox righty Jake Peavy(notes) chose to  put on a charity benefit concert in Scottsdale with major leaguers as the performers.

Peavy called it "Woodjock" and it featured himself, Zito, Bernie Williams(notes), Bronson Arroyo(notes) (above) and others who are ballplayers first and musicians second. Usually.

I headed over to the event not only because of the unintentional comedy alerts or for such offenses such as Gordon Beckham(notes) singing my favorite song by the Eagles ("Take It Easy") and Aubrey Huff(notes) channeling Johnny Cash for his own purposes ("Ring of Fire").

I also went because, to paraphrase John Candy's "Blues Brothers" character, "I wanna hear if these boys can sing." Perhaps surprisingly, I found, for the most part, that yes, they can.

And they can play, too.

Here are some photo highlights (with a promise of video to come): 

• Brandon Medders(notes), a reliever for the San Francisco Giants, stole the show by playing the opening to "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns N' Roses with his guitar behind his head. As you can see in the photo above, the dude can pick an ax. "I've been practicing a lot," he told us and it was readily apparent. 

• Bernie Williams, as you might know, is a classically trained guitarist. Not only did he sit in on most of the sets, he went solo for his reharmonization of "Take Me Out To the Ball Game."

• Former major leaguer Ben Broussard(notes) played "Deep," an original tune that's at least good enough for the college radio station in your town. It's really good, actually. And, surprisingly, he can spit out a beat box that would make the Fat Boys do one of those "Fat Boys doubletakes."

• Peavy sang with an Alabama twang and played guitar with country fried joy on two original tunes. One mentioned his new team and another proclaimed he loved all mankind — including "black people, Muslims and gays."

• Peavy and Beckham also went Simon and Garfunkel for "Take It Easy" which, on Beckham's musical scale, sounded like success at the karaoke bar. "I'm a shower singer," Beckham said. "Been practicing a lot. Taking a lot of showers. Also doing a lot of driving." He admitted being from Georgia helped him find the right pitch.

• Arroyo probably was the most polished singer. He just looks and sounds like a rock star — and he brought groupies. Or maybe they brought themselves, I'm not sure. Arroyo also took me back to my college days by crooning "If You Could Only See (The Way She Loves Me)" by Tonic. C'mon, Bronson. You know you're above that crap.

• Huff, who took the stage with a bottle of Coors as his "instrument" (above) was spot on as Johnny Cash. He even had a good stage presence that included that "point at the audience" that rock stars do. Learn from this man, Beckham.

• The Giants' Tim Flannery, who might be the coolest coach in the majors, played a couple of tunes backed by his Lunatic Fringe band. Scott Linebrink(notes) of the White Sox, who wore the most country dress shirt of the evening, also played a set.

• And Zito, who caught some unwanted attention when a demo of his original work "A Man's Gotta Do" slipped past the goalie and onto the Internet, aptly played the drums and sang backup.

What, no solo for "A Man's Gotta," B.Z.?

"That's an old song. That’s about six years old," Zito said. "I've written some songs since then, but I'm going to hold off on the original stuff tonight."

Boo.

Zito says he has written about eight years — years! — worth of material. Enough for a deluxe box set and a semi-repetitive retrospective. Yet, there's no sign of even a single album on the iTunes. What gives?

"It's a work in progress," Zito said. "It's just something that, when it hits, I want it to be right and I want it to be good. It's going to take a minute."

Actually, eight years takes up about 4 million minutes. 

The show raised funds for several charities It also gave Zito a chance to bring 25 wounded Marines to the stage to be recognized for their service to county —  a moment that truly put a lump in your throat.

No matter how low Zito's ERA goes and or high his salary might seem, Strikeouts for Troops should be his legacy. But he's solid on the drums, too.

* * *

Dave's tour of spring training in Arizona continues. Follow him on Twitter — @answerdave.

I saw the Andrew Baggarly blog post that reported Tim Lincecum(notes) was steamed at a national reporter for asking a set of questions about size.

Then I read the Jeff Passan column that talked about Lincecum's size and how he doesn't use questions about his stature as motivations any more.

Using my unparalleled powers of deduction, I figured it was probably time to have a talk with Passan about how we don't always remind him of the incredible odds he overcame growing up in Cleveland. And, as such, he could surely see it in his heart to cut The Stew's favorite pitcher a little slack in the future.   

But Jeff assured me that it was a humor writer from an outlet that rhymes with ESPN and not him who pursued the line of questioning that left Lincecum in a sour mood we're not used to seeing from the Giant.

Passy's self-absolution still won't get him out of the head lock I'm planning upon my arrival in Arizona this weekend, but his tangential involvement in what passes for spring training news does raise a good question.

Is this the season that Lincecum starts to feel the pressure of expectations and fame? How will he answer the questions that aren't about standing 5-foot-11?

As Baggarly notes, it's a little too early to start drawing conclusions from Lincecum's first two spring training starts. Yes, his ERA is 9.82, but he's also "throwing a ton of curveballs and sliders while trying to hone location of them." These are normal March growing pains, though I'm not too proud to use them as an entry point to this discussion.

As we can see from Lincecum's reaction to Thursday's question, he no longer wants to be seen as a curiosity that makes for a good odd column. He's earned as much and I think most everyone — emphasis on most — has grown so comfortable with watching his unorthodox frame and windup that such questions are the exception, not the rule.  

But now Lincecum now finds himself in a place where he's an established and bona fide superstar who also defines "freak" with his early accolades and success. He's created almost impossible expectations for himself by winning the Cy Young in each of his first two full seasons and while he can still present the fun-loving persona in public, the reality is that he's going to shoulder responsibilities — and a salary — that go beyond the normal Choco Taco lover. How will he respond to his first big injury? His first extended slump? A poor April or May from the expected-to-contend Giants?

These are questions that have yet to been asked because of the phenomenal start to his career. But as almost anyone in baseball can tell you, they'll be asked some day.  

Look, I'm not saying that Lincecum isn't well-equipped or won't be able to handle this next stage. But I am curious to see how he responds upon landing on this next level of stardom. His early success has transformed his storyline and completely changed the clubhouse conversation that surrounds him.

Well, almost completely.

Welcome to 'Duk's Dozen, a streamlined selection of 12 morning-fresh links and items to start your day. It welcomes submissions here or via Twitter.  

1. Apparently the towel drill is working as well for Brandon Webb(notes) as it did for Mark Prior. Nick Piecoro reports that it's increasingly likely that Webb will start the season on the disabled list because he's running out of time to log the necessary prep innings in spring training.

It'll be a big blow to the D'Backs if Webb's right shoulder continues acting up, though the team can rest a little bit easier knowing that those long-term extension talks never worked out. Arizona Republic

2. The other big DL news on Thursday came when Jose Reyes was told to rest anywhere from two to eight weeks because of his thyroid condition. That leaves the Mets' shortstop position to possibly be filled by Alex Cora(notes), the 34-year-old vet who caused about every Mets fan to grumble when the team signed him to a one-year, $2 million contract. Star-Ledger

3. The Joe Nathan(notes) mourning continues in Minneapolis, where fans are now somehow trying to convince themselves that losing the closer won't affect the team's win totals that much. They base this off Nathan's projected WAR of about 2.0, but I won't be talked into thinking it's more insignificant than we think. For one, Nathan's absence bumps every remaining reliever into a higher position in the bullpen. For two, those two wins in 2009 were absolutely necessary in forcing that one-game playoff with the Tigers. Twinkie Town

4. Back to the Mets for a second: I really enjoyed this article by R.J. Anderson that states his complete inability to trust the team in handling prospect Jenrry Mejia(notes). FanGraphs 

5. After a few recent concussions, Francisco Cervelli(notes) has been talked into giving the Great Gazoo helmet that David Wright made famous a spin. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he's the first person to talk about wearing one this spring. LoHud Yankees

6. Brian Giles(notes) announced his retirement on Thursday and some folks decided to get cute and make a Hall of Fame case for him. I liked Eric Simon's approach better. Amazin' Avenue 

7. Halos Heaven calls up an old article about the time Jim Abbott hit a spring training triple off Rick Reuschel in 1991. Abbott actually had only 24 regular season plate appearances during his career — all coming with the Brewers in 1999 — ending up with two singles and 3 RBIs collected in different games against Jon Lieber(notes). HH

8. Todd Helton(notes) just signed a two-year extension that will likely allow him to retire as a Colorado Rockie. That's great news: Everything remains balanced in the universe and one of the '90s expansion teams has found its franchise-defining star. (You can't yet say the same for the Marlins — sorry Jeff Conine(notes) — D'Backs or Rays.)  MLB Trade Rumors 

9. Was I the only one not bored enough Thursday to bite on that bogus speculation about the Twins trading Joe Mauer(notes) for a package that includes a new closer? Sweet Spot

10. After Roy Halladay(notes) made it a non-issue for seven straight seasons, it looks like Shaun Marcum(notes) is leading the Blue Jays' Opening Day starter debate. Batter's Box 

11. Unfortunately for the current team, Toronto fans are already coming up with ways Bryce Harper could fall to the Blue Jays' 11th pick in the draft. Jays Journal 

12. Red had cooked up a delicious conspiracy theory that would have U2 playing a stand at Fenway near the end of July. But would the stage even fit inside the park? Surviving Grady 

PEORIA, Ariz. — What's the most fun Ken Griffey ever had on a baseball team?

It probably wasn't when he tried out for the fictional Springfield nuclear power plant's softball team on The Simpsons.

"[Shoot], I must have done 2,000 takes when I did my lines, I was so nervous," Griffey said of the classic episode from — gasp! — 18 years ago.

Griffey also remembers doing the Arsenio Hall show right afterward — double gasp! — but he contracted gigantism on The Simpsons thanks to some ill-advised performance-enhancing tonic supplied to him by Mr. Burns. No, not fun at all.

It's been a long time since the Simpsons for Griffey, who was in his early 20s when the episode aired. But now that he's 40, he says he feels like "The Kid" again.

Myriad injuries and not playing for a consistent winner robbed Griffey of the joy he had for the game. A trade from the Reds to the White Sox during the pennant drive of 2008 reminded Griffey of what things used to be like.

"It had been a long, long time since I had any fun playing this game," Griffey said. "Way too long. The White Sox gave me an opportunity to chase a dream and win a championship.

"This here? This in here is fun, too."

What Griffey lacks these days in slugging percentage, he's trying to make up with that vague quality known as leadership ... by using lots of laughs.

The question isn't how Griffey fits general manager Jack Zduriencik's plan for the Mariners, but how everyone else fits around Griffey.

Even at 40, with a limited ability to play the field and a pattern of dwindling production at bat, Griffey is still the center of the Mariners universe.

In the clubhouse and outside in line for sprints earlier this week, Griffey never let up. Players, coaches, reporters ... no one was immune from his playful jabs, taunts and jokes. He can get away with anything, of course. I'm not even sure what he was talking about half of the time, but he was getting laughs and smiles from everyone around him.

He was killing it, like comedians say.

But how is this going to translate into victories?

"Ken Griffey means a lot to this franchise," Zduriencik said. "And Ken Griffey's presence in that locker room, as well as on the field, is very important to this organization."

In 454 plate appearances in 2009, Griffey hit .214 with 19 homers. His OPS, down to a career-low .735, about 5 percent below the major-league average.

Zduriencik says Griffey has lost some weight and is healthier than at the start of 2009.

"We think that Ken had a reasonably productive year last year," Zduriencik said. "He walked a lot. He had 19 home runs. He’s coming off a year when he had knee surgery and diverticulitis."

Is losing some points on a player's OPS worth it to a team if he makes the clubhouse a fun place to be?

"I certainly think it can be," Zduriencik said. "I don't know when or where it shows up, but I know it shows up."

Griffey recently showed up in a new commercial for Dick's Sports — which seems like it's his first endorsement in years. Back with the Mariners in his sunset years, Junior was in demand.

So now that he's reunited with the Mariners, where it all started, how about another try with Homer Simpson and the Springfield softballers?

"I'd love to do it again if they ever asked me," Griffey said. "I'm a much better actor now. I'm so good, I'm like a young Denzel."

Funny, Junior, real funny.

Dave continues his spring-training trek around the desert. Follow him on Twitter — @answerdave.

Maybe it's because they've been stripping the old place of all sellable trinkets for the last 18 months. Maybe it's because they've already christened the new place with a World Series. Maybe it's because a plan to Save Gate 2 is being ignored by the powers that be. 

Whatever the case, I've been surprised at the relative lack of tears from the nostalgia minded as old Yankee Stadium has been dismantled and demolished since hosting its last game there in September 2008. I definitely expected a lot more poems and paeans like this one — written by yours truly, a non-New Yorker who had only been there twice — last October.   

Now that they're finally toppling the grandstand in large sections and have set a completion date just four months away, perhaps we'll see more dark prose like the article that Richard Sandomir wrote in the New York Times on Wednesday.

If you're up to the task but need more inspiration, watch some of the most action-packed footage seen at the site below. Or check out Demolition of Yankee Stadium, which has tons of photos like the one above. Or just view this video, which may or may not feature the dude who was also trying to raze the Goonies' neighborhood to build a golf course.

John Romano of the St. Pete Times recently turned in a great debate-worthy column, arguing that Evan Longoria(notes) ranks as 'baseball's most valuable asset.' 

Romano reached his conclusion on the hometown stud by considering a number of factors beyond performance, including salary, position and off-field marketability. 

Romano explains his formula further:

"There is a difference between saying Longoria is the best player in the game and saying he is the greatest asset. Albert Pujols(notes) is certainly a better hitter than Longoria. But Pujols is six years older, and his salary is 16 times larger. Joe Mauer(notes) is a better hitter and plays a more critical position. But Mauer is in the final year of a contract and about to become the highest-paid catcher in history. Zack Greinke(notes) or Tim Lincecum(notes) might be more valuable today, but pitchers are far more volatile."

Romano makes a good case for Longoria and if we're throwing out pitchers because they only go once every five days and are more injury-prone, it's a good choice.

Admittedly, it's hard to draw a big distinction between Longoria and the other young players — Justin Upton(notes), Hanley Ramirez(notes), Troy Tulowitzki(notes), etc. — who are still performing on contracts that are relatively club-friendly. But considering that Longoria and Ramirez led that young crop in WAR with 7.2 in 2009, the Rays third baseman is as good a selection as any.

Which player would you say is baseball's most valuable asset? 

BLS H/N: Diamond Hoggers

Ever wonder how much it might take for Manny Ramirez(notes) to show up at your local ballfield and play a few innings against your neighborhood nine?

If this report is accurate, it would be in the area of a cool $170,000.

That's the amount a Taiwanese promoter said it's paying Ramirez in appearance and endorsement fees to persuade him to make the current three-game trip to Southeast Asia with some of his Dodger teammates.

Not bad work, if you can get it, huh?

There might be some critics who think Ramirez should have flown over there for free in the ambassadorial spirit of the trip. But you better believe that everyone reading this post — and the other big Dodger names who begged off to stay behind in Arizona — would have cashed that same check to play against the all-star players from Taiwan.

So how can you blame Man-Ram for a profitable quick trip to a land where he's loved?

One thing though: Would it kill Manny to put on a smile at the airport? I know Joe Torre is collecting the bonus for James Loney(notes) and Ronnie Belliard(notes) in the form of a nice bouquet, but $170,000 still isn't anything to sneeze at.  

A big BLS head nod to Dodger Thoughts for the tip. 

You remember Steve and Emily Monforto, right? They were the daddy-daughter duo that earned Big League Stew about eleventy billion hits when video of Emily's rejection of her dad's foul ball gift at a Phillies game went viral. They then appeared on various morning shows.  

Proving that adorable extends the concept of 15 minutes, the Monfortos just made an appearance with Comedy Central's Tosh.0 as part of a series that allows viral video stars to earn "redemption" for their filmed mishaps. While posting this is no endorsement of Tosh's brand of humor — it's an, uh, "acquired taste" — the clip is worth the watch for another dose of Emily. Six months after winning the Internet, she's still the star of the show.   

A big BLS head nod to Walkoff Walk and The 700 Level for the redirect

PEORIA, Ariz. — The preseason praise for Jack Zduriencik continues to come in waves.

But instead of being swept up for a ride with the early accolades, the second-year GM of the Seattle Mariners prefers to lay low and duck under the water.  

His early track record has been oft-repeated in the Mariners season preview.

First, the team went from 101 losses in 2008 to 85 victories in 2009, transforming the franchise's personality from surly to sunny along the way.

Zduriencik then had a widely-celebrated offseason, adding Chone Figgins(notes) and Cliff Lee(notes) and managing to shed the obscene contract of Carlos Silva(notes) on the Cubs, even though it cost the addition of Milton Bradley(notes) and all he entails.

"Jack's a genius," many have said.

So, how does the genius react to hearing that?

"I probably want to go hide," Zduriencik said in a sitdown interview with Big League Stew earlier this week. "I don't see it that way."

Zduriencik doesn't buy his hype because all of the positive feedback won't be worth the papers it's printed in if the Mariners don't turn it into action on the field.

"It's just all of us working together trying to put our heads together," said Zduriencik (which is pronounced "Zurr-EN-sick.") "I don't think we've done anything to reinvent the wheel. I don't think we've done anything that's earth-shattering. I think we've just tried to be baseball people and make very sound baseball decisions.

"And we haven't played a game yet."

Zduriencik, who just turned 59, does not lack confidence in his moves because he believes in the staff he assembled. He also believes in his own abilities. And he ought to.

In 1978, Zduriencik was a washed-up minor-leaguer — and a utility infielder at that — who never got higher than Class A with the White Sox organization. He was teaching school and coaching in the Pittsburgh area when he approached the scouting director of the Pirates, Murray Cook.

"I told him that I think I have something to offer," Zduriencik said. "I was a young guy with a lot of energy. I could still throw BP and hit fungoes and all those type of things."

Cook hired Zduriencik to run tryout camps in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, and to run "The Little Pirates," an American Legionesque team of the top Pittsburgh high school players.

"I started out making 10 bucks a week," said Zduriencik, who wasn't yet dreaming of running his own team. He was just happy to have a foot in the door.

"I was a baby stepper," he said. "I thought: 'I'm doing this and maybe Pittsburgh will hire me full time.' "

It was another dream come true for Zduriencik, who grew up in blue-collar New Castle, Pa., going to games at Forbes Field. Back then, he was awed by the likes of Roberto Clemente, Bill Mazeroski and Billy Virdon.

"Still, to this day, I consider myself a fan," Zduriencik said.

The Pirates job ran its course and, after coaching high school baseball and football for a couple of years in Florida, Zduriencik was hired as a scout by Joe McIlvaine of the Mets in 1982.

He became the scouting director for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1999 and eventually became the top aide to GM Doug Melvin. Zduriencik had his hand in drafting the likes of Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder(notes), Yovani Gallardo(notes), J.J. Hardy(notes) and Corey Hart(notes).

With a winning résumé, a reputation for a tireless work-ethic and a friendly personality, the Mariners hired him in October 2008.

Even though he's ascended to near the top of an organization, Zduriencik still acts like one of the guys. During a recent simulated game for pitcher Felix Hernandez(notes), Zduriencik — wearing a team jacket and the proper batting practice cap — sat on the bench next to manager Don Wakamatsu and coach John Wetteland. You can see the trio in the pic above this post.

Jack's in charge, but his presence doesn't loom like doom and gloom. He wants the working environment to be professional but pleasant, fun, loose.

"We want to make this an organization that's desirable to come play for," Zduriencik said. "There's a tremendous responsibility here. I feel a great, I guess you’d say kinship with the fans and our ownership group. We’re trying to put something together here that will last a long time."

In the short term, what will the Mariners moves actually mean for 2010?

On paper, adding Lee and Figgins (and subtracting him from the defending AL West champions), looks great. The Mariners are emphasizing defense; Zduriencik says the team has five "elite" defensive players — shortstop Jack Wilson(notes), Figgins, first baseman Casey Kotchman(notes), center fielder Franklin Gutierrez(notes) and, of course, Ichiro(notes).

On paper, looking at run-scored differential, the Mariners should have won about 75 games in 2009. On paper, they were unquestionably lucky to go 85-77. Will they score enough?

"You can look at a lot of things on paper that indicates a [certain] outcome," Zduriencik said. "We've done some things on paper to help our club. By adding Chone Figgins, by adding Milton Bradley, I think we’ve addressed a couple of on-base percentage things that will help us."

But the game is played between the white lines, as the cliché goes.

"Talent wins, something I've said before," Zduriencik said. "But, I guarantee you that when guys share a very positive atmosphere for six months, or in some cases, seven, and they enjoy going to work every day, and enjoy pulling for each other, they go beyond anything that could show up in anybody's statistical analysis."

Dave's trek across the Cactus League continues. Follow him on Twitter — @answerdave.

1. Joe Torre is off spreading good will with Manny Ramirez(notes) on a trip to Taiwan, so that means Don Mattingly is running the Dodgers camp back in Arizona.

It could be considered a trial run, too. According to Donnie Baseball, the team has made overtures to him about being promoted from hitting coach and becoming Torre's successor in 2012.

Considering the rise of Andre Ethier(notes) and Matt Kemp(notes) the last two seasons, it would appear that Mattingly has been doing a good job in Los Angeles and he's learning managing from one of the best. Remember when it was a shock to see him in anything but pinstripes?  AP

2. In a similar story, Cal Ripken said he's starting to get the managing itch. That's all well and good, but I'm wondering if the Iron Man is down for putting in the time that Mattingly and Ryne Sandberg have or if he's only interested if he goes straight to the top. Bloomberg

3. Terence Moore just noticed that the Dodgers moved from Vero Beach to Glendale a year ago and he's not very happy about it. Fanhouse

4. Curtis Granderson(notes) is now carpooling with Alex Rodriguez(notes) and Derek Jeter(notes). NYT

5. Given the way Nomar's real Red Sox career ended in 2004, Charles Pierce wasn't buying all the pomp and circumstance we saw on Wednesday in Ft. Myers. Boston Globe

6. I don't think Gene Wojciechowski really told us why Ozzie Guillen is a good manager, but I did enjoy his reported anecdotes from inside Ozzie's office. ESPN

7. If all that financial trouble wasn't enough, Lenny Dykstra is being accused of sexual harassment by his former personal assistant. The Smoking Gun

8. Matt Klaassen argues that you shouldn't factor in Zack Greinke's(notes) past struggles with social anxiety disorder when trying to determine baseball's best pitcher. FanGraphs

9. This is cool: Marlins reliever Burke Badenhop(notes) likes writing screenplays in his spare time and has a dream of becoming a Hollywood screenwriter. Palm Beach Post

10. If you're not happy with just giving Jerry Remy money for overpriced beer, you can also buy a "season ticket" to his restaurant near Fenway for $500. Oy. Red Sox Monster

11. Iracane comes up with a gem of a find, featuring a Letterman appearance by the two main crushes of my youth: Michael Schmidt and Susan Dey. (Yes, in that order.) Walkoff Walk

12. So Dave Brown is heading out to Jake Peavy's(notes) musical fundraiser in Arizona Thursday night and Bernie Williams(notes), Bronson Arroyo(notes) and Barry Zito(notes) are expected to be on hand. Any requests for Dave to scream out during the encore? Woodjock

Well, this viral video really got out of hand fast. You might've already seen the above clip of this huge Cuban basebrawl over on Deadspin or on your local morning news show. 

If you haven't, be prepared to watch a field fight that's destined to be shown alongside Rod Allen's run in Japan for eternity. Not one, but two bats were wielded during the skirmish and I have no idea how another Juan Marichal-Johnny Roseboro incident didn't go down. 

Most outlets have just shown the video, added a few chuckles and couple of guffaws before making a passing mention that the fight occurred during "some Cuban baseball game."

But what really happened? What was the result? The answers are only a search away.

According to BaseballDeWorld.com, the brawl took place during a Feb. 28 playoff game between Havana's Industriales and Sancti Spiritus. The gentleman in blue who's charging the mound, bat in hand, is Industriales catcher Lisvan Correa. He's been suspended six months for igniting the whole thing, while the object of his affections — Sancti pitcher Yasniel Sosa — received a ban for his team's next three playoff games.   

Noted Cuban baseball writer Peter C. Bjarkman explains the situation further:

"Brushed back by one ninth-inning pitch and then hit by a second, [Correa] took matters into his own hands by charging the mound and attempting to club [Sosa] with his wooden bat. There have been a number of conflicting accounts detailing what actually transpired during the bench-clearing brawl that followed and eventually required police intervention. Later reports out of Havana suggested that local law officers overreacted and unfairly roughed up several Industriales ballplayers.

"Other versions had offending Industriales athletes initially attacking the local police contingent that was struggling to restore on-field order. Details will likely never be entirely sorted out, but there remains little dispute that the unsavory mess was originally precipitated by Correa's unsportsmanlike bat-waving kamikaze attack."

I'll say. What really amuses me in this video is the fact that Correa's plunking was a garden-variety flea bite in the back. It's not as if Sosa took aim at his noggin with a high heater. Playoff series can notoriously get heated down there in Cuba, but, uh, overreact much?

Eh, no matter, I suppose. What's done is done, apparently no one was seriously hurt and this clip will most certainly live on in gag reels across the globe. And every time I see it, I'll try to imagine what would have happened if Prince Fielder(notes) had reacted in a similar way after last week's run-in with Barry Zito(notes). (Now that would have been a highlight.)