Link dump!

• Pedro Feliz is still butt-hurt about the way he left the Giants. Is "butt-hurt" pushing the envelope for this site? Apologies, but that's what Feliz is. You try and find a more apt description. The dude's butt-hurt and kinda whiny. But he puts it into perspective by wistfully mentioning that he's been with the organization for 14 years. Yikes. I didn't realize that. I'd be a little butt-hurt too. Perspective is a good thing.

  The article mentions that the only difference between the Phillies' contract and the Giants' contract was a team option. The buyout for the option was $500,000. I can't believe that all that was standing between the Giants and Feliz sittin' in a 2009 tree was $500,000. Bullets: We dodges them.

• Brian Wilson went to India to participate in some $1,000,000 baseball-throwing contest. Can't we just have one offseason without a potential closer going to India to participate in a $1,000,000 contest? Sheesh. Last year, of course, was Armando Benitez in a tandoori chicken-eating contest. Or did I just dream that? Anyways, the contest in which Wilson is participating has a pretty neat step-by-step description of how to throw a baseball.
• A New Hampshire paper speculates that the two independent-league signings of the offseason - Olmo Rosario and Steve Palazzolo - might report to AA this year. This is just an excuse to post a link to the Steve Palazzolo article from Baseball Think Factory again. I just love reading that thing. Palazzolo for closer!
• From an interview with some awesome crazy beard guy on the same record label as three of my favorites (Of Montreal, 31 Knots, and Aloha):
  Q: If you played, what song would you want to play as you stepped to the plate?
  
  A: I caught for Jack Taschner (now of the SF Giants) in high school and we had this conversation once as he was getting ready to pitch in the college world series with UW-Oshkosh and he said he was gonna go with "The Final Countdown" by Europe. I always thought that was a pretty badass choice.
  Wait! I take the Palazzolo-for-closer comment back! Taschner for closer! Ninth inning...one run lead...do do do doo...do da doo doo do... do da doo do...do da do da doo da do.... All y'all "Enter Sandman"-types can put that in your pipe and smoke it.

  Now, I know the comment was about music playing when Taschner comes to the plate and not about his entry music as a closer, so if Taschner doesn't want to use "The Final Countdown" as his entry music as a closer, he should probably get some at-bats at first base this season.