The Phillies are going to the World Series.. Thoughts?

Joe Kennedy, most recently of the Toronto Blue Jays, died suddenly this morning at his home in Florida. Kennedy was 28 and is survived by his wife and one-year old son.

The BALCO Federal Grand Jury has indicted Barry Bonds on four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice.

More to follow, I'm sure.

UPDATE [5:34pm]: ESPN.com has further coverage.

In the National League, that is. The Cubs have acquired Steve Trachsel from the Baltimore Orioles for 3B Scott Moore and reliever Rocky Cherry. Trachsel's 4.48 ERA is just a touch above the AL average of 4.43, but how he has managed to remain that close to the mean is a mystery to anyone below Operating Thetan VIII. Trax has allowed 220 walks plus hits in 140.2 innings while striking out just 45 batters. His 45-to-69 strikeout-to-walk rate is one of the worst I have ever seen for someone still collecting a Major League paycheck.

Via Ken Rosenthal at FOX Sports, Mark Teixeira to the Braves is all but done, with a medical review the only thing holding up the agreement. Texas would get Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Class A shortstop Elvis Andrus and two pitching prospects. A nice haul for the Rangers, depending on the prospects, and a big short-term windfall for the Braves, who have struggled to get production at first this season.

Things in the NL East just got a whole lot more interesting, folks. Stay tuned.

UPDATE [11:35pm]: Pitching prospects rumored to be in the deal, coming from the Braves, include Matt Harrison and Jo-Jo Reyes. The Braves are also said to be getting reliever Ron Mahay from the Rangers in addition to Teixeira. Mahay has a 2.78 ERA despite mediocre peripherals.

Tex is hitting .297/.397/.524, is a switch-hitter and a very good gloveman at first.

UPDATE [12:03pm]: Looks like Harrison is included. It's a good deal for both teams, short-term for the Braves and long-term for the Rangers. Braves' GM John Schuerholz likes to lock up impending free agents long-term (a la Tim Hudson), but look for the Scott Boras-represented Teixeira to hit the free agent market following 2008, his final year of arbitration eligbility. Carlos Delgado is also set to hit the market following next season, so connect your own dots there.

UPDATE [12:06pm]: ESPN.com is reporting it now, too.

Tony La Russa was arrested this morning and charged with drunk driving.

The 62-year-old La Russa gave two breath samples and had a blood alcohol content of 0.093 percent, Jupiter police said in a statement. Florida's legal driving limit is 0.08 percent.

Undercover officers saw La Russa's SUV partly in an intersection around midnight and not moving despite two green lights, police said. Officers knocked on the vehicle's window and La Russa did not initially respond.

The SUV was in drive and running, with La Russa's foot on the brake, police said. When he eventually woke up, the officers asked him to get out of the car.

So what do we make of this story?  Anyone think it is a big deal?  I, for one, would be pissed if it were Willie.

I'd expect such behavior by star athletes, but to see it by such a revered manager is pretty surprising.  Then again, I know that some states have lowered the DWI threshold from .10 to .08, and he blew a .093, so it's not like he was completely 'faced.

But to "fall asleep" (read: pass out) at a stoplight with your foot on the brake?  That's bad.

Schadenfreude, anyone?

Update: Here is an ESPN story with a little more information.

Shortstop Michael Young has reportedly signed a five-year, $80 million extension with the Rangers. This is interesting to Mets' fans because:

a) In his chat at DallasNews.com yesterday Evan Grant intimated that the Rangers couldn't afford to sign both Young and Mark Teixeira to long-term deals.

b) Teixeira is a free agent after 2008.

c) Carlos Delgado is also a free agent after 2008.

Teixeira is just 26 years old, and even in an off year in 2007 he still hit .282/.371/.514 with 89 walks and 79 extra-base hits. He also hit .291/.394/.605 in the second half. He also has two gold gloves and, unlike some other players, advanced defensive metrics tend to support the voters on this one.

After complaining of stomach pain last Sunday, former Mets' and current Pirates' outfielder Xavier Nady was hospitalized for three days this week with an inflamed intestine. He is going to be tested for Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammation of the GI tract. Nady's cousin has the disease.

A good friend of mine died three years ago due to complications related to Crohn's. He consistently suffered from digestive problems and turned to alcohol to stem his discomfort in the short-term while ultimately dooming him in the long-term. Here's hoping everything works out for Nady, who was embraced by Mets' fans during his short stint in orange-and-blue.

More information on Crohn's Disease can be found at Wikipedia.