Hey everyone,

I just wanted to send out a final reminder that the Big League Challenge is
this weekend in Las Vegas. As the defending champ, Jose has a bye in Round
1, but he will play in the second session on Saturday afternoon. If he
puts up 2001 numbers anything like he did in 2000, he's going to have to
win the derby again to get invited back again next year!

If you're going to Vegas for the big event, send me and email and maybe we
can meet up. I know there will be at least a few people from this list
there, so maybe we can all get together, even if it's just to say
hello. I'm bringing my bullseye, so look for me down by the left field
Foul Line (HR territory is off limits).

For those of you who can't it to Vegas, I'll send out a detailed recap
sometime next week. In the mean time, the latest news is below...

Looking forward to seeing some long homers this weekend,
Mark

==========
From Las Vegas.com
Big League Home Run Challenge
Cashman Field
850 N. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89101
(702) 386-7100
(702) 386-7100

Price: $6.00 (General admission), $9.00 (General admission), $10.00
(General admission), $15.00 (Reserved seating), $20.00 (Reserved seating),
$25.00 (Reserved seating)
Price note: The tickets are priced as follows: preliminary round -- $15
field/plaza seating, $6 general admission; quarterfinal round -- $20 / $9;
semifinal and final round -- $25 / $10
Payment options: American Express, Cash, MasterCard, VISA
Showtimes: TBA
Show dates: Feb. 10-11, 2001
Reservations: N/A
Age Restrictions: None
General Restrictions: None

Review:
Big League Challenge tickets go on sale

Tickets for the 2001 Big League Challenge, a home run hitting contest
featuring 12 of Major League Baseball's top sluggers, are now on sale.

On Saturday an Sunday, Feb. 10-11, Anaheim's Jose Canseco returns to
Cashman Field to defend his crown against a group of hitters who averaged
43 homers last season.

Leading the way is Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants, who last year
hit a career-high 49 home runs. Other top seeds are Troy Glaus of Anaheim
(47 homers), Richard Hidalgo of Houston (44) and Gary Sheffield of Los
Angeles (43). Rounding out the field are Oakland's Jason Giambi (43), the
White Sox's Frank Thomas (43), Texas' Rafael Palmeiro (39) and the New York
Mets' Mike Piazza (38).

==========
From CNN/SI:
(Vote for Jose here)
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/news/2001/01/18/halloffame_bubble/
Your Choice
Top 10 active players on the Hall of Fame borderline
Posted: Friday January 19, 2001 3:40 AM
By Jacob Luft, CNNSI.com

It's easy to spot the sure-fire Hall of Famers that are playing today, just
as most people knew Dave Winfield and Kirby Puckett would have their
plaques in Cooperstown one day.

Cal Ripken Jr., Rickey Henderson, Greg Maddux, Mark McGwire, Tony Gwynn,
Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Ken Griffey Jr. would all be slam-dunk,
first-ballot entries if their careers ended today.

Then there are those who have one foot in and are this close to cementing
their place in baseball immortality: Randy Johnson, Roberto Alomar, Ivan
Rodriguez, Frank Thomas, Pedro Martinez, Mike Piazza and Tom Glavine, to
name several.

But what about the boys on the bubble? Is Jose Canseco in? What about Fred
McGriff, David Cone and Harold Baines?

Although there may be more than 10 such "bubble" players out there, here is
a look the most interesting cases of active players who will be knocking on
Cooperstown's door one day. Here's your chance to tell us who you think
will make it into the Hall of Fame by voting on the futures of the players
below.

Jose Canseco
Pros: First 40/40 player ... 1988 AL MVP ... '86 AL Rookie of the Year ...
'88 AL slugging champ ... HR champ, '88 & '91 ... RBI champ, '88 ... HR
every 15.2 at-bats.

Career stats
Avg: .266 HR: 446 RBI: 1,358 Slg: .516 SB: 198

Cons: Fourth all-time with 1,867 strikeouts ... Had fewer than 400 at-bats
in six of 15 full seasons ... Blew out elbow pitching, insuring that no
slugging star will ever take the mound again ... Legal run-ins and a
comedic HR-off-the-head won't help, either.