IT'S HALL OF FAME DAY. Today at 5pm Central, Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson will announce the results on MLB Network.
*With almost 55% of the BBWAA's ballots known, Bagwell is sitting at 88.7%.
*Nathaniel Rakich's projections have Bagwell finishing at 84.6%, joining Tim Raines and Trevor Hoffman in the Class of 2017.
*Jeff Bagwell has waited seven long years for this day (and hopefully no more).
*Bagwell says he won't relax until he gets that heads-up phone call:
I'm not a slam dunk like [Griffey] was. You never know what can happen. Unfortunately, I had to watch Craig not get in for a couple of years, and I was shocked by that. You just never know in that situation what people are going to vote for.
*Bob Nightengale reports that the Astros have maintained interest in Jose Quintana, Chris Archer AND Sonny Gray. Peter Gammons immediately took a New England Dump on the Gray-to-Houston rumor.
*Jose Altuve, Yulieski Gurriel, and A.J. Reed played games with kids at the Shriners Hospital in Galveston yesterday.
*Jose Altuve wrote a letter to himself yesterday. I ran through a brick wall.
*Former Astros prospect Danry Vasquez did not appear in court yesterday stemming from his domestic violence episode this summer because his visa expired.
*The Crawfish Boxes jumped on this, and we're a few days late, but Tri-City pitcher Makay Nelson (20th Round pick, 2015) was suspended 50 games for an amphetamine.
*The Fresno Grizzlies have claimed the taco emoji.
*Michael Kopech, acquired by the White Sox in the Chris Sale trade, apparently hit 110mph on the radar gun.
*Edinson Volquez, whose father passed away hours before he pitched in Game 1 of the World Series, is mourning the death of his brother, who was stabbed in the Dominican Republic.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
