We had high expectations for the 2008 season. Unfortunately the team has not played up to our expectations and we have sustained injuries to key players within our starting lineup and rotation. We opted to trade Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn at this time because we believe it provided the best outcome for the long-term success of the organization. By executing these inevitable changes now, we secured more players as part of our focus towards building a deeper, stronger inventory of young talent.

Dear Dudes: Sorry Adam's gone, but I tried to get him to change his swing, and he wouldn't do it. Kept saying something about how he hits 40 home runs a year, and that he doesn't need to change anything. Dude clogged the bases, man. Clogged 'em all up. Anyway, my dog's barking. Be seeing you!

"I couldn't take my eyes off CC," Snell recalled. "And you know what? The more I watched, the more I knew what I had to do."

[...]

"Watching CC, he used his fastball command to set up the slider, rather than vice versa," Snell said. "Well, I put my fastball where I wanted, and everything else happened."

As a Pirate fan, I think it's awesome that Snell finally managed to get some of his form back. As a geek, I think it's really cool that he used his phone for such a cool purpose. And as a cynic, I'm a little curious as to why pitching coach Jeff Andrews never bothered to tell Snell that maybe he should use his 96 mph fastball from time to time. How can a coach not see what a pitcher figures from watching baseball on his iPhone?

''People have criticized,'' he said recently, talking about a track record that includes five trips to the disabled list the last four seasons, including a 15-day stretch with a strained shoulder this season with the Oakland Athletics. ''That's just -- whatever.''