When Dad and I woke up for the final day of the Four Ballparks, Four Cities, Four Days trip, we realized immediately that we had some serious ground to cover.  Although we could walk to Ballpark #3 from our Los Angeles Hilton, it was located a full 375 miles from Ballpark #4—Chase Field in beautiful downtown Phoenix, Arizona.

So off we went into the desert, our trusty Toyota Corolla pointed directly toward The City that Sleeps at 7PM.  I wasn’t sure what to expect in the six-hour drive, save for a colleague’s admonition from before I left the office—make sure your air conditioning works.  At first I wasn’t sure how seriously I needed to take this on a beautiful 80-degree day in Los Angeles.  However, as we drove deeper into the desert, the temperature steadily climbed into the 90’s before finally cracking the triple digits.  Before we crossed the Arizona state line, the Corolla’s thermometer read 105, which (not coincidentally I am certain) represented a higher number than the populations of several towns we passed along the way.

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ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick eloquently details the heartbreaking story of the death of Trevor Correia, and the subsequent grieving process of his brother, Kevin.  “I would quit baseball right now to have [Trevor] back.  Nothing will be able to compare to that,” said the Padres starting pitcher.  Without a doubt, this is one of the best articles that I have read in some time. [Jerry Crasnick, ESPN]

With all of the ongoing hoopla regarding Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees, the folks over at Climbing Tal’s Hill decide to take a look at four different Astros players who spent their entire career playing for the organization. [Climbing Tal’s Hill]

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Over the course of past two seasons, I have come to believe that people’s familiarity with New York Yankees catching prospect, Jesus Montero, is more a result of Jorge Posada’s legacy than it is Montero’s young, professional career.  However, with the news that the 39-year old Posada will serve as the teams designated hitter in 2011, it appears that Montero will get the nod and finally have an opportunity to distance himself from his predecessor.

The switch-hitting Montero, who turns 21 on November 28, put together a solid season for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barr, hitting .289/.353/.517 with 34 doubles, three triples, 21 home runs, and 75 RBI.  Here are several videos of Montero taking batting practice from 2009 and 2010:

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Before the Detroit Tigers landed Victor Martinez, the Texas Rangers were allegedly interested in landing the free agent catcher.  The Rangers, who seem to be looking for an upgrade from Mitch Moreland at first base, now might be interested in Paul Konerko. [Baseball Time in Arlington]

Jim Margalus shares his thoughts on the Chicago White Sox decision to decline arbitration on catcher A.J. Pierzynski.  He also explores the potential outcomes of the White Sox decision, ranging from the “most likely to the most dangerous.” [Sox Machine]

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• On Tuesday, the Atlanta Braves declined to offer arbitration to both Troy Glaus and Derrek Lee, indicating that prospect Freddie Freeman will get the nod at first base in 2011.

• Last week the Florida Marlins traded Dan Uggla to the Atlanta Braves for infielder Omar Infante and relief pitcher Mike Dunn.   Two of our writers, Griff and Dee, actually played with and against him in high school.  Marlin Maniac offers a scouting report and projection for the left-hander.

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