On Monday the baseball word received the devastating news that veteran pitcher Chan Ho Park had inked a deal with Japan’s Orix Buffaloes, potentially marking the end of his 17-year career.  Park, who perhaps is best known for delivering a roundhouse to Tim Belcher, as well as giving a detailed account of his diarrhea, has a career record of 124-98 and a 4.36 ERA.  While pitching for seven, different organizations, Park’s best season came in 2000 as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers when he was 18-10 with a 3.27 ERA.  He also recorded 207 strikeouts and issued 124 walks while making 34 starts and logging 226 innings.

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The Golden Sombrero presents MLB Look-alikes: Umpire Kerwin Danley and “The Thing” (Fantastic Four)

This is probably the most insulting look-alike since Julian Tavarez and Freddy Kreuger.

This week the Cleveland Indians signed former first round draft picks Austin Kearns and Travis Buck to one-year contracts. Kearns, who posted a .746 OPS in 461 plate appearances for the Tribe and New York Yankees in 2010, signed to a tune of $1.3 million and figures to be the team’s fourth outfielder in 2011 behind Shin-Soo Choo, Grady Sizemore, and Michael Brantley.  A former first round pick of the Reds in 1998, Kearns, now 30, has never panned out to be the well-rounded hitter that was supposed to complement Adam Dunn in the Cincinnati lineup. In fact, he’s been the exact opposite.

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On Sunday, the baseball world woke up to the news that the Kansas City Royals had traded their 2009 A.L. Cy Young winner, Zack Greinke, to the Milwaukee Brewers.  It wasn’t a secret that the Royals were asking for the farm (literally) in return for the coveted right-hander.  It was simply a matter of which organization had both the minor league depth and corresponding “all-in” mentality to justify parting with a substantial portion of its future.  Well, that team happened to be the Milwaukee Brewers.

Although the Zack Greinke trade is something that is sure to interest any fan of the game, the deal holds a special significance for the fans and followers of Illinois high school baseball. The Brew Crew parted ways with some of their best, young talent, including shortstop Alcides Escobar, outfielder Lorenzo Cain, flame thrower Jeremy Jeffress and, most notably, the 2008 Prep Baseball Report Player of the Year, Jake Odorizzi.  And as more details have been released regarding the negotiations of this blockbuster deal, we have come to learn that Odorizzi seems to have been the player that made this trade happen.

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The Golden Sombrero presents Rookie Card Corner: Zack Greinke 2002 Bowman

Fun Fact: Zack’s wife, Emily, is smokin’ hot.