The Legend of Joey Gallo

Joey Gallo is dating a Disney star, but he might have a greater flair for the dramatic.
The Texas Rangers prospect made his long-awaited debut with the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders Monday and wasted no time showing a half-full stadium what the fuss was all about.
Gallo's first swing made a resounding CRACK! and sent a foul ball down the right field line out of the park almost before I could see it. His next swing hit the ball nearly as hard, but on the ground down the first base line. Midland first baseman Max Muncy almost fell over fielding the ball behind the bag, but beat Gallo to the base as a run scored.
His next three times up, Gallo struck out. He batted again with two teammates on base and two out in the bottom of the ninth of a 4-4 game.
Athletics farmhand Seth Frankoff fell behind Gallo 2-0. The right-hander tried to pitch the lefty-swinging Gallo away with a change up.
The 20-year-old swung and hit the ball very high, but how far? Very far. It cleared the left-center field fence and landed at the base of a video display board some 400 feet from home plate.
After Gallo rounded third base, he sent his batting helmet skyward and prepared for an enthusiastic greeting from his new team gathered around home plate. After signing autographs along the third-base stands on the way to the clubhouse, he met the assembled media.
There's video, and the best account I saw was Kevin Sherrington's column in the Dallas Morning News.
Speaking of video, Gallo's girlfriend is 19-year-old Allie DeBerry, best known for her work on the Disney Channel's "A.N.T. Farm."
Tuesday night, I was at the Marlins-Rangers game. Miami RF Giancarlo Stanton hit a ball about as hard as Gallo had the night before. The line drive wasn't high enough to clear the left field wall. The wonder was that the ball didn't go THROUGH the wall. So that was a double instead of a home run.
The Marlins' star was LF Christian Yelich, who was 4-for-6 with four RBI. He hustled his way into a double on what appeared to be a routine single to center field. That was part of my most favorable impression of Miami's surprising team. The Marlins run the bases very aggressively and pressure defenses. Stanton went daringly from first to third on a single to left field. That play led to throwing errors by LF Michael Choice and RHP Tanner Scheppers. When the Little Leaguers finally corraled the ball, instead of having Marlins at first and third, they had a run and a runner at third.
While I was there, I received some updates from Frisco. Gallo doubled home a run in the first inning and hit a home run (his 23rd between Class A Myrtle Beach and Frisco). I found out this mornign that he walked in his other two appearances. In seven Double-A at-bats, Gallo has six RBI.
A legend indeed.

So much for calm before the meetings

I take back what I wrote about teams' being likely to coast into the winter meetings. Now I'm wondering whether there will be any deals left to make.
The Athletics clearly are leaving nothing to chance to alleviate their long dry spell in playoff series, epitomized by Derek Jeter and Jeremy Giambi.
After signing free-agent LHP Scott Kamir to a reported 2-year, $22-million contract, Oakland
-- Traded surplus 2B Jemile Weeks and a player to be named to the Orioles for RHP Jim Johnson, the major league leader in saves each of the last two seasons.
-- As insurance or at least a setup man, acquired RHP Luke Gregerson from the Padres for OF Seth Smith.
-- Dealt young OF Michael Choice and infielder Chris Bostick to the division-rival Rangers for OF Craig Gentry and Quadruple-A RHP Josh Lindblom.
Before I go further, let me interpret what this means for the A's.
Their pitching, top to bottom, could be the best in baseball next season. This is an organization that hasn't made spectacular moves in recent years, but has added incrementally for great improvement. The 2013 season could have been called "Moneyball II"; the coming year could be "Moneyball III."
$11 million a year for Kazmir might seem steep, but he made a major comeback for the Indians this year, and was even better than his 10-9 record down the stretch -- 7-5 with a 3.06 ERA in his last 18 starts. He'll be starting home games in a better pitchers' park.
Can Kazmir, a multi-year All-Star, head a rotation? Possibly, or Oakland might strike paydirt with a young pitcher such as RHPs Sonny Gray, Jarrod Parker, A.J. Griffin and Daniel Straily or LHPs Tommy Milone or Brett Anderson. Parker and Griffin were very tough in the latter stages of 2013, much better than I would have anticipated after seeing them in Double-A. Anderson could be bait in still another trade -- for infield defense? even more bullpen help? left-handed power?
At 30, Kazmir should be more mature than he was in his early 20s. His arrival most likely means that 40-year-old RHP Bartolo Colon, an 18-game winner in '13, is free to sign elsewhere as a free agent.
The dependence on young starting pitcher also could blow up in the Athletics' faces. But I don't think so in this case.
Gentry, who can fly, would bring improved defense in a park with a large outfield. He could play center field, or left field -- with OF Yoenis Cespedes available as a DH.
Probably more to come later tonight, after I'm finished with Bobcats-Mavericks.