Good morning, all and Merry Christmas Eve!

Are the New York Yankees on the market? They certainly are acting like a franchise paring payroll to make for an attractive sale. I break it all down in the above video.

Here are some other thoughts as I put out the cookies and hot chocolate for Santa:

* Always good to see people from my neck of the woods do well. The University of Hartford’s Brian Mik fed me the info early Tuesday morning that Hartford alum Sean Newcomb has signed with the Chicago White Sox. Good for Newcomb, who has pitched for several organizations but still has something left in the tank. When he was with the Red Sox organization, Newcomb pitched a game for their AA affiliate Portland against the Hartford Yard Goats. Jeff Dooley, “Voice of the Yard Goats,” and I caught up with Newcomb, during his visit and he could not have been more generous with his time. Here is hoping Newcomb helps the White Sox in their rejuvenation.

* Speaking of good people, the Cliburn twins, who just turned 69, are together again, this time teaming up in independent league baseball with the Chicago Dogs. The Dogs announced on Monday that Stan Cliburn would be the club’s new manager, uniting with his brother Stu, who is the team’s pitching coach. The Cliburns, who both played major league baseball, were once together as manager and pitching coach with the New Britian Rock Cats, when that franchise was the AA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. You could not meet two better people. I am fully convinced. Chicago will be their kind of town.

* By the way, good for the Pirates to step up and give their fans some hope and pitcher supreme Paul Skenes some support. The Buccos have been active this off season with player moves and their latest was signing all-star free agent 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn to a two-year, $29M deal. Last week the Pirates traded for All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe.

* J.J. McCarthy will not be starting for the Vikings against the Lions on Christmas Day. He has a small hairline fracture in his right throwing hand, sustained in Sunday’s win over the Giants.

* Citing family reasons, professional golfer Brooks Koepka is parting ways with LIV golf. Both sides say his departure is amicable.

* Came across this picture of Game 1 of the 1961 World Series between the Yankees and Reds. Note the sign in the lower-right portion of the iconic outfield scoreboard:

* Now, some of this ballparks are planning on installing books. Not only can you bet on games and prop bets, involving games, soon you will be able to place those wagers at the ballpark.

* Incidentally, if you check that Yankees lineup from that historic 1961 season, you will note that part of the remarkable story that year with Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle, was not in the lineup. Mantle missed most of the World Series with an abscess in his leg. The abscess was supposedly the result of a concoction of fluids assembled by quack doctor Max Jacobson, the same doctor who treated President John F. Kennedy with a similar concoction for JFK’s chronic back pain. Mantle was feeling ill near the end of the season, and the “Voice of the Yankees,” Mel Allen, recommended he go see Jacobson. The injection made Mantle worse, and the story goes Yankees co-owner Dan Topping never forgave Allen for referring Mantle to Jacobson and was one of the reasons Topping fired Allen, after the 1964 season.

That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Thank you for subscribing and enjoy your Christmas Eve.

DAN