I'm guessing Jeff Kent will be an Era Committee selection to the Hall of Fame today. But a choice of Fernando Valenzuela, who is a first-time candidate on the veteran ballot this year, would be inspired.

One of three pieces of concrete or old sidewalk that I got out of the ground in the far corner of our backyard today. I love finding literal pieces of history.

Some news: I'm now on-staff as a news reporter for The Sacramento Bee. It's been a fun first few weeks, covering everything from "One Battle After Another" to Dorothea Puente. I even got to talk briefly with Steve Sax yesterday about "Homer at the Bat." www.sacbee.com/sports/mlb/a...

My latest. Last day of a good and varied first week on-staff for The Bee.

A Eugene police employee put on a PRESS vest and was granted access real journalists weren't. We led a letter to tell officials how disturbing the incident was. Cops impersonating reporters puts journalists at risk and undermines the press's watchdog role. Read more from @jwcroxton.bsky.social

I haven't written a ton about baseball in recent years, but I just got off the phone with a former player who's close to 90. This kind of thing always puts me in a good mood.

In today's Immaculate Grid, I put forward an early 20th century pitcher named Jay Hughes who I only know of because of his ties to Sacramento where I live. Hughes's rarity score is 0.007%, meaning that out of ~58,000 grids today, Hughes was played three other times. I'd like to meet these people.

My latest. This pool, from the neighborhood I grew up in, is long gone. But the story around it is compelling, for better and worse.

Immaculate Grid stat lately I've been obsessed with: Players used. I'm at 793 through 293 recorded games. Anyone else keep an eye on this? @adarowski.bsky.social, looking your way.

Cool birthday present from @baseballkate.bsky.social just arrived. To honor its subject, I put the thing on as fast as I could.

Underrated stat: Mike Hampton hit three triples in 1999 while only giving up two.

Rare experience playing Immaculate Grid this morning: Scored better in the NBA version than the MLB one. (I don't know the Tampa Bay Rays very well.)

Sacramento used to have loads of bowling alleys. The last one in city limits closed after a fire last year. Now, the city is considering preserving the building. Here's a new piece from me today: bsky.app/profile/sacb...

BREAKING: Public Launch of Satchel Paige Project marklaurencearmour.wordpress.com/2084-2/ There is a short explainer on my website, then you click on the map and see where it takes you. Please pass this around to anyone you think might be interested

Day died six days after getting voted in. He might have made it sooner, but there was reputedly a year that Veterans Committee member Roy Campanella was in the hospital and not allowed to vote by proxy and Day missed by a vote. (Rest in peace, Cobra.)

I've been to one SABR convention, in 2014. It was awesome. Seeing the photos out of Dallas is making me realize I'm long overdue to get to another one of these.

In the 1952 World Series, Gil Hodges was atrocious, going for 0-for-21 with six strikeouts. What might not be well-known, but is cool to me: Hodges excelled the rest of his career in the postseason, with a .337/.404/.511 slash in four Fall Classics.

@grahamdude.bsky.social & I inadvertently became those millennials you read about this week. When your fur baby is injured a pet stroller somehow enters your life.

I write quirky, historical fare for the Sacramento Bee once or twice a month. Here's a piece I have out today about an old bank that's being converted into a high-end hotel. www.sacbee.com/news/local/a...

"I had to ask the English people if they knew who Smokey the Bear is. But they don't. In England, Smokey the Bear is not the forest-fire-prevention representative. They have Smackie the Frog."

Back in 2014, I attempted to predict 20 years of Hall of Fame inductees. A decade on, some of this is prescient, some of it is wayyyyy off. baseballpastandpresent.com/baseball-hal...

Now that the Black Sox players have been removed from MLB's permanently ineligible list after 104 years, here's the most accurate history we know on what really happened in the 1919 World Series, from SABR's Eight Myths Out: sabr.org/eight-myths-...

I saw @cooperstowndave.bsky.social say something similar, but to offer my two cents, I'd much rather see the Hall of Fame focus on the legions of outstanding Negro League candidates still to be honored than a couple of dudes who broke the game's cardinal rule.

RIP to Chet Lemon, one of the all-time most underrated Hall of Fame candidates.

Kate and I often miss teams when we are traveling. It was cool to get to a Washington Nationals game on a trip to DC we just returned from.

I don't think Andrew McCutchen is a likely Hall of Famer. But he might wind up statistically as a perma-candidate, in the same category as Buddy Bell, Darrell Evans or Willie Randolph.

Today could have been a monster Immaculate Grid for me. My mistake: Overshot and guessed that Snuffy Stirnweiss was a WWII-era MVP for the Yankees. He finished as high as third and won a batting championship in 1945.

The movie "Sacramento" is out in theaters today. I spoke to star, co-writer and director Michael Angarano and others about how the region became so critical to his production. www.sacbee.com/entertainmen...

Memory's a tricky thing. I could've sworn Dazzy Vance had well over 200 wins, though I missed a question on Immaculate Grid today due to it. He had 197 wins. I also missed on saying Juan Pizarro had a 200-K season for the White Sox, but that was a guess. I swing for the fences on rarity scores.

So many directions one could go with today’s Immaculate Grid. I went All-Novelty Team.

TIL that Arky Vaughan had a season where he hit .385 but didn’t get 200 hits. Or: Why today’s Immaculate Grid went south.

The arrival of the Oakland A’s this spring is not likely to have a major impact on the West Sacramento real estate market, though it could if the team stays for good, experts say. www.sacbee.com/news/local/a...

Had fun doing this and managed to get in a mention about something my pal @adarowski.bsky.social might fight me on.

This isn't baseball history-related, but I suspect it might be of interest to people who follow me for that kind of work. I wrote about a family that's been exchanging the same birthday card since 1936. www.sacbee.com/news/local/a...

Disaster struck when I attempted to list Dale Murphy as a Phillies first baseman. I have a distinct memory of him being in an infield conference near that position during a game. Memory is so fallible sometimes.

To piggyback on Adam's reaction, I'm also against permanent ineligibility. The silver lining is that the Hall of Fame doesn't always keep to making people permanently ineligible. Case in point, Buck O'Neil.

For today's Immaculate Grid. This is fairly beatable, but it's also not my worst work.

Kenley Jansen seems like a pretty likely future Hall of Famer. I wouldn't predict he'll go in first ballot, but sometime while he's on the writers' ballot seems probable.

I was lucky to talk to Fay Vincent a few times on stories. He was a good interviewee -- happy to talk, intelligent and candid in a way that seems unimaginable for an MLB commissioner now. RIP.

When I spoke with Fay Vincent for this obituary, he said it was good that I called, because he was dying. He was not sad or maudlin, said he’d lived a long, rich life. Farewell to a rational, engaging, brilliant man who loved the game. www.nytimes.com/athletic/593...

My latest. This was really interesting to report on and is worth a few minutes of your time.

I find old movie palaces fascinating to report on. Here's the story of Stockton's former Fox theater, now known as the Bob Hope Theatre.

Great to see Billy Wagner will be going in the Hall of Fame. It's been a long journey for him as a candidate. I talked to him in late 2015, shortly before he drew 10.5 percent his first time on the BBWAA ballot. "In my decade, I was talked about as one of the best," Wagner told me.

Pro tip for anyone who wants to eat dinner out on Christmas: Your favorite Chinese restaurant might be slammed, but other cool places might be open. Signed, Guy who’s trying an Indian/Nepalese restaurant

My in-laws know me well…

Stunned to hear about Rickey Henderson. There are few players in baseball history I’d choose to build a team around before him.

Since we’re knee-deep in catcher Hall of Fame talk I’d like to reshare my appearance on @jmiloch.bsky.social’s Pod of Fame where I preach the case of the great Charlie Bennett. Listen and whether you end up a Yes or No on Home Run Charlie I’d welcome your thoughts! open.spotify.com/episode/1mx6...

By day, I do local journalism. This piece about organ recovery was super-interesting to report on. Technological innovations in that field are more than likely saving lives.

Benji meets Santa Paws.