Gang,

There are a number of announcements to make:

1) First of all, I hope that everyone greets our newest Associate Manager, Michael Paniak. Our second Associate member from the state of Illinois, Michael is very enthused about joining the league. He has selected the Providence Grays American Association team. Here's hoping that his tenure in our league is a long and productive one!

2) Here is the OOSL schedule over the next two weeks:

     * Today - open trade period for OOSL teams (one day window).
     * Sunday, January 17-Saturday, January 23: inquiries RE: deals with the AA trade pool.
     * Sunday, January 24-Saturday, January 30: binding offers made to AA trade pool.
     * Sunday, January 31: all binding trade offers with AA pool go through and trading ends.

3) Consistent with league precedent, trade talks have been flying fast n' furious over the last couple weeks, and the one day window has already been whipped open with a laundry list of deals:

To CHA - Frank McCormick
To PIN - Joe Judge

To CHA - Rube Foster, Reggie Jackson, Willie Mays
To NYN - Babe Adams, Wade Boggs, Paul Waner

To CHN - Wade Boggs
To NYN - Denny Lyons

To NYN - Brooks Robinson
To PIN - Denny Lyons

To NYN - Earl Averill, Whitey Ford
To SLN - Babe Adams, Paul Waner

To CHA - Willie Keeler, Al Simmons
To KCN - Fred Clarke, Willie Mays

To CHA - Gary Carter, Don Drysdale, Jesse Petty
To PIN - Ted Simmons, John Tudor
To SLN - Yogi Berra, Bobby Shantz

To CHA - Rogers Hornsby, Tommy Leach, Brooks Robinson
To NYN - Henry Aaron, Judy Johnson, Nap Lajoie

To CHN - Henry Aaron
To NYN - Al Kaline

To CHA - Rafael Palmeiro, Pee Wee Reese
To NYA - Luis Aparicio, Nellie Fox

To CLA - Earl Averill, Stan Hack
To NYN - Cap Anson, George Van Haltren

To BOA - John Donaldson, Jesse Petty, Brooks Robinson
To CHA - Billy O'Dell, Ken Raffensberger, Mike Schmidt

To NYA - Whitey Ford, Herb Pennock
To NYN - Freddie Fitzsimmons, Lon Warneke

To CHA - Luke Appling, Bob Caruthers
To PIN - Ken Raffensberger, Pee Wee Reese

To BRN - Tommy Leach
To CHA - Del Pratt

To CHA - Jesse Barfield
To PHA - Jimmy Piersall
  
To CHN - Ray Dandridge, Mark Eichhorn
To SLN - Mark Fidrych, Willie Randolph

If you have made a deal and either you have not reported it or I have neglected to include it, please LMK.

As an administrative point, the NYA deal was recent and approved by another Executive Committee member. It had not been previously made or discussed by or in conjunction with Denis Telgemeier before he left the league: it was a computer action.

4) The OOSL seems on the brink of real competitiveness in the upcoming season. The AL should provide a wild ride from top to bottom. Meanwhile, I have made some moves angled specifically to bring a similar level of competition to the NL, which has been more one-sided historically. I am enthusuastic as to how the playing field looks now as opposed to during 1998, and will like the look of things even more by the time the AA trade pool has closed. Competition is the touchstone of excitement, and I think we have a real chance to put out a more competitive product than ever in 1999.

Well, that is all for now. Be sure to drop our newest member a note (our third Michael/Mike!) and be on the lookout for any more trades that may occur and subsequently be reported today.

Regards,
Dirk

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