THE BUZZ OF THE WINTER MEETINGS

Oh, those good intentions of the Winter Meetings. I am going to find time to blog, get to a few "road office" tasks during down time, etc., etc. Well, here I am scrambling to write something decent from an Independent Baseball perspective, and packing for the trip back home.

The three days I was here--less than 72 hours, actually--are somewhat of a blur this morning.

At times, the center of the baseball universe seemed squeezed around the huge white Christmas tree in the center of the Dolphin lobby. Of course, anyone who has attended a Winter Meetings session realizes the lobby is the most important location to run into a friend, hear the latest trade or free agent rumor or see and be seen.

This lobby, a part of the sprawling Disney Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando (actually, I believe it is Kissimmee), is smaller than the ideal Winter Meetings lobby. It was wall to wall humanity late in the evening, unless someone like super agent Scott Boras walked through, then there would be a tilt factor because the media would swarm to his side of the floor to attempt to hear what he was saying.

A friend asked me--for his blog, incidentally--if I could describe the sound in the room. It wasn't exactly a beehive buzz. What was it? I did not have an immediate answer (Sorry, Larry), but I reflected on his question later that night. The best I could come up with was that the sound, with everyone talking at once, reminded me of Grand Central Station when the trains suddenly stop running and everyone is trapped without a way home.

There were several news tidbits and rumors from the Independent world that I didn't get into this week's Independent Baseball Insider column, but they have to wait until I find more time or I will miss my airplane. Better not be late.

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