The LoHud Yankees Blog and many others have the details…

• The Texas Rangers have declared bankruptcy as part of the deal to sell the team to Chuck Greenberg, Nolan Ryan and others. [Ballpark Digest] Amusingly, A-Rod is apparently the team’s top unsecured creditor. [via WasWatching]
• Tyler Kepner has a great post about how John Fogerty came up with the song “Centerfield.” [NYT's Bats Blog]
• Our own Jerry Milani has the lowdown on where the American League All-Star voting is as of today, with Joe Mauer and Derek Jeter leading the voting by a wide margin over their fellow league-mates. [Baseball Digest]
• Given the Yanks’ off day today, Rebecca Glass took a moment to break down the team’s season so far. [This Purist Bleeds Pinstripes]
• Landon Evanson is looking for baseball’s ultimate gamer. Go vote. [Bugs and Cranks]
• Some thoughts on the passing of Jose Lima from Landon Evanson, Ben Shpigel and Bill Ivie.

The luncheon benefits Fordham University, alma mater of Halligan and yours truly, among others.

The details from our friends at YES Network and Gallagher’s:

Former Yankee Catcher, YES Network Analyst and New York City Native John Flaherty Heads Honorees at Halligan-McGuire Irish American Sports Good Guy Awards Luncheon on Monday, March 15, at Gallagher’s Steak House to Benefit Fordham University Featuring Irish Culinary Delights

***Remembering Two Irish-American Sports Legends In N.Y., Dick McGuire And John Halligan***

New York, March 2 — Two beloved New York sports figures of Irish American heritage who recently passed away will be remembered at a St. Patrick’s week benefit luncheon. On Monday afternoon, March 15, at 12:00 noon at Gallagher’s Steak House in  New York City, Dick McGuire, the legendary St. John’s and New York Knicks star and NBA Hall of Famer, and John Halligan, the Rangers and NHL public relations executive, historian and author, will be honored with the creation of the “Halligan-McGuire Irish American Sports Good Guy Awards.”  John Flaherty, former Yankee and YES Network analyst; Janet Halligan,   John’s loving wife of 41 years; Teri McGuire, Dick’s loving wife of 54 years; and Dave Maloney, the former Ranger and 1050 ESPN Radio Rangers analyst, will be the inaugural honorees at the luncheon to benefit Fordham University.

Tickets are priced at $75, and include a three course luncheon menu and a donation. For information and tickets call Cirillo World at 212-972-5337 or email johnnycigarpr@aol.com. Gallagher’s Steak House is located at 228 West  52nd Street (between Broadway and Eighth Avenue) in New York City (212.245.5336).

New York City native Flaherty enters his sixth season on the YES Network broadcast lineup as a field reporter, studio analyst and game analyst for Yankees telecasts. Though Flaherty was drafted by Boston in 1988, he is perhaps best known to Yankees fans for his 2004 pinch-hit walk-off single that ended a 13-inning regular season game against his former team, the Red Sox.  In the 2005 season, he became Yankees ace Randy Johnson’s catcher, in addition to backing up Jorge Posada. Flaherty played in over 1,000 games during 14 Major League seasons.

Born in the Bronx, a product of the Rockaways and a long time Dix Hills, Long Island resident, McGuire was a part of the Knicks organization for 53 seasons as a player, coach and scout. The St. John’s University star was one of the most selfless players in NBA history. The deft-passing McGuire was a five-time all star and led the Knicks to three straight NBA Finals in the fifties. His number 15 was retired to the Madison Square Garden rafters in 1992, and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame the following year. A native of Bergenfield, NJ, and a longtime resident of Franklin Lakes, Halligan began his career in the Rangers publicity office in 1963, upon graduation from Fordham University. Over the next 20 years his role expanded to include vice president of communications and business manager.  Halligan left the Rangers for a public relations position with the NHL in 1983, before returning to the Rangers in 1986. He went back to the NHL in 1990 before retiring in 2006. He wrote several books, including “100 Ranger Greats: Superstars, Unsung Heroes and Colorful Characters” and “Game of My Life: New York Rangers.”

Buck Leonard

Yesterday the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (hello, Bucket List…) announced its Legacy Award Winners for the 2009 season.  I like that they name each award for an appropriate Negro League star (Buck Leonard for the batting champion, ‘Cool Papa’ Bell for the stolen base king, etc.).

Interesting that none of the awards is named for Satchel Paige, and the MVP is named for Oscar Charleston rather than Josh Gibson.  I think it’s good that someone like Rogan, who has kind of been lost in the shuffle, gets his due — would anyone pick him if you asked them to name the top five, or even top 10 Negro Leaguers, off the top of their head?

I’m also interested to hear feedback from Strat-o-Matic players who have used the new Negro League card set, produced through exhaustive and extensive research by Scott Simkus, who has worked on the project for over a decade.  Looking at the rosters, there are many players I’m not familiar with.  Here is an interesting interview with Simkus on WGN TV in Chicago on the project.

The other is a quick news piece on the Thurman Munson Awards dinner on Feb. 2, which I will be working and covering for B:B.  I’ll try to get a pic with Sweet Lou at least.  Piniella was my first favorite player — I remember my dad taking me to a game in 1977, when we lived in upstate N.Y. and going to a game was a rare treat and an all-day commitment.  We spend the morning with a roll of some kind of cardboard paper and brown paint, printing out LOOOOOOOOOOOOOU, which I dutifully held up each time he came to bat.  I liked how he hit, but I think I liked more how Frank Messer or Phil Rizzuto would always have to say, “They’re not saying BOOOO, they’re saying LOOOO” every time the crowd would serenade him.