Random mid-summer musings

Some quick hits to play catch-up:

Yankees.com posted my feature on a new book by Marty Appel looking back at the life and career of the great Thurman Munson. It's another of a few Munson-related projects I've done or are in the works. Sunday I'll be at Yankees Old Timer's Day - always a fun afternoon - where many of Munson's former teammates will be on hand, along with his widow, the forever-classy Diana.

Will Roy Halladay become a Yankee? Probably not. Do the Yankees have to have him? No, but they must explore every angle on what it'll take to get him. A memo to the daydreamers: It's going to take at least a package of Phil Hughes and/or Jesus Montero to acquire the six-time All-Star and 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner. Once an idea entered my mind, I took a shot at playing virtual GM. Joba Chamberlain, Austin Jackson and Montero for Doc. Media types are strongly in favor of getting Halladay, while most fans are vehemently opposed to busting up a farm system recently rebuilt. I've always been in favor of building a program, but sometimes an elite pitcher still in his prime is worth the risk. Do you bank on potential or a starting rotation with a front three of Halladay, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett?

UFC 100 was a fun event - and a fun night at my local Hooters. And I was actually 5-2 on my won-loss predictions. We now look ahead to UFC 101 next month in Philadelphia, but also on my radar is UFC 104 October 24 in Los Angeles. It's the return of Ryan Bader, Lyoto Machida's first light-heavyweight title defense against Mauricio Rua and a highly-intriguing heavyweight bout between Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez. Somebody's '0' will go and the winner gets a shot at Brock Lesnar. But Carwin decided to trash Lesnar for his unprofessional post-fight antics after defeating Frank Mir. Tough talk by the Colossus from Colorado, but perhaps misguided. He has to get past a freight train about as focused and intense of anyone I've covered in MMA.

It'll be Martin Kampmann and Mike Swick at September's UFC 103 in Dallas for the right to challenge welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, who has cleaned out the division. My question is about Brock Larson's immediate future. I figured he'd get a rematch with Carlos Condit, but Condit is rumored to be fighting Chris Lytle at UFC Fight Night 19. I have a call placed into Larson to see if he's heard anything new. Once his next opponent is announced, I can work up a feature article on the up-and-comer from Minnesota for FIGHT! Magazine.