Just before the 11 p.m. deadline 3B Zack Cox (25th overall pick) signed with the St. Louis Cardinals (numbers have not been announced but the signing bonus is rumored to be in the $3 million range, along with a major league deal and a spot on the 40-man roster, which means he will probably be in St. Louis by 2012).

UA ace SP Drew Smyly, the Detroit Tigers’ 2nd round pick, signed for a cool $1.1 million. Both Cox and Smyly were draft-eligible sophomores who could have returned to Fayetteville and theoretically  had leverage once again next season.

The biggest bright spots for the Hogs today were that Seattle Mariners 3rd-round pick Ryne Stanek, a right handed, fireballing high school starting pitcher and UA signee did not sign with Seattle, and will be a Razorback. Stanek will be one of the most highly touted freshmen in college baseball next season.

Collin Kuhn, the Hogs’ leadoff man, and a 15th-round 2010 draft pick with speed and power, also did not sign, and will return to Fayetteville and likely move into the middle of the Arkansas batting order.

Others players who signed with the Hogs and were drafted by MLB teams, but did not sign are infielder Dominic Ficociello (23rd round), OF/P Nolan Sanburn (34th round) 1B/OF Sam Bates (39th round) and LHP Jeff Harvill (40th round).

As a point of reference, 2010 1st-round pick, Cox, was a 20th-round pick in the 2008 draft. Eibner, a 2010 2nd-round pick, was taken in the 4th round in 2007, while 1B Andy Wilkins (5th-round pick this year) was taken in the 25th round in 2007 and Smyly was undrafted out of Little Rock Central.

I know it must be difficult to suffer through Pittsburgh Pirates games on a daily basis, but Pittsburgh radio guys Greg Brown (play by play) and the giggly Steve Blass (color) (who has been known to lose control before) lost their minds this weekend in response to a walkoff home run by Pedro Alvarez for a team that is currently 39-72 and 24.5 games out of 1st place in the NL Central. My favorite part is Blass’ fingers-in-mouth whistling. Classic.

(Another rant from the quiet one.)

Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin is an Army flight surgeon and apparently has been a pretty good career soldier. But now he has nominated himself to be the likely martyr for the birthers. Lakin is among the reported 27% (in some polls) that do not believe that President Obama was born in the United States. There are three video links in this CNN report. In one of them, Anderson Cooper tries to get Lakin to tell him why a “Certificate of Live Birth” from Hawaii is insufficient in his mind to prove Obama is a U.S. citizen by birth. Cooper could barely get Lakin to respond for his lawyer’s intervention but one question I would have asked is, “did you ask to see President George W. Bush’s birth certificate?” For that matter, as he has been in the service for 17 years, what about Clinton or Bush senior? What about Sarah Palin? There’s more to this than coincidental or fake Kenyan birth documents. The birthers have a scary agenda.

It really is disturbing to me that anyone really believes that Obama was not born in the U.S. But it’s frightening to me that 27% have at least some doubt. What drives this? I’d love to blame the right-wing pundits but not all of them are drinking this Kool-Aid. Last year Bill O’Reilly, who fathered the current craze of television conservative punditry, called Orly Taitz a “nut.” Taitz of course is the non-commissioned loon that has sued just about every person that has ever crossed her or breathed funny. She also was slapped with a $20,000 fine for frivolous lawsuits. She has appealed numerous suits to the Supreme Court and she can’t even get Clarence Thomas to stay a judgment against her. She’s crazy and if Bill O’Reilly doesn’t buy what you’re selling, then maybe you need to tilt at a different windmill.

Anyway, Lakin is also tilting but his battle is more newsworthy given his position, rank, and interest in taking the role of birther poster child. Lakin posted a YouTube video explaining why he is refusing to deploy for another tour in Afghanistan. Yesterday Lakin asked to defer his plea in his court martial until the judge rules on a request to have the case thrown out. The judge gave Lakin two weeks to file the motion. If it is not dismissed, Lakin’s case will begin in October.

All of this spurred me to dig up my own birth certificate. What I have is not the actual certificate. It is a “Certification of Birth Registration” from Henry County, Iowa, U.S.A. It states that I was born in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa on January 16th, 1970 at 11:40 a.m. and that it is recorded in the courthouse records. There are a number of other details that aren’t relevant but that’s about it. I have used this exact document for a number of things. I used it to get an Arkansas Drivers License. I used it get a replacement social security card. And I used it to get a United States passport. Not one person ever doubted its veracity. Of course I would never say that what I have done or do now is as important as being the President of the United States but if I were to run I suppose I could not command this soldier unless I trot up to Henry County, Iowa and ask the clerk to dust off my book and turn to my page. Or would I have to be ultra-conservative too…?

Here’s the real problem I have with this. This Lakin character along with Taitz and all of the other birthers are disrespecting the president and a host of other people in an inane plot to simply rouse the rabble because they don’t like Obama’s politics (or maybe worse reasons.) Lakin is disrespecting the Republican governor of Hawaii, Linda Lingle who stated “the president was, in fact, born at Kapi’olani Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii.” He is disrespecting the entire state of Hawaii really. He is also disrespecting every member of the military who chooses to trust the documentation from Hawaii and the vote of the people of the United States and who thereby serve President Obama as Commander in Chief.

Good morning, BlogHawg Nation. Slow week up here but a few things worth seeing.

The Bella Vista bypass is once again just a dream thanks to Missouri waffling this time.

At least this weird idea was not Fayetteville’s. They’re just approving it. Rickshaw anyone?

Fayetteville is now going to chalk Block…

This was an interesting article about “cursed” restaurant venues.

An interview with Abel Tomlinson. You’ll recall he is the former tree-sitting shroomer that is running for the state house. Enjoy.

Fayetteville is renaming the street where Bill & Hillary lived and got married in his honor.

The Fayetteville Flyer did a great job breaking down Fayetteville’s WAC expansion proposal along with the 24 others as well.

Have a great weekend.