As the decade winds down to its final days, Big League Stew is reflecting on the biggest baseball moments of the 2000s. First up are our top steroid-free controversies from 2000-09 (because a list of controversies that allows for steroids would be terribly redundant and not very interesting). In compiling these choices, we not only weighed the story's tabloid and "talker" qualities, but also its ongoing impact on the sport of baseball. Read on.

1. The 2002 All-Star Game Tie — July 9, 2002

What to do, what to do? On a warm July night in the Midwest, all commissioner Bud Selig could do was throw up his hands. All-Star skippers Bob Brenly and Joe Torre had managed their respective teams into a corner and one of the more entertaining All-Star Games of recent memory — remember Torii Hunter's over-the-wall robbery of Barry Bonds? — was tied 7-7 after 11 innings.

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Is San Francisco Giants right-hander Tim Lincecum(notes) on a haircut strike until he's no longer the reigning Cy Young? I hope his mane, which appears to be as long as the line of guys headed back to the dugout after strike three, goes down to his belt by July.

The downside is, there can be consequences for how you wear your hair, or what it's alleged you have in your car. For one, people think it gives them the right to make fun of you. The nerve!

This link, for example — which is not safe for work and contains adult language, my little pretties.

Hat tip: Walkoff Walk.

Welcome to Dave's Dozen (because Kaduk's not here, man), a streamlined selection of 12 morning-fresh links and items to start your baseball day. It welcomes your e-mail submissions or tips via Twitter.

1. Stephen "The Future of the Franchise" Strasburg injures his knee shagging flies, causing momentary panic and sympanthy pains. Nationals Enquirer
2. The Nats don't think the injury is serious, but they canceled Strasburg's upcoming start and are having him fly to Los Angeles to see Dr. Lewis Yocum. Oy. MLBlogs
3. Y! private eye Jeff Passan tracks 131 free-agent baseball players. Yahoo! Sports
4. Paul LoDuca hopes he's remembered this Christmas free-agent season. NY Daily News
5. Why it took until 1959 for the Red Sox to have a black player. Verb Plow (via ESPN's Rob Neyer) 
6. Former Rays owner Vince Naimoli gets his revenge, in book form. TampaBay.com
7. Professional baseball back in Montreal? Eric Gagne(notes) says he could help make it happen. Walkoff Walk
8. Up next after "Paranormal State" on A&E, "Stadium Secrets" with your host, Curtis Granderson(notes). MLive
9. Baltimore wants to boost its economy by starting a Negro League baseball museum. Baltimore Sun
10. Hey. Isn't there already a Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City?  Kansas City Star
11. At least KC will always have the 2012 All-Star Game. MLB.com
12. Ring the bell for commish Selig, who says some MLB teams lost money this past season. Yahoo! News

The Bucks (Pa.) Local News is reporting tonight that Phillies fans are eagerly awaiting the arrival of 22-year-old prospect Domonic Brown, who had an .880 OPS over three minor league stops in 2009.

It is also reporting he is "JUST AN IDIOT" for spelling his first name that way.

Wait, whaaa?

In an online version of this story — "Phillies' hot stove is heating up" — the third paragraph suggests Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro could have a plan that entails making prospects Brown, Michael Taylor and Kyle Drabek part of a new core group for the club.

The assumption seems reasonable enough, but the paragraph also contains a note the writer presumably left for copy editors regarding the unusual spelling of Brown's first name — Domonic.

(*NFP: DOMONIC IS SPELLED RIGHT, HE'S JUST AN IDIOT*).

Hoo, boy. 

NFP means "not for publication." Yeah, no kidding this wasn't for publication. As anyone who has worked for a newspaper can tell you, employees are reminded to not make "dummy" headlines or write notes within stories that, if actually published, would prove embarrassing.

But people do it anyway.

The note was removed in another version of what otherwise appeared to be the same post, which was bylined by Matthew Fleishman. The "IDIOT" version linked above remained online concurrently as of 11:30 p.m. EST.  (UPDATE: The story has been updated with an apology from Fleisman. "The only idiot in this case is me," he writes.)

There's no way a paper from Bucks County, outside of Philly, wants to insult one of the Phillies' finest prospects. Or even one it its lesser prospects.

OK, even saying something like that about Eric Bruntlett would have been wrong.

Letting out the insult was unintentional — but it still got out:

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Moviegoers at multiplexes everywhere will soon find out if Derek Jeter can still act to his left.

In case you didn't recognize the vagrant with the stringy hair and ratty coat in the photograph above, it's the Yankees captain engaging Mark Wahlberg on the set of "The Other Guys." It's the latest epic from Will Ferrell and Adam McKay — the duo that also made "Anchorman," Talladega Nights" and "Step Brothers."

Fresh off the Yankees' World Series victory, Jeter and company shot the scene last week at Nathan's Famous hot dog stand at Coney Island. Jeter plays an aging version of himself years after Wahlberg's character, a police officer named Brock Landers, shoots him in the leg and forces him into a life on the streets. That's what the stories on MLB.com and the New York Post say, anyway, so let's go with it. (The Post also has an extensive album of photos from Jeter's shoot, in case you want more ... and you probably do.)

The role should be perfect for Jeter, who has been pretending to be a great shortstop for years.

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You've been told the bedtime stories, you've read the eyewitness accounts.

You've heard the personal testimony, you've seen the Oscar-worthy short animated movie.

Maybe you've even read the Bantam Book.

Now, sign the online petition so everyone can watch video of Pirates right-hander Dock Ellis throwing a no-hitter while, legend has it, he was tripping on psychedelic drugs.

The enterprising fellas at The Slanch Report have started an online petition urging the MLB Network to raid its archives in search of Dock's no-no, which originally came at San Diego on June 12, 1970.

It's an inspired request, wanting to watch Ellis work his, ahem, "magic" against the Friars. That day, he walked eight and hit another guy but still managed to pitch one of the 263 no-no's in major league history — all while "as high as a Georgia Pine," as he put it.

But before MLB Network starts rummaging through its files, there are some questions that need answers.

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The Twins received such good feedback on their 1982 throwbacks for the final season in the Metrodome, they are busting out a new set of retro uniforms for 2010, when they head outdoors at Target Field.

Above, we have outfielder Denard Span looking quite dapper, just like Bob Allison back in the day, in modeling the 1961 home pinstripes. The new duds honor the 50th season of Major League Baseball in the Twin Cities.

Span seems pumped about the new/old look, which will be worn opening day and every home Saturday at Target.

From MLB.com:

"These are sweet," Span said. "I kind of feel like Harmon Killebrew or Rod Carew. These are the same uniforms they wore. I'm just glad that we'll get the opportunity to wear these and go out to the new stadium with these uniforms on." 

That's not the only fashion bump in Minnesota. Below, feast your eyes on the new road Twinkie wrappers:

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It's not that Chris Coghlan(notes) and Andrew Bailey(notes) don't deserve to be the majors' top rookies this season.

Well, neither probably does. But it's understandable how baseball writers reached those conclusions today.

Coghlan hit .372 in the second half, when everyone pays attention a little closer, and that stat was just too good to pass up. Three-seventy-two? Wow! And, presto, you have the NL Rookie of the Year.

Bailey had 26 saves and a 1.84 ERA. Great numbers, flashy. But also decisive-looking. How can you vote against them? Voila!

If voters took a closer look at Coghlan's stats and Bailey's stats, they might have seen some flaws and changed their votes. But, they didn't. The awards have been sent out and there's no going back; Coghlan and Bailey are winners, and we can't take it away.

And, why would we want to? It's just an award. There are worse, actual injustices in the world.

The best rookies of 2009 will get a chance to prove how good they are over the long haul of their careers.

Players such as Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen(notes) (right). Give all of the ROY awards to Chris Coghlan, because McCutchen's future is brighter. His combination of hitting, hitting for power, speed and defense leave Coghlan in the dust.

• Baseball America pegged McCutchen as its top rookie at the end of the season.

• Walkoff Walk rails against Coghlan's bloated batting average.

• Aaron Gleeman of NBC Sports touts McCutchen here.

On the other side, folks are wondering how Elvis Andrus(notes) failed to take home the hardware in the AL. Really, Elvis fans should be happy that Andrus finished second; that means the voters were taking his defense into account.

In 10 years, the bigger question will be how Brett Anderson(notes) lost the AL ROY to his teammate.

Welcome to Dave's Dozen (because Kaduk's not here, man), a streamlined selection of 12 morning-fresh links and items to start your baseball day. It welcomes your e-mail submissions or tips via Twitter.

1. MLB names its Rookie of the Year in the AL and NL at 2 p.m. EST. Nobody, not even the Rangers' Elvis Andrus(notes) (above left) or the Marlins' Chris Coghlan(notes) is a clear favorite in either league. MLB.com
2. White Sox infielder Gordon Beckham(notes) won the AL ROY from the Sporting News and from the Major League Baseball Players Association, but isn't guaranteed of a triple crown. WhiteSox.com
3. One view in Oakland is that Andrus, the best-fielding shortstop in the majors according to many defensive metrics, is "the clear favorite." OaklandAthletics.com
4. One view in Texas is, if anybody can spring a surprise on Andrus, it's A's closer Andrew Bailey(notes), who had 26 saves and a 1.84 ERA. TexasRangers.com
5. Elsewhere deep in the heart of Texas, fatalism reigns for Andrus' chances — even if he's the best candidate in the AL. Dallas Morning News
6. Porcello is the clear front-runner, Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. MLive.com
7. Andrus and Braves' right-hander Tommy Hanson(notes) won in a vote of blogs. SB Nation
8. Hanson led NL rookies in ERA, K's per nine innings, WHIP and opponents batting average. MLB.com
9. Coghlan could become the Marlins' third ROY already. FloridaMarlins.com
10. But Coghlan doesn't deserve the honor as much as others. South Florida Sun-Sentinel
11. Nah, Coghlan's the favorite — but J.A. Happ(notes) did lead rookies in victories and, like Beckham in the AL, has rookie awards from the Sporting News and the Players' Association. Phillies.com
12. Brewers infielder Casey McGehee(notes) would be proud to finish second or third. Brewers.com

We had such fun (I did, anyway) yesterday with the short film about Dock Ellis pitching a no-hitter while tripping on LSD, we've returned with another baseball-related animated short.

This one's a little more kid-friendly. It's about a bear named Berni who goes to the batting cages and manages to perform some breakdancing between hacks. The episode is from a 54-part Spanish-language series promoting "the values of fair play" to children. The series covers many sports and was actually produced in Spain, which has no beisbol tradition that I know of other than this bear.

The message at the end translated is: "When training, learn to control your impulses. With concentration and effort, you will get it."

That's some Jedi stuff right there.

Plus, Berni the Bear is quite amusing and the Ice Age-ish animation is highly watchable.