There are a whole bunch of small news tidbits to share- so rather than post a bunch of tiny posts, or skip posting them at all, I'm rounding them up all together in one post.

Jacoby Ellsbury will be recognized as one of six outstanding Native American athletes at the United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY) Gala down in Scottsdale, AZ on January 31st as part of the Super Bowl hoopla. Joba Chamberlain is also one of the honorees. No word on whether the two ballplayers will attend -- but I'd think any excuse to be down in Arizona for the Super Bowl would be a good excuse.

And if you'd like to get your own little piece of Jacoby, now's your chance-- courtesy of his alma mater. For every 20 tickets you buy to the Oregon State-Georgia baseball series from February 29th through March 2nd, you'll get a special Jacoby bobblehead, dressed in full Beavers baseball regalia. The only way to get that bobblehead is to buy tickets, you won't be able to buy it in any store.

Alex Cora and Javier Lopez will be honored by the Hyde Park Lions Club with their annual award given to "individuals who have exhibited strong leadership, one and off the field and community support". The awards ceremony will take place on February 1st at Annunciation Hall at 7 VFW Parkway in West Roxbury. Previous honorees include Jason Varitek, Mo Vaughn, Marty Barrett and Doug Flutie.

But no award can top the one Daisuke Matsuzaka received today in Tokyo: the Jewellery Best Dresser award (special prize) from the Japan Jewellery Association. Seriously. Apparently, these awards are some kind of big deal, though I have no idea what fabulous jewels Daisuke's been sporting to get that "special prize". Somewhere out in Cotulla, a certain necklace-wearing pitcher just shook his fist at the sky, cursing the gods that there's not a Texas Jewellery Best Dresser award.

This also gives us the perfect opportunity to check out the fauxhawk look that Dice is rocking:

And here he is with his trophy (seems he got a trophy... and a fancy watch... and a jeweled lapel pin), and some of the other winners. GOOD LORD, what is that woman on his left wearing? An asymmetrical bronze lamè dress with some sort of crochet leftovers attached as sleeves? Maybe she needs to spend less time on the "jewellery" and more time picking out her outfits.