Joe Torre Runs The New York Yankees & A-Rod Under The Bus...

Things are quiet in Birdland; however, in the Bronx and Los Angeles, there's a saga taking place right now and it has nothing to do with what's going on with the Hot Stove. Just today, various media outlets have reported the former Yankee and current Dodgers manager, Joe Torre has a tell-all book about his tenure in New York titled, "The Yankee Years," and it isn't good.

Joe Torre -- who has been classified as a manager who was nothing short of dignified through the toughest all challenges -- lashes out against his former employers and Alex Rodriguez.

In an explosive new book called "The Yankee Years," Torre gets most personal in his attacks against Alex Rodriguez, who he says was called "A-Fraud" by his teammates after he developed a "Single White Female"-like obsession with team captain Derek Jeter and asked for a personal clubhouse assistant to run errands for him.

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Alex Rodriguez = Tight Wad and Slumlord?

We all know Alex Rodriguez is a good ballplayer and can flat out rake; however in today's New York Times, he's seen as nothing more than your typical landlord and nothing more than "cheap" when it comes to his real estate and charitable endevaors.

Not good for a who's image as an athlete is so well crafted, yet whose veneer is so thin.

The veneer of Alex Rodriguez’s real estate empire of working-class housing is staged to disguise his inner Mr. Potter...

The paint is camouflage for the mottled backside of the complex, where an exhausted appliance sits on a porch, cardboard is taped over broken window panes and missing spindles give rickety banisters the look of a snaggletooth smile.

Some residents here tell tales of roaches overtaking kitchen cabinets in a bumper-to-bumper crawl to the corn flakes, of carpets stained in the 1990s and quick-trigger evictions.

For a man worth well over $300 million and counting, this is shocking.

An examination of his high-rolling corporate side, as well as a glossy A-Rod Family Foundation short on largess, reveals a portrait of Rodriguez as a player about to enter Yankee Take II solely for business purposes, primarily as a branding tool. He emerges as an obsessive pursuer of cold, hard numbers on and off the bases, with serially disingenuous nods to his ever-challenged image.

A-Rod isn’t exactly a slumlord — some renters interviewed at his other properties had milder complaints — but he has become a landlord caricature among dwellers who hold him accountable for, say, the stack of molding mattresses by the dumpster at Newport Villas on MacDill Avenue...

To them, he isn’t A-Rod, a regular-season crackerjack on the verge of a Yankees deal potentially worth $300 million. To them, he is Tight-Rod, an apartment tycoon, who, renters say, has jacked late fees to $100 from $50 on units that run around $600 a month.

“He’s got everything, so why take money off our backs?” ” said Roberto Santiago, standing next to his neighbor, Ruiz.

Again, I guess the way A-Rod is portrayed is how the rich stay rich.

Money is A-Rod’s identity, engraving his social standing, with Warren E. Buffett on his I.M. buddy list. As any Buffett-phile knows, philanthropy stats are valued, too.

But A-Rod is a star constantly locked in a contradiction of conscience as evidenced by his charity. The homey surface of the AROD Family Foundation’s Web site, which promotes a slogan of helping “families in distress,” belies its cap on generosity.

Rodriguez has earned nearly $200 million over the past decade, but, according to 990 tax records dating to 1998, he is a cheap tipper to his foundation.

In eight years of available documents, donations averaged $30,000 a year and gifts distributed to the community averaged $13,000 a year. In 2002, A-Rod did not contribute more than $5,500. In 2006, the foundation did not give away more than $5,090 despite a fund-raiser that collected $368,000.

This is all disturbing -- he's closer to a nicer looking male version of Leona Helmsley than a superstar everyone should like.

Is Alex being picked on by the media? Maybe; however, as a man who is worth as much as he is, ther's no excuse for the way he's handled his properties and charitable causes.

Maybe he's not running it all, or perhaps he needs to hire new financial and property representatives, but this is one more chink in his armor.

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Alex Rodriguez Will Be Even Richer; Torii Says Minnesota Won't Win...

Well, it looks like the rich will get richer down the road. Yesterday, the details of Alex Rodriguez's contract was divulged and this much will be certain -- he will be a supremely wealthy man when all is said and done.

Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees have agreed on a $30 million marketing package based on home-run achievements that could raise the total value of his new contract to $305 million over 10 years.

Under the agreement, which remains to be finalized, Rodriguez could receive $6 million each for tying the home-run levels of Willie Mays (660), Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755) and Barry Bonds (762), and an additional $6 million for breaking Bonds' major league record.

The Yankees could designate each level as a historic event, enabling Rodriguez to receive the added money in exchange for additional personal appearances and signed memorabilia for the club. That enabled the agreement to be allowed by the players' association and the commissioner's office. Baseball generally prohibits bonuses based on statistics such as home runs.

Despite not being universally liked by Yankee fans, fans in general and the media; alas, the Yankees are hoping that the cash registers ring when Rodriguez hits some important baseball milestones.

In light of the way he opted out, perhaps he did win in the end as they not only will come to a deal but will reward him.

***




Well, as we all know Torii Hunter signed with the Los Angeles Angels last week. Right now he seems to be more than happy joining the organization, as they are a perennial contender, and more importantly, they gave him the contract he wanted.

Right now, that's more than he can say for Minnesota.

Here's what he said to the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune: Torii Hunter said he wouldn't have returned to the Twins even if the money was there because he doesn't believe they can compete with the more talented teams in the division.

As for his decision to sign with the Angels he said: "It was like a 24-hour decision. I could not leave Anaheim -- that's a nice place, a nice ballpark, they play the game right, they've got a chance to win every year. Because Arte Moreno is that type of owner, he wants to win."

Had the Twins' three-year offer for $45 million been five years for $75 million, he might have considered it, Hunter said, but on the other hand, he wanted to play with a winner. He said he doesn't think the Twins are going to have the talent to win in the future.

"Sometimes you're going to ask for a raise or whatever. And it just so happened that in major league baseball the market is up, it's way up." he said. "So, I was going to get what I was going to get. I just wanted to make sure that I was with a team that wants to win, that's going to try to win day in and day out. Whatever pieces to the puzzle that they need, they were going to go out and get it. I just didn't feel the Twins were that ballclub."

With Hunter gone, and Johan Santana possibly leaving the organization, the Twins may be set to rebuild and have to consider life without two of their most bankable stars.

Rudy Giuliani Gives His Two Cents on A-Rod...

It looks like former New York City mayor and presidential candidate, Rudy Giuliani is rooting for the Yankees, after he felt it was prudent to root for the Red Sox in the World Series.

Now, it looks like he's back to being a Yankee fan.

Asked Sunday how he feels that the New York Yankees and third baseman Alex Rodriguez are on the cusp of finalizing a $275 million, 10-year contract, the Republican presidential candidate broke into a wide smile and said he was thrilled.

"My take on A-Rod? I'm glad to have him back," Giuliani said before watching NASCAR's season-ending Ford 400. "If you give up a player like A-Rod, you've got a lot of rebuilding to do."

Giuliani's affinity for the Yankees is no secret.

and...

So on Sunday, it wasn't exactly a surprise that amid questions on oil prices and push polling, a conversation with Giuliani turned to Rodriguez's pending deal.

"Negotiations are complex in baseball and everyplace else," Giuliani said. "I'm glad it's going to work out the right way. I'm very glad to see that as an American League fan, as a Yankee fan, that we're keeping him in the American League and keeping him on the Yankees. ... Maybe next year he'll have 62 home runs."

Good to know a guy like Rudy knows where his loyalties lie...

Quick Hits: Buffett Advised A-Rod; The Gambler Fires Boras...

Alex Rodriguez may be the object of scorn and generally disliked amongst baseball fans right now, but he's sure not a dummy. In fact, a special friend might have saved face for him.

According to the AP, Warren Buffett advised Alex Rodriguez to approach the New York Yankees and go around agent Scott Boras, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

"A-Rod really loves being a Yankee," Buffett was quoted as saying. He wouldn't comment on the substance of any discussions with the player.

The two became friends several years ago.

Rodriguez, on Boras' advise, opted out of the final three seasons of his record $252 million, 10-year contract on Oct. 28. The Yankees had said many times that if he opted out, they wouldn't negotiate because they would lose $21.3 million from Texas for the final three seasons that was agreed to at the time of the 2004 trade, money to offset the $72 million New York owed from 2008-10.

Upset with developments after he opted out, Rodriguez contacted Buffett, and the investor told him to approach the Yankees without his agent, the Journal said.

After speaking with the investor, Rodriguez contacted a managing director at Goldman Sachs that he knew, John Mallory, who then got in touch with Gerald Cardinale, a Goldman Sachs managing director who has worked with the Yankees and their YES Network.

Wow.

A-Rod has some very smart friends...

***

As if Scott Boras didn't need any more bad news, here's more. Now, the Gambler, free pitcher, Kenny Rogers has sent Boras on his way.

Kenny Rogers is representing himself as a free agent, the Detroit Tigers confirmed Saturday.

The move seems to be a sign that the left-handed pitcher is closer to returning to Detroit and not letting agent Scott Boras shop his services to the highest bidder.

"I still hope to be in a Tiger uniform in 2008," Rogers wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press earlier this week before reports surfaced that he fired agent Boras.

A-Rod Close to Re-Signing With The New York Yankees...

According to ESPN, "Alex Rodriguez has agreed to outlined details of a $275 million deal that will keep him in pinstripes for the next 10 years, and allows him to earn millions more if he sets the career HR mark with N.Y."

Well, I would not say I was surprised; however few teams could pay the price tag he wanted, and considering everything, New York is the best place he could have signed with and achieved what he wanted -- money, prestige and fame.

He did it all without Scott Boras, who many in sports think of as the "scum of the earth"...

A-Rod could build back his status amongst baseball fans, but it took a severe hit with his antics during the World Series and opting out of his contract considering the value of it as is.

Those who are Yankee fans could care less about A-Rod, he resigned with the team; however, outside of New York, he's a pariah.

New York needed him to only not fill in the new ballpark opening up in 2009, but also hopefully (granted he does not injured) a plethora of offensive records, mainly the all-time home run record; alas, to keep him from the Red Sox.

It's a perfect text-book marriage of sports, money and desperation...

The "Hits Keep Coming" Internet Radio Show - November 7th, 2007

As we are into the Hot Stove season, we chatted about latest and greatest in Major League Baseball.

Here are the topics we went over on Wednesday night.

* American League Hot Stove
* Joe Torre is a Dodger
* GM meetings are going on in Orlando
* A-Rod update
* Is Scott Boras scum?
* What will the Mitchell report tell us and when?

Give us a listen, take a whirl, and let me know what you think! We’re on Blog Talk Radio and MVN every Wednesday night at 7PM EST

The Idiot File: Scott Boras & "A-Rod", Alex Rodriguez

Sorry, America; I find this guy just so distasteful & ornery right now. After the stunt he pulled along with A-Rod, he's now officially moved into Drew Rosenhaus territory.

Yes, his stated goal is to make the most money for his clients and create a market for them; however, the way you have handled the A-Rod negotiations -- boy, Mr. Boras you have sunken to a new low universally with those who follow baseball.

And A-Rod: Buddy, you are now the new T.O.

Congratulations.

We know you have insecurities and have tried too hard over the years to win the affection of fans, but this time, you deserve the hate.

I really wanted to like you, A-Rod, but I can't and probably never will.

Alex Rodriguez; The Rich Keep Getting Richer...

This is sick, and I don't care if it is Alex Rodriguez or not. No player in baseball is WORTH 30 million per year; however, it looks like A-Rod might cross that plateau.

The New York Yankees have asked to meet with third baseman Alex Rodriguez , and if and when they get that meeting, league sources indicate the team is prepared to make him an offer that will exceed, in average salary, the $27 million per year that he is scheduled to make over the next three seasons -- and A-Rod would be in line to set yet another salary benchmark.

The offer could be for something in the range of five years -- beyond the three years Rodriguez is already under contract for, from 2008-10 -- and perhaps $30 million a year. The highest per-workday salary earned to date is the $28 million Roger Clemens received, in prorated salary, for a little less than four months of work this season.

If the Yankees' extension offer is for something in the range of $150 million, over five years, then Rodriguez would be owed about $230 million over the next eight seasons.

It is unclear if the Yankees will get the meeting with the All-Star third baseman that they've requested. Rodriguez, 32, must inform the Yankees within 10 days of the conclusion of the World Series whether he will opt out of the last three years of his current contract. Yankees executives, from Hank Steinbrenner to team president Randy Levine to general manager Brian Cashman, have stated repeatedly that if Rodriguez opts out of the contract, they will not participate in any more bidding for the third baseman. If Rodriguez opts out of his current contract, the Yankees would lose $21.3 million in subsidy from the Texas Rangers , the team that signed Rodriguez to his current $252 million deal after the 2000 season.

I contend no baseball player is worth 30 million plus per year; however, the Yankees have no choice but to sign him.

Alex Will Get Paid; The Greed of Scott Boras

***

“The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed -- for lack of a better word -- is good.

Greed is right.

Greed works.

Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.

Greed, in all of its forms -- greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge -- has marked the upward surge of mankind.” - Gordon Gekko, Wall Street (1987)

Before I go any further, everyone say a quick hello to Beatlefnatic, a loyal and great Oriole fan who will be expressing her views on baseball and other topics. Visit her first post on the blog titled, “ALCS and More”.

Since there’s no baseball on the air, I decided to read the news while I was eating dinner and it looks like in light of the Yankees being disposed of in the ALDS, Scott Boras has decided to give us an update on Alex Rodriguez and his contract situation.

Well, if Rodriguez wants to leave New York or perhaps re-sign with them for an even bigger payday, Scott Boras has his own ideas.

And, boy, they are lofty. Alex doesn’t want to talk about his contract right now and has reiterated he wants to stay in the Big Apple; however, Boras has no problem expressing his views if his big fish wants to be freed.

It more or less looks like he has made his intentions known.

Here are some of his thoughts:

"The right of free agency has probably never been more valuable to a single player than it would be to someone like Alex Rodriguez," Boras said during a phone interview with 1050 ESPN New York conducted prior to the Yankees ALDS loss to the Indians. "The reason being is that he is a stature player, a durable player, an iconic player and he has had a historic season. Again, these are decisions that Alex has to make. He is certainly happy in New York and has enjoyed playing there."

also…

“He said he will tell prospective bidders that Rodriguez could play until he is 45, which will allow him to not only become baseball's all-time home run king, but also the all-time hits leader. If those accomplishments are within reach, Boras said he will argue that Rodriguez will be worth somewhere between a half-billion and a billion dollars over a decade to a team's regional sports network.”

also…

"One of the other things that Alex has that some of the other things that Alex has that few players have is he has network value," Boras said. "That means for a regional sports network he has an impact on in that may allow that regional sports network to increase by a half-a-billion to a billion dollars over a 10-year period because of the ratings increase that he will bring. His fan base will subscribe to that network to watch him play and they will sell more advertising. This has certainly been evidenced in New York."

Sorry, I don’t subscribe to that. No one player is worth that much money. Baseball is not like the NBA which is built on star names; it’s built on regionalism, the team concept and familiarity. Throughout modern sports history, there are few names that transcend sports and they are Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

It is nice Boras wants to ensure a huge payday for his client; however, no one in sports is worth the money that he wants for Alex Rodriguez unless they are solely in an individual sport.

I see it nothing more than simple greed.

Lord help us if someone is stupid enough to pay the money Boras wants for Rodriguez.

Quick Hits: O's Stuff, the Playoffs, Cal/TBS, the Mets, and A-ROD

Well, hope everyone is having a wonderful Thursday, the baseball postseason is in full swing, but I'm still blogging about the O's, even after their crazy 2007.

I have been pretty much filling the shoes of Mike Boehm for now, and elaborating on some of the stuff I have posted on this blog on Oriole Magic, so hope on over there if you want take a look at some more Orioles coverage.

***

The Baltimore Examiner has spent this past week trying to get the pulse on Oriole fans and how the team is shaping up for 2008.

In the past week, the Orioles sent right-handed pitcher Rob Bell and catchers J.R. House and Gustavo Molina to Triple-A Norfolk Wednesday, removing the trio from the club’s 40-man roster.

Sean Welsh of the Examiner gathered some input from fans at a recent game what O's fans feel about the team, this season, and what could be done to improve things. As we know, pitching will be a big issue - especially building up the bullpen for next season, and plans are being drawn up to improve things.

Both Sean Welsh and Matt Palmer argue about who should be the MVP of the Orioles -- Nick Markakis or Erik Bedard? Personally, I say Markakis.

***

Some & Playoff Stuffage & Random Thoughts...



Jeff Francis held the uprising Phillies team in check, and the Colorado Rockies jumped on youngster Cole Hamels to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 in Game 1 of their NL playoff series Wednesday.



Out west, Brandon Webb shut down Chicago in a brilliant postseason debut, and the Diamondbacks got two homers on Wednesday night for a 3-1 victory.



Josh Beckett tends to be very good in the post-season. He pitched a shutout Wednesday night, aided by a two-run homer from Big Papi, David Ortiz that helped the Boston Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-0 in Beantown.

***

It is just me, or I do find TBS's Baseball Postseason coverage a tad inadequate? Well, watching some of the action yesterday, their production seems to be lacking considering they covered the Atlanta Braves since time began. As well, the in-game and pre-game shows seem to be disjointed.

I love Cal Ripken and the "Big Hurt" Frank Thomas, but the show seems to be going through the motions. It lacks excitement and something that would interest me. Unlike TNT's NBA production which is first rate and the hosts can be flamboyant, show off who they are, and trumpet themselves a little, they seem to be struggling with baseball.

I don't know if it the personalities, or that Cal comes off stiff a little, or Thomas keeps looking down, and the pauses, but there's something missing. The shows are not very exciting, but do offer a lot of insight which be can beneficial.

Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun thinks Cal is witty, funny, etc. -- fine and well (I am a Baltimore guy, so it's heresy to say anything bad); however, he needs to be a little more loose and show off a little more of his personality.

But Cal is dead on with his analysis.

Honestly, ESPN has the best baseball coverage -- they mix fun, analysis, never seem to miss a beat, and is well produced. FOX's baseball productions are Hollywoodish, but they add way too much into the game, and they seem to try way too hard to engage fans.

TBS baseball programs are very underwhelming, and hope over time their national coverage improves.

***

Jocketty Out As Cardinals' GM: In what has to very surprising news; according to the AP, Walt Jocketty is out after 13 seasons as general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, one year after the team won the World Series for the first time since 1982.

In a sport that is all about, "what have you done for me lately", the situation with Jocketty may be a reflection the statement.

There has has been talk of dissension in the organization between he and other staff, but considering the success of the franchise, there's probably a lot to the story we don't know.

Well, is Tony LaRussa out the door too?

***

The Mets...

The Collapse. I love this image, but yet feel ever so sorry for the fellow...



Sorry, Mets fans. Unbelievable. With the 8-1 loss to Florida, and the Phillies win against Washington - Philadelphia is in while New York is out...

You have got to hear the podcast, "The Hits Keep Coming" and hear two New York Mets fans go off on their team. Yours truly has his say, and it's quite a riot...

***

Finally; A-ROD...

Will he not be the most watched athlete in America tonight in Primetime? Stay tuned folks, his lofty numbers will go to nothing if he has a repeat performance of '06...

Oh yeah, thanks to those who emailed me about this A-Rod Image. Everyone seems to love it and him; eh, for now....

The Genius of Boston Fans - From Last Night's Game (Photos from Boston.com)

I know Ian from Sox and Dawgs would appreciate this, but I found the whole scene at Fenway Park last night with A-Rod coming into town after having his cake and eating it too funny.

Anyhow, here are some fans who purchased some masks that are supposed to be mocking the blonde A-Rod was with and having fun with it.

Just brilliant Sox fans, just brilliant...

After A-Rod's Alleged Infedility, Will Things Be Same in the Sports Media?

I got the idea of this post after I read Dan Steinburg's Washington Post's D.C. Sports Bog and what Nationals team president Stan Kasten and reporter said about the A-Rod coverage.

They harped:

Stan Kasten suggested to Barry Svrluga and I this week that a line has been irrevocably crossed, and that if other newspapers follow suit, the relationship between the media and MLB teams will never be the same.


Although I have taken my shots at A-Rod in the past few days over his alleged indiscretions and over his photos of the blonde he was with, Bill Madden of the NY Daily News made this statement that seared in my mind in his piece, “Wake up, Alex, Everyone is Watching You”:

But now, in this dumbing-down, reality TV society we live in, where even the nightly cable "news" programs take on the appearance of the National Enquirer, more consumed with a drunken Lindsay Lohan or Joey and Amy's latest romantic rendezvous, ballplayers better understand their sex lives and off-the-field conduct may hold far more import with the general public than their batting or earned run averages.

Reading the article again, the statement even rings more true.

There is a reason why people care and have put so much emotional involvement and thought into Alex Rodriguez’s off the field life.

Well, A-Rod plays on the Yankees, he’s make $25 million per year, and he had an image of a guy who cares too much of how he is perceived in the media, and how fans look at him from home and on the field; it is.

However, we have put athletes in society on a pedestal (whether they should be up there is subject to debate), but professional athletes make far more than the average American, and their faces are plastered on ads, SportsCenter, games, and magazines; therefore, we feel that we have an intimacy with them.

Furthermore, because of the differences in lifestyles between the average person and athletes (the gap is always growing), we are interested in them and how they spend lives off it.

To be quite honest, athletes are as much entertainers, as actors or actresses. We stand, cheer, boo and gossip about these guys – do we don’t do the same with those in Hollywood? People have emotional investments in their team and spend their hard earned money watching their favorite men and women on the field.

We’ll go to the ends of the earth and some people will do silly things for an autograph. Hell, some of us will spend hundreds, thousands of dollars and countless hours of our time to get a John Hancock or even face time with an athlete.

We have seen some of their homes on MTV Cribs’, SportsCenter and ‘This Week in Baseball”. Heck, there was a show on ESPN that looked at the world of athletes and the larger entertainment industry called “ESPN Hollywood”.

So, it is little wonder why the world would be interested in Alex Rodriguez’s life off the field, and why when he does something, especially under the nose of his wife, we’d care?

In the age of the internet, blogs, camera cell phones and Blackberries, information travels faster than ever, thus the agencies and media trip over one another to be the first with a news story.

Some of most popular blogs like Deadspin, With Leather, Kissing Suzy Kolber, Drunk Athlete and others, don’t strictly look at the games on the field; therefore, what makes them so popular is that they look off the field for their next big story to drive up their site traffic.

I more or less do the same, though I go about it much more differently, and this blog’s traffic is a drop in the bucket compared to theirs.

It’s not an accident.

In the end, it’s all a business and getting notice. Athletes play for money and rake off endorsements, the media needs to get eyes on their products, and advertisers to keep them afloat.

Why would the line not be blurred? We hype, celebrate, deify, honor our athletes, and they get paid an inordinate amount of money to play a game. Sorry, we treat athletes special our society, and we spend a lot of money and time doing so.

In a world where we praise Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton, why would some multi-million dollar athlete who from the looks of it cheated on his wife be treated differently?

Bill Madden is right, the very society we live in is the cause of it Alex Rodriguez coverage.

Athletes, you have been warned – be very careful what do you off the field.

A-Rod: Someone Has Some Explaining to Do…

It looks like Alex Rodriguez has been criss-crossing the country with the fit, curvy who has been plastered in the New York Post.

Is this a big story – no.

However, because A-Rod plays on the Yankees, he’s make $25 million per year, and he had an image of a guy who cares too much of how he is perceived in the media, and how fans look at him from home and on the field; it is.

Today, the New York Post dropped yet another bombshell that will tarnish Alex Rodriguez even more.

From the NY Post: ‘Alex Rodriguez hasn't partied only in Toronto with a mystery blonde - the Yankee superstar has also been spotted across the United States squiring around a similar-looking, buxom hottie, The Post has learned.

Several witnesses yesterday said they have seen A-Rod socializing recently with a blond bombshell - not his wife, Cynthia - in Seattle, Las Vegas and Dallas.

In Dallas, two people said Rodriguez and an unknown blonde visited a high-end strip club - just weeks before he and a blond gal pal were spotted by The Post going to a flashy Toronto strip joint on Sunday night.

And there is a photograph taken March 1 showing the All-Star sitting in the Whiskey Bar in Tampa, Fla., with a blonde. She looks similar to the woman he was photographed with in Toronto during the Yanks' current road trip there.’

Wow.

Okay, if I were a professional athlete, I’d perhaps be a lot more careful who I am seen with (but everything is all relative).

It will be a matter of time who we find out who this blonde is, and A-Rod's life will even become more miserable.

For an athlete who has tried to carefully craft his image, he’s heading towards how Kobe Bryant is perceived amongst a good portion of fans.

Wither A-Rod: And We Thought You Were a Good Guy...

Well, I guess Alex Rodriguez does not care too much about his public image anymore...

According to the NY Post (with photographic evidence), he was spotted with a woman who was not his wife at dinner and as well his friends on a strip club expedition, plus dinner.

Later, the report says that he went upstairs with the woman.

Nothing like a little mini-scandal to take away from the troubles of the Yankees, if only for one day.

More here: NY Post

Radio Show Debuting, A-Rod and Pete Rose...

Well, I am making a foray into broadcasting along with other bloggers – um, internet radio that is.

Ian of Random Thoughts, Jason of My Baseball Bias along with myself will have a new show on the Blog Talk Radio Network called The Hits Keep Coming..., weekly show that spans the world of baseball, and we talk about the latest and greatest news, topics and points of interest in the game today.

The inaugural show is at 7 pm Eastern Time tonight, and join us every Wednesdays at the same time. More info can be found at The Hits Keep Coming... page.

Podcasting and show downloads will be made available shortly...

***

Wither A-Rod… Well, possibly the most conflicted athlete in the game, Alex Rodriguez has once again opined on his situation in New York and states he wants to stay in the Big Apple.

He asserted on the Mike and the Mad Dog Show on WFAN: "You're asking me what my sincere feeling is. I want to 100 percent stay in New York. Period. That's it. I don't know how many ways I can say it." … "Either New York is going to kick me out of New York this year, say 'I've had enough of this guy, get him the hell out of here,' and we have an option. Or New York is going to say, 'Hey, we won a world championship, you had a big year, you were a part of it and we want you back.'"

Wow.

Alex, um … would it be not be a good idea if you just went out did your job and worry about everything works out in the end?

I’m sure that stress of New York City must bother you, but in all honesty, did you not know what you were getting into when you agreed in 2004 to the trade?

I feel sorry for him - - almost.

I don’t have much sympathy for a man who makes $25 million plus a year, roughly at least 10 lifetimes of salary for me and probably much more for others. For man who gets as paid as much as he does, it does no good to whine about your state of affairs with the world.

In all honesty, 9999 out of 10000 people would want your life, and I for $250,000 per year would clean up the locker room, do the laundry, mow the grass on the field, and do more for that money for the privilege to be on a sports team.

In the end, Alex, just worry about the game and not what’s around you.

Pete Rose Exhibit in the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame: Baseball legend and infamous personality, Pete Rose attended the opening of his exhibit in his honor in the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.

"Everything should be for the fans," Rose said Tuesday before a preview party celebrating Saturday's opening of a special exhibit in his honor at the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. "If they retired my number here, don't you think the fans would be elated?

As well, Rose felt that the fans would be, "elated" if baseball reinstated him. (CNNsi)

Um, me – I think you should be honored, and in the Hall of Fame; however, you’d probably be in it already if you had been a lot more contrite and actually sorry for what you did to the sport beforehand…

Will They Win it All? New York Yankees 2007 Season in Review - From the Desk of the Oriole Post

For the boys in pinstripe blue, every year brings high expectations from fans, the press and more importantly, George Steinbrenner. The Yankees have won the American League East division nine years in a row, but to most in Yankee nation, the season starts in October. In 2006, the Yankees lost in decisive fashion to the Detroit Tigers and disappoint reigned with all their fans. As a result of the loss, much of the offseason was spent wondering how it happened and to fix the team which seemed to lack chemistry and heart.

Since the New York Yankees missed their goal of winning the World Series, changes were abound and came swiftly. First, Randy Johnson, Jaret Wright and Gary Sheffield were traded and bench Lee Mazzilli was fired and replaced by Yankee legend Don Mattingly. Second, 2005 saviors Aaron Small was released and Shawn Chacon was traded during the 2006 season along with a litany of other pitchers. However, the Yankee method of operation has been altered & instead of spending big bucks to entice superstars to play in the bright lights of New York, the Yankees have now started to cultivate and trade for young talent, while being fiscally more conservative.

Like with every winter as of late with the New York Yankees, this one was particularly newsworthy. The trades of Johnson, Wright and Sheffield netted a lot of young talent and also dumped salary. Meanwhile, it seemed that the Yankees were covered 24 hours a day with news of deals, trades, rumors and drama. Longtime Yankees manager Joe Torre was rumored to be on the chopping block right after the team was disposed in the playoffs, but George Steinbrenner gave Torre one more year. On the field, enigmatic third baseman Alex Rodriguez was rumored to also be traded after a turbulent year in New York.

Much of the attention in the offseason for the Yankees was focused on the starting pitching. Although the Yankees coasted to the AL East title, the rotation was a big concern as it dealt with injuries and ineffectiveness. Randy Johnson had an oft-ailing back, Jaret Wright also struggled with few ailments, and Carl Pavano sat out pretty much all of 2006 recovering with shoulder problems and injuries from an accident.

Randy Johnson, as well know by now was traded back to Arizona after 2 lackluster years with the Yankees. While in pinstripes, he won 34 games in 2 years, but he dealt with a bad back, bouts of ineffectiveness and bad outings. He also never did fit in with Yankee culture, and in he looked uncomfortable while a member of the team. More importantly, he did not do the job in playoffs, and that got him jettisoned from the Yankees.

The Yankees biggest addition to the rotation is lefty Andy Pettitte, no stranger to the pressure and expectations of New York. While he was in the Big Apple, he won 4 World Series, and became identified with success. With the Houston Astros, he continued his winning ways, and ended up in the World Series in 2005.

The other new addition to the starting rotation is Kei Igawa from Japan. Igawa is a left-hander who had great success in the Japanese League, with good, but not over-powering stuff. The Yankees are hoping that Igawa can translate his success in Japan across the Pacific and contribute to the Yankees. He’s slotted to be the 4^th or 5^th starter.

In light of the injuries, the rotation had some stability with both Mike Mussina and Chien-Ming Wang. Mike Mussina will be 39 in 2007, but he relies on guile, pitch location and mixing his arsenal up as he no longer can throw as hard as he used to. He was given a 2 year extension and based on his track record should provide the team wins and quality outings. Chien Ming-Wang was a dark-house candidate for the Cy Young Award in the American League and won 19 games. He strikes out very few guys, but he gets by with a decent fastball, a great sinker and getting groundball outs with a great defense behind him. He’ll need to continue his 2006 success into 2007 in order for the Yankees to have a chance to compete.

There are two wild cards in the Yankee rotation – Carl Pavano and the young pitching.

Carl Pavano is a huge factor on how Yankee pitching will shape up after being on the DL for the better part of 2 years. In addition to not pitching much from a mound, he had irked fans, the media and even his own teammates with not disclosing his injuries from a car accident. Pavano has not been a very good pitcher with the Yankees, and it is yet to be seen if he can be the same pitcher he was with the Marlins. As it is, he needs to have a breakthrough year in pinstripes to justify his contract, or he’s a strong candidate to be moved.

The second wild card for the Yankee rotation is the young prospects in the organization. Much has been made of super prospect Phillip Hughes who has dominated the minor leagues until this point. He did very well in Double A, and will start off the year in Triple A. He repeats his success at the highest level of the minor leagues, he’ll be in pinstripes midseason, or perhaps sooner if the team struggles. Also, the Yankees acquired Humberto Sanchez and Luis Visciano from the Tigers and Diamondbacks organization, respectively. If the two pitchers stay healthy and progress, the Yankees have some good pitching up the pipeline.

The bullpen which was a source of strength during the 2006 season will be counted on again in 2007 to keep the Yankees in the game during tight situations. Led by future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera & workhorse Scott Proctor, Joe Torre had to rely on his relief corps more than he wanted to. Mariano was once again his old self in 2006, though concerns arose from his workload. Even though he may be reaching the twilight of his career, Rivera should be counted on another productive year in 2007. Scott Proctor worked a ton of innings out of the bullpen and showed was extremely durable, but showed wear and tear. The Yankees need to exercise caution against having him pitch too much many innings. Rounding up the bullpen will be Chris Britton, Kyle Farnsworth, & Brian Bruney. Pitchers T.J. Beam, Jeff Karstens & Darrell Rasner may also earn a bullpen shot as well.

The starting lineup remains pretty much the same one from summer of 2006 and it will be expected to produce plenty of firepower and score tons of runs. Loaded with plenty of talent, perennial All-Stars and future Hall of Famers, the batting order of the Yankees should be able to rival anyone from any era.

The top of the lineup starts off with the dangerous Johnny Damon and the Yankee captain, Derek Jeter. Damon is coming off a great year with the Yankees after leaving the Red Sox, with a combination of power, a good average and on-base percentage. Even though he is getting older, he should have a few years left to produce. Although his throwing arm is suspect, he is the perfect guy to have at the top of the order.

Derek Jeter lost out on the MVP in the American League last year, but he was not doubt the cog in the offense for the Yankees. He finished second to Joe Mauer in the batting race, but he had over 90 RBI’s in the number two spot, and was key in clutch situations throughout the season. Even though he is getting older and some pundits find his defense suspect, he’s still very athletic, clutch at the plate and embodies the game and spirit of baseball.

The wild card in the batting order is Alex Rodriguez, the lightning rod of all of those in Yankee Nation. Blessed with all five tools, and year that was considered to be subpar, although he belted 35 home runs with 121 RBI. He struggled mightily in the regular season, and even more alarming in the playoffs, where he faced the indignity of batting 8^th in the deciding game of the ALCS. Also he had a horrendous June, and faced a barrage of criticism from the fans, press and his own team. There were rumors of he being traded, but in the end, the Yankee brass decided to keep him. Rodriguez asserted he wanted to stay a Yankee and help them to the holy grail – a World Series title.

Sad as it to say, the greatest all-around player of our generation has to produce in the playoffs and win in the World Series before he can get the 800 pound gorilla known as public perception off his back.

Rounding up the batting order will Jorge Posada, a still productive and dangerous hitter who is on the downside of his career; Jason Giambi, a deadly hitter who can hit for power, but not for average like he did in Oakland and his season as a Yankee; Hideki Matsui, the Japanese slugger who will be trying to battle back from an injured wrist, on-base machine Bobby Abreu and uber-player, Robinson Cano who battled Jeter and Mauer in the batting title race in only his second season.

The bench will have Melky Cabrera, the subject of trade rumors during the winter who impressed the Yankees while subbing for Matsui while he was out, as well as longtime Yankee Miguel Cairo, defensive whiz Doug Mientkiewicz who’ll platoon with Giambi at first & Andy Phillips. Both Melky and Mientkiewicz should see significant playing time as Melky should get plenty of time in field, as Matsui can sit or bat as the designated hitter, and Mientkiewicz will cover for Giambi at first.

The Yankee brass and their fans expect big things from their players in 2007. With the highest payroll in the game comes huge and perhaps sometimes insane expectations, but the players in Bronx know now it’s the only way it can be. Cashman now it seems has the power wants and has learned to not mortgage the future for the present. The Yankees should be the favorites once again to the win the East, but getting to the World Series is much easier said than done.

A-Rod Contemplating Retirement?

Well, as I am just catching up on some reading, I just caught an article on the NY Times about the possibility of Alex Rodriguez not playing after his massive 10 year contract runs out. According to the article by Michael S. Schmidt, Alex Rodriguez told Bob Costas in a nationally syndicated radio interview that he might not play once his current 10-year contract expired after the 2010 season.

Since I started this blog, I have not mentioned A-Rod in any shape or form. I don't know if I see him retiring and leaving the game, but I definitely see him in another uniform besides the Yankee pinstripes. After the hate and dismay he's gotten from the New York media and Yankee fans, I thought he's not be cut out for the Yankees, like many other players that have passed through that city for the elusive ring.

If anyone read SI's article a few months ago about A-Rod & his relationships on the Yakees, I thought he'd be a goner after the season and sent along his away to another team. As well, I felt at the time that A-Rod would not continue on with the Yankees and he'd pad up his numbers somewhere else. However, he has a lot of pride in light of what is said about him, and he'd seen as a failure if he left the team. As well, after the drama with Jeter and his struggles in June, I assumed Cashman would have traded him.

However, who else in the league would put up his numbers? That's why he's a Yankee still today.

Personally, I enjoy seeing A-Rod play, and I think it's asinine that fans rail on him. Whether it is the contract or not, even I think he's not lived up to his potential, perhaps because of his contract and his previous body of work.

NY Times Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/16/sports/baseball/16base.html?_r=1&oref=slogin