MLB FanHouse

Tabloid Cover Boy A-Rod at It Again

Ed Price — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:30:00 EST

The front page of today's New York Daily News reads, "A-ROD & THE MADAM."

Underneath it says, "BLAZING STUPIDITY."

That's an unrelated story, but it often applies to Alex Rodriguez as well.

The story on A-Rod, written by the Daily News' gossip columnist, includes supposed e-mails between Rodriguez and a madam -- how he hired escorts and wooed her as well.

Sigh.

We'd detail the A-Rod timeline here, but even the Internet might run out of room.

Here's the gist: He's the highest-paid player in baseball, and twice he agreed to play in New York. It's an explosive combination, especially if blazing stupidity is added to the mix.

Athletes and coaches often accuse writers of "trying to sell papers," but reporters rarely set out with the goal of anything but a good story. The New York tabloids, however, and the editors there, are locked in a ferocious battle for the juiciest stuff.

A-Rod is only too happy to oblige.

Alex Rodriguez Controversies

After a report is released that he tested positive for steroids during his AL MVP campaign in 2003, Alex Rodriguez admits to injecting performance-enhancing drugs obtained in the Dominican Republic with the assistance of his cousin during his time as a Texas Ranger. Click through to find out more about A-Rod's checkered past.

Chris Carlson, AP

Former manager Joe Torre's recently released book, 'The Yankee Years', included details of A-Rod's tumultuous stay with the Yankees. In the book, Torre claims A-Rod was known by teammates as "A-Fraud" and paints him as mentally fragile.

Ezra Shaw, Getty Images

Rodriguez's decision not to play for the United States at the upcoming World Baseball Classic put him in the middle of another firestorm. A-Rod chose to join David Ortiz's Dominican squad over the nation of his birth.

Kena Betancur, AP

There have also been rumors that Rodriguez dated pop star Madonna, with numerous reports of the two spending time together.

Jim Rogash, Getty Images

In May 2007, many called this slide into the Red Sox's Dustin Pedroia to break up a double play dirty, as part of the heated Red Sox-Yankees rivalry.

Nick Laham, Getty Images

He filed for free agency during Game 4 of the 2007 World Series, drawing the ire of fans and officials. Some accused A-Rod of trying to grab the spotlight as the Yankees' big rivals were closing in on their second title in four seasons. He later re-signed with New York.

Jim McIsaac, Getty Images

The New York tabloids had a field day after the Yankees star was allegedly caught with a "mystery blonde" at the end of May of 2007. The woman was later identified as an exotic dancer, and his wife filed for divorce from him just over a year later, citing his infidelity.

New York Post

Things have been frosty for A-Rod and Derek Jeter since Rodriguez dissed his buddy by saying Jeter was "never your concern" when facing the Yankees.

Tony Gutierrez, AP

Despite being named AL MVP (48 homers, 130 RBI) in 2005, Yankee fans called out A-Rod by saying many of his homers came in meaningless situations.

Morry Gash, AP

A-Rod's awkward slap that knocked the ball from Bronson Arroyo's glove in the 2004 ALCS enhanced his reputation as a player who folded in the clutch.

Amy Sancetta, AP

Despite a large contingent of advisors, some explicitly for public relations, Rodriguez hasn't figured it out. If you lie, you will be caught. If you do something tawdry, you might be caught. If reporters think you haven't told the full story (i.e., steroid confessions full of holes), they will keep digging.

And when you're the big star in the big city, that means the papers, with their full-time stable of gossip writers. And national sports magazines. And national gossip magazines. And TV celebrity programs. And book authors.

A-Rod's presence on the Yankees has provided us with one of the great contrasts in sports. Rodriguez is the man who tries hard to do and say the perfect things, and usually fails. Derek Jeter is the man who -- effortlessly, it seems -- does and says the perfect things.

Jeter makes the gossip pages, to be sure. But he isn't married, so being spotted with 10s, 11s and 12s isn't objectionable.

And Jeter doesn't have the same bullseye on his back. Perhaps because TV tends to fawn over him, but that's just taking a cue from the fans, who have put him on a pedestal and don't care to see him brought down.

He got up there by playing great baseball, looking good and -- get this! -- winning championships.

Rings cure almost anything, although A-Rod needs a handful to erase all his escapades.

Tabloid Cover Boy A-Rod at It Again originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Orioles to Give Markakis an Extension

Tom Fornelli — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:06:00 EST

Filed under: Orioles, AL East, MLB Gossip, MLB Rumors, MLB Transactions

There haven't been a lot of things that have gone right for the Baltimore Orioles in recent years as the team just hasn't been able to find a way to compete with the big dogs of the AL East despite repeated attempts to buy legitimacy in free agency. It seems as if the Orioles haven't paid much attention to the fact that while big free agents are nice additions to a ballclub, a team can't win if it doesn't accumulate young talent and keep those kids in town.

Which is why Orioles fans are going to be happy to hear that Nick Markakis will be manning right field in Camden Yards until sometime in 2014, or the end of the world, whichever comes first. According to the Baltimore Sun, the team is on the verge of signing Markakis to a six-year extension.

Markakis and the Orioles have made "real progress" in their contract-extension negotiations in recent days, according to club president Andy MacPhail. And one industry source said the sides are close to agreeing to a six-year deal worth between $64 million and $66 million in guaranteed money.

"We're close," said MacPhail, without revealing specifics. "But we're not there yet."

According to the source who broke the news to the Sun, there are only a few details of the contract left to be ironed out, and after Markakis takes a physical it should be announced by Tuesday's arbitration deadline. If the Sun has the money right, this would be the second largest contract in Orioles history, trailing only Miguel Tejada's $72 million deal signed in 2003.

No word on how Cole Hamels feels after getting an extension for half as long, and worth half as much even though he just helped his team win a World Series, but I'm pretty sure Markakis is loving it.

Orioles to Give Markakis an Extension originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Elijah Dukes Could Go to Jail, Dawg

Tom Fornelli — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:18:00 EST

Filed under: Nationals, MLB Gossip, MLB Police Blotter

It's been a while since we filled you in on the day-to-day happenings of the life of one Elijah Dukes, and for that, we here at FanHouse would like to apologize. That being said, we'd also like to point out that it isn't exactly our fault. The truth of the matter is that he just hasn't been threatening to kill many people lately, and his exploits on the actual baseball field haven't really warranted attention. To put it bluntly, Elijah has been boring as hell, dawg.

Oh wow, he didn't high-five his manager. I mean, big deal, right? The fact is that unless he pulls a gun on Manny Acta sometime soon, nobody cares. Which is why we should all be thankful that Elijah's relationship with his estranged wife NiShea Gilbert still isn't fixed. Apparently Elijah still owes Gilbert about $40,000 in child support and alimony -- that's a whole lot of Pampers and Similac-- and if he doesn't pay up by Friday, he could be going to jail. Dawg.

The 24-year-old was in Tampa, Fla., yesterday for a hearing in Hillsborough County Court. According to Rick Escobar, one of Gilbert's lawyers, Dukes previously had been ordered to pay $3,227 a month in child support for two of the couple's three children and $3,300 a month in alimony. He owes $40,643.18, not including any attorney's fees he is required to pay.

"We filed a motion to hold him in contempt for failing to abide by a court order," Escobar said. "It's a pretty simple process. If you don't abide, there's no legal excuse. You're going to get hammered by the court."

Somebody should also let Mr. Escobar know that there's no legal excuse not to finish any sentence concerning Elijah Dukes with the word dawg, dawg.

Now unfortunately for our hero, Ms. Gilbert isn't the only woman whom Elijah currently owes child support to. Apparently he's also got a paternity case with two separate women in March, and those ladies are only two of the four women who are currently trying to take action against him in court.

Sounds like Elijah should probably learn to keep his dawg in his pants, dawg.

Elijah Dukes Could Go to Jail, Dawg originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Barry Bonds Seems to Be in the Clear

Tom Fornelli — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:25:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, MLB Gossip, MLB Police Blotter, MLB Rumors

While Barry Bonds is still thinking about playing baseball again -- even after undergoing hip surgery recently -- there is still that tiny matter of possibly lying to a grand jury about his alleged steroid use to deal with. Back in November, Bonds scored a minor victory when three of the charges against him were dropped, but that news is nothing compared to a report from Yahoo!'s Jonathan Littman today.

Now whether or not Bonds ever lied to a grand jury about steroid use is still up for debate, but we can now be confident that he wasn't lying to the jury if all he ever took was the Clear. That's because Yahoo! did some digging through the grand jury testimony and guess what they found out? Turns out the Clear was not only absent from the banned substances list when Bonds allegedly took it, but it wasn't even considered a steroid.

Not only was the performance-enhancing drug tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) not specifically banned when athletes squirted "The Clear" under their tongues to gain an edge, the testimony also indicates that the drug wasn't categorized by the Justice Department as a steroid until January 2005, long after the drug laboratory had been shuttered.

Yahoo! Sports has examined sealed grand jury testimony given by drug-testing expert Dr. Donald Catlin in 2003 and BALCO lead investigator Jeff Novitzky in 2004. Both men testified that THG was not a steroid according to the federal criminal code. Furthermore, Novitzky testified that "there's never been any studies to show whether or not THG does, in fact, enhance muscle growth."

In other words, when Bonds was going about his business setting the single-season home run mark back in 2001, he could have stepped up to the plate, pulled out a medical dropper full of the Clear, and placed it under his tongue right there in front of everybody with no fear of repercussions.

Of course this could just be the beginning of a whole bunch of revelations about Bonds' case, along with everybody else who is involved in the BALCO scandals. Back in November, the judge in Bonds' perjury case lifted the protective order on 30,000 pages of documents (that's a lot of dead trees) from the BALCO case. Who knows what else we'll be finding out about over the coming months.

Barry Bonds Seems to Be in the Clear originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Owners Do the Salary Cap Grumble

John Walters — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:55:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Biz, MLB Fans, MLB Gossip

Whether it be the bleak economy, the New York Yankees, or both, baseball owners are starting to think that maybe a salary cap isn't such a bad idea. Not surprisingly, the owner of the team that was outbid by $60 million for CC Sabathia is in the cap camp.

"I would ask, if it's such a bad idea, what sport doesn't have a salary cap other than us?" Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said Wednesday.

A salary cap isn't on the agenda of the major league owners meetings this week. But it could become an issue when the present collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2011 season - especially if the economy worsens.

"I think there's a lot of owners that would like to have that right now," Oakland owner Lew Wolff said. "I think the parity is what we're looking for, and the more ways you can get to parity the better. I think it's pretty good now, but I think it could be better.

"It's a very good question, because maybe this recession, depression, whatever we're in may be a change for a lot more years," Wolff said.

It should be noted that owners were worrying about the economy and its effects on baseball while they were attending the owners meetings at an "exclusive mountainside resort". Perhaps having these type of meetings by conference call is another idea on how to save money, no?

But perhaps a salary cap would be a good idea, the question would be where to put that cap. And to me, a more important question would be where to put a salary floor, because you can talk about teams wanting parity and complain about how the Yankees spend all you want. But you also have to make sure that cap or no cap, certain other teams aren't putting together a team on a shoestring budget while hoarding all of their revenue sharing money to remain profitable. Just because teams like the A's are always finding a way to get the most out of their money, doesn't mean every team is willing and able. Parity is fine as long as every team makes some sort of effort to put their profits back into the product.

Owners Do the Salary Cap Grumble originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Plan B Just Got Expensive For the Mets

Mullet — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Mets, NL East, MLB Gossip

The dance that the Mets have tried to play with Scott Boras and his clients this winter just got a lot trickier now that Omar Minaya's top option is off to the division rival Braves. Losing out on Derek Lowe leaves Oliver Perez as the best option to fill a top rotation spot for the Mets. And it leaves Boras firmly in the drivers seat.

The Mets, who held firm on their three-year, $36 million offer to him, must have known that Lowe was headed to the Braves. They were losing their grip on him, so they tried to turn the market in their favor by offering Perez three years at $30 million, hoping he would bite quickly.

But now that Perez stands front and center as the top free-agent starter available, the Mets aren't getting away that cheaply. Nor are they likely to get away with a three-year deal now that Lowe got his four years.

The one thing in the Mets' favor is that the Perez rumors have been completely quiet in terms of other teams. But for the Mets to assume that they're bidding against themselves for Perez would be asinine. They thought they were bidding against themselves for Lowe when they offered him $36 million, and it only gave other teams an opportunity to gather up some money feeling they had a chance to step in. (And, really, the Mets should have known that the Braves, who had a boatload of money earmarked for A.J. Burnett and Rafael Furcal, would spend it on somebody.)

They called Boras' bluff (or what they thought was a bluff), and let him look elsewhere instead of doing everything they could to get Lowe, a mistake for a team with holes in the starting rotation. They basically drove Lowe, a guy who had said that he preferred to pitch in the Northeast, down South and into the arms of the Braves. (Though to be real, if a Scott Boras client got top dollar from Siberia, that's where he'd pitch.)

And I'm sure that if the Mets try to pull the same "take it or leave it" stance on Perez, a team like the Brewers might consider getting some money together and making a more attractive offer to him. So now that they've refused to spend the money on Lowe, they're forced to either overspend on Perez, or look at options like Randy Wolf and Jon Garland, or perhaps hope that Ben Sheets' injuries are behind him, and keep their fingers crossed. If that's the case, that improved bullpen the Mets have might lose its impact this season. And if that's the case, the Mets will have spent responsibly but not necessarily wisely.

Plan B Just Got Expensive For the Mets originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Derek Lowe Comes to Terms With Braves

Tom Fornelli — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:43:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, NL East, MLB Gossip, MLB Rumors

It's been over a week since FanHouse last updated you on the newest "Derek Lowe is going to ..." rumor, and since we don't like to see you all going into convulsions over the withdrawal, we feel it's necessary to give you the latest updates on the situation. After initially being insulted by the Mets' offer of "Carlos Silva money" it seems that Derek has finally found a team that appreciates him.

MLB.com is reporting that the Braves have signed Lowe to a four-year deal worth $60 million, and that Derek is likely going to sign the deal shortly. Apparently the terms of the deal have been agreed upon -- with the deciding factor most likely being the fourth year -- and the whole thing will be finalized once Lowe passes a physical.

This is a bit of a coup for the Braves, as not only do they add Lowe to their rotation after already landing Javier Vazquez and Japanese import Kenshin Kawakami -- not to mention missing out on both Jake Peavy and A.J. Burnett -- but they also get the added benefit of keeping him away from their division rivals, the New York Mets.

Of course, a four-year deal for a 35-year-old pitcher is somewhat risky, but Lowe has been pretty durable throughout his career. Since becoming a starter with the Red Sox in 2002, Lowe has pitched less than 200 innings in a season only once (182.2 innings in 2004) and when you combine his ability to eat innings with Vazquez's, you're going to have a pretty well-rested Braves bullpen. Which could come in handy considering that the team probably won't have Tim Hudson available until at least July, and they still don't know if Tom Glavine is going to come back after having elbow and shoulder surgery this offseason.

Derek Lowe Comes to Terms With Braves originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Could Alex Rodriguez and Adam Scott Be Dueling for Kate Hudson's Affections?

Will Brinson — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Yankees, MLB Gossip, MLB Media Watch

Shane Bacon, who makes TMZ look like the Superficial (no offense, SF), recently reported that golf's young, total hotty Adam Scott was an item with Kate Hudson.

Did You See That?

The field clears a fence during the New Season Handicap Steeplechase during the at Ludlow Racecourse on September 16, 2008 in Ludlow, England.

Emanuele Canonica of Italy helps his caddie in the rescue of a pigeon from the water around the 18th green during the first round of the Portugal Masters at the Oceanico Victoria Golf Course on October 16, 2008 in Vilamoura, Portugal.

A multiexposure image showing Britain's Andy Murray returning to Croatian Marin Cilic during a last sixteen tennis match at the Madrid Masters in Madrid on October 16, 2008. Andy Murray won 7-5, 7-6.

English football fans dressed in armours and tunics play in a friendly match against Belarus fans in Minsk on October 15, 2008 before the start of the Belarus vs. England 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier of European group 6 match.

Travis Brigley (R) of Hamburg fights with Matt Keith (L) of Ingolstadt during the DEL match between Hamburg Freezers and ERC Ingolstadt at the Color Line Arena on October 14, 2008 in Hamburg, Germany.

Russian Nikolay Davydenko returns a ball to US Robby Ginepri during a second round tennis match at the Masters in Madrid on October 15, 2008.

A golf ball which has been enveloped by the tree over many years is pictured during the pro-am for the Portugal Masters at the Oceanico Victoria Golf Course on October 15, 2008 in Vilamoura, Portugal.

Andy Murray of Great Britain plays football during his training session prior to his thrid round match tomorrow at the Madrid Masters tennis tournament at the Madrid Arena on October 15, 2008 in Madrid, Spain.

Samuel Peter from Nigeria gets a punch from Vitali Klitschko of Ukraine during their WBC heavyweight boxing world championship fight in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008. Klitschko won the fight after round nine due to technical knock out.

Herbert Knosowski, AP

Japan's Kyoko Hamaguchi (lower) fights with China's Hong Yan (red) during the semi-final of the 72kg class of the Women's Wrestling World Championships in Tokyo on October 13, 2008. Hong defeated Hamaguchi and will face Bulgaria's Stanka Zlateva in the final.

Yoshikazu Tsuno, AFP/Getty Images

On the surface, it seems like a pretty cute little relationship. Until you hear that Alex Rodriguez might be dating her.

Kate Hudson was seen on a three-hour date with Alex Rodriguez in New York City this past week. We had reported late last year Kate and A-Rod flirting in Miami. Now that things have cooled between A-Rod and his "spiritual Kaballah" buddy Madonna, he can now finally date his way through all the blondes in Hollywood.

O.M.G. indeed. Look, the last thing to ever be remotely surprising is a gossip mag tying Alex Rodriguez to an attractive starlet. But it does seem odd that he's being linked to Hudson so quickly after Scott was "dating" her. Of course, this can only really mean one thing: a duel to the death.

Glove, slap. Baby, glove slap ...

Could Alex Rodriguez and Adam Scott Be Dueling for Kate Hudson's Affections? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Angels Are Interested In Jermaine Dye

Tom Fornelli — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, White Sox, MLB Gossip, MLB Rumors

So far this offseason White Sox outfielder Jermaine Dye has been nearly traded about 15 different times. There was that near deal during the Winter Meetings that had him going to Cincinnati for Homer Bailey, and just recently there was the deal that had him going to Texas for Michael Young. Obviously none of them ever went through, but there's a new deal supposedly on the table that makes sense.

Apparently there have been some trade talks between the Sox and Angels concerning a swap of Dye for Chone Figgins.

According to a major-league scout, the Angels are the latest team to express interest in acquiring Jermaine Dye now that the Mark Teixeira ship has set sail to New York. Unlike the talks with the Reds that stalled during the Winter Meetings, the Sox and Angels actually have a fit.

The South Siders covet speed - with Williams telling the Sun-Times back in June that Figgins was "interesting.'' The Angels want a power bat to offer some protection for Vladimir Guerrero and Torii Hunter.

Chone Figgins has been on Kenny Williams' radar for a few years now. He's tried to pry him away from the Angels before, and he would definitely fill a hole for the White Sox. The Sox need a leadoff hitter, and Chone's versatility on defense -- he can play just about anywhere -- would be a huge bonus for a team looking for flexibility.

As for the Angels, they're looking to fill the void left by Mark Teixeira's departure, and Dye could be the man to do just that. The obvious problem here, though, is that the Angels already have roughly 348 outfielders on their 40-man roster. Putting Dye in right field would help keep Vladimir Guerrero healthy as a DH, but one of their outfielders would still have to be converted to first base or pushed to the bench.

Of course, we'll have to wait and see whether this latest deal goes through.

Angels Are Interested In Jermaine Dye originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Corky Simpson: Internet 'Like a Sewer'

Will Brinson — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Gossip, MLB Hall of Fame, MLB Media Watch

It would be wrong to get angry at people of an elderly persuasion for not understanding the internet. We live in a world of backslashed sarcasm, "blogs" and message boards/comment sections that allow for, *gasp*, freedom of speech.

There's no need for them to embrace it unless they want to. But when an elderly man like Corky Simpson decides to all-out attack the interwebs, well, that's a whole different ballgame.

"It doesn't bother me," Simpson told me, "because, one, I'm too old, and my skin is too thick, and I'm a stubborn old mule from Missouri. I think of the literature on the Internet in the same way that I think of the literature on the walls of public bathrooms. With the exception that the literature on the walls of public bathrooms is a little higher class."

[...]"The Internet is like a sewer. It's very necessary, but you wouldn't want to spend a lot of time there."

Sigh. See, the thing is that Corky already "forgot" (read: purposely left off) Ricky Henderson when voting for the Hall of Fame. And his subsequent back-pedaling on the issue kind of tends to devalue the whole "stubborn old mule" persona.

Also detrimental to his case: my grandfather owns a computer, sir, and uses it frequently. The "crazy old man who won't touch technology" ship sailed a few years ago. That doesn't mean we can't all point and laugh as Corky drifts aimlessly into his twilight though.

By the by, how much would you pay to have someone try and explain how Google crawls a site to Corky? I, for one, would absolutely cough up a couple hundred to hear him scream "Where the hell do they get all these spiders?!?" provided I was guaranteed at least one "Get off my lawn!" rant as well.

Corky Simpson: Internet 'Like a Sewer' originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Michael Young Would Rather Change Teams Than Change Positions

Mullet — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 23:35:00 EST

Filed under: Rangers, AL West, MLB Gossip

Remember when the news came out that the Texas Rangers were quietly shopping Michael Young? Now we might know why. Apparently, the Rangers were afraid of how Young would react after requesting he switch to third base. Sure enough ... he requested a trade.

He was "absolutely livid" with the Rangers for making such a request just months after American League managers and coaches voted him a Gold Glove for the first time, one source said.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels and manager Ron Washington informed Young shortly after the winter meetings that the team wanted him to play third to clear a spot for top shortstop prospect Elvis Andrus, 20.

While it may seem a selfish move on Young's part, I can't blame him completely. Not that Young is a player of the caliber/prestige of Derek Jeter, but Jeter wouldn't switch positions to make room for a Hall of Famer who might break Barry Bonds' home run record. Why should Young move away from a position where he won a Gold Glove to make room for a 20-year-old rookie? Honestly, I can see where he'd feel slighted.

Michael Young Would Rather Change Teams Than Change Positions originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 11 Jan 2009 23:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

The Andy Pettitte Saga: After Turning Down $10 Million, Astros Now Involved

Matt Snyder — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:14:00 EST

Filed under: Astros, Yankees, AL East, NL Central, MLB Gossip, MLB Rumors

The Yankees and Andy Pettitte have been going round and round for the better part of this offseason. Seeing how much money the Yankees threw at CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, and A.J. Burnett, I'm sure Pettitte felt like he was owed more than the one-year, $10 million contract the Yanks offered him.

Of course, he also said -- early in the process -- that money wasn't an issue and he just wanted to play for the Yankees.

If that was true, he would have signed the contract.

All of a sudden, the Astros are said to be interested in bringing Pettitte back.

It seems as though Pettitte would accept the same offer he spurned from the Yankees to play in Houston. So what gives?

Peter Abraham speculates that it has everything to do with the payday Burnett received to move to the Bronx.

A.J. Burnett is 32, had never won a thing and is 11 games over .500 for his career. Pettitte is 36, pitched in the World Series seven times and is 88 games over .500. In his mind, a $6.5 million gap between their salaries probably seems ridiculous.

There are two clear sides here.

1. Pettitte is a "true Yankee," like Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera. He was with the team for the dynasty years -- in which they won four World Series championships -- and he's still a productive pitcher. He's only four years older than Burnett, and the Yanks seem to want to win now. So he deserves to be paid a sum similar to Burnett. They owe him this much.

2. Pettitte claimed it wasn't about the money. He was named in the Mitchell Report, and claimed he only tried the stuff a few times to recover from injury. I'm not calling him a liar in the blanket sense, but he does seem to have a way with the truth, when convenient, no?

Considering he's already been with the Astros for three seasons, it's not like he's a lifelong Yankee. Plus, this past season he put up a below average ERA for the first time in his career. He's regressing, and he's old.

The Yankees don't owe him anything. They've paid him millions of dollars over the course of his career to play a game.

---

Obviously, there could be variations of each argument, but it's the sentiment on either side that is the same. Either you believe the Yankees owe Pettitte, or you believe Pettitte's being unreasonable in wanting more than $10 million from them.

Personally, I don't think they owe him a dime. They offered him a very reasonable salary for his age, especially considering the average year he had last season. If he really thinks he's owed more money, they should be prepared to let him walk.

Finally, I don't have a problem with a professional athlete trying to get the most money he can out of a certain contract, especially with retirement approaching. Pettitte should try to sign somewhere for as much as possible. It's his livelihood. My problem lies in the fact that he said it wasn't about money, and then turned down a really reasonable offer. You don't have to say it's all about the money, but please quit trying to prove what a great guy you are and just play the market in earnest like (almost) everyone else.

The Andy Pettitte Saga: After Turning Down $10 Million, Astros Now Involved originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

The A's Continue Their Assault on Bobby Crosby's Self Esteem

Tom Fornelli — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Athletics, MLB Gossip, MLB Rumors

It must really suck to be Oakland Athletics shortstop Bobby Crosby this morning. After having to deal with all the rumors that the Athletics were going to sign -- and thought they had signed -- free agent shortstop Rafael Furcal, the deal fell through and Furcal went back to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Crosby probably felt relief knowing that he was going to be keeping his job, and just when he started to feel good about himself again, the A's kick him when he's down.

Since the team missed out on Furcal, they've decided to turn their attention elsewhere and now, according to Jon Heyman, elsewhere would be Orlando Cabrera. It's not hard to blame Oakland for wanting to find a replacement for Crosby, as Bobby does have a tendency to go on the disabled list every time the wind changes direction, and he did put up an unimpressive line of .237/.296/.349 last season in 145 games. He also had the second worst season of his career defensively, committing 17 errors and seeing his range factor drop to a career low of 4.17.

In Cabrera the Athletics would not only be getting a Gold Glove shortstop, but also an improved offensive player, even if he is getting up there in age, at 34 years old. Not to mention, thanks to the many years he spent with the Angels he has a good knowledge of the teams in the AL West.

What confuses me about all of this, though, is the direction the Athletics are taking. Remember the good old days when the Athletics would trade their soon-to-be rich players for a truck full of prospects? Now the team is doing nothing but bringing in high-priced veterans. Sure, the Furcal deal fell through, but the team still managed to get Matt Holliday from the Rockies, brought Jason Giambi back, and now they're going after Cabrera. What's next? Andy Pettitte?

It's as if the bad economy is actually helping the A's compete on the open market.

The A's Continue Their Assault on Bobby Crosby's Self Esteem originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Leigh Teixeira Convinced Her Husband Mark to Wear Pinstripes

Matt Watson — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:45:00 EST

Filed under: Red Sox, Yankees, AL East, MLB Gossip

After being introduced as the newest member of the Yankees, Mark Teixeira revealed to reporters how he was able to make up his mind: by listening to his wife:

"We were really waiting for teams to drop out," Teixeira said. "I said to Leigh, we were sitting at dinner, 'Everything's equal. Where would you want to play?' Finally, she broke down and said, 'I want you to be a Yankee.' That's what did it for me."

Smart man: life is a lot easier when you keep the missus happy. Up until that point, the Yankees were lingering in the background while the Red Sox positioned themselves as the favorite, but once Teixeira told Scott Boras to revive talks, a deal was struck within 11 days.

It's an amusing anecdote ... unless you're a member of Red Sox Nation. Leigh admitted her preference on Dec. 12; Red Sox owner John Henry, president Larry Lucchino and GM Theo Epstein made their trip to Texas on Dec. 18. Had they known they were suddenly the underdogs and not the favorites about to seal the deal, it's likely they would have re-considered the trip.

In hindsight, the trip did prove fruitful, at least from Teixeira's perspective: Boston's final offer provided the leverage Teixeira needed for the Yankees to step up with the highest offer on the table a week later, making Mark and (more importantly, for his sake) Leigh one happy couple.

Leigh Teixeira Convinced Her Husband Mark to Wear Pinstripes originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Andruw Jones, Cut From a Dominican Winter Ball Team, Not Enjoying Rock Bottom

Will Brinson — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:00:00 EST

Filed under: Dodgers, MLB Biz, MLB Gossip, MLB Media Watch, MLB Rumors

Andruw Jones' demise has (ironically, I suppose) already been covered this morning by the nearly irreplaceable Matt Snyder. As we all know, Druw is a tad chubby, has essentially been benched for life and the Los Angeles Dodgers don't want him on the team. Now, apparently, neither does a Dominican winter ball team.

Dios. Mio.

The usually accurate Raul Tavares sends me the following missive via e-mail (spelling and punctuation is all original):

Hi rob, happy new year, just a few lines to let you know that andruw jones left his team for good, and is not coming back, the reason is that his wife is sick, but the real reason for me is that the team asked him to leave.

He was struggling here, only a .148 ave, slow in defense, the team was desperate and they did not release him just because furcal recomended him and did not want to upset rafael, jones replacement hit a 3 run hr and aguilas won just the second game of the semi finals.

Or, perhaps, "que lastima" would be more appropriate. IF this report is true, then, well, things are much, much, muchmuchmuch worse than Snyder, myself or anyone could have possibly realized.

See, because if it is, Druw isn't just horrible enough to get cut ... he's getting pity parties from a Dominican because Rafael Furcal gave him a good recommendation. It's not getting any prettier any sooner, folks.

Andruw Jones, Cut From a Dominican Winter Ball Team, Not Enjoying Rock Bottom originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

J.C. Romero Banned 50 Games Because He Can't Read Minds

Mullet — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:30:00 EST

Filed under: Phillies, NL East, MLB Gossip

Major League Baseball kills me sometimes. They want to get tough on enhancing your performance through drug use, but then a player does his due diligence only to get clipped because the league changes the list of banned substances without giving players enough notice or grace period. Take the case of J.C. Romero, who has found himself stuck with a 50-game ban ... not for cheating, but for "negligence".

Three months after Romero was tested before a Phillies-Mets game on Aug. 26, the players' association sent a Nov. 21 letter to players that stated, "We have previously told you there is no reason to believe a supplement bought at a U.S. based retail store could cause you to test positive under our Drug Program. That is no longer true. We have recently learned of three substances which can be bought over the counter at stores in the United States that will cause you to test positive. These three supplements were purchased at a GNC and Vitamin Shoppe in the U.S."

So what Major League Baseball is saying is this: "J.C., we told you the rules and you followed the rules. But because we just found these substances now we're going to ban you. Sorry, you should have read our minds even before these new substances were even in our minds." So who are the negligent ones here? The player for doing what he's told? Or the MLB machine for changing the rules in the middle of the game and then handing out retroactive punishment? It's the World Series rain delay all over again.

Arm bash: The 700 Level

J.C. Romero Banned 50 Games Because He Can't Read Minds originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Chipper Jones Talks Trash About the Mets and Phillies Talking Trash

Matt Watson — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:40:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, Mets, Phillies, NL East, MLB Gossip

After playing a significant role in 11 of the Braves' 14 consecutive division titles, Chipper Jones knows a thing or two about how to act while playing the role of the front-runner, and he's not impressed with those who have followed in his footsteps. From a recent interview with Sporting News:

We won for 14 consecutive years, and you never, ever saw any bulletin board material. And now that these two teams are on top of the division, they can't keep their mouths shut. Just go play baseball. It's Cole Hamels now. It was Jimmy Rollins and Carlos Beltran the past couple of springs. These two teams are constantly going at each other verbally. You know, win with class, lose with class. Just keep your mouth shut and go play your game.

Hamels? Check. Rollins? Check. Beltran? Check. But wait, don't forget John Maine and Billy Wagner!

I think part of the reason the Phillies/Mets rivalry is more fierce is pure geography: New York and Philadelphia are a scant 100 miles apart; the Braves, meanwhile, are 10 full hours in the car away from their nearest division rival. Plus, the Phillies and Mets have shared the top two spots in the NL East for the last few years, whereas the Braves had an ever-changing cast of challengers in that second spot.

In any case, you have to enjoy the irony: a guy talking trash about other guys talking too much trash -- it's a Dugout plot just begging to be written.

Chipper Jones Talks Trash About the Mets and Phillies Talking Trash originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Houston Hospital To Remove Roger Clemens' Name From Building

Tom Fornelli — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Gossip

If you were to ask Roger Clemens to rank the years of his life from best to worst I'm guessing that he'd put 2008 at the bottom of the list. He's still under investigation by the FBI for possibly lying to a grand jury back in February about his alleged use of performance enhancing drugs, and there's just been a dark cloud hovering over his head all year as his name and legacy have been dragged through the mud. So there's no doubt that Roger is looking forward to 2009 and hoping that it will be a lot better to him, but before he gets there, a hospital in Houston wants to kick him in the groin just one more time.

Clemens once made a donation of $3 million to Houston's Memorial Hermann Medical Center which was used to build a pediatric wing at the Children's Hospital there. As a way of saying thank you, the hospital named it's Sports Medicine Institute the Roger Clemens Institute for Sports Medicine three years ago. Well, now the hospital has decided to remove Roger's name from the building.

A statement released by Memorial Hermann said, "To better reflect its commitment to all sports and athletes, the facility will transition to become known as the Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute, effective Jan. 1, 2009. The move reflects a desire to promote the broad range of sports medicine services and programs offered by Memorial Hermann across the greater Houston area."

I'm sure the hospital was also tired of local high school athletes showing up and asking "Is this the place where I can buy steroids?"

Houston Hospital To Remove Roger Clemens' Name From Building originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Pudge Could End Up In Baltimore

Tom Fornelli — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:36:00 EST

Filed under: Orioles, MLB Gossip, MLB Rumors

While the Baltimore Orioles are still one of the teams interested in signing Adam Dunn after losing out on local boy Mark Teixeira, the team also has a hole to fill behind home plate. After trading Ramon Hernandez to the Reds earlier this month, it appeared as though the Orioles were clearing room for catching prospect Matt Wieters to take over the role. Now it seems that not everybody in the organization is convinced that Wieters will be ready to take on that responsibility when the season starts.

Which is why they've contacted Scott Boras about Ivan Rodriguez to see if he'd be interested in becoming an Oriole.

Former Oriole Gregg Zaun remains the free-agent catcher most likely to end up in the Orioles lineup on Opening Day, but there have been conversations with agent Scott Boras about veteran Ivan Rodriguez. Whether he would be a good fit to mentor Matt Wieters and eventually step aside for the O's top minor league prospect has been a subject of some discussion in the O's front office.

I don't see Pudge ending up in Baltimore because at this stage of his career I'm sure he'd rather be on a team considered a World Series contender, and with the Orioles playing in a division that includes the defending AL champion Rays, the Red Sox, and the ~~U.S. Treasury~~ New York Yankees, the Orioles are not a World Series contender.

Especially if that non-contender is only signing him as a temporary solution until their other catcher is ready to take over. Of course, if Rodriguez did sign with Baltimore, I suppose they could just do what the Tigers did if he doesn't appreciate losing his job to an unproven prospect and just trade him at the deadline when they're out of the playoff race.

Pudge Could End Up In Baltimore originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

The Dodgers Are Talking to Adam Dunn

Tom Fornelli — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:11:00 EST

Filed under: Dodgers, MLB Gossip, MLB Rumors

While reports out of Chicago are saying that the Cubs are the team Adam Dunn would most like to sign with this winter, there's a new team that seems to have entered the Dunn sweepstakes. With the Cubs atop his list, and the Nationals, Mariners and Orioles also reportedly interested in the home run and walk machine, it seems that the Dodgers are now testing the waters.

According to Jayson Stark over at ESPN, the Dodgers contacted Dunn's agent Greg Genske during the holidays to gauge his interest in playing in Los Angeles. On the surface, this move would make a lot of sense for the Dodgers. The team is probably getting tired of waiting for Manny Ramirez to either return to Los Angeles or sign with the Yankees -- the Steinbrenners are printing money as you read this -- and would like to figure out what kind of club they're going to have next season.

Considering that the Dodgers finished 14th in the National League in home runs last season, they could definitely use an infusion of power in their lineup, and Dunn would provide exactly that. He's hit 40 home runs in four straight seasons and his production could make up for the loss of Manny.

Of course, the question here is whether the Dodgers are really interested in Dunn, or if they are leaking word that they've contacted Dunn's agent in hopes that it will help spark a decision out of Ramirez.

The Dodgers Are Talking to Adam Dunn originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments