MLB FanHouse

Derek Jeter Has One Good Game, New York's Sportswriters Swoon

Eamonn Brennan — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:27:00 EST

Filed under: New York, Yankees, AL East, MLB Media Watch

New York's affection for Derek Jeter is no secret. He is everything that horrible, evil Alex Rodriguez isn't. He's a winner. He tags Jessica Biel. He had the good sense not to get married, because bro, who gets married, bro? Lame. Derek Jeter is the subject of more NYC man crushes than Judy Garland.

Problem is, he's not all that good anymore. His defensive prowess has been proven, time and again, to be significantly overrated. Though the man crushers are able to dismiss those findings as "too statistical," they're having a difficult time standing up for Jeter this year. His offense is down with his defense. The Yankees are thoroughly mediocre. That's hard to rebuff.

Last night, though, Derek Jeter did something wholly impressive, and the crushers are back out in force. While these two pieces are merely minor offenders, the New York Post's Larry Brooks really carries the torch:

Who else? It doesn't matter. For as the season has evolved, the criticisms of Jeter have mounted. He's been called the worst shortstop in baseball off a statistical study. He's been called the most overrated player in baseball in a poll of opponents who must suffer from Big Apple envy. And through it all, Jeter acts as if it all just rolls off his back the way his prerecorded name rolls off the lips of Bob Sheppard every time he steps into the box.

See that? Because he's unflappable. Of course he is. Unlike, for example, that losing, Madonna-chasing-distraction-of-a-Hall of Famer third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who Brooks takes a shot at in his next graph. (He calls A-Rod an attention-seeking missile. Of course he does.) And then, the final overture:

The inning ended on that patented play, Jeter spinning, leaping and throwing on the money the way Namath always did. Pettitte waited on the field for his teammate. "He said, 'Nice play,'" Jeter recalled. "He was pretty quick [with that line]." Not as quick as Jeter, who, on this night, was exactly what the Yankees needed. Which, just the way it's been for 13 seasons, was simply Jeter being himself.

The formula here is blatant: Writer sets up Jeter's struggles as a battle against "critics," (critics Jeter doesn't care about, because he's Jeter). Then, he talks about why Derek Jeter is still TEH AWESOME, despite the fact that Derek Jeter is merely above average now. Then he closes with something arbitrary and small sample-ish that proves why Jeter still roolz, even if it's disingenuous and silly.

None of this helps explain the game. It just allows everyone to pretend that this is still 1999 and Derek Jeter is still beyond reproach, no matter what you haters leave DEREK JETER ALONE!

Seriously. The man shouldn't be this unlikable. It's not even his fault.

Derek Jeter Has One Good Game, New York's Sportswriters Swoon originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shocking! A-Rod, Madonna Rumors May Just Be a Publicity Stunt

Matt Watson — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:55:00 EST

Filed under: New York, Yankees, AL East, MLB Gossip, The Word

For as much attention as the whole A-Rod/Madonna/Lenny Kravitz love triangle has received, I'm surprised that more reporters haven't stopped for a second and thought, "Hey, what if this is nothing but a huge publicity stunt?" According to Page 6, Kravitz is convinced that's exactly what it is, and he fired his manager Guy Oseary (pictured, with A-Rod) two weeks ago when he heard what was in the works:

[Cynthia Rodriguez's personal trainer Dodd] Romero called Kravitz two weeks ago to tip him off that Oseary - who managed Kravitz, Madonna and A-Rod - was about to "pimp out Madonna and A-Rod," said a source. But Kravitz didn't approve and told Romero, "I'll take care of this" - and fired Oseary.

Kravitz was shocked when he was then accused of having a fling with the slugger's wife, said the source. Romero believes Oseary planted the story in retaliation for being dumped.

Indirectly corroborating that story is this tidbit from TMZ.com, which claims that Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie decided all the way back in October to get a divorce but decided to postpone announcing it so as to generate publicity -- and cash -- for Madonna's upcoming tour.

There is a whole PR strategy that has been in place for some time. We're told the Material Girl will be "very visible" in the months leading up to the tour to "generate a lot of publicity." That's when "news" of the marriage's demise would slowly leak out, causing tongues to wag -- and Madonna to be on the cover of papers and mags around the world.

The marriage, we're told, has been effectively over for some time. The couple are friends, and have realized that it is in both of their interests to make a pile of cash from this tour.

And, hey, wouldn't you know it, Ritchie has a movie coming out this fall, as well. These guys make money off being in the public eye, it's in their best interest to have their private lives splashed across the gossip pages. So feel free to follow along breathlessly waiting for the next development if you must, so long as you realize that you're being had.

So how do I explain A-Rod's divorce? The alleged affair with Madonna has been called "the last straw," which suggests they were were also on the rocks long ago. But why would A-Rod want to be wrapped up in this mess? After eclipsing Derek Jeter on the field, maybe he wanted to top his teammate in the tabloids, as well. For all of Jeter's escapades with the fairer sex, he's never generated as much publicity as this alleged A-Rod/Madonna tryst. (You like that? I'm spitting on a rumor by starting a new one of my own! Mmmm ... hyprocrisy tastes good ...)

Shocking! A-Rod, Madonna Rumors May Just Be a Publicity Stunt originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You Don't Want to Be Behind John Sterling in the Buffet Line

Matt Watson — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:48:00 EST

Filed under: New York, Yankees, AL East, MLB Media Watch

Tabloid journalism is here to stay, which is a damn shame. Every inch we devote to the latest Alex Rodriguez-Madonna gossip pushes the real, hard-hitting, investigative reporting that we should be reading to the margins. We should be paying more attention to the important stuff ... like the media's dirty eating habits in the press dining room! From Page Six:

YANKEES radio announcer John Sterling is being called out for foul behavior in the stadium's press dining room. "Sterling has made a habit of walking over to the dessert table and dipping his finger into the ice cream barrel," one stadium worker told us, adding that the play-by-play vet has also used the same tablespoon to repeatedly take samples. During the Boston series, "He wandered over to the cake and pie section, broke off a piece of a cake slice, ate it and wiped his grimy hands on the linen tablecloth, leaving the remainder of the slice for someone else to eat - which indeed happened," our spy continued.

Yeah, that's disgusting. That's like putting your whole mouth in the ice cream! There's a lesson to be learned: ~~don't use your hands at the buffet table~~ always tip the wait staff. Granted, I'm guessing the workers in the Yankee Stadium dining room aren't even supposed to accept tips, but believe me, this kind of story wouldn't have happened if Sterling had bothered to drop a fiver every now and then.

Stay tuned for more hard-hitting media criticism, including unconfirmed reports that suggest that the real reason for Mike and the Mad Dog may be splitting up is because Chris Russo double-dips!

You Don't Want to Be Behind John Sterling in the Buffet Line originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Like a Fur-gin: A-Rod Adopts Disguise Outside Madonna's Apartment

Eamonn Brennan — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: New York, Yankees, AL East, MLB Gossip, The Word

Hey, more Alex Rodriguez-Madonna nonsense! Fortunately, this might be the best bit yet. In this New York Daily News story about all the floozies A-Rod's rogered since he's been married -- apparently A-Rod prefers tequila before sex, and don't we all -- a brilliant little detail has surfaced. According to some sketchy anonymous source, A-Rod used a special brand of disguise to make his way into Madonna's apartment:

One source said A-Rod tried to avoid being recognized during visits to the Manhattan apartment of one girlfriend by wearing "a fake mustache."

Ah, the fake mustache. Second only to Clark Kent's glasses in disguise implausibility.

Of course, being the mustache activist that I am, I had to reach out to the American Mustache Institute for their take on this buffoonery.

Surely, the AMI would not stand for the name of the mustache being used so cavalierly in the name of celebrity dalliance. I asked Aaron Perlut, chairman of the AMI, for his thoughts. He was surprisingly forgiving:

Thanks for your question. Some people suffer from Bare Upper Lip Disorder, better known as BULD. So certainly, some must use fake mustaches, and we love all mustaches. Nicely done.

In other words, why wouldn't you wear a fake mustache? Screw personal dignity -- it's just a great look.

Like a Fur-gin: A-Rod Adopts Disguise Outside Madonna's Apartment originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ryan Church Cannot Shake His Concussion, Heads Back to DL

Josh Alper — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:50:00 EST

Filed under: New York, Mets, NL East

It looks like the Mets are going to need to step up their quest for a corner outfielder. Ryan Church is headed back to the disabled list, according to a report that was just on WFAN Radio in New York, and it probably wouldn't be wise to count on his return at any point in the future.

Church will likely play again this year, mind you, but concussions are nasty, nasty business that have a habit of making a nuisance of themselves. Between that and Moises Alou's complete lack of physical health, then, the Mets can't stand pat and try to make do with Endy Chavez and a collection of second-tier players from the minor leagues. Jason Bay and Matt Holliday are the biggest names on the market but the Mets could probably swing a deal for less if they went after guys like Xavier Nady and Raul Ibanez.

It would be easy to castigate the Mets for the way they've handled Church's injury this season. They certainly should have put him on the shelf right away instead of allowing him to travel with the team and play but at the end of the day this was probably going to be a lingering issue no matter what. It's impossible to know just what Church told the team about his condition, although one can presume he wants to be on the field, and he's been too important to the offense for the team to not want him in the lineup.

Ryan Church Cannot Shake His Concussion, Heads Back to DL originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Things Keep Getting Weirder: A-Rod and Wife Attended a Madonna Concert Together

Will Brinson — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: New York, Yankees, MLB Fans, MLB Gossip, MLB Media Watch

It should be no surprise that a bunch of celebrities attended the June 29, 2006 Madonna concert in Madison Square Garden. She's the material girl. She's huge. People love her. We don't question why, we just let her keep making her money and talking in her fake British accent.

But the fact that the celebrity divorce couple of the hour -- Mr. and Mrs. A. Rod -- were in attendance is a little bizarre. And ironic, I suppose. Of course, not as bizarre or ironic as the fact that C-Rod's rumored man, Lenny Kravitz, was also there.

And all of that might sound a bit like a fictional tale of celebrity lore, were it not for the illustrious Don Chavez, who somehow has pictures of the whole thing. Does this actually mean anything? ~~Absolutely~~ Maybe not. But you can bet that this will be the perceived starting point for the whole alleged A-Rod - Madonna affair (and maybe the C-Rod - Kravitz business too).

The lesson, as always? Never take your celebrity spouse to a Madonna concert in New York. Been sayin' it for years.

Things Keep Getting Weirder: A-Rod and Wife Attended a Madonna Concert Together originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A-Rod Won't 'Change His Spots'

Tom Fornelli — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:36:00 EST

Filed under: New York, Yankees, AL East, MLB Gossip

Throughout the history of mankind, people have looked to others to help them figure out how to get by and survive their lives. In some cultures, people turn to their elders for advice since they have a lot more experience, and have seen many different situations and how they've played out. In other places, people just do a whole bunch of hallucinogenic drugs hoping to have a vision that will solve whatever problem they're dealing with at the time.

In American culture, we have strippers. Yes, much like the oracles of ancient Greece, we Americans prefer our advice to come from naked women who are probably just really, really high. That's why Cynthia Rodriguez should talk to one of her soon to be ex-husband's former ladies if she ever thinks of forgiving Alex.

Cheating Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez had a two-night stand with an ex-Centerfolds stripper while in town to play the Red Sox in 2004, and Candice Houlihan says A-Rod's wife "did the right thing" by filing for divorce yesterday.

"A leopard doesn't change his spots," Houlihan, now a Reading hairdresser, told the Track. "Good for her, I think she's doing the smart thing. And she'll probably get tons of cash."

It always comes back to money with strippers, doesn't it?

Though Cynthia isn't the only one getting advice, as a gigolo in Manhattan named Hugo told A-Rod last night not to worry about losing his wife because he has over $100 million and can "get all the booty a man could dream of. Being married is for guys who can't get any."

A-Rod Won't 'Change His Spots' originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are The Mets Interested in Barry Bonds? Depends Who You Ask

Josh Alper — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:15:00 EST

Filed under: New York, Mets, NL East, MLB Media Watch

As a lifelong New Yorker, I'm accustomed to the way the city's collection of tabloids constantly try to one-up the others while reporting the same exact story. Or the same exact non-story. So it wasn't surprising to peruse the papers today and find that they are both offering their views on whether or not the Mets will try to fill their outfield void by employing Barry Bonds.

Newsday headlines their article "Mets have no interest in Bonds." The New York Post counters with "Omar Minaya won't say no to Bonds." To come up with such different conclusions, each paper must have had interviews with Minaya in which he contradicted himself, right?

Nope. Both articles are based on the exact same quote by Minaya during what must have been a session with several reporters. He was asked if the team would be courting Bonds.

"I would say that I'm going to focus on our guys and our guys hopefully will be OK."

I think I'd headline that story "Minaya remains stubbornly optimistic about injured outfielders." That's not the most interesting article in the world but neither is the umpteenth bit of navel gazing about a team that's shown no interest in Bonds continuing to show no interest in Bonds. Bonds ain't coming to Shea and each day that goes by makes it less and less likely he's going anywhere.

Are The Mets Interested in Barry Bonds? Depends Who You Ask originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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American Mustache Institute Throws Its Support Firmly Behind Jason Giambi

Eamonn Brennan — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:01:00 EST

Filed under: New York, Yankees, AL East, MLB All-Star Game

Jason Giambi is probably a deserving All-Star -- certainly more deserving than others on his team -- but it's no crime for one overpaid Yankee to stay home for the game. Boo-effing-hoo, right? The Yankees already have like 82 people on the All-Star team.

Still, there is part of me that wants to support Giambi's candidacy. It's not just because of his ability, or his numbers -- it's because of that 'stache. It's beautiful. In one of the great political endorsements of this tumultuous campaign year, the American Mustache Institute agrees with me:

The American Mustache Institute officially offered their support for Giambi's All-Star candidacy today. "It doesn't take a mathematician to figure out that Jason Giambi's hitting prowess plus a fashionable mustache, equals a bona fide All-Star," said Aaron Perlut, Executive Director of The American Mustache Institute. "Giambi's significant first-half production as well as his powerful lip fur - indicating great intellect and good looks - make two very compelling reasons for his place on the American League All-Star roster."

Frankly, I'm a bit surprised at the Institute's willingness to label Giambi's mustache as "lip fur." When we will we throw off these old politics and declare a new way, a way in which a beautifully grown mustache can not be so easily derided with cruel names? I say vote Giambi, and vote mustache. Yes, we can.

American Mustache Institute Throws Its Support Firmly Behind Jason Giambi originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A-Rod's Wife Hoping Prenup Doesn't Hold Up

Eamonn Brennan — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:32:00 EST

Filed under: New York, Yankees, AL East, MLB Gossip

The Alex Rodriguez divorce story was officially announced late last night, but after the Madonna fiasco and the Lenny Kravitz nonsense -- seriously, man, Lenny Kravitz -- it was a foregone conclusion. It felt like old news. The one tidbit left to examine is Cynthia Rodriguez's claim that the couple's prenup may or may not be "legal." From the divorce papers' summary bulletin:

20. ANTENUPTIAL AGREEMENT: On October 3, 2002, the parties executed a "document" titled "Antenuptial Agreement". A determination as to the validity or enforceability of the agreement requires additional investigation and discovery.

See what Cynthia's lawyer did there? Very clever. It's not a document, it's a "document." If you put it in quotes, it might not exist!

Unfortunately for Cynthia, the prenup is probably legal -- were it not, one guesses the lawyers would be far more condemning here -- and the astronomical amount of money she's likely to receive from her soon-to-be-former husband is thus nominally reduced. It's cool though, 'cause Lenny Kravitz totally banks. Love + Revolution -- marketing like that simply does not fail.

A-Rod's Wife Hoping Prenup Doesn't Hold Up originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Monthly 'Ryan Church Still Battling Concussion Symptoms' Post

Matt Watson — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:33:00 EST

Filed under: New York, Mets, NL East, MLB Injuries

Ryan Church spent most of June on the disabled list recovering from post-concussion symptoms before returning to action on June 29th. Unfortunately, he lasted just seven games: he left Saturday's game in Philadelphia in the eighth inning complaining of dizziness.

Despite hearing encouraging news after the game -- he called his doctor in New York, who told him he's likely suffering from a migraine, an ailment he's dealt with for years -- his symptoms apparently grew worse overnight, and by Sunday the team decided to take the decision out of his hands and send him back to New York for more tests.

In the short-term, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Chuch go back to the DL. But looking at the long-term, would anyone blame the Mets if they put him on the shelf for the rest of the year? He's battled recurring symptoms for months after suffering a pair of concussions earlier this year, and despite several attempts at extended rest, he just can't seem to get over the hump.

It'd be a difficult decision for the Mets to make (especially considering Church has been one of their best hitters when available, cobwebs and rust be damned), but there's comes a time when a player's long-term health is more important than whether a team can get back into the wild card chase.

The Monthly 'Ryan Church Still Battling Concussion Symptoms' Post originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More Intelligent Fun Courtesy of the Yankee-Red Sox Rivalry

Josh Alper — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:50:00 EST

Filed under: Boston, New York, Red Sox, Yankees, AL East, MLB Fans, The Word

One of my fondest wishes as a sports fan is that there can one day be a series between the Red Sox and Yankees that doesn't coincide with the beating of a fan of one team or the other. Especially when the beating occurs on the Fourth of July in front of the man's children.

Making it all the better, the genius squad that led the beatdown didn't even have any reason to believe that William Nestor, driving his family home from a fireworks display in Falmouth, Massachusetts, was a baseball fan, let alone a Yankee fan. Nestor was beaten with an aluminum bat because his car had New York plates.

"They were yelling, 'Yankees! Yankees!' and 'F - - - New York' " Nestor, 29, said. "When they saw the plates, they came at me.

"I didn't even know the Yankees and Red Sox were playing" this weekend, added Nestor, who's not a particularly big baseball fan.

Nestor is okay, thankfully, and police have arrested one man and charged him with assault. They are looking for his partner in crime.

At some point it would be awfully nice of Hank Steinbrenner and John Henry to make some kind of joint statement decrying this kind of behavior. While making sure to point out that plenty of people on both sides are prone to acting like idiots, the owners could make it clear that neither the Yankee Universe nor Red Sox Nation they are so fond of welcomes citizens of that sort.

More Intelligent Fun Courtesy of the Yankee-Red Sox Rivalry originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Could Victor Zambrano Be Headed Back to New York?

Josh Alper — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:55:00 EST

Filed under: New York, Yankees, AL East, MLB Rumors

Scott Kazmir will start the first game of the Yankees-Rays series at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday. I think it's a municipal law that anytime Kazmir and New York City are mentioned in close company, there must be a mention of Victor Zambrano sometime in the next 12 words. It seems the Yankees want to stay on the good side of John Law.

According to the Daily News, they are sending a scout to watch Zambrano throw this week as part of their search for pitching to replace the injured Chien-Ming Wang in the rotation. Desperation is obviously getting the best of the Yankees. Baseball appears to have figured out Darrell Rasner, Sidney Ponson is living on borrowed time and C.C. Sabathia ain't walking through that door.

Still, they may be better served by taping Carl Pavano up and rolling his sack of bones out there. Zambrano didn't make the Rockies out of spring training and went 0-6 with a 9.45 ERA in AAA before earning his release. And, as any Met fan will be happy to tell you, it's not as if he was a particularly good pitcher at any point.

What's the enduring lesson of this entire story? Teach your sons, righty or lefty, how to pitch because no matter how terrible they turn out, someone will give them a shot.

Could Victor Zambrano Be Headed Back to New York? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All-Star Grievances: National League East

Mullet — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:12:00 EST

Filed under: New York, NL East, MLB All-Star Game

Maybe the All-Star Game is a meaningless to the players and just an excuse for Bud Selig to admire himself for a week. That doesn't mean that the selections should be stupid. Today, the MLB 'Haus gives you All-Star Grievances.

Grievance: Cole Hamels out, Aaron Cook in. When the teams were announced, Cole Hamels was 9-5 with a 3.22 ERA, while Aaron Cook was 11-5 with a 3.37 ERA. But Hamels' other numbers blow Cook away: Cole has only five more walks while trouncing Cook in K's 110-59, and has a 1.02 WHIP as opposed to a 1.26 WHIP for Cook.

So How Did This Happen? The Rockies defeated the Phillies in the NLDS, that's how. With Matt Holliday already on the squad as an alternate, you can bet that Charlie Manuel would have taken Hamels over Cook in a second ... but Clint Hurdle, as a perk of winning the pennant, went with his guy.

Grievance: Pat Burrell gets the Shaft. Pat Burrell is headed towards his best season ever, and is in the top ten in most of your big offensive categories. You could absolutely make a case that Ryan Ludwick, whom Burrell bests in OPS and home runs, should be in the vote for the final player while Burrell should be in.
So How Did This Happen? A few reasons: Ludwick may have gotten the nod for being the "out of nowhere" guy for a team that is contending "out of nowhere". Burrell also lost out in favor of a Pirate (Nate McLouth), because the team has to have a Pirate ... and let's face it, whether it be McLouth, Jason Bay, or Xavier Nady, the Pirate would have been an outfielder. The support of Cubs fans also trumped Burrell, as the injured Alfonso Soriano and cult hero Kosuke Fukudome received almost three times as many votes as Burrell. The good part is that Soriano's injury might keep him out of the classic, which may (should) open the door for Burrell.

Grievance: David Wright wuz robbed. Chipper Jones was rightfully voted in as the third baseman. But perhaps David Wright should have been chosen over Aramis Ramirez. Wright is hitting at a .288/16/66 clip, while Ramirez is at .208/15/57. Wright also has him beat in OPS by 20 points.

So How Did This Happen? The Cubs are in first place, while the Mets are the disappointment of the league. Heck, no Mets really came close in the fan vote, as Ramirez got close 700,000 more votes than Wright, so I have to think that was taken into consideration. And while some may say that Wright would be a lock in the vote for the final spot, I'm not so sure. Brewers players outpaced Mets players by a wide margin at every position except third base (and Bill Hall, who stinks this season, was right behind Wright). So why wouldn't Corey Hart blow David Wright away in the runoff vote?

All-Star Grievances: National League East originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All-Star Grievances: American League West

Tom Fornelli — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:10:00 EST

Filed under: New York, AL West, MLB All-Star Game

Maybe the All-Star Game is a meaningless to the players and just an excuse for Bud Selig to admire himself for a week. That doesn't mean that the selections should be stupid. Today, the MLB 'Haus gives you All-Star Grievances.

Grievance: John Lackey deserved a spot. While the Angels pitching staff is very well represented with Francisco Rodriguez, Joe Saunders, and Ervin Santana all making the team, John Lackey is probably deserving of a spot as well. I know he missed about a quarter of the season thanks to an injury, but in the ten starts he has made since coming back, he's been damn near untouchable. His record is only 6-2, but his 1.96 ERA and WHIP of 0.92 are better than his three teammates that did make the squad.

Grievance: Ian Kinsler should be starting. While Ian Kinsler did make the All Star team, the fact he did so only as a reserve is insulting. While Boston fans stuffed the ballots for their man Dustin Pedroia (don't get me wrong, it's their right to do so) Kinsler was busy being the best second baseman in baseball. Pedroia deserves to be on the team, but he should be the man on the bench. He's hitting .313 with an OPS of .815 with nine homers and 41 RBI, but Ian checks in at .332 with an OPS of freaking .936 with 14 homers and 53 RBI. Tell me, who deserves the starting spot more?

Grievance: Ichiro making the team. Ichiro Suzuki is one of my favorite players in the game today, for reasons that have to do with his playing ability and the things he says, but he shouldn't be on the team this season. His starting spot should probably go to Jermaine Dye (who didn't make the team), Grady Sizemore, Carlos Quentin, J.D. Drew, or Milton Bradley. I know that each team has to have a representative, so Ichiro is Seattle's, but when a team has absolutely no chance of making the playoffs they really shouldn't have any say in who gets homefield advantage during the World Series.

All-Star Grievances: American League West originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All-Star Grievances: American League Central

Tom Fornelli — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:42:00 EST

Filed under: New York, AL Central, MLB All-Star Game

Maybe the All-Star Game is a meaningless to the players and just an excuse for Bud Selig to admire himself for a week. That doesn't mean that the selections should be stupid. Today, the MLB 'Haus gives you All-Star Grievances.

Grievance: Jermaine Dye not making the team. I swear in recent weeks I've become Jermaine Dye's publicist telling anybody who will listen that he is far and away the most undervalued outfielder in the game today. Still, I thought enough people knew about him to at least get him on to the All Star team. JD is hitting .308 and OPSing (not sure that's a word, but screw it, I'm angry) at .919 with 19 homers and 52 RBI. His only crime is that he plays in the American League where outfielders are raking this season, and that people still think the Yankees are good.

Grievance: Lack of White Sox pitchers and Joe Crede's selection. Now I'm probably going to come off as sounding like a bit of a homer here, but there just aren't enough White Sox on the team this season. They're in first place in their division, and lead the league in pitching, yet their only All Stars are Carlos Quentin and Joe Crede. While Quentin deserves the nod, Evan Longoria should have gotten Crede's spot. Also, as I mentioned, the Sox lead the league in pitching, yet not a single member of their pitching staff made the team. Does that make sense to you? Gavin Floyd is 10-4 with a 3.22 ERA and a WHIP of 1.12, John Danks is only 6-4 (it's not his fault the Sox average about .00003 runs every time he starts) but has an ERA of 2.52 and WHIP of 1.17. How neither of them make the team baffles me.

Grievance: Jason Varitek as the third catcher over A.J. Pierzynski. Great, another White Sox player. I know, I know, but if you look at the rest of the teams from the AL Central, everybody that deserved to be on the team is on the team (you could argue Carlos Guillen doesn't deserve his spot, but what other Tiger takes his place?). The Sox are the only team in the division to really get screwed here. Anyway, Varitek was chosen by his fellow players over Pierzynski even though he's only hitting .218/.300/.358 with seven homers and 27 runs driven in. Pierzynski, on the other hand, is hitting .296/.333/.442 with seven homers and 33 RBI. Oh, and he's the guy calling all the pitches for the pitching staff with the lowest ERA in baseball. Obviously, his personality is what cost him here, which is idiotic. Is the American League looking to win this game or hang out with friends?

All-Star Grievances: American League Central originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A-Rod's Wife Sues For Divorce

Eamonn Brennan — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:08:00 EST

Filed under: New York, Yankees, AL East, MLB Gossip

The story that will not die just gained another nine lives -- Alex Rodriguez's wife, Cynthia, is officially suing for divorce, according to both the Miami Herald and the far more reputable TMZ. (AOL! Woo!) You can probably guess the reasons for the divorce: A-Rod's "alleged" extramarital affairs, not least of which may or may not involve Madonna. Cynthia's lawyer scored the first blows:

Cynthia Rodriguez's lawyer tells TMZ, "A-Rod may be an All-Star baseball player, but he's flunked the All-Star team as far as marriage is concerned." Lilly says, "We're not gonna lose this case." He acknowledges a prenup exists but it's "too early" to decide if he'll challenge it. He says there will be a "huge settlement" in the case but "not hundreds of millions of dollars." Lilly says A-Rod's estate is "vast ... beyond what anyone knows."

Madonna will not be specifically named in the divorce papers. Lilly says infidelity is a "major cause" for the divorce, but not because of any one allegation. Rather, he says, there were a series of dalliances and "Madonna was the last straw." Lilly says Cynthia did not have an affair with Lenny Kravitz and that her relationship with him is "totally innocent and puristic."

So, to recap: A-Rod does have a prenup (phew!), but doesn't have a guarantee that he's not going to get taken for millions (doh!). Also, Cynthia says her relationship with relatively horrible pop singer Lenny Kravitz is "totally puristic." Right. So is writing about this story for money. So puristic, in fact, that I think I'll go take a cold shower.

A-Rod's Wife Sues For Divorce originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All-Star Grievances: American League East

Will Brinson — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: New York, AL East, MLB All-Star Game

Maybe the All-Star Game is a meaningless to the players and just an excuse for Bud Selig to admire himself for a week. That doesn't mean that the selections should be stupid. Today, the MLB 'Haus gives you All-Star Grievances.

Grievance: The lack of ~~Devil~~ Rays and overcompensation of Sawx and Yanks. I understand that the ASG is getting played in New York and that the Yankees and Red Sox have the two best records in all of baseball ... oh, what's that? I'm sorry. I haven't been watching ESPN all week while they tried to somehow play out the Rays before the All Star Break, so I had no idea they had the best record in baseball.

Grievance: Jason Varitek. Players are S-M-R-T. It's fairly annoying that the players -- and not the fans! -- can do things like let Varitek start for the All Star Game. Vegas Watch probably said it best.

Grievance: Joe Crede over Evan Longoria. Longoria has been in the bigs less time this season and his totals are just far and away better than Crede's. Which makes all of this (meaning his selection) pretty redonk. Also: MORE RAYS, please.

Grievance: The whole "you can't have an All Star Game in New York without Derek Jeter" thing. Yes, yes you can have an ASG without Jeter. It would take place in New York, it would involve the National League versus the American League and instead of a celebration of overrating someone, it would recognize a good first half. Unfortunately for me, the once proud AL SS corps has dwindled badly, so the argument isn't as strong, but please, people, come on. He's really not that good.

Other Snubs: I really feel like Carl Crawford and Nick Markakis deserve some serious consideration but then again, you need 39 pitchers and eleventy billion Red Sox and Yankees on the roster, so what are you going to do?

All-Star Grievances: American League East originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 06 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All-Star Grievances: National League West

Will Brinson — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: New York, NL West, MLB All-Star Game

Maybe the All-Star Game is a meaningless to the players and just an excuse for Bud Selig to admire himself for a week. That doesn't mean that the selections should be stupid. Today, the MLB 'Haus gives you All-Star Grievances.

Grievance: Aaron Cook over Cole Hamels, or to stay in division, Chad Billingsley and Jonathan Sanchez. Mmmm-mmm. Home cookin'! Cook has been pretty good this year, but to call him All Star quality dominant might be a bit of a stretch. Hamels is a no-brainer and Billingsley and Sanchez have been erratic at times, but both have helped shore up their respective team's rotations with high strikeout pitching (they are 20 shy of collectively quadrupling Cook's totals.) Also, it really bothers me when the manager for a team uses his power to grab a homer pick. Or when people reward wins (which, partially = luck).

Grievance: Brandon Webb starting over Edinson Volquez or Tim Lincecum. Webb has been great this season, but he's scuffled recently. All three deserve to be heading to New York, but the reality is that Lincecum or Volquez should be starting, if we're basing the "award" on recognizing the entire first half of the season.

Grievance: Brian Wilson over Brandon Lyon or Takashi Saito. Saves shouldn't be the only number. As Lackey mentioned, are we not far enough along as fans to recognize that saves are primarily luck? Now, Wilson has been pretty good about shutting the door on teams, but he's done it in mini-Borowski like fashion, posting a 1.40 WHIP and 4.37 ERA. Lyon, meanwhile, has had less chances, but his numbers (2.65 and 1.15) are substantially better. It's a bit of a nitpick, but still.

Grievance: Aaron Rowand over Randy Winn. Breakin' my nose, Kenny, breakin' my nose. I don't really understand what Rowand is doing on the bonus ballot in the first place, but he's there, so we'll deal with it. Let's do some anonymous Player 1/Player 2 stuff, shall we?
Player 1: 314 ABs, .293/.360/.417, 5 HR, 36 RBI, 36 BB, 16 SB
Player 2: 304 ABs, .301/.370/.467, 8 HR, 47 RBI, 24 BB, 01 SB

Player 1 is not Aaron Rowand. (And neither's stats are All Star quality, for the record.)

Other Snubs: I'm tempted to make a case that Matt Holliday shouldn't have been a lock for the outfield spot in the NL, but he's been killing it in limited AB's; Carlos Lee has still been better though.

All-Star Grievances: National League West originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Dugout: The Inevitable A-Rod/Madonna One

B. Thompson Stroud — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:33:00 EST

Filed under: New York, Yankees, AL East, MLB Gossip, The Dugout

This is the best and the worst time of year for Dugouts. The trade deadline looms and we'll get a chance to cover a lot of teams we don't normally cover. At the same time, the newsmakers of baseball start making news, and most of the time that involves a steady stream of unbelievable stories from the Yankees and the Red Sox. I want to do more Pirates Dugouts, but nobody in Pittsburgh just had their marriage broken up by a random assemblance of pop musicians. Nobody from the Pirates ran up a wall and high-fived a guy.

We've been sitting on this for a few days, waiting for the logical "oh THIS is what really happened" to come along. It just... isn't coming along. So today we attempt to handle this from an educated, even-handed perspective.

Today's Dugout, which should've just been about the Royals again, is after the jump.

The Dugout

	Online Host e5_rod has entered the New York Yankees Clubhouse Chatroom.
	e5_rod: /breathes deeply /tosses dufflebag onto bench
	e5_rod: /hangs hat /leans forehead against wall, closes eyes
	e5_rod: /notices the entire team standing silently behind him silently
	e5_rod: uh... hello?
	Online Host The entire New York Yankees team is now smiling.
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: / sup heterosexual_rod
	BertySanchez: hey bro, how's it goin, how was your "holiday" weekend, heh, meet any girls while you were out, anybody we might know
	LongLiveGiambi: yeah, did you meet any "material girls?"
	AsianNegro: you know, somebody nice, "like a virgin" ?
	GotMelk: come on Alex, tell us all about it, "express yourself"
	AbreuInHalf: ya buddy i hear that celebrity hookups are in "vogue"
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: wait is alex haven sex with en vogue i thought he was up to ones balls in madonna
	e5_rod: timidly shut up joo guys, a-rah is not havingk sex with em vogue
	e5_rod: ... an i swurr a-rah is not havingk sex wit modonna, look i have had a long night so if joo coul just let me alone i woul appreciate it
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: that's not what the tabloits are sayen, aol presents the fanhouse is says it went down like...
	Online Host Welcome to the Sports Blogger Interpretation of Celebrity Events Chatroom, by Kyle Farnsworth Esq.!
	e5_rod: HEY THERE MUSCLY ARM
	RitchieBitch: i am attracted to you because you like "like a player" /pseudo-masturbates in cone bra
	e5_rod: I HAVE MORE THAN ONE RACE JOOR CHILT WILL BE BEAUTIFOOL
	RitchieBitch: do you loik moi british accent mate? come with me to me flat an 'elp me wif me yoga
	e5_rod: TELL ME ABOUT KABBALAH THE RELITCHION
	Online Host And, scene.
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: ...an then the both a yous stayt up doen the flip nasty an talken about that religion which is jus like boodism but with gas masks an hookswords
	e5_rod: ¡ME CAGO EN LA LECHE DE LA PUTA QUE TE DATE LA LUZ!
	LongLiveGiambi: what
	3dw4r_r4m1r3z: /shrugs
	e5_rod: THIS IS WHY PEOPLE HATE THE YANGKEES, JOO WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH
	e5_rod: MODONNA AND aRAH ARE JUST WORG OUT BUDDIES AN BROTHER AN SEESTER IN THE EYES OF OUR KABBALISTIGK UNDERSTANDING OF GOD
	e5_rod: BUT MY WIFE LEFF ME FOR LEMMY KRAVITZ
	LongLiveGiambi: What?? No!!
	AsianNegro: the guy from Motorhead?
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: you have a wife
	e5_rod: NOT ANY MORE AMERICAN ONLINE SPORTS FANHOU AOL BLOGK EVEN WROTE ABOUT IT, THE YANGKEES CHICK BROAG THE NEWS...
	Online Host Welcome to The Fanhouse Minute Interpretation of the Dissolution of Alex Rodriguez's Marriage by The Yankees Chick, as read by Alex Rodriguez!
	LennyNotCarl: HEY BABY I AM LEMMY KRAVITZ JOO ARE LOOKINGK HELL OF FINE MY MOM WAS ON THE JEFFERSONS I AM HOT SH-- ARE YOU GONNA GO MY WAY
	she5_rod: I AM A TERRIBLE PERSON BUT NO I LOVE MY HUSBANT
	LennyNotCarl: COME ON BABY I RAN INTO KYLE FARMSWORTH AN HE SAYS THAT WE SHOUL BE TOGETHER
	she5_rod: REALLY KYLE FARMSWORTH SAID THAT OKAY THEN
	LennyNotCarl: KYLE FARMSWORTHLESS IS RUININGK OUR AMERIGAN HOMES
	she5_rod: YES HE IS THE GAUSE OF ALL OF OUR PROMBLEMS
	Online Host More about how My Favorite Team Who Always Wins is terrible after the jump.
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: that woman deserves here revenge an we deserve to die
	AbreuInHalf: you're just saying that because you think she's hot
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: shut up !!! /closes browser windows
	BertySanchez: who lives this life where Madonna and Lenny Kravitz wander in and ruin their marriage, seriously
	LongLiveGiambi: yeah really, I'm a big fat guy in a thong who looks like a Goomba from Mario 1, my first wife left me for a plumber
	AsianNegro: I almost had a wife once, she dumped me for a body pillow
	e5_rod: IT FEELS AWFUL AND NO AMOUNT OF MONEY OR FAME CAN ERASE THE PAIN OF LOSINGK SOMEONE YOU CARE ABOUT
	e5_rod: HAVE SOME GLASS AN GOMPASSION
	LongLiveGiambi: eesh, sorry A-Rod, we weren't thinking.
	AbreuInHalf: The end of a marriage is a horrible thing to experience and we were just messing around, we hope you're okay and if you need anything just let us know.
	e5_rod: thanks joo guys
	LongLiveGiambi: have you told the Captain yet?
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: does HE know how you have a wife, because i'm still laffen at that
	e5_rod: where is he, do joo know
	pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: well accorden to the mlb sports weblog presented by americans on the line, he has been spotted "canoodelen with starlets jessica biel, scarlett johansson, minka kelly, the blont girl from 8 simple rules, an two of the olsen twins at a trendy night spot, all at the same time" reports tmz
	e5_rod: WHAAAAAT BOOOOOOYYYYYYYY~!!!!! /storms out of chatroom
	Online Host Meanwhile, in Monument Park...
	JetersNeverProsper: /pulls petals from flower
	JetersNeverProsper: He loves me, he loves me not. He loves me, he loves me not. He loves me, he loves-
	JetersNeverProsper: /sobs

Photos link to player info. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) WordUpThome.com

The Dugout: The Inevitable A-Rod/Madonna One originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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