Have I Been Duped?

My faith in Major League Baseball is seriously starting to wane. I became disappointed in the sport before the report came out that A-Roid used steroids because of ridiculous signings by the New York Yankees.

Granted, the Yankees are below its salary total from last year and need to sell seats for its new stadium, however, it is frustrating to see a team dominate the free agent pool due to the cash the team has (bitter Los Angeles Angels fan who now hates Mark Teixeira here—okay, that was my mini-vent out of frustration).

I think it is asinine that players show no loyalty these days (this is a tough one to sell because as fans we don't know what goes on behind closed doors, and players also have to consider their future after baseball – something any individual has to look out for). And the hand Manny Ramirez possessed to push for his trade from the Boston Red Sox was ridiculous. Players sign a contract and should play out the duration of it.

And now this. Alex Rodriguez was supposed to be the "natural" one who broke records the "right" way. But no, he too was using performance-enhancing drugs. Why he was the only one named of the 104 players from the 2003 records is beyond me, but they had to bring down our faith in the state of baseball by breaking down the biggest player of this day.

How long have I watched tainted baseball? Which players I grew up watching share the asterisk with A-Rod?

The other 103 players need to be named now that the confidentiality of the 2003 records have been jeopardized.

Where does baseball go from here? And should we now consider Ken Griffey Jr. as the modern king of baseball? And now we know why Babe Ruth's, Hank Aaron's, Bob Gibson's, Sandy Koufax' resumes (among many others) records are even more impressive. I long for the opportunity to grow up watching untainted baseball.

I can't provide a solution for baseball but maybe it should start at the top. Bud Selig has to have known about the positive tests for all the players, yet, he turned his head in favor of sold-out stadiums and a bigger paycheck. Sad, but it is the reality we live in today.

Let us hope that our future generations get to see baseball in it's purist form — without needles, the clear, and money dominating the sport's landscape.

Maybe we should thank Jose Canseco. He didn't lie and has indirectly helped in getting the game cleaned up.

Good luck to all of you, I hope none of your all-time favorite players aren't named soon ... and know I am holding onto what little faith I have left...

Alex Rodriguez Greed Song

I do not know if you enjoy Ryan Parker's songs on YouTube, but I do, so I am posting them.

This one is about A-Rod's upcoming contract that you might have heard about. I would love to have A-Rod on my baseball team, but it is crazy money that he and Scott Boras are asking for especially since the man owns no rings. Zero rings and he wants $30 million a year.

Battle of Los Angeles. Angels, then my season seats pricing goes up.

A Day In The Life Of Scott Boras

4:00 - 4:40 a.m. - Wake up, smile about the dream of a glistening Alex Rodriguez dancing in the rain. Go for a run along the beach of Newport then take dip in the ocean.

5:00 - 5:30 a.m. - Roll around in piles of money on a bed, chanting A-Rod, Barry Zito, and J.D. Drew.

6:35 - 7:35 a.m. - Workout with A-Rod. Translation: watch A-Rod work out, advise him to take off his shirt, and compliment him until his cheeks are rosy.

8:00 - 9:00 a.m. - Offer a shower to A-Rod, that he unfortunately turns down. Apparently, he has his own shower. Take a lonely shower, but call A-Rod while in the shower to tell him something that you "forgot" to say to him.

9:30 - 10:30 a.m. - Have a boring breakfast with wife, Jeanette, but talk about how getting A-Rod $400 million is definitely possible because of what I got J.D. Drew from the Red Sox. "Where is my money for my time with you woman?"

11:00 - 11:30 a.m. - Talk to the Dodgers and let them know they are screwed if they do not sign A-Rod. Insist that the Angels will sign him if they do not get him. Warn that the Angels will be the Los Angeles team.

12:30 - 1:00 p.m. - Talk to Arte Moreno of the Angels and let him know that the Dodgers are really interested in A-Rod. Let Moreno know that not signing A-Rod means dropping the Los Angeles from the Angels name.

1:00 - 1:15 p.m. - Console Moreno about how his team is Los Angeles because of his billboards. But remind him that the Dodgers win the battle of LA if they get A-Rod.

1:20 - 2:20 p.m. - Listen to Brian Cashman apologize for George Steinbrenner's sons. Demand a $400 million contract for embarrassing you and A-Rod. Listen to Cashman cry, and record the whole thing.

2:30 - 3:00 p.m. - Listen to the Cashman tape with A-Rod and take a dip into spa filled with money. Let evil cackles ensue.

3:15 - 4:00 p.m. - Call Omar Minaya and warn him that a deal is almost already done with the Angels/Dodgers.

4:10 - 4:30 p.m. - Call J.D. Drew and demand to have the World Series championship ring. Who else could have pulled off that deal to the Red Sox? Huh "DL" Drew?

4:40 - 5:30 p.m. - Have a snack with A-Rod and crank call Derek Jeter using a voice disguiser and proclaim that A-Rod is a better shortstop. Then tell Jeter that Cashman plans to trade him to the Dodgers. Laugh asses off when you hear Jeter crying with joy, and say, "yeah right you pretty boy! Torre does not want your ass!"

5:45 - 6:15 p.m. - Call Red Sox GM Theo Epstein and remind him of Mike Lowell's home/road splits from last year. Tell Epstein that he is just a "young punk" that A-Rod can beat up. End conversation by yelling: "You do not want A-Rod?!?! Well, I screwed you with Drew and Daisuke Matsuzaka!"

6:30 - 7:00 p.m. - Set dinner meetings with Dodgers' Ned Colletti and Tony Reagins for 9:00 p.m. tonight at different restaurants.

7:15 - 8:00 p.m. - Ignore calls from Barry Zito, Carlos Beltran, and Johnny Damon. Respond to each via text: "I got you your money, and you got me mine. Call me when your contract is up, then we will do work. Right now, I have bigger fish to fry."

8:10 - 8:50 p.m. - Practice Japanese to talk to Dice-K. Today's focus: "We need more money from the Red Sox."

9:00 - 11:00 p.m. - Stiff both Colletti and Reagins. Send a text letting both know that you with are with the other Los Angeles baseball team's GM. Go out to a candlelit dinner with A-Rod in Newport instead.

11:15 - 12:00 a.m. - Invite A-Rod inside for after-dinner drinks to no avail. Say goodbye and curse A-Rod's wife's name in vain. Immediately call J.D. Drew to let him know the ring will be property of Boras, or else. Call a hit man on three-way to reiterate the danger Drew will be in if he does not comply.

12:30 - 1:00 a.m. - Call "Jacob the Jeweler" to inquire about getting a World Series championship ring changed from the "Red Sox" to "A-Rod's".

1:15 a.m. - Sleep time. Say goodnight to wife Alex Jeanette.

Alex Rodriguez - Where Will He Go?

The best baseball player in the MLB is a free agent, and is looking to get a historical paycheck for the tune of about $30 million per year for ten years.

Is he worth that much money? My answer is yes. Roger Clemens, who was average at best this past season, got a $28 million prorated deal with the Yankees. And without A-Rod, the Yankees would not have made the playoffs.

Here is the look at the highest salaries in the MLB last year (not including Clemens):
1. A-Rod - $27.7 million
2. Jason Giambi - $23.4 million
3. Derek Jeter - $21.6 million
4. Manny Ramirez - $17 million
5. Todd Helton - $16.6 million
6. Bartolo Colon - $16 million
7. Andy Pettite - $16 million
8. Jason Schmidt - $15.7 million

Is he worth $30 million a year? Yes. If Jason Giambi is making $23 million, then you can pay A-Rod the money his agent is requesting.

Colon and Schmidt were scheduled to play once every five games, and both were unable to do that for a full season. A-Rod plays in 150+ games a year, and will be taking his stats with him, wherever that may be.

Another reason this guy should be paid that much is the revenues he will be taking to a team. The media coverage, merchandise sales, ticket sales, and marketibility are all intangibles that make him worth that money.

And now to my list ranking from worst shot to best shot at landing this big fish:

Mariners
I have heard that they may be in the running, but raise my eyebrows at that one. Yes, he has played there before, but why would he go back? They are not a big market team and is not a city that his family would enjoy. Fat chance.

New York Mets
How to stick it to the Yankees further? Join the Mets in their new stadium and put the spotlight on the other baseball team in the Big Apple. They have a better chance than the Mariners because of their location. A-Rod's wife loves New York because she is able follow her ventures in the city. But, they already have all-star players in the two positions A-Rod would play, with third baseman David Wright and shortstop Jose Reyes (although I heard the Mets would be willing to part with Reyes). The looming question: is A-Rod willing to deal with the media scrutiny that comes along with playing in New York, again? I say no.

San Francisco Giants
A-Rod has gushed about playing in San Francisco at AT&T Park, and he could replace Barry Bonds as the "worth the price of admission" player with the Giants. He likes the city and can break the home run record in the same place it was broken. But are the Giants willing to pay him? This is a one of my two sleeper picks, but there is a big reason I have my doubts (*see Dodgers explanation).

Chicago Cubs
Like San Francisco, A-Rod likes Chicago and the history of Wrigley Field. Plus, they have a manager he loves in Lou Piniella. Problem is the Tribune Co. may never let it happen because the sale of the team is still pending. A-Rod is not going to sit around waiting for the team to be sold to its new owner.

Boston Red Sox
You have to throw the Red Sox into the mix because they are the new evil empire in the MLB. But I think the Boston have too much pride to swallow (yes, they swallow) his contract especially with the feuds they have had with him when he was with the Yankees. If they do not re-sign Mike Lowell, they may be a player in the sweepstakes.

Detroit Tigers
My other sleeper pick. They have the money and a squad A-Rod would like to play with. Also, the Tigers have dealt with his agent, Scott Boras, who represents all-stars Magglio "The Perm" Ordonez and Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez. Jim Leyland is a manager he would like as well.

Los Angeles Dodgers
Now we are getting to the big boys; the teams who can only blow the chance at getting A-Rod. The Dodgers have only given themselves a better chance at A-Rod with the signing of Joe Torre. The familiarity of Torre and his managing might make it a smooth transition for Rodriguez to head out West. It is Hollywood, he can be on the big stage with less media scrutiny (but there will be some) than in New York. They are a storied franchise that appeals to a player like A-Rod, and have a chance to take make a splash in the playoffs next year.

Two glaring factors that make them the number two team:
1. Dodgers Stadium is not a hitter's ballpark. It will not be fun chasing the home run record in his later years in that stadium. Ah, his later years, which brings me to my next point (*the one that applies to San Francisco and the other NL teams)...

2. They are in the National League. Why would he change leagues now? And more importantly, why minimize the days he can get out on the diamond in the later stages of his career? Did you see Barry Bonds play left field with the Giants this past year? It was painful to watch, and I bet he would have given anything to DH for the whole season. In the American League, A-Rod can. No more errors at third base, just getting into the batter's box everyday. He can preserve himself by being a DH in the AL and chase down every record he dreamed of breaking.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Now, this is not a biased pick. This is real, and once you read why, you will understand.

• When Arte Moreno bought the Angels he had a vision of making them as big as the Dodgers. He started putting up Angels billboards in Los Angeles county and asking those who live in that county to give the Angels a look. He is enamored with A-Rod, not only as a player, but at his marketibility. Moreno once talked of starting an Angels television channel, and with A-Rod he could start it.
  
  
• The Dodgers may have just blown their own chance at A-Rod by hiring Joe Torre; not regarding A-Rod's willingness, but based on Moreno's pride. What better way to steal the Dodgers mojo by signing the biggest fish on the pond? The spotlight is currently on the Dodgers and Moreno does not like that. He has worked so hard to get the team to be recognized nationally, and now this is his opportunity to take it to that next level. Dodgers recognition level.
  
  
• Moreno can market the (expletive) out of A-Rod and make money back from the signing. He would love to be the owner of the team when A-Rod breaks the home run record, and be able to say "I signed the home run king."
  
  The media around Anaheim would not be as harsh on A-Rod as they would be in New York and down the freeway in Los Angeles. A pleasing environment for A-Rod and his family. His wife is in Southern California and can continue her ventures down the way in Los Angeles or in Orange County.
  
  
• Mike Scioscia. A-Rod showered Scioscia with praise last year, more so than any other manager (source NY Daily News):
  

  A-Rod couldn’t have enough nice things to say about Mike Scioscia, first throwing some love his way in an on-field interview with Kim Jones on YES, then telling reporters by his locker that Scioscia should be credited with making the Angels into the gritty team they are.
  
  Asked about the Yankees’ huge 14-9 win, A-Rod replied, “It just tells you how tough and competitive a team those guys are over there; that’s a tribute to Mike Scioscia. They never stop.”

  
  He wants to play for him. He has the wheels to run in Scioscia's offense.
  
  
• Angels Stadium. He kills it at Angels Stadium. In three games in 2007, he hit .417 with three home runs and six RBIs in Anaheim. His slugging percentage? 1.167. He has a .332 lifetime average in 77 games at the stadium.
  I have seen it live, he loves to hit the ball into the bullpens of both the Angels' and visiting teams' in left field.
  
  
• He would be welcomed with open arms. Rarely do Angels fans "boo" their own players, and he is what they have been waiting for. They have an open third base position for him to take, and a smiling Vladimir Guerrero who would sigh a breath of relief at his arrival. The pressure will not be as high as in New York, Boston or Los Angeles.
  
  
• His agent, Scott Boras' office is located in Newport Beach and he regulary sits in the Diamond Club behind home plate when A-Rod plays in Anaheim. Him and A-Rod could wine and dine together all they wanted, year round.
  

All signs point to Anaheim, the ball is in Moreno's glove.

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So there you have it... it will probably be a couple months until we know where he will be going, but at least you have these thoughts on your mind.

End Of An Evil Empire?

Has the evil emire moved to a different city? Is the new Death Star being constructed in Boston with the Red Sox winning their second championship in four years, and the talent to make them the favorites for next year?

The fans are already the stormtroopers; kind of slow, clumsy, and quick to make some unwanted noise. Star Wars references aside, these Red Sox can dominate baseball for years to come with their pitching and young talent that has already shown they are ready for the big stage.

Yesterday, it was Alex Rodriguez trying to steal some thunder from the Red Sox by announcing he was opting out of his Yankees contract. Today, it is the Yankees announcing that they have offered Joe Girardi the vacant manager's position.

First let me talk about Girardi (and it is reported he will accept the job tomorrow). This hire may cause a stir in the Yankees clubhouse because he was offered the job over Don Mattingly. Yes, that Don... "Donnie Baseball," one of the most beloved Yankee players, and a player who already had his number retired by the club.

Mattingly will not accept a position on the Yankees coaching staff, Marchand and ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney are reporting.

"Don was extremely disappointed that he wasn't the organization's choice to fill the manager's vacancy," Mattingly's agent, Ray Schulte, said in a statement.

I know Girardi is a great manager, but you have to try to keep your team intact after losing Joe Torre. Several key players with the Yankees were hinging their decisions on whether to stay with the Yankees based on if Torre was retained, and now who replaced him.

I think Mattingly was that guy to help make a smooth transition from the Torre era to a Yankees era that will include younger players.

The key Yankees players who are free agents: Jorge Posada, Andy Pettite, and Mariano Rivera. Pretty hefty names that helped the Yankees strive in their evil empire era. Oh yes, and do not forget that third baseman that decided to opt out.

And it appears that it is officially over between A-Rod and the Yankees, as Hank Steinbrenner had this to say about him opting out:

"It's clear he didn't want to be a Yankee," Hank Steinbrenner, a son of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and now the figurehead of the club's baseball operations, told the New York Daily News. "He doesn't understand the privilege of being a Yankee on a team where the owners are willing to pay $200 million to put a winning product on the field.

"I don't want anybody on my team that doesn't want to be a Yankee."

So now the Yankees may or may not have to replace key players from the outside or from within. Hey, they have Wilson Betemit to play third.

The evil empire has changed uniforms, and I couldn't be happier.

Tribune Co. Ruining The Cubs Dream

Many believe that Alex Rodriguez may land in the Northside of Chicago with the Cubbies if/when he opts out of his Yankees contract. This is based on the fact that the Tribune Company is selling the team, and the prospective owner will fork out the money for A-Rod (say, Mark Cuban perhaps?).

But that may not be possible, even if Cuban buys the team. That is because the Tribune Co. still has not prepared the official bidding documents for prospective buyers.

This means that A-Rod can be picked up far before the sale of the Cubs actually goes down. There is no way the Tribune Co. can sign A-Rod while they are still the owners.

Well Cubs fans, another way to ruin the 100-year anniversary of your last World Series title.

Of course it was not 100% guaranteed that A-Rod would sign with the Cubs. If he wants to make his future team his last stop in the MLB than I think it will be in the American League. He wants to break as many records as he can and his best opportunity is with an AL team.

It will allow him to play the most years by being able to DH in the later stages of his career. And why move to the National League now? He has played in the AL his whole career and has faced their pitchers.

The rumors will begin after the World Series, but here is the list of teams that I think A-Rod will end up with:
New York Yankees
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Boston Red Sox
Chicago White Sox