I sure don't.

This all started when Manny was a happy camper over in Boston slugging home runs before he was slugging equipment managers. His dugout antics, his relieving himself inside the scoreboard during a pitching change (that is what he was doing, right?), talking on his cell phone during games was all taken with humor and cajolery, it was just "Manny Being Manny".

But when he started pouting and faking injuries because he felt unwelcome the antics became as humorous as our next tax bill. He succeeded in running himself out of Boston and all the way to the Left Coast where he singlehandedly took the Dodgers on his back and carried them to the playoffs all the while creating a cult following.

As a free agent, he has been the center of attention during the offseason regarding whom he will sign with and for much. His first mistake was taking for granted that teams would line up to overpay for his services. His second mistake is using the cancerous Scott Boras as his agent.
 
Already the scourge of many owners, Boras and Frank McCourt particularly despise each other. One of the reasons might be the way Boras suckered McCourt last year into signing Andruw Jones, arguably the worst deal ever. It was so sour that the club would've accepted a side of longhorn beef and an armadillo from Texas just to get rid of him.

The prolonged and rancorous negotiations over Ramirez forever being played out in the media has turned into a clash of egos and a game of chicken. When the Dodgers made their most recent offer of $45 million for two years with deferred payments, Boras countered with $55 million to offset the deferments.
 
Were talking a minimum of $25 million per year! Even when the economy was sound, this is a staggering number. Now with millions unemployed, fighting over millions of dollars in deferred payments seems arrogant and insulting.
 
However this plays out, players, especially self-centered ones like Manny, better come to realize that fans who are struggling to pay their bills are going to amplify their scorn over a player who thinks he is unappreciated because he isn't being paid a few million more.
 
Yes, Manny Being Manny now has a new nuance. As for Boras, he would fit in well with the current presidential administration. Both have no conscious when it comes to taking money from either taxpayers or fans.

A-Rod Takes It Like A Man
The media swarmed all over Alex Rodriguez like flies on a garbage barge when he reported to camp this week. Like a man he sat there looking like he had a severe case of bowel distress during what must have been an agonizing news conference. But give him credit. He never denied it, nor did he run away from it. He met the press so as to not become a distraction in the bedlam that is the Yankee training camp. He should be commended for his actions, and because of this I want to forgive him. But I must maintain a hard line on those who cheated - no entry into the HOF.  Rodriguez must now join Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmiero as hall-worthy players who must stand on the outside looking in like the rest of us.

Move JJ
Even though Alcides Escobar has not played above AA, all reports indicate that he is ready now to take over at shortstop. His range is superior and his bat will only get better. Even though JJ Hardy will balk if moved, his range is not as expansive as Escobar's but still excellent enough to play either third or short. Come along May or June when Ken Macha tires of Rickey Weeks' ineptness and discovers why Mike Lamb was released by the Astros, the move will be made and that will only benefit the Brewers.











Anderson Goes East...
Garret Anderson will take his class act from Anaheim to Atlanta after signing a contract with the Braves who have looked all off season to bolster left field. Even though his best days are behind him, Anderson can still be productive in a limited role.

 










And Junior Goes Home
How perfect it is to have Ken Griffey, Jr finish his career in Seattle, scene of his greatest fetes and still a fan favorite. It will be interesting to see how Ichiro responds now that he will have to stand back and let Junior in the spotlight.  There's no doubt that the Mariners' fans will favor Griffey over Suzuki and Dan Wakamatsu will have to anticipate a rift between the two when Ichiro starts to sulk.

Hudson Finds a Home
Like Bobby Abreu, one wonders why it took so long to sign Orlando Hudson. The Dodgers stole him this weekend where he will join Rafael Furcal as an excellent double play combination and a force at the top of the order.  In seven seasons, Hudson's career average is .282. He was named to the NL All-Star team in 2007. He rarely strikes out, has great plate discipline and has never made more than 13 errors in a season.  And for that he has to nearly beg someone to sign him. Meanwhile Brewers fans will have to witness another year of Rickey Weeks throwing balls away, striking out with RISP and generally doing little to justify management's puzzling commitment.


While Beimel Still Looks
Someone please explain to me why no one has yet to sign Joe Beimel. Last year for the Dodgers, Beimel went 5-1 with a 2.02 ERA in 71 games. I'd like to hear a sane and logical explanation why they let him go in the first place. He's only 31 and is left handed, an attractive commodity in the bullpen. Right now the Dodgers have lefties Carmen Cali, Scott Elbert, Victor Garate, Hung-Chih Kuo, Brent Leach, Greg Miller, Stephen Randoph, Eric Stults and Erick Threets in camp. A cast of retreads, never wases and probably never will-bes. None has ever distinguished themselves.  Beimel has had arm troubles in the past, missing most of 2004-2005. But there have been no reports that he has problems again.
 

The recent steal of Bobby Abreu by the Angels for the measly sum of $5 million for one year raises two questions. One, why did it take so long for a team to sign a player who has averaged 22 HR/98 RBI and .300 over his 13 year career, seven in which he has driven in over 100 runs including last year? Two, why do the Cubs think Milton Bradley is worth more? Bradley, you may recall, signed a three year contract in which he will make over $5.2 million this year.

Entering his tenth year as a major leaguer, Bradley will be playing for his seventh team. His longest tenure with any team has been two years  - with Cleveland and the Dodgers.

Bradley's reputation for questionable behavior is well founded.  In addition to his highly visible run-ins with umpires, Bradley appears to be the Randy Moss of baseball.  His OPS (Only Plays Sometimes) is among the best. According to reports, last year Bradley would take days off with one questionable malady after another. While never on the disabled list, Bradley sat out with "light-headedness", an injection, shoulder pain, and a hamstring tweak. And that was just in May!

In June his quad suddenly flared up, and in July he had another injection, a forearm bruise and a sore knee. When August rolled around with the scorching Texas heat, Bradley begged off with back stiffness, a sinus problem and more knee soreness. In early September he sat out with a sore wrist, pain from a cortisone shot, a sore back again and yet another injection. His creative ways to stay out of the lineup would make Cpl. Klinger of M*A*S*H fame proud. Then nearing the end of the season he realized that he was short PA of qualifying for the batting title. Suddenly he found a secret elixir that kept him going with nary a hangnail.
 
For this he gets more than Bobby Abreu?  There were no other teams willing to pay more than $5 million dollars to a steady and consistent performer? Did anyone notice last year that the Yankees emerged from their lethargic play when he began to hit?

When Hal Steinbrenner opened the vault at YankOne a line formed and when it got to Abreu it suddenly sealed shut.  Now the platoon of Xavier Nady (.305/.357/.510) and Nick Swisher (.219/.332/.410) will need to replicate his production (.296/.371/.471). That's what Brian Cashman is banking on.
 
Meanwhile, the Rays, Indians, A's, Braves, Marlins, Pirates and Giants passed on Abreau despite the fact that all are in need of an upgrade in rf and all, even the Pirates can afford to pay an "A" level free agent at least $5 million.
 
Will Cubs GM Jim Hendry have second thoughts come June when Bradley baits umps, calls out Alfonso Soriano, gets in a scrap with Carlos Zambrano and angers Lou Piniella (and Cubs fans) when he sits out with assorted walk-in clinic ailments?

 

The news that Alex Rodriguez tested positive for anabolic steroids in 2003 isn't as stunning as it is disappointing. Why on earth would the best hitter in his generation cheat?  By the end of the 2002 season, Rodriguez, then 26, already had two 50 homer seasons (52 in 2001, 57 in 2002) and up to that point had 298 career homers. Was it because 2001 happened to be Barry Bonds 73 home run season and A-Rod felt compelled to take enhancements to keep up? In 2003, the year he supposedly took them, his home runs actually decreased (47).

For a guy who makes more money than a Third World country's Gross National Product, there is no logical reason, other than that was the culture in baseball and he knew he could get away with it.

This is just another in a series of revelations regarding the best players in recent years. Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, Palmiero, Clemens and now Rodriguez. Who else among the remaining 103 ballplayers in this report is listed? And how many are HOF worthy? More than either you or I would care to know.

There's a song from the mid-60's by Bob Kuban, a one-hit wonder called "The Cheater"

As the new season draws near, it's time to take a look at some off season activities.

Yankees Open the Vault
As long as there's a Steinbrenner in charge, the Yankees will continue to try to spend their way to the top. After a one-year hiatus, they returned to being prolific spenders as their never-ending mano a mano duel with the Red Sox  ramped up again.  The trial of using a younger rotation blew up in injury and inexperience.  Philip Hughes and Ian Kennedy in particular either must reapply themselves in the spring or face the fate of other Yankees prospects of the past and face banishment to another team's system. Certainly the addition of CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett will make the rotation more formidable as they pair up with AE Pettitte and CM Wang.
There remain some critical issues as spring begins: the health of Posada and Matsui, and a productive outfield. Johnny Damon is aging, Cabrera is underachieving and the platoon of Swisher/Nady will not replace Abreu, plus how many more saves are in the arm of Rivera?
The Yankees have plugged their two biggest holes -  starting pitching and first base but as has been proven as recently as last year big payroll doesn't always translate into a pennant.

Joe Torre Tells All
Of course there can't be an off season without some controversy surrounding the Yankees. With the release of his tome, The Yankee Years, Joe Torre expressed some disgruntlement over his insipid departure. While the New York press took excerpts out of context, the book is a fair and balanced look at the years Torre spent in what is perhaps the toughest managerial job in baseball. He created a legacy second only to Joe McCarthy in an era that is markedly different.  And you almost feel sorry for him for the way Brian Cashman treated him who, to save his own backside, abandoned him while he was being fired.

Are The Cubs Getting Greedy or Are They Desperate?
This team is quickly turning into the Red Sox of the National League, stockpiling players in order to prevent others from signing them. Despite the fact that the team is in the midst of being sold, GM Jim Hendry was throwing money around in the best Yankee tradition. This team won 97 games last year, won the division for the second year in a row but quickly exited the playoffs again. There was more turnover on this roster than the typical shift crew at McDonalds. Gone is Mark DeRosa, someone who for some inexplicable reason Hendry had been trying to unload for two years.
DeRosa will take his versatility to the Indians. Also gone are Kerry Wood, Michael Wuertz, Ronny Cedeno, Rich Hill, Felix Pie, and Jason Marquis. Only Hill was not with the team last year due to a mysterious loss of control. Coming to Wrigley this year will be Milton Bradley, Aaron Miles, Kevin Gregg, Joey Gathright, Aaron Heilman, Matt Smith, and So Taguchi among others. Ryan Theriot and Geovanny Soto are the only home grown regular players - that's even less than the Yankees, folks. Among the top line pitchers only Carlos Zambrano and Carlos Marmol came through the system. This points to a sign of desperation and increasing impatience over breaking the World Series curse.

Who's Going to Pitch for the Brewers?
Right now this team's rotation consists of Yovanni Gallardo, Manny Parra, David Bush, Jeff Suppan and tbd. That's a big dropoff after Sabathia left for Ft Knox money and Ben Sheets was told he was no longer welcome. Sheets made $12,125,000 last year.  Mike Cameron will make $10,000,000. The Brewers are holding the payroll steady after making the playoffs for the first time in 26 years. GM Doug Melvin preferred to use his "cap" money to pay for arbitration eligible Rickie Weeks, Corey Hart and Prince Fielder. Trevor Hoffman will be this year's version of musical chairs closer.

The Strange Saga of Relief Pitchers
Why is there so much movement among relief pitchers each off season? They move more often than a military officer. The end result for each team is probably a wash at best. The main motive must be money. Why pay a guy more when there's someone just as good for less money? Why not give our top prospects a shot?
So while the makeup of the bullpen is crucial today because of the increased reliance on it to determine the outcome of games, relief pitchers also seem to be the most disposal position.
Here is a partial team-by-team list of bullpen vagrants this year- the list does not include high profile free agents like Francisco Rodriguez, Kerry Wood and Trevor Hoffman
Arizona - Scott Schoenweis
Atlanta - Boone Logan
Boston - Enrique Gonzalez, Takashi Saito
Cubs - Kevin Gregg, Luis Vizcaino, Mike Stanton - (why?)
Cleveland - Matt Herges
Colorado - Matt Belisle, Alan Embree, Huston Street
Detroit - Brandon Lyon, Juan Rincon
Florida - Leo Nunez, Scott Proctor, Brian Sanches, Dan Meyer
Kansas City - Lenny DiNardo, Kyle Farnsworth, Oscar Villareal, Doug Waechter
Dodgers - Guillermo Mota
Milwaukee - Jorge Julio
Mets - Nelson Figueroa, Sean Green, Casey Fossum
Oakland - Russ Springer, Michael Wuertz
Philadelphia - Gary Majewski. Dave Borkowski
San Diego - Kevin Correia
San Francisco - Jeremy Affeldt, Bobby Howry, Justin Miller
St Louis - Trever Miller, Royce Ring
Tampa Bay - Joe Nelson
Texas - Eddie Guardado
Washington - Ryan Wagner, Jorge Sosa

Still looking for a team are : Joe Beimel, Doug Brocail, Juan Cruz, Eric Gagne, Tom Gordon, Jason Isringhausen, Aquilino Lopez, Kent Mercker, Will Ohman,
Dennys Reyes, Rudy Seanez, Brian Shouse, Julian Tavarez, Mike Timlin
Ron Villone, Matt Wise.

That's 43 who changed teams and an additional 16 waiting to go to work. I don't know what this all proves but it's an interesting insight.

FINALLY - Good Luck Jim Powell
After 13 years of playing second fiddle to Bob Uecker, Jim Powell returns to his hometown of Atlanta to become a featured radio play-by-play man. His insight and conversational style will be missed. Thanks and best of luck.