Put a "Bloody Sock" In It

Rest easy John Rocker. New Yorkers have a new chewtoy, and need not look further than their morning read to sink their teeth into it. The man with the bloody sock has struck again.

Two magicians in Las Vegas could only publicly make white tigers look silly on tricycles for so long before they finally snapped, so let’s just say Alex Rodriguez was sick of riding the tricycle.

The friction between Curt Schilling and Alex Rodriguez has been no secret over the past year, thanks to Schilling anyway. Alex’ rites of passage in his first season in pinstripes were spoiled along the way by jabs from Schilling's magnifying every obtacle A-Rod encountered. Any opportunity Schilling had to take a shot at A-Rod publicly, he took. From “bush-league” plays, to instigating a fight, Curt’s mind seems to be locked in on the Yankee third basemen more than Seventeen magazine's readers.

But perhaps Schilling’s most cynical comments came when he questioned the purity of some Yankee players, an organization in which he has never played a part. A-Rod’s quiet on the media front ended this past Friday when he finally defended himself along with his teammates.

“We beat him up a couple of times during the season, and he sat crying on the bench,” Rodriguez said. “Then he lost Game 1 in the series, and he wasn’t talking. Then he won Game 6, and he’s still talking today. We, as players, are accustomed to these things. I hope he continues to talk about me and the team. It’s great motivation to beat him in the future.”

Coffee tasted a little sweeter for New Yorkers the following morning, as a feeling of vindication was felt comparable to when Rocky finally knocks out “Clubber Lang” in Rocky 111, silencing all the “jaw talk”. That sort of “jaw talk” has been part of Schilling’s game for years. Tuesday night, Dennis Eckersly, a guest panelist for the Red Sox “Extra Innings” baseball talk show, added his two cents on the outspoken pitcher.  “You’re a pitcher, you play once in every five days, keep your mouth shut.”

Pre-game trash-talk and intimidation tactics have been part of the game since Ruth, yet sometimes Schilling draws unnecessary attention to himself by provoking others. Pedro Martinez made no secret of his annoyance with Schilling after he signed with the New York Mets, citing that Curt had no idea of his workout regimen and what he did to prepare, and should therefore not make assumptions, referring to the comments Schilling made about Pedro having his own set of rules.

Schilling’s knack for annoying teammates along with the crowds is nothing new for baseball or New Yorkers for that matter. Yet not everyone is annoyed. Somewhere John Rocker is smiling, wearing a T-Shirt that reads “Been there, done that.” Enjoy it now Johnny boy, because for now, you’re off the hook.

$18 Million Part-Time Wonder

Part-time employees of America won a major victory today. The poster-boy for part-timers, Roger Clemens, was signed by the Houston Astros for a record $18 million for his services this year. With the signing, Clemens not only becomes the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history, he also sets a new standard for part-time workers.

Last year Clemens insisted on several provisions in his contract to entice him to come out of retirement. The provisions allowed him to miss selected road games and arrive late to home games so he could spend more time with his family. Because of this provision Clemens was able to make it to more of his sons' little league games where he could spit sun flower seeds at the umpire.

To stave off this year's threat of retirement, Clemens obviously wanted something completely different. He wanted to be the highest paid pitcher in history. Again his demands were met. He undoubtedly felt he was owed something for winning his unprecedented seventh Cy Young award last year at a discounted rate of $6.8 million, and helping lead his hometown team to the seventh game of the National League Championship Series.

With his new status as the king of the part-time worker, when he finally does retire, Clemens may want to apply at Wal-Mart, the king of hiring part-time workers.

Click here for the story at the Houston Chronicle.

What's he worth?

Roger Clemens has yet to decide if he wants to retire or play in his 22nd year of the majors. But if he does play for Houston, he would like $22 million for the year. Thank You Very Much. Clemens filed for arbitration on Tuesday setting a record for the highest filing since Derek Jeter filed for $18.5 million. Once a Yankee, always a Yankee, I guess. Pedro Martinez holds the record for the highest salary ever earned by a pitcher in a season at $17.5 million, which he earned last year.

The Houston Astros offered the seven-time Cy Young Award winner $13.5 million.

So is he worth it? If the Astros don't give the man what he wants do you suppose he would consider $22 million from another club? And if so, who do you think would bite?

Click here for the story on Yahoo!

Don't Drink the Kool-Aid

True Fans of Baseball: Be Warned. The Evil Empire has its troops out in force and is attempting to halt the exodus of fair-weather fans from their losing grasp.

Thomas Fitzgerald, of Scout.com, wrote a chilling piece of baseball rationalization in an effort to lure unsuspecting baseball fans back to the Dark Side. In his attempt, he trots out all the tried and true ways the Yankees have used to pull weak-minded souls towards the Bronx. He compares the Yankees' status in sports to the great USA's place in the world community. He talks of tradition and dynasty and royal privilege. He gloats, he brags, he stretches the truth. And worst of all he extols the virtues of "The Boss." Then in a final attempt at recruitment, he publishes a pledge that is truly evil. But there is a fatal flaw in his argument: He rationalizes away the "Great Choke," and talks of the Yankees "winning ways" forgetting that THEY LOST.

Our advice to Yankee Haters around the globe is to fight back. If your disgust of the Yankees is strong and your loyalty to your team is sincere and secure, then you must read the article to better inform yourself of the tools the enemy employs — to better defend against them. But if you are weak, easily manipulated, or worse, already a Yankee fan, then DO NOT click on the link below. It will only serve to lead you further astray.

Only the strong (of stomach) should click here.

Full Moons

Randy Moss' exuberant display of his bare butt is all over the news and sports shows this week. Yet another proud "wardrobe malfunction" from our friends in the NFL. Guess what? This blog is NOT about that particular moon! It's about the big rock circling Saturn, and the first pictures ever taken from the surface of a moon other than our own. And it's here because, well, we just think it's very, very cool. And it's not about Randy Moss.

The European Space Agency launched the space probe Huygens in 1997 from Cape Canaveral, Fla., in a joint effort by NASA, and today have released the first photographs of the surface of Titan. A permanent haze in Titan's atmosphere has kept astronomers from getting a better picture through telescopes.

The rocks in the foreground are smaller than boulders and simply look big because they are close to Huygens' camera. Scientists believe its atmosphere is similar to that of early Earth's and studying it could provide clues to how life arose on our planet.

Click here for the AP story on Yahoo! And click here to see more pictures and hear audio from the Titan's surface.

Democracy at work?

Somewhere along the way, the word "business" became some kind of an excuse for LOTS of bad behavior. "It's not personal. It's just business" a la Mr. Trump.

"Well, after all, Baseball IS a business," we hear - as excuses are made for ridiculous ticket prices and $5 hot dogs, "they've got to make money, too."

But here's the thing. Baseball — the MLB — is NOT a business like any other. Baseball operates under a very special antitrust excemption from the US federal government. (That's US, by the way.) The 1922 US Supreme court ruling in which Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes stated that "baseball is exempt from antitrust regulations due to its peculiar nature" set the tone. Since then, Congress has circled around various interstate commerce and labor issues with Baseball, but so far hasn't changed its excemption status.

But WE (we being Congress) could if WE wanted to. And WE were about to do a little business of our own - with some voting.

And that brings us to the latest policy announcement of Steroid usage by the players and owners of the MLB. They are officially and self-righteously coming out to state that "Steroids are bad! And, furthermore, we're going to do something about it! We're cracking down!"

Well. why are steroids bad?

Are steroids bad because it's cheating? Are they bad because they can do horrible physical damage to the user? Are they bad because they distort the hard-earned records of legitimate hall-of-famers? Do they set a bad example for the nations' youth and make the achievements of all exceptional athletes suspect? — Or, ultimately, are steroids simply bad for business?

Did some of the privileged of the MLB world finally see a tipping point ahead — a point where the public would actually get so disgusted with so much cheating and doping and lying that the public would start to say "forget it, I'm taking the kids to a museum or something" ?

Now, as with most policies, it looks like this one from the MLB could have more teeth — but it's a start. The fact that a player will virtually wear a scarlet letter of "D" for doping after the FIRST failed test is a very good thing. A stint in the public stocks for being a cheater is still an ok deterent, although public scandal and humiliation isn't what it used to be.

But if the threat of congressional action is still a deterant, then we still can have some faith in the system.

And if Baseball wants to be "America's game" it should keep in mind that, after all, it IS personal.

MLB Steroids Policy. Cure or Ploy?

AP writer Ronald Blum is reporting that MLB and the players have reached an agreement on a new steroid policy. Here is the top of his story:

"NEW YORK (AP) -- Baseball players and owners have reached an agreement on a tougher steroid-testing program and plan to announce it Thursday, The Associated Press has learned.

The agreement will include penalties for first-time offenders, an AL player said on condition of anonymity. Other details, such as the frequency of tests, were not immediately available." Click here for the rest of that story.

As the fans of MLB who pay for the game, we should scrutinize this policy with our own minds and hearts, and not be sucked in by the national "talking head" commentators who will undoubtedly praise whatever agreement is reached.

The policy must be strong enough to "GUARANTEE" all players are 100% clean 100% of the time of performance enhancing drugs. As fans we need to trust that a Barry Bonds is a trust worthy as US Treasury Bonds. Fans must not settle for less. YankeesSuck.com will reserve judgment on the policy until we read it, and hope that it truly is a remedy for the problem, and not a MLB public relations ploy.

Johnson Rubbed the Wrong Way

"Don't get in my face, and don't talk back to me, all right," Randy Johnson said as he lived up to his Surname while introducing himself to the New York media.

Johnson was in New York to take his physical and was accompanied by Yankee director of team security Jerry Laveroni on the walk from his hotel to his doctors appointment.

Along the way the 6'10" lefty, encountered a cameraman from WCBS-TV Channel 2 who was assigned to cover Johnson heading to his physical. That's when Johnson decided to get physical himself by using his right hand to obstruct the camera.

"Get out of my face, that's all I ask," Johnson requested, as he approached the cameraman.

"No cameras," Laveroni chimed in.

"Don't get in my face," Johnson repeated, "I don't care who you are. Don't get in my face," he said again as he used his right hand to obstruct the camera and Laveroni forced the camera to focus on the ground.

"I'm just taking a picture," reasoned Vinny Everett, the cameraman, on the public Manhattan street.

That's when Johnson decided that Everett wasn't worthy and said "Don't get in my face, and don't talk back to me, all right."

"Don't talk back to me?"
Luckily Johnson had Jerry Laveroni with him or he may have been overcome by the swarming media mob of one.

One would think Johnson would be a little less tense, after signing such a tremendous contract extension and having his wish granted of pitching for the Yankees. Could he already be feeling the pressure of life in "The Big City?" Johnson admitted as much in this statement he issued through agent Alan Nero distributed by the Yankees;

"Regarding the unfortunate incident that happened this morning as I was on my way to take a physical, I hope that everyone will understand that the past few days have been a bit overwhelming and I wish I had handled the situation differently," Johnson said. "I am very sorry it happened."

Click here to SEE THE VIDEO and read more about how Randy Johnson is learning how to endear himself to New York. Also, you can click on the image of Johnson above to see a frame grab from that video.

The Empire Strikes Back

“Big” Changes.

The Boss has yet again broken open the piggy bank this off-season — stocking up like a wholesale club. But wait. Before the “nay-sayers” begin throwing around the usual criticisms, notice that Steinbrenner has spent his allowance wisely this off-season.

Soon after the Boss halted his fury upon the Yankees brass, they began to shift their attention from the postseason Armageddon to revamping the Yankees in a “big” way, pun intended.

Steinbrenner, never known for being discreet, blatantly displayed his ongoing love affair for the southpaw from the desert around the trade deadline of 2004, failing in his attempt to land “the Big Unit.” However, as many familiar with the Yankees know, when George wants somebody, he almost certainly gets somebody.

After adding more youth and power to a seemingly run-down pitching with key additions Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright, the Yankees pulled the 6’10 rabbit out of the hat and put him in pinstripes, solidifying the ’05 staff and Cashman’s word to the Boss of strengthening the Yankees pitching. On paper, the Yankees have one of the best pitching staffs in the league, and welcoming Felix Rodriguez and former Yankee Mike Stanton to an already potent bullpen only strengthens the claim.

The new men on the mound won’t be the only newcomers playing “getting to know you” come mid-February, or in one case, “getting to know you…again.” With perhaps one of the biggest yet overlooked moves the bombers have made is the homecoming of beloved first basemen Tino Martinez, who along with his great glove brings much needed veteran leadership to the Yankees clubhouse. Playing about 90 feet from Tino will be Tony Womack, who replaces Miguel Cairo at second base. Along with Womack’s great range and defensive skills, he also brings peskiness to the plate, which the Yankees have thirsted for since the departure of Chuck Knoublach.

On paper, the Yankees have assembled one of the best teams in the major leagues, but as the saying goes, “the games are played on the field,” and indeed they will. But for a change, it’s worth noting that perhaps the Boss went soft, finally listening to the ears of his fellow executives, staying away from names like Pedro Martinez and Carlos Delgado, and instead made moves which improved weak links, moves that made sense. Wise investments in the Bronx, worthy of a back page headline in itself.

The cries of blasphemy over the Yankees payroll will soon be heard, but as the Boss continues to poor money into his Yankees while other owners sit on the profits they pull in, those cries will go unheard. So as you indulge in your morning coffee and read the latest whining over the Bronx bombers in the Globe, remember what Jimmy Dougan says in A League of Their Own, “there’s no crying in baseball.”

Yankees can't afford Beltran

Move over Reggie, there is a new Mr. October in New York — and he doesn’t play for the Yankees. And do you know why? I'm glad you're sitting because you won't believe this reason — they couldn’t afford him!

Carlos Beltran, who hit .435 with 8 homers and 14 RBI’s and stole 6 bases in 12 postseason games, is the newest Metropolitan. For those numbers the Mets rewarded him with a 7-year $119 million deal along with the no-trade clause he sought.

Omar Minaya is wasting no time in trying to reverse the recent trend of poor and inefficient moves by the Met front office. In what is sure to go down as one of the most successful off-seasons in Met history, he’s signed the best pitcher and now the best hitter on the market. The Mets have reportedly also told Beltran that they would still go after Carlos Delgado even though Delgado is rumored to be interested in Texas.

Minaya has lived up to the hype he and the Mets have been building in this off season, and are making Met fans forget about the lame attempt to sign Vladimir Guerrero last year. Although far from guarantying the Mets a pennant, Beltran gives the Mets instant gravitas and a new image of youth and potential.

But what is equally as interesting are the reasons why the Yankees didn’t persue Beltran for their own center filed. Anthony Rieber and Jon Heyman of Newsday report in this story, that the Yankees may have finally clawed their way to the depths of George's pockets. They write that Steinbrenner ultimately decided that he could not meet Beltran's asking price because he was concerned about the money lost to the luxury-tax. The rumor a few weeks ago was that "The Boss," wanted either “The Unit” or Beltran in his camp opening day. Could it be he couldn’t afford both?

I for one am glad he went with the 41 year-old guy with a history of back trouble who plays every four days, than the 27 year-old every day player who seems to shine when the leaves start to fall.

It appears the Mets and Yankees may have swapped roles. The Mets are the new New York team tossing out the cash for top free-agents, and the Yankees are going after old men. Hey George, maybe you should try and sign Mo Vaughn!

Beltran Signs With Mets

After the Houston Astros could not come to an agreement with Carlos Beltran by the midnight deadline, the Mets began the bidding war for Beltran.

According to Newsday, the Mets have reached an agreement with Carlos Beltran. The deal is reportedly for seven-years and $119 million.

Beltran will also receive an $11 million signing bonus and is expected to take a physical Monday and sign on the dotted line Tuesday.

Final Exam

Well, it's all over but the coughing. Once he passes a physical, five-time Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson will become a Yankee. He retains his no trade clause, and keeps his two courtside tickets for Phoenix Suns games through the 2010-11 season.

In return for the 41-year-old left-hander, Arizona gets pitchers Javier Vazquez and Brad Halsey, catcher Dioner Navarro and $9 million. Click here for the AP story by Ronald Blum on Yahoo!

Old Contract:
2005 salary-- $16 million, of which $6 million deferred at 2 percent interest, with the money payable in 2010.

New Contract:
2005 salary — $16 million, of which $6 million deferred with no interest
2006 salary — $16 million, of which $1.5 million deferred with no interest
2007 salary — $16 million, of which $1.5 million deferred with no interest

Deferred Money to be paid:

2008-- $3.5 million
2009-- $3.5 million
2010-- $2 million

Of course, award bonuses can increase that figure every year.

Click here for all the details.

LA-LA-LA-Land

Are the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim trendsetters? I hope not, consider the sound of these; New York Giants of New Jersey, Dallas Cowboys of Arlington, and the Boston Patriots of Foxborough of Massachusetts of New England.

And why did they do such a foolish thing? In one word — money. The brain trust of the LosAngelesAngelsOfAnaheim think they can market the team more efficiently to Southern California with the new name. Arte Moreno wanted to change the name ever since he bought the team in 2003, one year after it won the World Series. Why Moreno didn't take Nike's advice and "Just do it" is a mystery to me. Or better yet, if you like the LA name so much, move them to Los Angeles.

A name change for the Angels is nothing new. When the singing cowboy, Gene Autry, bought controlling interest of the PCL "Stars" in 1960 he named them the Los Angeles Angels because the team actually played in Los Angeles. When they moved the team to Anaheim in 1966 they changed the name to the California Angels. Now that name is even more marketable than Los Angeles. In 1977 when Walt Disney Co. took control of the team, the real trouble started. They changed the name to the Anaheim Angels. And why do you suppose they did that? In one word — money. It was easier for them to market Anaheim as a destination to not only baseball but the big animated mouse.

The Angels were third in attendance last year with a draw of 3,375,677 behind the New York Yankees of New York and the Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles.

Chump Change or Just Chumps

AP Sports writer Ronald Blum, writes in this story, that the New York Yankees may spend the most money, but that in New York, $205 million is “Chump Change.”

While it may be true that in Manhattan dinner for two at a “top restaurant” may cost $1,000, an apartment may sell for $44 million, or a nursery school can command $24,000 — in all those cases, the buyer has enough cash to be extravagant. A great way of life for those blessed enough to live it. However, most Yankee fans are not in that “country club.” There will come a point when some Yankee fans realize they are not getting what they paid for. Heck, they can't even afford to see a game in person, even if it is in their own Bronx backyard.

If the Yankees continue to choke in the playoffs, the nationwide bandwagon they built in the last century will surely start to lose it wheels. Yankee fans in Ohio, Nebraska, and Tuscon will slowly come to realizations. They will realize that $200 million is actually not “chump change,” and that they are being treated like “chump fans.”