What’s in a Derek Jeter gift basket?

The New York Post and other are ‘reporting’ that Derek Jeter is giving out gift baskets to the women who stay for sleepovers at his exclusive home. We’re suitably intrigued. 

Derek Jeter

First things first, we often drop a little sarcasm on your here in 'From the bleachers', and we have occasionally tried to sneak a couple of fake stories past you, our lovely readers, however we bring you this one in all truth and honesty, despite the fact it seems exactly as if it were in our sarcastic wheel-house.

You might expect the following headline in a newspaper in Boston or anywhere else that has a strong anti New York Yankee fan-base, however for a New York paper to print this is, to say the least, a little odd. We give you one of the lead headlines in the NY Post today; 

Jeter gives autograph swag to one-night stands

Someone get on to the good people at The Pulitzer Awards, tell them to hold on to the 2013 votes until this story plays out. The Post reports that since Yankee legend Derek Jeter split from Minka Kelly he has been entertaining a proportionately large number of ladies in his ‘Trump World Tower bachelor pad’. It is debatable whether this on its own would constitute news even on a slow day however add the fact that apparently the ladies go home with a Derek Jeter gift basket and suddenly we are on to something.

Funniest exposé within has to be the fact that Jeter lost count at one stage and gave one lucky young lady the gift basket twice, forgetting she had indeed been an earlier conquest. We’re guessing that amongst the Jeter groupie posse this might be known as ‘doubling-up’.

What we are most curious about, apart from the question as to why any superstar would want to play in New York and have to deal with the back stabbing vampires journalists in the Post, is what on earth makes up the contents of a Derek Jeter ‘Thank-You’ gift basket? The only element we are sure about, confirmed by the Posts’s crack team of reporters, is a Derek Jeter autographed baseball.

Apart from that, what are we talking here? Breath mints? Deodorant? A mouth wash? A complimentary 10% off your next Pizza at Jeter’s favourite Pizzeria, Ninos?

Jeter’s Irish mother would no doubt be proud of her generous son

At the end of the day, when all is said and done, next time you are purchasing an autographed Derek Jeter baseball on the Internet, just remember how much effort went into obtaining that little gem.

Yankees gift basket - throw in a breath mint and you have a Jeter gift basket

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Do the right thing, Alex

As we approach another long, drawn out Alex Rodriguez 'situation', the much maligned slugger can do the baseball loving World a favour and lay down arms, surrender and try his hand at something else

. 

It's all about A-Rod

By now you probably have a general idea of the basics. If you are an adult male aged 17-70 and are in possession of an Internet browser and a pulse, you are probably a quasi-expert on the latest A-Rod situation. You have no choice really but to be, because once again A-Rod is holding us hostage to his unique brand of fraud, drama and bullshit.

In short, A-Rod is in trouble yet again. His name has been linked in the same report that ‘got’ Ryan Braun, the Biogenesis scandal (no, this has nothing to do with an alternative rock band started in the 70s by Peter Gabriel, this is all about needles and drugs).

The battle lines have been drawn and the first volley of shots are about to be fired. Word is MLB, frustrated by A-Rod’s refusal to take a plea bargain type deal for a lesser sentence, are prepared to throw the proverbial book at the goofy slugger. Apparently commissioner Bud Selig is prepared to use Article XI, Section A1b of the collective bargaining agreement “to effectively keep Rodriguez from ever returning to the field by bypassing the grievance procedure outlined in the joint drug program [that] MLB operates in conjunction with the Players’ Association,” Rodriguez would be suspended immediately for violating the “integrity of the game” and would later get a suspension for violating the drug program. MLB are not only accusing A-Rod of ‘roiding up’, they are also accusing him of intimidating witnesses and buying documents that incriminated him, rather than letting them fall into the hands of investigators.

In short, A-Rod is up to his neck in filth, and MLB wants to absolutely slate him for it.

The initial word from the A-Rod camp is he is going to fight the entire process every single inch of the way.

That’s A-Rod all over though isn’t it? All through his career A-Rod has been about himself first. His stats, his ‘legacy’, his money. It is no coincidence that he has been hated by players and fans alike at every single club he has played for.

Make no mistake about it, every single fan base he has graced with his reverse-Midas touch carries a special kind of hatred for the man. Whatever you do, don’t mention the name A-Rod to Seattle Mariners fans. If you recall, they showered the money grabbing slugger with dollar bills when he showed his face in Seattle after leaving for one of his many big pay days. His own team-mates in Texas openly mocked him, giving him a couple of nicknames, take your pick from ‘Bitch tits’ or ‘The Cooler’. The latter is the perfect description of A-Rod at the time, alluding to the Vegas hey-day ‘coolers’ that pit bosses employed to ‘cool off’ hot tables.

In other words, A-Rods team-mates in Texas nicknamed him based on his ability to cool off a rally.

They weren’t exactly showering him with love now, were they?

New York? A-Rod has been through the full range of emotions with both the fans and his team mates in New York. The Yankees have thus far successfully managed to protect their clubhouse details, however previous leaks have suggested A-Rod is basically on his own in there, having taken on Jeter and others once too often. The fans? If A-Rod does come back, his first 0-10 stretch will show us how the fans in the Big Apple feel about A-Rod.

Spoiler alert: Boo!

Perhaps no fans base detests A-Rod with more gleeful passion than Boston’s, and with understandable reason too. Need we remind you of the time A-Rod tried to slap the ball out of Arroyo’s mitt? Being so entrenched together in the AL East, RedSox fans have had a front row seat to the daily circus that has been A-Rod’s reign of terror in New York. Boston and Toronto fans don’t often see eye-to-eye however, the night A-Rod shouted ‘Got it!’ as he rounded third in Toronto, that night, we were all Blue jays fans.

Could A-Rod perhaps make something useful out of this and call his amazing ability to unite disparate fan bases against him a positive thing? A tangible skill?

As we cruise headlong towards this undoubtedly horrific car crash that will be MLB v A-Rod, round 12, you have to wonder, what kind of happiness or enjoyment could the latter be getting from this dance, at this stage? Sure, he is obviously going to fight this to protect his 'earnings' for the next few years, however, A-Rod already has enough money to buy Saudi Arabia. How on earth does he think this is going to end well, and why is he seemingly happy to go head to head with Bud Selig and his goons, and fight a long drawn out battle where his name will be, once more, dragged through the mud. 

Wouldn't A-Rod be saving a lot of people, himself included, a lot of time and effort, if he just called a halt to the madness and stopped trying to pretend he is clean. 

We all know you are filthy A-Rod, straight up dirty.

Do the right thing Alex. Retire. Go away, go spend your money and let us enjoy our game again, without having to suffer through another one of your introverted, painful stunts.

A-Rod - he's boring himself at this stage

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Breaking news: Alfonso Soriano traded to New York in return for a 6 x 4 of Kate Upton in a Yankees cap

Yankees manage to trade for prized slugger in return for a glossy picture of the New York fan, Kate Upton. 

The Kate Upton picture sent by the Yankees to the Cubs in return for Soriano

The New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs have agreed on a trade where slugger Alfonso Soriano is heading to the team from The Big Apple while in return the team from The Windy City is receiving a framed 6x4 picture of model Kate Upton, wearing a New York Yankees baseball cap.

The picture of Upton is just the feature part of the deal. The Yankees will also receive Soriano, $17 million towards his $24 million 2014 salary and a lower-tier pitching prospect from the Cubs. Chicago will receive the glossy picture of Ms Upton, a $50 voucher for Bubba Gump’s Shrimp House in Time Square, two upper deck, restricted view tickets to a Yankees v Astros game on a Tuesday night next season and a day pass to the New York Museum of Mathematics.

MLB experts are suggesting the Cubs have come out slightly better in the trade, despite Soriano’s 17 HRs and 52 RBIs in 2013 thus far.

Chicago Cubs general manager Theo Epstein said; ‘’I just feel like we’ve got the best we could out of this deal with the Yankees. Have you seen the picture? It’s really nice, and they even laminated it for us, which I thought was pretty classy.’’

Some Cubs fans were a little upset that Chicago didn’t get more for the trade. Joe Punter, a Chicago resident, said ‘’I just feel like we coulda pressed the Yankees for a bit more, like maybe a picture of her in her bikini? Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great pic, I’m just saying.’

Could the Cubs have got more from the deal?

Of course some clubs are exasperated at what they perceive to be the New York Yankees continued ability to collect quality players off of other teams in return for scrap, or, in this case, a picture of Kate Upton in a baseball cap. The Boston Redsox GM Ben Cherrington has come out strongly against the trade, suggesting that the Cubs should have held out for more.

Cherrington said ‘’This situation is absolutely ridiculous, a Major League slugger with those kind of impact stats traded for a picture of Kate Upton? The league obviously doesn’t care that the Yankees basically get what they want for nothing. You can’t tell me that Theo (Epstein) shouldn’t have held out for a signed bikini, or something creative, like a date with Kate, or something?’’

Reached for comment, MLB commissioner Bud Selig would only say; ‘’I just don’t think we need to look into this, I mean, have you seen the picture?’’

Alfonso Soriano or something, whatever.

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New York Yankees find possible solution to A-Rod problem

So, I guess we know why the New York Yankees really signed Kevin Youkilis. Perhaps they knew something other than regular injury was up with their third baseman Alex Rodriguez. Turns out A-Rod has been abusing the juice, again. Yes, one of the greatest frauds to have ever walked on a Major League Baseball diamond, has once again, been caught with his pants down, and with a giant steroid needle stuck firmly in his backside. A Miami paper has published the results of a three month long investigation and A-Rod is the biggest name on the list. Judge for yourself, but the evidence certainly looks compelling.

The happiest people in the World right now are the Yankee beat reporters who suddenly have much of their Spring Training copy practically written for them

One more time, with feeling, let's all laugh at A-Rod's take on the word 'Apology'. This direct from the man himself;

"Back then, [baseball] was a different culture, It was very loose. I was young. I was stupid. I was naive. And I wanted to prove to everyone that I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time. I did take a banned substance. And for that, I am very sorry and deeply regretful."

Sounds great, right? The only snag, this isn't A-Rod saying sorry for this incarnation of his drug taking alter ego, the above is a pathetic apology that dates back to February 2009.

The word 'sorry' apparently doesn't mean much to A-Rod

Ironically, this may have all come at an absolutely perfect time for the Yankees. Someone should check and see if the reporters who broke this story recieved any payments from the Yankee front office, because it is completely possible now that the Yankees may have found a back door into terminating A-Rod's huge contract on the basis of misrepresentation.


This would not only free the Yankees from the anchor-weight that has been A-Rod's ridiculously big contract, it would also free themselves from the Carnival that is A-Rod himself.

One final thought, echoing a brilliant comment from a friend of mine, Alex, never use a dealer that utilizes a spreadsheet to detail his transactions!

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Comments
We love your comments! The communicative back-and-forth is one of the best parts of sports journalism. A couple of quick notes on same. This is a sports blog, and it deals with both the USA and Ireland, hopefully that answers a few questions! Also, your opinion is greatly valued, strong ones even more so, but if you revert to personal attacks or any kind of hate speech, your comment will be deleted. Repeat offenders will have their IP address banned.Thanks for all the great feedback to date! 

The New Youk Yankees -- Former Red Sox legend Kevin Youkilis shaving his goatee off and donning pinstripes for the 2013 MLB season

Former Red Sox legend Kevin Youkilis

Just in case you were hiding under a rock this week, here’s some news for you. Former Red Sox legend (I think it’s safe to say that) Kevin Youkilis will be shaving his goatee off and donning pinstripes for the 2013 MLB season. That’s right. Youkilis is becoming a Yankee.

 Cue the inevitable uproar across the Internet

Bands of angry Red Sox fans roaming the net holding virtual vomiting contests to see who can claim the greatest distaste at the news. Packs of angry Yankee fans flexing their spray tanned muscles roaring at each other in a contest to see who is the most outraged at this signing.

The veritable landslides of virtual ignominy don’t change two simple facts.

Firstly, Kevin Youkilis must be applauded at every at bat in Fenway Park. If any so called Red Sox fan spends a half a second even thinking about booing Youk, that same so called fan should be ejected from the park immediately. Preferably violently, or at least in humiliating fashion. Seriously, if you are at Fenway and you are standing beside someone who boos Kevin Youkilis on his return to Fenway, you have my permission to sucker punch them in the side of the head. There better not be one single solitary ‘boo’ when Youk comes to town. Seriously.

Secondly, on the plus side of the equation, this is the Yankees doing what the Yankees do. Signing high priced, ageing veterans. In this case, they are signing a high priced, ageing veteran to replace (at least temporarily) another high priced, ageing and also breaking-down veteran (Gee, gosh, I wonder, why on earth is A-Fraud breaking down before our very eyes?! What could it be!?).

Until Josh Hamilton signed with Anaheim for eleventy gazillion dollars (and substance abuse rehab centers across Anaheim held wild celebrations) the Youk signing was the big MLB news of the week. In actual fact, it wasn’t that big a deal. For the Sox, nothing should change, Youkilis should always be cheered at every single at bat at Fenway ever. For the Yankees, it’s just Yankees being Yankees, signing old players for a lot of money and then acting shocked when all their hamstrings break and they have no money left to sign more fat old players.

Now, let’s all enjoy some actual real comments from actual real Yankee message boards. Looks like New York will be welcoming Youk to town with open, cuddling, warm, charming and loving arms, as only New York can.

• ''Washed-up third basemen no one wanted to sign are now worth $12/year apparently.''
• ''This made me vomit a bit, but it is the only move out there. Should be a fun season...''
• ''Call me thrifty, but isn't $12 Million a little steep???''
• ''As a Yanks fan I would have rather them use Pena at 3rd and deal with no hits rather then watch his hitting stance all year.''
• ''I think the Yankees would better served lighting $12 million on fire and having no one cover third while taking an out every 9th at bat.''
• ''He hit .233 in Boston and .236 in Chicago, is there something I am missing here? .258 batting average in 2011 as well. Time spent on the DL in both seasons. ''
• ''Yanks need Hamilton. What is wrong with Cashmen WHAT''
• ''at least he wont be allowed to have that awful f#@&*#^ beard''
• ''This is beyond disgusting, the only two Red Sox players or now ex Red Sox players I hate more than Youkilis are Beckett and that $@%!$@% Papelbon. He is on the decline and was never more than a walk machine, he is not enough to replace A-rod for half the season especially since he is also coming off an injury plagued season and is 33.''
• ''Against all odds, the Yankees get even older. With the apparent signing of Ichiro, the Yankees will be better suited for softball in Central Park. Everyone in the division is getting younger and better, except the Yankees who are getting older and worse. COME TO YANKEE STADIUM, WHERE EVERYDAY IS OLD TIMERS DAY.''

 

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The New York Yankees lose a game, a series and a dynasty

How easy was that? The Detroit Tigers simply swept the over matched Yankees aside, like dirt off their shoulders. The MLB International coverage was very good last night, something those of you Stateside don’t get to watch or hear, which is a shame. One very interesting note came late on, as they pointed out that with their season on the line, it was bemusing to see most of the Yankees slumped back in their seats. Ichiro Suzuki and Raul Ibanez were taking it like men and standing on the top step, however the rest of the Yankees were sulking back on their bench, quite literally as far away from the action as they could be without being in the club-house.

Losing is one thing, being embarrassed and not facing it like a man is a whole other issue. This Yankees team looked beaten all series long, and now has the toxic air of a broken down vehicle that has no use bar the scrap yard.

The Yankees now face a series of issues, the gravity of which does not appear to be sinking in for their own front office. Their problems are basically three-fold. First of all, they are old, Mike Illitch old. Secondly, those same old players, many of them are tied into huge salaries, the value of which would startle Donald Trump. Finally, those same players’ salaries are not only exorbitant, they are also long, long like a Miguel Carbera homerun.

Check out this list of the oldest Yankees players. This isn’t an ‘issue’, it’s an epidemic.

• Hiroki Kuroda 37
• Derek Lowe 39
• Andy Pettitte 40
• Eric Chavez 34
• Derek Jeter 38
• Alex Rodriguez 37
• Raul Ibanez 40
• Ichiro Suzuki 38

Even the Yankees ‘younger’ stars are ‘young’ only compared to the walking zombies in the group above.

• CC Sabathia 32
• Mark Teixeira 32
• Curtis Granderson 31

In terms of salaries, the Yankees as a group cost $200 million a year in pay. That’s big. In a lot of cases, it is their oldest players receiving the highest figures. Kuroda is getting $10 million. They are paying CC Sabathia, who looked older than 32 even last night, $24 million a year. A-Rod, Jeter and Teixeira combined are 107 years old are are earning a cool $68 million a year (22 each).

The New York Yankees are paying $130 million in salaries to a bunch of players who will be 30 or over for the 2013 season. That’s even removing Swisher, Lowe and Suzuki’s salaries, those three will presumably not be in pinstripes next season.

As for the length of those dead-weight, anchor  or indeed anvil like contracts, the poster child for this topic has to be good old A-Rod. The Yankees are paying A-Rod $30 million dollars a season every season until the year 2017.

Read that above sentence to yourself again and let it sink in. The guy they sat on the bench for the crucial part of the ALCS. The man once called ‘The Cooler’ by his own team-mates in Texas (for his ability to cool off rallies). The man mercilessly booed by his own fans, and completely slaughtered in the press by Donald Trump, that’s the guy they are paying $30 million a year until 2017.

You think they have a snowball’s chance in hell of trading the big lug to anyone? Even the LA Dodgers are not stupid enough to take that kind of cash on board.  New York is stuck to their broken down, head-case (who hands out baseballs to women in the stands looking for phone numbers during the AlCS?!) of a strike-out machine.

Worrying for Yankee fans is their General Manager appears to have his head buried in the sand.

"A lot of people are pointing to this team, and saying we're old and that's the reason we're not getting anywhere," Cashman said. "I'm like, 'Hey, we got there and we are old.' You know, if you're old and still good, it's not an issue."

What Cashman appears to be missing is that you can beat up second tier pitching all year long. You can mash homeruns at a record pace in the dog days of summer, and build inflated numbers in-spite of the relative old age of your squad. However, when October hits, your team best have energy and stamina (something that is more present in, let’s face it, younger players) and you better be ready to hit the best pitching in the Majors.

That Tigers rotation absolutely sliced and diced the Yankees aging bats. It was a no-contest. Max Scherzer almost no-hit the Yankees in a crucial, potentially season ending game for the latter. Think about that for a second. He almost no-hit them!!

The Yankees simply had no defence.

Most worrying of all, on top of all the points above, is that the rest of the AL East is primed to simply move on without New York. Tampa is young, talented and run on a very impressive low budget, allowing them to grab free agent parts at the right time. They have a great manager and deep, talent laden rotation. The Orioles are perhaps even more deeply loaded with young talent. They also have a good manager and baseball is once again buzzing in Baltimore, the City has taken to their team again, and they don’t want to let go. The Blue Jays are a much better team than their last season, the injury bug decimated them and they will be back with a bang in 2013.

What’s going to really pain Yankee fans is their arch rivals the Red Sox removed their problems like a surgeon removing an unwanted growth, biting the bullet and giving away the 2012 season in order to be competitive next season and beyond. The Red Sox are young, baby young compared to the Yankees, and have the financial freedom to rebuild their club in any manner they see fit.

The Yankees are an old, decaying team, and they are tied to the weighty contracts of those same players for many years to come. There is no wiggle room.

Where does that leave the Yankees?  The answer might be, out in the cold, looking in, as the rest of the AL East blasts off without them. The Yankees didn’t just lose a game last night, or a season either.

They lost their dynasty.

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Whisper it quietly: The Yankees might miss the playoffs

To date, this had been an enjoyable summer for New York Yankee fans. Their team cruised through the early portion of the season, while their old rivals, the Red Sox, collapsed out of sight a number of weeks ago. Yankee fans celebrated wildly, like a pack of angry, learning challenged chimpanzees, taking great delight in Boston’s horrific demise.

Then, the party quietened, the storm clouds began to gather on the horizon.

Suddenly the mighty Yankees are facing something resembling a doomsday scenario, along the lines of their legendary 2004 ALCS collapse. After a complete snooze fest of a first two thirds of a season, the AL East is suddenly the front line, one of the most dramatic divisions in all of Major League Baseball. The Yankees are in a horrific tail-spin of a free fall, having lost six out of their last ten, while Baltimore and Tampa are coming round the bend faster than Seabiscuit.

After Robbie Cano whiffed horribly, lazily missing a ground ball to hand Tampa the win last night, The Yankees, who led by 10 games earlier this summer, had their edge cut to one game by Baltimore, which beat Toronto 4-0. The Rays moved within 2 1/2 games of New York. If New York were to continue their sloppy slide out of first place, they face a drove a bandits in the form of Oakland, Detroit and the Angels for the two Wild Card slots.  Not to mention whichever between Baltimore and Tampa doesn’t win the AL East, in the Yankees nightmare scenario.

The Orioles and Rays are playing good, solid, error free baseball, and look set to continue a good run through the remaining 26-28 games of the regular season, while New York, frankly, are reeling. There are no excuses. Their payroll is a gazillion dollars, they are stacked with superstars, and they daren’t start complaining about injuries, they would be deafened by the laughter that would come from Toronto and Boston if they tried to hide behind that. The Blue Jays and Red Sox have been absolutely decimated by injuries. The Yankees are downright healthy in comparison.

Take a look at the standings. The Yankees are a couple of bad weeks of baseball away from missing the 2012 playoffs entirely. That is absolutely shocking.

Perhaps more worrying for New York, their ageing, expensive lineup, may not recover in the next couple of seasons either. Jeter can only keep slapping singles to right for so long, and A-Rod would appear to be disintegrating before our eyes. The Yankees will no doubt enjoy having their gazillion dollar DH of the future come to the plate using a zimmer-frame in coming seasons, as his body ‘mysteriously’ falls apart. Their bullpen is a complete mess and their starting pitching rotation beyond their 400lb Ace CC Sabathia is about as scary as Mitt Romney.

The Rays and Orioles look set to embark on a productive, successful period of seasons to come, and Toronto are not as bad as their injuries have made them play this season. The Red Sox took a deep, deep breath and pressed the big shiny reset button a couple of weeks ago, and can re-tool (particularly in terms of pitching) in the offseason, to come back stronger in 2013. The Yankees? Right now they are an old, expensive team, with hundreds of millions concreted in on old players contracts, and right now, they look set to miss the playoffs.

Is the short term or long term the more depressing and scary for Yankee fans? Ask one today, and while you’re at it, give them a hug.

They need one.







 


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Derek Jeter shows his class with moving eulogy to Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky

New York Yankee Derek Jeter

Boston lost a true legend yesterday as 92-year-old Johnny Pesky moved on to the great diamond in the sky.

Pesky bled Red Sox red longer than most of us can imagine, dedicating himself to the Sox and the local community. On first hearing the news of the great man’s passing, the first thought I had was, thank goodness the Red Sox managed to win a couple of rings for him in his lifetime. Pesky definitely deserved that.

Shunned by former Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette, who famously and idiotically banned Pesky from the Sox dugout during games, Pesky was thankfully welcomed back into the fold by the current management team, an act that will stand to them for the duration of their ownership.

The legend of Johnny Pesky stretches back a long way. Former Major Leaguer Larry Upton told me that none other than the great Ted Williams used to jokingly and playfully call Pesky ‘needlenose’ . He also spoke of Pesky’s outgoing, warm nature. You can read a nice article by him on the great man here.

Like Larry, there are going to be many a worthy accolades written about Pesky in the coming hours and days. Last night as the New York Yankees prepared to play Texas, one of the Red Sox greatest rivals spoke about him.

Often the greatest compliments come from your rivals. They just carry more weight to them. In this case, the Boston Red Sox have no greater rival than the New York Yankees, and the figurehead of that organization, one Derek Jeter.

His softly spoken, measured and thoughtful comments should resonate strongly with even the staunchest, loyalist Red Sox fans. Jeter said;

“He was always so nice to me throughout the years. Every time I’d see him, he would come over and say, ‘I hope you get four hits today – and the guy behind you hits into four double plays.’ I’ve always enjoyed having the opportunity to talk to him. I always like the fact that we have a lot of ex-players that come around all the time. I always liked going up [to Boston] and having an opportunity to see him. They loved him there; fans, players, media, everyone loved him. I send my best wishes to his family.”

Jeter has broken Red Sox hearts countless times down through the years, however this time he may have tugged at their heart-strings in a different way, with such a simple, yet gentle and meaningful eulogy.

Like Pesky before him, Jeter remains a class act.

Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky

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Yankee star Mark Teixeira calls Redsox Padilla 'friendless'

So last night Yankee first baseman Mark Teixeira had a big hit off Red Sox reliever Vincent Padilla, a game winning hit as it turned out. The Yanks won a game that almost went on four hours, injury riddled Boston licks its wounds and gets ready for today's potentially draining double dip. Game over, no big deal, nothing to see here, right?

Wrong. Teixeira would appear to have become the 'class' police of MLB, if his incredibly stupid, childish and frankly bush league comments after the game are anything to go by. Teixeira and Padilla have something of a history, in that the latter has hit him with pitches twice. I guess they must have really, really stung the Yankee first baseman because the big lug had this to say post game;

“Game-winning hits always feel good, but that one definitely felt real good. I was making some jokes. I’ve got to get in line. He doesn’t have a lot of friends in the game.”

It is no secret Padilla is a coulourful character, who has knocked around a few organisations and has been moved on specially because of the 'colour' we just alluded to. He is definitely not blameless in this. However, to be a Major League baseball player, and to stand there in a post game interview and to say 'He doesn't have a lot of friends in the game' is nothing short of imbecilic. It is arrogant and aggressive. Frankly I hope Padilla continues to be the person he is, he is enjoyable to watch, and who are we to tell him to change his 'style'?

For Teixeira to single out a player like that absolutely stinks, and hopefully the rest of the Redsox stick up for their team mate. It is also absolutely an indicator of just how blinkered a vision on life Teixeira has.

Blinkered? Damn right. Teixeira if you recall once flirted with the Redsox heavily before choosing to go to The Bronx because, well, basically because his wife intimated she might prefer the shopping there. No, seriously, that's basically how it went down at the time. Teixeira's wife had a huge hand in her husband's decision, because she liked Manhattan shopping.

Secondly, Teixeira would appear to be rather friendless with a particular group of baseball fans. You might be surprised to hear which ones. Yankee fans, as it turns out. These are a selection of 2012 headlines from Yankee blogs we checked out this morning. The headlines are all 100% accurate, and are all from this season. In fact they are all from the last few weeks. Look 'em up, if you like. I left in the caps on a couple of them, because I thought it was kind of funny that Yankee fans write blogs in caps.

• WHY MARK TEIXEIRA'S COMMENTS SHOCKED ME A BIT (complaining about being dropped to 7th in the order) 
• WHY MARK TEIXEIRA SHOULD GIVE UP SWITCH HITTING 
• Mark Teixeira Is Still Powerless (And It’s Not OK Anymore) 
• Do we still believe in Teixeira? 
• Contracts Can Kill: Mark Teixeira 

Those are comments from Yankee blogs, Mark. Take a look. It would appear you are as friendless as you claim Padilla is, and in your case, it is your own fans.

Hurts, don't it?

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The Terrific Ten: IrishCentral's MLB top ten power rankings May 16th 2012

Here we go. Our sometimes weekly, occasionally accurate, often controversial, Top Ten MLB rankings. Assuming this article leaves you feeling confused, angry and upset, as it often will, the comment section is open and available for your top ten!

Please note, this is a Top Ten with a twist. This list details one through ten the ten most likely teams to win the World Series, not the current ten best teams. Consider that before you charge into the comments section all bluster and anger!

For example, and we hate to break this to your Baltimore fans, the Orioles are not going to win the World Series. They will appear in many a MLB power ranking, just not this one. Let’s just get that out of the way right now. No chance at winning the big one so, no Orioles.

We fully expect our top two to play the World Series against each other. So confident, are we, that we will put their World Series and NL and AL Championship odds beside them, despite the fact you cannot place a bet in the United States, even though you can own a gun. Go figure.

Right, let’s chop it up.

1. Our current most likely AL representative: Texas Rangers, 23-12. 21/10 to win the AL and 7/2 favorite to win the World Series.
As long as Josh Hamilton stays healthy, the Rangers are a monster. He is the leading light in a powerful offense that is devouring the AL’s pitching, and spitting it back out disdainfully. Texas leads the majors in runs scored, averaging half a run more per game than the next-best offensive team. It all starts with Hamilton, who in one single game last week blasted four homers and a double, tying the all-time AL record with 18 total bases in a game and becoming just the 16th player ever to hit four homers in a game. Texas are about to embark on a cupcake portion of their schedule also. Their next six opponents are the Royals, A's, Astros, Mariners, Jays, and Mariners again. Of course, waiting in the distance, those cold September and October months that Texas will no doubt get a taste of, but will they be able to handle it? Playoff pitching, cold weather, balaclavas and Nolan Ryan's enormous head  freezing to death angrily in the front row.

2. Our current most likely NL representative: Los Angeles Dodgers, 23-11. 13/2 to win the NL and a great value 14/1 to win the World Series.
Matt Kemp this, Matt Kemp that. Kemp’s injury is a minor setback. He will be back soon. It is not a season ending injury. The Dodgers are built on solid pitching, a couple of big bats (Don’t forget Andre Ethier!) and tight defence. Their starters have been superb in 2012, led by Clayton Kershaw, and their closer, Kenley Jansen, who is averaging almost 14 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched. Outstanding.

3. New York Yankees, 19-15
No doubt there are issues. Their closers keep getting hurt (Rivera, now Robertson). Their first baseman can’t hit (Mark Teixeira is in one of the worst slumps of his career). They are patched together in places. However, their 57 year old shortstop, held together with glue and sellotape, is batting Ted Williams, and they are having absolutely no problem scoring runs. Also, you are completely deluded if you think the Yankees aren’t going to go out and trade body parts, money, scrap metal and whatever else they have left in their minor league system for a shut down starter or two before the trade deadline. That’s just who they are.

4. St. Louis Cardinals, 20-14
Have you ever heard of Lance Lynn? No? In your defence, not many had prior to 2012. He is currently leading the Cards in wins (6), ERA (1.81) and strikeouts (44). The kid can deal. Their rotation is solid, and Adam Wainwright will boost that to 'great' when he gets back to his usual self. The fun really starts with their offence. Rafael Furcal is absolutely murdering the baseball right now, while Carlos Beltran has a jaw dropping 13 long balls already. Carlos, who knew?!

5. Tampa Bay Rays, 21-14
How the Tampa Bay Devil Rays manage to lay in the weeds just out of the Zeitgeist is anyone’s guess. They are basically a stacked baseball team now, devoid of any of the trappings of the under-dog role they used to play so well. Maybe it is something to do with the absolutely pathetic attendances they get down there in Tampa. 9,000 people at a Major League ball game? Still, dangerous in October when the bandwagon fans show up.

6. Atlanta Braves, 22-13
Can a team win a World Series on the strength of its bullpen? Sounds ludicrous, but the Braves are going to give it a shot. When Atlanta take a lead from the sixth inning on, the game is effectively over. Their setup guy, Jonny Venters, would close for most MLB teams, and is averaging an absolutely disgusting 14.49 strikeouts per 9 innings. Swing and a miss. Their actual closer, young, inferno-baller Craig Kimbrel, is clocking up an average of 14.79 strikeouts per 9. That's just Dutch porn filthy. You better get ahead of the Braves, or you are going to be swinging and missing a lot.

7. Washington Nationals, 21-13
Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg may get all the column inches, but Gio Gonzalez is the real story in Washington. He has a pretty little ERA of 1.94 in over 40 innings pitched, and is averaging a hefty 10.80 strikeouts per 9 IP in 2012. If he can cut down the walks a little (17 to date) he can throw his cap in the NL Cy Young ring.

8. Miami Marlins, 18-16
Miami got off to a stuttering start, but alarm bells must be ringing with baseball 'purists' everywhere, as the Marlins cruised past .500 and start to look like a potential playoff threat. Fun fact, Carlos Zambrano, yes, that Carlos Zambrano has an ERA of 1.88.

9. Los Angeles Angels, 15-20
They might be way under .500, but over the course of the season, they have a better shot at winning the big prize than the Orioles. Even Baltimore fans know that.

10. Boston Red Sox, 15-19
Last week everybody hated Josh Beckett. This week everyone loves him. Welcome to Boston.

Mariano Rivera: ''Celebrate him as high as you can''

There is going to be a lot said in the next few days about pretty much everything and anything Mariano Rivera related. You will read all about his marvelous career, the World Series rings, his incredible 'cutter', perhaps one of the most feared pitches in all of Major League Baseball.

For me, one of the most biased and dedicated Red Sox fans you could find, not nearly enough will be written about the man's dignity and grace.

In a world of 'Me First', millionaire, playboy super-athletes, Mariano was or is, depending on whether this terrible injury ends his career or not, a pure diamond in the rough. A gentleman in the truest sense of the word, Rivera was a fierce competitor but a tremendous sports-man also.

For many years Rivera was the torturer, the executioner in chief for Red Sox fans like myself. How many late inning rallies did Rivera's cutter shut-down? Too many. He often did it like a man putting out a flaming match with a massive bucket of water. All too easy.

Then, finally, in 2004, we got to him.

In the infamous 2004 ALCS the great Rivera 'blew' two save opportunities, and the Red Sox created the best and most dramatic comeback in sports, roaring back from 0-3 down to take it 4-3. It was a jubilant time to be a fan of Ye Olde Towne Team.

Then came the 2005 ring ceremony at Fenway Park. This for me, as a Red Sox fan, is the defining moment in Mariano's career, or at least the part that is compartmentalized and titled 'Mariano and the Red Sox'. As the sun-drenched Fenway crowd roared it's approval, the Red Sox received their World Series rings from the '04 finals. As the Yankee players were introduced to the home-opener crowd, the Red Sox fans booed mercilessly. One by one, to a man, a cascade of verbal abuse rained down on them as they came forth.

Then, something truly unbelievable happened. Mariano's name was called, and the Fenway Park crowd quite literally erupted into an enormous standing ovation. Mariano laughed, beaming from ear to ear, and tipped his hat to the crowd, drawing an extension to the already boisterous ovation.

The thing is, this was not a mocking or ironic ovation. Far from it. Anyone who witnessed it knows that. Instead, it was a moment shared between the massed ranks of Red Sox fans shoe-horned into Fenway that day, and the greatest closer of all time. It was a singular moment where a connection was felt between the two. There was nothing ugly or negative about it, something the current denizens of Fenway Nation could possibly learn from. It was an uproarious outpouring of relief, as if Fenway was throwing its arms in the air and roaring as one, 'Finally!! Finally we got to you, you glorious bastard you!''. It was a roar full of good natured humour, respect and, yes, even love.

The crowd offered it, and Mariano The Great validated it by laughing openly and tipping his hat.  

"It surprised me. I didn't know they loved me so much here. It was nice. I enjoyed it. I had to laugh. What was I going to do? Get upset and start throwing baseballs at people? You just roll with it. Why not celebrate it as high as they could? It's O.K. I have no problem with that."

Mariano, you are one in a million.

Get well soon.

New York Yankees suffer devastating blow as Michael Pineda lost for 2012 MLB season

Along with hitting the human road-block otherwise known as Yu Darvish, the New York Yankees once ultra-promising 2012 took several more steps backwards with the devastating news that prized acquisition Michael Pineda is done for the rest of the year because of a shoulder injury. Pineda was meant to be the Yanks number two starter and was the prized off-season pickup of the organization.

Making the news even more soul destroying for the Yankees is the fact that they gave up uber-prospect Jesus Montero to get Pineda. Montero, a young basher with terrific natural power off his bat, was wildly popular amongst Yankee fans, who will now openly question New York's decision to let him go for, essentially, a broken down car.

The margins between success and failure in sports are wafer thin. As the current MLB season got started, the Yankees looked like real candidates for the World Series, and Yankees GM Brian Cashman looked like a gambling genius, with the potential strength of the Yankees pitching rotation, Suddenly, Hideki Kuroda, another one of Cashman's 'tweaks', is leaking losses like a sinking ship and the Yankees are looking around for scraps off the free agent market to boost the back-end of their rotation.

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Of course, as the saying goes, hindsight is 20-20, however you do have to wonder, was Cashman gambling too eagerly not only with the Yankees present, but also their future? On one hand, he had a young, healthy slugger with a sky-is-the-limit potential ceiling. On the other, there was Pineda, who's velocity dropped dramatically in the second half of 2011, and who only managed a 9-10 record last year despite all the hype. 

The warning signs were there early. Cashman must have been sweating profusely the moment Pineda turned up for Spring training 20lbs heavier than his rookie season. Giving up Montero, an absolute potential monster slugger by all accounts, for an overweight, rookie pitcher with a losing record, a rapidly increasing ERA in the second half of '11, coupled with a rapidly decreasing velocity on his pitches, is a move that is in danger of placing a serious question mark over a once promising looking season for the Bronx Bombers. 

There are Yankee fans all over the world facing a restless sleep full of nightmares involving Yu Darvish's mullet and Pineda's dodgy shoulder.

Just like that, the once glowing looking Yankees 2012 suddenly looks considerably murkier. 

Linkage

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25 reasons to be excited about the forthcoming MLB season

Here it comes. In fact, it actually started yesterday. That's right. MLB is upon us, whether you like it or not. Sticky pine tar, watered down beer, four hour plus Sox\Yankee games, some of the worst sporting commentary in organised sports, $2,500 seats behind home plate at Yankee stadium, and those horrific new Miami Marlins uniforms.

Thankfully it's not all bad. There are plenty of reasons to be excited and delighted about the upcoming MLB season. And, as the title implied, here are 25 of them.

25. Mike, or should we say, Giancarlo Stanton.



24. This new look Anaheim Angels squad should be pretty interesting to say the least. Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson are obviously the marquee additions, but what about Kendry Morales coming back from a lost season due to injury? Mark Trumbo is going to hit a lot of long balls, and what's Jered Weaver going to do for an encore to his scintillating 2011 season?

23. Justin Verlander.

22. Jose Reyes batting in front of Hanley Ramirez.

21. Prince Fielder playing in Detroit - Just a hunch really, but once the city of Detroit gets its loving arms around this affable character, it may never, ever let go. Particularly if he does this a couple of times.

20. Maybe we will get lucky and A-Rod will take more pictures like this


19. Four Wild Card teams. No, you heard that right, four. In case you missed it, instead of the old two Wild Card system, MLB will be implementing a new four team format for 2012 and going forward. I am sure there are all sorts of archaic old monoliths out there ranting and raving about 'tradition' and what not, but by the time the playoffs start, most of us will love this move.

18. Mr. Jonathon Papelbon closing games in Philadelphia. Luckily for Papelbon, the good citizens of Phillies nation are a shy, retiring sort. Patient to a man, they will no doubt continue to applaud and support Papelbon even after the hairiest of blown saves. Take for example the end to the Red Sox season. If Papelbon does that (blows the save against the Orioles and with it the season) the Phillies fans will no doubt groan a little, but this will undoubtedly be followed by a polite round of applause for the effort put forth. My keyboard just melted from sarcasm.

17. The Muddy Chicken doin' work.

16. The fact that someone, somewhere out there, is about to hit a walk off home run, and it about to get all crazy up in here.

15. Lester\Beckett\Bucholz, Hallady\Lee\Hamels, Lincecum\Cain\Bumgarner. Three of the finest front-threes in the Majors.


14. Joba Chamberlin's next stunt.


13. Buster Posey back in action after a year lay off from injury. Posey figures to be one of the more exciting up and coming young players for the next couple of seasons. Word on the proverbial street is he will hit the ground running.

12. Saturday afternoon to evening to night triple headers live on TV (In Ireland too!!)

11. Jamie Moyer, aged 49, pitching in the majors

10. Red Sox v Yankees (even if it takes 4 hours to complete)

9. The Chicago Cubs, possibly the best supported club in all of baseball (in terms of loyalty and support despite relative failure), have just as good a chance as anyone at winning the World Series. Until the season actually starts, of course.



8. Fenway franks

7. MLB TV on the PS3 (It is absolutely awesome)

6. Star Wars baseball



5. The first time you back a player in running to hit the next home run, he steps to the plate, takes a ball outside, then blasts the next pitch 435 feet over the left field bleachers.

4. Rex Ryan has nothing to do with baseball.



3. Bryce Harper - coming soon to a 500 foot home run near you. Harper might start the season in the minors, but expect a Tebow like fervour to get him up to the bigs. The kid can flat out rake.



2. The first no hitter of the 2012 season.

1. Because there is every chance the new Red Sox manager might just be their craziest one yet. Doubt it for even half a second? Well, check this out.

Links.

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• From the Bleachers on Irish Central
• Irish Central

Pay that man his money! A-Rod and the underground A-List Poker circuit

You know, one thing you can certainly not accuse good old A-Rod of is being boring. He is approaching that hallowed celebrity ground where literally any story you hear about him could be possible. ‘’A-Rod had a sex change? I guess that could happen!’’

So what now, A-Rod? It would appear the Bronx Bomber might be in more trouble than usual, even by his lofty standards.

Cue the latest, sensational, A-Rod related news headlines. Major League Baseball is telling all and sundry that they are taking allegations that A-Rod played in an illegal, underground, high stakes poker game, which subsequently turned violent when one of the big losers refused to pay up.

The details are as swarthy as your imagination could possibly come up with. First reported by Radaronline.com and now flashing across the universe like an exploding Death Star, it appears A-Rod has been playing on a sort of a poker tour frequented by A-List actors and other big shots in the movie and music world. Those allegedly involved include Tobey Maguire, Ben Affleck, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon. Most of the information appears to be coming from a ‘Poker Pro’ who was at one of the games A-Rod frequented.

That particular game was hosted at investor and record label owner Cody Leibel’s $16.5 million Beverly Hills mansion, and cocaine was allegedly openly used. The ‘Poker Pro’ said that a fight nearly broke out when Leibel refused to pay after losing more than a half million dollars. With tempers at the table flaring, A-Rod tried to distance himself from the game, and left.
Absolutely love this quote from the ‘Poker Star’ - “It was a rough initiation to high-stakes for poker for A-Rod,”

Questions, questions, so many questions! We at this column need to know more about the game itself. Did Affleck and Damon spend the evening taking A-Rod to pieces verbally? Was that also a catalyst to the purported brawl?! If you are playing poker against A-Rod and you hold a good hand, does he try to slap it out of your grasp? Who on this Earth actually thinks Tobey Maguire is A-List?! Did A-Rod cheat?

In the wake of that last flippant question, before those A-Rod apologists still out there descend on this column like an angry mob, led by Moe Sizlak, brandishing pitchforks, let us remind them, it is a valid question.

A-Rod cheats a lot.

He cheated in 2004 when he tried to slap the rock out of Bronson Arroyo’s mitt. He cheated when he took steroids, something he admitted himself. He cheated when he shouted at Howie Clarke in 2007. He even cheated (outrageously publicly) on his wife.

So, it is completely reasonable to assume he cheats at poker too, right?

On a more serious note, six years ago MLB and the New York Yankees warned A-Rod to stay away from underground poker games. For a sport that punishes gambling so seriously (someone ask Pete Rose how he feels about this) MLB cannot be seen to be being ignored, no matter if the star is as big as A-Rod. MLB has to act, if only to protect its own disciplinary stature.

Personally, this column has absolutely nothing against A-Rod. I actually remember his first major league at bats. Summer of '94 I believe. I was working in a hotel in Cape Cod, and listening to Boston play Seattle on the radio, WEEI. Roger Clemens was pitching and A-Rod was a highly touted young shortstop with a 'can't miss' tag attached to him. As I sat there, reading a paper, eating nachos with my feet up on the counter, little did I know I was listening to the debut of such an outrageously comical character.

The period that A-Rod has been in the Majors has been a wild ride. There is no doubt we will miss him when he is gone, and, that time might not be too far away, not if he keeps letting himself get caught up in antics like this sordid Poker story.

If his steroid ridden, rapidly declining body doesn’t finish his career for him, Bud Selig and MLB might step in and finish things based on findings around illegal gambling. If both of those don’t get him, a couple of big Eastern European thugs looking for Tobey Maguire’s money might.

As always with A-Rod, it’s going to be an interesting couple of weeks.

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