BOWA BACKS TORRE, DEFENDS A-ROD

Don't believe everything you read.

That what Larry Bowa thinks about the way Alex Rodriguez is being portrayed in the fallout from Joe Torre's book, "The Yankee Years."

Rodriguez reportedly was referred to as "A-Fraud" by teammates, but Bowa reiterated to WFAN today that, if so, it was only in jest.

"This stuff about Alex not being liked in the clubhouse is so, so overblown," Bowa told hosts Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts. "He's well liked in that clubhouse."

Maybe even by Derek Jeter.

"They talk to each other, they mingle with each other, they may not go out to dinner with each other," Bowa said of the superstars' relationship.

Bowa, with the Yankees in 2006-07, said Rodriguez's admiration of Jeter's four World Series rings creates an unhealthy focus on getting one himself.

"Alex is obsessed with winning a World Series," Bowa said. "It might be detrimental to him, he's so obsessed with it."

Seemingly running for president of A-Rod's fan club, Bowa, a 40-year baseball veteran who played with Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt, called Rodriguez "the most prepared player I've ever seen," and defended his postseason disappointments.

"It's hard to judge a guy with 11, 12, 13 at-bats," Bowa said. "Let him get deep into the playoffs when you get 40 at-bats."

One could argue the Yankees New York Yankees didn't get deeper into the playoffs because of Rodriguez's performance. He batted .133, .071 and .267 in first-round losses in 2005, '06 and '07. He did hit .320 over two playoff rounds (50 at-bats) in 2004, but went 2-for-17 as the Red Sox won the final four games of the ALCS after trailing 3-0.

Rodriguez is a hot topic in January because of Torre's book, co-authored with Tom Verducci and scheduled to be released Feb. 3.

Bowa, who was with Torre on the Dodgers last season, said he hasn't read the book, but "I do know that what I've heard doesn't sound like Joe Torre . . . at all."

"Joe's got great credibility, and if a little bit of this is gonna take it away, then so be it," Bowa said. "I don't think Joe did this to rip anybody.

Even when he goes in the back room, he doesn't rip people. He just doesn't do it."

Bowa said he never noticed resentment from Torre toward the Yankees' low-ball offer of a one-year contract prior to last season, but said Torre's glaring omission from the closing ceremony at Yankee Stadium had to bother his boss.

"In my opinion, the thing that hurt Joe -- and he won't ever admit this -- is the last day at Yankee Stadium," Bowa said. "The non-recognition. I think that did bother him."

Source: New York Post

So this book isn't out yet, right? Why is everyone attacking and defending people? Everyone needs to wait and see what's actually in the book first. This seems like a chance for Bowa and whoever to get their name in the news, when all they are doing is helping promote this book.

The book's due out February 3rd

Yanks mulling disparagement clause

NEW YORK -- In the wake of the information in Joe Torre's yet-to-be-released book, the Yankees are considering a "non-disparagement" clause in future player and managerial contracts to prevent similar situations in the future.

The clause would ensure that future books are "positive in tone" and "do not breach the sanctity of our clubhouse," an unnamed Yankees official told Newsday in its Thursday editions.

Torre's book, "The Yankee Years," reveals that Yankees teammates called third baseman Alex Rodriguez "A-Fraud" in the clubhouse, and that he was viewed as having a "Single White Female" obsession with Derek Jeter. Torre also directly criticizes several players, including Carl Pavano and Gary Sheffield.

The Yankees have never before included a confidentiality agreement in the contract of a player or manager.

"Up to now, we have always operated our employer-employee relationships on a basis of trust," the Yankees official told Newsday. "But we never expected what we got from Joe. We may have to get a little tougher on this issue."

Source: Yankees

Maybe Joe never expected what he got from you either!

Wait, the Yanks haven't done this before, not even after BALL FOUR?

Jeez, some people fucking never learn.

As for Torre...I dont remember anyone at BB.Net pissing at Phil Jackson's book which trashed Kobe (though he ended up coaching him again afterwards).

Still, Torre's story about A-Rod and the coffee is hilarious.

I found this shirt online and may buy it

A friend and his wife are going to a Torre book-signing in NJ tonight, and offered to give me a ride. I've been thinking about it, but I truly think I'm going to turn them down.

I was always a huge fan, but this book has really caused me to lose respect for him. I saw him interviewed and he said that the remarks about ARod "were not mean-spirited"! REALLY? You can tell yourself that all you want, Joe, but they were.

And even if you don't personally like ARod, why dig up all that BS about the Jeter-ARod thing, since it's often been reported that Jeter was like a son to you? Why would you bring his name into it, saying ARod was like a stalker? When all of that seemed to be going away, let's throw it back into the media eye??

I'd go. I plan on reading the book when I find the time.

Doesn't matter. It's sold out.

I agree with this article

---

Chamberlain Needs to Start

New York Yankees young hurler Joba Chamberlain should be used as a starter in 2009. At least until it is proven that Chamberlain cannot handle the work load.

It is not rocket science. The more innings a pitcher logs, the more valuable he is to his team.

Now that the Yankees have officially brought back Andy Pettitte on a one-year deal, though, the Joba Debate has again hit the front burner. Some fans and writers theorize that the addition of Pettitte – combined with the depth of Phil Hughes and Alfredo Aceves – opens up the gates for Chamberlain to move back into a relief role, where he has been dominant bridging the gap to Mariano Rivera.

Not so fast.

New York general manager Brian Cashman informed Chamberlain in November that he will begin the year in a starting role, where he can add the most value to his club. The flame-throwing right-hander, outside of his brilliant run pitching high-leverage situations for the Yankees in 2007, has been a starter for most of his life, from his days as a prep/collegiate pitcher in Nebraska to his time in the minors.

There are certainly concerns about whether Chamberlain can remain durable pitching more than 150 innings. At such a young age, it is best that the Yankees be conservative with such a rare talent; hence the Joba Rules. Those in the relief camp cite this as key factor in their argument, saying that he is more likely to remain healthy pitching in the bullpen, where there will be less of a toll on his arm. He also has the make-up to close, they say, and is a potential successor to Rivera.

Certainly Chamberlain proved himself to be a worthy future closing candidate in 2007, when he posted a 0.38 ERA, 1,192 ERA+, 1.82 FIP (fielding independent pitching) and 0.750 WHIP in 24.0 innings. The youngster quickly became a Yankee fan favorite, as the fans were enthralled by his demeanor, mid-90s heat, intensity and tremendous success. He did what any team wants out of a reliever – avoid home runs and walks while missing bats; he struck out 12.75 hitters per nine innings, with 34 Ks against only six walks.

While there are legitimate injury concerns, why not give Chamberlain the chance to prove that he can handle the workload? A pitcher with his talent could emerge as an elite front-line arm, adding depth to a pitching staff that is already among the best in the league. Even an average starter adds more value over the course of a regular season than a plus relief man, which is really the main thing to consider here.

Chamberlain has a chance to be special even at this stage. Although it was a small sample size, he was effective taking the hill in the early innings in 2008. In 12 starts, he struck out 74 against 25 walks while posting a 2.76 ERA in 65.1 innings. Overall, he was again a dominant force in Pinstripes, producing rates of 10.58 K/9 and 0.45 HR/9 in 42 total appearances combined between both roles. The 23-year-old right-hander finished the year with a 2.60 ERA, 171 ERA+ and 2.65 FIP mark.

While injuries held him back, Chamberlain was lights-out when he was on the hill. His stuff is just off the charts. The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder threw his fastball 62.3 percent of the time in 2008, averaging 95.0 MPH on the radar gun. He mixed in a slider (avg velocity: 85.1) 25.2 percent of the time and also flashed a curveball and changeup. While he certainly would throw with more velocity in short bursts (97.0 MPH avg fastball MPH as a reliever in 2007), he has shown the ability to sit in the low-to-mid-90s for multiple innings.

What GM would not give a pitcher with that stuff a chance to start if they can handle the duty? Sure, the Yankees have some other options, with less depth in its relief corps. However, the American League East is a division that may end up being decided by which is team is least affected by injuries, especially when it comes to starting pitching. It is unlikely that every pitcher penciled in the New York five will avoid going to a DL at some point. Whether it is the injury-prone A.J. Burnett or even Chamberlain, an arm will go down. It is a numbers game, though. Having more options prepares the Yanks better for any potential injury situation. Aceves is not exactly a sure thing to replicate his success, either, and there is no telling what New York will get from talented-but-inexperienced Hughes.

Plus, Chamberlain is good enough to emerge as one of the best starters on the roster as he continues to get more seasoning at the Major League level. One good thing about the return of Pettitte and the other free-agent signings, though, is that Chamberlain will not need to be. He can be put in a four or five spot, potentially missing a few starts here or there to limit his innings. If he does indeed get injured, he can always go back to relieving, regaining his title as the successor to Rivera.

In the meantime, the Yankees have the opportunity to see if they have something special in Chamberlain. Thus, there is no rush.

Most relievers are relievers for a reason: they could not cut it in a starting role, either due to arm trouble or ineffectiveness. The verdict is still out on whether Chamberlain falls into that category. The Yankees are doing the right thing.

Source: Dugout Central

I don't. He needs to be a reliever and then take over for Mo in 2010.

Jim Donaldson -- Player for player, the Yankees are better than Boston

So I’m reading Joe McDonald’s position-by-position analysis of the Red Sox in Wednesday’s paper––call me old school, but, although I write on a computer, when it comes time to read, I still love to sit at the kitchen table, or curl up the couch, with a real newspaper – and what occurs to me, as I run through the lineup, is that the Yankees, position-by-position, are better.

And, lest we forget, the Tampa Bay Rays won both the AL East and the ALCS – beating the Sox in seven games, as Boston fans will painfully recall––and they have just about everybody who’s anybody back.

Which doesn’t seem to bode well for the boys from Beantown.

Joey took a look at the Red Sox. Here’s my take on how the Sox look, compared to their archrivals, the Bombers from the Bronx:

FIRST BASE

Kevin Youkilis is a very good player. Mark Teixeira is better.

SECOND BASE

Not even close here. Dustin Pedroia is the A.L. MVP. Robinson Cano is Robinson Cano.

SHORTSTOP

The Yankees have Derek Jeter. The Red Sox have Julio Lugo and Jed Lowrie. More, in this case, indeed is less.

THIRD BASE

I like Mike Lowell much, much better than Alex Rodriguez. As a person, that is. As a ballplayer, A-Rod is much the best, especially with Lowell coming off hip surgery at the age of 35.

OUTFIELD

Will the real Jacoby Ellsbury please stand up? Is he the budding superstar who helped spark the Sox to a World Series title in ’07, or is he the solid but hardly spectacular young player who batted .245 in June and .247 in July? J.D. Drew is a heck of player, when he’s healthy. When he’s not, local hero Rocco Baldelli, who’s had serious health problems of his own, will take over in right field. Left fielder Jason Bay hit .293 after coming to Boston from Pittsburgh at the trading deadline, then batted .341, with three homers, in 11 postseason games for the Sox. As long he’s not compared to Manny Ramirez – remember him? – Bay measures up pretty well against most players.

As for the Yankees, Johnny Damon – remember him? – hit .303 last year and will start in left field. Center field is up for grabs between Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner. Xavier Nady seems likely to be in right, although Nick Swisher is in the picture there, too. Overall, if everybody performs up to expectations, I’d take Boston’s outfield over New York’s, but the difference isn’t huge.

DESIGNATED HITTER

David Ortiz played a career-low 109 games last year, and his power clearly was affected by his aching wrist. His weight and conditioning could prove to be an issue, especially at age 33. In New York, expect Hideki Matsui to be the DH, at least early in the season. Matsui, like Ortiz, is coming off an injury that limited him to 93 games (he hit .294 with 9 homers and 45 RBI), and he’ll be 35 in June. If both are healthy, I prefer Big Papi.

CATCHER

Pardon me if the soap-opera signing saga of Jason Varitek didn’t seem like the key to the pennant for the Sox. While his contributions to the handling of the pitching staff are considerable, he has become an automatic out in the batting order, particularly from the left side, where he hit .201 last year. Jose Molina, with hopefully (from a Yankees’ standpoint) Jorge Posada returning sooner, rather than later, gives New York a decided edge behind the plate. Posada also can DH, which you can bet Varitek won’t be doing.

STARTING ROTATION

Joey’s right – the Red Sox do have starting depth aplenty. And talent, too. The thing is, the Yankees have more of both. Looking at the lefties at the top of the rotation, there’s nothing not to like about Jon Lester. But, if they could afford him, any team in the league would take New York’s expensive offseason acquisition, C.C. Sabathia, over Lester –– at least for 2009, if not necessarily the long-term. The Yanks also spent big bucks to acquire A.J. Burnett. But he’s no Josh Beckett. As for Daisuke Matsuzaka and Chien-Ming Wang, I’ll call that a wash. It also should be noted that having those two guys as third starters (although Wang, not Burnett, may turn out to be No. 2 in New York) is a key reason the Yanks and the Sox are two of the best teams in baseball. In the old-vet category, give me Andy Pettitte over Tim Wakefield. Are Clay Buchholz and Michael Bowden better than Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes? We’ll see. Do the Sox move Justin Masterson into a starting role? Do the Yankees move Joba Chamberlain back to the bullpen? We’ll see about that, too. Having Brad Penny ready, and John Smoltz recuperating in the wings, are plusses for the Sox, but, as I see it, the Yanks get the nod here.

BULLPEN

The Red Sox rate the edge in the ‘pen. In the all-important closer role, Mariano Rivera is a dead-lock future Hall of Famer. But Jonathan Papelbon, who still has to perform over the long haul if he’s to get to Cooperstown, is better right now. Masterson could be masterful as Boston’s setup man. Hideki Okajima can be counted on to get lefties out, and the hope is that Manny Delcarmen will continue to improve. Having newcomers Takashi Saito and Ramon Ramirez in the mix, along with Javier Lopez, is a plus. As for the Yankees, they’ve got Damaso Marte, Brian Bruney, Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez and David Robertson. Which is why the Red Sox get the thumbs-up here.

MANAGER

I’ll take Terry Francona, thank you very much, over Joe Girardi. If famous author Joe Torre was still in the Yankees’ dugout, this would be a much tougher call.

OVERALL

The pitching staffs are comparable, but the Yankees pack more punch in their batting order, especially in the bottom third. That ability to pound away, day after day, will put them atop the A.L. East at the end of the day –– or season.

Source: Pro Jo

Like the article said. I'd give him a shot at being a starter. If it doesn't work out, he can always move back to the bullpen. Papelbum was a starter and he moved to reliever (just like Mo). Give him a shot first and take it from there. The worst that can happen is he succeeds.

And who do you suggest becomes the closer after this season? I'm sure that Mo will retire. He really only wanted to pitch in the new stadium, so I doubt he'll go another season.

As Yankee fans, we have been spoiled. Mo will go down in baseball history as one of the greatest closers ever in the game.

You can have all the great starters that you want, but without someone reliable in the last few innings, you're screwed (just ask Santana). They need to start grooming someone to take over for Mo in 2010, and, IMO, Joba is the best prospect for that.

They are. I forgot the kids name but he's in the minors. He's a year or two away. Sorry I forgot his name. If DJ were around he'd know.

I agree with SB, you have Joba who is proven in that sort of role. There are always badass' in the minors on their way up, but once they get here it's impossible to predict how they will handle the pressure against full rosters of guys who were also badass' on their way up. Especially in the pressure-filled situation of the closers role. Yankee fans have definitely been spoiled with Rivera, so don't think it's so easy to replace him.

Trust me, we had Kyle Farnsworth for a few years. I know that ALL too well

We have enough starters for now, really, really talented starters. Leave Joba out of the rotation, have him be Mo's set-up man, and go from there. I think Joba has the kind of arm that will burn out with a steady diet of 7 innings.

We do have really really talented starters but some are injury prone (see Burnett and Pettitte). Let's not forget Wang's coming off of an injury. I'm not gonna say if but rather when a Yankees starter goes down, what are they gonna do? Go with Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy who were COMPLETE disasters last year?

Hughes will be OK. Kennedy, probably not so much. However, if you've got a starting rotation of Sabathia, Wang, Burnett, Pettitte and Hughes, I think that will do nicely. Then have Joba for Innings 7 and/or 8 and Mo for 9.

I REALLY hope Hughes will be ok. But he's only showed 2 signs of that to me (his no-hitter in Texas and against the Indians in the playoffs when he came in for relief for Roger Clemens).

As for our bullpen, it's really not that bad. Have you forgotten Brian Bruney and Phil Coke already? Here are their numbers compared to Joba's from just the bullpen:

Brian Bruney
32 games, 34.1 IP, 18 hits, 7 runs, 7 ER, 2 HR, 16 BB, 33 SO, 3-0 with 1 SV and a 1.84 ERA

Joba Chamberlain
30 games, 35 IP, 27 hits, 9 runs, 9 ER, 1 HR, 14 BB, 44 SO, 1-2 with 0 SV and a 2.31 ERA

Phil Coke
12 games, 14.2 IP, 8 hits, 1 run, 1 ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 14 SO, 1-0 with 0 SV and a 0.61 ERA

The biggest discrepancy between Joba's and Bruney's numbers are Joba has more strikeouts but Bruney has a lower ERA in 2 more games but almost an inning of work less.

Sources tell SI Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003

In 2003, when he won the American League home run title and the AL Most Valuable Player award as a shortstop for the Texas Rangers, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for two anabolic steroids, four sources have independently told Sports Illustrated.

Rodriguez's name appears on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball's '03 survey testing, SI's sources say. As part of a joint agreement with the MLB Players Association, the testing was conducted to determine if it was necessary to impose mandatory random drug testing across the major leagues in 2004.

When approached by an SI reporter on Thursday at a gym in Miami, Rodriguez declined to discuss his 2003 test results. "You'll have to talk to the union," said Rodriguez, the Yankees' third baseman since his trade to New York in February 2004. When asked if there was an explanation for his positive test, he said, "I'm not saying anything."

Phone messages left by SI for players' union executive director Donald Fehr were not returned.

Though MLB's drug policy has expressly prohibited the use of steroids without a valid prescription since 1991, there were no penalties for a positive test in 2003. The results of that year's survey testing of 1,198 players were meant to be anonymous under the agreement between the commissioner's office and the players association. Rodriguez's testing information was found, however, after federal agents, armed with search warrants, seized the '03 test results from Comprehensive Drug Testing, Inc., of Long Beach, Calif., one of two labs used by MLB in connection with that year's survey testing. The seizure took place in April 2004 as part of the government's investigation into 10 major league players linked to the BALCO scandal -- though Rodriguez himself has never been connected to BALCO.

The list of the 104 players whose urine samples tested positive is under seal in California. However, two sources familiar with the evidence that the government has gathered in its investigation of steroid use in baseball and two other sources with knowledge of the testing results have told Sports Illustrated that Rodriguez is one of the 104 players identified as having tested positive, in his case for testosterone and an anabolic steroid known by the brand name Primobolan. All four sources spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the evidence.

Primobolan, which is also known by the chemical name methenolone, is an injected or orally administered drug that is more expensive than most steroids. (A 12-week cycle can cost $500.) It improves strength and maintains lean muscle with minimal bulk development, according to steroid experts, and has relatively few side effects. Kirk Radomski, the former New York Mets clubhouse employee who in 2007 pleaded guilty to illegal distribution of steroids to numerous major league players, described in his recent book, Bases Loaded: The Inside Story of the Steroid Era in Baseball by the Central Figure in the Mitchell Report, how players increasingly turned to drugs such as Primobolan in 2003, in part to avoid detection in testing. Primobolan is detectable for a shorter period of time than the steroid previously favored by players, Deca-Durabolin. According to a search of FDA records, Primobolan is not an approved prescription drug in the United States, nor was it in 2003. (Testosterone can be taken legally with an appropriate medical prescription.)

Rodriguez finished the 2003 season by winning his third straight league home run title (with 47) and the first of his three MVP awards.

Because more than 5% of big leaguers had tested positive in 2003, baseball instituted a mandatory random-testing program, with penalties, in '04. According to the 2007 Mitchell Report on steroid use in baseball, in September 2004, Gene Orza, the chief operating officer of the players' union, violated an agreement with MLB by tipping off a player (not named in the report) about an upcoming, supposedly unannounced drug test. Three major league players who spoke to SI said that Rodriguez was also tipped by Orza in early September 2004 that he would be tested later that month. Rodriguez declined to respond on Thursday when asked about the warning Orza provided him.

When Orza was asked on Friday in the union's New York City office about the tipping allegations, he told a reporter, "I'm not interested in discussing this information with you."

Anticipating that the 33-year-old Rodriguez, who has 553 career home runs, could become the game's alltime home run king, the Yankees signed him in November 2007 to a 10-year, incentive-laden deal that could be worth as much as $305 million. Rodriguez is reportedly guaranteed $275 million and could receive a $6 million bonus each time he ties one of the four players at the top of the list: Willie Mays (660), Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755) and Barry Bonds (762), and an additional $6 million for passing Bonds. In order to receive the incentive money, the contract reportedly requires Rodriguez to make extra promotional appearances and sign memorabilia for the Yankees as part of a marketing plan surrounding his pursuit of Bonds's record. Two sources familiar with Rodriguez's contract told SI that there is no language about steroids in the contract that would put Rodriguez at risk of losing money.

Arguments before an 11-judge panel in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Pasadena are ongoing between government prosecutors and the players' association over the government's seizure of the test results from the Long Beach lab. The agents who collected the material had a search warrant only for the results for the 10 BALCO-linked players. Attorneys from the union argue that the government is entitled only to the results for those players, not the entire list. If the court sides with the union, federal authorities may be barred from using the positive survey test results of non-BALCO players such as Rodriguez in their ongoing investigations.

Source: SI

2003... "anonymous" survey... If he hasn't tested positive since, who really cares after 5-6 years? And how long does it take to wrap this shit up already??

I'm sure you've heard the new rumblings about the Clemens trial as well (his DNA is on some of the evidence handed over from Macnamee). I wonder how his and Bonds trials will play out.

Although, one of the first things I thought to myself about this A-Rod/steroids thing is that more credibility has to be given to Jose Canseco now.

Canseco is a greedy attention-seeking rat. But his book was probably the best thing for the sport of baseball.

Very true. But that doesn't make his statements any less factual.

This puts A-Rod's apparent use of steroids in the same time period as Bonds' apparent use. Will we need to get another asterisk ready?

That's what I meant. The guy is scum, but it took a rat to improve the sport.

Klydon, I remember when Bonds and every other player was getting busted for steroids, everyone defended A-Rod saying he was pure and a special player. Even saying that steroids would actually hurt his body type But he and anyone else who played during the steroid era should have an asterisk just for playing during that time. It's sad.

Not to say A-Rod isn't the best, but Bonds was the best also, before he ballooned up.

that's the kind of news that really makes me mad. not at A-Rod but at everything being the fool innocent fan who loves the game. we are the ones who keep this fuckin' shit going on and what do we get? we get to see those millionaires screw up the only thing that was sacred and fun, the sport of baseball. I hope we can just keep going on and on until the time when this will be just another "era" in the history of the game just like the dead ball era, the hitting-friendly 20's era, the pitcher friendly 60' era and so and so. of course it's a big stain in the history of the game but what can we do?

everybody who played in this era is under suspicion and the only thing that I can think is that Sports Illustrated will release the same boring "breaking news" claiming that Pujols took steroids too when they run out of news between Superbowl and the start of baseball in 2010. the millionaires have screwed up soccer too, which is my favorite sport, and they have screwed up basketball, and the Olympics and music and cinema and even the economy now. and let's face it, they've screwed up baseball too.

what do I care about Bonds' case? he has already stained the record books that we kept through a hundred years, and now we have to try to explain outsiders why the all time HR leader can't find a job one year removed from his record breaking homer.

Bonds isn't the only one, of course, but he's the only one who stained the record books like that. time will say he was the first one. but the fans who love the game and who keep this fuckin' shit going on have to get a scapegoat just to release the anger that these guys bring up, and Bonds is the perfect one. an overall piece of shit who doesn't even care what we think. he's got all the million dollars he'll ever need and he feels like breaking all MLB HR records was just his job. and A-Rod is the next one on the 'hated list'. he's just like all the other players in the steroid era who took steroids but he gets to be hated for being the best one.

that's what I'm saying, we fans need someone to throw our frustration at, and who better than A-Rod? he's the one who fooled us with his 40/40 "skills" at SS, he's the one with a 200 million dollars contract and he's the one who's a choker which contributes a lot to the perception that he's another piece of shit. anyway, I can't wait for baseball!