Valadius

The Daily News is reporting that we're re-signing Marlon Anderson for 2008 with an option for '09.

Larry Boo-wa.

Better now, thank you.

When I think of third base coaches, the first guy that comes to mind with me is Cookie Rojas.

Edgy, I can't see pics 1, 5, and 10.

Brent Pain.

I want to know what was wrong with his shoulder.

Good Lord, what is wrong with the Wilpons? I'm still furious at them for opening the door to "Shitty Field" jokes.

The Daily News reports that Posada is at the top of Omar's wish list. ]Jorge Posada: Mets Reportedly Interested RotoWire.com Staff - RotoWire.com Thursday, November 1, 2007 Update: The Mets have Posada at the top of their free-agent wish list, the New York Daily News reports. Recommendation: Mets GM Omar Minaya will have to wait until November 12 before making any sort of offer to Posada, but clearly the Yankees are in jeopardy of losing their star catcher if they don't make a strong offer to retain his services in the next couple of weeks.

It's finally official: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AtSj_SLcSP2mgXxZZAuN4vQRvLYF?slug=ap-dodgers-torre&prov=ap&type=lgns

The Toledo Mud Hens (you heard me right) have seized on Hank Steinbrenner's comment and made an "offer" to A-Rod: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AgC9U.G7Ej2bNETxseRxC_M5nYcB?slug=ap-a-rod-mudhens&prov=ap&type=lgns ]A-Rod a Mud Hen? Triple-A Toledo makes a playful offer November 1, 2007 TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -- Alex Rodriguez a Mud Hen? Spurred by an offhand remark from George Steinbrenner's son, the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens want in on the A-Rod sweepstakes. The Mud Hens playfully offered the prize free agent a deal Thursday -- a contract proposal that includes a bonus for hitting 75 home runs next year and leading them to 10 straight International League titles. Rodriguez recently opted out of his $252 million, 10-year contract with the New York Yankees. That prompted Hank Steinbrenner, son of the Yankees owner, to tell the New York Times: "Does he want to go into the Hall of Fame as a Yankee, or a Toledo Mud Hen?" The Mud Hens conjured up an offer to find out, said Jason Griffin, a spokesman for the Detroit Tigers' top farm team. Toledo created a Hall of Fame plaque of Rodriguez wearing a Mud Hens hat and sent a letter to his agent, Scott Boras. The deal stipulates that Rodriguez will have to compete for a spot with Toledo third basemen Mike Hessman, the league's most valuable player last season. "Would your client be willing to play a different position?" the letter asked.

I saw this in the Hatchet today. I don't know the dude though.

Easley gets a one-year deal for $950,000.

I'm thrilled we have Alou back, and I'll take Easley back, as a utility guy.

As we all know, Hank Steinbrenner has clearly inherited the blowhard gene from his father. SI's John Rolfe explores the similarities between the two: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/john_rolfe/10/30/hank.george/index.html ]Hammerin' Hank Kid Steinbrenner already sounds like his old man "I'm fed up with his attitude. He ought to realize that his lack of hitting lately has killed us." Hank Steinbrenner talking about the going-going Alex Rodriguez, right? Try vintage George, June 1985. The target of his blustery wrath: Don Mattingly, who had dared carp about off-day workouts. But you gotta hand it to Hank. Since the curtain started coming down on the Joe Torre/A-Rod era, he's found himself in the spotlight and is already well on his way to succeeding his storied pop in the blunt public pronouncement department. Along with that trademark steely Steinbrenner gaze and eagerness to seek out the nearest microphone, Hank has got his dad's verbal dart deal down pat. Consider his question to Tyler Kepner of The New York Times concerning Mr. Rodriguez leaving the team: "Does he want to go into the Hall of Fame as a Yankee or a Toledo Mud Hen?" That's classic Boss, by George: "Anybody seen Reggie Jackson? I need a Mr. October and all I've got is a Mr. May -- Dave Winfield." And how about Hank's take on Torre's so-called greatness: "Where was Joe's career in '95 when my dad hired him?" Sounds like dad's take on departed GM Gabe Paul in October 1977, after the Yankees had won their second successive pennant and first World Series since 1962: "You think he made all those moves with this team himself? A brilliant baseball man, yes, but he was getting old. Look, let him have his image if he wants it. I won't say anything bad about Gabe." Hank clearly shares his dad's pride and "our way or the highway" attitude: "If you don't want to be a Yankee and paid what you're being paid, we don't want you, that's the bottom line. If you don't understand the magnitude of being a Yankee and understand what that means, and being the highest-paid player in baseball, I think it's pretty obvious." George (Oct. '77): "I have nothing against long hair, but wearing a Yankee uniform represents tradition. After all, I'm paying the bills and issuing the paychecks around here and I feel a certain way about Yankee tradition." The goal remains the same: Hank: "The point is, the objective of the Yankees since the '20s has been to win a championship every year, just like the objective of Lombardi with the Packers or Belichick with the Patriots. Our goal is to win it every single year, even though we know, obviously, you can't win it every single year. But nothing less than a championship is considered really acceptable." George ('77): "My employees know I'm tough on them, and I am. I demand more of them than they think they're capable of. I don't know of any other way to lead. I'm not here to run a country club." And the expectation of excellent play for excellent pay: Hank: "I don't understand Alex's point of view. But being paid what he would have been paid, you would think at the same time there would be pride in being a Yankee. I mean, come on. Every ex-Yankee I've ever talked to says the same thing: 'Are you kidding me? Everybody wants to be a Yankee.' And it's not the cheap Yankees, either. It's the Yankees who will pay whatever we have to pay. But when he opts out, that is telling us he doesn't want to be a Yankee. If we're going to make you rich and we're going to give you the privilege of being a Yankee, you've got to show us you want to be here." George ('85): "If they're not happy, let them get jobs as cabdrivers, firemen or policemen in New York City. Then they'll see what it's like to work for a living." George's famous pronouncement upon assuming control of the Yankees in 1973 -- "I won't be active in the day to day operations of the club at all. I can't spread myself so thin." -- was weirdly echoed by Hank's clarification of his role in the team's emerging hydra-headed command structure that includes his brother Hal, team president Randy Levine, and GM Brian Cashman: "I'll pay more attention to the baseball part. The stadium, that's more Hal. But basically everything will be decided jointly." George (Oct. '85): "I'm not going to have any input on who the next manager will be. It's up to Clyde King and Woody Woodward. You can hold me to that." Of course, months earlier, George had said that Lou Piniella would manage the team in '86, and that's who got the job. But Hank has assured all that he's not flying solo: "The baseball people we have are the smartest guys in the game. I'm not stupid. It's not like I'm not going to pay attention to what they say." I feel pretty sure that Hank will indeed be more willing to rely on the sage counsel of trusted advisers than his dad did in his impetuous '70s and '80s heyday. To those who fear otherwise, Hank hath prescribed a chill pill: "This is not Iran. Everybody needs to relax. We will have another fine manager. We've got a lot of top prospects, and that's going to bode well for the Yankees for the next 10 years, hopefully. Everybody needs to relax and enjoy what's to come." It sure looks like anyone who ever loved The Boss at his blustery best may be in for another golden age of verbiage courtesy of Hammerin' Hank, what with the Red Sox in great shape for future dominance and the Yankees retooling with a passionate new manager who will be trying to top Torre in a pressure-cooker. But the kid upstairs still has a way to go to top these classics from his old man: "I will never have a heart attack. I give them." (A favorite line.) "I'll be a sonofabitch if I'm going to sit here and sign these paychecks and watch us get our ass kicked." (1975) "The next time you push me to the wall, I'll throw you over it." (To manager Billy Martin in 1977.) "I'm afraid some of my players will get hurt playing defense behind him." (About pitcher Doyle Alexander, who was getting shelled in 1982.) "We were a terrifically boring team last year. I've had heartburn since October thinking about it." (While speaking at Syracuse in Feb. '83) "If my players don't start producing, there will be more fireworks around here by the Fourth of July than anyone can imagine." (April '82) "I guess I am a sonofabitch to work for. I don't know if I'd want to work for me." (March 1981)

Baseball Prospectus ranks all 30 teams for their chance at A-Rod: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/unfiltered/?p=651 We're at #5.

I see a red dot.

He's trying to emphasize that it's not steroids. I'm betting it was ephedra.

Looks like we may be going after Torrealba: ]Mets, Marlins to pursue Torrealba Wednesday, Oct 31, 2007 10:09 am EDT The New York Mets and Florida Marlins have interest in free agent catcher Yorvit Torrealba. The Colorado Rockies would like to have Torrealba back, depending on his price tag. Colorado, though, will pursue Paul LoDuca and possibly Michael Barrett when they become free agents. Source: Denver Post

Jeff Passan at Yahoo Sports listed his top 10 destinations for A-Rod. The Mets come in at #6. http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AqYnAtyzq3EhP7N40Ucs9h8RvLYF?slug=jp-arod103007&prov=yhoo&type=lgn ]6. New York Mets Why? To stick it to the Yankees. And because with SportsNet New York turning into a television powerhouse, the Mets now rank third in total revenues behind the Yankees and Boston Red Sox, meaning they can afford him. Why not? Where does he play? David Wright moving to second base is laughable, and he and Jose Reyes' contracts are too good to move. And even though they could afford him, the Mets don't want their payroll rocketing into the Yankees-Red Sox stratosphere.

Brad Ausmus re-upped with the 'Stros with a one-year deal. Cross off another name from the list of available catchers.

What shocks me more than anything is that Mattingly would leave the Yankees. The only reason I can see for him joining the Dodgers is that his son is currently in their farm system.

Here's the source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AsK4IjrD90wg0Gwhcp_xXNURvLYF?slug=txdodgerstorre&prov=st&type=lgns

Torre's headed to the Dodgers.

No. Never. He's a prima donna and would screw up the clubhouse chemistry. His teammates in Texas once called him "The Cooler" because he has a tendency to throw water on his team's success and ruin positive momentum. He's not a team player.