Farmer Ted

Mets.com lists Newhan as the #3 guy at five positions on its depth chart. That's one multi-faceted mofro.

VERO BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Matt White, a journeyman pitcher trying to make the Los Angeles Dodgers, could become baseball's first billionaire player. It has nothing to do with his arm. He owns a rock quarry in western Massachusetts. White, who has appeared in seven big league games in nine professional seasons, paid $50,000 three years ago to buy 50 acres of land from an elderly aunt who needed the money to pay for a nursing home. While clearing out a couple acres to build a home, he discovered stone ledges in the ground, prompting him to have the property surveyed. A geologist estimated there were 24 million tons of the stone on his land. The stone is being sold for upward of $100 per ton, meaning there's well over $2 billion worth of material used for sidewalks, patios and the like. Of course, that doesn't factor in the expenses involved in processing the stone and transporting it for sale. "It sounds bogus even saying those numbers," White said. "I'm just a small town guy trying to get to the big leagues. It's beyond comprehension." The news has prompted some of White's teammates to refer to him as "The Billionaire," but the 29-year-old left-hander isn't counting his money just yet. "There are a lot of questions," he said. "It takes time, it takes money, it takes machines. There are professionals who handle that stuff." White's father has been involved in selling the stone, but it's presently a small-time operation. "I guess you could say the property is for sale," White said with a chuckle. "We'll have to see how things turn out. I don't even know where to start. I'm in the process now of getting in touch with business-savvy guys, finding out how much to ask." White said he doesn't feel like he's wealthy, which he isn't quite yet. "Not at all. I don't live like a rich man," he said. "I'm a minor league guy who's played winter ball to make ends meet." Dr. Peter Pannish, an adjunct professor in the department of geosciences at the University of Massachusetts, surveyed the property several months ago. He said he believes the stone was formed about 400 million years ago. "It's basically a slabby rock that can be used for sidewalks, building faces and stone walls," Pannish said from his Amherst, Mass., office. "You can use it for a lot of other things, like flagstone on a patio. There are some sidewalks right here on campus that are made of that same rock." Pannish said he believes White could sell his property for several million dollars, or more. "As far as hundreds of millions, I doubt if that's possible because of all the expenses that would have to be considered," Pannish said. "But it could be quite a bit of money. He probably needs a mining engineer or an economic geologist to come up with a good evaluation." White has received inquiries about making national television appearances, and has even been contacted about a possible movie. He is represented by Herbie Zucker of Zucker Sports Management in Chicago. But for now, White is concentrating on his day job. And that's no surprise, considering pitching in the big leagues has been a lifelong dream. "They say lefties bloom later than righties. I keep telling myself that," he said. "I'm here to make the big-league team. I feel confident about that, absolutely. I've had some pretty good years in Triple-A. "I plan to play baseball until I can't play anymore. My goal is to play in the big leagues, regardless of what happens with the rock quarry." White signed a minor league contract last December with the Dodgers _ his eighth organization. He has appeared in 254 minor league games, 136 of them starts. White pitched in three games each for Boston and Seattle in 2003, and one for Washington in 2005, going 0-2 and allowing 18 earned runs in 9 2-3 innings. The Boston manager in 2003 was current Dodgers skipper Grady Little. "The kid has a genuine love for the game," Little said. "He's quite a competitor, he's always striving to get better. It's not about money for him. He's prepared himself well coming into camp and he'll be going after somebody's job. He'll be given an opportunity. "It's a tough hill to climb. We have 28 pitchers in camp, we'll leave spring training with 11 or 12. Before it's over, we might need 20. He's in there trying to get a job." With that, Little smiled and said: "Along the way, if anybody needs landscaping stone, we know where to find it."

Kelly Leak got no props. Loved the scarf.

I hope the old guy qualifies for Aflac.

Legend has it Todd Pratt said in 2003 about Shea, "Yeah, it's a dump, but it's OUR dump."

He has $12 million to give to UM but can't fork over any cash for a healthy, legit #3 starter? Sheesh. Those damn college fundraisers are at it again.

First glance I thought it was a young Rat Face from the MFYs.

The Human Rain Delay.

He's become TOO interactive. Catch the ball, throw the ball, hit the ball. Sign some autographs in between, please.

Turk Wendell and Dennis Cook because they were both out of their minds.

Dayn Perry, I'm reading your mind.

Giving bonus points to Cashman because "no job in baseball carries with it as much stress and pressure as that of Yankees GM" just doesn't fly with me. He has a $200+ payroll the last three seasons and choked against the Red Sox and got skunked by the Angels and Tigers.

A simple BAT BOY in the name box with no numeral is my choice. If I recall, first names have been used in the past like JOEY.

same shat as the playoffs. Odds for opening day tix should be better, tho.

Todd Pratt invited to spring training by NYY.

Jilted again? As usual, MLB about to give the shaft to its fans If you want me to be completely honest with you, I'll just come right out and say it: I'm not sure that I'm in love with you anymore. OK? Do you feel better, now that it's out there all honest and raw? Because I don't. And I'm not even sure that I mean what I'm saying. Look Baseball, it's been a while since we talked. But you know as well as I do, that's the type of relationship we've always had. We fall in love all over again each February, we're torrid from March through June, things get stagnant in July and August, and then we go all out in September and October. Then Football shows up and I hang out with her and Basketball throughout the winter. You know I'm coming back though, and each and every spring, like clockwork, we get together again. So why am I thinking of moving on? After all, we've always had good times, and you've allowed me to watch my favorite team win an unheard of 14 straight division titles. Well, to be honest, you've been acting differently lately. Not good different, strange different. I've always paid attention to you. You've always fulfilled my needs. And then I heard about this, about how you're trying to take away my Extra Innings package. After three straight summers of my being able to spend more or less unlimited time with you, you're leaving cable TV behind? For a satellite system I'm not allowed to have in my apartment building? Why? Why would you break something up that's worked so well? There was a time when I would've done practically anything for you. I rushed home from school every day to throw a tennis ball against the wall of my parent's house. I loved the summer months when it was light outside later in the afternoon, so my dad could come home from work and throw pop flies for me to catch. There was that grand slam that I hit during little league, that game-winning RBI I had playing JV in high school. My knees still crackle and pop when I walk from too many years of crouching behind the plate. I'll never forget sitting in an almost completely empty Fulton County Stadium, watching some miserable Braves teams get pounded. I won't forget Sid Bream sliding into home plate in 1992, and being with thousands of college students as we poured into downtown Athens to celebrate in the streets. I was there at Turner Field in 1999 for Game Six of the NLCS, when Kenny Rogers melted down. I saw the Braves win a World Series. You're probably not America's game any more, now that Football is hanging around, but you remain beloved. There is no way to quantify how much I look forward to coming home from work most nights and hanging out with you. I find a groove in the couch, turn down the lights, listen to old friends like Skip and Joe and Pete while I try and guess the location of the next 250 pitches. What I don't understand is why you chose now to flirt with DirecTV. I get that you're thinking about launching your own TV station down the road, and I get that DirecTV is offering you more money than cable TV did. Fine. And I understand that if you go through with this deal, all the games will still be available on your MLB.TV Web site. But as much as I love you, Baseball, there's no way I'm spending eight hours at work staring at a computer screen and then coming home and sitting down for three hours to stare at herky-jerky action on another computer screen. If you leave, I'm not sure what I'll do. I'm not allowed to have DirecTV, I don't want to look at my computer any more than I already do, and I want to watch the games, not listen to them (sorry, XM). So if you're really running off to satellite TV, I think I'll just have to break it off with you. I don't know for how long, but at least for a while. No games in person, no games on TV, maybe even not even using your sponsors anymore. I'll get Yankees and Mets games on my cable system, but I don't like either of those teams. I want to watch my Atlanta Braves. And you're telling me I'm not allowed to watch my team play? That's what you're telling me, isn't it? I get that the Braves aren't spending huge money and they probably won't be favored to even win the NL East, much less a championship. But the Braves trigger my memories and make me feel closer to home. And that makes me feel good. And now, baseball, you're saying that you don't want me to feel good. Because making a deal with a network of satellites is more important to you than my feelings. Your decision isn't final yet, I understand, and maybe there's a part of me that's hoping that this letter will make you change your mind. But I don't expect it to. You're going to make the choice that benefits you, not the choice that would benefit me or us. I know you think you're perfect, but you've made your share of mistakes. Remember the lockout, and how you had to have the players throw balls into the stands to try and generate some positive karma? Remember when you were going to put the Spider-Man 2 logo on bases? So you're not perfect. You can make bad decisions. This is one of them. This seems like just another bad choice that you're just determined to make. And you're going to leave me with no choice at all. Lang Whitaker is the online editor of SLAM magazine and writes daily at SLAMonline.com.

It's only a big event when Mr. Met makes an appearance. The big bald guy was there.

Fuck MLB. I don't want their shit channel. I have the NFL network and it's ass. Cookie-cutter bullshit hurts the fans.

Two more of those x's and you'll have a turkey.

1-800-GOT-JUNK?

Our AAA mascot has two objects of phallic nature coming out of its mouth. Thank goodness this is only a two-year deal.

The St. Louis Cardinals assigned manager Mark DeJohn to their NYPenn affiliate in Batavia. DeJohn, the 23rd round pick of the Mets in 1971.

Cotter dressed up as a sausage in Milwaukee and ran the race. He didn't win but it was pretty funny. It was tough to top that one. Dare I say he jumped the shark in Milwaukee much like the Fonz.

Who's the big burly guy in the background? A player or a bat boy?

He's a former starter...hmmmm Jersey kid that went to Duke. Local and smart.