Via Cot’s Baseball Contracts:

Starting pitchers
The highest-paid active starting pitchers, by average annual value:

CC Sabathia, $23,000,000 (2009-15)
Johan Santana, $22,916,667 (2008-13)
Carlos Zambrano, $18,300,000 (2008-12)
Barry Zito, $18,000,000 (2007-13)
Jake Peavy, $17,333,333 (2010-12)
A.J. Burnett, $16,500,000 (2009-13)

Relief pitchers
The highest-paid active relief pitchers, by average annual value:

Mariano Rivera, $15,000,000 (2008-10)
Brad Lidge, $12,500,000 (2009-11)
Francisco Rodriguez, $12,333,333 (2009-11)
Joe Nathan, $11,750,000 (2008-11)

Catchers
The highest-paid active catchers, by average annual value:

Jorge Posada, $13,100,000 (2008-11)
Joe Mauer, $8,250,000 (2007-10)
Kenji Johjima, $8,000,000 (2009-11)
Ramon Hernandez, $6,875,000 (2006-09)

First basemen
The highest-paid active first basemen, by average annual value:

Mark Teixeira, $22,500,000 (2009-16)
Ryan Howard, $18,000,000 (2009-11)
Todd Helton, $15,722,222 (2003-11)
Albert Pujols, $14,285,214 (2004-10)
Lance Berkman, $14,166,667 (2005-10)
Justin Morneau, $13,333,333 (2008-13)

Second basemen
The highest-paid active second basemen, by average annual value:

Chase Utley, $12,142,857 (2007-13)
Brian Roberts, $10,000,000 (2010-13)
Robinson Cano, $7,500,000 (2008-11)
Brian Roberts, $7,150,000 (2008-09)
Dustin Pedroia, $6,750,000 (2009-14)

Shortstops
The highest-paid active shortstops, by average annual value:

Derek Jeter, $18,900,000 (2001-10)
Michael Young, $16,000,000 (2009-13)
Miguel Tejada, $12,000,000 (2004-09)
Hanley Ramirez, $11,666,667 (2009-14)
Rafael Furcal, $10,000,000 (2009-11)

Third basemen
The highest-paid active third basemen, by average annual value:

Alex Rodriguez, $27,500,000 (2008-17)
Miguel Cabrera, $19,037,500 (2008-15)
Aramis Ramirez, $15,000,000 (2007-11)
Chipper Jones, $14,000,000 (2010-12)

Outfielders
The highest-paid active outfielders, by average annual value:

Manny Ramirez, $22,500,000 (2009-10)
Andruw Jones, $18,100,000 (2008-09)
Torii Hunter, $18,000,000 (2008-12)
Ichiro Suzuki, $18,000,000 (2008-12)
Vernon Wells, $18,00,000 (2008-13)
Carlos Beltran, $17,000,000 (2005-11)
Alfonso Soriano, $17,000,000 (2007-14)
Carlos Lee, $16,666,667 (2007-12)
Magglio Ordonez, $15,000,000 (2005-09)
J.D. Drew, $14,000,000 (2007-11)
Vladimir Guerrero, $14,000,000 (2004-08)
Johnny Damon, $13,000,000 (2006-09)
Hideki Matsui, $13,000,000 (2006-09)

When you see these numbers – and how the Yankees have the most “expensive” player (or close to it) – at just about every position, it’s hard to defend those claims that the Yankees bought a World Series ring this year. Perhaps the 2009 Yankees were the best team that money can buy?

When you add up those annual averages for the Yankees players highlight here, it totals $170,000,000 (a year) for ten players. That $170 million for those ten players is more than any other total team payroll in baseball last season (outside of the Yankees payroll).

I know that Nick Swisher, to date, has ALDS/ALCS/WS batting averages of .083/.150/.167 this post-season. And, Robbie Cano’s mark is .167/.261/.167, to date. Also, Mark Teixeira’s line is .167/.222/.105 through Game 5 of the World Series. But, has any Yankee “choked” this off-season as much as A.J. Burnett?

Yeah, there’s Phil Hughes…facing 33 batters so far this post-season and allowing 15 of them to reach base…

And, true, Burnett had an effective start in the ALDS and a very good start in Game Two of this World Series…

But, look at Game Five in both the ALCS and the World Series this year. Both times, the Yankees were up, three games to one, with a chance to finish off the series with A.J. Burnett on the hill.

What happened? In Game Five of the ALCS, Burnett allowed four runs in the first inning. And, in Game Five of the World Series, Burnett allowed six runs before he could retire his seventh batter.

Talk about being in the spotlight and just melting…

Burnett may be a great teammate and all that; but, when it comes to being in a big spot, I don’t feel comfortable with him on the mound…based on these two Game Five situations…do you?

Via the Palm Beach Post with a hat tip to Pete Abe -

Benched for alleged “fatigue,” slumping New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez partied until 2:30 a.m. Saturday in Miami Beach. He then disappeared into the tropical night with actress Kate Hudson in the back seat of his chauffeured Maybach.

And while it’s pretty obvious A-Rod and Hudson are an item, the third baseman wasn’t too fatigued to continue pretending otherwise. Indeed, it must be a coincidence that Hudson, the star of Almost Famous and Fool’s Gold, is in Miami just as Rodriguez’s New York Yankees are playing the Florida Marlins in SoFla this weekend.

And it must be another coincidence that they “ran” into each other at a private party on SoBe late Friday.

And also blind luck they both ended up in A-Rod’s set of wheels about 2:30 a.m., even if they left the fiesta 15 minutes apart, a spywitness tells me.

Alex being Alex.

Remember, back in April, when A-Rod said he had recommitted himself to baseball and the Yankees and planned to have “tunnel vision” this season? I guess now we know what type of “tunnel” he was talking about…

Via the AP -

Ready to return from the disabled list, New York Yankees reliever Brian Bruney blamed an 8 1/2-minute wait during an umpires’ video review for causing a strained flexor muscle in his right elbow.

Bruney went on the disabled list April 25, six days after he was warming up in the bullpen during the seventh inning when umpires checked video before upholding a home run by teammate Jorge Posada. Bruney then entered in the eighth and got three outs.

“Major League Baseball needs a way to figure out if it’s a home run or not,” Bruney said Monday. “It shouldn’t take 8 1/2 minutes, and I think that’s what screwed me up.”

Bruney pitched just once after the April 19 game, throwing an inning on April 21 before going on the DL. He said it was obvious to him from the first replay that Posada’s drive just over the right-field wall against Indians reliever Jensen Lewis was a home run.

He called the players’ association and learned only then that replays are provided to umpires from a central location.

“I don’t know what the 8 1/2 minutes was all about,” he said. “I don’t know if like somebody was on lunch break or what.”

Bruney kept on warming up, not sure how long it would take for umpires to return to the field.

“I could have quit throwing, I could have waited and started again,” he said. “I don’t know if he’s coming out in 30 seconds or 3 minutes or 8 1/2 minutes. It turned out to be the latter. I mean, that’s a long time for a reliever to be throwing or any pitcher to be throwing.”

Bruney allowed one run in one inning during a minor league rehab appearance Sunday and is slated to be activated Tuesday.

Mike Port, Major League Baseball’s vice president of umpiring, declined comment on Bruney’s allegation.

…I could have quit throwing, I could have waited and started again…I don’t know if he’s coming out in 30 seconds or 3 minutes or 8 1/2 minutes. It turned out to be the latter. I mean, that’s a long time for a reliever to be throwing or any pitcher to be throwing…

Hey, Brian, what if it had been a situation where Posada was hurt, on the field, running the bases – instead of a situation where the umps had to review the video tape – and there was an 8 1/2 minute delay while the Yankees trainers worked on Posada? Or, what if the Yankees just kept getting two-out hits, over and over, for an 8 1/2 minute period? In the case of Posada’s injury, you wouldn’t have known if it would take 30 seconds or 3 minutes or 8 1/2 minutes to tend to him. And, with the two-out hits, you would have not been able to tell if the inning would last another 30 seconds or 3 minutes or 8 1/2 minutes.

Dude, you made the call to keep throwing – assuming that the umpires might make a quick call. Therefore, this is your fault – and not the umpires. Geez…I thought Bruney was better than being a blame-layer. Guess not?

Via the Daily News -

Hundreds of irate fans – some who claim Yankee employees told them the game had been rained out – stormed away from Yankee Stadium before Monday night’s game against the Red Sox even got underway and couldn’t get back in, resulting in a an ugly scene at one of the ticket gates.

With rain falling for hours and no start time announced until shortly before 9 p.m., hordes of fans began leaving the Stadium and heading home – some who said they had been advised that the game had been called by Yankee employees who walked the concourse holding pinstriped “How may I help you?” signs.

When a 9:20 p.m. start time was eventually announced over the public address system, a crowd on the sidewalk outside Gate 6 tried to get back into the Stadium, only to have the employees working the turnstiles promptly close the doors in their faces. Panicked fans began racing up and down the sidewalk, trying to find a way back into the ballpark, while others remained at Gate 6 either pleading or demanding to be let back in.

“We talked to the security personnel, who said there was zero chance they were going to play the game,” said Tom Stuart, a 27-year-old from Astoria who waited out most of the rain delay before leaving with his girlfriend. “We spent three hours drinking beer – you can’t drink much because they’re 10 bucks apiece – now they’re going to play a game in front of 35 fans.”

Becky Wright, who flew in from Oregon for Monday night’s game, had bought two tickets as a birthday present for her 16-year-old son, Seth O’Neil. They left the game because “the guys holding the ‘How may I help you signs?’ said they weren’t going to play,” said Wright. They were among the hundreds of fans outside Gate 6 trying to get back into the Stadium.

Jason Zillo, a Yankee spokesman, said the team has a firm no-reentry policy. He also said the NYPD and Stadium security hadn’t let any fans back into the ballpark.

“We’re a part of hundreds of people, if not thousands,” said Martin Watson, a 39-year-old New Yorker who spent $800 for four tickets and tried to reenter through Gate 6. “This is not fan-friendly. This is B.S. You pay money for a top-of-the-line franchise, and you get bottom-of-the-line customer service.”

“I built this Stadium and they won’t let me in it,” a man wearing a local union jacket said before storming off.

While fans were being rebuffed outside Gate 6, scores were having their tickets rescanned outside Gate 4 and being allowed back into the Stadium, but that lasted only for a limited time.

One fan, who was wearing a No. 2 Derek Jeter jersey and a backward Yankee hat, approached a reporter to say he had been let back in, but couldn’t do so because the Yankees wouldn’t rescan his father’s ticket. A turnstile supervisor directed the reporter and several fans to the customer service window, which was locked.

At least one fan was arrested outside the Stadium. Roseanna Franco, 25, of White Plains, was charged with assault, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest after she allegedly kicked a New York City police officer after not being let back in.

Stadium security also threatened to revoke the credential of Daily News photographer Robert Sabo, who was shooting the scene outside Gate 6 – a location photographers weren’t prohibited from working at on Opening Day.

“They were super-embarrassed and told me to go back to my position on the field or they’d take my credential,” Sabo said.

After most of the crowd had dispersed outside Gate 6, turnstile workers opened the doors and began letting people back into the Stadium. But it was already too late for hundreds of fans.

Hey, the fans shouldn’t feel bad. For what it’s worth, at the new Stadium, the Yankees recently also rudely treated Paul O’Neill and his wife too.

Strange. I would bet that the Yankees try and write this stuff off as being the bugs of opening up a new Stadium. But, really, did they never have a two-hour rain delay before a game at the old Stadium? And, did they never have a former Yankee, and current broadcaster, and his wife visiting the park at the old Stadium? These are not situations that are unique to the new Stadium, and, therefore, they should have been handled better by the organization. Hopefully, we’ll never hear of these types of situations happening in Yankeeland again – because, they should just not be happening, period.

(H/T to BBTF on the stories.)

During tonight’s Yankees-Red Sox, on April 26th, Boston had the bases loaded in the bottom of the 5th inning, with Jacoby Ellsbury on third, and two out. On a 2-2 pitch to J.D. Drew, New York’s Andy Pettitte, throwing from a full wind-up, allowed Ellsbury to steal home.

Let’s flash back to April 21, 2006. Remember what happened then, when the Yankees told Worm Killer Wang to pitch from the full wind-up, on a 3-2 count, with two outs, and the bases loaded? Via Tyler Kepner back in the day:

With two outs and Millar on second, Wang lost his control, walking Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis to load the bases. From the bench, the Yankees told Wang to work from the windup, thinking he would be more comfortable.

But Wang is slow from the windup, and on the 3-2 pitch to Melvin Mora, Roberts and Markakis took enormous leads. Mora smacked a grounder to shortstop Derek Jeter, but his only play was to first, and his throw pulled Andy Phillips off the base.

By the time Phillips landed on the bag, Mora had slid in safely. He also had accomplished a rarity, knocking in two runs on an infield single.

Brian Roberts, three years ago, took the Yankees to school on what can happen when you go to the full wind-up with the bases juiced, two outs, and a full count…and, this evening, Jacoby Ellsbury showed us that New York learned nothing three years ago…because, again, the Yanks got embarrassed by sleeping on the field in a big spot.

Yeah, I know it was a 2-2 count this time. But, that’s close enough to it being a full count in a situation like this…

Via the Post -

The son of Yankees senior vice president Felix Lopez Jr. – who is the son-in-law of Bronx Bombers owner George Steinbrenner – was busted in 2002 for trafficking in a banned date-rape drug that has been used by athletes for muscle recovery, and for possession of anabolic steroids at his Tampa, Fla., apartment, records reveal.

Felix Lopez III, who in recent weeks has been spotted at the Yankees’ minor league facility in Tampa working out in official team sweats, served 19 months of probation after pleading guilty to reduced charges in 2003.

Lopez, 30, had been arrested at his Tampa home in September 2002 as part of a nationwide Drug Enforcement Administration sting, which cooperated with local law enforcement authorities, for trafficking in a drug known as GBL.

Earlier this week, a source told The Post that Lopez had been acquired as a strength trainer for the Yankees minor league facility, which his father, Felix Lopez Jr., oversees.

Lopez Jr. is married to Jessica Steinbrenner, the younger daughter of the Yankees principal owner.

But Lopez III, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, and Howard Rubenstein, a spokesman for George Steinbrenner, all denied that the younger Lopez had been, or was going to ever be, hired by the Yankees.

“I have not,” Lopez III said, when asked if he had been hired. “I’m not a hire … I wish.

“No, it’s always best to let family just do kind of their own thing. I don’t work for the complex at all, no W-2, no paychecks, nothing.”

Lopez III did confirm he has visited the minor league complex, noting that his dad works there.

The Post’s questions about Lopez’s criminal record caught a number of highly placed Yankees sources by surprise, as they were completely unaware of that aspect of his history.

The Stein family is starting to look more and more like the Bluth’s…everyday.

I just turned on the MLB Network and saw Tom Verducci talking about this in a Breaking News segment…

My thanks to those who left comments here in other entries, also alerting me of this…

Here’s the scoop from SI.com -

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.

Wow. If true, Jose Canseco was right again. And, all of a sudden, the Joe Torre book doesn’t seem like the biggest news in Yankeeland any more…

Update, 12 noon EST, 2/7/09: How many times do you think this video clip will be replayed in the next 24 hours?

More on Joba’s wild night out – via the Daily News:

Yankees star Joba Chamberlain downed vodka-and-sodas and caroused at a Nebraska strip club in the hours before he was busted for drunken driving, the Daily News has learned.

The 23-year-old pitcher went drinking at a bar in downtown Lincoln and then capped off his Friday night at a local jiggle joint, where he got into a tiff with another customer over the rival Red Sox, witnesses said.

Chamberlain – who had a blood-alcohol level more than 1-1/2 times Nebraska’s legal limit when he was nabbed – was heckled as he and friends watched the dancers at the Night Before Lounge, witnesses said.

“Some guy yelled out, ‘If you played for the Red Sox, you wouldn’t be sitting here,’” clubgoer Gary (Bo) Bohaty said.

Boston was knocked out of the playoffs Sunday night.

“That got a rise out of him,” said Bohaty, owner of the Beacon Lounge, a bar next to the strip club. “[Joba] turned his head and said, ‘What did you say?’ and the guy yelled it out again.”

As Chamberlain kept shouting back, one of the pitcher’s friends got into a shoving match with the heckler, said the club’s manager, who asked not to be identified.

Once order was restored, Chamberlain and his five friends stared at the gyrating dancers for nearly 90 minutes before leaving just after midnight. Chamberlain paid the $145 tab and left a $100 tip at the club, where the cover charge is $3, the manager said.

His estranged mother, Jacqueline Standley, has said her struggle with alcohol and drugs led her son to be raised mostly by his wheelchair-bound father.

The father snapped at reporters outside his home yesterday.

“Please get off my property,” said Harlan Chamberlain, who then pointed to a woman in a neighboring driveway. “If she got a DUI, would it be a story?”

Harlan, who seems to enjoy all the media coverage that he gets at Yankee Stadium, etc., has to learn that the media is a two-way street. Well, at the least, he’s learning it now…

As far as Joba, hey, he’s not the only ballplayer to hang out in nudie bars…but, the DUI thing is still inexcusable. Dude, call a cab. I’m sure they have car service places in Lincoln, Nebraska, don’t they?

Via the AP -

New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain has been arrested for allegedly driving under the influence, speeding and having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle.

Deborah Collins is a spokeswoman for the Nebraska State Patrol.

She says Chamberlain was stopped for speeding on U.S. 77 near his hometown of Lincoln at about 1 a.m. on Saturday.

Collins says Chamberlain was taken to the Cornhusker Place Detox in Lincoln, which she says is the normal protocol.

Chamberlain was lodged at the center on charges of driving under the influence, having an open container of alcohol and speeding.

Collins says the county attorney likely would file formal charges on Monday.

An e-mail sent to Chamberlain’s agent Saturday was not immediately returned.

As I have mentioned before, DUI is a terrible, terrible, crime – in my opinion. It’s inexcusable.

The first thing that came to my mind when I heard this was Jim Leyritz. Chamberlain is lucky he’s not in that type of situation right now.

Maybe the Yankees should set up a session for Joba to meet Matthew Wasser’s parents this off-season – so that Chamberlain can hear from someone close to it just how terrible a choice of DUI can be?

Chamberlain is young and he can learn from this incident. Hopefully, he will learn from it. But, until he proves that he has learned from it, his status as a guy who “gets it” has to be moved down – several pegs.

In the end, the Yankees finished 6 games behind the Boston Red Sox this season – and six games back from being the A.L. Wildcard team.

On the season, the Yankees went 51-46 when playing “winning teams” (meaning they had a winning percentage >=.500) and 38-27 when playing “losing teams” (meaning they had a winning percentage <.500).

It was New York's play against "losing teams" that hurt them in the standings this year - as Boston went 46-18 against "losing teams" and Tampa Bay went 42-19 against "losing teams." The difference here between New York, Tampa and Boston is why the Yankees finished where they did in the standings.

In total, when the Yankees played the Reds, Pirates, Indians, Tigers, Royals, and Rangers this year, they went 15-21. And, those are ‘bad’ teams. If you want to say that those 7 games under .500 against these ‘bad’ teams is the difference between the Rays, Bosox and Yanks this season, I would not fight you on it.

In particular, from June 6, 2008 through July 10, 2008, the Yankees lost six games to the Royals, Reds, Rangers and Pirates that they should have never lost. Here are the games – and the player on the Yankees who probably had the biggest hand in that loss:

June 6th vs. The Royals – Goat: Johnny Damon

June 9th vs. The Royals – Goat: Melky Cabrera

June 20th vs. The Reds – Goat: Jason Giambi

June 30th vs. The Rangers – Goat: Jorge Posada

July 1st vs. The Rangers – Goat: Melky Cabrera

July 10th at The Pirates – Goat: Alex Rodriguez

Damon…Melky…Giambi…Posada…and A-Rod. Hey, what can you say? It was a team effort, right?

The Yankees version of Mortimer and Randolph Duke – and, yes, this would make Brian Cashman to be Louis Winthorpe – reached a low-point to me with this one. Via the Post -

The Red Sox fan who paid $175,100 for the tattered David Ortiz jersey buried in the foundation of the new Yankee Stadium had the best seats in the house at last night’s game: The Boss’ box.

Massachusetts car dealer Kevin Meehan rooted for the hated Sox from the Steinbrenner box after snapping up the luxe seats in a charity auction. Boston won 7-3.

He bought the seats months before the jersey was found buried in two feet of freshly laid concrete.

“I suppose I could have worn the shirt, but it would have caused a bloodbath,” Meehan said. But he called his first ever trip to the Stadium “a great experience,” adding, “Everyone was really friendly.”

The Ortiz jersey was jackhammered out of the concrete in April after Sox-loving Bronx hardhat Gino Castignoli buried it behind home plate in an effort to curse the Yanks. Proceeds from its sale went to a cancer-research charity.

Com’on guys – just leave the box empty, rather than sell it to a Sox fan, if you can’t be there. And, if you want to give money to charity, then just reach into your pocket and do it that way. You still get the write-off.

Via the Daily News -

“He’s not the villain he’s cast as,” Cashman, who signed Pavano to the contract, said Monday. “Carl Pavano has worked his butt off. He’s always tried. He just hasn’t stayed healthy. No one is trying to avoid him. When he’s healthy, he can pitch. He’s one of the hardest workers we’ve got. People don’t want to realize it or look at it, but that’s true.

“He hasn’t laid down on us, he just hasn’t been healthy. People lose their objectivity and make it things it’s not. The bottom line is, he’s had every intention of helping us, but between all the injuries, we’ve had a lot of stuff that hasn’t worked physically. When he’s healthy, he can do what few can do.”

Yeah, that’s Carl – he’s all about helping the team.

Great quote here Cash. It’s an insult to the intelligence of Yankees fans around the world. But, it’s an instant classic in the making.

The Yankees had the 28th, 44th and 75th overall selections in the draft this year.

What happens? With the 28th pick, they take a kid, Gerrit Cole who will not sign. With the 44th pick, they take a kid that many feel was an “over-draft” – Jeremy Bleich. And, with the 75th pick they take a kid, Scott Bittle, with a bad shoulder.

As a result, in the end, the Yankees only sign one of their first three picks in the 2008 draft – and it was the one who was an “over-draft” – Jeremy Bleich.

Basically, the Yankees threw away two of the first 75 picks in this draft because of bad decisions on who to pick. They didn’t do their homework in terms of sign-ability and health.

Sure, they get some extra picks next draft as a result of the “no signs.” But, they also miss the chance to have some premium talent mature in their system over the next year.

Great job here by “Ca$h-money!,” huh?

Have you seen the post-game quotes from Ian Kennedy on his effort last night? Mark Feinsand and Cliff Corcoran were right on them. The ones that stand out to me, from “IPK.”

“It’s the first bad outing I’ve had in a long time. I’m not going to look much into it. I felt like I made some good pitches. Yeah, I got the leadoff hitter on quite a bit, but got out of it in the second inning. I’m not too upset about it. . . . Even on their singles, like, what, ground balls? So, that’s not a big deal.”

“A bunch of singles and three doubles or so. I’m just not real upset about it. I’m just going to move on. I’ve already done that.”

Well, now we know why the Yankees were so slow to call up Kennedy – despite the fact that he was beating up on weak Triple-A hitters. When you hear comments like these, it’s clear that he’s a horse’s patootie in terms of his attitude.

If I’m the Yankees, and I’m hearing this, I send him right back down to the minors – now.

Via the Post -

Alex Rodriguez has no problem doling out dough for fancy toys and stripper gal pals – but when it comes to his two nonprofits for needy kids, he forked over little more than a measly $50,000 for the last complete year of giving, tax records reveal.

(more…)

Well, while the 2004 Varitek fight and following ALCS may have been a bust for Alex Rodriguez, it seems that wasn’t the only bust that he was working in Boston that year…via the Boston Herald:

The most wanted woman in Massachusetts is Candice Houlihan – the ex-stripper from Reading who had a two-night fling with Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez.

The dancer-turned-hairdresser is being pursued by ABC’s “Good Morning America,” FOX News, “Inside Edition,” a pack of photo agencies including Splash News, “Access Hollywood” and Us magazine.

Not to mention attorneys for Cynthia Rodriguez, who sued her All-Star hubby for divorce Monday alleging “extramarital affairs and other marital misconduct.”

Houlihan told the Track that she had a two-night stand with the Bronx Bombers’ hot cornerman after meeting him at Fenway Park in 2004. C-Rod was pregnant with their first child at the time.

The former Centerfolds pole princess said she and A-Rod had sex at his Ritz-Carlton hotel room the July 2004 night he got into an on-the-field brawl with Jason Varitek. They hooked up again during that season’s American League Championship Series.

Why do I feel that Ms. Houlihan is not going to be the first and last A-Rod “friend” to come out of the woodwork in the days, weeks, and months to follow?

Via the Daily News -

Pop icon Madonna is using kabbalah to brainwash Yankee star Alex Rodriguez into believing they are “soulmates,” the ballplayer’s estranged wife is telling friends.

Cynthia Rodriguez, who has bolted to rocker Lenny Kravitz’s Paris pad to avoid the limelight, is blaming the Material Girl for breaking up her five-year marriage, a close friend told the Daily News. The 34-year-old stunner has revealed to close confidants that she discovered a note her husband wrote professing his true feelings to Madonna.

“I believe he was having an affair with Madonna,” she told a friend, who spoke anonymously for fear of angering A-Rod. “She said she found a letter where Alex told Madonna: ‘You are my true soulmate.’”

[Cynthia] has privately insisted to pals that the “Hard Candy” singer beguiled A-Rod by introducing him to the mystical Jewish teachings of kabbalah.

“I feel like Madonna is using mind control over him,” Cynthia Rodriguez told the friend. “I don’t recognize the man he’s become. He was a sweet, beautiful, loving husband and father. Today he’s very cold and calculating.”

The Bombers’ $275 million third baseman upset his wife in April by showing up 10 minutes after she gave birth to their daughter, Ella Alexander. He only exacerbated her hurt feelings by spending only a day with her and their newborn before rejoining the Yankees.

“This all started with kabbalah,” said the friend. “Alex told Cynthia that he’d discovered that he’d been looking for his soul mate. And now, he said, he’d found her.”

Three weeks after the birth of their daughter Ella, A-Rod dropped a knee-wobbling bomb on his wife, the friend said. Alex “came to Cynthia and claimed their marriage was over,” the friend said. “That was news to her. She’d had no clue. She said, ‘I was devastated,’” the friend said. “I’ve been with him for 13 years,” she told her friend. “I stood beside him through all his struggles.”

Alex’s response to all this was: “Bats, they are sick. I cannot hit curveball. Straightball – I hit it very much. Curveball, bats are afraid. I ask Madonna to come, take fear from bats. I offer her cigar, rum.”

Seriously, what a mess. The “A-Rod Big Apple Circus” lives on…

Great, just what this Yankees season needs…a storyline that reads like something out of a movie from 1969. Via Newsday:

A-Rod may have made one too many errors — in his marriage, that is.

While Rodriguez deals with accusations that he’s been cavorting with Madonna, now comes the news out of left field that his wife Cynthia has fled to Paris for a romantic fling with rocker Lenny Kravitz.

According to reports, Cynthia left her two children, the youngest just 3½ months old, back at their Miami home before flying to Paris.

The wild rumor, first reported by perezhilton.com Wednesday, is particularly odd because Madonna and Kravitz used to be an item. The two go back to 1990, the year they first became an item and wrote Madonna’s hit “Justify My Love” together.

Hey, look, this stuff comes with the territory. Go read “The Big Bam.” As great as Babe Ruth was on the field, the Yankees had to deal with all the off-the-field stuff that came with the Bambino too. This is what happens with the biggest star, highest paid player, etc. – especially when he’s a bit of a “playa.”

Still, it’s terrible timing on all this. If the Red Sox coming to town isn’t reason enough for ESPN (and the like) to be all over the Yankees like hair on soap, this just makes it worse. Sure, A-Rod’s been down this road before – with the Joslyn Morse thing, his wife’s choice of T-shirts, and the second Canseco book – and has been able to “no comment” his way out of it. But, this time might be different.

And, there’s a difference between the days of Ruth and now. The media protected players, to an extent, back then on affairs and stuff…heck, the media almost agreed in 1973 to not bring up the whole Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich thing because it was ‘not baseball related’…however, these days, ESPN (and others) live for a chance to play up these stories.

Get ready to hear a lot more on this one.

Jack Curry reports that the Yankees are upset over the fact that David Ortiz has been selected to be the main man in the “Call Your Shot promotion” at this year’s All-Star Game (to be held at Yankee Stadium).

The New York brass would be smart to drop this one. There’s no way they’re going to look good having a hissy fit over this promotion. It’s just chum for the Yankees-bashers, if you ask me.

Considering that their parent franchise is heck-bent on honoring the past and following tradition, this was a pretty bad move, in my opinion, by the Triple-A Yanks. Betemit was only there for a rehab stint. Did it really matter if he was assigned the same number as the one he wears in New York? If he wore #99 while down there, would it have really mattered?

Via Donnie Collins of the Scranton Times Tribune:

Did anyone else notice that Wilson Betemit wore number 14 on his uniform during his brief rehab stint with the local Yankees last week? And that sound you just heard was the last breath getting kicked out of the Red Barons.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t pay close attention to uniform numbers — and it’s possible that 14 has been worn by a countless number of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees before Betemit donned it. But I do seem to remember walking into PNC Field every day back when it was called Lackawanna County Stadium and noticing a large glass case on display on the concourse.

Behind that glass: Greg Legg’s retired uniform — with his number 14 prominently displayed. Yankees fans make a big deal out of retired numbers. Come to think of it, they make a big issue out of numbers that aren’t retired, too. I just wish 18 seasons’ worth of history in this area warranted enough respect for this number to be a big deal, too.

We’re not talking about a number that should be retired here. We’re talking about one that was retired.

Legg obviously meant enough to the people he’d eventually call his neighbors and the franchise that revived professional sports in this area that he became the only Red Barons player to have his number retired.

Hey, I understand that Betemit has played 416 games in the big leagues and that the Legger played, ironically, 14. But it wouldn’t take much to just take 14 out of circulation for the Yankees and, in doing so, honor a beloved player and remember 18 pretty important seasons in our local baseball tradition.

Whenever I covered a game in Rochester, I’d have the privilege of running into Joe Altobelli, a Rochester legend who played for the Red Wings before moving on to catch for and manage the Baltimore Orioles. His uniform number 26 is retired by the Red Wings, but they didn’t put it back into circulation when the Orioles left town and the Minnesota Twins moved in a few years back.

Another good example: Former outfielder Hank Sauer’s number 9 is retired in Syracuse. Sauer’s major league career ended 18 years before the Chiefs’ parent club, the Toronto Blue Jays, even existed. But even the Blue Jays prospects can’t wear his number.

Via Joel Sherman:

Privately, the Yankees admit they incorrectly handled Alex Rodriguez’s initial quad strain.

He suffered the injury on April 20 in Baltimore and soon after left the team to be with his wife in Miami for the birth of their second child. Because the club was on the road in Cleveland and because Rodriguez has an iron man history, the Yanks allowed Rodriguez to talk his way back into the lineup without an MRI exam on April 25.

Club officials have told The Post they regret that decision. They think it is possible they let an injured player to continue playing, turning a mild strain into a Grade 2 strain and a Disabled List stint.

“We are dying right now without Posada and A-Rod against lefties,” GM Brian Cashman said. “But we have to properly wait out the healing process and not let what is transpiring day to day impact the decision making.”

I have to disagree. If Cano and Giambi were hitting, and, if Ensbreg and Duncan were not busts this season, the Yankees should have been able to weather this small storm of live without Rodriguez and Posada.

No one could have saw this coming with Cano. But, the Giambi/Ensberg/Duncan thing did not come straight out of the blue – - as there were signs that counting on these guys could have been a mistake.

But, of course, it’s much easier to point fingers at injuries than to blame poor roster construction.

Via the Star Ledger -

The days blur together, distinguished only by minor developments in his throwing program — an extra 10 feet of distance, another dozen throws. For Carl Pavano, even these marginal increments serve as benchmarks on yet another agonizingly slow journey back to the mound.

The rest of the time, he’s just passing the time.

“I’ve got the baseball package, I watch all our games, I relax,” Pavano said yesterday at the Yankees’ complex in Tampa. “I mean, what is there really to do? I try to eat well, and stay in shape, and look forward to my next throwing session. That’s really all I’ve got going right now.”

In his time with the Yankees, he’s pitched in only 19 games, going 5-6. He missed all of 2006 and is still a ways off from throwing off a mound this year, as he focuses on getting his surgically repaired elbow up to strength with long-tossing.

Aside from watching the Yankees games on TV, Pavano doesn’t stay in contact with any of his teammates. When asked if he would visit the team during their series with the Tampa Bay Rays this week, he shook his head and said, “no chance.”

Pavano’s agent Tom O’Connell — the fourth agent the right-hander has gone through in his career — believes that Pavano would still be a desired commodity on the free-agent market this winter, even with his injury history.

“Carl’s a 1-2 starter,” O’Connell said. “Those guys don’t grow on trees. Those guys are very rare, 200-inning guys are very rare in this game, and they’re the ones that make the money. And he did it two years in a row, before he got hurt, and I’m sure he’s going to do it again.”

“Carl’s a 1-2 starter.”

Well, I’ll give him # 2. But, I’m thinking of “# 2″ as in what you teach a toddler to say when they have to go potty and it’s more than just a tinkle.

I missed this one last week. (A report in the Calgary Herald just got it on my radar.) Via the Daily News on April 6th:

The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Yankees Wednesday night, but there was no ill will between the two teams later that evening when some of the players showed up at Rick’s Cabaret to, um, blow off some steam.

The Blue Jays bought the Yanks their first round of drinks.

“Later, they even ‘traded’ some of Rick’s Girls. Multiple blonds and brunettes danced for both teams,” our snitch says.

“Dancer” Karen (34C-23-35) said, “I love the Yankees, but the Toronto guys had a lot of class. Oh yeah, they were great tippers.”

Somehow, I don’t see this happening if it’s the Red Sox or Rays instead of the Blue Jays.

Via the AP:

Alex Rodriguez sat in the first-base dugout at Legends Field, surrounded by the usual circle of cameras, microphones and reporters. He knows the scrutiny will only increase as he approaches Barry Bonds’ career home-run record, especially in an era when all top athletes must prove they haven’t juiced up on performance-enhancing drugs.

In his first session with reporters during spring training, Rodriguez talked about baseball’s drug-testing program and made a curious statement.

“Last year, I got tested 9-to-10 times,” Rodriguez said. “We have a very, very strict policy, and I think the game is making tremendous strides.”

If Rodriguez had been tested that many times, either he was selected for an unusually high number of checks or he might have been subjected him to additional tests — which would happen, for instance, if a player tests positive for a stimulant for the first time.

Later in the day, A-Rod said it was just hyperbole.

“My quote from earlier today was taken literally. I was not tested nine or 10 times last year. I was just using exaggeration to make a point,” Rodriguez said in a statement through Yankees spokesman Jason Zillo.

“My intent was simply to shed light on the fact that the current program being implemented is working, and a reason for that is through frequent testing. I apologize for any confusion I may have caused.”

First day of Spring Training, for him, and A-Rod already finds himself in a pickle. Ten more years, huh?

Via the USA Today (and the AP) -

Oft-injured pitcher Carl Pavano arrived at the New York Yankees’ minor league complex Friday and played catch for 12 minutes.

A $39.95 million bust since signing with the Yankees as a free agent before the 2005 season, Pavano had rotator cuff surgery last June 5. It’s not known whether he will pitch in 2008, the final season of his four-year contract.

Yankees vice president Billy Connors and pitching coach Dave Eiland watched Pavano’s throwing session, which was broken into two segments. The right-hander’s throwing distance reached around 90 feet.

Eiland plans to meet with Pavano and Yankees head trainer Gene Monahan Monday to discuss the pitcher’s rehab program.

“He feels great,” Eiland said. “The ball came out of his hand well.”

Pavano, who threw in a restricted area, did not stop to talk with reporters.

He “played catch for 12 minutes.” Twelve minutes.

Twelve minutes!

Go ahead, and, count to 720. That’s twelve minutes. Man, that Carl, he’s a workhorse!

Every time I hear a story about Brian Cashman buddying up with Theo Epstein, I have to confess, that, it puts a little tweak in my spine.

Yeah, I get it. They’re professionals. They’re in a select circle. There’s only 30 of them in the world. They need to be able to communicate. And, in a sense, they’re a band of brothers. So, they should be able to socialize and enjoy each other’s company. Fine.

But, Cashman just seems to be “too-buddy-buddy” with Epstein, and vice-versa. I almost want to yell “Get a room!” at them or something.

From ESPN.com -

Former Major League Baseball player Jim Leyritz was arrested Friday on charges of driving under the influence and killing another driver after his vehicle crashed into hers.

Leyritz, who turned 44 on Thursday, faces charges of DUI manslaughter and DUI property damage, said Detective Kathy Collins, Fort Lauderdale police spokeswoman.

Police believe alcohol was involved in the crash, though investigators are awaiting results of blood alcohol tests, Collins said. He posted the $11,000 bond and was released from the Broward County jail at 2:35 p.m. on Friday, according to Keyla Concepcion, a public information officer for the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

It could not be determined whether Leyritz, who lives in Davie, had a lawyer.

Fort Lauderdale authorities got a call at 3:20 a.m. that a crash had occurred in the city’s entertainment district, Collins said.

She said Leyritz was driving a 2006 Ford Expedition when he collided at an intersection with 30-year-old Fredia Ann Veitch of Plantation, who was driving a 2000 Mitsubishi Montero.

Veitch was ejected from the car, police said. She died at Broward General Medical Center, Collins said.

Witnesses told police Leyritz had a red light. Officers on the scene observed Leyritz to have red, watery eyes, a flushed face and an odor of alcohol, police said.

Leyritz was told Veitch had died and he was asked to submit to a blood test, police said.

“After he refused, Leyritz was informed that blood would be taken above his refusal,” the police statement said.

I hope the courts punish Leyritz for this terrible crime. This is a tragedy – when someone so young, minding their own business, is taken away for no reason whatsoever outside of someone else’s inconsiderate behavior. It’s beyond sad.

From George King:

Former Yankee traveling secretary David Szen yesterday pleaded guilty in federal court to filing a false tax return, admitted he failed to report more than $50,000 in tips from players and coaches and was fired by the club.

Szen took a paid leave of absence in late July while the investigation was under way.

“I was wrong, and for that I’m humbly sorry, your honor,” Szen told U.S. District Judge Mark Kravitz in New Haven, Conn.

Outside court, he asked for forgiveness and apologized to his family, employer and friends.

Szen, 56, was released on his own recognizance and will be sentenced March 7. Federal guidelines call for up to six months in prison for the felony conviction. He also faces a fine of up to $100,000 and will be required to pay $10,285 in back taxes plus interest and penalties.

Authorities said the tax loss was $10,285 based on under-reporting of $53,350 over five years. Szen, whose reported 2005 income was $63,631, received tips ranging from a few hundred dollars to $10,000 for services provided to unidentified coaches and players during the baseball season.

The position of Yankees traveling secretary paid an annual salary of $63,631 in 2005? In terms of net income, over the course of a calendar year, what is that, about $900 a week?

No wonder why he didn’t report his tips. If I was clearing less than $200 a day and working as hard as he probably had to work, I’d be looking to make-up some ground where I could too.

Some Yankees named in the Mitchell Report -

Roger Clemens (page 215 of the PDF file), Andy Pettitte (page 223), Chuck Knoblauch (page 225), David Justice (page 229)…

…I would go on, but, I guess the PDF was being hit by everyone and his brother on the ‘net, because, the file kept hanging on me. So, next, I looked for some reports and saw that these guys made the list too: Ron Villone, Mike Stanton, and Kevin Brown.

Of course, this skips over the guys that we knew about like Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, and Jason Grimsley.

Of all the Yankees fingered, only Pettitte matters now. And, from what I’m reading, Andy used HGH in 2002 for his elbow rehab. That was five years ago – which is water way under the bridge, for me.

The “report” reads like a book – a heavily foot-noted book. It’s a nice summary of how it all got to this point. But, I don’t see it as being what it was billed to be…

Anyway, now, baseball has popped the pimple on its face and hopes that its complexion will start to clear up. In the meantime, I guess us fans will be stuck looking at the red mini-volcano there until this goes away.