Baseball

Glen Bheck was so happy that he couldn't believe it.

At the end of play on Sept. 5, 1966, the New York Yankees were eliminated from the pennant race. It was the earliest this wonderful event had occurred since 1925.

Sixth-Place Yankees

I suffered so much. Oh, how much I suffered. I started watching baseball in the early 1950s, and almost invariably, the New York Yankees won, or at least were in, the World Series.

With all apologies, I am not Flattish Poe, or do not want to dis her man, but will offer some suggestions to what is behind Jayson Werth's beard.

Werth, who is in the last year of his contract and may seek $16 million a year to parade around right field, came into spring training Monday sporting a big beard.

I can speculate a few reasons why the beard appeared, the repercussions of said facial hair, and how this might end for the talented right fielder.

What do expect from a multi-talented player who hit 36 home runs, drove in 99 RBI and stole 20 bases last season?

Over the next month or two, stories about spring training will sprout up across the nation like grass on a freshly manicured Florida diamond.

Professional writers like Jayson Stark and Bill Gammons, as well as amateur bloggers and writers like myself, will begin to pen stories about the true meaning of spring training.

Any attempt at creating a list of "the best" anything is very difficult. The good part is that no matter who you pick (most of the time), some will like it and some will think it sucks. That, my friend, is the nature of the beast.

Wandy Rodriguez, no doubt, is in Houston Astros spring training with something to prove.

The 31-year-old, 5'11" left-hander recently lost his arbitration battle with the Astros, receiving $5 million in 2010 when he was asking $7 million.

According to the above linked article, Rodriguez is content about what happened in arbitration and is "...here to work hard and have another good year."

I mentioned yesterday the possibility of the White Sox signing A.J. Pierzynski to a one- or two-year deal to serve as a mentor/platoon partner for prospect Tyler Flowers.

Well, today, Pierzynski addressed that very question:

With Spring Training starting, the Blue Jays are more than unlikely to make another significant move, having already made a few under-the-radar moves and traded the face of the franchise. I will analyze all the players that have left the team and all the significant players that have arrived to play for Canada's largest city.

Coming To Toronto

Alex Gonzalez, signed one year, $2.75 million deal
This deal was to replace Marco Scutaro, who was destined to leave as a Free Agent, as after his breakout season would demand more money.

Like Carl Crawford, the chances of Jayson Werth re-signing with his current club beyond the 2010 season seem to be slim to none:

The Phillies are coming off an offseason in which they signed Shane Victorino, Roy Halladay, Joe Blanton, Danys Baez, Placido Polanco, Brian Schneider, Carlos Ruiz and Ross Gload to multiyear deals, pushing their 2011 payroll to $130.85 million.

Did the New York Yankees' reluctance to give Johnny Damon two years deal reflect something about their love for free agent to be Carl Crawford? According to Jon Heyman, the answer is yes.

Bobby Cox is a man of many words, most umpires are aware of that, but none know Cox like his players.

Cox is a players' manager, the type of guy any player wants to play for. Ask any of his former players and they'll tell you that Bobby is no doubt the best manager they have played for. Never has he put himself first, but his players always come first.