Fan News

It has been brought up countless times, By owners and fans alike, "The MLB needs a salary cap."  

Every year the argument is renewed, and with five of the eight teams that made the playoffs this year having payrolls over $100 million and of course with the much maligned New York Yankees money machine taking home the Commisioner's Trophy the cries of foul play seem as loud as ever.

In both my 2009 postmortem and my 2010 offseason plan, I laid out two key points.

Last off season, JJ Putz was the best move the Tigers didn't make. 

If not for an injury to Fernando Perez that killed a three-way deal involving the Rays, JJ Putz may have been hamstringing Detroit in 2009 and not the Mets, and Edwin Jackson may have formed a dominant pitching tandem with Felix Hernandez instead of Justin Verlander.

Putz became a free agent today when New York declined his nine million dollar option. This time around, the Tigers have much less to lose in taking a shot on the Trenton native and former Michigan wolverine.

As the 2002 postseason came to a close for the New York Yankees on a Nick Johnson pop-up to Anaheim Angel shortstop David Eckstein, one question was immediately raised as the players solemnly gathered their belongings together from the visitors dugout and continued down the hallway to the clubhouse.

Is it just me, or is Bon Jovi getting annoying?

Once the kings of pop metal, the band that serenades us during postseason commercial breaks has become a watered-down country-rock group with none of the edge they used to have.

With that in mind, here are 10 songs that could have been the anthems of the 2009 baseball season.

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After watching the continued success of the New York Yankees as the most financially driven team in MLB, it begs the question—are the New York Yankees as World Series Champions bad for baseball?

The Twins cleared up a logjam in the Outfield by moving Carlos “Go Go” Gomez to Milwaukee for Shortstop J.J. Hardy.

I think it’s a great deal for the Twins. They have too many Outfielders with Denard Span, Delmon Young, Michael Cuddyer, and DH Jason Kubel. As for the Twins they got some pop at Shortstop, which they haven’t had in years.

While literally millions of New Yorkers (including myself) were busy celebrating the 27th New York Yankee World Championship up and down downtown New York's Canyon of Heroes, the rest of Major League Baseball began offseason business as usual.

The National League Champion Phillies moved quickly in picking up the 2010 club-option on their lefty ace Cliff Lee.

Lee, who went 7-4 with a 3.39 ERA in 12 starts for Philadelphia during the latter half of 2009, will be owed $9 million in the final year of his contract.

Ever since 2004, Alex Rodriguez had to listen to the criticism, hatred and talk of under-performing in the biggest games.

The, "You're a bum, A-Rod, you strike out in the biggest spots," or the "you're never going to be as good as Jeter is," o ther "we won't win a championship with you because you suck."

On and on. 2004. 2005. 2006. 2007. Failed Octobers with the Yankees.

In 2008, the Yankees didn't even make the playoffs, though A-Rod signed a new 10-year, $275 million dollar deal the winter before the season.