Well, technically a tie at the moment. But the Padres won’t be there long. I mean, come on — they’re the Padres.

But the Dodgers — they’re a different story. At the beginning of the season, it wouldn’t  have been a stretch to predict they’d be in first place at the end of May. Except with their lackluster start, it sort of is a surprise.

And the star so far is Andre Ethier.  The guy’s nearly hitting .400 and right now is a triple crown candidate — for the entire league (11 HRs, 38 RBI). Of course, it’s a long season, but right now he’s looking like an MVP.

***

By the way? I can’t stand interleague play. When it first began, it was sort of a novelty. The Yankees v. the Dodgers. Cubs v. Red Sox. But now I think it sucks.

First of all, it created uneven schedules. If you get lucky and get to play the AL West during the season, you’re probably going to win more games than the team that has to play the AL East. So when it comes playoff time, you’re at a disadvantage for home field advantage.

Also, it was always special when the AL met the NL in post-season — because they never met before then.  Now it’s just a letdown — especially if one team dominated the other during the season.

Also, I hate how the league plays on cross-town rivalries. It’s a blatant money gimmick — even if the Mets suck, they’ll draw huge crowds if they play the Yankees.  At the same time it pits communities against each other, and there’s often a class component to it. The Cubs fans are much more frat boy/yuppie than the working class south siders — and they both hate each other for their respective ways. Same with the wine-sipping Giants fans vis-a-vis the rough and tumble Athletics crew.

What better way to exploit class differences than to pit sports teams against one another?

Frank McCourt, his loving wife and best friend Tiger Woods pictured in happier times

Frank McCourt was busy sweeping the sand off the front porch of his beachfront condo in Malibu when the batteries went out on his radio.  He heaved a weary sigh and propped the broom in the corner of his rented space and walked inside to look for an extension cord.  He had been listening to the Dodger-Reds game on the radio because he’d sold the rights to his seat on the team plane to a kid from Hollywood High on Craig’s List for $85.99.  The kid’s name was Zach Newby and he’d talked McCourt down from the listed price of $80,000 after three minutes of hard negotiating.  “What can I do?”  McCourt had muttered to himself, “This kid’s got me over a barrel here,” as he forked over his ID pass and plane ticket.

As McCourt stumbled through the dark interior of the condo he kicked a few empty Rolling Rock bottles that had been left out on the floor by his roommate, Jason Repko.  One of the empties skittered across the floor and exploded into little green bits against the far wall.  The noise prompted a grunt from Repko, who was passed out on the couch.  “Whateryoudoin’?” Repko slurred, propping himself up on one pillow.

“I’m trying to clean up around here, something you wouldn’t know anything about.” McCourt shot back.  Ever since he and his wife had split up he’d been insufferable to be around.  He rarely ever left the condo unless he needed some tacos from the truck that parked itself on the PCH and played “La Cucaracha” over and over again until all of the tamales were gone.  He still went to most of the home games but he hated when people would boo him whenever he would get up from his box to use the restroom.  He’d tried purchasing a whizzinator off of the internet so he could go “number one”, as he liked to call it, without getting up and drawing attention to himself but his credit card had been declined.

After sweeping up the glass and throwing it in the overflowing trash can, McCourt proceeded to the utility closet at the back of the condo and rummaged around for an extension cord so he could get back to the game-it was a big one, Chad Billingsley was on the mound and Frank had a good feeling about today.  Today was the day that things were going to change, dammit, he thought to himself as he pulled all of Jason Repko’s old baseball crap out of the closet before spotting the bright orange cord at the bottom.  When he walked back through the living room Repko was watching cartoons and eating cereal.  “What’s the score in our game?”  He asked McCourt, spraying Cap’n Crunch across the coffee table.

Frank wanted to ignore him but then he remembered how fragile Repko’s feelings were and even though he was a terrible roommate and never pitched in money for beer or food Frank desperately needed the $800 monthly rent check-this divorce was really a bitch.
He didn’t make eye contact with Repko as he strode past but did hiss, “We had a great first inning and Casey (McCourt liked to call all the players by their first names) had a big hit with the bases loaded and we staked Chad to a three run lead.  He’s nails, he’s going to lock this bitch down!”  He hadn’t meant to get carried away but he couldn’t help it.  The team was his family now and he silently fumed that young Zach got to make the trip to Cincinnati while he was stuck in this dump with a washed up AAAA outfielder.

Repko burped and slid his cereal bowl onto the table, milk sloshing over the sides and ruining the pages of the Maxim and FHM magazines that they had stacked there.  “I don’t think so man.  Have you seen the way he’s been pitching lately?  So flat, no movement, goes into a shell if somebody gets on base.  It’s tragic.  If I could face him every time up I would be in the hall of fame, bro.  Cooperstown, bro.  Straight up.”  He finished his monologue with a huge fart and then turned back to his cartoons.

McCourt stepped back onto the patio, the sun glinting off of the slate gray waves in front of him and plugged the radio back in.  Charlie Steiner’s voice greeted him with the ominous phrase, “…and Billingsley simply cannot stop the bleeding here in the second inning.”  Immediately he flipped the radio back off, staring at it like it was his wife’s divorce lawyer mixed with a paparazzi photog from TMZ.
“Bro, come in here and watch this episode,” Repko shouted from inside the dank living room.  “Dude, you’ve got to see this episode, it’s the one where Ren and Stempy get in a fight!”

McCourt ripped the radio out of the wall and hurled it towards the ocean off of his balcony.  He watched it sail through the air with a certain satisfaction, feeling that all that was wrong with his life would be made right as soon as it was destroyed.  The radio dropped down, down, down towards the cool ocean where it smashed into Pam Anderson’s back as she ran past on her afternoon jog.  “You animal!”  She screamed as she fell to the ground in pain.  “You are a maniac and a menace, McCourt!  I will sue you!  I will sue!”

McCourt surveyed the damage he had done while he channeled a line from his favorite movie of all time, Rocky V.  “Sue me for what!???!!!?!??!” He shouted out into the deafening surf.  “Sue me for what??!?!?!”  He then slammed the door and watched cartoons with Repko for the rest of the afternoon.

A-Rod? Is that you in there?

In honor of the latest members of the MLB’s PEDebacle, roid-ragin’ WCBias.com presents its new and “better enhanced” All-Steroid Team.

(Don’t forget to compare this list to last year’s first-ballot Hall of Shame class.)

The second edition consists of the who’s who of players linked to performance-enhancing drugs, according to a rash of media reports, the latest leaks of the 2003 flunkies (Manny and Papi), not to mention personal admissions and the good ol’ Mitchell Report.

Last year’s starters, who have since been moved to reserve status, have been crossed out for the newest class of PEDers.

Outfield

• Lenny Dykstra Manny Ramirez
• Barry Bonds
• Sammy Sosa

Infield

• Rafael Palmeiro Mark McGwire 1B
• Brian Roberts, 2B
• Miguel Tejada Alex Rodgriguez, SS
• Matt Williams, 3B
• Ivan Rodriguez, C
• Jason Giambi, David Ortiz, DH

Pitchers

• Andy Pettitte Roger Clemens, SP
• Eric Gagne, RP

Reserves:
(All but Canseco named in Mitchell Report)

• Gary Sheffield, Jose Canseco, David Justice, Gary Matthews Jr. OF
• Benito Santiago, Paul Lo Duca, C
• Wally Joyner, Chuck Knoblauch, Troy Glaus, IF
• Mo Vaughn, DH
• Kevin Brown and John Rocker (just because they’re both such nice guys), Rick Ankiel (use to be a pitcher, couldn’t throw a strike to save his life, disappeared for a cycle second, now he’s back in the Majors as a power-hitting OF? Hmmm, wonder how that happened?) and Brendan Donnelly (replacement player + steroids = ‘roid ragin’ Major League reliever), P

That’s it. Congratulations to all of the new members of the WCBias All-Steroid Team. We’ll see you again at this time next year, when 2010 hopefuls Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, Ryan Howard and Carlos Beltrán see if they can’t make their way into the hallowed halls of shame.

Never in my life did I think I’d become a Tim Wakefield fan, but this Bud’s for you Wake. You’re the only one left in the game who I know is real — 65 mph on the Juggs gun don’t lie. Keep chuckin’ them Wiffle Balls yo. You’re all we got.

David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. Brokeback "mountains."

Shocking news out of the East Coast: Big Papi is a Big Cheat!

Who would have thought big ol’ David Ortiz tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003 – just in time to lead the Boston Red Sox to their first World Series in a trillion years?

Who’s next, Albert Pujols? No way! LeBron James? You’re crazy. Dwight Howard? Not Superman.

Hey, at least people almost care about MLBers doing it. One day the rest of the sports world will start caring. And one day someone will actually test for HGH, then we can relive this whole PEDebacle all over a gain. Awesome.

In the meantime, I’m totally flabbergasted. Speechless. Can’t believe it. Can: function: no longer: somebody: get: me: some: female: fertility: drugs: quick.

Sorry if I’m over it, but this steroid chatter is old hat – kind of like that dusty, sweat-stained 1988 Dodgers World Series hat of mine.

Come on Manny, get the Blue Crew back there yo.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, Manny Ramirez reportedly failed a drug test with Big Papi in 2003, too, even though he swore up and down he’d never failed a test before (after his latest failure). Circus baby, circus.

“You guys want to talk about the game, what is happening now, we can sit down and talk for two hours,” MannRam said prior to Thursday’s game. “If you want more information, call the union.”

What a gamer.

Atta boy Manny, always focused on the task at hand. Just think pennant baby.

What’s wrong with the media? Can’t we just focus on the game people? Who cares if sports has gone to shit: and no numbers are legit: 20 MVPs*: 8 Cy Youngs*: and there’s no integrity, not to mention authenticity, in sports anymore.

We want wins. We want home runs. We want the Incredible Hulk, in dreads, hitting bombs for our home team.

“Me and David, we’re like two mountains,” Manny added for the circus. “We’re going to keep doing good no matter what … Only God is going to be able to move those two mountains.”

And this was six years ago anyway, when only 104 Major Leaguers tested positive for performance enhancers.

Just because MLB and every other major sports league still doesn’t test for HGH, doesn’t mean these guys are still doing it.

These guys are “mountains!” Freaking “mountains!” baby! Can’t be fazed!

Yeah, these guys are “mountains” all right: from a far maybe, but when you finally get up close to ‘em, nothing but mirages in the desert.

I’m over it.

Worthy of the NBA's Top 50.

Slam recently announced its updated list of The New NBA Top 50 players, which brings on some interesting names and drops off a few legends from the NBA at 50 “Greatest NBA Players of All-Time” list – which was unveiled some 13 years ago.

In honor of those fallen greats, WCBias brings you the “Greatest NBA Players You Shouldn’t Forget” Team.

(For the record, these guys were replaced by some pretty darn good players on Slam’s updated list, which includes Allen Iverson, Bob McAdoo, Dennis Rodman, Gary Payton, Jason Kidd, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Steven Nash, Tim Duncan, Dominique Wilkins and Walt Bellamy.) I think you can question the addition of Dennis Rodman, and then whittle that list of guards (A.I., GP, JK and Nash) down to two to keep James Worthy, Pistol Pete, Robert Parish and Sam Jones or one of the other legends on the Slam list. I’m also not sure on the old editions of McAdoo, Wilkins and Bellamy (is that Bill’s brother?), but all in all, it’s a pretty solid list by the guys at Slam.

That said, here’s a closer look at those NBA legends who didn’t make this year’s Top 50 Greatest Players, but shouldn’t be forgotten:

1. James Worthy

Somewhere, Chick Hearn is rolling in his grave. One of the few West Coast players on this list, we should point out, the original “Big Game” James set the stage for guys open-court fliers like Dominique and now LeBron. And he did it the right way, playing for one team, the Los Angeles Lakers, from 1982-1994 – also known as the Showtime Era. The goggled one had 16,320 points, 4,708 boards, 2,791 assists and, more importantly, three titles in 1985, 1987 and 1988. Sure, he was on some good teams, but he’s got as many NBA Finals MVP’s as Kobe (1) and five more NBA All-Star appearances than Rodman (2).

2. Sam Jones

Speaking of titles and dedicating yourself to one team. How is Sam “The Shooter” Jones not on there? Guy won 10 NBA Titles in his 12 seasons with the Boston Celtics. Enough said. Oh wait, “he played with Bill Russell” (12 titles) you say. Well, Kobe also played with Shaq, and nobody has a problem with him being on the new list. Even with Russell on his team, Jones managed to score 15,411 points and was known as one of the most clutch … if not the best … guard of his generation.

3. “Pistol” Pete Maravich

Like Barkley, Malone, Stockton and Co., he never won and title, but defined the guard position in the 1970s after a record-breaking career in college that saw him set the D1 scoring record with 3,667 (despite not having a 3-point line). How good was he in the NBA? Well, good enough to be traded to New Orleans for EIGHT players. That’s an entire team yo. He finished with 15,948 points and 3,563 assists in his decade in the league.

4. Robert Parish

Hobbled by injuries over the years, The Chief still managed 23,334 points, 14,715 boards and 2,357 blocks – now that’s an NBA career (1976-1997, which means he was a rookie a year before I was born and played until I was two years out of high school. Crazy). On top of the numbers, he was an NBA All-Star nine times and won four titles with the Celtics.

5. Nate Archibald

As painful as it is to mention another Celtic, Archibald was as well-rounded a player as you’ll fine in his day – becoming the only player in NBA history to lead the league in both scoring and assists during the 1973 season (at least that was with the Kings that year). His lone title came in 1981 with … guess who? … the Celtics. He was also the NBA All-Star MVP that season and was named to the Hall of Fame exactly 10 years later after a career that netted 16,481 points, 2,046 rebounds and 6,476 assists.

6. Bill Walton

Like Pistol Pete and some of the others on this list, Walton is better known for what he did in college because of a laundry list of injuries suffered at the pro level. But he made the NBA’s Top 50 because he was an NBA MVP in 1978 and a two-time NBA champion (1977, 1986). But are 6,215 points and 1,034 career blocks enough to get you on today’s Top 50? Obviously not. Maybe it’s because of his announcing skills.

7. Bill Sharman

Sharman was another talented all-around athlete (and a Celtic), who actually spent five years in the Brooklyn Dodgers farm system. In fact, he was called up to the bigs in 1951 but never played – but he was part of the bench that was ejected for arguing with an umpire Sept. 27, 1951, becoming the only player in major league history to never play in a game but get ejected from one. That’s my kind of guy. And he’s a USC grad, so he’s got that going for him, on top of playing in eight All-Star games and becoming one of the first guards to shoot better than 40 percent. He is one of three players enshrined in the Hall of Fame as both a player and coach.

8. Dave Bing

Kevin Johnson isn’t the only one getting political after his playing days. Bing, a Democrat, was elected mayor of Detroit in May. On top of winning all kinds of citizen awards during and after his career (Pistons, Bullets, Celtics), Bing was the Rookie of the Year in 1967, All-Star Game MVP in 1976, and finished with 18,327 points, 3,420 rebounds and 5,397 assists in his career.

9. Dave DeBusschere

DeBusschere was the Dennis Rodman of the 1960s and 70s for the Pistons and Knicks. Known for his physical defensive play, the power forward averaged 16.1 points and 11 rebounds over his 12-year career, which included eight All-Star appearances and six trips to the All-Defensive First Team. He helped the Knicks past the Lakers (gulp) for NBA titles in 1970 and 1973.

10. Hal Greer

If anything, Greer should make the team for his sick free-throw attempts, which today would be known as a “jump shot.” Maybe Shaq and Dwight Howard should consider leaving their feet on their free-throw attempts. Couldn’t hurt. He also averaged 22 ppg in 1967 to lead the 76ers to the NBA title and played in 10 consecutive All-Star games, amassing 21,586 points, 5,665 rebounds and 4,540 assists in his career with the Syracuse Nationals/Philly Sixers.

11. Paul Arizin

“Pitchin’ Paul” spent his entire career with the Philly Warriors (1950-62) and left the game as the third-highest scorer of all time with 16,266 points. And while you’ve heard similar tales about MJ and Ted Williams, you probably did know Arizin was cut from his high school team as a senior (and never even played ball as a prepster), and he lost out on some of his best playing years because of military service. Arizin joined the Marines during the Korean War (1952-54). He had led the league in scoring in 1952 and returned to do so again during the 1956-57 season. When the Warriors decided to San Francisco in the early 1960s, Arizin opted to retire rather than head West – leaving the highest scoring average for a retired player on the table (21.9 ppg). It’s OK Paul, we won’t hold it against you.

12. Reggie Miller

Wasn’t on either list, but thought he should be recognized … shouldn’t he? The Indiana sharpshooter never won the big one (thanks to MJ), but dang did he kill Spike Lee and the Knicks in the playoffs. Guess we should also point out he’s the all-time NBA leader in 3-pointers (2,560), 12th in points (25,279), seventh in free throw percentage (88.8%) and seventh in games played (1,323). And you want to talk about clutch? Dude’s the all-time leader in playoff treys drained (320), not to mention those eight points in 8.9 seconds against the Knicks in ’95.

Not convinced these guys should be in the Top 50? Well, how about the Top 60 NBA Players. Combine the NBA list and the Slam List and you have the Top 60 Players in NBA History, which would be tough to argue with. The list is attached as a PDF.

Free Manny Ramirez T-Shirts, for our hardcore Los Angeles Dodgers fans, courtesy WCBias.com.

Get Your Free Manny Ramirez T-Shirts Today! OK, so they’re not exactly “free,” but we couldn’t get Billy Mays to pitch these things and had to do something to get your attention …

You either love him or hate him, even more so now that Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez has been suspended 50 games for testing positive for a banned substance in the eyes of Major League Baseball.

If you still love Mann-Ram like we do, and want to show your support for the Dodgers left fielder, WCBias.com is here for you with our No. 99 Free Manny T-Shirts. Get them while they’re hot today! Or, if it’s a hat you’re looking for, we have FREE MANNY HATS, too.

Support Manny, the Dodgers, and the free content on WCBias.com, by picking up a few for your friends. Heck, get a pair of those Free Manny G-Strings for your moms on Mother’s Day. Nothing says I love you Mom like Free Manny Panties.

Manny Ramirez has been suspended for 50 games. In the meantime, he'll be joining the circus.

Driving home from work today I noticed a yellow tent on the side of the road.

No joke, there’s some ghetto-ass circus that came to town a couple days ago.

And that circus reminded me of a post I wrote a few months back when Manny Ramirez came to La-La-Land, and how I said Manny was bringing a circus with him after all the drama that went down in Beantown.

While Manny is a stud (I won’t vote him on to the WCBias.com All-Stær(oid) Team with the first ballot) and has been a blessing for the most part during his time in Los Angeles, today’s news of his 50-game suspension – for use of a banned substance – showed just how much of baggage can fit in a Range Rover.

But are you really surprised another one of the game’s legendary sluggers was on the juice?

I’ve been saying this for years. If MLB and the other major sports continue to turn a blind eye to testing for HGH, athletes are going to use it. And why not? There are plenty of reports out there that suggest HGH isn’t all that bad for you — so guys take these things like Tic-Tacs.

And it obviously hasn’t hurt guys like Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds or Alex Rodgriguez’s pocketbooks. As long as there is millions of dollars on the table, athletes are going to abuse the system and take this stuff.

Especially if the leagues aren’t testing for it.

So the only way they’re going to get caught, is if something gets leaked, an unnamed source comes forward, or if someone gets fails a test for a drug that is testable and is related to the use of HGH or another performance enhancer that typically won’t be tested for (i.e. Manny getting hit for taking a female fertility drug that’s been known to help athletes testosterone levels following a ‘roids cycle). So Manny did the stuff in the offseason and got busted in spring training on his way back to real world.

And we all know this isn’t the last we’ve heard of performance enhancers.

This has become a traveling circus of its own. The circus came to New York a few weeks ago, starring A-Rod, and now it’s on its West Coast swing.
And are the NFL and NBA immune to this traveling road show. Not a chance.

It came to San Diego in 2006 when All-Pro linebacker Shawn Merriman was suspended for FOUR whopping games – and didn’t face nearly the criticism that Bonds has. And Bonds was never even suspended.

And you know it’s only a matter of time before somebody big gets nailed in the NBA.

It’s obvious guys are doing something to make themselves look Hulk-like, or Superman-like in the case of LeBron James or Dwight Howard.
Your body can’t humanly do the things some of these athletes are capable of doing: at their respective positions.

“But B$lim,” you say, “those guys have been huge since high school.”

So has A-Rod, and he’s reportedly been on the stuff since his prep days. So what makes you think LeBron and Co. haven’t messed around with HGH since an early age?

Guys can’t naturally do the things those guys do.

Shortstops shouldn’t hit 550+ home runs.

And centers shouldn’t be in dunk contests throwing down from the free-throw line.

I think John Smoltz summed it up best today when he said, “Sooner or later there will be enough wake-up calls.” That wake-up call would be the major leagues testing for HGH and all performance enhancers like the International Olympic Committee does with Olympic athletes.

But until the circus comes to town, we’ll just never know who the real freaks are and who just looks freakish thanks to the smoke and mirrors.

Joe Torre on the localism at West Coast beaches: "Dude, that Pemberonian is such a hater."

Dude,

Did one of our own really suggest that Joe Torre is overrated?

Don’t make me change Sr. to Jr. in your blogger title there Pembertonian. Don’t you know you’re “living on borrowed time.”

As KellyS would say, “I’d like you to explain how blogging about whether Torre is overrated exudes the Aloha spirit.”

Dude, I know you saw Torre on that longboard in that car insurance commercial. You gotta respect that, don’t you?

And look at what the Yankees did last year without him – eight-games back in the NL East, where they finished third.

New York won the East every year Torre was there (dating to 1996) except in 1997 and 2007 when the Bronx Bombers finished a disappointing second.

So if second place is disappointing, what is third? Third is what you get when you don’t have Torre managing all those New York egos.

That’s what separates Torre from the rest. Sort of like Phil Jackson during his time with Chicago and during the Shaq-Kobe days in LA.

What’s next? You going to criticize him for allowing the Manny circus to come to town, and then change your tune and make Manny’s mug your Website’s background image eight months later? Oh wait, that was me.

Where was I going with this post?

Oh yeah, Torre surfed, once, which gives him West Coast cred: and brings me to another point. If we can get this New Yorker in a wetsuit and into the lineup, when is Ryantific finally going to suit up?

In fact, I think we need to put together a WCBias.com team-building surf sesh. Me, Pembertonian, BG and RK: and Manny and JT if they’re available. We’ll see y’all at Rincon soon enough.

Stoooooked.

Welcome back to the best side, Manny and Co.

Manny Ramirez is back, and so is The Bias.

OK, so Manny was nowhere to be found during the offseason, kind of like WCBias.com over the weekend during our redesign, but we’re back. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

So we’ve gots some new stuff to tell y’all ’bout here at the West Coast Bias Sports Blog.

Yeah, there’s the whole Manny thing. He’s back. Baseball’s back. We have stuff to write about now. About time.

We’d also be writing about the Lakers brawling with the Blazers and all of that, but not sure where our Lakers blogger has gone of late. Guess dude’s been looking for a job or something. But, I think Pembertonian just found Ryantific a gig, considering the quality of graphic design going on at CSC. Brutal. Somebody hire RK to do their logos. Please.

Speaking of design, WCBias.com has undergone a major redesign. Looks better. Feels better. Brings you everything you want to read about the West Coast better.

It’s Web 2.0 and then some.

• RSS feed clearly located at the top, so you can stay up to speed on The Bias while we’re writing away on company time at our “day jobs.”
• We’ve got the new search engine dialed in.
• Tag cloud to go along with our categories, so you can read more about your favorite topics on WCBias.
• We’ve got the latest West Coast sports headlines pulled in below that, courtesy the LA Times.
• Archives, an ad about some frozen chicken appetizers, recent comments and a blog roll.

Does it get any better than that? Well, it does.

You too can contribute to WCBias now. That’s right. You heard correctly. If you’ve got game, want to write about West Coast sports, we’re willing to give you a shot. Just sign up here and attempt your first post. New users are limited in their privileges, but try an initial blog entry, and we’ll let you know if it’s WCBias material.

Thanks for checking in with The Bias, where it’s all West Coast all the time: unless Pembertonian is blogging about the Pirates, of course.
But that’s where Manny comes into play. Ah, Manny, where would we be without you this spring? Probably in the cellar in the NL Worst.

Welcome back to the West Coast Manny and Co. We’ve missed you.

Like our new design? Don’t like it? Have thoughts on how we can improve it. Let us know in the comments tab on the left or by e-mailing editor@wcbias.com.

I figured I needed a day to sort out my feelings about the Manny signing but after thinking and waiting I realized my feelings, much like the tortuous negotiations themselves, haven’t really changed much. I was happy when I heard the news and I’m still smiling twenty-four hours later. The only thing better than having Manny is having a motivated Manny and with an opt-out clause (really, can’t we just call them JD Drew clauses from here on out?) at the end of the season it’s reasonable to assume that we’ll see Manny’s helmet flying off his head plenty of times over the summer. So good times, right? Sure. There are tons of studies out there showing that lineup protection doesn’t count for anything but don’t you think the (re-) addition of Manny is going to take some heat off of Martin, Loney and Ethier? Instead of trying to muscle up and jerk one out of the yard they can focus on knocking some bingles and drawing some walks to set Manny up for the heavy lifting…so really we’re all winners here….

…well everyone except Scott Boras, but it’s not like he gives a fart in the wind about his reputation amongst fans or ownership. The man is a shark-robot hybrid and has no emotions, so he doesn’t care that people hate him. I did come across this gem earlier today while I was looking into non-guaranteed NFL contracts though; can’t you just picture him snickering over his keyboard while he typed this?

“Max (Montreal): What do you think of what Drew Rosenhaus is doing with Terrell Owens in the owner friwndly NFL?

Scott Boras: A few Owens questions… “Renegotiate” is not in my vocabulary. I advise players to consider all the variables, such as injury vs improvement, before they sign a contract.

I have had players call me about bad contracts they had signed and I always advise that the sanctity of the contract is important for the survival of any system based on performance. To change it when there is improvement is a double-edged sword that will inevitably lead to degrading the contract when the player malperforms.

What a jackass. Or as Miracle Max would say: To blave. Anyway, Manny’s back onboard, the lineup is settled (unless you want to debate Martin or Hudson in the 2-hole) and the rotation is sickening and makes me wish I was dead. Let’s play some ball.