Robinson Cano fires Scott Boras

It's looking like Robinson Cano will be around to torture Red Sox pitchers and rob would-be gap hits for years to come. The Yankees' second baseman has reportedly ditched superagent Scott Boras and signed on with Roc Nation Sports, an agency headed by hip-hop mogul and Yankees fan Jay-Z.

Robinson is in a contract year, and rejected an extension offer from the Yankees this spring training while still represented by Boras, whose negotiating strategy is nearly always marked by testing the market in free agency to find the most lucrative deal. Red Sox fans will remember this strategy, because it's caused them to lose out on free agents to the endlessly wealthy Yankees multiple times, perhaps most notably Mark Teixeira in the 2008-2009 offseason.

Cano is my second-favorite Yankee (you can't beat out Mariano Rivera, at least for one more year). You might say I have a soft spot for second baseman, given my love for Dustin Pedroia, Ian Kinsler, Marco Scutaro, and Cano. As much as I don't love watching Cano rake against Red Sox pitchers, I do love to watch him play, and I would hate to see him go to the NL where he'd undoubtedly be successful, but I'd miss watching him.

Though it's certainly possible that Cano ends up elsewhere, despite the much-lauded agent switch, things certainly look good for the Yankees.

Opening Day Thoughts

If you follow me on Twitter, you already know that I missed watching today's game live, because I was stuck in Port Authority and then on a bus from 11am-7pm.  Luckily, I was able to listen to the WEEI coverage via the MLB AtBat app, and then I watched the Sox in 2 replay on NESN when I finally made it home.

I love Opening Day. It's truly a clean slate - everything about last year is wiped away, and, as they say, hope springs eternal. It especially helps when the team can start off the year with a decisive win over their storied rivals.

It was pretty strange to watch a Red Sox/Yankees Opening Day sans David Ortiz, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, and Alex Rodriguez - and it just seemed plain wrong to see Kevin Youkilis, clean-shaven and pinstriped, scoring the first Yankees run of the year. But everything went according to plan for the Red Sox, who didn't trail once during the game.

On a personal note, I have Jon Lester on my fantasy team, but I never got to set my roster (I was computerless in New York and New Jersey all weekend), so I won't be getting any credit for his first win of the season. Since that was the only negative aspect of the day, I think I can get over it.

Limping Pinstripes

While the Red Sox are pondering what to do without David Ortiz for the first couple weeks of the season, the Yankees are having a similar problem - though multiplied in severity. We already knew that Alex Rodriguez was going to be out for at least half the season recovering from hip surgery, but his absence is just the tip of the iceberg.

Mark Teixeira is out at least until mid-May with a strained tendon in his right wrist, and he's lucky to be avoiding surgery. Curtis Granderson fractured his arm on February 24th when he was hit by a pitch, and will also be out more than a month.

Luckily for the Yankees, CC Sabathia has seemingly recovered from his offseason surgery, and is scheduled to return this Friday. Meanwhile, it's only due to Ichiro Suzuki's unique brand of badassery that he emerged from a car accident unscathed last week.

The Yankees are getting desperate as some of their most talented (and well-compensated) veterans succumb to freak accidents and the ravages of aging, apparently asking Chipper Jones to come out of retirement to shore up the roster (he declined). Kevin Millar, unable to resist a joke, had this to say:

But even GM Brian Cashman isn't content with contributing to the team by signing players. No, he felt the need to show his solidarity with his battered troops by earning a fracture of his own - while skydiving, of all things.

So while it's certainly a huge bummer to be missing David Ortiz for a little while, we can take comfort in the fact that things could always be worse - and that they're finally worse for the Yankees.

2010 ASG: A Middle School Popularity Contest

Click to enlarge

According to MLB.com, these are the leaders for the 2010 All Star Game in the American League. I didn't include the outfield list because (A) no Red Sox player is in the top 15, and (B) no Red Sox outfielder has played at an All Star level so far this season anyway.

But there is a reason for this post: to encourage you to vote! As a political science major, I am a major believer in the old adage that every vote counts... and as a realist and baseball fan, I use the email addresses of everyone I know to vote for the All Star Game.

Before you accuse me of being a shameless homer (which, at times, I am), let me just say that I'm not going to tell you to vote across the board for Red Sox stars. At many positions, the Sox starters just don't deserve it this year (although I would be surprised if Jonny Lester wasn't selected, but pitchers are different). However, the epitome of an undeserving leader is the Yankees' Mark Teixeira.

Another strikeout for Teix...

Teix is hitting an abysmal .221 thus far, bad even for the notoriously slow starter, and though he's known as an on-base guy, his OBP is just .338. For comparison's sake, the #2 vote getter at first is the Twins' Justin Morneau, who's hitting a league-best .377 with 11 HRs (3 more than Teix). Boston's own Kevin Youkilis is third, and he's hitting .298 with 10 HRs, and an OBP of .445. Youk has scored more runs (45) than anyone else in baseball, and he's also drawn the most walks (42).

I'll just concede Jeter's start right now, even though he's not nearly the best SS in the AL, or even in that top 5 listing. The ASG is a popularity contest, and always has been, which is why Dustin Pedroia still retains second place among second basemen, despite a .255 BA (though he has just as many homers as one Mark Teixeira).

Obviously, Joe Mauer will start behind the plate, and he absolutely deserves it. It's looking more and more like Evan Longoria will be at the hot-corner, and I can definitely get behind anything that knocks A*Rod down a notch or two. The outfield will, as always, include Ichiro Suzuki (the secret ninja).

He's also secretly related to Spiderman.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm pushing for YOUK to break through... or at least Morneau. Because if Mark Teixeira wins the starting spot for AL first baseman, it'll be the biggest popularity contest/travesty since a middle school class president election. So get out there and VOTE, Red Sox Nation!

Fist-pump at your own risk.

FINALLY... My finals are over, grades are in (excpet for one particulaly delinquent professor), and aside from a few administrative things, I'm done with sophomore year. You guys know what that means: I'm now free to focus on the more important things in life - like baseball.

Last nights heart attack of a game was actually the first time in about a week and a half that I got to watch more than 3 innings of a Sox game, and I sure picked the right one.

As soon as I was able to tune in, my least favorite player (ever) started melting down. Yes, I'm referring to Joba Chamberlain AGAIN... the kid's a punk, and watching him blow the game for New York was absolutely delicious. The first PLAY I saw was least-favorite-players two and three botching a Scutaro grounder - an A*Rod throw that pulled Mr. Leigh Teixeira off the bag at first. So. Much. Gloating. What an expensive error, eh? Between the two of them, A*Rod and Marky-Mark are pulling down nearly $60million this year.


I'll be back later with a longer post (probably a State of the Sox update), but I had to take this opportunity when I had ten free minutes and give you patient readers something after my extended absence!

"Because we're the Yankees."

On the list of douchiest quotes ever given, Spring Training edition, Mark Teixeira took strides to an early lead yesterday. In an article appearing in the New York Post (thanks to Surviving Grady for the link!), Teixeira made his prediction that the Yankees will repeat as World Champs. Now, you're probably wondering, "What's so douchey about that? Everyone from the Astros downward says they'll win this time of year."

Yes, I know how preposterous it would be to kick off Spring Training by proclaiming that your team has regressed, and you're probably good for a third or fourth place finish. It was the choice of words Teixeira used that makes his prediction so unbearably douchey.

When asked why he was so confident, the first baseman replied "Because we're the Yankees.... You have to feel that way every season." He might as well have said, "Because our GM will throw buckets of cash at anyone we could possibly ever need, so why worry?"

Teixeira went on to say that he felt good about the "great team with a core of guys back." Presumably, at this point the reporter slapped him across the face, then reminded him that the Yankees had lost World Series MVP Hideki Matsui and Queen of Cheap Home Runs Johnny Damon; Teixeira immediately recanted his take with the following:

"That's baseball. Every year there's a different group of guys. The guys we brought in are going to do just a good a job as the guys that left, so I don't think we're going to skip a beat."

And if you do, Cashman can just buy you some more players, right Mr. Mercenary?

It's no secret around here that I loathe Mark Teixeira. He's second on my Most-Hated Yankees list, Contemporary Edition, to one Joba Chamberlain, and this article is a perfect example of why. I never hope for a player to get hurt in any physical way, but I will admit to wishing Teixeira the very worst in the way of luck and statistics this year and beyond. As the leader in douchiest quotes ever given, Spring Training edition, he deserves it.

It may be irrational, but...

Exactly a year ago today, I wrote this post about Mark Teixeira's New York press conference. It was my third post ever, and I'll admit that I might have overreacted in some respects. However, I stand by one thing in particular: I LOVE hating Teixeira. But why, exactly, is he as high as #2 on my Most-Hated Yankees List (Contemporary Edition)?

Is it the team-leading 39 home runs he hit in 2009?

Nope.

Is it because his wife wears the pants?

Nah... I don't hold grudges based on that stuff. But just look at her... it's like she's practicing remote mind control.

Is it the idiotic face he makes when he's hitting the ball?

No, but we're getting closer...

I'm pretty sure it's the fact that he can look like this:

Dear god, why? Mark Teixeira just strikes me as an annoying human being. Would I like him if he played for the Red Sox? It's possible... But I don't pretend to be rational about these things. Mr. Leigh is officially #2 on the Most-Hated Yankees List (Contemporary Edition) - brownie points to those of you who can guess my #1.

Let's Settle This

As most (probably all) of you know, I am on Twitter (LoveSox 15). I really enjoy Tweeting during the games, because it allows me to converse with fellow Sox fans, and some semi-intelligent Yankees fans (They do exist! And some are quite fun to argue with... really know their stuff.). However, tonight I got in a bit of a mini-argument with one about Youkilis and Teixeira. I bet you know how it went, and there was a bit of homerism on both sides. But seriously, let's settle this right now, with some stats from baseball-reference.com. I will try to be as bias-free as my Red Sox obsession allows, and I welcome debate in the comments... Now, on to the facts (Since they have different service times, we'll look at the 162-game average).

Teixeira:
7 seasons with the Rangers, Braves, Angels, and Yankees.
BA: .289 OBP:.378 OPS: .924 HR: 38 RBI: 123 BB: 80 K's: 124
Postseason appearances: one series, four games (2008 ALDS)
World Titles: 0
2009 Salary: $20.625 million

Youkilis:
6 seasons with the Red Sox
BA: .292 OBP: .392 OPS: .825 HR: 21 RBI: 95 BB: 84 K's: 120
Postseason appearances: six series (2005 ALDS; 2007 ALDS, ALCS, WS; 2008 ALDS, ALCS)
World Titles: 2 (Youk got a 2004 ring though he was not on the Postseason roster).
2009 Salary: $6.25 million

So the stats tell pretty much the story that any fan might expect: pretty even, with Teixeira having the edge in the power categories and Youk with the advantage in most others. I absolutely concede that it's not Teixeira's fault he has not played extensively in the postseason, as it takes 25+ guys working together to do that. However, Youk was an integral part of the 2007 and 2008 Sox runs, and it wouldn't be fair to him to ignore those performances. Obviously the salary is a plus for Youkilis' team, as it allows Theo to go out and use the leftover money for more parts the Sox need to make another run (not that Cashman has any shortage of money if he wants it).

On to the intangibles:
Teixeira: a switch hitter, with power from both sides of the plate... that's all I got (not that I don't think there might be more, but I will admit to now knowing as much about Teix and the Yanks as I do about Youk and the Sox. Feel free to add.)

Youkilis: a Gold Glover at first, and an above average defensive third baseman; can play outfield in a pinch; a beard with its own Twitter account; a restraining order against Billy Beane (again, feel free to add).

I think it might be too close to call, so I'm bringing in the photographic evidence:Remember kids, "Crack is whack!"

Gotta go with the Youk-fu. This look seals the deal for me...

Inter-rivalry bromance (TTT)

Introducing a new type of post: Top Ten Tweets of the game.  For any of you who aren't familiar with Twitter, Google it (then join: it's fun!)

10.) "I know I want tickets to the Pedroia gun show!!!" Melky Cabrera tried to stretch a double into a triple in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Drew corralled it and gave Pedroia a great throw to relay in to Mikey Lowell for the out.  Pedroia has an absolute cannon, which we don't really get to see because he's the second baseman.  Also, props to Drew for getting to the ball so quickly and being so spot on with his throw.  (Below: The Dustin Pedroia gun show.)

9.) "Big Papi loves him some Yankee Stadium."  David Ortiz has traditionally mashed at Yankee Stadium, so what better place to get him back on track?  Tonight Ortiz went 1-for-3 with two walks, bringing his average to .225... If the first step is hitting your weight, Papi needs another game or so (he's listed at 230)... but he's successfully hitting everyone else's weight except for Hunter Jones (235), Brad Penny (230... yeah, right), and Jason Varitek (230). (Below: the Curse of Big Papi.)

8.) "Captain Jeter's range is soooo bad... I love it."  Don't get me wrong, I have more respect for Jeter than for any other Yankee (except possibly Rivera), but he is not a productive shortstop anymore.  For all of his crazy pirouettes, Jeter can't reach a dribbler that I would even expect Julio Lugo to make a play on.  I wouldn't want to be the one to tell him he has to switch positions... (Below: Jeter throws to first... unfortunately, the runner is already at second.)

7.) "Oh, but it's so nice to watch Teixeira struggle." The Yankees first baseman went 1-for-4 with two K's (both courtesy of Beckett).  There's one guy who can't wait for A*Rod to come back... if only because it will take some of the scrutiny off of him.  Oh, and speaking of hitting your weight? Teixeira isn't even close (.198 average, listed at 220). (Below: Epic, expensive, FAIL.)

6.) "Joba's obviously upset that Youk's not in the lineup tonight.... I wonder who he'll throw at instead...?"  Though Joba had exceptional control tonight - the NESN commentators were waxing poetic about him - he still managed to do this...

5.) "Guess Joba just likes to hit the cleanup batter... Youk? Bay? Doesn't matter to him."  Hall of Fame Pitcher Dennis Eckersley was in the booth tonight, and was immediately up in arms about Joba's bean ball pitch.  He called it "obviously intentional," as well as "inexcusable," especially since Joba had been putting the ball exactly where he wanted it all night.  I just think Joba's pissed that his mom got caught dealing meth. (Below: Joba's mom.)

4.) "Wow. Do you think NESN's cameras could zero in on someone else when Pedroia is packing a HUGE lip?" I mean, I know he's one of the most recognizable people on the team, but seriously... He's not someone you zoom in on in the dugout.  If he's not dropping vehement f-bombs, he's packing a bomb.  Obviously, the whole spitting tobacco juice thing is super attractive AND healthy, so I understand why NESN would want to showcase it to America's youth. (Below: Pedroia, packing a lip as usual.)

3.) "I'll take hit batsman to load the bases, for $600, Alex." The Yankees intentionally walked JD Drew in the eighth, which is probably a good call, since he has no feelings and is a great hitter when the pressure is on.  Add that to the fact that Jeff bailey was scheduled up, and I would make the same decision.  However, the Yankees bullpen is just a big bowl of suck this season, and Bailey got hit with a pitch to load the bases.  The Sox would score two runs in that inning. (Below: Alex Trebek loves the Red Sox. No really, he does.)

2.) "Nick Green, will you marry me?"  Now, I know what you're thinking, and it's not just the potential for free baseball tickets that led me to make this proposal.  The Sox have won 15 straight when Green starts, and lost all four when Lugo has.  Green has a .283 average, while Lugo is hitting a dismal .214 (at least he's beating Teixeira!).  All other things being equal (they're both rather error prone), I'll take Green... At least until Lowrie is ready. (Below: Green practicing his Jeterian pirouettes.. coming soon, the patented fist pump.)

1.) "LOVE PEDROIA... Pedey throws out Jeter (his BFFL) for the last out, completing the sweep."  There are so many good things here: Jeter's out, we win, SWEEP.  But after the WBC, we know that Pedroia and Jeter have a bit of a bromance going on, so we should be thankful that they can bear to play each other.  Hey, it could be worse, Pedey could be bosom buddies with A*Rod.... except he thinks A*Rod is "a dork."  (Below: inter-rivalry bromance.)

Best Friends For LIFE!!!  As long as we're winning, I'm okay with this.

6 things I love right now...

1.) A straight steal of home by Jacoby Ellsbury.  Okay, you know how I feel about him, but tonight, he totally earned all of that admiration the fangirls heap on him every time he takes a breath.  I might even consider getting a #46 shirt... maybe when his OBP is up over .350...

2.) Our ridiculously productive farm system.  Beyond the obvious position players (Youk, Pedroia, Lowrie), the farm system has given us quality arms.  Tonight Theo's strategy of "stockpiling" quality arms was on display, starting off with Justin Masterson (you know, the 6'6" sinkerballer that drives a Mini Cooper) and continuing with Hunter Jones and Michael Bowden.  Love it. So much.

3.) The savvy free agent pickups from the offseason.  This one is in the same vein as the last, but I LOVE that Saito can close when Paps (he of the erratic control) is unavailable, having pitched two straight days.

4.) This team knows how to win.  They pull it together during slugfests and nailbiters, can string together plays and create runs (see Ellsbury, above), or, conversely, slug it out with the best of them.  For instance, yesterdays game? Ridiculous.  Thought I was looking at a football score.

5.) Mark Teixeira goes 0-for-4 with a strikeout, all of his outs courtesy of a Red Sox homegrown player.  maybe this is vindictive, but it just feels so good to see him struggle to hit his weight and commit errors (third inning) while Mikey Lowell hits .324 with sparkling defense.  I wonder how much his wife will love New York when they're getting hate mail...

6.) SWEEPING THE YANKEES!!!! (This one should need no explanation)

Five Minute Musings

Five points, based off of five reactionary Twitter posts I made during the game:

1.) "Can you please stop swinging at the first pitch?!?"  This one was the first of the game, in the very first inning, and it was directed towards, you guessed it, leadoff man Jacoby Ellsbury.  Once again, he swung at the first pitch, which resulted in an out.  Does he know what his responsibilities as a leadoff hitter are?  In case he's wondering, he's supposed to GET. ON. BASE.  Ideally, this should happen after he sees a few pitches, in order to wear down the starting pitcher and let his teammates see what kind of stuff the guy has.  FAIL on both accounts.  However, the Pretty-Boy did collect two hits on the night.

2.) "JASON BAY IS MY FAVORITE CANADIAN!!!!"  Bay took the offering from Orioles' starting pitcher Jeremy Guthrie and deposited it in the right field bullpen, making the score 7-2 Baltimore (Drew was on base, having taken a walk).  At this point in the game (bottom second), I was still reeling from the grand slam Nick Markakis hit off of Brad Penny earlier in the inning, and Bay's hit made me hopeful that the Sox' bats could come alive... after all, I'd witnessed it scarcely six months earlier, and the Rays are a tougher opponent than the Orioles.

3.) "JD Drew again!  All those bashers need to STFU."  I will admit to being guilty of Drew bashing at times, but it's all in fun, and always relates to his extensive injury history.  However, despite having a total lack of visible passion (walk? strikeout? home run? All get the same stony faced expression from Drew), he tends to come through when the Red Sox need him.  In this Tweet, I was referring directly to the triple in the fifth inning, but also to his round tripper in the third.  And speaking of coming through, we mustn't forget that Drew carried us through Papi's absence last June, and it's looking like he might have to step up again, as Ortiz's average fell to .158 today...

3.) a. (Bonus Tweet!) "Who are you, and what have you done with David Ortiz?"  Papi looks absolutely lost at the plate so far... I for one am scared.

4.) "Pedroia=Love"  You all already know my thoughts on this topic.  However, this reaction came in the sixth inning, when Pedroia led off with a single, advanced to second when Youk was hit (in the HELMET!) with a pitch, and reached third when Drew walked.  Jason Bay hit a sacrifice fly to left-center field, and Pedroia tagged up and scored, making the score 9-8 Boston.  Mike Lowell would single in another run before the inning was over, but at the time, Pedroia's run was huge.

5.) "Mikey Lowell > Mark Teixeira" This was actually my reaction to Lowell's aforementioned single in the sixth.  However, I would like to quote some statistics to show Red Sox Nation that Lowell is the better deal for Boston.  Mike Lowell is batting .229 with 8 RBIs and 2 HRs, coming off major hip surgery in the offseason, at the age of 35.  Teixeira is batting .160 with 3 RBIs and 1 HR, at the age of 29.  Lowell is owed $12.5 million for 2009, while Teixeira is slated to earn $20.6 million.  Add that to the fact that Teirxeira looks like a small child, and Lowell looks like your favorite uncle, and Boston clearly wins... And just remember the last time a young infielder coveted by the Sox went to the Yankees.  Yeah... I'd say that one turned out in our favor, too.

The two subjects of my posts that uses mathematical symbols.  Picture courtesy of bostonherald.com.

O Captain! My Captain!

According to the Boston Globe, Jason Varitek has requested a one-on-one meeting with Sox owner John Henry this weekend. Take that to mean that (A) Henry doesn't want to see Scott Boras right now or (B) Varitek is miffed at Bors for advising him to decline arbitration [therefore giving up $10-$12 million] or (C) both.

I think I'm going to go with (C). John Henry is not happy with Scott Boras right now, something else we can thank Mark Teixeira for. Henry made as much clear earlier today: when asked about his relationship with the agent, he sarcastically asked "What relationship?" and declined further comment.

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The meeting will take place "tonight" near Varitek's off-season residence in the Atlanta area, and will undoubtedly be more productive with Boras' absence. Hopefully this meeting will accomplish something. I always pictured Varitek as a realist, so hopefully he knows his market value, even if his agent is publicly delusional [Jorge Posada money? Please.]. As such, the Captain must know that, at this point, in this off-season, the Red Sox are really the only team that can use him. I can't imagine any other teams paying Varitek more than the Sox will and giving up a first round draft pick.

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This gives the Red Sox all the chips, which is their favorite way to "negotiate." With all the uncertainties [rehabbing players] the pitching staff has this year, it would be nice to have some continuity in the catching situation, and Varitek is unarguably adept at calling a game. Don't get me wrong, I think Jason Varitek is definitely on the downside of his career, but I also believe that his personal problems [he got divorced during the 2008 season] affected him more than he was willing to admit, and if nothing else, I doubt that he will get significantly worse in 2009.

Long-term deal for Youk?

ESPN's Peter Gammons is reporting that first baseman Kevin Youkilis is on the verge of signing a four-year contract with the Red Sox worth around $40 million.

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Earlier this off season, Youk's agent reported that though the sides were talking, it was unlikely that they would reach an agreement this winter.

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Personally, I love this. As we know, Papelbon has gone on record as saying he will go year by year, and wants to "set the standard" for salary at his position, but I'm hoping that Theo and co. will use the money they saved when Teixeira went to New York to lock up Jon Lester and Jason Bay for the long term.

Around the Horn: Mike Lowell

"I'm kind of pumped." - Mike Lowell

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Me too. I have to admit that I was one of those people clamoring for Theo to sign Teixeira, at the expense of Lowell if necessary. I won't pretend that I was happy that Teixeira's coming would mean the departure of Lowell, but it seemed like a sacrifice that, if made, I could accept. However, knowing what we do now [that Teixeira is only in it for the money - and what his wife tells him], Lowell's own loyal sacrifice is that much more admirable.

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Mike Lowell gave up years and money by returning to Boston last off season after being named the 2007 World Series MVP. Most players go to the highest bidder, regardless of so-called "intangibles" like positive environment, dedicated fans, or good team chemistry. However, it's good news for the Red Sox that they can retain someone like Lowell: they must be doing something right. Just this off season, Dustin Pedroia admitted that he didn't mind leaving money on the table in exchange for reasonable job security. If I had my choice, I would take a team of Mike Lowells and Dustin Pedroias over Alex Rodriguezs and Mark Teixeiras any day.

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Lowell has never been that flashy player who talks a big game and only sometimes delivers. Mike Lowell is the man who never stops trying to get better. He quietly goes about his business, putting together strong season after strong season, and rarely getting the recognition he deserves. Though Lowell was drafted by the New York Yankees in 1995, Lowell made a name for himself with the Florida Marlins, winning a Silver Slugger in 2003 and a Gold Glove in 2005, before being traded to Boston before the 2006 season. At the time, Lowell was viewed as a salary dump, a player that we needed to take if we wanted Josh Beckett [and we really, really did], but he turned out to be an integral part of the 2007 World Championship Red Sox. Without #25, Boston probably doesn't make it that far.

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Add all of these things to the fact that Mike Lowell and his wife are both cancer survivors, and you have an inspirational story that can only be trumped by Jon Lester's. I highly recommend Lowell's book, Deep Drive, to anyone who has a cancer survivor [or patient] in their family, or anyone who likes the Red Sox, baseball, or entertaining literature.

Yankees subpoenaed

"An official says a New York Assembly committee investigating the use of millions of dollars in public funding to build the new Yankee Stadium has issued subpoenas to the team's president and an official with the city economic development office." -AP

What took them so long? How can that franchise have the audacity to plead poverty and demand public funds to build a new, state-of-the-art stadium, and then go on a spending spree? This off season, the New York Yankees have spent nearly half a billion dollars on three free agents [CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira], and yet, they can't afford to fund their own stadium, asking the taxpayers of New York for help.

Around the Horn: Kevin Youkilis

Going through the Red Sox one player at a time, by position, while hoping that by the time I get to catcher Theo will have signed someone other than Josh Bard for me to talk about. First up, our first baseman, Kevin Youkilis.

After Dustin Pedroia, Youk is probably my favorite Sox player. Even though the goatee is getting a little out of hand, you have to love the hard-nosed way he plays the game, especially during an era in which the "superstars" have decided that it's beneath them to run out a ground ball. Remember the scuffle between Youk and Manny this summer in the dugout? Apparently, Manny was annoyed at Youk's behavior [mostly the fact that he mourns every out he makes like the loss of a loved one]. News flash, Mr. Ramirez: fans would much rather see Youkilis mouth profanities after striking out on a nasty fastball from Mariano Rivera than watch you standing in the batter's box, thinking you've hit a homer off of some no-name rookie, then seeing you stranded on first base on what could [should] have been a sure double. Weird, right?

Anyway, as a player, you can't ask for much more than what Kevin Youkilis gives you. His 2008 stats: in 145 games Youk hit .312, had an OBP of .390, and slugged .569. He hit 29 home runs, six more than Big Papi, who admittedly was not himself. For all the Mark Teixeira mania, I'm totally OK with having Youkilis as the first baseman; after all, they have eerily similar stats. Youk is marginally the weaker hitter, but it would really depend on what statistics you consider most important. Youkilis' batting average was actually four points higher than Teixeira's, but if you subscribe to the Billy Beane theory that OBP trumps all, than you might take Teixeira's .410 over Youk's .390 - but it's not like the numbers are drastically different.

Youkilis also has uncommon versatility for someone of his hitting prowess. As we all saw when Mike Lowell succumbed to his hip injury, Youk plays a mean third base. Most Sox fans know that he actually came up as a third baseman, and made the switch to first pretty late in his development, turning himself into a Gold Glove first baseman who set the record for consecutive errorless games at the position.

The bearded wonder is also one of those players who can always be depended on to get his uniform dirty. He wears his heart on his sleeve, which Sox fans generally love, though players around baseball find it rather grating [no one more so, apparently, than Joba Chamberlain]. In his spare time, Youkilis and his new wife run a charity foundation, Youk's Hits for Kids. The proceeds from his charity events go to benefit children in the Boston and Cincinnati areas.

According to the Boston Globe, Youkilis will go with a one year contract this year: though the Sox did talk to his agent about a long term deal a la Dustin Pedroia, the sides were too far apart to come to an agreement this year. Hopefully, they'll be able to come to terms in the upcoming year, because I for one hope to see Kevin Youkilis anchoring the corners at Fenway for years to come.

Gag me:

OK, first of all: vomit.

Now that's out of my system... Is he serious? Really, does he think that anyone believes that his sordid history with the Red Sox had nothing to do with this move? All that nonsense about being closer to his family, most of whom live in Baltimore... maybe he wasn't aware that he actually could have signed for a similar amount of money to play in Baltimore?

Personally, I think Scott Boras (who you have to admire, even if you don't like him: when people ask me what I want to do with my life, I often tell them that I dream of being Scott Boras-but that's another story) used Teixeira's longstanding grudge against Boston in order to orchestrate this whole thing. The Red Sox uncharacteristically made it very clear that they coveted Teixeira; the Yankees love swooping in at the last minute and signing someone away from Boston; the incident between Teixeira and the Sox happened so long ago (almost TEN YEARS). Most people would be over it by now, especially considering that the perpetrator here, Dan Duquette, has long since been fired, but not Marky Mark.

This was the perfect way to stick it to Boston: not only were they used to drive up his price, but he got the ultimate satisfaction of signing with the team with the worst connotations for the Red Sox.

OK, yes, that was terrible. It was hard enough to take his signing with the Yankees, but another thing entirely to swallow all that sludge he spewed about the greatness of the Yankees. News flash: I didn't buy it when it was coming out of CC Sabathia's mouth (actions speak way louder than words in that case: it was pretty obvious that CC was waiting for someone-anyone-to come anywhere near the Yankee's offer. No one stepped up, the Yankees bid against themselves, and the rest is history.), and I don't buy it now. The only glimmer of truth that I heard in the whole thing was about his wife. She told him "I want you to be a Yankee." Sorry Leigh, but I heard that you simply didn't want to come to Boston, for whatever reason. Good for her: I'm pretty sure no one in Boston wants her there anyway (was it just me, or did she look like she was about twelve years old?).

All in all, it's fine. I - like most other Sox fans, I suspect - am going to love hating this man. In an ironic twist, Teixeira took Yankee's jersey #25, the same number as Mike Lowell, the man the Red Sox would probably have traded to make room for him. Sorry, Mark, but you're not fit to shine Mike Lowell's spikes. Lowell is the very definition of a consummate professional. There is no way he would hold a grudge against an organization for something that happened nearly a decade before. Heck, Lowell won't even hold a grudge against the Sox for shamelessly offering him as trade bait for months.

I hope Teixeira's been taking notes from Lowell on how to be a class act. He'll need them on April 24, during his first at-bat at Fenway Park. He'll probably get the fan reaction usually reserved for dear old Joba Chamberlain when he throws a heater at Youk's head. And his wife? The jeers directed at her will rival those normally hurled at A-Rod.

You know what? I can't wait.