-- FanHouse

Tabloid Cover Boy A-Rod at It Again

Posted: Mar 22nd 2009 1:30PM ET by Ed Price (RSS feed)
Filed under: Yankees, MLB Gossip

The front page of today's New York Daily News reads, "A-ROD & THE MADAM."

Underneath it says, "BLAZING STUPIDITY."

That's an unrelated story, but it often applies to Alex Rodriguez as well.

The story on A-Rod, written by the Daily News' gossip columnist, includes supposed e-mails between Rodriguez and a madam -- how he hired escorts and wooed her as well.

Sigh.

We'd detail the A-Rod timeline here, but even the Internet might run out of room.

Orioles to Give Markakis an Extension

Posted: Jan 17th 2009 8:06PM ET by Tom Fornelli (RSS feed)
Filed under: Orioles, AL East, MLB Gossip, MLB Rumors, MLB Transactions

0 COMMENTS

There haven't been a lot of things that have gone right for the Baltimore Orioles in recent years as the team just hasn't been able to find a way to compete with the big dogs of the AL East despite repeated attempts to buy legitimacy in free agency. It seems as if the Orioles haven't paid much attention to the fact that while big free agents are nice additions to a ballclub, a team can't win if it doesn't accumulate young talent and keep those kids in town.

Which is why Orioles fans are going to be happy to hear that Nick Markakis will be manning right field in Camden Yards until sometime in 2014, or the end of the world, whichever comes first. According to the Baltimore Sun, the team is on the verge of signing Markakis to a six-year extension.

Elijah Dukes Could Go to Jail, Dawg

Posted: Jan 15th 2009 3:18PM ET by Tom Fornelli (RSS feed)
Filed under: Nationals, MLB Gossip, MLB Police Blotter

0 COMMENTS

It's been a while since we filled you in on the day-to-day happenings of the life of one Elijah Dukes, and for that, we here at FanHouse would like to apologize. That being said, we'd also like to point out that it isn't exactly our fault. The truth of the matter is that he just hasn't been threatening to kill many people lately, and his exploits on the actual baseball field haven't really warranted attention. To put it bluntly, Elijah has been boring as hell, dawg.

Oh wow, he didn't high-five his manager. I mean, big deal, right? The fact is that unless he pulls a gun on Manny Acta sometime soon, nobody cares. Which is why we should all be thankful that Elijah's relationship with his estranged wife NiShea Gilbert still isn't fixed. Apparently Elijah still owes Gilbert about $40,000 in child support and alimony -- that's a whole lot of Pampers and Similac-- and if he doesn't pay up by Friday, he could be going to jail. Dawg.

Barry Bonds Seems to Be in the Clear

Posted: Jan 15th 2009 12:25PM ET by Tom Fornelli (RSS feed)
Filed under: Giants, MLB Gossip, MLB Police Blotter, MLB Rumors

2 COMMENTS

While Barry Bonds is still thinking about playing baseball again -- even after undergoing hip surgery recently -- there is still that tiny matter of possibly lying to a grand jury about his alleged steroid use to deal with. Back in November, Bonds scored a minor victory when three of the charges against him were dropped, but that news is nothing compared to a report from Yahoo!'s Jonathan Littman today.

Now whether or not Bonds ever lied to a grand jury about steroid use is still up for debate, but we can now be confident that he wasn't lying to the jury if all he ever took was the Clear. That's because Yahoo! did some digging through the grand jury testimony and guess what they found out? Turns out the Clear was not only absent from the banned substances list when Bonds allegedly took it, but it wasn't even considered a steroid.

Owners Do the Salary Cap Grumble

Posted: Jan 14th 2009 11:55PM ET by John Walters (RSS feed)
Filed under: MLB Biz, MLB Fans, MLB Gossip

1 COMMENT

Whether it be the bleak economy, the New York Yankees, or both, baseball owners are starting to think that maybe a salary cap isn't such a bad idea. Not surprisingly, the owner of the team that was outbid by $60 million for CC Sabathia is in the cap camp.

"I would ask, if it's such a bad idea, what sport doesn't have a salary cap other than us?" Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said Wednesday.

A salary cap isn't on the agenda of the major league owners meetings this week. But it could become an issue when the present collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2011 season - especially if the economy worsens.

Plan B Just Got Expensive For the Mets

Posted: Jan 13th 2009 4:30PM ET by Mullet (RSS feed)
Filed under: Mets, NL East, MLB Gossip

9 COMMENTS

The dance that the Mets have tried to play with Scott Boras and his clients this winter just got a lot trickier now that Omar Minaya's top option is off to the division rival Braves. Losing out on Derek Lowe leaves Oliver Perez as the best option to fill a top rotation spot for the Mets. And it leaves Boras firmly in the drivers seat.

The Mets, who held firm on their three-year, $36 million offer to him, must have known that Lowe was headed to the Braves. They were losing their grip on him, so they tried to turn the market in their favor by offering Perez three years at $30 million, hoping he would bite quickly.

But now that Perez stands front and center as the top free-agent starter available, the Mets aren't getting away that cheaply. Nor are they likely to get away with a three-year deal now that Lowe got his four years.

Derek Lowe Comes to Terms With Braves

Posted: Jan 13th 2009 11:43AM ET by Tom Fornelli (RSS feed)
Filed under: Braves, NL East, MLB Gossip, MLB Rumors

6 COMMENTS

It's been over a week since FanHouse last updated you on the newest "Derek Lowe is going to ..." rumor, and since we don't like to see you all going into convulsions over the withdrawal, we feel it's necessary to give you the latest updates on the situation. After initially being insulted by the Mets' offer of "Carlos Silva money" it seems that Derek has finally found a team that appreciates him.

MLB.com is reporting that the Braves have signed Lowe to a four-year deal worth $60 million, and that Derek is likely going to sign the deal shortly. Apparently the terms of the deal have been agreed upon -- with the deciding factor most likely being the fourth year -- and the whole thing will be finalized once Lowe passes a physical.

Could Alex Rodriguez and Adam Scott Be Dueling for Kate Hudson's Affections?

Posted: Jan 12th 2009 11:00PM ET by Will Brinson (RSS feed)
Filed under: Yankees, MLB Gossip, MLB Media Watch

45 COMMENTS

Shane Bacon, who makes TMZ look like the Superficial (no offense, SF), recently reported that golf's young, total hotty Adam Scott was an item with Kate Hudson.

Did You See That?

The field clears a fence during the New Season Handicap Steeplechase during the at Ludlow Racecourse on September 16, 2008 in Ludlow, England.

Emanuele Canonica of Italy helps his caddie in the rescue of a pigeon from the water around the 18th green during the first round of the Portugal Masters at the Oceanico Victoria Golf Course on October 16, 2008 in Vilamoura, Portugal.

A multiexposure image showing Britain's Andy Murray returning to Croatian Marin Cilic during a last sixteen tennis match at the Madrid Masters in Madrid on October 16, 2008. Andy Murray won 7-5, 7-6.

English football fans dressed in armours and tunics play in a friendly match against Belarus fans in Minsk on October 15, 2008 before the start of the Belarus vs. England 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier of European group 6 match.

Travis Brigley (R) of Hamburg fights with Matt Keith (L) of Ingolstadt during the DEL match between Hamburg Freezers and ERC Ingolstadt at the Color Line Arena on October 14, 2008 in Hamburg, Germany.

Russian Nikolay Davydenko returns a ball to US Robby Ginepri during a second round tennis match at the Masters in Madrid on October 15, 2008.

A golf ball which has been enveloped by the tree over many years is pictured during the pro-am for the Portugal Masters at the Oceanico Victoria Golf Course on October 15, 2008 in Vilamoura, Portugal.

Andy Murray of Great Britain plays football during his training session prior to his thrid round match tomorrow at the Madrid Masters tennis tournament at the Madrid Arena on October 15, 2008 in Madrid, Spain.

Samuel Peter from Nigeria gets a punch from Vitali Klitschko of Ukraine during their WBC heavyweight boxing world championship fight in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008. Klitschko won the fight after round nine due to technical knock out.

Herbert Knosowski, AP

Japan's Kyoko Hamaguchi (lower) fights with China's Hong Yan (red) during the semi-final of the 72kg class of the Women's Wrestling World Championships in Tokyo on October 13, 2008. Hong defeated Hamaguchi and will face Bulgaria's Stanka Zlateva in the final.

Yoshikazu Tsuno, AFP/Getty Images

On the surface, it seems like a pretty cute little relationship. Until you hear that Alex Rodriguez might be dating her.

Kate Hudson was seen on a three-hour date with Alex Rodriguez in New York City this past week. We had reported late last year Kate and A-Rod flirting in Miami. Now that things have cooled between A-Rod and his "spiritual Kaballah" buddy Madonna, he can now finally date his way through all the blondes in Hollywood.

O.M.G. indeed. Look, the last thing to ever be remotely surprising is a gossip mag tying Alex Rodriguez to an attractive starlet. But it does seem odd that he's being linked to Hudson so quickly after Scott was "dating" her. Of course, this can only really mean one thing: a duel to the death.

Glove, slap. Baby, glove slap ...

Angels Are Interested In Jermaine Dye

Posted: Jan 12th 2009 6:30PM ET by Tom Fornelli (RSS feed)
Filed under: Angels, White Sox, MLB Gossip, MLB Rumors

0 COMMENTS

So far this offseason White Sox outfielder Jermaine Dye has been nearly traded about 15 different times. There was that near deal during the Winter Meetings that had him going to Cincinnati for Homer Bailey, and just recently there was the deal that had him going to Texas for Michael Young. Obviously none of them ever went through, but there's a new deal supposedly on the table that makes sense.

Apparently there have been some trade talks between the Sox and Angels concerning a swap of Dye for Chone Figgins.

Corky Simpson: Internet 'Like a Sewer'

Posted: Jan 12th 2009 5:30PM ET by Will Brinson (RSS feed)
Filed under: MLB Gossip, MLB Hall of Fame, MLB Media Watch

0 COMMENTS

It would be wrong to get angry at people of an elderly persuasion for not understanding the internet. We live in a world of backslashed sarcasm, "blogs" and message boards/comment sections that allow for, *gasp*, freedom of speech.

There's no need for them to embrace it unless they want to. But when an elderly man like Corky Simpson decides to all-out attack the interwebs, well, that's a whole different ballgame.

"It doesn't bother me," Simpson told me, "because, one, I'm too old, and my skin is too thick, and I'm a stubborn old mule from Missouri. I think of the literature on the Internet in the same way that I think of the literature on the walls of public bathrooms. With the exception that the literature on the walls of public bathrooms is a little higher class."

[...]"The Internet is like a sewer. It's very necessary, but you wouldn't want to spend a lot of time there."

Sigh. See, the thing is that Corky already "forgot" (read: purposely left off) Ricky Henderson when voting for the Hall of Fame. And his subsequent back-pedaling on the issue kind of tends to devalue the whole "stubborn old mule" persona.