FanHouse Dave Winfield

Hank Steinbrenner has made no secret about his plans to buy his way back into contention this winter, preferably by picking up a big-name pitcher. But there's a difference between saying you want to sign "a pitcher" and actually naming names -- especially when it's still August and the players in question are under another team's employ. From the New York Daily News:

"Everybody is looking at Sabathia and Burnett, not just us," Steinbrenner said Thursday. "We'll see. I mean, our main concern is, are their arms going to be okay after this season?"

On the one hand, nothing he's saying is revolutionary -- everybody knows CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett will hot items this winter. On the other, each of those two now have even less reason to sign an extension before testing the open market since they know Hank's wallet will be out.

Make no mistake, this isn't the first time Hank has toed the line. He raised the ire of the Twins this past winter by talking about how much he wanted Johan Santana, and if the Twins didn't file a complaint with the commissioner's office, it was probably only because they were holding out hope the Yanks would up the ante and top the Mets' offer. But talking up Sabathia and Burnett while in the same breath suggesting they might be damaged goods? That's not going to make anybody happy.

(Though, really, should we be surprised? It took Hank's dad 14 years [Dave Winfield in 1990; Randy Johnson in 2004] before he finally understood the rule)

Sports are a very dangerous sport for birds.

ESPN Top 10 Bird Moments
ESPN has put together a few highlights from the infield, grid iron, racetrack and other sporting venues that give a whole new meaning to flipping the bird. Some of these birds didn't fare very well, including one that tried to play chicken with Michael Waltrip's car in a Busch Series practice session (#9):

Wrong Place Wrong Time
By far the most impressive encounter has got to be Randy Johnson's fastball. What could that bird possibly have done to deserve that fate?

If anyone's interested - and in some cases, I realize that may be a big 'if' - Dave Winfield has a new book dropping March 20 entitled "Dropping the Ball: Baseball's Troubles and How We Can and Must Solve Them."

A bit of what it's about:

Revenue has never been higher, attendance has never been better, and baseball has never had a stronger international presence. Yet, with all of the prosperity, the game has rarely faced more significant problems, both in the headlines and deep within our communities. Steroid scandals, labor strife, self-centered superstars, a dramatic decline in the number of African American players and fans, constraints on Little League facilities and resources, and competition from trendier sports and entertainment options all threaten the foundations of our national pastime.

Dave Winfield knows and loves the game and he believes baseball can be rescued and revitalized. In Dropping the Ball, Dave presents his compelling plan of action for saving this great game from self-destruction.

Winfield is a good guy and he seems well-intentioned enough. And I'm sure if Bud Selig and crew follow his plan, our national pastime will go back to how it was before steroids and lacrosse starting killing it. Or not.