OH NO, NOT AGAIN

***IS MANNY REALLY IN PLAY AGAIN?***
I can't believe this. There are rumors that the Seattle Mariners have shown a mild interest in Manny Ramirez. Why? How can you possibly trust him again? Buster Olney, usually a voice in the wilderness, had this to say:
"To me, Ramirez has been a total embarrassment in how he's carried himself in recent years -- but I respectfully disagree with Larry (Columnist Larry Stone, Seattle Times) on this. If Manny can hit, if he can help the Mariners' offense, why not? He would come with virtually zero risk because he'll be playing for little more than minimum wage, and if there's any problem in his production or in his behavior, Seattle could just cut him. It would be that simple..."
Simple? Yes, very simple. Manny is simply 40 years old, maybe older. Manny simply couldn't hit with Tampa (even with PEDs) and couldn't hit with the White Sox before that. And finally, Manny simply QUITS. He did it twice with the Red Sox and once with the Dodgers. He quit for the last time (I hope!) when he was busted for steroids. Now he wants to be a "role model?" Certainly not a role I want my grandkids to follow.

***ARE THE YANKEES PREPARING TO MOVE?***
Some of the beat writers are saying that because the asking prices for some free agents are slowly decreasing, the Yanks will finally pick up one the veteran pitchers they have been talking to: Hiroki Kuroda, Edwin Jackson or Roy Oswalt. They currently are all looking for multi-year deals and all have been asking for $10 million plus per year. This is just what the Yanks say they have been trying to avoid. Scott Boras is even sidestepping Brian Cashman and talking directly to Hal Steinbrenner, trying to break up the log jam. Perhaps Boras thinks he's found the One Dumb Owner. I hope not.

***THEY SAID IT***
"Jay Cutler says he has no details about his and Kristin Cavallari's upcoming nuptials. That's the great thing about being a guy; wedding plans take care of themselves." -- RJ Currie
"The Hostess baking company will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to the Wall Street Journal. So much for Manny Ramirez's dream of landing a Ding-Dong endorsement." -- Dwight Perry
"The Angels have re-signed Kendrys Morales, out since he jumped on home plate and broke his ankle after hitting a grand slam in May 2010: "Morales' new deal has both a no-trade and no-celebration clause." -- Greg Connors, Buffalo News
"Jan. 26 is "Bob Uecker Day" in Wisconsin, in honor of the beloved Brewer broadcaster's 77th birthday. You might want to check the fine print, though, before buying any front-row tickets for it." -- Dwight Perry
"Final BCS game stats. LSU offence: 96 total yards. LSU Marching Band: 200 total yards." -- TC Chong

CP-