Second glass of juice

So A-Rod confessed to using steroids.

Jason Giambi threw himself on that sword, sort of, and his problem, if there was one, went away. I say it was overshadowed by his absolute idiocy on the baseball, but whatever ...

Andy Pettitte admitted to using HGH to “recover from an injury.” Don’t hear much about that these days.

A-Rod was probably hoping for a similar pass. “Oh, he admitted it. Well, OK, everyone was doing it, so it’s fine Alex, we forgive you.”

I went from A-Rod hater to A-Rod apologist and back to A-Rod hater in these last seasons. But I give him some credit for admitting he used. Despite his previous denial. He told Katie Couric he didn’t need enhancers, and that fact is, that’s true. Whatever is his motivation, he used and now he’s saying he used. If he’s clean now, and we assume he is based on clean tests and fewer home runs - 40-ish compared to 50-ish during “the juice years,” he deserves the same treatment Giambi and Pettitte received.

Sound and fury signifying juice

So, A-Rod used steroids in 2003. Allegedly.

So what?

They weren’t illegal. EVERYBODY else was doing it.

Are we surprised? No. Disgusted? Meh. Maybe. He’s going to be the home run king. And I’m willing to assume he hit the majoirty of his home runs while clean. At least, he has been since 2003 and his reported steroid test failure.

The upside to all this is there’s been precious little talk of “Joe Torre’s book.” Which I’ll likely have in my possession by the weekend. Can’t wait for that.

Finding Jesus (that's hey-SUS)

I haven't blogged much recently, duh, but I can't ignore "A-Rod annoyed Madonna has found Jesus."

Jesus, in this case, is a Brazilian model.

This is hilarious and bizarre and annoying.

I can’t stand this kind of press for the team. It’s distracting and stupid and everything that’s wrong with sports. On the surface, it’s strange Derek Jeter doesn’t get the same kind of coverage, but this points out the deeper, fundamental difference between the two players.

Even bottom feeding reporters who work for rumor rags have respect for Jeter’s privacy, despite his infrequent, yet highly publicized forays into the realm of starlets.

A-Rod, on the other hand, seems fair game under any circumstances.

How weird is your life when you’re (1) the most talented player in baseball on the biggest team, (2) newly and publicly divorced, (3) linked to Madonna of all people, also newly divorced from the very awesome Guy Ritchie (4) and embroiled in some odd Kabalatino love triangle? What don’t we know about this situation? And do we want to know?

I wonder if A-Rod suckled onto Madonna for some kind of spiritual guidance. His flameouts are well-known. For all his talent, he wilts when the heat is on - again, he’s the anti-Jeter. Does he think Madonna is some kind of gap-toothed Dali Lama? She’s just a crazy aging - hell, old - pop-star who’s only going to make his life more of a circus. Is he thinking, “If I adopt a kid from some obscure third-world country, I’ll totally hit .400 with runners in scoring position and two outs. And maybe I’ll get to meet Justin Timberlake, too!”

A-Rod traditionally has strong odd-year seasons. He’s won his MVPs in odd years, but something tells me this is going to be a legendary implosion.

If the Yankees win without him, and they should, I’m going to enjoy this ride immensely.

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue

What's old? Andy Pettitte, who's probably the best, cheapest fifth starterin baseball's free-agent history. Still,ya gotta hold on to the past, the good parts anyway.

What's new? A first baseman, two pitchers and an outfielder who won't be anything like Paul O
Neill. Why get Nick Swisher and trade and Xavier Nady. Money? That makes no sense.

Something borrowed? Billions, probably, to pay for the Yankees' new stadium and overhauled team. I wonder if TARP money is available.

Something blue? Er, millions of Yankees fans if the team doesn't win it all. Hal Steinbrenner's face before it explodes. Joe Torre's blood. It's Dodger blue, but still ...

The stadium that shall not be named

This is what the Yankeess get for tearing down the original to make room for their billion-dollar monstrosity.

Suck it, Pavano

Carl Pavano claims the Yankees didn’t support him.

Really?

REALLY?

REALLY!?

So, signing Pavano, a pitcher who had one good season in a walk year in the National League and a track record of injuries and spotty performance, to a $45 million deal, WASN’T supportive enough?

What sort of support did he expect, when he was injured for at least 80 percent of the time he spent with the Yankees and happily cashed every one of the team’s huge checks?

He rehabbed and got hurt. He played and got hurt. He DIDN’T play, and yes, got hurt.

Are you KIDDING me?!

The highlight of Pavano’s time with the Yanks in my estimation was a start he made against the Orioles. Jason Giambi dropped a Melvin Mora pop fly behind first base - this was when Giambi literally couldn’t do a thing on a baseball field. The very next pitch Mora hit a screaming line drive off Pavano’s dome that ricocheted into the upper deck, and possibly into orbit.

Pavano dropped like a stone and missed the rest of the season. Yes, he lived another day, to cash many, many checks.

I’m so bitter about this. Imagine if it were my money.

You have no conscience and no soul Carl Pavano.

I almost forgot

Jury selection began in the trial of upstanding citizen and former Yankees hero Jim Leyritz.

Leyrtiz, you may remember, is accused of vehicular homicide while drunk.

Leyritz, you may also remember, hit what is likely the most significant home run of recent Yankees history. Yes, more so than Aaron Boone.

In the years after the Blow that Ruined Mark Wohlers, Leyritz has admitted to drug use and has evidently wasted thousands of dollars on his drinking habit.

None of this is news. It's just sad.