Miguel Cabrera's fat contract is not the most explosive news coming out of Detroit this week.

ESCOBAR/ANGELS "TORN" OVER NEWS

The word came down regarding the extent of the injury Kelvim Escobar sustained to his shoulder. The prognosis has the right-handed veteran unsure if he will ever play again. One way or another, he is going to need surgery to repair his shoulder, the question is whether or not his head is in the right place to stage a comeback. So often you see guys sustain and overcome difficult injuries, primarily due to work ethic and the belief that they will play again. The Kelvim Escobar quote from The Los Angeles Times article, “I'm concerned, I don't know what's going to happen ... I don't even know if I'll be able to pitch again”, makes me believe that his return should definitely be in question, as he does not appear to be confident at all.

“NO WAY, JOSE” CANSECO

Although the book “Vindicated”, by Jose Canseco, did nothing to vindicate the avid steroid-using ex-major league baseball player, or as I call him, “Roid Rat”, it did stir up the league into a performance-enhancing craze, and we have all witnessed the ripples that it has created through all major sports.

This same author now refuses to make any new commentary regarding the book entry referencing his conversations with Alex Rodriguez. In his book, Canseco claims that he introduced Alex to a Canadian supplier of steroids and that Alex had met the dealer, “Max”, and went as far as to imply that Alex went to use steroids. He did say that he never saw Alex do them.  It appears that just when you think you have had enough Canseco he pops up again, stirring the pot.  This new batch of news stemming from his book has been hashed up again due to Canseco’s most recent T.V. appearance on Nightline.

Did Canseco get vindication? Maybe. He claims that the league has black-balled him from the game, and went as far as to sell out to the greedy book-mongers all the names of the people he sold or introduced to steroids. This is what we call a “setup.”  I believe that Canseco is one of the most selfish individuals on the planet, willing to take down “friends and their families” without a care or thought of the people he could/has hurt. He did this all for what? To get back at the Major Leagues for what would be deemed a schizophrenic episode… I mean really??? The league is out to get a guy, who lost a step in his stride, lost a ton of speed in his bat, and cannot even flag down a fly ball, instead letting it bounce off his head for a homerun.  Are you kidding me?

“I AM SORRY…WHAT?”

Have you heard the news coming out of Detroit? No, I do not mean the astronomical numbers they threw at 3B Miguel Cabrera for an eight-year contract. I am talking about the sexual harassment suit that is being filed by a Comerica scoreboard operator.

Apparently, the Tigers’ photographers have been shooting “soft core porn” videos of female fans on a regular basis. No…wait…that is not even the most ridiculous part. Then, they would show the videos “freely and openly” in the scoreboard area on a regular basis to employees and supervisors, AND they have the videos stored in a closet in the scoreboard area.

“I am sorry…what?” {Head slightly tilted sideways as I stare at you with utter disbelief}

In a day and age when human resource departments are constantly throwing their employees in front of 20-year old sexual harassment videos for lawsuit prevention, awkwardly trying to creat “safe working environments,” it is incredible that we actually have a place that is regularly showing “soft core porn” videos on the jobsite. And I thought we had made progress since the days when a Supreme Court Justice put pubic hairs in someone’s Coke, and Billy Clinton’s late night escapades in the White House were in the news.   What do these photographers do after the games are over? Go to the mall to scope out chicks? Grow up!!!

GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL

What happens when the adrenaline kicks in? I’ll tell you what SP Livan Hernandez did in the Twins’ 4-2 win over the TB Rays. Hernandez realized that he was not going to be able to bend down (he is not exactly svelte) to grab the bunt laid down by CF Elliot Johnson in time to throw him out. So what did he do?

He did the only thing he could.  He took an extra step, reared back his leg, and kicked the ball almost 10 feet to the waiting glove of Twins’ 1B Justin Mourneau. You say “NO…No he did not”; however I tell you he did.

After the stunned audience took in what just occurred, the crowd, the Twins’ bench, the Tampa Bay bench, and even Elliot Johnson stood and gave Livan a standing ovation. Elliot was quoted in today’s St. Paul Pioneer article, as saying "I was just thinking, 'I'm getting a hit,' " the Tampa Bay center fielder said. "... It kind of put a smile on my face. What a play. Nothing you can do about that. Good job."

What was Livan’s response? “"You don't see a lot of plays, not like that one.”

A SALTY SITUATION

Right now there are tons of Texas Rangers’ fans that just had their jaws hit the floor. You traded Mark Teixeira for a kid that you would eventually send packing to the minors? It appears that Gerald Laird got the nod, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia got a bus ticket.

To make matters worse, it appears that not only did he lose out on the starting job, but he also lost the back-up role to veteran Mark Melhuse. Jarrod appears comfortable with the move, understanding it was Laird’s job, and he simply did not out-perform him during spring training.

There is at least one manager in every fantasy league in America scrambling for a free agent catcher or searching rosters for those who drafted two. If that is you, expect to pay handsomely, as you are in a pickle, and the other manager has you at his/her mercy.

That’s it for the Grumble today. Until next time…

Kevin Burgoyne, aka Statistocrat