So let me get this straight – Joe Morgan actually said that “it’s tough being a rich, handsome athlete” when speaking of Alex Rodriguez this past Sunday night?

I watched the game – and heard Morgan’s comments – but I’m still not sure I believe them.

Oh, sure, I understand the point Morgan was trying to make.  But tell me – how many American males listening to those comments had the same thought: “Give me $252 million and I’d be happy to see just how tough it is”?

Of course, Alex Rodriguez has been just one of the interesting stories over the past week.  We’ve had a classic Lou Piniella ejection in Chicago…a relatively minor “A-Rod is a cheater” controversy…and a complete meltdown by a minor league manager that is burning up the internet.

And while all of this happened, the Philadelphia Phillies left another 783 men on base.  Or something like that.

Let’s take a look back at all of this and more as we examine this week’s list of…

Ten Things I Just Don’t Know

1. I don’t know if you could write a script that would be any more intriguing than the real-life saga of Alex Rodriguez this season.  From his contract status and future in New York to the events of the past two weeks, it seems that Rodriguez is everywhere these days.  Say what you will about the New York Post and the newsworthiness of A-Rod’s off-field habits…it’s clear that we’re entering new territory here when it comes to the personal lives of professional athletes.  Hey, maybe that ESPN Hollywood show was just before its time…

2. I don’t know about you, but I have a tough time understanding just where the line is drawn when it comes to “cheating” in Major League Baseball.  Why is it perfectly acceptable for an fielder to mislead a baserunner by pretending a ball may or may not be caught…but it’s somehow bad form to yell out “ha” when passing an infielder attempting to catch a fly ball?  I’m not defending Rodriguez here – I’m honestly asking a question: what’s acceptable and what isn’t?  And why hasn’t someone written an actual book on “the book” – baseball’s code of unwritten rules?

3. I don’t know if it’s too early – or if I’m just over-reacting – but I think the Los Angeles Angels just may be the best team in baseball.  After watching the Angels take three of four from the Orioles this past weekend, it became obvious to me: this team can do just about everything.  They hit for average…hit for power…they’re aggressive on the bases…they field well…they have good starting pitching…and their bullpen is above average.  Yet for some reason they continue to fly under the radar in spite of their 37-22 record through Monday.

4. I don’t know what to make of the Orioles and their continued bullpen woes, but I can tell you that this season has been exceptionally frustrating.  By all accounts, it looked as though the Orioles had addressed their biggest weakness this offseason with the addition of Jamie Walker, Danys Baez, Scott Williamson, and Chad Bradford.  But Baez has struggled mightily and closer Chris Ray has also had a tough go of it.  I remember scoffing at the suggestion in this year’s Baseball Prospectus that Ray may not have been as good as his 2006 numbers suggested…but it looks like I was wrong about that.  The Orioles have been getting solid starting pitching in spite of key injuries, but that bullpen – and an inconsistent offense – has let them down. 

5. I don’t know where the invention of YouTube ranks on the list of Al Gore’s greatest hits, but there’s no question that great videos travel at lightning speed these days…and for that we are all better off.  Case in point: the tirade last Friday night thrown by Mississippi Braves manager Phillip Wellman.  Every time someone suggests to you that life was better back in “ the good old days” you can remind them that they didn’t have the ability to watch a Double-A meltdown that included a resin bag used as a hand grenade.  The entire tirade was hilarious to watch – although the best part may have been his outlining an enormous home plate in the dirt.

6. I don’t know, on the other hand, if I’m the Atlanta Braves I feel very good about how my Double-A players might learn the game from Wellman.  In fact, that YouTube tirade may have had the same impact on Wellman’s big league managerial hopes as Howard Dean’s famous scream had on Dean’s Presidential aspirations.

7. I don’t know if I blame the fans of Philadelphia for their frustration.  The Phillies have been mired in “just-above-mediocrity” for years now.  They’re not a bad enough team to blow up the roster…but they’re not a good enough team to reach the post-season.  So they remain in limbo.  After sweeping the Braves in Atlanta last weekend, the Phillies returned home and went 2-5 on a home stand against the Diamondbacks and Giants.  Their 2007 record – just under .500 – certainly isn’t all the fault of manager Charlie Manuel, although he certainly isn’t helping.  But this is a team that has been flawed for a lot longer than Manuel has been in town – and it doesn’t look like things will change under the current ownership.

8. I don’t know what an ownership change will ultimately mean to the Chicago Cubs, but it sure doesn’t look like the managerial change has helped.  I have all the respect in the world for Lou Piniella – and I thought his hire was a great move – but it just doesn’t look like the Cubs are going anywhere this season.  Although, given the overall weakness of the National League Central, anything is possible.  As bad as they’ve played, the Cubs – and nearly everyone else in that division – remain just a 6-1 week away from jumping right back into things.

9. I don’t know if you know this or not, but after defeating the Seattle Mariners on May 6 – the day Roger Clemens announced his return – the New York Yankees have gone just 10-16.  On May 6, the Yankees trailed the Boston Red Sox by just 5 ½ games…yet one month later, on June 5, the deficit had grown to 12 ½.  Is there any chance that the Yankees actually trade Clemens for prospects if they fall further back before the deadline?  Or might they just reach a mutual agreement of some kind to terminate his contract so he can sign elsewhere?

10. I don’t know if you’ve read this column for very long, but this week something I’ve been screaming about for years finally happens: the Major League player draft will finally be televised.  Of course, the MLB draft won’t have nearly the same drama or intrigue that the NFL draft provides.  But for baseball junkies like me, it’s a step in the right direction.  Now if only they’d allow teams to trade their draft picks…

Have a question or comment for Jody? Send it to jodymadron@sportsgrumblings.com.