Ahh, the promise of spring training: your team has yet to lose a game, everyone is in "the best condition they've ever been in" and everywhere you look there is optimism (well, not for the Mets; hope does not spring eternal there this season) in spades. That is until those "season ending injuries" start to pop up. Poor Twins; they suffered a myriad of injuries last season that doomed them to a 99-loss 2011 campaign. And now Morneau is talking about possible retirement if he doesn't fully recover from concussion symptoms and they've just lost another. Minnesota had signed very hard-throwing Joel Zumaya to a guaranteed contract despite his injury-plagued career. When a guy can hit 105MPH on the radar guy, the upside is rather high. But not this year and, possibly never again: Zumaya tore a ligament in his pitching arm and is done for the season, possibly to retire. He's only 27.

The A's face a similar situation at third-base. The team should recognize this as Eric Chavez could not stay healthy and hold down the hot corner for them. This year, Scott Sizemore who was set to be their everyday third-sacker has gone down for the season. As of right now it looks like the Oakland team who weren't going to go anywhere in that division anyway, till use utility men in that position.

I really don't want to talk much about the Ryan Braun situation because I don't think we really know the truth and probably never will, but I do recommend reading this piece on the subject:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=As7nNrJJpHKcQ2T58vfF2PwRvLYF?slug=jp-passan_ryan_braun_drug_test_appeal_testosterone_022712

As for my own baseball writing, I am strongly thinking about throwing my hat in the ring to be a correspondent on the Yankees for the BBD (Bronx Baseball Daily) web-site; no pay, but linked through the ESPN site. Maybe we will have more readers here.

Meanwhile, I am passing more screenplays through the potential literary manager. I would bet he's waiting to send me the contract he said would be coming until he hears back from that company that is allegedly currently reading "Field Trip." If I held my breath waiting on things like this, more than my hair would be blue.

Thanks,
Brian

Twins tickets just went on sale and while I was "standing" in their virtual line for almost an hour before hitting the front of it, I was only able to secure one pair of tickets for the Yankees/twinkies series the end of September. And while I know I will be able to secure tickets to the other two games via stub-hub, I was hoping for a little more efficiency than that. The site went belly-up as soon as I attempted to buy any other tickets; sure as heck hope I don't get charged for the other 8-10 times I tried to purchase tickets to the Tuesday night and Wednesday day games.

But who knows? Perhaps the Twins will be buried again as they were in 2011 and tickets will be easy to come by; perhaps the Yankees will have locked up the AL-East by then. On the other hand it would be swell to get to see them clinch, too.

Spending so much time staring at the schedule I did note that the Texas Rangers visit Target Field the first week of the season (my birthday weekend no less) for three games. What's intriguing about that is the opportunity to see Yu Darvish, the newest Japanese pitching "sensation," in what could be just his 2nd Major League start. I will be there for sure...

Ryan Braun got off on a technicality and seemingly no one is really "happy" about this. Doesn't look like it's going to quell the conversation as reps from MLB "vehemently disagreed" with the outcome. And a quote from an anonymous player was very telling: the player joked that the drug testing system was clearly not working because so few players were getting caught. The more things change the more they stay the same: meanwhile, Jose Canseco is trying to play his way back into the "show."

And the A's signed Manny Ramirez which should get filed under Jose; Manny being Manny has already had the dread-locked thug mistake one of his teammates for the "video guy." I would bet that Beane's scheme is to have Manny hitting the cover off the ball, rested from serving his 50-game suspension, and be able to move him to a contender for some great prospects come mid to end of July.

So, I watched the movie I ghost-wrote last night and have to give it a grade of C. It wasn't the worst movie I have ever seen (including those that I wrote) but I guessed the problem early on. I was given the assignment of writing a movie without much dialogue and that's what I delivered as the first draft. Recalling that I was hired to do the first re-write and add some dialogue I was hoping that the director didn't get scared off by trying to make the film with as little speaking as possible. Alas, most of the stuff that was added (by other writer(s)) is dialogue and most of it fails miserably.

The biggest problem is the lead actor who is barely believable in the scenes sans talking, but as soon as he has to open his mouth all that goes by the wayside. He should have stuck to just directing; there are a number of effective scenes -- even some pretty unnerving and/or scary -- when it is just action, but the movie kind of stops in its tracks when there are dialogue scenes.

Oh well. What do I know? Maybe it will be a big hit. I hope so for their sake and for my back-end, but... yeah.

Cheers,
Brian

Well, the long-promised/threatened book is coming closer and closer to being sprung out of the nest. I am pretty damn happy with how the covers - front and back - look; see above. I am aiming for a mid-March initial printing and holding a book release party at that same time. I may try and figure out how to make signed copies available in other ways should anyone actually be interested in such a thing.

Coincidentally (or not) some of the stories should start appearing in The Jerusalem Post Lite right around the time they are available to purchase in their entirety; the stories in the magazine will most likely be edited for length, etc., but they will also be illustrated by my friend Meital so there's some give and take there.

I should make up a website specific to "A Rose by any Other Name" some time very soon to tease some of the tales and make the books available to purchase.

Meanwhile, as I write the "About the Author" bio for the back of the book, I am drafting a more cinematic angled one to get to a Lit Manager who is threatening to sign me. Not jinxing or cursing anything here in any way, shape or form (at least I sure as heck hope I'm not) but there's some script stuff kicking around after quite some time of that stuff laying rather dormant, so that feels like some good possibility there.

The ghostwritten movie had its online premiere on Tuesday night, but I have yet to watch. That should come to pass tomorrow night so expect something along the lines of a review even if technically I am probably not contractually permitted to name the movie.

Chavez inked. Aardsma, too although he's an "R & D" project according to Cashman. If they get anything out of the recovering hard-throwing rightie this season it will be a boon; the goal is more what he can deliver on the cheap when he's fully healthy in 2013. Nice quiet spring so far...

Thanks,

Brian

I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE THIS!!!

It is now official: AJ Burnett passed his physical, Selig signed off on the money exchange and I don't miss the right-hander at all and I honestly don't see that changing. Today using some of the $5M the Yanks saved by shipping the pitcher out, Raul Ibanez was signed to a one-year deal for just over $1M. Anyone paying attention saw this one coming; it wasn't quite kept under wraps. And while there are the countless times when players (or, rather, their agents) use the Yanks to drive prices up on an available player, this is where being the Bombers is a boon-- there are those players who let it be known that they will take less for the chance to play in the Bronx, for the chance to play in the post-season in search of that ring.

Eric Chavez should re-sign in the next few days as well giving the Yanks another powerful lefty bat along with a good guy who can spell A-Rod at third and Tex at first. This too should come as no surprise; both deals have seemingly just been awaiting the shipping out of Burnett.

Still waiting the call from "the coast" about "Field Trip" although still not sure which coast that call is coming from so makes it a little hard to prepare. Well, french press of black tea has been imbibed so what other preparation does one really require to have smoke blown up their you-know-what. No, not bad attitude at all, just more like Hollywood reality.

And this week I should finally be able to unveil the look of "Rose" and I'll do it on here first even before facebook...

Cheers,
Brian

Ahhh... The AJ Burnett era in the Bronx is over -- I mean, unless we meet the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series which has about as much a chance of happening of me missing the enigmatic right-handed head-case. And it really, really doesn't matter that the Yanks will be paying $20M so AJ can pitch for another team. And it really, really doesn't matter that what the Yanks got in return are being called "marginal prospects." What matters is that Girardi doesn't have to send this guy out every fifth day hoping that this is the game that he keeps his head. What matters is that Cashman doesn't have to tell the world that AJ is a part of the team and has his full support. What matters is that Rothschild can concentrate on the other ten or so guys on the pitching staff.

I am not going to pile on. I am just happy to see this failure remedied; I wish it hadn't taken so long; he's the guy you hope isn't pitching when you show up to the ballpark; he's the guy who keeps the brooms at home; he's the guy that gave the other team the chance they need. And now he's someone else's problem. And who knows? Perhaps he'll succeed in the NL and the Central division now minus the huge bats of Pujols and Fielder will be easier to negotiate.

And yes, of course, had the Yankees wanted to go out and sign Ibanez (the leading DH candidate over re-treads of Matsui or Damon) they could have afforded to do so -- this is the NY Yankees after all, but now "freeing up" this money allows them to do so and keep to the "budget." I think quotes and italics are probably necessary when talking about the Yankee payroll. But if jettisoning Burnett also allows the Yanks to re-sign Chavez, despite his myriad injury issues (still-- he's no Nick Johnson, thank the lord and pass the potatoes, but don't pass the DL, do not save $200) I am all for this move even if we had to pay all of Burnett's salary; this is just part of the game. I am sure there's a list out there of what teams are paying what players what portion of their salary to play for another team.

Even @GeorgesGhost is happy today; I am sure that won't last, but ding dong.

The count down for the "Rose" proofs is a handful of days. When the book does arrive, then and only then, will I scan in a copy of the cover. And yes-- shameless self-promotion shall ensue; don't fret: I will let you know when and how you can buy this book that has absolutely nothing to do with baseball.

I got some interest over the last few from a manager/producer type in my kids' script, "Field Trip," and it's being read, allegedly at a pretty well-known company that makes kid and family fare; I won't mention them by name at this point (superstitious!) but I will say the name of the company both starts and ends with the letter "N." Of course the manager-guy said he was going to call me yesterday which meant I had to forego my siesta which meant that he did not call. Ahh... Hollywood-- how I miss you. Yeah. Right.

Okay, sun is out; may grab some. I have "Rum Diary" standing by and will be making my maiden voyage this evening to the 7th Street Entry annex of 1st Avenue tonight to see Zoo Animal (it's their CD-release party) along with a few other local acts.

Cheers,
Brian

So, it's a few days until the Yankee players, and apparently AJ Burnett, report to Tampa for the start of 2012 spring training. And as much as I want to see Burnett gone -- and this really is a case of addition by subtraction -- the report that hit the NY papers this morning was pointless. Burnett shot down a deal to go to the Angels. Okay, got it. And before one even thinks about who would rather go to to the go-nowhere Pittsburgh Pirates over the should-contend and maybe even become the toast of the town in Los Angeles (even if the Angels play in Anaheim which is about as much like LA as Duluth it) remember this fact -- and the papers have been stressing this -- Burnett and his family don't want to go to the West Coast; they live in MD. So don't make Burnett the bad guy on this (especially when there are so many other reasons) as he has been clear. Also, from what I had heard about Abreu's bat-speed these days, the Yanks would then be stuck with a high-payroll DH who has little zip left in his bat.

You ask me - and if you're reading this, then in some regards you are - get AJ gone to whomever will take him AND his salary. There are a handful of guys clamoring to be the Yankee DH, willing to take cuts to both their salary and their pride for a chance for a ring and a chance to play on the most famed sports franchise.

Word now is this won't happen until after AJ reports, but I think Cashman - and even if it's just to distract himself from his personal life - is working the phones to make this happen sooner rather than later. And if that is wishful thinking on my part (and I'd suspect most Yankee fans) then so be it.

The "Rose" proof has been ordered; it's being printed as I type this and I should have it in my hot, grubby hands in one week's time. Words, words, words...

I really thought Uggie, the dog in "The Artist" deserves some sort of recognition from the Academy. A really great supporting performance no matter what his species or genus. I heard from the lovely woman I'm dating over a kickass steak dinner last night that Uggie is not doing well. Sure hope if the pup does receive mention during next month's Oscar telecast (yes, I'll be watching on TV; no noms for me either) that it is NOT under the Obit part of the show...

I sent in a resume for a local screenwriting re-write gig this morning; first time I've looked for work in that field this year.

Thanks,
Brian

I was really, really hoping to wake this morning to a picture of a scowling/smiling Aj Burnett donning a Pirates hat (in my dreams it would be one of those 1976 flat-topped models, but who's kidding: I'd be happy to see him even in a sox cap) along with the announcement that the Yanks had slipped out of the last 2 years of the righthander's contract - even if we ate more than $20M in his contract. A small price to pay seems odd, but appropriate...

But while the talks are proceeding, AJ remains the property of the NY Yankees; that's all I want for Valentine's Day, which used to be the day that pitchers & catchers reported for spring training. I hope the silly hallmark-holiday didn't have anything to do with the change. At least the Mariners are going already (nice report out of their camp about former Yank Hector Noesi and his goals of making their starting staff out of the spring) and a few Yanks - most notably the 389 year old Captain - Derek Jeter is in Tampa and hitting and working up a sweat.

Great move for Billy Beane and the A's to sweep in and grab the huge-upside Cuban defector, Cespedes. I have rooted for the Athletics since the days another Billy (Martin) was running the green n' gold, and enjoyed going to the otherwise lousy, but cheap Coliseum when I lived in Berkeley. It had looked like the A's were going to show MLB just how much they needed an approval to move to San Jose and open a new park and then they make a great move. Sure hope they don't compound it by also adding f'in Manny Ramirez, but I would understand it if they do.

The great news that I did awake to this morning was that the cover art-work for my long-threatened short-story collection, "A Rose by any Other Name" has been approved. I had for some time thought a Valentine's Day release would have been appropriate, but ordering that as a present to myself today feels right and who knows-- maybe I can make it in time for Steak & a BJ Day which is a month hence and maybe, just maybe even more apropos.

I'll keep you posted.

And as today is the worst day outside of Mother's Day to find yourself in a restaurant unless, I suppose, you work there and are making monster-sized tips, may you be cooking -- or being cooked for -- by someone(s) you love...

Cheers,
Brian

Brian Cashman's "personal problems" notwithstanding, this has to go down as, at least on paper, one of the finer off-seasons for the NY Yankees in a while. CC's "opt out' was dealt with quickly and without acrimony. They re-signed almost all the guys who were contributing parts of the 2011 team and they answered the pitching rotation questions loudly and forcefully with the acquisitions of Pineda (via trade) and Kuroda (free-agent signing).

But quite possibly an upcoming move -- and this one most definitely could be filed under "addition by subtractionm" -- would be if the Yanks can move the ever-disappointing, always-distracting AJ Burnett somewhere, anywhere. And while the Mets and the O's could "use" the righty, the Yanks almost never make trades with those squads.

Enter: The Pittsburgh Pirates (although @GeorgesGhost claims that he would even trade "aj to plattsburgh for some mudbugs") from whom the Bombers have requested Garrett Jones in trade (along with a bucket-load of cash to pay his burdensome contract). And while the Bucs have said "no" to Jones, that's just an opening salvo. I will do a jig of joy should we ship Burnett out ... anywhere.

Mariners, using the excuse of 2 games vs Oakland to be played in Japan to start the season at the end of March. are the first team to report for Spring Training. Another nine days for the Yanks...

Watched the most homorobotic movie of all time last night. "Real Steal" looked ridiculous in the trailers that I kept having to see so I am not what possessed me to watch it last night other than there was little else in the Redbox. Whoo boy! What a stinker. Downright silly and overly predictable, this Rocky-wanna be should set up human/robot relations back decades. Makes "I, Robot" seem like just a happy excuse to fall asleep. Poor Richard Matheson having his source material made into such dreck. Boo. Hiss.

B.

Yes, yes-- I know you've been reading about this "soon to be published" book over and over again. But here's some evidence that I have really been working on it, or, rather: I've had other people working on the outside parts; the inside being all mine.

But that's the near ready cover work over there...

Crap! Okay apparently I can't get the artwork onto this page. Guess we will all have to wait until it's been published. Hear that before?


So, yeah-- Brian Cashman. The stalker story is getting rich. He, unlike the recently slipped and felled Josh Hamilton, had signed his contract extension which is good for the GM. Not so good are the reports from the seemingly crazy woman (there are 9 restraining orders against her including a number of family members, so she's not the best witness to anything) is claiming that Cashman knew a lot more about players usage of PEDs and steroids than what he let on. And while that does indeed sound possible, one really must consider the source, right?

Yanks just inked Russell Branyan to a minor-league contract and invited him to spring training. And while he may not be that big lefty DH bat they're looking for, he has been a monster at the new Yankee Stadium, punching out homers at an alarming clip and some monster shots too. If you can't beat 'em, sign 'em...

A week and a half until pitchers and catchers report. Bring on the baseball...

Cheers
B.

The anonymous, Yankee player quote about the Cashman situation summed it up well: “Can you imagine if the old man was alive and this happened?”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/brian-cashman-dealing-lurid-details-article-1.1018333#ixzz1li6prGLh

And even though I tweet as the ghost of "the old man," even I am leaving the GM's personal business just that: personal business.  @GeorgesGhost

Apparently, between depositions, Cash is finding time to talk to potential lefty DH bats for the Yankee lineup. Currently, the money (and less than he'd take from a non-contender (it's funny that what sometimes burns the Yanks is being used to drive prices up, sometimes goes the other way) is on Raul Ibanez over friendly faces of Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui. The belief being that Ibanez could still get some time in the OF which the Yankees clearly feel is not an option if either Damon or Matsui return to the fold.

You ask me, I'd rather go with Eric Chavez, who can spell both A-Rod at third and Texeira at first-base adequately in the latter and as a former Gold Glover in his former, full-time position. Thing with Chavez is that he does have a near-Nick Johnson-like ability to wind up on the DL. So there's that...

Less than 2 weeks until pitchers and catchers report. I haven't marked that on my calendar yet, but sure will be doing so soon. For me the starter's pistol for the new season is when I get the year's subscription renewal notice for the MLB package.

Oh, and if you're wondering what to get me for my birthday, note this on YOUR calendar: the anniversary of my birth coincides with the Yankee home opener. Yup...

Cheers,

Brian

Good morning to you all...

And yes I was in Florida a few weeks before the actual opening of Spring Training, but I am happy to report warm temperatures and blue skies. Play ball!

Biggest news of the week out of the Yankee camp was first that a woman was arrested and charged with stalking GM Brian Cashman. "Surprisingly" that bit of "news" was quickly followed by the announcement that Cash's wife was filing for divorce. Must be so nice to see that stuff get played out on the back of the NY Daily News, huh?

Of course, the backs and fronts of all the New York papers are filled with the GIANTS today as BIG BLUE yet again broke the hearts of New England with an underdog victory 21-17 over the Patsies... I had started watching the Giants religiously down the stretch in November; seeing both the bottoming out loss to Washington and then the triumphant march through the rest of the season to wind up with Eli Manning (who my new friend, Rachel calls, "Seriously. Dreamy," hoisting the MVP and Superbowl trophies.


Some cool news on the "Rose" front: a couple of the short stories (a little edited for both space and content) will be published in the Tel Aviv Post some time soon accompanied by illustrations by my friend, Mei-Tal. I am pretty psyched to be in print in that desert and the timing, as I continue to push that tome down its way too long journey down the birth canal, feels pretty inspiring. So there's that...

Okay, off into the sun and unseasonably warm temperatures that have followed me back to the upper Mid-West...

Cheers,
Brian