Two weeks into the season and the Yankees are more than treading water. Hell! I woke up on my birthday to the Bronx Bombers being in 1st place. With all the hand-wringing and worrying, the starting pitching has been (mostly) getting the job done, the same goes for the bullpen (mostly- Joba, I'm talking to you). And then there's the scrap bin pickups: Wells, Hafner, Overbay-- all getting the job done. I am not one who will ever yell, "Youk'" but he has showed up healthy, hitting for average and for power in the middle of the lineup and playing a pretty good third-base. It's not like we're missing A-Rod; even I'd take the ex-Bosox player over Al.

Because even when you think things cannot get worse around him, there's more. Just when the latest scandal had been dying down, word came out that MLB had offered to pay for the damning documents. Only one thing? Seems like A-Rod tried to buy them himself already to keep them away from from the powers-that-be. It will be a happy day if/when the Yanks are able to finally find just cause and legal precedent to void his contract. Should that be done - and mind you: it's really a long shot - the projected $189M self-inflicted salary cap for 2014 does become a little more realistic.

The A's, who many thought just got lucky last season, are still hot. I'm an Oakland fan and I don't know who many of these guys are, but they play hard and with heart. The same can't be said for the tumbling Angels who keep trying to buy a pennant only to find out that it's not as easy as everyone not a Yankee-fan assumes. Their pitching has been dreadful and missing Weaver isn't going to help. The Blue Jays and all their high-priced imports are seeing the same thing in the AL-East. It doesn't seem like any team is going to get buried in that mighty division - the 5 teams will beat up on each other too much for that - but I do like seeing Toronto toward the bottom.

The Rays, who will pitch (right?) have the bottom slot in the AL-East 5 games out. And it could be worse- not unexpected, but the Marlins are already 9 games behind the Braves in the NL-East; they're even 4 1/2 games out of fourth. You have to think their phones are ringing and ringing about Stanton. And maybe it was Boston- Carl Crawford is hitting for the Dodgers, but it's such a shame (uh-hem) that Greinke is out of their rotation for 8 weeks. So sorry about that... (uh-hem).

ROCK 'N ROSE BOOK TOUR:

The first leg of the tour is set for Los Angeles the weekend of May 3-6. I'll be reading at a downtown soiree on Friday night, at a quasi-private salon out in Malibu on Saturday night.

On Sunday from noon-3pm, I'll be doing a joint promotion with the friend/tattoo artist who inked my own Rose tattoo. Here's the deal: you schedule a 1/2 block on that day and arrive at the tattoo shop on time and sober. While I read you a tale from "A Rose by any Other Name," Tracy Ray tattoos one of a choice of two Rose designs onto your skin placement of choice. You're then sent home to heal with an inscribed copy of the book all for the bargain price of $40.00.

Following that, the last appearance of the trip will be a happy hour reading at the Bronson Bar in Hollywood. The narrow, dark bar at 5221 Hollywood Blvd  from 3-6pm. There will be stories, some music and probably a drink special or two. Signed copies of the book will be available for $14.00.

Thanks and I'll keep you posted on NYC dates upcoming for June.

Brian