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Under The Knife (01/02)
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I usually complain that the lack of changes in the weather in southern California causes me to not get into the Christmas spirit. So this year, Sophia and I came east to spend the holidays with my family...and it's 57 degrees in New York City on December 23.
The California-native bride is happy that she can feel all her extremities, but I'm looking around for an open golf course, and still wondering if my Christmas cheer is going to make an appearance. (And writing book chapters. Swear to God, Richard.)
- Speaking of Christmas, Rangers' fans who aren't millionaires in search of financial relief got an early present as the long-rumored Alex Rodriguez trade fell through for the 31st time. That leaves the team stuck with the second-best player in baseball, an inner-circle Hall of Famer in the middle of his prime years.
Might the trade still happen? Sure. Heck, there are too many baseball writers who feel their lives won't be worth living if it doesn't and who will keep harping on the deal. As good as it not happening is for the Rangers on the field, Tom Hicks isn't going to stop looking for ways to spend less money on his baseball team. Finally, the smart people left in the room in Boston know that dealing Manny Ramirez for Rodriguez makes a ton of sense for them on the field, and have every reason to make it fit financially.
What shouldn't be a factor is the idea that interpersonal issues would prevent Rodriguez and Nomar Garciaparra from staying right where they are and being huge assets for their teams. That's an insult to all the professionals involved. Maybe covering Mu Lambda Beta is more enjoyable for some people, but I think the relentless emphasis on who will and who won't like each other is one of the worst aspects of 21st century baseball. It doesn't humanize the participants, it reduces them to caricatures. It doesn't tell a story, it creates one, continuing the cycle of coverage that prizes access for the sake of access above analysis.
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Fantasy Focus: First Base Rankings Review