Ladies and gentlemen, can I please have your attention? I've just been handed an urgent and horrifying news story.

Are you sitting down? The Yankees are still interested in Santana. Wow. It is also good to see that Brian Cashman is powerless again as well.

"The bottom line is, it's my decision," Hank Steinbrenner said, "but there's disagreement within the organization. I've got to keep everybody happy in the organization, including Brian ... That includes my partner, which is my brother."

Whatever happened to the days where you hired a GM to run your baseball team instead of hiring him and then making decisions to keep him happy? The only new revalation is that Santana would only be getting a five year extension from the Yankees and not a six or seven year extension.

If the Yankees do complete a trade for Santana, Steinbrenner said they would not go beyond a five-year contract extension (one that expires after the 2013 season).

"I wouldn't do it if it were a six- or seven-year contract," Steinbrenner said. "I wouldn't go past five, on an extension."

I can certainly see him getting more than five years if he gets to negotiate a contract on the free agent market and it probably behooves him to turn down whatever deal any possible suitor dishes out so he can pick his team and get paid.

* * *

Gut it! The Orioles are a complete joke and they look like a last place team in the AL East as currently constructed. To not trade everything not nailed down would be a horrific mistake.

Jim Callis slams Billy Beane a bit.

Billy Beane has proven himself to be one of the game's best general managers, but how he escapes blame for the collapse of his farm system is beyond me. Yes, big league promotions have thinned out Oakland's store of minor league talent, but with 19 first-round or supplemental first-round picks in the last six drafts, there's no excuse. Funny, I seem to remember reading a book a few years ago about how the A's were revolutionizing the draft.

Good point Jim, good point. Really though, that is more than three per season and they really have little to show for it. He did get some good players, but his more recent ones have been rough.

In 2002 he drafted Nick Swisher, Joe Blanton, John McCurdy, Ben Fritz, Jeremby Brown, Steve Obenchain, and Mark Teahan.

In 2003 he drafted Brad Sullivan, Brian Snyder, and Omar Quintanilla.

In 2004 he drafted Landon Powell, Richie Robnett, Danny Putnam, and Huston Street.

In 2005 he drafted Cliff Pennington and Travis Buck.

In 2006 he did not have a draft pick as this is when I believe he inexplicably signed Esteban Loaiza and lost his first round pick. Of course Beane gave him up for nothing when the Dodgers claimed him and the $8m+ owed to him through 2008 off of waivers last season.

In 2007 he drafted James Simmons, Sean Doolittle, and Corey Brown.

Of course the 2007 draft is too soon to judge, but those are some ugly drafts.

Also noted within the piece, the Mets getting rid of Glavine kicks ass. It has been covered time and time again, but I really am excited about this.

18. Mets (Tom Glavine, A, to Atl)
19. Cubs
20. Mariners
21. Tigers
22. Mets
23. Padres
24. Phillies
25. Rockies
26. Diamondbacks
27. Twins (Torii Hunter, A, to LAA)
28. Yankees
29. Indians
30. Red Sox
Supplemental First-Round Picks
31. Twins (Hunter)
32. Brewers (Franciso Cordero, A, to Cin)
33. Mets (Glavine)

The Braves can have his league average innings, I would rather take two picks in the top 33 any day of the week. This draft could do wonders for the Mets with any luck as it is worth noting the Yankees got Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain in the 2006 draft with picks 21 and 40. Of course I am not suggesting the Mets will come away with such a handsome haul that will help on such short order, but merely pointing out the opportunity that possibly awaits them....as long as they do not draft two college relievers with two of those three picks, I'll be happy.

The Mets have been thinking quick help in the last two drafts, but hopefully they shift gears a bit and just draft the best talent. They need pitching direly as anyone does, but they also need to get some more depth in regards to position prospects. Go for the best and not just the best arm.

A side note: I would gladly give the Braves first round pick back (not the sandwich pick as well) if it meant Willie was given his walking papers. That is how bad I want him out of this organization.

Goose is in. Jim Rice just missed, Blyleven missed by a good amount, Morris rightfully finished below Blylelven, Raines got a paltry 24.3% of the votes which is silly, Mattingly got 15.8% of the votes when he should have gotten 0%, and Harold Baines is holding on for dear life with 5.2% of the votes. It is safe to say, Mr. Baines looks like a long shot.

It should be noted that Jim rice played for sixteen years and was known as a power hitter. He hit less than 24 homers per year which is certainly perplexing being he was supposed to be a power hitter in park that helps out right handed hitters. He must have pounded a ton of doubles, right? Not so much. He hit less doubles than he did homers. He had four monster seasons and a bunch of good ones. His candidacy is bit perplexing in regards to the support he is getting. I understand he was playing in a different ERA, but even in that context he is not a HoF.

I know that is a very crude look at his numbers, but Mike & Mad Dog were harping on this last night and it was annoying. Somehow Mad Dog thought Rice was slam dunk and Raines was not a HoF. I think Raines will eventually get in, but for some reason the voters will not vote in a sure fire Hall of Famer when they appear on their first ballot because they are not a 'first ballot Hall of Famer' like Pedro Martinez will be.

They are making a statement, however ridiculous it is.

Eric Karabell brings up an interesting notion.

And by the way, a few paragraphs up, I had that throwaway line about Hamilton possibly being the team's best center fielder ever. It's not a throwaway line. Try naming a Texas Rangers center fielder who topped 300 games. It's hard to believe Oddibe McDowell is probably the best they've had in Arlington. Hamilton had better end up the best.

The Rangers have had some good teams in the past, but no good centerfielders. It will be interesting to see what Hamilton does and him and Salty give the Rangers a nice meat of the order for a long time.

I do not think I have ever mentioned here how despicable Tom McCarthy is. He absconds for the Phillies? Sure he worked for the Phillies before joining the Mets, but that does not lessen my negative feelings toward the man.

Now, the Mets are chasing some Hagin character. Is he good? I don't know. I read an interview with him and seems like a swell guy who knows his stuff, but I would like some more life in the radio broadcasts. Is cloning Keith Hernandez an option? Has Harold Reynolds cleared his named yet?

"Three people who work at ESPN and familiar with the case said the cause was a pattern of sexual harassment." Reynolds confirmed that an accusation of sexual harassment was the reason for his departure but called it "a total misunderstanding" and that "I gave a woman a hug and I felt like it was misinterpreted."

There are lots of hugs out there....Puppy hugs, fraidycat hugs, birthday hugs, I love-you-hugs, etc. Maybe he dished out a puppy hug when he should have went fradiycat hug. These things happen.