“If Gary Sheffield is upset about the Yankees exercising their $12 million option on his contract in 2007,” writes the Rocky Mountain News’ Tracy Ringolsby, “the target of his anger should be the agent who negotiated the deal, not the Yankees.”
The Little ‘Stache’s recent outbursts, while hardly out of character, are a little weird in light of how eager Sheffield was last February to have the Yankees exercise the very same option he’s pissed about today.
The Journal News’ Peter Abraham has a slightly better take on reality.
Sheff is a heck of a hitter and his anger is what drives him. But he has one option: Sit out the season, forfeit $13 million and try and make a comeback at age 39 after what would essentially be two years out of baseball. Good luck with that.
A 4-1, Game 5 victory over the Chunichi Dragons brought the Nippon Ham Fighters their first Japan Series title in 44 years. More crucially, it marked the end of Tsuyoshi Shinjo’s playing career. Shinjo denies he’s considering a move towards acting or politics, though presumably, the modeling career is still a going concern.
The Mets’ John Maine has been added to the squad of MLB All-Stars heading for an exhibition tour of Japan next month. While Maine is probably not a household name just yet, his Q rating outside of the US might improve if he can learn to mimmick Shinjo’s subtle aesthetic.