Nomar Garciaparra Buys Red Sox Clubhouse Pass

Former Boston Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra -- now in his current reconfiguration as an ESPN baseball reporter -- has bought himself a new pass to his old team's clubhouse with his tearful reconciliation with Theo Epstein, John Henry, and Larry Lucchino.

Here is the formerly vaunted superstar sitting elbow-to-elbow with the aforementioned suits, all smiles and bouquets as if all his notorious past transgressions have been forgotten and absolved, as if nobody remembers that it was his banishment to the Cubs five years ago -- like the excision of a cancerous tumor -- that so revitalized the then struggling BoSox that they were enabled to come back from the dead to reach the World Series.

Say what you will about those old, unsubstantiated inferences that his body broke down due to the effects of performance enhancing substances, or that he had exaggerated his alleged inabilities to play due to injury and laid down on the job at the critical moment when he was most needed during the 2004 drive toward World Series immortality.

Those in the know fully understand that the heart of the matter was actually Nomar's mercenary position in a proposed $60 million, four-year contract extension negotiation. The team's intransigence had left him bitter and recriminatingly resentful of what he perceived as a lack of appreciation for his previous stellar accomplishments -- accomplishments, by the way, of which he was no longer capable and which failed the acid test in the harsh light of good, old-fashioned New England good sense and frugality.

Though Garciaparra's tarnished relationships with writers have left a cloud over his chance of ever reaching Cooperstown, his Hall of Fame hat logo none-the-less remains at stake, so team has once again clutched him to its bosom and allowed him walk among the players' lockers with the rest of the reporters without seeming to be the interloper that he would be otherwise.

It's a pity that everyone has such a short memory. Rather than appearing with Garciaparra in a scene vaguely reminiscent of John Voigt's love scene in the motion picture "Deliverance," Epstein, Henry and Luccino might better have asked: "Nomar, what have you done for us lately?"

Rockies Ask What's Miguel Olivo Done Lately?

After struggling at the plate for a half dozen years newly signed Rockies catcher Miguel Olivo undeniably broke through last year with a 23 home run total with the Royals, a rate of approximately one every nine at-bats, or an astonishing potential of 50 total for the season if he had played full time.

And so what are the Rockies asking of their newly signed backstop? What have you done for us lately? With Cactus League games just getting under way the suspense is already over as multiple media reports indicate that Olivo, 31, will be little more than a reserve due to the emergence of the highly regarded Chris Ianetta, 26.

Ianetta, who has 30-homer potential himself, is regarded as a superior glove man as compared to Olivo who, perhaps in part because of communication shortcomings, failed to satisfy the Royals defensive expectations last year. Ianetta will have to fall flat on his face, not only during spring camp, but in the first four to eight weeks of the season if Olivo is to see much more than a couple of hundred plate appearances.

Yankees Tickets at Tip of Gov. Paterson's Iceberg

If Gov. David Paterson had merely taken World Series tickets from the Yankees without paying for them, that could be dismissed as good old-fashioned, Tammany Hall style, New York Democratic Party machine politics as usual.

The problem is the five tickets, supposedly valued at a suspiciously low $2,125, represent just the tip of the iceberg of a potentially titanic load of additional allegations pressuring Patterson to vacate the governor's mansion.

The allegations being investigated include, but are not necessarily limited to, the dubious award of a state racetrack concession and the back room quashing of a court protective order in a domestic dispute that would likely have proved embarrassing to one of Patterson's cronies.

"The writing is on the wall. It's on the ceiling. It's on the floor. It's on the windows," Baruch College political science Prof. Doug Muzzio told the USA Today.

Yes, the handwriting is clear, so clear that not even a blind man could miss it.

Astros Catcher J.R. Towles To Try Doing It His Way

Having established himself in the minors as a .300 hitter with power, it had been a simple progression for former 20th round draft pick J.R. Towles to win the coveted "catcher of the future" mantle three years ago for the soon to be rebuilding Astros.

But somewhere along the line, Towles became overwhelmed, hitting only .149 over the past two seasons in what has become more and more limited playing time.

"I just listened what a lot of people said and I got overloaded," Towles told http://www.mlbnewsonline.com/. "I'm just going to go back to what got me here. Go back to the basics."

At 26, Towles can consider himself lucky, for most players with his track record would find themselves demoted to the minors again, perhaps permanently. But with the Astros still rebuilding, and super thin at the catcher position, Towles has been blessed with yet one more opportunity to impress.

Competition at the team's Grapefruit League camp at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, Fla., has pitted him against fellow backstop Humberto Quintero, with whom he will share time either as the starter or the backup.

Barring injury or a total breakdown in performance, neither player appears to be destined for the minors just yet, which buys time for Towles. He must rediscover himself soon, for Stanford product Jason Castro, 22, is waiting in the wings.

Indians Rookies Losing Time to Russell Branyan

Just as quickly as 25-year-old rookie Matt LaPorta was penciled in as the starting first baseman for the 2010 Indians, he has been penciled out with the unexpected signing of free agent veteran Russell Branyan, 34.

Likewise, rising young outfielders Michael Brantley and Trevor Crowe stand to be benched or demoted to the minors as newly named manager Manny Acta likely can be expected to dole out the majority of playing time to such other veterans as Travis Hafner, Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore.

In anticipation of a game of musical chairs, LaPorta already has begun taking defensive drills in left field, the only position remaining for him, even though that is the position which had been expected to be claimed by Brantley, son of former major leaguer Mickey Brantley.

"At the end of the day, if everybody's healthy, it obviously is going to impact one of those young guys," Acta told reporters gathered at the team's Cactus League spring training camp at Goodyear, Ariz. "But I guarantee you, both of those guys are going to play every single day somewhere."

With Hafner and Sizemore both hampered last season by various injuries and ailments, the team was left without a great deal of depth should one or both be unable to play up to form, Acta said.
He hinted that some or all -- including Branyan -- will need downtime to stay healthy, thus creating opportunities for the bench.

Without Branyan, who hit 31 homers in 431 at-bats in an injury shortened effort for the Mariners last season, "we were an injury away from not feeling as comfortable," Acta said.

J.D. Drew Mindful of Red Sox Cancellation Clause?

It's not often remembered, but hidden in the fine print of J.D. Drew's $70 million, five-year contract is a stipulation that the Red Sox can release the 34-year-old outfielder if it is determined that his abilities have been significantly impaired as the result of shoulder injuries sustained before he came to Boston.

Having reached a personal, Red Sox high of 24 homers while batting .279 in 137 games last year, Drew so far has had little reason to fear that he will lose his job. Perhaps mindful, however, that baseball careers can end in an instant, Drew is taking no chances.

Drew began pre-season conditioning last month after being shut down for yet another shoulder surgery in October, this one to remove bone spurs so aggravating that he was unable to play last season without being treated with two cortisone injections.

"I had...days when it was a lot worse than others," Drew recently told The Boston Globe's Amalie Benjamin. "The worst part of it was the batting cage and...repetition of swinging the bat. (It) kind of got it aggravated."

Even though the condition worsened as the season wore on, he hit .355 with 12 homers and 30 RBI in the second half of the season, not counting an 0-22 streak immediately after the All-Star game. With that kind of potential, the Red Sox won't begrudge a little downtime for him, if that's what it takes to keep him healthy.

It's a much better alternative than voiding his contract.

Astros GM Ed Wade Warns No Player Untouchable

Astros General Manager Ed Wade has begun his newly extended, three-year tenure by straddling a fine line between the importance of competing for a 2010 playoff berth and the need to reduce costs by dealing players to build for the future.

With a more than $100 million annual payroll to trim and a near bankrupt farm system to replenish, Wade told MLBnewsonline.com in an exclusive interview that no player is safe from the trading block, whether a prospect or a star of the caliber of Lance Bergman, Roy Oswalt, Carlos Lee or even the future of the franchise Hunter Pence.

Not that the team is actively seeking out looking suitors, but all offers will at least be considered, especially if value is to be acquired, Wade told MLBnewsonline.com.

"It's not so much that everybody's on the trading block," Wade explained. "But you can always say 'yes,' if sombody wants to do something stupid. The beauty is, you can always say 'no.' "

Wade, formerly general manager in Philadelphia, came to Houston in 2007, and has won the confidence of owner Drayton McLane despite a losing record. McLain opened Grapefruit League camp in Kissimmee, Fla., by announcing that that Wade's contract has been extended through 2002.

Astros Will Let Hunter Pence Be Hunter Pence

Any number of analysts, scouts and various other prognosticators have foreseen a potential big, big production spike coming for Astros outfielder Hunter Pence as he approaches the prime of his career, but will 2010 be the year?

Don't put it past him; any player of Pence's talent can have a career season not only any year but maybe even every year, says newly appointed Astros manager Brad Mills.

"With him you don't have to worry about peaks and valleys," said Mills during the first day of baseball activities at Astros spring camp at Osceola County Stadium in the Orlando Fla., suburb of Kissimmee.

"We just have to let him be Hunter Pence," Mills said.

And Pence, who in 12 days will observe his 27th birthday, is doing just that, establishing himself as the prototypical first player to arrive in the morning and the last to go home at the end of the day. With position players not expected to arrive until next week, Pence is on the job already, having shown up in camp even before pitchers and catchers to put in a full day of stretching, running and other drills, including some two hours of hitting in the cage.

Is he working on his swing?

"Right now I'm working on the World Series," Pence said lightheartedly yet hinting he thinks the sky's the limit.

Though Pence put up an arguably career best season last year with 25 homers and a .282 batting average, he seems to feel he can reach the next level by putting greater emphasis on his mental approach.

In addition to training all winter under the tutelage of strength and conditioning coach Gene Coleman at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Pence studied various baseball manuals, managers' memoirs, how-to books and even such philosophical essays as "The Art of War," by Sun Tzu, whose thoughts have influenced military leaders from Napoleon to Douglas MacArthur with an emphasis on conditioned responses in fluid situations.

"It's only 100 pages but a I read it twice," said Pence, a former honors student at University of Texas at Arlington.

The six-foot-four, 205-pound phenom, who added about five pounds of muscle during the offseason, wants to cultivate what some trainers have called "muscle memory," in which the body's response is not so much a consequence of the brain's premeditation as it is an automatic reaction, something achievable through repetition.

Pence hopes to counteract his propensity to tinker with his mechanics so that he may "build a foundation for my swing." Whether that means he is approaching a magical career year he won't predict.

"I do feel good about myself coming into this season." Pence told MLBnewsonline.com. "...I'm coming into this year more prepared than I've ever been."

Jose Reyes 'Comeback' Portends Trouble for Mets

Injured Mets shortstop Jose Reyes' recent workout demonstration may have been good enough for team vice president David Howard and a bevy of metropolitan reporters that showed up for the coverage at Professional Athletic Performance Center in Garden City, N.Y., but the ill-starred superstar still has a long, long way to go before he can be declared fully recovered.

Though Reyes pledged he would be back "100 percent" come opening day, and urged ticket buyers to, "come and see the show," consider a modest word to the wise: Don't believe the hype.

Yes, Reyes was clocked at 3.52 seconds running the distance between home and first base, and he easily darted and dashed left and right as he fielded a series of bouncing tennis balls. In the course of 90 minutes, he bounded and bounced and biked and stretched, all marks of significant progress for a player coming off a second of two surgeries that left him on crutches as recently as the end of October.

But if his was merely a hamstring injury -- plus the complications of a calf strain and inflammation -- that would be one thing. But this is no ordinary hamstring injury, it is a displacement of the hamstring tendon, a critical tear that fundamentally could leave him with a significant impairment of mobility for the remainder of his life, and about which medical experts must remain guarded even in the best of circumstances.

We are in fact ultimately talking about a breakdown -- a disconnection if you will -- of the sophisticated pully system that impacts rudimentary athlectic command over the lower extremities of both legs, both being equal parts of a working tandem. This is the last line between the bone and the hamstring, the disruption of which marks the type of injury one would more easily find in the rodeo bullring, beneath the horses' legs on the turf of a polo match, or in the back of a crashed automobile, having plunged off the escarpment of the Jersey Pallisades.

It can be fixed but with great difficulty, and only after much time, patience, wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Thus, the view from here is that Jose Reyes likely will not finish the 2010 season, certainly not without tiresome visits to the trainer's table. Every time he gets hurt -- and he will get hurt -- he will be out four to six weeks. If he injures himself the way he did before, he could be out permanently.

This is not rocket science. Any physician trained in trauma can foresee the potential for trouble because of the very nature of the injury, and because Reyes is not just some stationary lummox who stands at first base merely to take throws from across the diamond, or waits on the bench for a chance to pinch hit. We are talking about a finely tuned, high-powered little sports car of a man who trades on speed, hustle, daring and precision carburation and rack and pinion steering.

To be effective, he must have unfettered dominion over all his talents, tools and skills., particularly as he approaches the potential zenith of his prowess at his 27th birthday in June.

With hot-and-cold hitting Jason Bay's medical condition having been disparaged by Red Sox doctors, with Carlos Beltran set to miss the opening of the season with another knee problem, and David Wright having struggled to hit even a mere dozen home runs last year, it looks as though another long, long season may be in the offing for Jose Reyes and the Mets.

One-time A's Future Closer Joey Devine on Mend

Struggling young pitcher Joey Devine, the one-time closer-of-the-future for the Oakland Athletics, has told a teammate that his recovery from "Tommy John surgery" is on schedule and that he looks forward to game action early next season.

"He thinks that by the end of spring training he'll be ready to face live batters," said former A's closer and now setup man Brad Ziegler in an interview with Sirrius/XM MLB radio channel 175.

Devine, 27, had been given Oakland's closer job during last year's spring camp but underwent elbow surgery in April, after having sustained discomfort likely related to that which interrupted his season the year before. Twelve months is a typical recovery time from the surgical procedure in which the ulner collateral ligament is replaced.

Devine formerly had been cast in the role of future closer for the Braves, but was held back by control problems that ultimately may have manifested in disablement.

The Athletics have since found a closer in the person of Rookie of the Year Andrew Bailey.

Clay Buchholz to Fight for Red Sox Rotation Spot

Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz -- seen by some insiders as a candidate for the bullpen due his team's signing of former Angel ace John Lackey -- has vowed to fight for a rotation spot, even if it pits him against veteran Tim Wakefield.

"I don't want to be over confident that I have a spot," the 25-year-old Buchholz told the Boston Herald. "...Knowing that 'Wake' is back to normal and is going to be here for two more years, he's been here a lot longer than I have. I'm sure he's got seniority on that spot, but I'm going to do what I can to be one of the five guys and go from there if it doesn't happen."

At the same time Wakefield, 44, has expressed frustration at the prospect of having once again to prove himself worthy of being a starter now with Lackey, Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka holding down the first four spots in the rotation.

Buchholz was called up from Tripe A Pawtucket when Wakefield went down with an injury last year, and went on to notch a 7-4 record with a 4.21 ERA.

General Manager Theo Epstein told the newspaper that he has remained noncommittal about who will win the No. 5 spot, warning that it is too soon to tell who will be healthy when the season begins.

Ex-D-Back Says Brandon Webb Healthy, Strong

A former Arizona Diamondbacks teammate says right-handed hurler Brandon Webb -- who missed virtually the entire season last year with shoulder difficulties -- is healthy and strong, and is looking to resume his career as one of the National League's premier starters.

"He's feeling great right now," said former Diamondbacks lefty Doug Davis. "He's healthy and strong as well."

Davis, a cancer survivor who last week inked a contract with the Brewers, told Sirrius/XM radio MLB channel 175 that he maintains regular telephone contact with Webb, who is traveling east with his family in Davis' recreational vehicle, which Webb borrowed. Davis said he spoke with Webb as recently as Friday.

Webb had been coming off a 22-7 season in 2008, when he notched a 3.30 ERA and struck out 183 in 226 innings. But he came out of his first game last year with shoulder stiffness, ultimately undergoing arthroscopic surgery in August with the objective of returning to action by spring.

A microscopic camera revealed no structural damage, signaling that Webb likely can expect to return to the mound without a serious setback other than anticipated rustiness associated with his lengthy layoff.

Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus Sizzles in Caracas

Standout major league shortstop Elvis Andrus -- having received permission from Texas Rangers president Nolan Ryan to delay preparations for travel to spring training in Arizona -- homered for the Mariners in a 7-3 triumph over the Lions in the fifth game of Venezuelan National Baseball League Championship Tuesday in Caracas, the nation's capital.

Play resumes Thursday.

The Mariners now lead the the Lions 3-2 in the seven-game set, with Andrus hitting at a .421 clip, or 8-19. He and brother Erold Andrus, a former prospect in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays system, both homered, the first time brothers have gone deep in the same game in the history of the series. They are Venezuelan natives.

Elvis Andrus initially was to begin preparing for his upcoming departure to Arizona after the fifth game, but received the OK from Texas to stay for the conclusion of the series. Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to the Rangers Cactus League training facility in Surprise, Ariz. on Feb. 18, with a workout scheduled the following day.

Andrus was expected to appear this week at the Ballpark at Arlington for a promotional minicamp.

At 20, the former top prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization, was acquired as part of the Mark Teixiera trade, and fairly delighted the Rangers when he finished second in the Rookie-of-the-Year voting after hitting .267 with 33 steals and 72 runs scored in his 2009 campaign.

Ex-Cubs Ace Mark Prior Refuses to Give Up

Former Cubs ace Mark Prior -- whose promising career has been nearly destroyed by a myriad of punishing injuries -- refuses to hang up his spikes and has been readying himself for a demonstration before major league scouts in Arizona.

"Mark Prior has not retired," a spokesperson for Prior's agent John Boggs said in terse statement with no details of the 29-year-old hurler's progress during an ongoing rehabilitation program resumed in November.

Neither was there word on any throwing sessions scheduled with observers from teams throughout the majors, though sources familiar with long-shot comeback attempts said such meetings often are held unofficially, one-on-one behind closed doors.

Prior seems to be keeping a low profile, but reportedly was seen in street clothes on New Year's Day in La Jolla, Calif., near his hometown of San Diego. He is recovering from shoulder damage that required multiple surgical repairs, and he also has sustained hamstring, achilles tendon, elbow and oblique injuries.

Prior signed a $1 million contract with the Padres in 2008 but was unable to appear in a single game. He then agreed to an additional $1 million contract with the Padres the following year, contingent upon his callup from the minor leagues.

Again Prior was unable to make even a single appearance, having last pitched in a major league game in 2006, when he went 1-6 with a 7.71 ERA for the Cubs.

Prior signed for a then-record $10.5 million bonus as the second overall pick in the 2001 draft. He notched his most successful season in 2003, when he went 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA while striking out 245 batters in 211.1 innings.

Ex-Reds GM Jim Bowden Blasts Scott Rolen Pact

The restructuring and extension of Cincinnati Reds third baseman Scott Rolen's contract has come under fire from the team's former general manager, who questioned the pact on grounds of Rolen's advancing age, history of injuries and declining offense.

Jim Bowden, now co-hosting a morning baseball radio talk show on Sirrius/XM. said it was unwise to extend Rolen through 2012 at a cost of $23.63 million, after he was due $11 million in 2010. Rolen will be 37 when the contract expires.

"It's very disappointing to me committing that amount of money without knowing that Scott Rolen can bounce back," Bowden said.

Rolen will receive $6 million this season, $6.5 million per season in 2011 and 2012, plus a $5 million signing bonus.

The Reds acquired Rolen from the Blue Jays last season for third baseman Edwin Encarnacion and pitching prospects Josh Roenicke and Zach Stewart.

Lee Hamilton Fans Nix National League DH

A slim majority of fans responding to a poll taken by Sirrius/XM weekend radio talk show host Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton rejected a call to introduce the designated hitter to the National League despite Major League Baseball's contemplation of doing so.

Though non-scientific, the poll rejected the rule change proposal by a 24-22 margin, results seen by Hamilton as a surprising rebuff after he had argued in favor of the DH on grounds that National League pitchers' combined batting averages last year were a paltry 0.78.

Fans would rather watch a slugger at the plate, Hamilton contended. "Isn't that an interesting question that I just posted today," Hamilton said. "The phone lines just exploded."

The American League introduced the designated hitter in 1971 to boost scoring, which had fallen to a modern low during the end of the 1960s. To undermine the dominance of pitchers at that time, both the American and National Leagues agreed to lower the pitching mound by six inches, with umpires adopting a more and more stringent strike zone over the years.

In nearly four decades, however, the National League continues to make pitchers bat, though collegiate and minor leagues largely have followed the American League lead.

"It's not just about some slugger standing at the plate and hitting a big fly into the seats," said one caller. "If that were the objective, you could just field nine defensive players and let somebody like (Cardinals first baseman) Albert Pujols take all the at-bats."

Other callers lamented the loss of strategy in the American League, emphasizing that baseball was conceived not so much as a game of action like basketball or soccer, but of decision making in which the fans must think along with the field manager.

Hamilton said he proposed the question in conjunction with Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig's announcement that he would convene a panel to consider revamping playing rules and regulations. Though an official head count was not imediately available, knowledgeable observers have estimated that Hamilton has a following of up to 20,000 listeners or more per hour during his program, which broadcasts Saturday and Sunday afternoons and is replayed during the night.

Medics Cast Shadow on Mike Lowell's Career

Little wonder that the Texas Rangers backed out on the acquisition of Boston third baseman Mike Lowell, considering that a medical examination sends a fairly clear signal that not only will he need surgery but that his career is questionable.

The Red Sox can spin the story as favorably as they want, with the prediction that Lowell will be ready for Spring, but the Rangers doctors know better.

Surgical repair of the ulnar collateral ligament in Lowell's right thumb is among the most difficult surgeries for athletes, particularly baseball players. The key problem is that the ligament is isolated, it is almost the sole manipulative link to the brain, and yet is intricately tiny. Merely maintaining blood flow to the ligament during surgery is a challenge, as a drop in blood pressure can rapidly bring on necropathy.

Though Lowell can look forward to a normal and happy and more or less totally functional use of this thumb for the rest of his life as a private citizen, the question of swinging a bat is another consideration altogether. At least Lowell can take satisfaction from the fact that it's his right ligament; for the left could be even more problematic.

Kyle Drabek's Phillies Gear to Be Auctioned

How to get rid of his red No. 81 Phillies spring jersey and other Philadelphia gear is the least of his problems, but Kyle Drabek says he might as well auction it to the highest bidder as long as he's going to be playing for the Toronto Blue Jays.

"I'll put it on eBay," the hard-throwing young prospect laughingly told the Doylestown, Pa., Intelligencer.

Drabek, 22. dealt to Toronto along with fellow prospects Travis D'Arnaud and Michael Taylor when the Phillies acquired Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay, will report to Blue Jays camp in Dunedin, Fla., in 60 days.

Taylor has been flipped to Oakland for former St. Louis third base candidate Brett Wallace, but Drabek and his 96-mph fastball have a shot to compete for a spot at the back of the Blue Jays rotation, though more likely Drabek will start the season at Double A New Hampshire.

"I think I'm ready," said Drabek, son of 1990 Cy Young winner Doug Drabek. "...My dad just said to make sure you go out and pitch like you know how to. Where I am doesn't change anything. It's just putting on a different jersey."

Marcus Scutaro Projected as Red Sox Superstar

In Oakland he was perceived as a limited, part-time utility player, but newly signed Red Sox shortstop Marcus Scutaro now has been projected by a former coach as having blossomed into a catalytic, minor superstar who can do it all.

"He'll draw a walk, he'll hit and run, he'll move runners along, he'll bunt, he'll hit some balls into the seats, he'll steal a base," says 2009 Blue Jays bench coach Brian Butterfield. "He's immersed with the offensive part of the game."

Speaking to sports columnist Larry Mahoney with the Bangor Daily News, which serves Butterfield's hometown of Orono, Me., Butterfield, 52, described Scutaro as "outstanding" defensively as well, having committed only 10 errors in 143 games despite leading the lead in chances under Butterfield's direction last season in Toronto, Scutaro's second with the Blue Jays.


He credited the 34-year-old Latino veteran with intelligence, skill and knowledge in positioning himself to take maximum advantage of batters' hitting tendencies and proclivities, thus re-enforcing accuracy in critical situations. "There's no panic in his hands," Butterfield said.

Mark Patrick Renews Old MLB Acquaintances

Former network air personality Mark Patrick renewed old acquaintances at the annual major league general managers' meeting in Indianapolis last week, bringing them up to date on his current status and placing a few well-placed words in introducing his budding superstar son, Drew Storen.


Just exactly what he said is unknown, unless it was to ask the kid if he could borrow a couple of bucks. Storen was the No. 10 overall pick in the June major league baseball draft and signed with the Washington Nationals for a bonus of $1.6 million.


The brainy 22-year-old had a brief but shining college career at Stanford, then went on to notch a 2-1 record with a 1.95 ERA in 37 innings at AA Harrisburg and two other professional levels last year, with 49 strikeouts. The Washington Post has projected him as the Nationals closer of the future.

His father, who uses the air name "Patrick," formerly was host for Fox Radio's daytime daily sports program, and later launched XM Radio's "MLB This Morning" show with co-hosts Buck Martinez and Larry Bowa before being released after three years.

By almost any measure, he is among the most talented personalities in network radio, possessing not only an encylopedic knowledge of baseball and other sports, but also an efferfescent personality replete with an array of world class impersonations such celebrities as John Wayne, Richard Nixon and Johnny Carson.