A-Rod in the Glass City?

Alex Rodriguez isn’t going to be a Tiger in 2008, but maybe he’ll consider an offer from the Toledo Mud Hens. On Sunday, after SI.com reported that Rodriguez would opt out of his contract and become a free agent, New York Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner told the New York Times, “Does he want to go into the Hall of Fame as a Yankee, or a Toledo Mud Hen?” The Mud Hens figured they should give him that opportunity. Dan Royer, a graphic designer for the team, created a mock Hall of Fame bust, with Rodriguez wearing a Toledo hat. The Mud Hens also prepared a letter that they plan to mail to Rodriguez’s agent, Scott Boras. Included is a contract offer with incentives if he hits 75 home runs per season and leads Toledo to 10 straight Governors’ Cup titles.
There is a catch, of course.
The letter includes a reminder that Mike Hessman – the International League’s reigning Most Valuable Player – is the Mud Hens’ everyday third baseman.
“We think that it would be a healthy competition at spring training between the two of them,” it reads. “Would your client be willing to play a different position?”
By Jon Paul Morosi -
Detroit Free Press Sports Writer

I believe we should welcome him with open arms and hearts. We have a great crew in The Mud Hens and we can always use an addition to the club. Let's see what happens with this one and I would have to agree that he might bring in a bigger fan crowd and a bit more money to the area which Toledo canuse right now and in the future.

Dirty or Clean?

LOS ANGELES (UPI) -- Barry Bonds said Thursday he would turn down entry into the Hall of Fame if an asterisk is placed on the baseball he hit to break Hank Aaron's career record. Bonds, who made the vow during an interview with MSNBC, broke Aaron's mark of 755 homers this year and finished the season with 762. He was released by the San Francisco Giants at season's end. The ball Bonds hit to establish the record was purchased by fashion designer Marc Ecko for $752,000 and Ecko gave fans a chance to vote on the Internet on what they thought should happen to the ball.
Fans voted to send the ball to the Hall of Fame with an asterisk marked on it as a symbol of Bonds' alleged use of performance enhancing drugs. "I don't think you can put an asterisk in the game of baseball," Bonds said in the interview. When asked what he would do if the ball was displayed with an asterisk, Bonds said:

"I will never be in the Hall of Fame. Never. I won't go. I won't be part of it, I won't be there. You can call me, but I won't be there."

It bothers me that although there have been many accusations towards Bonds about the juicing of the performance drug and no one has yet to show some kind of proof. You would think that if in fact he did use the additives some one would of busted him on it by now. Allow the ball to be placed in The Hall of Fame without the asterisk next to it because until proven dirty, he's clean. How many players in the league have large numbers of RBIs and stolen bases? Quite a bit right, well let's say we add an asterisk to there number total and add a text saying "Well so and so got that last boost of numbers because the last team the played completely sucked so his total counts but it's under restraint due to lack of a challenge from the opposing team." Now that would completely enrage the player accomplishing that task of greatness. Now if it turns out that he was walking around with an IV pumping the stuff in then I guess I'll take back my words and agree that the ball should not only have an asterisk but it should be placed in the cleaning supply closet for all to see where dirty accomplishments go.