Crooked Pitch

Hi folks. I suppose a bit of an introduction before the last post might have been good. My name’s Andy and I write about the Pirates over at Bugs & Cranks. Yes, that’s right, I’m a lifelong Pirates fan, and that might be a harder admission than telling a roomful of strangers that you’re an alcoholic.

Given my MLB allegiance and the fantasy baseball slant to this site, I thought about trying to write a post about giving Roto advice as it pertains to the Pirates players. Well, I started making some notes, and here’s what I came up with: by no means should you ever draft: Jose Bautista, Nyjer Morgan, Jack Wilson, Ronny Paulino, Matt Morris…that’s as far as I got. My hand started to get tired. In case you’re curious though, here’s a link to 40 other people you probably don’t want on your fantasy team either.

Tom Gorzelanny and Ian Snell are both young pitchers you actually might want to consider. However, they’ll probably be lacking in a certain important fantasy pitching category *ahem* wins *ahem*. In addition, young Pirates pitchers have shown a remarkable propensity to get hurt or flame out over the past 15 years, so both of them are karmically due for a bad season. So there, I may actually have taught you something you didn’t know.

Anyway, the big story we’re running today over at Bugs&Cranks is a debate over the respective MVPs for each league. In that vein, I thought it might be fun for any readers out there to share who the MVP of your fantasy team was this year. Maybe it was a five category stud like Alex Rodriguez, whom you took with the third overall pick and he carried you to victory. Maybe it was a late waiver pick up like Reggie Willits, whose steal total allowed you to steal the category and keep the big trash talker in your league from taking the crown yet again.

My fantasy MVP this season was A’s pitcher Dan Haren, whom I got with a low round pick. Not only did his beard remind me of how my dad rocked it throughout the 80s, but  his spectacularly consistent performance kept my staff afloat and kept me out of the indignity of finishing in the basement.

What about all of you?

That’s right, a prominent major-leaguer might owe millions of dollars in back taxes. The surprising thing is that it isn’t a certain former Giants slugger with a loose lipped mistress and a boatload of his own legal troubles. No, the alleged culprit in this instance is none other than the pride and joy of the Yankees, Captain America, Mr. Derek Jeter.

Jeter, who has played with the Bronx Bombers since 1995, owns an off-season home in Tampa, Fla., and has claimed residency in Florida for years. But the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance insists the superstar shortstop is an Empire State resident, and is demanding back taxes, plus interest, for the years 2001 through 2003, according to court filings.

While Jeter’s salary is already partially taxable in New York, the alleged indiscretion involves his hefty endoresement dollars, which he may be “sheltering in the sunshine state.” Given the frosty relationship between Jeter and former best friend Alex Rodriguez, you have to wonder if A-Rod isn’t a little perturbed to have the headlines swiped away from him again. If I were the Yankees, I’d make sure I got his signature on that $275 million contract pronto. Can’t you just see Scott Boras breaking off talks with New York and sending out on announcement via blackberryduring the start of the Bonds hearing on December 7?