Trade Grade

- The ESPN stat geek John Hollinger rates the Kidd trade.

Feb. 19: Dallas signs Keith Van Horn and trades Van Horn, Devin Harris, Trenton Hassell, Maurice Ager, DeSagana Diop, first-round draft choices in 2008 and 2010, and cash considerations to New Jersey for Jason Kidd, Malik Allen and Antoine Wright; waives Nick Fazekas

For Dallas: A "makeup" trade for a failed deal involving Jerry Stackhouse and Devean George instead of Hassell and Van Horn, this version cost Mark Cuban $11 million more, counting salary and taxes, but looks almost as questionable.

Kidd didn't exactly calm doubts in his Dallas return, getting abused by the Hornets' Chris Paul, which was exactly the fear of Mavs fans when they traded their top perimeter defender in Harris. And Kidd's six turnovers were another example of something I've been harping on for a while -- Kidd has become increasingly mistake-prone this season.

Dallas wanted this trade as much for the locker room as the court, and I don't want to minimize that aspect of the deal. Just because it can't be measured doesn't mean it isn't there. But to give up two first-rounders (the second unprotected) and a quality post defender in Diop for what may not even be an upgrade at the point seems a stretch. Grade: C-

For New Jersey: It's tough to rebuild much better than this. The Nets got a rising second-tier star at the point in Harris, two first-rounders, a couple expiring deals, and a salary savings right off the top -- all for a 34-year-old guard whose numbers are down this year and who has a $20 million cap number. And as an added bonus -- yes, the hair gel and high socks are back in The Swamp! It's hard for me to imagine a better deal than that. Grade: A


- I'll be patient.....but problems still exist.



With Kidd, Dallas Mavericks hope to get cooking fast

09:29 AM CST on Friday, February 22, 2008
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
esefko@dallasnews.com

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Avery Johnson is a big believer in "cooking the gumbo" as he calls it.

Since the Mavericks started their new life with Jason Kidd in New Orleans, that's fitting. Johnson has always preached that anything worth having is worth putting in the time and effort.

You cannot skip steps.

But in the trade for Kidd, that's exactly what the Mavericks are trying to do. And it may not be a bad thing, even though it goes against Johnson's grain.

"When you get a player of Jason Kidd's caliber at the point guard position, I don't know if it's necessarily skipping a step," Johnson said. "He's so knowledgeable, and we're hoping he can blend in pretty quickly because he has that type of game – some old-man game in a way – but with a lot of energy.

"We're hoping that some things that may take a long time can come together a little bit sooner. We want the gumbo to be ready sooner. We don't have a year or two years or five years to simmer. We have days. We're just want it to taste better sooner."

The Mavericks were that proverbial bowl of gumbo before the trade. They were simmering and they hoped to become tastier as the process went on.

With Kidd, they are sticking the bowl in the microwave and hoping it's ready in 45 seconds. But is it skipping steps? Or just eliminating some that have to be traversed to reach the ultimate goal?

In Boston, the Celtics did the same sort of thing, albeit on an even higher level with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

For the Mavericks, the temptation to skip a step in their development, with the hope that it leads to greater results in the here and now was too great to pass up.

"That's what we're hopeful for," Johnson said. "But at the same time, there are some things that you cannot skip at all. We have to get it down right. We had a 40 rating on defense [against New Orleans]. When we're in the 40s, we haven't won a game."

Which brings us to the hard part: making it all mesh.

The first key belongs to Johnson. He must figure out how to balance his style of coaching with the freedom that an elite pass-first point guard like Kidd needs. So does Johnson pull back from the micro-managing he had to do with Devin Harris?

"I was wondering how long it was going to take you guys to ask me that," Johnson said. "I've never worked with Jason Kidd, so we have to find out what works well for our relationship. I think within the team concept, the point guard and the coach must have a relationship.

"I don't think I'm going to sit down the whole game. I think I'm going to have to help him get through this period. But I don't think I'll be screaming at him every play telling him what to do, either. The reason we got him is because he knows what to do."

Kidd, indeed, is a next-level point guard. He sees the play and the game unfolding in front of him faster than most, just as Steve Nash used to.

Kidd said he has had only a few messages for his teammates, Dirk Nowitzki in particular. The main one is that the Mavericks no longer will play offense without the luxury of a high-powered passing attack.

"I just told him to be ready, even if he feels like he's covered," Kidd said of Nowitzki. "When you think it's not coming, that's when it's coming. Not just for Dirk, but for everybody on the team. I try to make the game as easy as possible and make these guys better as much as they make me better. Just expect the ball."

That's another way the Mavericks will be able to skip steps as a result of this deal. They can cut down on a few passes.

Those hockey-style assists, where the ball starts out of the post when the double-team comes and swings to the weak side for an open jump shot, should be replaced by on-time and on-target passes from Kidd.

"Hopefully down the road – I don't know if it's going to be a day or a week or a month – there's going to be a period when we hope to play like Phoenix plays in terms of the way they allow their guard to run the team," Johnson said. "Or even now with Chris Paul and the way he runs the [New Orleans] team. We hope to get to that point."

Maybe even if they skip a step or two along the way.



- Bo doing all the right things. Reaching out to ex-players, making the rounds in the state, resurrecting the walkon program. How can you not like the guy.



A comfortable, fit Pelini 'humbled' to be NU coach

By Terry Douglass
terry.douglass@theindependent.com

Bo Pelini was happy at LSU.

Serving as the Tigers' defensive coordinator for the past three seasons, Pelini was one of the highest-paid assistants in the country. And while he certainly had aspirations of one day becoming a head coach, Pelini wasn't going to leave a good gig in Baton Rouge, La., for just any job.

Then, Tom Osborne came calling. The legendary, former Nebraska head coach turned athletics director made Pelini an offer he couldn't refuse.

"When Coach Osborne presented this opportunity to me and we talked about it, it became obvious that this was where I needed to be and this was where my family needed to be," Pelini said. "Because what I've learned over the years that I've been coaching is this: It's about the people."

Pelini knew exactly what he would be getting into if he rejoined the pressure-filled atmosphere in Husker Nation. He was the defensive coordinator for Nebraska during the tumultuous 2003 season when Frank Solich was fired after a 9-3 regular season.

But after Osborne's offer, Pelini said he couldn't imagine himself anywhere else. Never mind that expectations at Nebraska are almost always lofty.

"They should be," Pelini said. "When you have the support that's sitting here throughout the whole state of Nebraska, to me, the sky's the limit."

Pelini was in Grand Island Thursday afternoon for the Central Nebraska Big Red Luncheon at the Heartland Events Center. Along with Osborne, Pelini was joined by his entire coaching staff at the event, which drew an estimated crowd of 1,100.

Pelini told the gathering that he was humbled by the opportunity to be the head coach at Nebraska. The 40-year-old native of Youngstown, Ohio, added that he considers his job a tremendous responsibility and that he's here to serve the football program, his players and the people of this state.

Osborne, who fired former coach Bill Callahan after Nebraska's 5-7 season in 2007, said the fiery Pelini and his strong defensive resume simply seemed like the right man at the right time for the program.

In talking with coaches and players who had worked with Pelini in the past, Osborne said he failed to find anyone with a negative opinion of Pelini. A winner of 255 games and three national titles during his 25-year head coaching career, Osborne said he liked Pelini's ability to communicate, motivate and the fact that Pelini's defenses have had a knack for creating turnovers.

The low-key Osborne also said he likes Pelini's passion.

"That was a problem throughout my coaching career," Osborne said. "I was presumed to be too bland, too nice and wouldn't be able to win the big one, but we've got a guy now who won't be too bland and too nice.

"We have rectified that problem."

New Nebraska linebackers coach Mike Ekeler, who worked with Pelini at LSU, said he has no doubt that the Husker players will soon take on the personality of their new head coach.

"There's not a more fierce competitor in the sport," Ekeler said. "You want to talk about somebody who hates to lose, hate isn't the right word. That man despises it."

With Nebraska having suffered through two losing seasons in the past four years under Callahan, Pelini said he wants the program to return to its roots.

"I heard somebody talking about the new tradition, and I don't believe that," Pelini said. "I believe it's back to THE tradition that's the old tradition. There's nothing new that I'm bringing here. I want to lean on what this place has been built on for a long time."

Pelini stressed that rebuilding Nebraska's football program is going to be a process.

"Things don't happen overnight and there are no quick fixes in life," Pelini said. "You have to build a foundation, you have to do things the right way, you have to get everybody on the same page, you have to develop relationships, you have to build trust, you have to develop accountability in all areas and that takes time."

However, Pelini said he's encouraged that things are already headed in the right direction. He said he's been impressed with the players the Huskers already have in the program and is excited about the program's new recruiting class, which will include 30 walk-on players.

"It's a tremendous group of young men with high character and a lot of talent," Pelini said. "Our job is to develop that talent."

And Pelini said he thinks he has the coaching staff to do just that.

"They're not only good football coaches we're going to be on the cutting edge X- and O-wise but they have men of great character, they're great communicators and great teachers," Pelini said. "At the end of the day, our players are going to know that we care about them."

Since taking over full time at Nebraska after helping LSU capture a national championship, Pelini and his staff have started work on building a culture he hopes to instill at Lincoln. The chief concept for his players: Do things the right way in every aspect of life and be accountable for everything, from the minute they wake up in the morning until they go to sleep each night.

"Everything counts," Pelini said. "You can't let one part of your life slip and expect to make up for it later in the day. We're not just preparing them to win on Saturday afternoon, we're preparing them for life after football as well because it all goes hand in hand."

As for next season, Pelini said he's not one to make predictions in terms of wins and losses. However, he did offer one promise for 2008.

"When our team takes the field, you're going to have a group of men out there who will go out there and play with their hearts and they're going to play with passion," Pelini said. "That's what football is all about and how that translates into (wins) and (losses), that will take care of itself."



- Pelini reaching out to former NU players



Lincoln Journal Star
Friday, Feb 22, 2008 - 12:49:36 am CST
Here with the February cold was a prediction from a proud Husker alum.

“I pretty much guarantee this year there will not be two golf outings,” Mitch Krenk said with a laugh.

Whatever awkwardness last football season brought for Krenk seems just a bizarre memory now. Anger has been overcome by optimism. Krenk will toast to that.

Not many months ago, it was far different. As president of the N Club — a group for Husker letterwinners in any sport — Krenk was caught in the middle.

Perhaps you remember two Husker golf tournaments on the same day last April, one of them being the annual N Club tournament. It had a rival, as 105 former football players showed up for another tournament at another Lincoln golf course.

That tournament came with a Tom Osborne appearance and a tribute to Doak Ostergard, the longtime NU trainer who had been asked to leave his post a couple months earlier by then-head coach Bill Callahan.

While the alternative tournament was said to not be a protest, it was perceived by some as being one.

The departure of Ostergard peeved some former Huskers, who already felt excluded from the program by Callahan and then-athletic director Steve Pederson.

“Some guys didn’t feel connected to the program they helped build,” Ostergard explained then. “The best-case scenario is that all those guys feel connected again.”

Today should help the cause. Members of the N Club are invited to Memorial Stadium for an afternoon meeting with Bo Pelini and the new football coaching staff.

Krenk is predicting at least 100 former players will attend, maybe many more.

“A bunch of old football players probably aren’t the best at RVSPing,” he said.

The other day, Krenk heard back from Bruce Mathison, a former Husker quarterback who was his teammate in 1981-82. Mathison hasn’t been a familiar face at alumni functions, but he and a buddy were planning to come from Arizona to this one.

Said Krenk: “I just mentioned to Coach Pelini that we thought it would be a great idea to have kind of a meet-and-greet with the former players and the coaching staff. He said, ‘Hey, tell us when and where. It’d be great.’”

Jeff Jamrog, assistant athletic director for football operations, said this is just the start. With Tom Osborne as athletic director, and former players like himself, Marvin Sanders and Barney Cotton on the Husker staff, he said the program plans to always have the door open to former Huskers.

“We all understand what all those former players did to make the University of Nebraska great all those years,” Jamrog said.

During last year’s tension, Krenk struggled convincing some former players to come to events.

“I’d tell guys, ‘Let’s all stay together. We’re always going to be the letterwinners. Nobody can change that. We just need to stay positive, stay together. Things will work out.’”

Krenk has started to see a change. Recently, former Husker and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers opened a restaurant in Omaha.

Rodgers asked Krenk if he thought he could help get some former players to come.

“I e-mailed and quite a few guys showed up and helped Johnny out,” Krenk said. “To me, that’s what it’s all about. When a guy walks into a room and sees a teammate he hasn’t seen in 20 years, it’s like, ‘Holy smokes.’ His face just lights up.”

Wins and losses will eventually mean the most, but for now, as the honeymoon goes on, Pelini seems to be finding the right notes.

Krenk said it just feels good again. A logjam on the first teebox at this year’s N Club golf outing will be gladly accepted.

“I was lucky to play with some great players that weren’t from Nebraska: Roger Craig, Mike Rozier, Irving Fryar,” Krenk said. “They weren’t from Nebraska but they’re Nebraska guys, and that’s how I really feel about Coach Pelini. He’s not from here but he’s a Nebraska guy.”

Briefly

Tickets continue to sell at an impressive rate for the April 19 Red-White Spring Game.

As of Thursday afternoon, Jamrog said 37,500 tickets have been sold.

“Obviously, we’re hoping for a sellout,” Jamrog said. “I think that (the interest) sends a great message to our football team. It’s a great motivator, great lift for the kids, to just show that the whole state’s behind them.”

The Husker spring-game record attendance was set in Callahan’s second season, in 2005, when 63,416 fans showed up. The Spring Game attracted about 61,000 fans in Callahan’s first year.

Last season, 54,288 fans attended. As is often the case with spring games, that number came with the help of a big walk-up crowd. About half of the tickets sold last year came the day of the game.

NU begins spring practice March 26.





- This is just wonderful to see. The me-first ass named Mark Teixeira is giving his 2nd team the run around. Poison. Cancer. Bad in the room. Whatever you want to call it, it's him. Wherever the money is the strongest, he'll go. He builds no loyalty to anyone but himself. A William Wallace he is not. Just a passionless, arrogant prick.



Teixeira's status is a big deal

By DAVID O'BRIEN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 02/20/08

Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — Will he be a Brave beyond this season? That's all anyone wants to know about slugging first baseman Mark Teixeira. But it looks as if he's going to keep us guessing.

Tex rolled into training camp Tuesday and said he's here to play ball and get ready for the 2008 season, not talk about his contract or whether he plans to test the free-agent waters next winter.

business on the field," he said. "Twenty-four other guys on this team don't care about my contract."

Actually, they do care.

Veterans Chipper Jones and John Smoltz have said how important it is to try to re-sign Teixeira, who hit .317 with 17 home runs and 56 RBIs in 54 games after being traded to Atlanta on July 31 last season.

The 27-year-old switch-hitter is a two-time Gold Glove winner who's averaged 34 homers and 111 RBIs in his first five seasons. He's a franchise-caliber player entering his prime, and will likely command at least $20 million annually in a long-term contract.

So what are the chances the Braves could sign him to an extension before the end of the season, before he hits the free-agent market?

"I'm always willing to listen," Teixeira said. "At the same time, I have much more important things to worry about. If I take care of things on the field, that [contract] will take care of itself."

Some believe agent Scott Boras could land Teixeira a six- or seven-year deal worth $25 million or more annually, considering the other contracts that have been handed out in recent years and Teixeira's age and all-around skills.

Boras is famous for producing a spiral-bound dossier crammed with statistical data for each free-agent client, and someone joked to Teixeira that Boras might have several books to support this client.

"He's got plenty of [contract negotiation] ammunition for me," said Teixeira, punctuated by his usual smile and good-natured laugh.

His 365 extra-base hits since 2003 are the fifth-most in the majors, behind Albert Pujols, David Ortiz, Alfonso Soriano and Alex Rodriguez. Yes, that's rich company Teixeira is keeping.

He was asked if the contract issue could become a distraction.

"I'm not going to let it be a distraction for me and my team," said Teixeira, who is making $12.5 million this season. "If you want to talk about baseball, I'll talk all night.

"But if you want to talk about contracts, my agent is always willing to talk. And I'm sure Frank [Wren, Braves general manager] is always willing to talk."

Wren and Boras have had discussions about a possible extension, but Wren won't discuss the status of talks or whether they went beyond an initial feeling-out stage. Boras has not commented recently.

Teixeira scoffed at a rumored rift with Boras — "Scott and I have a great relationship" — and said it probably started as "wishful thinking" in Baltimore, where they'd like to sign the Maryland native.

He also refuted a rumor that he's building a house in Atlanta, saying he merely owns land in Atlanta — and several other areas of the country. He spent the winter at his home in Arizona.

Teixeira said he doesn't set personal statistical goals, only team goals. He likes the Braves being considered underdogs in the National League East behind the Mets and Phillies.

"I know I'm capable of having my best season in this lineup," he said. "If we play to our capabilities, we can definitely win the division."

Jones said he's excited about hitting third all season in front of Teixeira, whose .405 average with runners in scoring position last year included an astounding .509 (27-for-53) for the Braves.

"To have two switch-hitting power hitters in your lineup with that versatility, that's a rare commodity," said the switch-hitting Jones, who had 29 homers and 102 RBIs in 2007, including 12 and 46 after Teixeira joined the team.

"He's going to help me get pitches to hit because he's behind me," Jones said, "and I'm going to help him by getting on base at a .400 clip."



- Teixeira continues. Such a Boras puppet. He'll play for 6 teams before his career is up, and each time, none of them will be sorry to see him leave. He'll be this generation's Roger Clemens.



Teixiera to focus on performance, let Boras deal with contract

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- No offense to Alex Rodriguez, but Mark Teixeira won't be negotiating any contracts on his own.

He'll let Scott Boras crunch the numbers.

"That's why I hired an agent," the Atlanta Braves first baseman said Thursday. "My business is baseball. His business is doing the contracts. I stay out of his business. When he asks me a question, I answer it. Other than that, I'm worrying about the field."

That's hardly an encouraging sign for the Braves, who would love to sign Teixeira to a long-term deal before he becomes a free agent at the end of the season.

With team president (and former general manager) John Schuerholz setting the tone, Atlanta has often been reluctant to deal with Boras, feeling his contract demands are just too outrageous.

And rest assured, Boras is expecting to land a huge deal for Teixeira, with $20 million a year a likely starting point.

"I don't worry about that stuff," Teixeira insisted. "The most important thing for me this year is getting this team to the playoffs. I'm one piece of the puzzle. For me to worry about contract negotiations and contract talks, that's going to take away from the team. I'm going to go out there and play the game. If I play the game the way I'm capable of playing, the contract will take care of itself."

A-Rod, of course, took a different path after opting out of his contract with the New York Yankees. Breaking with Boras, Rodriguez reopened talks with the Yankees and quickly worked out a new 10-year, $275 million deal. Boras then worked out the contract details.

Also Thursday, another of Boras' former clients, Detroit's Gary Sheffield, called the agent "a bad person" and said he's trying to get money he doesn't deserve.

Then there's Teixeira, who couldn't be happier with Boras.

"We get along great," the 27-year-old first baseman said. "He's a good friend of mine, as well as the best agent in baseball. I have no complaints."

The Braves had no complaints about the way Teixeira performed last season after he was acquired from Texas just before the trade deadline. He batted .317 with 17 homers and 56 RBIs for Atlanta, leaving him at .306 with 30 homers and 105 RBIs overall -- his fourth straight 30-homer, 100-RBI season.

Teixeira teamed with Chipper Jones to provide the Braves a lethal switch-hitting duo in the middle of the batting order.

"It's a pitcher's nightmare having two guys in a row hitting for power and being switch-hitters," said Teixeira, who's expected to bat cleanup. "I love watching Chipper hit. I love hitting behind him. He's on base at a .400 clip. That gives me a lot of RBI opportunities. I feel very lucky hitting behind him in the lineup."

Likewise, said Jones, who hit .337 with 29 homers and 102 RBIs last season.

"He's going to get me some pitches to hit in some key spots," the third baseman said. "Having two switch-hitters hitting 3-4 in lineup, who can hit .300, hit 30 [homers] and drive in 100, that's a rare commodity. You don't get that very often. Tex and I are going to try to wreak some havoc."

Teixeira took up switch-hitting at the urging of his father, first trying it in a game when he was 13. He's certainly glad he followed the old man's advice.

"I was lucky enough to be bigger and stronger than most kids growing up," Teixeira recalled. "I was a good right-handed hitter, but my dad wanted to make it a challenge for me. So I took up left-handed hitting. It's the best thing I ever did. My dad's a genius."

With Teixeira joining the mix, the Braves certainly had no trouble scoring in 2007, ranking third in the National League with an average of five runs per game. But the pitching staff was hit by injuries and never found any reliable starters beyond John Smoltz and Tim Hudson.

Atlanta finished third in the NL East for the second year in a row, now working on an unwanted streak after making 14 straight playoff appearances from 1991-2005.

"I can't complain one bit about being traded to Atlanta," Teixeira said. "I wish we had won a little more last year, but I think that just makes us hungrier for this year."

Teixeira certainly wouldn't mind an extended stay in Atlanta, but that's out of his hands. He'll leave those sort of issues to Boras and the Braves' front office.

The two sides haven't negotiated since holding preliminary talks during the arbitration process, which resulted in an agreement on a $12.5 million contract for this season.

"It's a great group of guys. I performed well. I'm comfortable here," Teixeira said. "We'll just have to get to the end of the season and see where everything takes us."



- Sheffield bashes Boras. I hate Sheffield, but this is great.



Sheffield says former agent Boras is a 'bad person'

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Gary Sheffield put himself in the spotlight again, and the Detroit Tigers' slugger enjoyed every second of it.

"My family has been trying to get me to walk away for a while now because they don't like the negative stuff that comes my way. I love it," Sheffield acknowledged. "I try to explain it to them, but they think that's some psychotic thing."

Sheffield stirred things up Thursday morning by calling Scott Boras, his former agent, a "bad person," in part for going after money the All-Star says he doesn't deserve.

The dispute stems from the $39 million, three-year contract Sheffield signed in 2003 with the New York Yankees.

Sheffield declined to comment on the specifics of the grievance, but the designated hitter has said he represented himself in negotiating his contract with the Yankees. Boras has said Sheffield agreed to let him represent the outfielder when his contract with the Atlanta Braves ran out in 2003.

Sheffield vowed to say a lot of "ugly things" about various topics when the case is resolved.

"It ain't going to be pretty," he said. "No fine is going to be big enough. No suspension is going to be long enough."

Boras declined to say anything about the situation. "I'm not going to comment on Gary's comments," Boras said.

Sheffield said he has given a deposition each year since the grievance was filed; Feb. 28 or so is the next one scheduled.

"Nothing happens. Then, he comes back, `I want some more money.' That's basically the way he's acting," Sheffield said. "I don't know why. It's probably personal with him. But when it's done, it's going to be personal with me."

Sheffield is known for saying what's on his mind.

Last year, he called the investigation into steroid use in baseball a "witch hunt" that was all about "getting" Barry Bonds. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Sheffield testified in 2003 before the grand jury that he didn't knowingly take steroids while working out with Bonds.

Sheffield also has said Joe Torre, his former manager in New York, treated black and white players differently.

He paused only briefly when talking about the latest story involving him.

"Actually, I'm not supposed to be talking about this at all," Sheffield said. "But I am anyway."

Sheffield fired agent Jim Neader and hired Boras in the spring of 2001, when he created a stir while playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers by demanding a contract extension or a trade. He had $30 million and three years left on his deal plus an $11 million club option.

"I've known Gary since he was 15 years old, and I know he's a good person," Boras said then.

Sheffield went to play for the Braves in 2002 and 2003. He fired Boras in 2003, saying he planned to represent himself in the future.

Several months later, Sheffield signed with the Yankees and said he negotiated the contract with owner George Steinbrenner. Boras later filed paperwork requesting 5 percent of the $39 million deal.

Sheffield has said his problems with Boras cost him a longer contract when he became a free agent.

"Can you explain why [Miguel] Tejada gets six years, [Vladimir] Guerrero gets five years and I get three? He cost me two years of a contract because he was trying to tarnish my name," Sheffield said in 2004. "The whole year in Atlanta, I had to get the players' association to stop him from writing me threatening letters saying, 'Either you let me do your contract or I'll be forced to sue you.' That's a threat and harassment."

Yankees star Alex Rodriguez said earlier this week he still hasn't spoken with Boras since negotiating his new contract this offseason without his longtime agent.

"Do you blame him?" Sheffield asked.

Tigers pitcher Kenny Rogers fired Boras this winter after the agent tried to shop Rogers' services, even though the pitcher only wanted to negotiate with Detroit.

Boras does appear to have happy clients in Detroit, including reigning American League batting champion Magglio Ordonez, All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez and first-round pick Rick Porcello.

Sheffield said he is going to warn everybody about Boras when their dispute is resolved.

"It's going to be the ugliest thing you've ever seen because certain people you don't mess with," he said. "And I guarantee you, I'm one of them."

Sheffield said he will tell players to hire whom they want, but will share his experience as one of Boras' clients.

"Total hell," he said. "I shouldn't have ever introduced myself to him. Period. Bad person."

Tigers manager Jim Leyland is a fan of Sheffield both as a person and a player, who is 20 homers away from the 500th of his career. Leyland made a point of watching Sheffield hit during Thursday's workout and was encouraged with the way the slugger has recovered from shoulder surgery.

"I'm really pleased with what I see," Leyland said. "You can tell there's no restrictions as far as swinging."




- Lifetime spares Jason Botts and Nelson Cruz are out of options and must make the team.......



Botts, Cruz give Texas Rangers options

10:22 PM CST on Thursday, February 21, 2008
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
egrant@dallasnews.com

SURPRISE, Ariz. – They are physically imposing players who raise scouts' eyebrows. They were both hitting kings of the Caribbean this winter.

And they are both out of options, which means the Rangers might keep outfielders Jason Botts or Nelson Cruz. Or they might keep neither. But, barring injury, it's almost certain they won't keep both.

It might not be the most significant battle of spring training but perhaps the most intriguing. The Rangers will spend the spring examining both 27-year-olds as potential extra outfielders or part-time DHs. But when the roster is set, at least one will probably be with another club.

"I wouldn't rule out both of them making it, but probably not," general manager Jon Daniels said Thursday. "It would be a challenge."

Botts and Cruz know it, too.

Both got the most extensive looks of their careers last year and, at the end of the year, the Rangers decided upgrading an outfield ranked in the bottom half of the majors in offensive production and fielding percentage was the biggest priority of the offseason.

The Rangers signed Milton Bradley and traded for Josh Hamilton. They re-signed Marlon Byrd. They expect late-summer sensation David Murphy to have a spot as the fourth outfielder. They plan to keep five. The battle also includes Kevin Mench, in camp on a minor league contract.

"I know I have to do whatever it takes," said Cruz, who opened last season as the right fielder but twice lost the job. "I've got to play to the best of my ability. My mind is ready. I've tried all winter to improve myself, to get in the best shape of my life."

Cruz spent the winter playing for Gigantes in the Dominican Republic's winter league. After hitting .314 with four homers in 105 at-bats, he was added to one of the Dominican Republic's two entries in the Caribbean Series. He proceeded to hit .407 with a homer for Aguillas on the way to winning the title.

A breakout winter, right?

Well, not exactly. He had a big winter and was on the Caribbean Series champ after the 2006 season, too. And it didn't keep him in the lineup. This winter, Cruz went to work on being better disciplined against the breaking ball. He didn't hit many of them in the Dominican, but, then again, he didn't swing at many of them, either.

With Gigantes, he averaged a walk every 11 plate appearances. Between Triple-A Oklahoma and the Rangers, he averaged a walk every 12.2 plate appearances.

"They didn't show me any fastballs, maybe one or two a game," Cruz said, "so I took walks."

Botts also went to winter ball. He played left field for Obregon in the Mexican League and led the Yacquis to the Mexican League title. He led the Mexican League in RBIs (54) but left to rest his body before the Caribbean Series began.

Botts, considered a below-average defender, even won a Gold Glove for his play in Mexico. He is trying to increase his versatility this spring by working extensively with manager Ron Washington on first base.

All that defensive work is admirable, but Botts' only real method for staying in the majors is to improve his offensive production. Botts had only a .335 slugging percentage, which ranked 163rd among AL hitters with at least 150 plate appearances last season. He was down there with the backup middle infielders and catchers of the world. It's simply not acceptable for somebody 6-5 and 230 pounds.

"He's got to hit," Washington said. "You look like that, you've got to do some damage."

"I'm a big guy and I play a corner position, so I know the perceptions," Botts said. "I tried to work this winter on not being so loopy with my swing and to flatten it out a little. But the biggest thing was that, at some point, I just let things start to flow instead of worrying about being really mechanical."



- You've got to be kidding me.....



Jessica Simpson is head over heels in love with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo – and close pals say an engagement might be around the corner.

"I think they're going to get married," Romo's close friend of three years, Michael Starr, says in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.

Starr's prediction comes on top of Romo's former fling Sophia Bush telling Us, "I think they could go the distance.

"They're perfect for each other," the actress, a mutual friend of Romo and Simpson, added. "They're both funny and wonderful and kind. I'm rooting for them."

Even Simpson's ex, Nick Lachey, has chimed in to add his blessing. "I wish her nothing but happiness," he told Us. "If she's found that... good for her."