A-Rod (yet again), Bye Bye Bud Black, and get buried w/ the Cubs!

It's been an obsession of mine for a while now, and evidence of it has been all over this blog. It doesn't help that the only thing to talk about as far as the Angels are concerned are the rumors bringing Alex Rodriguez to the Halos in a trade with the Yankees, and once again John Heyman in "The Daily Scoop" at Sports Illustrated feeds us more of this rumor. It seems it was written to refute these rumors where, shortly after he took over as manager of the Cubs, reports everywhere stated that Lou Piniella wanted A-Rod playing for him in Wrigley. Once again, though, America's sportswriters show why the best bet of seeing Rodriguez playing in a uniform other than Yankee pinstripes next year will be at the "Big A." Of course, if you've been reading this blog (or just surfing through the archives) you know my feelings on this.

And, though it is a few days old, it should be noted that Angels pitching coach Bud Black may be on to bigger things. If he gets the job in San Fransisco, he has a big rebuilding program ahead of him. Eleven free agents this season, a club that was ancient in 2002 when they lost the World Series and is only older now, it ain't gonna be fun and games to whomever gets this job. But I think Bud Black will make a good manager. If you think about it, he's done wonders with a pitching staff that, for the most part, wouldn't be expected to be among the best in the league. If he could conquer John Lackey's tendency to freak out and panic when he gives up a few hits, he'd go down as the best pitching coach in the game today. If he gets the job with the Giants, I'm sure it's our loss and their gain.


And, if he chokes, at least they'll have something to bury him in. I'm not sure about you, but I think that we may have reached the end of the line as far as untapped advertising markets are concerned. While I understand that there may be a few people who want their ashes foerver interred in an urn with a Mickey Mantle autographed ball as a stopper, is there going to eb a glut of people wanting to be buried in a Kansas City Royals or a Tampa Bay Devil Rays casket?

And, a thousand years from now when some archeologist digs them up, are they going to be assumed to be the idiot with too much money they obviously are?