11/26/11

Baseball: - Steve Avery, Clint Eastwood, Steve Cohen, HGH, Dan Lozano


Former World Series champion pitcher Steve Avery thought he won a car at Cabrini High School’s homecoming football game Sept. 30. But, he didn’t. Avery — a Kennedy High School graduate who spent 11 years in the major leagues, including his final season as a Detroit Tiger in 2003 — had his raffle ticket drawn for a chance to win a two-year lease on a Ford Mustang, sponsored by Taylor Ford. The contest disclaimer didn’t allow for former professional football players, but did not say anything about baseball players. http://www.thenewsherald.com/articles/2011/10/04/news/doc4e8b28ac3fca2883208090.txt?viewmode=fullstory

Clint Eastwood is set to play an aging baseball scout in the upcoming movie Trouble With the Curve. It would be the director’s first onscreen part since Gran Torino three years ago. Amy Adams has reportedly been offered the role of Eastwood's daughter in the drama. We just hope she doesn't trip rounding third base at the end of the film. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/wall/article.jsp?content_id=26033300

SAC Capital'sSteve Cohen is considering a bid for the bankrupt LA Dodgers, the Wall Street Journal reports. Of course, there's no comment from anyone from either side (Cohen or the Dodgers) on the matter. But three people close to the deal said that Cohen has been talking about it with Steve Greenberg, an investment banker who dealt with him earlier this year while Cohen was looking to buy the Mets. Greenberg was handling the sale of a $200 million stake in the New York team. This time Cohen will have to contend with other bidders like Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Ron Burkle, an owner of the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins, and Tom Golisano, the billionaire former owner of hockey's Buffalo Sabres.Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/steve-cohen-make-a-bid-for-la-dodgers-2011-11#ixzz1efBrh4Pj

When you look at the entire scope of baseball’s new five-year labor deal, it is quite amazing with all the far-ranging previously contentious issues on which the owners and the players union were able to come to agreement. Much has been made of the HGH blood testing which, while significant in that it demonstrates a mutual commitment to put baseball in the forefront of ridding its sport of performance-enhancing drugs, it is mostly symbolic. Random HGH blood testing has been in effect for two years in the minor leagues, but because of the short window for accuracy, only one player has tested positive. If nothing else, though, it should serve as another deterrent for those players still seeking to get that extra edge  http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/agent-scott-boras-swinging-mlb-labor-deal-article-1.982513

A plain manila envelope with no return address recently appeared on the desks of a number of media outlets, including ESPN.com, Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, and Deadspin. Inside were names, documents, and photographs, all telling a story of Lozano's rise to power by any means necessary. When confronted with similar claims in September, Dan Lozano told USA Today it was just jealousy on the part of a rival. We think we know who sent out the package, and if we're right it's someone with no love lost for Lozano. But the claims are verifiable, and with confirmation from multiple sources who have known Lozano for decades, they're impossible to dismiss as just the fanciful products of a vengeful mind. The mailing pointed the way toward allegations of whoring and harassment and a skeeviness in financial matters that goes beyond what's usual for the species. To hear his fellow agents tell it, Lozano's recklessness has already cost Pujols once at the negotiating table, and it could do so again http://deadspin.com/5861982/dan-lozano-albert-pujolss-superagent-king-of-sleaze-mountain

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