Sportsfrog.com

They have been, for the most part, the most interesting part of the baseball post-season, even after bowing out to the Indians. Between the Joe Torre firing watch, the prolonged who’s going to replace Joe Torre watch, the Hank Steinbrenner verbal diarrhea, to the renewed Alex Rodriguez courtship (oh Beelzebub, again you reign triumphant), it has been nothing if not entertaining, which is more than the rest of the playoffs can really claim.

And, because they are the Yankees, they have definatly gone about hogging headlines during the time when teams are supposed to lay low and allow the spotlight to be on those still playing in the post-season. Props for that.

At any rate, the latest:

1.) The rumors are the Yankees are going to offer a five-year extension on Rodriguez’s current contract for somewhere between $26 and $30 million a year.

Well. Good lord. And,

2.) Despite the recent Don Mattingly chatter, the latest rumormill has Joe Girardi as the heir to Joe Torre.

“In addition, one source told the Daily News last night that “in no way would politics enter into Brian’s decision” – an indication the Yankees are not concerned about a potential public-relations hit if the popular Mattingly did not get the job.

The PR wounds from the Joe Torre parting still are fresh, and if the Yankees choose Girardi, Mattingly almost certainly would not agree to serve under him. Mattingly has stated that the only reason he came out of retirement and agreed to serve a coaching apprenticeship was to eventually manage in the Bronx.”

Thank you, Yankees, for news of note during this desultory post-season. Much appreciated.

And, that rumored Rodriguez contract? Wow. The sabr part of me approves. The part of me that acknowledges that there is now very real choking when it comes to Rodriguez and the playoff spotlight recoils in horror at this rumored offer. And the part of me that lives in fear of Scott Boras again acknowledges his evil genius.