Straight up now tell me, have you ever wondered what Barry Bonds would look like as a girl? Yeah...me either. This is just freaky. Aparently Bonds dressed up like Paula Abdul for a rookie-hazing American Idol event. I wonder what Simon Cowell would say about this. Personally, I'm not sure whether to laugh or puke.

We all know there's no "I" in "team." But, if you know anything about Bret Boone, there's certainly a "me." According to the NY Times, Boone said he would only play second base and wouldn't consider being a bench player.

"When I start moving around positions, that's when I know it's time to really go home," Boone told the newspaper.

I just don't understand this mentality. It should boil down to whether you want to play or not. If you're in camp on a minor-league deal, how much leverage do you really have? Even if Boone makes the team, I don't think he'll last a month in New York.

If you can't login to the NY Times site, use this.

UPDATE! Well, that didn't last long...

On January 27th, MLB.com's Doug Miller interviewed the M's new pitching coach, Rafael Chaves. One of the interesting things Chaves mentioned was this...

"We need to improve how we pitch on the road compared to how we pitch at home. Everyone says Safeco Field is a pitcher-friendly ballpark, but I'm a big fan of making quality pitches at home and on the road, so it won't make a difference. They key is getting ground balls. I always say there isn't a ground ball that ever got over the fence. So if we make guys hit the ball on the ground, with the defensive infield we have, we should get a lot of outs."

That is certainly good to hear. Today, Miller mentioned this in his weekly Mailbag feature...

"As far as major comebacks go, keep an eye on starter Joel Pineiro. If he stays healthy this spring, he'll be miles ahead of where he was when the 2005 season started. He's still got upside and could add a new dimension with a refined sinker." (Emphasis added)

Last year, Joel's 1.29 was in the middle of the pack in terms of qualified pitchers' GB/FB ratio. Will the new sinker help Joel get more groundballs? We'll have to wait and see, but I'm happy to hear that, presumably, Chaves is trying to get more groundballs out of our staff.

No, the headline isn't a joke. Theo Epstein will be going up to Maine on May 6th to attend Cape Elizabeth High School's prom with 17-year-old Grace Needleman.

UPDATE: No, he's not. Bummer...I guess he won't be coming to my wedding either.

Although I've expressed here that I think the World Baseball Classic is poorly organized and pretty lame, I'm not a guy who's going to pass on watching baseball in early March. The offseason is long and painful for diehard baseball fans, so, yes, I will be tuned in to the WBC. Actually, I'm very excited to see Daisuke Matsuzaka and his infamous gyroball, as well as the players I haven't seen from Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

You can check out the TV schedule here, and here are the games from the first rounds that I'm going to TiVo...

3/3: Japan vs. China - 4:30 AM EST - ESPN2

3/7: Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela - 1 PM EST - ESPN

3/8: Cuba vs. Panama - 1 PM EST - ESPN2

3/8: USA vs. Canada - 4 PM EST - ESPN2

It's a nice mix because I'll get to see eight different teams play. Don't get me wrong, I still think that the timing is bad, that it's just a big commercial for MLB, the pitch limits (while necessary) are lame, and there are mercy rules - which is ridiculous. But, if there's baseball on TV, I'll watch it. You don't have to twist my arm!

One year ago today, I put up the first post on ConorGlassey.com. As a journalism student at the time, I had a passion for writing, but no satisfying outlet. The thought of becoming a small-town reporter and having to write about high school swim meets wasn’t appealing at all. I wanted to write about baseball! To do so, I decided to start my own website. Here, I have the chance to write frequently about the game I love, express my opinions and meet other people with similar interests. And, how can you talk about baseball without talking statistics? With that in mind, let’s check out some of my statistics for my first year as a blogger…

After bringing in Roberto Petagine to Spring Training to compete for a bench spot, the Mariners didn't want anyone to think they're *too* smart. Heaven forbid Bavasi gets lumped in with the "nerdy" GMs with their laptops and spreadsheets. So, just to make sure everyone knew the Petagine signing was a fluke, the Mariners went out and resigned Raul Ibanez to a 2-year contract extension worth $11 million.

Ok, I'm sorry - that first part was probably a little harsh. I just heard the news and it's obvious that I'm having trouble expressing myself rationally at the moment. Yes, this is a rant. Honestly...I wish this was an early April Fool's Day joke, but no...we're stuck with Raul for two more years. We're spending $11 million for the guy's age-35 and 36 seasons. In some cases, that's a steal. This one? Not so much...

This signing also blocks the way for some of the Mariners' best prospects. Ichiro's obviously set. Reed has the shallowest roots, but will bouce back with the bat and plays good enough defense that his spot should be secure. Now, there's an Ibanez/Everett (next year's option pending) logjam that seriously blocks Adam Jones and Chris Snelling.

This sucks. I think I'm going to go cry myself to sleep.

Jim Negrych is the second baseman for the University of Pittsburgh Panthers. Negrych is from Buffalo, NY where he earned all-Western New York honors for both his junior and senior seasons. The accolades continued when he arrived at Pitt. He was a Baseball America Freshman All-American and was named the Big East Rookie of the Year. His sophomore year was just as impressive. Negrych was named Baseball America's Best Defensive Second Baseman and Best Pure Hitter for the Big East. Negrych proved his hitting skills in last year's Big East tournament semifinal game against Boston College. With Pittsburgh trailing by one in the bottom of the 12th inning, Negrych hit a two-run home run to win the game and send the Panthers into the title game. Entering his junior season, the 5'10", 180 lb. second baseman has a .364 average at Pitt with 34 doubles and 23 home runs. I caught up with Baseball America's third-team, pre-season All American via e-mail, and here is what he had to say...

Jim, first off, can you please talk about yourself a little bit? Tell everyone where you grew up, a little about your youth baseball career and what made you choose to attend the University of Pittsburgh.

I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York and played in a lot of leagues when I was younger. My dad was usually my coach and we did not lose much around Buffalo, which always made it fun.  My choice to go to Pitt was an easy one.  It was a program on the rise, in a great conference, with a location that was close enough for my family to watch me play.

What has been the most memorable moment in your baseball career?

There have been a lot, but as of right now I'd have to say getting to the Big East Championship last year with Pitt.

You played in the Cape Cod League last summer. Please tell me about that experience. How did your adjustment to wood bats go? At Pitt, do you take batting practice with wood bats?

Playing in the Cape was exciting and was another one of my most memorable moments. The Cape Cod League will go down as the greatest summer league ever, and it was great honor to get a chance to go out and play with some of the best college players. The adjustment to wood bats takes about a week, but it’s more of just going out and hitting than it is the bats.  At Pitt some of us take BP with wood, but we try to swing metal for at least one round during BP.

What player have you played with or against that makes you say, "That guy is going places!"?

There's been so many, especially after this past summer, but I'd have to say Tim Lincecum who pitches for UW.

On a related note, who is the best pitcher you've faced?

I'd have to say Craig Hanson, who pitched for St. John’s and was drafted by the Boston Red Sox last year.

What is a specific part of your game that you are working to improve this season?

I’m working to improve my footwork at second base, and I’m always just trying to help my team win any way we can.

How much time does your commitment to baseball take each week? How do you keep up with classes? Will you complete your history degree?

Baseball takes up a good amount of time, but a lot of work is on your own and you just learn how to get the classes done with.  Hopefully I will be completing my degree within a year.

What is your conditioning regimen during the season and during the off-season?

We have a great trainer at Pitt who gives us a workout for the summer and while we’re in school. Let’s just say he doesn’t let you get by without working hard.  There’s definitely alot of running and lifting weights.

Is it difficult to maintain a healthy diet while you're in school?
To some degree it gets hard when you start playing and you’re traveling. Since we drive everywhere, we end up eating a lot of fast food.

Do you have any superstitions? If so, how did they develop?
I have to get three mini swings in before I get ready to hit.  I started
it in high school and it seemed to be working, so I just kept with it.

THE LIGHTNING ROUND…

Who is your favorite MLB team?
New York Yankees

Who is your favorite baseball player?
Derek Jeter

If you make it to the big leagues, what pitcher would you most like to
hit against?
Roger Clemens

What is your favorite movie?
Anchorman

Who is your favorite band / musician?
Jack Johnson

What is your favorite food?
Chicken Wings.....from Buffalo

COMING SOON: Interviews with David Price, Shane Robinson...and more!

This is very good news.