Clarification on Barry Bonds' 'Talks' with Yankees

(See update, 7/18)

The Bronx Bomber's report that former Giants outfielder Barry Bonds is in contract negotiations with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman comes from a source within the Yankees organization, though not through conventional channels.

The variously reported denials eminating from the office of Bonds' agent Jeff Borris give us pause, but the world of free agent signings and negotations, historically being one of thrusts and parries, blocks and feints, cannot absolutely be taken at face value. There is no intent here to cast aspersion in Borris' direction. However, it is only logical that he would seek to deflect any notion that his client has a done deal with the Yankees rather than risk discouraging other suitors.

There is no reason to believe any news or speculation from this source has ever been wrong. The source has described what is tantamount to a news blackout imposed by the front office as a result of a longstanding edict from George Steinbrenner that absolutely no information from unofficial outlets will be tolerated.

Yet, within this isolated culture it is impossible to entirely forbid an exchange of knowledge which may or may not leak from the core of the club's inner sanctum.

MLBnewsonline.com publishes news and other confirmed facts, but also is a conduit for ephemeral rumors which may or may not pass the traditional authentication test that might be imposed by mainstream media. At this time, the Bronx Bomber's source has not backed away from his assertion, and until such time as that occurs we have no reason to retract it, even though it has created a good deal of healthy skepticism.

Further complicating the matter is Mr. Steinbrenner's edict that absolutely nothing should be permitted from unofficial sources under penalty of suspension or dismissal, and therefore no concrete denial can be anticipated from the Yankees.

Information has since been reported that the Yankees have a tentative deal in place with Richie Sexson. Still, as Sexson is a right-handed bat, the signing of Bonds, a lefty, would not necessarily be precluded. We expect an update within 24 to 48 hours and will not hasten to draw any other conclusion at this time except to say the report has yet to be debunked.

- Publisher, MLBnewsonline.com

Yankees Reach Tentative Agreement with Sexson

The Yankees, who have no interest in Barry Bonds*, have reached a tentative agreement with Seattle send-off Richie Sexson.  

Before his release, Sexson was hitting .218 with 11 homers this year, but was hitting .344 against lefties.  This sounds like a move the Dodgers would make - using success against lefties to justify the signing of sub-.220 hitter - but the Yankees beat them to it.  

By the way, Sexson's "success" against lefties is based on 61 at-bats.

Yankees Reported to be Persuing Richie Sexson

First, be disabused of a certain, unsavory rumor that out-of-work slugger Richie Sexson has moved into a tree house at the top of a Pacific Coast redwood in protest of his being cut by the Mariners. More to the point, Richie Sexson IS a Pacific Coast redwood tree.

The lumbering, 6-foot-8, 245-pound Northwest native -- tallest position player ever to play in the major leagues -- intends to make a comeback with one of several teams reportedly making offers to him, including the Yankees, according to the New York Post.

"I can tell you we are interested," Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman was quoted as saying.

Sexson has struggled all season, hitting .218 with 11 homers and 30 RBI in 74 games, but is crying all the way to the bank considering he will collect from the Mariners $14 million guaranteed in the last year of his contract.

Not Hitting Your Weight Is Embarrassing

A general rule in baseball is you better be able to hit your weight or you are really pathetic. It is not that difficult since this usually only requires hitting about .230.  Players are usually sent tot he minors before their batting average gets a chance to descend that far, so this rare achievement truly deserves praise and admiration.

Mariners fans have grown accustomed to Richie Sexson (240 pounds, .216 average) achieving this rare phenomenon and Dodgers fans pretty much expected Andruw Jones (240 pounds last time anyone checked, .165 average) to be awful.  (note:  Chin-Lung Hu can probably be included in this category but he will be spared the humiliation of publication of either his weight or batting average).  

But nobody really expected this from Ryan Howard.  Howard is a big guy, weighing 256 pounds, so if he were hitting .240 nobody would care.  However, his .208 batting average is embarrassing no matter how you look at it.  Howard is a career .280 hitter and has made serious runs for the MVP award the last two years, so this is surprising and a huge concern to the Phillies. 

Book on Richie Sexson Sad, Sad Tale

A new autobiography is being written by Mariners first baseman Richie Sexson and it's for pitchers only. Whether it turns out to be truth, fiction or slander is yet to be determined, because only Sexson will be able to tell the ending.

But essentially, the point of the new book on the 33-year-old, 6-foot-8, slugger is that he no longer can get around on an inside fastball -- an assertion that proven true might explain his .205 batting average last year.

Though ESPN baseball commentator Buck Martinez and others have predicted a comeback for Sexson, one thing is certain: he will see a steady diet of fastballs until he demonstrates he can hit them the way he used to.

Though Sexson notched his first hit of the season in his most recent outing, he also struck out three times in that game, once on just three pitches from Texas Rangers right-hander Vicente Padilla.

Though Padilla is not especially known as a hard thrower, in that particular at-bat he simply reached back to throw a 97 mph fastball over the plate, all but screwing Sexson into the ground and he flailed at it helplessly.

The Mariners waited all last season for him to come around, but to no avail. It will be interesting to see how long the team will wait this year before running out of patience. A costly but simple solution would involve Raul Ibanez taking over at first base, giving Wladimir Balentien a shot to play the outfield on a regular basis.

Mariners Richie Sexson: Misery Loves Company

Mariners first baseman Richie Sexson -- dropped to sixth in the batting order as a result of his season-long slump -- remains hopeful his numbers will improve because historically he has been a so-called second-half player, with a .290 career batting average after the All-Star break.

In the meantime, Sexson comforts himself with the knowledge that even the best of players can have off years. Misery loves company.

"Mark McGwire had one...Look at Andrew Jones. He's having one now," Sexson told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "They just happen. Who knows why?"

Always seen as a potential 50-homer hitter, that threshold continues to elude him, though he has a respectable 49 RBI so far this season. But Sexson has only 15 homers, less than half that of former Mariners shortstop and current league leader Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees.

Worse, Sexson has barely been able to keep his average over .200, with little hope of matching his .264 career average by the end of the year.