Former Yankee player Jim Leyritz was arrested after beating up and dragging his ex-wife Karrie Leyritz out of bed because she had written a check without his permission early Thursday (June 2).

Karrie fled to the neighbor’s house for help and her ex-husband was only arrested later since he wasn’t at the home when cops arrived. Jim, who should be arraigned today, claims his ex-wife was drunk and hurt herself to frame him – something that was confirmed by one of their three kids – because he tried to evict her from the house they still share.

This incident occurred just a couple of month before Jim is to stand trial on charges of causing a fatal crash while driving drunk back in December 2007. The 45 year-old former catcher says he is still tormented by the death of Fredia Ann Veitch, victim of the crash.

Karrie & Jim Leyritz Pictures

[images: wenn.com]

ROUND ONE 2009 MLB BASEBALL DRAFT

1. Washington Nationals - Stephen Strasburg (San Diego State) RHP
2. Seattle Mariners - Dustin Ackley (UNC Chapel Hill) CF
3. San Diego Padres - Donavan Tate (Cartersville HS - GA) CF
4. Pittsburgh Pirates - Jorge Sanchez (Boston College) C
5. Baltimore Orioles - Matthew Hobgood (Norco HS - CA) RHP
6. San Francisco Giants - Zachary Wheeler (East Paulding HS - GA) RHP
7. Atlanta Braves - Michael Minor (Vanderbilt) LHP
8. Cincinnati Reds - Michael Leake (Arizona State) RHP
9. Detroit Tigers - Jacob Turner (Westminster Christian - MO) RHP
10. Washington Nationals - Drew Storen (Stanford) RHP
11. Colorado Rockies - Tyler Matzek (Capistrano Valley HS - CA) LHP
12. Kansas City Royals - Aaron Crow (No School) - RHP
13. Oakland A’s - Grant Green (USC) SS
14. Texas Rangers - Matthew Purke (Klein HS - TX) LHP
15. Cleveland Indians - Alex White (UNC Chapel Hill) RHP
16. Arizona Diamondbacks - Robert Borchering (Bishop Verot HS - FL) 3B
17. Arizona Diamondbacks - Allen Pollock (Notre Dame) CF
18. Florida Marlins - Chad James (Yukon HS - OK) LHP
19. St. Louis Cardinals - Shelby Miller (Brownwood HS - TX) RHP
20. Toronto Blue Jays - Stephen Jenkins (Kennesaw State) RHP
21. Houston Astros - Jiovanni Mier (Bonita HS - CA) SS
22. Minnesota Twins - Kyle Gibson (Missouri Columbia) RHP
23. Chicago White Sox - Jared Mitchell (LSU) CF
24. Los Angels Angels - Randal Grichuk (Lamar Cons HS - TX) LF
25. Los Angels Angels - Michael Trout (Millville Sr HS - NJ) CF
26. Milwaukee Brewers - Eric Arnett (Indiana) RHP
27. Seattle Mariners - Nicholas Franklin (Lake Brantley HS - FL) SS
28. Boston Red Sox - Reymond Fuentes (Fernando Callejo HS) CF
29. New York Yankees - Zachary Heathcott (Texas HS - AR) CF
30. Tampa Bay Rays - LeVon Washington (Buchholz HS - FL) 2B
31. Chicago Cubs - Brett Jackson (UC Berkeley) CF
32. Colorado Rockies - Timothy Wheeler (Cal St. Sacrament0) CF

Former MLB player Barry Bonds’ wife, Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Watson, has filed for divorce citing “irreconcilable differences” and seeks joint custody of their 10 year-old daughter, Aisha, and spousal support.

Barry and Liz have been married since 1998 after Barry’s nasty divorce from his first wife, Susann Margreth Branco, who claimed their prenuptial agreement wasn’t valid because she did not understand the contract. It’s unclear whether Barry and Liz have a prenup.

Barry Bonds & Liz Watson Pictures

[images: wenn.com]

St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa is suing social networking site Twitter over a fake account that depicted him in a negative light.  LaRussa is claiming the account damaged his reputation and caused him emotional distress.

The lawsuit claims that someone created a false account under La Russa’s name and posted updates, known as “tweets,” that gave the false impression that the comments came from La Russa. The suit said the comments were “derogatory and demeaning” and damaged La Russa’s trademark rights.

The lawsuit includes a screenshot of tweets with the heading “Hey there! Tony La Russa is using Twitter,” with a picture of the manager. Among other things, the lawsuit claims the page includes distasteful references to two Cardinals pitchers who have died in recent years.

The account had since been deleted. Twitter is not making any public statements about the lawsuit at this time.

Many celebrities and Hollywood stars have embraced Twitter as a way to connect with their fans and get their message out.  Some of the most active celebrities on Twitter include Lance Armstrong, Ashton Kutcher, Shaquille O’Neal among others.

Several high profile college coaches are using Twitter to recruit and stay connected with today’s high-tech athletes.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Manny Rodriguez has tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and therefore has been suspended for 50 games. Manny will plead innocence since he says the medication was subscribed by a doctor for a personal medical issue.

The suspended player is not paid during the suspension time and Manny might lose just 31% of his income, the equivalent to $7.7 million. Yep, drugs are NOT good for you!!

The New York Yankees and the pride of managing partner Hal Steinbrenner took a bit of a hit today when they announced they were cutting prices for most of their premium seating tickets, around home plate and the dugouts, by 50% in most circumstances.

The team on Tuesday slashed the price of 48 first-row Legends Suite season seats on the outer half of the dugouts and photo cages from $2,500 to $1,250, and 68 others in the final three sections down each foul line from $1,000 to $650.

“There are a few hundred suite seats in our premium locations that have not been sold on a full season basis,” Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement. “As a result, and for many of our fans who have already purchased full season suite seats in such premium locations, the Yankees are announcing today a program that adjusts certain prices and benefits.”

The move comes after several home Yankees games where there was hardly anyone sitting behind the plate and dugouts due to the exhorbiant ticket prices.  Other sections of the new ballpark have been sold out on a regular basis.

The rough economy is causing a slow down at almost every stadium turnstile in MLB with a few exceptions.

[image: paulkatcher.com]

Harry Kalas, the legendary play-by-play announcer for the Philadelphia Phillies since 1971, has passed away at the age of 73.  Before that, Kalas, was an announcer for the Houston Astros.

Kalas was best known for his “Outta Here!” call and also for being the voice of NFL Films since it’s inception.  One would also recognize his voice from the NFL Chunky Soup commercials.

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Nick Adenhart was involved and killed in a car accident earlier this morning. Adenhart drove a Mitsubishi that was hit by someone driving a minivan, who blew through a red light and fled on foot. The suspect was later caught by the cops and charged with felony hit and run, according to TMZ.

Unfortunately three people were killed in the crash: an unknown man, a woman and Adenhart, who ironically had just pitched his last game a couple of hours before the tragic accident.

The 22 year-old promising pitcher had given an amazing performance last night that was praised by sportswriters and described as a “brilliant effort by a 22-year-old right-hander making his fourth Major League start”.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family!

Former Manhattan madam Kristin Davis has spilled the beans and pointed the Yankee player Alex Rodriguez as one of her special clients. Davis provided Alex with his usual fix of prostitutes, often meeting them at the Four Seasons hotel on W. 57th St., but their relationship went a little further than just business.

Davis described their friendship as something more than just professional as Alex tried to hit on her numerous times while he was married. Alex reportedly sent her flowers, jewelry and heated e-mails before he became a regular client. Here is an e-mail exchange between the two:

Rodriguez purportedly told Davis on Nov. 17, 2006: “Thanks for setting me up with Samantha. She was gorgeous. But she is not you. When can I see you you are gorgeous . . .”

The exchange goes on: Davis: “Hi Alex. You don’t want to see me. I’m no fun. lol. Just because your (sic) so sweet, here are some pics of me and I appreciate the compliments. Your (sic) a doll. Thanks, Kristin”

Rodriguez: “You have been playing hard to get for a year now, your (sic) killing me.”

Davis: “It’s not playing I am hard to get. Maybe you should try harder.”

Rodriguez: “Kristin, I definitely will and I love the pics. I put the one on my cell so I can look at you all the time. Alex.”

Davis: “You are too sweet. I’ll let you know when I get someone you like.”

A-Rod just can’t keep himself out of trouble these days. First his many secret relationships, with Madonna and model Melissa Britos, then the steroid scandal and his infamous photo shoot for Details Magazine. It is not easy being Alex Rodriguez!

Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling has retired from baseball after twenty-three years in professional baseball.  He played for the Orioles, Astros, Phillies, Diamondbacks, and Red Sox.  He made the announcement on his blog 38 Pitches.

To say I’ve been blessed would be like calling Refrigerator Perry ‘a bit overweight’. The things I was allowed to experience, the people I was able to call friends, teammates, mentors, coaches and opponents, the travel, all of it, are far more than anything I ever thought possible in my lifetime.

Four World Series, three World Championships. That there are men with plaques in Cooperstown who never experienced one, and I was able to be on three teams over seven years that won it all is another ‘beyond my wildest dreams’ set of memories I’ll be allowed to take with me.

Schilling will best be known for his final years and World Series apperances with the Red Sox.  His gutsy ‘bloody sock’ apperance in the 2004 playoffs will forever be etched in MLB history.  Now if it was really blood or something else is a different story.

Schilling was very outspoken, but well educated, and usually good for the game with his honest appraisels.

The photo above and the two below are of Alex Rodriguez from a new interview and photo spread in Details magazine.  The photos were taken the day Sports Illustrated reported Selena Roberts confronted A-Rod in a Miami gym about his positive steroids test.

It’s not shocking that A-Rod would be narcistically so found of himself.  The shocking part is that he would pose for these photos on the same day that he knew his baseball fairy tale was going down the drain.

The second photo below looks like the opening scene to a Hispanic gay porno.

The Details article is titled: “Confessions of a Damned Yankee.”

Read the Details Interview

More Shocking Photos of A-Rod’s Details Photo Shoot Below

[images: Details]

After Sports Illustrated reported Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids back in 2003 under Major League Baseball’s 2003 survey testing, the 33 year-old Yankee gives an exclusive interview to ESPN’s Peter Gammons. Alex admits he did use steroids and apologizes to fans – the excuse is always the same, we heard it from Michael Phelps too, he was just young and stupid.

“When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure, felt all the weight of the world on top of me to perform, and perform at a high level every day,” Rodriguez told ESPN’s Peter Gammons in an exclusive interview in Miami Beach, Fla. An extended interview will air on SportsCenter at 6 p.m. ET.

“Back then, [baseball] was a different culture,” Rodriguez said. “It was very loose. I was young, I was stupid, I was naïve. I wanted to prove to everyone that I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time.
“I did take a banned substance. For that, I am very sorry and deeply regretful.”

A-Rod is holding back tears in this interview. We do want to believe this is something from the past that came to bite him in the ass and that he can now continue to play sports and be more responsible. We have to give Alex props for actually talking about it and telling the truth instead of playing the victim.

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids back in 2003 under Major League Baseball’s 2003 survey testing according to Sports Illustrated (SI.com).

Rodriguez’s name appears on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball’s ‘03 survey testing, SI’s sources say. As part of a joint agreement with the MLB Players Association, the testing was conducted to determine if it was necessary to impose mandatory random drug testing across the major leagues in 2004.

Rodriguez won the American League MVP and Home Run title in 2003 with the Texas Rangers.

The positive tests were suppose to be sealed but two sources spoke anonymously to SI, who were familiar with the government’s evidence it has gathered in it’s investigation of steroids in baseball.

Rodriguez is one of the 104 players identified as having tested positive, in his case for testosterone and an anabolic steroid known by the brand name Primobolan. All four sources spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the evidence.

So what is Rodriguez saying about the positive result? Well not much as you can imagine.  Ironically a reporter was able to track him down Thursday at a gym in Miami.

When approached by an SI reporter on Thursday at a gym in Miami, Rodriguez declined to discuss his 2003 test results. “You’ll have to talk to the union,” said Rodriguez, the Yankees’ third baseman since his trade to New York in February 2004. When asked if there was an explanation for his positive test, he said, “I’m not saying anything.”

Jose Canseco seems to truly be the steroid profit or perhaps whistle blower of all-time.  Canseco mentioned in his second book that A-Rod had taken steroids while with the Rangers.

[image: wenn.com]

ESPN is reporting that Joe Torre, in his soon-to-be published book ‘The Yankee Years,’ writes that Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez was called ‘A-Fraud’ by his teammates, while Torre was manager of the New York Yankees.

Teammates frequently called Alex Rodriguez “A-Fraud,” and the third baseman was obsessed over his rivalry with shortstop Derek Jeter, “The Yankee Years” reveals, according to the New York Daily News and New York Post.

The book by Torre supposedly shows that Torre is very bitter about how the Yankees and their GM Brian Cashman treated him on his way out the door in the Bronx.  It does seem that teammates, fans, and enemies of A-Rod all seem to think the same thing about him.

Jay McGwire, the one-eyed - younger brother of former baseball player Mark McGwire, is claiming in a book proposal, that he introduced Big Mac to steriods and injected him back in 1994 according to Deadspin.  Jay is shopping the book around but has yet to find a publisher.

“Shortly after I won the Contra Costa Bodybuilding Championships in May of 1994, Mark took the plunge. I accompanied him to Sacramento where we met with my supplier and trainer, who explained to him how the different drugs would work on his body and answered a myriad of questions from Mark. Given Mark’s curiosity and lack of knowledge about steroids I saw from Mark, I would be shocked if Mark did something like what Jose Canseco claimed happened back in the early years….[M]ark began to use, but in low dosages so he wouldn’t lift his way out of baseball. Deca-Durabolin helped with his joint problems and recovery, while growth hormone helped his strength, making him leaner in the process. I became the first person to inject him, like most first-timers he couldn’t plunge in the needle himself. Later a girlfriend injected him.”

But during the record breaking year of 1998, Jay claims that McGwire was not on steroids, just andro. Famously back in the 98 season a reporter found the supplement in McGwire’s locker and McGwire admitted to using andro to stay healthy.

“Prior to the 1998 season, [Mark] had reached a level where he did not need to get any stronger and he couldn’t afford to add any more weight. So I directed him to androstenedione testosterone booster, which is non-hormonal (which is why it can be sold legally and is not affected by the 2004 Anabolic Steroid Control Act) and works naturally with your body. “Andro” increases strength and aggression while promoting reduction of body fat and a leaner look to the physique….[U]sing andro allowed Mark to avoid all the potential adverse side effects that could occur from using anabolic steroids, such as water retention, hair loss, and liver, heart, or kidney stress. In addition, he wouldn’t have cholesterol problems or testicular atrophy. And there were no problems with the law.”

How sad that your kid brother would sell you out to make a few bucks.  He is likely going to only inject that cash back into his system or find some new Zebra pants to blow it on.

The New York Yankees and first baseman Mark Teixeira have agreed on a contact that will pay Teixeira $180 million over the next eight years to play baseball for the Bronx Bombers according to ESPN’s Buster Olney.

As a free agent Teixeira was pursued by the Yankees (at the last minute), Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals, and Los Angeles Angels.

The New York Yankees and All-Star pitcher C.C. Sabathia have agreed to a seven year contract worth $160 million dollars according to ESPN’s Buster Olney.

In order to get the deal completed, ESPN the Magazine’s Buster Olney reports that the Yankees added a seventh year to their original six-year, $140 million offer, bringing the total package to seven years and $160 million — by far the biggest contract for any pitcher in history.

The Yankees had extended a six-year, $140-million offer to Sabathia nearly a month ago and were beginning to get nervous that he simply didn’t want to pitch in New York. But two days of face-to-face meetings with the Yankees in Las Vegas, followed by Cashman’s session Tuesday night with Sabathia and his wife Amber in California, sealed this deal.

“He’s now excited about becoming a Yankee,” a source told ESPN The Magazine’s Buster Olney.

The Yanks have a bad history of overpaying for pitching arms then those players getting injured and collecting tons of cash for years of rehab.

Congrats to C.C. and his wife on the big pay day!

Boston Red Sox catcher/team captain Jason Varitek and his wife Karen Varitek have filed for divorce after eleven years of marriage.  They filed for divorce in their home state of Georgia.

The petition for divorce was filed on July 28th in Gwinnett County, Ga.

Jason and Karen have three children: Alexandra Rose (8), Kendall Anne (6) and Caroline Morgan (3).

The St. Louis Cardinals released the logo for the 80th MLB All-Star game that will take place next year at Busch Stadium III.  The game will take place on July 14, 2009.  The last time the All-Star game was held in St. Louis was back in 1966 at the old Busch.

Veteran Atlanta Braves announcer Skip Caray died on Sunday in his sleep at his Atlanta home.  He was 68-years old and the cause of death has not yet been determined.

Caray and Pete Van Wieren have been broadcasting Braves games since 1976. Caray’s sarcastic wit made him a popular lead voice of the broadcast team, and his fame grew nationally as TBS carried Braves games to a national audience for 30 years.

After decades of calling the Braves America’s Team, TBS this year began a seven-year contract of national weekly telecasts, leaving the Braves to the regional Peachtree TV network — and leaving Caray to radio work on home games.

Health problems also cut into Caray’s workload.

Caray said this year he was battling diabetes, congestive heart failure, an irregular heartbeat and reduced kidney and liver functions.

Skip’s dad was longtime St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox/Cubs announcer Harry Caray.  Skip’s son Chip Carey was a Cubs announcer before becoming part of the Braves TV broadcast in recent years.  Skip’s son Josh Carey announces games for the Braves single A team.

Braves nation has lost one of its finest.  I grew up a Cardinals fans but couldn’t avoid the Braves because they use to be on every single night on TBS.  So I caught more that my fair share of games announced by Skip and Pete Van Wieren.