But wait! There is more! The $240 million is only part of what Pujols is actually getting. The Angels are giving the almost 32 year old (his birthday is next week) a 10 year contract that is complex enough to require three separate agreements.

Pujols agent and lawyers aren’t laughing at his name either, but they can all afford to chortle in brand new Bugatti Veyrons driven by super model chauffeurs to all sorts of banks.

I also picture them wearing monocles and smoking cigars, but I don’t think you are allowed to smoke cigars in California.

But really, read this:

The deal was so complicated it includes three separate agreements: His playing contract, a marketing deal and an agreement to enter a 10-year, personal-services agreement following the playing contract’s expiration or Pujols’ retirement, whichever is later. That will pay $1 million annually, but because it is contingent on Pujols actually working for the team, it is not considered guaranteed money for the purposes of baseball’s luxury tax.

- CBS Sports

Can you imagine? My new goal in life is to negotiate a contract that requires worrying about the luxury tax.

Pujols (still funny) also gets hotel suite on road trips, a luxury suite at the ballpark for the Pujols Foundation for 10 home games a year and the option to buy a luxury suite between first base and third base for all home games. IN ADDITION TO THE $240 MILLION!!

Oh, and there are bonuses for records. For 3000 hits? $3 million. For a 763rd home run? $7 million. More for MVP.

For playing baseball.

This makes me want to pull my kids out of math class to throw the ball around in the yard.

And it is cold here.

I never thought I’d say this, but I kind of want to be Pujols.

photo

Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional reported the abduction yesterday. Rumors of his death are circulating, but police say this is untrue.

Ramos, 24, a 2010 Nats acquisition from the Minnesota Twins, is home preparing to play in Venezuelan winter league Aragua Tigres. Several other Nats minor league players also play in the league.

The Nationals and MLB released this statement at 12:45 EST:

“Our foremost concern is with Wilson Ramos and his family and our thoughts are with them at this time. Major League Baseball’s Department of Investigations is working with the appropriate authorities on this matter. Both Major League Baseball and the Washington Nationals have been instructed to make no further comment. ”

They have not yet indicated whether the other players in Venezuela will be brought back to the United States.

Agent Marfa Mata tweeted that Wilson was still known to be alive, although she did not specify how she knew.

Source

The team will go up for auction in bankruptcy court. The team, the stadium, parking lots, and all of the team’s existing debt will be sold.

This comes on the heels of the worst two years in Dodger history, on and off the field. Last week, McCourt’s ex-wife Jamie agreed to drop the ownership battle which paved the way for this week’s developments. McCourt was supposed to be in court to fight Major League Baseball for the right to sell the television rights to the team in a move to lessen its debt. Also on the debt table for McCourt will be the $50 million damages settlement in the Brian Stow beating case. It is expected that punitive damages will be even higher than that.

MLB hopes to have a new owner in place by opening day 2012.

Kendra gets the West Coast news late. Very late.

Neither claiming World Series championship exhaustion, nor simply the awesome desire to go out of the game at the top, LaRussa just said it was time.

There isn’t one [factor] that dominates [my decision]. They all just come together telling you your time is over. We went through the season and I felt that this just feels like it’s time to end it and I think it’s going to be great for the Cardinals to refresh what’s going on here.

The Oakland As won the World Series in 1989 with LaRussa at the helm, and this week’s victory was his second in St. Louis. He is the third-winningest manager in MLB history, with 2,728 managerial wins.

Source

So it is reported that Theo Epstein has signed a five-year, $15 million deal to head up the Cubs and bring a World Series to the Lovable Losers! WE’RE SAVED!

WEEI in Boston has reported that the deal has already been signed and will be announced once compensation has been worked out. It is rumored that the Red Sox are just looking for prospects or cash, seeing as it appears they are more than happy to let the Boy Genius leave town.

Also thrown around the rumor mill is that once Epstein takes the helm, he’ll hire Ryne Sandberg as the new Cubs Manager. Sandberg has spent the last few seasons managing in the minor leagues.

As a Cubs fan, I’m trying not to get my hopes up too much. There is A LOT that needs to be done with the Cubs to make them a contender. But this would be a few steps in the right direction for sure. There’s a reason we’re the most optimistic fans and “Wait ‘Till Next Year” is our unofficial motto.

Looks like “next year” might come sooner than we all hoped!

[source] [photo]

What a team. What a ride — the Cardinals, the world champs.

And so it was that the St. Louis Cardinals clinched the seventh game of the 2011 World Series, a contest where they seemed to fly on their adrenaline from last night’s game six comeback, while the Texas Rangers just never got going. 

The Cards were never supposed to be there in the first place. Down ten games in the wildcard race, they popped back into the playoffs. Down a couple of runs, twice, in Game Six, they rallied to force a seventh game. And tonight, they finished the mission. After a two-run Texas lead in the first inning, the Rangers never scored again, and it was the Cards’ game all the way.

Cardinals’ Outfielder Allen Craig caught the final out.

“I was just hoping I could finish it right there,” he said. “When the ball went up, I was like, ‘Just catch it and it’s over.’ And I got it and it was over. It’s unbelievable.”

The hometown energy in Busch Stadium would have been enough to help any team along to an 11th Series win for the franchise, the first since 2006, and the first to go to a Game Seven in MLB since 2002.

St. Louis was ready. The stands were a sea of red and white, and the screams never stopped.

It was General Manager Tony LaRussa’s third World Series win. David Freese, St. Louis native and Game Six home run star closer, walked away with the Most Valuable Player title.

And everyone else on Twitter just wants you to know that it’s this many days until pitchers and catchers report: too many.

Images: Courtesy of St. Louis Cardinals Official Site

The Cards came back from two two-run deficits in the ninth and tenth innings of last night’s game six of the World Series, ending in an almost unbelievable 11th-inning walk-off home run from David Freese that took the score to 10-9, and the contest to a seventh game. (You should watch that homer and the celebration after, if you didn’t see it. I didn’t think I cared about baseball enough to get chills over it. Turns out I was completely wrong about that. Try not to feel something. I dare you.)

Freese is from St. Louis, which makes this even cooler, and he’s kinda cute, too. Ahem.

The Cards had already come back with two runs twice to tie it up, before Freese topped it off with a hit and a home run that is already a Major League Baseball classic.

A road team has not won the World Series since the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates, a streak that the Rangers will try to break in St. Louis tonight. But all I know is that if adrenaline alone could win a baseball championship, last night’s dream team may have this one locked up.

Image: Getty

Ramirez retired from Major League Baseball just five games in to his last season as a Ray after a positive drug test. This followed a 50 game suspension while with the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2009 season. Ramirez is perhaps best known for helping the Boston Red Sox win two World Series titles in 2004 and 2007

The phrase “Manny being Manny” isn’t going to hold any sway in a court of law, I’m afraid.

Image: courtesy Broward County Sheriff’s Office

You know, the song that they would play for you when you come up to bat?

Sports fans are nodding their heads and hitting the comment button. For the rest of you, think of them playing “Wild Thing” for Charlie Sheen in “Major League” when he came out of the bullpen.

Like these:

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately.

No, I haven’t been approached by a Major League Baseball team (although I am certain that is what you were all thinking) but I have been drinking beer with the guys from my husband’s job and when this subject was broached I knew I needed to really ruminate on it.

I must choose a batting song.

So as I do, I am turning to you to help me make this important life decision.

Here are songs on my shortlist:

Bad Reputation – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
South Of Heaven- Slayer
Twist Of Cain – Danzig
Ace of Spades – Motörhead
Dies Irae – Verdi’s Requiem
The Usurper – Celtic Frost
A Fifth of Beethoven (Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony – Walter Murphy

Help me choose my batting song. Am I missing something really obvious? What would your batting song be?

* * *

Originally posted on Sarah and the Goon Squad

* * *

Alice Cooper photo: David Guralnick

No cause of death is confirmed at press time. Flanagan was 59.

MASN Orioles commentator and former teammate of Flanagan’s, Jim Palmer, reflected tearfully on his passing during tonight’s game coverage.

Orioles managing partner Peter Angelos said in a statement:

It is with deep sadness that I learned of the death of my friend Mike Flanagan. In over a quarter century with the organization, Flanny became an integral part of the Orioles family, for his accomplishments both on and off the field. His loss will be felt deeply and profoundly by all of us with the ballclub and by Orioles fans everywhere who admired him. On behalf of the club, I extend my condolences to his wife Alex and daughters Kerry, Kathryn and Kendall.

Flanagan pitched for the Os for 15 years, and was part of their 1983 World Series championship team. He played on one All-Star Game team, and won the American League Cy Young Award. He spent 18 years in the Majors overall, including a three year break from Baltimore when he played for the Blue Jays. He returned to the Orioles from 1991-1992 as a relief pitcher, participating in a four-pitcher no-hitter, the team’s last since then.

Meanwhile, in Minneapolis last night, Orioles’ pitcher Jeremy Guthrie led the team to a 6-1 win over the Twins. Guthrie happens to wear Flanagan’s number, 46.