Home Run Derby

Here’s an infuriating tidbit from a Peter Gammons post over on ESPN.com regarding Alex Rodriguez during the World Baseball Classic (link requires registration)  

Team USA players like to tell the story of (Jeff) Francoeur confronting Alex Rodriguez during the WBC for trashing a clubhouse kid who brought him the wrong sandwich.

This scumbag gets paid millions of dollars a year and feels he has to berate some kid (who is probably earning next to nothing if not just the chance to be in the Clubhouse with the USA players) because he brought him the wrong free sandwich? 

What a spoiled $20 million jerk.

And if this story is true, Jeff Francoeur is immediately added to my list of favorite MLB players.  Even if he plays for the Braves. 

A-Rod has apparently been hanging around Steinbrenner too much.  The Boss once fired a secretary who brought him the wrong sandwich.

In order to avoid the Ryan Howard situation from last year, where a player who obviously belonged in the top 40 was lumped into Group E and then half the Derby took him in that group …

Adam Laroche and his 32 Home Runs have been called up from Group E, replacing Gary Sheffield in Group D.