The winter baseball meetings are now officially underway with the World Champion Yankees in the middle of things.    The all but certain three-way deal with the Yanks, Arizona and Detroit is one of those trades that makes sense for all the clubs.   Looking at it from the Yankees perspective, it appears they've just become stronger, with outfielder Curtis Granderson.
     Granderson, an all star for the first time last season, should hit even better in Yankee Stadium and gives them the high profile centerfielder, deserving of occupying that hallowed ground.   It also sets up the Yankees to handle the other outfield positions, with Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui being free agents.
     What do the Yanks give up?   In lefty reliever Phil Coke, they don't lose much, because he faltered in the second half of the season.    Righthanded pitcher Ian Kennedy has never realized his potential and outfield prospect Austin Jackson hits for average, but may not hit for the power an outfielder needs.
     So all and all, the Yankees are a stronger club today, than the one which won the World Series last month.   Look for the archrival Red Sox to make the next move to counteract the Yankees.

    It always seems to happen at 2:30 in the morning in the Woods' household, or what's left of it.   The news world is rife with stories that EMT's arrived at the Tiger Woods mansion in Florida, this morning at 2:36.   An ambulance whisked a "blond woman" away from the residence, but it was reportedly not his wife, Elin Nordegren.   She, according to some stories, has moved out of the house.   She also, reportedly, arrived at the hospital early this morning in a Cadillac SUV.   (Whatever happened to Buick?)
     And there are stories, Tiger's wife told neighbors at the infamous accident scene in the wee hours of Black Friday that Tiger was consuming alcohol earlier in the day.   He refused a blood-alcohol test.   Oh, and there are reports he had OD on Vicadin and Ambien and was admitted to the hospital under an alias.    He then changed the alias to another name.
     Whew!   It's enough to make your head spin.    This story has more twists than a "General Hospital" plot.    (I know this, because GH is the soap of choice in our house.   Depending on how your view it, DVR could be a bad thing.)    Anyway, it is patently obvious Tiger has many problems.    The analysis, which has already started, will dissect his behavior everyway 'till Sunday, including how sympathetic we must be, during this difficult time in his life.
      Although I can summon compassion, never forget Tiger's problems are the result of his lifestyle as a member of the rich and famous.   Never mind about his golf game.   His image is in tatters and it may be a long time, before Tiger steps onto a golf course and into the public eye.    This isn't an ARod story, where he continued to play everyday, after womanizing allegations surfaced. 
      Tiger is a man, whose life is falling apart.   Will he recover?   Probably so.   Too many companies and entities have too much money tied up in his endeavors.   As today's latest episode unfolds, in boardrooms across America, highly paid executives are already plotting a design to repair an image in tatters.   Too many salaries are riding on his demeanor to suggest otherwise.
 

    Many people are talking about Tiger Woods today.   I would rather write about baseball.  The sport's winter meetings start on Monday and that means trade rumors, trades and free agent signings.    It's the kind of news baseball fans relish, during the Hot Stove League season.
     There are rumors everywhere that the Toronto Blue Jays will trade headline pitcher Roy Halladay to either the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees.   In fact, there is some sentiment that the Jays will pit the Sox and Yankees against each other - what else is new? - to land the best package.
     Word is Red Sox owner John Henry wants to make the big splash and trade the club's top prospects to land Halladay, while GM Theo Epstein would rather build the ballclub through its farm system.    The Yankees are holding internal discussions at the team's Tampa headquarters this week do decide their strategy.
     I hope neither club lands Halladay.   It's more fun, when even the high profile teams stay in contention with players from their own farm system.    The same old approach of the pretending teams, trading a star for a bundle of prospects, is getting tired.   And the track record of such a blueprint is dubious at best.
     So let the rumors and trades begin.   As the weather turns colder, fans can look to baseball to warm things up.

New York Jets coach Rex Ryan has finally admitted what football fans have known for sometime. First round draft choice quarterback Mark Sanchez is the face of the franchise, despite his first year woes. And that's the way it should be. First round picks need time to develop. Rarely does someone step in and be an instant hit. Sanchez has had his problems, after the Jets won his first three games at QB, including a big win over the Patriots.

He's also been injury prone, because of the way he slides, when avoiding a sack. Yes, much like baseball players, quarterbacks also slide. To that end, Ryan brought in the manager of the world champion New York Yankees Joe Girardi, yesterday, to teach Sanchez how to slide. And Sanchez, who knew he was going to get instruction on the technique, but not from whom, was delightfully surprised, when Girardi showed to teach him the proper way to slide.

Girardi later gave the entire team a pep talk, which played to rave reviews from players, who commented about the manager's speech, after it was given. So if the Jets, who defeated Carolina on Sunday, turn their season around, they could have the manager of the World Champs, to thank.