- If Barry Melrose ever goes to Newark, he probably won't be getting a warm reception. Melrose, a hockey analyst for ESPN and a former player and manager, said some disparaging words about the city of Newark when talking about the new Devils arena on his webcast last week. Melrose said, "It looks great on the inside but don't go outside, especially if you got a wallet or anything else because the area around the building is awful. It's so different the inside and the outside where its built, it's pretty humorous."
Naturally, city and state officials were offended by the comments. Newark Mayor Cory Booker said, "It shows extreme ignorance and the comments are utterly absurd. This guy doesn't know Newark. He hasn't visited the city recently." While Melrose later apologized to the city, state, and Devils, the best quote comes from Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek. "I think its an incredibly uneducated statement for someone who hasn't been here. It's like me saying I know what it's like to wear a mullet [Melrose's hairstyle of choice]."
- David Wright and Carlos Beltran are golden. The Mets 3rd baseman and center fielder were selected to the 51st Gold Glove team yesterday for their accomplishments on defense. It was Wright's first Gold Glove and Beltran's 2nd in a row. The two were selected by National League coaches and managers. In the American League, Derek Jeter was unseated at shortstop by Orlando Cabrera on the Angels. Jeter had won three Gold Gloves in a row.
- Speaking of the Yankees, it looks like there's another big name 3rd baseman on the market. The Florida Marlins might be using Miguel Cabrera as trade bait and the Yankees may be willing to take a nibble. The only problem is that the Marlins want more than the Yankees are willing to offer. Reports say that the Marlins want either Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain or Ian Kennedy. And an informal survey finds that the Alex Rodriguez sweepstakes has very few players.
