The Boston Globe has a ridiculous proposition:

Let's preface this by saying it's never, ever going to happen. Never, ever.

But what if the Red Sox decided to make Derek Jeter a contract offer?

If it's never going to happen, why tempt fate and mention it? Unless he would accept Juan Castro-like money, this would be the worst move of Theo Epstein's career and could require a rename of this blog. Does ...andPhils have any juice to it?

The only redeeming part of this putrid thought is that Yankees fans will be more revolted by it than Red Sox fans.

Meanwhile, the Phillies continue their goal of having every organizational coaching position filled by a Phillies former second baseman - Juan Samuel, Ryne Sandberg and now Mickey Morandini.

Gold Gloves

Half the NL Gold Glove winners have Phillies or Red Sox connections, but only one, Shane Victorino, is a current Phillie, meaning Chase Utley got hosed. Just like last year.

Though there was no travesty as bad as yesterday's award to the fraudulent Derek Jeter, who is among the worst defensive shortstops in baseball. Yes, he's that bad.

For the record, former SoxandPhils honored today include Bronson Arroyo (P), Scott Rolen (3B) and Michael Bourn (OF).

Great SoxandPhils lede

One of my pleasures this offseason will be watching the Yankees overpay for the overrated Derek Jeter. I got my first treat today with a great SoxandPhils lede to an ESPN story about how much the Yankees will dump on their decrepit shortstop:

Derek Jeter is going to be paid Ryan Howard money for putting up Marco Scutaro numbers.

They're talking three years, $15 million to 20 million per season, for the Yankees captain.

"Jeter's numbers are exactly the same as Marco Scutaro's," one of the sources said. "He's gonna get paid a lot more than Scutaro, of course."
[...]
Scutaro, on the other hand, is entering the walk year of a two-year deal that will pay him $5 million for 2011, with a $6 million club option for 2012. His 2010 stats were remarkably similar to Jeter's. Scutaro batted .275 to Jeter's .270, hit 11 home runs to Jeter's 10, drove in 56 runs to Jeter's 67. He was outscored by Jeter, 111-92, but struck out just 71 times to Jeter's 106, and grounded into nine fewer double plays (13-22).

In fact, Jeter's numbers are not that much different from those of Ian Desmond, the Washington Nationals second-year shortstop who hit .269 with 10 home runs and 65 RBIs and plays for the major league minimum salary of just over $400,000 a year.

I can't wait. I only hope it's a long, protracted negotiation that leaves plenty of bad feelings when the Yankees have to bench their $20 million shortstop in a year or two.

A different All-Star game

Obviously, my priorities have changed since last week. I'm just not into the All-Star Game as much as I have been in previous years. I don't have the interest or energy to go blow-by-blow tonight.

But I did enjoy watching the introductions with Trent. We cheered all the Red Sox and Phillies. When Derek Jeter popped on the screen, Trent, who is probably a little young to know how to boo, reacted in the best way he could: He screamed from unhappiness. I'm so proud.

In the 6th, AL 1, NL 0.

The original Chris Coste

***Preface: I had this post planned before news broke that Chris Coste said he has agreed to a deal with the Mets. So until you finish reading this post, please pretend that Coste isn't an enemy.***

Before there was Chris Coste, there was Steve Fireovid.

Coste kicked around the minors for years, refusing to give up on his dreams of being a major league ball player until he beat the odds and became a rookie at 33 years old and a World Champion two years later.

Fireovid's story is a bit different. Like Coste, he never really got a fair shake, but he made it to the majors at age 24. But he never stuck, tossing 65 innings over five seasons for four teams, including the Phillies.

The similarity with Coste is that he refused to give up, making it back to the majors. And he wrote a book about it. In The 26th Man, Fireovid chronicles his 1990 season, which he thought would be his last, pitching for the AAA Expos.

I've read the book before, but decided to reread it recently. I'm glad I did. It's a gripping account of how a man who knows he won't get another chance at 33 years old never gives up. It's a nice look at the workings of baseball with the reminders that the game doesn't always reward the most able or hardest-working players. Sometimes the hot-shot draft pick gets preferential treatment, even though, as Fireovid constantly notes, the difference in talent between AAA players and major leaguers isn't that great.

I've been meaning to reread this book since I read Coste's The 33-Year-Old Rookie, which was first reviewed on this blog by Christine.

I think I liked Fireovid's book better - it seems more down to earth, personable and matter-of-fact. But I might be biased against the soon-to-be Met.

Incidentally, it's been several years since I read this book, and I had forgotten that he was a Phillie. Fireovid said he had a good spring in 1983 and was included in the team photo, but was sent down to the minors on the last day of spring training after a trade, which would have created room for him, fell through. Sounds just like one of the many events to stymie Coste's career.

I would love to know how Fireovid's life turned out. A Google search yielded nothing other than the book.

More bad news: Sports Illustrated is officially irrelevant, naming Derek Jeter its sportsman of the year. I think even Grady Sizemore would have been a better pic. {This is how he's been spending his time? Thanks, Grady. See if I pick you for MVP. Again.}

Beltran's pick and other rants

Carlos Beltran has made a bold prediction: The Mets, with the league's highest payroll and probably the best team on paper, will win the division this year. The team that should win has no right making that pronouncement.

He even called out the MVP:

Let me tell you this: Without (Johan) Santana, we felt as a team we have a chance to win in our division. With him now, I have no doubt that we’re going to win in our division. I have no doubt in that. We’ve got what it takes. We have good chemistry as a team. He fits great because he’s a great guy. He’s one of the best pitchers in the game. Who doesn’t want to have him on any ballclub? Without him last year we did good until the end of the season. So this year, to Jimmy Rollins, we are the team to beat.

Hopefully, come October, Carlos and his mates will still be wondering if the champagne is sweeter, if they will be dancing into the fall and whether the season truly starts on the last weekend in September.

Is this even worth responding to? Just like last year, the Mets are supposedly better on paper. Just like last year, preseason predictions have the Mets winning the division. Are the Phillies in the Mets heads that much? Are they that desperate and think the only way they can win is to make this prediction? Stick with what you do best, Beltran.

Maybe the Mets know they can't win on the field, so they're trying to win the preseason war of the words.

Less trivial: Good read in the Globe on Jon Lester's journey from cancer to champion.

Stop the presses: Pretty Boy Jeter's a bad fielder. Some local guy (Philly) has a new way of measuring fielding. It not only shows that the Yankees captain has been the worst shortstop in the majors the past few years, he has cost the Empire more runs than any other player at any position. That includes Manny, who is also deemed defensively-challenged.

Quandary: The Yogi Berra Museum has removed Roidger Clemens' jersey from its display of the drug-infested Empire championships. This blurb makes no mention whether Yankee hero Andy Pettitte will get similar treatment.

But it does pose an interesting dilemma: What do I do with my old No. 21?