What's Making Me Talk: The Difference Between New York and Boston?

I'll come right out and say I was mentally drained until about two minutes before writing this.

When I'm mentally drained, I tend not to be able to put together a coherent thought. My one idea is to sit around and just stare at the television or the wall.

Sometimes I'll randomly click on links in my bookmarks toolbar, hoping to see something that will cure my mental drain.

Or my boredom.

For once, my prayers were answered and I saw this indescribable quote from Johnny Damon.

“I couldn’t believe that they were letting [Jason Varitek] walk and try to find a team,” said Damon. “That’s the difference between New York and Boston. … If you’re a part of New York, they’re going to keep you there: (Jorge) Posada, (Derek) Jeter, Mariano (Rivera), it’s the first time in history guys have been on the same team for 15 years.

“It goes to show you something about how the Yankees think, and how many Yankees players have been exclusive with one team. They keep them forever,” Damon continued. “(The Red Sox) were ready to let (Varitek) go. He’s their starting catcher. That’s how the two teams work. You know his days are going to be numbered here. But hopefully not—he deserves to be here until his career is over.”

I said indescribable because I really can't find words to explain what kind of quotes this is.

First, let me say he's dead on.

But the fact that he's dead on is quite sad if you are a Yankee supporter.

That is the difference between New York and Boston, and it's also the reason that the Red Sox have won two more World Series titles than the Yankees have since 2000.

I'm just as sentimental as the next guy, but if his best days are behind him and he's demanding a contract like the one Jason Varitek was demanding, there is no way in hell I would rail for him to be re-signed.

He deserves to be there until his career is over? Sure he does, but that doesn't mean he can ask for deal similar to the one Jorge Posada received (four years, $50 million-plus) and expect the Red Sox to say, "Sure! We'll handcuff ourselves to that!"

The Red Sox don't deserve that and considering no one else came all that close to what Varitek actually got—$5 million for 2009 with an option in 2010 for around the same price—I'd say the Red Sox were pretty dead on.

In fact, they might have even overpaid, but I will give Varitek and his past with Boston a little bit of respect in that case.

But really Johnny, the difference is quite clear and I'm glad you pointed it out. How many World Series has the New York system of keeping their players won in in the past few years?

"Keeping players forever" is hardly a smart move and Theo Epstein and the Boston brass realize that, which is why they know when to sign a guy and when to let him go.

So really, New York can continue thinking that way. It really is fine by me and I'm sure Boston will take it. Their method is working, while New York's is not.<!-- my page break -->

Stop...picking...on...A-Rod...please?

Consider this the All-Yankee version of my weekly rants for the month, because I'm far from done. Although I think the Yankee fans and Alex Rodriguez supporters might actually not hate me with this one though.

I'm sick and tired of this Selena Roberts' book on Alex Rodriguez.

I hate nothing more than someone taking advantage of something, and that is exactly what Roberts is doing with this book.

Not only that, I don't even think there is justifiable reasoning behind some of the accusations that are being laid towards Rodriguez.

I haven't read the book, it isn't out, and really I don't plan on it. But just listening to some of the journalists that I respect talk about the book, it sounds like hogwash.

Not only that, but hearing guys who have played with Rodriguez like Eric Young and Michael Young (no relation) coming to his defense just solidifies my thinking.

You'd have to be really dumb and arrogant to pull a move like the one Rodriguez is accused of pulling.

Not that Rodriguez isn't extremely arrogant, but not even he is that arrogant—at least I wouldn't think so.

So for once, please lay off the guy. This has reached a point where it is just exhausting and redundant to hear about it. These accusations, from what I've read, have very little basis, if any at all.

Roundabout of Randomness

I stumbled upon this article on Yahoo! Sports about a re-enactment of the first college baseball game and couldn't help but remember the classic Conan O'Brien bit when he went to play old-time baseball.

It's a must if you are a baseball fan or just a sports fan in general. It was replayed a few months ago during Conan's final week of his Late Night show as one of his favorite bits. It is certainly a classic.

Oliver Perez is in quite the rut and he didn't respond to the threat of a move to the bullpen. So now Jerry Manuel is trying to decide if he's actually going to go through with the move, go a step further and send him to the minors, or just stick to the course.

I'd get him checked out for an injury first and if there's nothing wrong, ship him to Buffalo. There really is no excuse for a "loss of confidence" when you just got a three year contract in the offseason.

Carl Crawford, 4-4 with six steals in Sunday's game against the Red Sox. He's not got this ungodly stolen base percentage against Boston that I forgot to write down—further reason that Jason Varitek isn't worth that much money.

Zack Greinke was on the cover of Sports Illustrated last week and I found the sub-title to be very good.

"He's been a phenom and a bust. He's walked away and come back. He's been a starter and a reliever, a genius and a flake. He's only 25 and right now...The Best Pitcher in Baseball."

Perfect, if you ask me.

I was a big fan of the Cincinnati pitching staff coming into the season and they are really showing up. Five shutouts this year, the most in the majors, and I think it's safe to say with that trio, they are going to stick around the races his summer.

Baltimore's pitching is insufferable, though. The .301 average against is the highest in the majors and the only one above .300.

We have a few underrated pitching pairing this week, and a lot on Monday night.

Going back to Cincinnati, aces Aaron Harang and Josh Johnson square off Monday night. So do Pittsburgh's Paul Maholm and Milwaukee's Yovani Gallardo. Hey, that Central Division has some good pitching.

In the AL, Kevin Millwood and unbeaten Felix Hernandez square off Monday as well.

Later this week, early AL titans, Seattle and Kansas City battle it out and we've got a Jarrod Washburn and Brian Bannister pairing. Yes I just referred to Kansas City and Seattle as early AL titans and yes the Washburn and Bannister pairing is interesting, at least at this point in the year.

Cliff Lee and Justin Verlander match up again on Friday, though. They put on a show Sunday in a game that neither deserved to lose.

Oh and Brandon Inge continued that streak we talked about last week. I can only wonder if I can say this again next week.

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Nino Colla is Talking every Monday of the baseball season, or whenever time needs to be wasted, provided objects don't get thrown.