Fans of gossip are probably familiar with Perez Hilton, which delves into the lives of celebrities, but there is a site called TerezOwens.com which appears to be doing the same for athletes. I know some like this sort of thing, and others don’t; regardless, it’s become part of the landscape so we have to talk about it. I guess I will have to rate the site PG-13 from now one. If you haven’t hit your teens yet, please exit now.

It’s the first time I have come across this site (am I late to the party?), but someone wrote to them back in April about a book being shopped by a women who had sex with numerous MLB superstars. The individual claims that Harper Collins is interested, but they want someone to help her finish it. The early rumblings about what is in the book surely will make a splash with numerous baseball luminaries.

She describes the Mets as a “traveling circus.” I don’t know what era, player or team, but it appears one individual that was part of it is Jeff Francoeur. Greg Maddux comes across very well for his performance “off the field.” Randy Johnson (she calls him the Small Unit) and Chase Utley (nicknamed “Chase me quickly”), not so much. There are also rumors about the sexual orientation of former Phillies catcher Mike Lieberthal. Bernie Williams is mentioned in the book as well.

You could read all the gory details at the site. I rather leave it up to you to decide, instead of posting the details here, if you want to get to know these guys up close and personal.

In the end, a publisher will have to be sure these are not some bedtime stories from a scorned lover. The women claims to have 20 years of “experience,” and is ready to dish dirt on alcohol and drugs, in addition to the stories on sex.

I have a feeling this book will rock the baseball world if it ever gets published. Knowing the power of MLB, it very well may find a way to use it muscles to not make it happen.

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I watched some of the Buffalo/Norfolk game on SNY. I like how SNY uses these days off to broadcast a minor league game. Last week, they were Brooklyn. One thing I noticed was the volume of seagulls around Coca-Cola Field. So many that it became distracting during the broadcast. Is this place near the beach? A dump? An Alfred Hitchcock movie? Forgive my ignorance, but why? A Syracuse Chiefs blog questioned the volume of birds as well.

***

Ever wonder what kind of meal money players get on the road? Whether you are Alex Rodriguez, or just called up Brian Gordon, a big league ballplayer gets $92.50 a day.

The Pioneer Press asked some of the Minnesota Twins players what they do with their meal money. Most appear to give it to clubhouse attendants, but Michael Cuddyer says it best when he calls the big league vs. minor league per diem “backwards.”

You get $25 bucks in minor league baseball. With some kids getting as little as $1,200 a month (before taxes) that per diem isn’t much to eat well. Cuddyer’s quote about his first paycheck in the big leagues says it all:

“When I was in the minors, I could spend $12 on breakfast at McDonald’s. They didn’t have a dollar menu back then. I remember when I first came to the big leagues in ’01. I was only up for two weeks. I got my check, and I made more in two weeks than in five months of being in the minor leagues.”

Still think ballplayers don’t deserve big contracts? The road to get there, and stay there, isn’t exactly paved with riches for all.

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Check out a great interview with Yankees Senior VP Mark Newman by Sensei John Kreese of NoMaas. He addresses the criticism we have been talking about when it comes to promoting, or the lack of, young players. He says the scenario in New York is “all hands on deck”  because they are about winning games. He also thinks one individual to keep your eye on for the bullpen is George Kontos.

Kontos has a 2.17 ERA in relief at Scranton. He is striking out nearly 10 per nine innings; averaging about 3 walks. He throws a fastball that can reach the mid nineties, and tight slider that produces a lot of swings and misses. It’s been a long road back for Kontos who was injured his elbow in 2009 and is finally feeling healthy since Tommy Surgery.

He was selected by San Diego in the Rule V draft, but the Padres sent him back to the Yankees after just three spring games that produced a 9.82 ERA.

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Baseball Musings pointed out another Keith Hernandez Strat-O-Matic reference during one of the broadcasts when Oakland visited Citi Field:

Hideki Matsui just hit a fly ball to deep centerfield against the Mets with the bases loaded. All three runners moved up. I was just about to write a friend that Matsui hit a fly ball A when Keith Hernandez pipes up, saying that in Strat-o-Matic Baseball, that would be a fly ball A, all runners advancing! Oakland leads the Mets 2-0 in the top of the first.

I know some people that see Keith frequent the hottest clubs in the Hamptons. Only Mex can be a socialite on a Saturday night, but still be so cool that he sits by the pool on a Sunday playing some SOM on the computer.

By the way, I was told no matter the local socialites on tap, Hernandez is the star of just about any club he enters.

Think if they knew he played Strat-O-Matic his Q-Rating would suffer?

***

I received a complaint via the feedback option on my mobile app. Which, by the way, you can download for free here. A reader by the name of Arianna M. wrote the following:

Dear Mike Silva,

Hi. Sir you will not stop trashing the New York Yankees! Why? What’s to trash talk about them. They’re the best team baseball has ever seen. They’re 27-Time World Series Champions. I love the Yankees, so if you could please stop trash talking them. Thanks.

Well Arianna, I wanted you to know that I got your complaint. I forwarded to the complaint department. After review, we decided that historical results don’t absolve any team- Mets, Yankees, or the Long Island Ducks, from critique. If you like, send me a specific area that you think I am being unfair, and I will be sure to address it in a future “Morning Digest.”

I think I am rather fair to the 27-time World Champions. Don’t you all agree?

Want to know where to find Mike Silva now? He Host's the "Weekend Watchdog” on Long Island’s ESPN affiliate Champions Radio (96.9/107.1FM Suffolk) go to http://weekendwatchdog.com to listen and interact with Mike at mikesilvamedia.com

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Tags: Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Bernie Williams, Buffalo Bisons, Chase Utley, Chicago Cubs, George Kontos, Greg Maddux, Hideki Matsui, Jeff Francoeur, Keith Hernandez, Mark Newman, Michael Cuddyer, Mike Lieberthal, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Randy Johnson, San Diego Padres, Scranton Yankees, Seagulls at Coca-Cola Stadium, Seattle Mariners, SNY, TerezOwens.com