How it got done

On Wednesday, I was very down on the Orioles. It looked as if the Orioles were going to end the day without signing their #1 draft pick, catcher Matt Weiters. If that had happened, the Orioles would have forfeited their rights to Weiters.

But then word got out at the last minute that the Orioles had reached an agreement with Weither’s at a price less than what his “advisor” Scott Boras said he was insisting on. So not only did the Orioles enjoy a thrilling victory on Wednesday, they possibly landed the future of their franchise.

One element of the signing that I found interesting was a comment by the Orioles’ director of scouting, Joe Jordan.

“They got the deal done,” said an elated Orioles scouting director Joe Jordan. “You can tell the city of Baltimore that the old evil owner stepped up and took care of things tonight. We had to fight to the end.”

I read the comment that Jordan was speaking with his tongue in cheek. It was, I thought, a healthy acknowledgment that Orioles management understood how poorly it was perceived by the fan base and that it was now going to work to repair that relationship.

Some of my fellow bloggers were not so pleased with the statement.
Oriole Post:

I’m proud that the Baltimore Orioles signed Matt Wieters, beat Boras, and scored a major coup, and I commend the team on doing so, but it is to be expected — isn’t it?

We all want to beat our chests and cry out to the sky when we do something good, but in the manner that Mr. Jordan did it in?

Absolutely not. He sounds so ornery and cock full of himself, it’s not funny and very insulting to the people left who come out and support the team.

Inside Charm City :

Jordan is obviously taking a dig at Angelos detractors and it comes across as petty and vindictive on a night when you’d think mature members of the front office staff would have the sense to talk up the good news that occurred instead of taking pot-shots at people who pay their salaries through ticket sales.

According to this account in the Sun it appears that Boras’s original contract demands were higher than he expected to get for Weiters.

MacPhail, in Toronto, and owner Peter Angelos spoke by phone with Boras. Meanwhile, Jordan and his administrative assistant, Marcy Zerhusen, worked and worried from the third floor of the B&O warehouse, maintaining dialogue with one of Boras’ representatives while staying in contact with MacPhail.

“There were a lot of things going on, just trying to gather information and see where we were,” Jordan said. “In the end, it came together quickly. Marcy and I high-fived each other.

“From about 7 o’clock on, it seemed like every 15 or 20 minutes we were getting updates from Major League Baseball, as far as signings. As close as it was getting to the deadline, you could just see there was a pecking order. And as much as we’re trying to push this thing along, it’s not going to happen.”

Not until other first-rounders reached agreements, including Kansas City’s Mike Moustakis at No. 2 and the Chicago Cubs’ Josh Vitters at No. 3 – leaving Wieters as the last domino to fall.

“I don’t think, in these kinds of situations, that you really know if it’s going to happen,” Boras said. “The way these contracts work, it’s a fair deal for everyone. Skill-wise, this is an important signing for the Baltimore Orioles.”

Boras said he told the Orioles that Wieters would consider signing if they agreed to pay him the net present value of the contract for high school pitcher Rick Porcello, another Boras client who received a four-year major league deal from the Detroit Tigers, as the 27th pick, worth $7 million, including a $3.58 million bonus.

Baseball musings links to Sports Agent Blog arguing (I think) that the earlier deadline keeps salaries in line, but that those who sign the latest still end up maximizing the salary and bonuses they’ll earn.

Different Rules same outcome Rany Jazayerli explains why the new rules don’t change the likelihood that a “tough sign” will still drop to one of the better teams later in the draft.

Ken Rosenthal argues that drafting well (and even overpaying for a high draft pick) can change around a team’s fortunes and is, surprisingly, a cost effective way of improving. Jayson Stark, though, argued that more often than not high draft picks are busts.

Crossposted at Soccer Dad.

The Rebirth of Rick Ankiel

No doubt you remember Rick Ankiel, the once highly touted pitching prospect of the St. Louis Cardinals. He rose quickly through minors, succeeding at every single stop. But when he reached the majors, his control left him. In the playoffs no less.

But that isn’t the only misfortune he suffered.

Rick Ankiel did not grow up in a ticky tacky little box out of Agrestic, California. Instead, he scraped by along with his mother, who dealt with an abusive spouse that was serving a prison sentence. His dad was serving time for drug smuggling while Rick was being scouted heavily by every Major League team. His half-brother was also in jail, and was arrested 28 times in a 6-year span. If you think the past few years were rough, you have no idea.

Which is why I am not surprised that Rick Ankiel has persevered and is once again successful on a team that is struggling to be a playoff contender. Ankiel took his agent’s advice (none other than Scott Boras), and put baseball in the back of his mind for a while. He headed out to SoCal to get away from it all. Boras was there for Ankiel when he needed him most (unlike IMG for Jennifer Capriati). He hung out with Ankiel in Southern California, set him up with other players, and also linked him with a sports psychologist.

(For more on Scott Boras’s operation, see here.)

Today Charles Krauthammer cheers Ankiel’s return in the Natural returns to St. Louis. (or here.)

The kid is never the same. He never recovers his control. Five miserable years in the minors trying to come back. Injuries. Operations. In 2005, he gives up pitching forever.

Then, last week, on Aug. 9, he is called up from Triple-A. Same team. Same manager. Rick Ankiel is introduced to a roaring Busch Stadium crowd as the Cardinals’ starting right fielder.

In the seventh inning, with two outs, he hits a three-run home run to seal the game for the Cardinals. Two days later, he hits two home runs and makes one of the great catches of the year — over the shoulder, back to the plate, full speed.

Krauthammer correctly writes that this catch was so spectacular because Ankiel misjudged the ball. Despite the recent heroics, Krauthammer expect normalcy to return.

He made the catch. The crowd, already delirious over the two home runs, came to its feet. If this had been a fable, Ankiel would have picked himself up and walked out of the stadium into the waiting arms of the lady in white — Glenn Close in a halo of light — never to return.

But this is real life. Ankiel is only 28 and will continue to play. The magic cannot continue. If he is lucky, he’ll have the career of an average right fielder. But it doesn’t matter. His return after seven years — if only three days long — is the stuff of legend. Made even more perfect by the timing: Just two days after Barry Bonds sets a synthetic home run record in San Francisco, the Natural returns to St. Louis.

By learning a new position and to hit while already in his twenties Ankiel has accomplished something really rare. Is it the start of a very good second career? It’s too early to tell. But you must want him to succeed.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

Yanks Draft Recap

by Pete Abraham -

Right-hander Andrew Brackman was in Birmingham, Ala., yesterday and is likely to undergo elbow surgery before the end of the week.

But the Yankees still thought enough of the 6-foot-10 North Carolina State right-hander to sign him to a four-year major-league contract worth a minimum of $4.5 million.

Teams faced a deadline of midnight last night to sign players selected in the June draft.

Brackman’s contract could be worth as much as $13 million. The Yankees have a series of team options while Brackman can earn bonuses based on performance. His $3.3 million signing bonus is the most the team has ever given a draft pick.

General manager Brian Cashman confirmed the deal 90 minutes before the deadline.

“Obviously we think he has tremendous upside,” Cashman said.

Brackman was assigned to the Gulf Coast League Yankees and placed on the 40-man roster. Infielder Chris Basak was designated for assignment to make room.

The Yankees signed five other picks yesterday: catcher Austin Romine (second round), third baseman Brad Suttle (fourth round), catcher Richard Weems (sixth round), outfielder Taylor Grote (eighth round) and shortstop Carmen Angelini (10th round).

In each case, the Yankees exceeded the amount of money suggested by the commissioner’s office, which is trying to control spending on the draft.

Suttle, a junior at Texas, received $1.3 million. That’s the most ever for a fourth-round pick. Angelini was given $1 million to break a commitment to attend Rice.

That’s a lot of money for Brackman, a six-foot-ten, unrefined and mechanically unsound, potential Tommy John ‘victim’, even if he can touch 99 mph.

Draft list here, and scouting video here.

R.I.P. Phil Rizzuto

Scooter’s obituary -

Phil Rizzuto, the sure-handed Hall of Fame Yankees shortstop nicknamed the Scooter who extended his Yankee life as a popular, even beloved, broadcaster, punctuating his game calls with birthday wishes to fans and exclamations of “Holy cow!” died Monday night. He was 89.

The cause was pneumonia, his daughter Patricia said yesterday. Rizzuto, who had been in declining health for several years, died at a residential facility in West Orange, N.J. He had lived in Hillside, N.J.

Monday was the 12th anniversary of the death of Rizzuto’s teammate, Mickey Mantle.

Rizzuto joined the Yankees in 1941 and played 13 seasons (he missed three while in the Navy during World War II) until 1956. His departure was abrupt. No longer willing to carry an aging, seldom-used infielder, the Yankees cut him on Old-Timers’ Day. Soon after, he began calling Yankee games for WPIX-TV Channel 11 and remained in that job until 1996.

Rizzuto played an integral role on the dynastic Yankees before and after World War II. He was a masterly bunter and defensive specialist for teams that steamrolled to 10 American League pennants and won 8 World Series championships, including 5 in a row from 1949 to 1953.

He was a 5-foot-6-inch, 150-pound spark plug who did the little things right, from turning a double play to laying down a sacrifice bunt. He left the slugging to powerful teammates like Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Tommy Henrich, Charlie Keller and Yogi Berra.

“I hustled and got on base and made the double play,” Rizzuto said. “That’s all the Yankees needed in those days.”

His career statistics were not spectacular: a batting average of .273, 38 home runs and 563 runs batted in. But he was named to five American League All-Star teams, and in his best season, 1950, he batted a career-high .324, drove in 66 runs and won the A.L.’s Most Valuable Player award.

In 1993, Tom Peyer and Hart Seely edited Phil Rizzuto’s actual broadcast commentary into verse for a book called “O Holy Cow! The Selected Verse of Phil Rizzuto.” Here is an excerpt.

What kind is it?
Ohhhhh!
Pepperoni!
Holy cow!
What happened?
Base hit!
A little disconcerting,
Smelling that pizza,
And trying
To do a ballgame.

He will be missed.

Duncan’s big homerun goes for naught

Who pitched worst today (in descending order):

1. Mo – 1 ip, 3 h, 3 er, 0 bb, 0 k

(huge gap)

2. Phil Hughes – 5 ip, 6 h, 2 er, 2 bb, 4 k
3. Sean Henn, 1.2 ip, 2 h, 0 r, 0 bb, 0 k
4. Edwar, 2.1 ip, 1 h, 0 r, 0 bb, 3 k

Wow. That was disappointing to say the least. The Yanks scratched and clawed their way back into the game only for Mo to blow it one inning later. Looking back on it, perhaps Joba would have been a better choice in the 10th than Mo.

Phil Hughes’ misplay at first cost the Yanks two runs. That’s a rookie mistake so I can’t kill him for it (plus Tike Redman is superfast). Despite Hughes not looking great, he still pitched five solid innings, and if not for one mistake, would have allowed just one run.

Yankee batters hit a lot of balls hard, but didn’t get many breaks – it seemed like every other line drive was right at someone, e.g. Andy Phillips, Melky (twice), Posada, etc.

The only real excitement came on Shelley Duncan’s two-out, bottom of the 9th, game-tying homer. For some reason, I still didn’t have much confidence going into the 10th – the O’s just seem to be a one of those comeback spoiler teams this year and Mo hasn’t exactly instilled confidence the last few games.

It sucks losing day games (especially ones like this) because that ‘icky’ feeling lasts a whole day and a half. If I had a choice, I’d much rather lose a night game and win a day game than vice versa.

At least Edwar pitched well (are you listening Joe?), Joba is well rested, and… and… oh, and Arod is in the midst of a hot streak (18-43, .419 with four HR and six walks in his last 12 games).

P.S. – Interesting read comparing Joba’s and Hughes’ mechanics.

Ambassador Cal Ripken

The State Department announced yesterday that Cal Ripken would become an unofficial ambassador for the United States.

Baseball Hall of Fame player Cal Ripken Jr. is taking his talents teaching kids the fundamentals of the sport to a higher level as a new U.S. State Department public diplomacy sports envoy.

Ripken’s first assignment will be visiting China October 28-November 6 to train Chinese youngsters in the Asian country’s budding baseball program.

Ripken, a shortstop and third baseman in his 21-year career with the Baltimore Orioles, said August 13 at the State Department that he plans to use his new position to bridge the gap between people of different languages and cultures.

Ripken will be the second “sports envoy” the first was figure skater, Michelle Kwan.

The first State Department public diplomacy sports envoy, figure skating star Michelle Kwan, recently returned from Russia on behalf of the United States, where her “message of working hard and dreaming big resonated with young people” in that country, said Hughes.

The Baltimore Sun has a little more on the program.

Cal Ripken Jr., who usually avoids the political arena, was named a State Department sports envoy yesterday. He plans to remain politically neutral even as he joins forces with the Bush administration to try to bolster America’s image overseas.

The former Orioles superstar said yesterday that he didn’t accept the unpaid post to make a political statement but rather to work with children from other nations on baseball.

He’s part of an effort, largely orchestrated by longtime Bush confidant Karen Hughes, to expand the role of athletes in diplomacy. The effort has included sending American wrestlers to Iran and naming figure skater Michelle Kwan as an envoy in 2006 and dispatching her to Russia and China.

The position is unpaid though the State Department will pay for Ripken’s travel.

The Sun brings up an additional quesiton, that isn’t particularly fair.

The Hall of Famer’s appearance with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and others from the Bush administration raised the question: Can a sports celebrity enter a political world and still be apolitical?

To Ripken and spokesman John Maroon, the answer is yes. But not everyone is so sure. In Washington, it is hard to pose for pictures with Rice and Hughes – as a smiling Ripken did after delivering brief remarks yesterday – without political meaning being attached to the gesture.

“If I’m someone who is looking at those pictures, I am going to think Cal Ripken supports President Bush,” said Mary Boyle, a spokeswoman for Common Cause, a government watchdog group. “Ripken is obviously an incredibly popular baseball player and President Bush is unpopular, and you could ask the question: ‘Is he trying to boost his popularity?’”

It isn’t really a question now. If a Democrat is elected next year and Ripken immediately steps down, that would be a political statement. But nothing Ripken’s done or said suggests that there’s any political agenda here.

I’m not convinced that this program will work, however I have little doubt that if the State Department of President Kerry had initiated a similar program, that Ripken would have accepted a similar role. It’s all hypothetical now, of course, but the question is a little too cynical.

More at USA Today and ESPN.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

No more waiting on Wieters

Considering Andy MacPhail’s tenure with the Twins, Ken Rosenthal wonders if history is about to repeat with Matt Wieters now that MacPhail is with the Orioles.

MacPhail, the Orioles’ new chief operating officer, could be headed toward a negotiating stalemate with the team’s first-round pick, Matt Wieters, according to major-league sources.

Like Varitek, Wieters is a switch-hitting catcher out of Georgia Tech. Like Varitek, Wieters is represented by Scott Boras.

Orioles owner Peter Angelos had a long history of avoiding Boras clients before the team selected Wieters fifth overall in June.

MacPhail, former colleagues say, also would not be afraid to adopt a firm position with Boras.

“We’re still talking back and forth,” MacPhail told FOXSports.com on Monday. “I really don’t know how it’s going to go.”

Andy MacPhail’s Jason Varitek debacle may be repeating itself with Matt Wieters. (Stephen Dunn / Getty Images)

The Orioles are not alone in their uncertainty; 11 other clubs have yet to reach agreement with their first rounders. The first-ever deadline for signing picks is 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Boras represents three other unsigned first rounders — high-school infielder Mike Moustakas, the Royals’ pick at No. 2; high-school right-hander Rick Porcello, the Tigers’ pick at No. 27, and North Carolina State right-hander Andrew Brackman, the Yankees’ pick at No. 30.

The Orioles are not along in their quandary, still it’s hardly encouraging if the new regime fails to sign one of the most highly regarded picks in this year’s draft.

True, there’s always a risk and the premium paid to a Boras client makes failure even more expensive. (Think Brien Taylor.)

Rosenthal suggests that MacPhail may not be as rigid as feared.

The Sun’s Roch Kubato isn’t appeased.

The hiring of MacPhail altered the dynamics of the negotiations, according to one source. Another, however, disagreed, saying, “I don’t really think that’s it.”

MacPhail, who served as a management negotiator during last year’s labor talks, would seem likely to follow MLB’s slot recommendations for draft-pick bonuses.

However, during MacPhail’s tenure as CEO, the Cubs exceeded slot when they signed pitcher Mark Prior to a record $10.5 million contract in 2001.

I don’t know what would be worse. Would the failure to sign Wieters be a good sign because it would mean that MacPhail was really in charge? I’d guess that to say that is to engage in wishful thinking.

No knock on Andy MacPhail, but I’d feel better about the Orioles securing the Georgia Tech catcher if someone else was handling the negotiations.

MacPhail, for better or worse, is not going to be overly generous when it comes to signing bonuses. The commissioner’s office wants to keep them down, and MacPhail’s not going to fight it. Not with his background.

He’ll be fair, but I’m not sure fair gets it done. Stay tuned.

More Roch here

I’m told it will be a few more years before the MASN money starts rolling in, so that’s not a factor as tomorrow’s deadline approaches. In the meantime, and again, it’s not my money, but letting Matt Wieters re-enter the draft sends a bad message to fans, the players and the rest of the league.

The Orioles will have egg on their faces if they don’t sign him. Or for drafting him without realizing how much it would cost to sign him.

.

The latest from the Baltimore Sun.

Less than 24 hours before the deadline to sign draft picks, the Orioles remain about $5 million apart from reaching a deal with their top selection, Georgia Tech catcher Matt Wieters. And while team officials maintain they haven’t given up hope of signing the fifth overall pick, it will take a dramatic change to reach an agreement before tonight’s midnight cutoff.

According to club sources, Wieters’ adviser, Scott Boras, is asking for a deal that slightly exceeds the approximately $10.6 million deal that Mount St. Joseph graduate Mark Teixeira signed after he was drafted by the Texas Rangers in 2001. Meanwhile, the Orioles have sweetened their offer in recent days to just less than $6 million.

Even if the team gets the deal done, being this far apart so late in the game doesn’t reflect well on the franchise. Sigh.

UPDATE: A commenter on my blog was correct in pointing to the signing of Jered Weaver. The Orioles signed Wieters at the last minute.

Like the Angels and Weaver, the Orioles signed Wieters at the last minute. Principal owner Peter Angelos and new president Andy MacPhail worked on the deal while in Toronto for the quarterly owners’ meetings last night and, with 10 minutes left before the midnight amateur signing deadline, reached a pact during a phone call with Wieters’ agent, Scott Boras.

“They got the deal done,” said an elated Orioles scouting director Joe Jordan. “You can tell the city of Baltimore that the old evil owner stepped up and took care of things tonight. We had to fight to the end.”

“Evil owner?” Good, it shows that the front office has some perception how popular Angelos is with the fan base. Maybe he’ll start listening to his baseball people. And maybe we’ll then start appreciating him.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Rizzuto dead at 89

He played shortstop entirely for the New York Yankees from 1941-1956. During that time Rizzuto won an MVP award, played in five All-Star games and was a vital part of nine World Series teams. In between all of this, Phil Rizzuto spent three years(43-45) serving in the military during WWII.

After his playing career was over, Phil was an announcer for the Yankees for many years. Having grown up in New York, I remember Rizutto very well even if I was and still am a New York Met fan. I’d sometimes watch Yankee games on WPIX Channel 11 till my family moved to Florida in 1976. The Scooter died today in New Jersey. RIP.

NEW YORK – Phil Rizzuto, the Hall of Fame shortstop during the Yankees’ dynasty years and beloved by a generation of fans for exclaiming “Holy cow!” as a broadcaster, died Tuesday. He was 89.

His death was confirmed by the Yankees. Rizzuto had been in declining health for several years and was living at a nursing home in West Orange, N.J.

Rizzuto, known as “The Scooter,” was the oldest living Hall of Famer. He played for the Yankees throughout the 1940s and ’50s, won seven World Series titles and played in five All-star games.

Rizzuto was a flashy, diminutive player who could always be counted on for a perfect bunt, a nice slide or a diving catch in a lineup better known for its cornerstone sluggers. He played for 13 seasons alongside the likes of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle.

He stood just 5-foot-6 but was equipped with a productive bat, sure hands and quick feet that earned him his nickname. A leadoff man, Rizzuto was a superb bunter, used to good advantage by the Yankee teams that won 11 pennants and nine World Series between 1941 and 1956.

Rizzuto tried out with the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants when he was 16, but because of his size was dismissed by Dodgers manager Casey Stengel, who told him to “Go get a shoeshine box.” He went on to become one of Stengel’s most dependable players.

A Rizzuto bunt, a steal and a DiMaggio hit made up the scoring trademark of the Yankees’ golden era, and he played errorless ball in 21 consecutive World Series games. DiMaggio said the shortstop “held the team together.”

Rizzuto came to the Yankees in 1941 and batted .307 as a rookie, and his career was interrupted by a stint in the Navy during World War II. He returned in 1946 and four years later became the American League MVP. He batted .324 that season with a slugging percentage of .439 and 200 hits, second most in the league. He also went 58 games without an error, making 288 straight plays.

He led all AL shortstops in double plays three times and had a career batting average of .273 with at least a .930 fielding percentage. He played in five All-Star games.

After the Yankees released him in 1956, Rizzuto began a second career as a broadcaster, one for which he became at least equally well known.

In his decades on the radio and TV, Rizzuto’s favorite phrase was “Holy cow!” It became so common, the team presented him with a cow wearing a halo when they held a day in his honor in 1985. The cow knocked Rizzuto over and, of course, he shouted, “Holy cow!”

“That thing really hurt,” he said. “That big thing stepped right on my shoe and pushed me backwards, like a karate move.”

Yankee fans also loved his unusual commentary. In an age of broadcasters who spout statistics and repeat the obvious, Rizzuto delighted in talking about things like his fear of lightning, the style of an umpire’s shoes or even the prospect of outfielder Dave Winfield as a candidate for president.

He liked to acknowledge birthdays and anniversaries, read notes from fans, praised the baked delicacies at his favorite restaurant and send messages to old cronies. And if he missed a play, he would scribble “ww” in his scorecard box score. That, he said, meant “wasn’t watching.”

Despite his qualifications, Rizzuto was passed over for the Hall of Fame 15 times by the writers and 11 times by the old-timers committee. Finally, a persuasive speech by Ted Williams pushed Rizzuto into Cooperstown in 1994.

Williams, a member of the committee, argued that Rizzuto was the man who made the difference between the Yankees and his Red Sox. He was fond of saying, “If we’d had Rizzuto in Boston, we’d have won all those pennants instead of New York.”

As in his playing days, Rizzuto was overshadowed by the headliners, teammates like DiMaggio, Mantle, Whitey Ford and Yogi Berra. All of them reached the Hall of Fame before he did.

“I never thought I deserved to be in the Hall of Fame,” Rizzuto would say. “The Hall of Fame is for the big guys, pitchers with 100 mph fastballs and hitters who sock homers and drive in a lot of runs. That’s the way it always has been and the way it should be.”

Old-timers still talk about his suicide squeeze in the ninth inning during the 1951 pennant race to score DiMaggio, beating Cleveland 2-1 and putting the Yankees in first place for the rest of the season.

Rizzuto remembers Aug. 25, 1956, as a day he thought was the “end of the world,” the day Stengel released him to make room for clutch-hitting Enos Slaughter in the pennant drive.

*****

Rizzuto is survived by his wife, the former Cora Anne Esselborn, whom he married in 1943; daughters Cindy Rizzuto, Patricia Rizzuto and Penny Rizzuto Yetto; son Phil Rizzuto Jr.; and two granddaughters.

Yanks win back-and-forth contest against Baltimore

Mo blew his first save in 20 chances, but the Yanks scratched across a run in the bottom of the 9th to win nine of their last 10.

Joba
Wow! It’s almost unfair. He was sitting 95-99 mph with his fastball and threw a few sliders/slurves between 81 and 88. One perfect inning, two strikeouts, one groundout. And I love the screaming fist-pump after the third out. Some good restrictions have been placed on him to prevent Torre from overworking him: 1. he can’t pitch more than two innings, 2. for every inning he pitches, he must get at least one day of rest before his next outing, 3. he can only start innings, he can’t be brought in mid-inning.

Wilson Betemit
The King of the Three True Outcomes (strikeout, homerun and walk). He had three plate appearances last night and had one of each (in order): two-run HR, walk and K. Getting him for Scott Proctor is looking like a steal.

Melky
What more can you say about him? He made a very nice sliding catch, extended his hitting streak to 18 games, threw out a runner at home, and scored the winning run. He’s all over!

Arod
How ugly was that ‘art’ they gave him? No offense to art enthusiasts (or the artist), but those paintings and the sculpture would go straight into my basement.