the shrewdness of apes

Rockies pitcher Denny Neagle gets nabbed soliciting a prostitute and now the team will try to void his contract, or at least buy the contract out for a lesser amount. two things: 1) they have a bit of a case here since there's actual charges involved, whereas the Yankees do not since the evidence against Giambi comes from secret testimony and 2) keep in mind as you read the last sentence that this man has made $20 Million over the past 2 years to basically not pitch.

If talks of a settlement fall apart, the Rockies would release Neagle, then could consider trying to void Neagle's contract on the basis of paragraph 7 (b) (1) of the uniform player's contract. It allows contract termination if a player should "fail, refuse or neglect to conform his personal conduct to the standards of good citizenship and good sportsmanship."

The chances of being able to enforce that clause would be iffy, but it does provide a stimulus to work out a resolution of the contract. That's because an effort to enforce the clause could lead to an investigation into off-field activities that extend beyond the early-Friday episode in which Neagle is accused of paying a prostitute $40 for oral sex.

***UPDATE*** more low-wage shenanigans as Tiger Craig Monroe got arrested yesterday for allegedly stealing a $29.99 belt from a department store. in his defense, he made only $335,000 last year.