Pulling A Blyleven

While news on the Johan front has been conspicuously quiet today, we've learned that Boston is willing to include Jacoby, but not Lester along with other prospects while the Yankees have their panties in a bunch and have instituted a deadline of tomorrow (Monday) for the Twins to take or leave their offer of Hughes, Cabrera and the guy who sells pretzels at the corner of 161st St. and River Ave., with the promise that he'll no longer smell like a stale can of Natty Ice.

Rather than speculating on what B.S. should do, as some 365 inquiring minds already have done over at Joe C's site , we'd rather tackle the question of other people's misfortune.

On one hand, we feel a great sense of schadenfreude toward Eli Manning, who despite not doing anything to help the Giants win, unfailingly tries to look like he's auditioning to be a J. Crew model after every game.

Then on the other, let's say left hand, we've got Bill Smith, whose misfortune involves dumping a 2-time Cy Young winning pitcher in his prime to one of the Axis of Evil. It's like dumping the prom queen because she insists on eating at Red Loster instead of Applebee's.