Knowing Me, Knowing You

As a group of clean-cut Swedes taught us nearly thirty years ago, breaking up is never easy. The Astros and Jeff Bagwell are just the latest example.

I thought the messiest divorce of the off season would be Frank Thomas and the White Sox. Although Big Frank didn't disappoint, his swipes at his former bosses and Jim Thome were tame compared with the blast Bagwell leveled at his employers.

"It's just amazing how bad they don't want me to play. Anything else said, it's just not the truth. They just want to collect their money," Bagwell said.

Jim has ably discussed this dispute in his Astros preview. I quite agree that the Astros have no one but themselves to blame -- Bagwell is a perfect example of the risks inherent in long-term contracts.

While Drayton McLane may recoup the $17 million Bagwell will get this year, there is little chance this episode will end happily. "It probably will never be fixed between me and the Astros," Bagwell said.

And Bagwell is still with the team. So look for things to become even more uncomfortable. At this rate, Bagwell may tell the Hall of Fame to forget about putting a hat on his plaque...