Just a quick post before I head off to work.

I really don’t know what to think anymore when it comes to Alex Rodriguez. Even when he is thousands of miles away from the team, Rodriguez still manages to cause eyes to roll and heads to ache. In this latest episode, Rodriguez has been accused by one of ex-New York governor Elliot Spitzer’s former madams as being a frequent customer…and more.

Now, don’t get me wrong: I am not shocked by the revelation that a married, high-profile athlete sought the services of call girls and/or prostitutes. All I’d have to do is look at an abridged history of Babe Ruth to find a precedent. What annoys the hell out of me is how often Rodriguez makes news for all the wrong reasons. Shall we name the topics.

• Steroids & performance-enhancing drugs
• (now ex)-wife seen & photographed wearing an obscene t-shirt to a game
• Taking part in a photo-shoot where he’s shot kissing his reflection in a mirror…

I think you’re getting the idea by now. Is it asking too much to only hear news about Rodriguez concerning his hip recovery and nothing else? Yeesh. This season for the Yankees is primed to be a mini-case of a theory developed by ESPN.com’s Bill Simmons called the Ewing Theory. Basically, it’ll go like this: the Rodriguez-less Yankees will surprise everyone by steam-rolling everyone out of the gate, but will crash back to inconsistency and mediocrity as soon as Rodriguez returns to the Bronx.

Well, enough about that. Here are some tidbits going on down in Tampa:

• 2003 AL Rookie of the Year Angel Berroa is leading the team in hits with 18 as he’s hitting .383. Unfortunately, Derek Jeter’s apparent back-up has drawn only one walk over the course of nearly 50 plate appearances.

• Brett Gardner (above) is cementing his candidacy for the starting center field job, thanks in part to a .400/.467/.725 batting line. The speedy rookie has showcased his speed (four steals in five attempts) and his discipline (five walks against six strikeouts), but it is his surprising power that may put him ahead of incumbent Melky Cabrera. Six of his 16 hits have gone for extra bases, including three home runs. I hope I don’t look like a fool for drafting him in my fantasy league…though I took him with my second-to-last pick.
• Very quietly, Chien-Ming Wang has had a dominant spring so far. Wang is 0-1 and has allowed 14 hits in 11.2 innings, but he has not allowed a walk all spring (knocking on wood…) and his ERA is down to 2.31.
• And before I go, a stunning development: Kei Igawa looks like a decent pitcher! The Japanese lefty sports a 0.73 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 12.1 innings. But his eight walks and level of competition leave me a Doubting Thomas as to whether this will translate to the regular season.

- M.E.