This is totally awesome. Anna Benson, otherwise known as the hottest athlete wife around, except for maybe Tiger Woods’ Norwegian beauty Elin Nordegren, is going back on the market.

Benson filed for divorce yesterday, citing the sudden realization that she is way too much woman for lame-ass Orioles pitcher Chris Benson.

What’s next for Anna, now that she is no longer the hottest baseball wife around? Will she go to Hollywood? Pose for Playboy? Will she get remarried? Will it be to a baseball player? So many questions!

An article in today’s Washington Post says the Nationals are concerned that they are no longer going to be able to sell expensive box seat tickets to big balla’ lobbyists looking to wine and dine greedy members of congress.

Nationals President Tony Tavares says the team has sold 100 fewer ticket plans for the upcoming season, thanks to lobbyists who are nervous about doing their dirty business in public.

Tavares told the post:

Washington, D.C., thrives on the lobbying business. It’s been part of the landscape here for a long, long time. And it’s pretty important to our team and our new stadium.

An emerging bill in the Senate would effectively prohibit members of Congress from accepting tickets to major D.C. area professional sporting events from registered lobbyists.

This is all a bit of Jack Abramoff fall-out. And certainly D.C. could use a little less lobbying and a little more governing. But can we still call it America’s past time if there isn’t any lobbying going on?

Three clues:
1. He plays for the Cardinals.
2. He has a lifetime average of .253.
3. His initials are S.S.

Give up?

PRESTON WILSON (CF), Houston Astros:

Caution: Wilson will be an injury risk again this year, so the veteran has been slipping far down draft orders everywhere.

Payoff: Preston will benefit from moving from the cavernous RFK to the friendly confines of Minute Maid Juice Park. This is the same Minute Maid that transformed Lance Berkman from an adequately tooled Texan into a perennial superstar.

What to Expect: If he stays relatively healthy, Wilson should improve on his combined power numbers from last year (25 HR, 90 RBI). If you can deal with a .250-.270 batting average, Wilson’s power numbers will not disappoint.

Draft Him…if he slips past the 9^th round in your fantasy draft.

WILY MO PENA (RF), Boston Red Sox:

Caution: Pena’s strikeout per at-bat ratio is alarming. Given a full season of plate appearances, Pena has the slim chance to make Adam Dunn look like a disciplined hitter.

Payoff: Wily Mo will likely become a protected, middle of the order bat in one of the best lineups in baseball. At 24, Pena has tremendous upside and is eager for his first chance to produce big numbers in a big market.

What to Expect: With one of the quickest swings in baseball, Pena should abuse the Green Monster night in and night out in a Red Sox lineup that will consistently produce RBI opportunities for the big man.

Draft Him…if Red Sox nation hasn’t already gobbled him up before round 12.

CLINT BARMES (SS), Colorado Rockies:

Caution: Barmes will be one of many young bats in the middle of the Rockies order. Beware of the dreaded sophomore slump.

Payoff: Barmes was walking away with Rookie of the Year honors before suffering a freak injury at the beginning of June last year. He will play in the best offensive park in all of baseball and can fill your SS position if you can’t land Tejada or Furcal.

What to Expect: With power to all fields and a great eye (only 36 K’s in 350 at-bats last year), Barmes should put up numbers comparable to other veteran shortstops at half the price.

Draft Him…if you look at your roster in the late rounds and realize you haven’t fulfilled the SS requirement. Barmes has been falling deep in draft orders, so keep an eye out for a late-round steal.

OLIVER PEREZ (SP), Pittsburgh Pirates:

Caution: He’s a big risk following a woeful 2005 season in which he lost sight of his mechanics.

Payoff: Perez should be a top of the rotation starter for a Pirates team that many are picking to be spoilers in the NL Central. He has the stuff to be a top-10 pitcher and could easily fall into your hands as late as the last two rounds.

What to Expect: If Perez can relocate his late-breaking slider, 12+ wins and 200+ strikeouts are well within reach.

Draft Him…if you are able to hedge the risk by acquiring him in the last 3 rounds.

MARK LORETTA (2B), Boston Red Sox:

Caution: Loretta is 34 and coming off injury.

Payoff: Before his injury plagued campaign last year, Loretta had averaged 15 HR and 75 RBI in his previous two seasons. Those are great numbers for a 2B position.

What to Expect: Barring injury, Loretta is a balanced hitter that defends the plate and puts the ball in play. He should score many runs batting in front of perennial powerhouses Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz.

Draft Him…whenever you need a 2b. Loretta is a steal at any round past round 5.

Our second annual Spring Training Weekend is complete. Three days of sun, beer and baseball in Tampa, Bradenton and Viera. Here’s a link to some photos from the trip, along with witty comments.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35033660@N00/sets/72057594087448615/

All aboard the crazy train!

Darren “Dutch” Daulton had it all. And now he’s lost it. Totally lost it.

One of the best catchers of his era, Daulton led the 1993 Phillies to the World Series and played for the 1997 Marlins team that won the championship. He was an all-star, a club-house leader, and a total stud. Men wanted to be him. Women wanted to be with him.

But since his retirement following his World Series victory in 1997, Dutch has had some legal trouble. He’s been arrested on reckless and drunken-driving charges and a domestic-violence charge after a dispute with his second wife, Nicole, who has since filed for divorce. In 2004, Daulton did a two-month stint in Pinellas County Jail after he was found in contempt of court, stemming from a failure to comply with a court order issued in his and Nicole’s divorce battle.

Nicole says he’s a drunk. Daulton says he’s enlightened.

In an article in Sports Illustrated, Dutch says that, “Nicole thinks I’m crazy. She blames everything on drugs and drinking. But I don’t take drugs and I’m not a drunk. Nicole just doesn’t understand metaphysics.”

Dutch goes on to say that, sometimes, his moods can control the weather.

“At one point everyone was against me, kind of like I’d struck out with the bases loaded,” he says. “Whenever my thoughts got totally negative, it would automatically rain.”

He insists that the pyramids are strategically placed all over the galaxy, on mars and on the moon. He believes the Mayan temples were built by the Atlanteans, that lost civilization that dissipeared beneath the sea. He believes the world will end when the Mayan calendar stops — Dec. 21, 2012, at 11:11 a.m.

Dutch is working on a book, tentatively titled, “If They Only Knew.” He better hurry up and find a publisher. After Dec. 12, 2012, he’s not going to have much of an audience.