 Congratulations to Curt Schilling for finally realizing he had retired — even if it wasn't by choice — and making an official announcement long after the rest of the baseball world already had come to the conclusion ... Does money ensure happiness? Only twice has a team with a $100-million payroll won a World Series — in 2007 and 2004. And the team with the highest payroll in baseball hasn't won the world championship since the Yankees in 2000.Ken Griffey, Jr., shouldn't make World Series plans this year. He returned to where he began — the Seattle Mariners — and the odds are the Mariners won't reach .500 much less the postseason. Griffey has played more games than any active player — 2,521 over 20 years — without appearing in a World Series game. He's 310 games shy of the all-time record held by Rafael Palmeiro. Griffey did, however, appear in the postseason three times — twice with the Mariners and last year with the White Sox, who picked him up from Cincinnati for the stretch drive in the AL Central.Andruw Jones showed common sense in agreeing to stay with Texas. Jones needs his offensive approach revamped, and he has realized that Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo is in a class of his own when it comes to teaching the offensive art. If Jones gives his full effort to Jaramillo, look for him to return to an All-Star level of play before season's end.All things considered, does any manager do a better job year in and year out of getting the most out of his team than Ron Gardenhire of the Minnesota Twins? Put Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on the list, a close second.Shouldn't be a surprise that all seven of the players who have appeared in the World Series for at least seven world champions played for the Yankees — Yogi Berra, 10 champions; Joe DiMaggio, nine champions, and Bill Dickey, Phil Rizzuto, Hank Bauer, Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth, seven each.Tracy Ringolsby is a regular contributor to FOXSports.com, and is part of the Rockies broadcast crew for FSN Rocky Mountain. He also has a Web site, insidetherockies.com. In his 34th year covering baseball, Ringolsby was voted the J.G. Taylor Spink Award by the BBWAA in 2005, and honored during the 2006 Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Play FOX Fantasy Baseball today
Author:Fox Sports
Author's Website:http://www.foxsports.com
Added: March 25, 2009
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