Conspiracy theory

July 30th was one of the stranger days in Major League Baseball during the 2002 season.

Like a thief in the night, the Boston Red Sox acquired outfielder Cliff Floyd from the Montreal Expos for a pair of minor league prospects that have a slim chance of making any Major League roster. A few days later, New York Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner made a statement about the trade. Here's what he said:

"If Major League Baseball owns Montreal and they get (Floyd) and (three) weeks later they trade him to our biggest competitor, that's hard to believe."

And later in that same column:

"It's a hell of a deal for the Red Sox, but what's the difference between what they did and what we did? They still owe a lot on the team. It's a very good move. I don't know how smart it is, but certainly a good deal."

So Steinbrenner questioned the actions of Expos GM Omar Minaya. Fair shake, considering that the Red Sox did get Floyd three weeks after the Expos acquired him from the Florida Marlins for Graeme Lloyd, Carl Pavano, and a bag of lint. How could the Red Sox not attempt to get Floyd earlier? What did Marlins owner Jeff Loria and stepson David Sampson want from Boston: the sun, moon, and half the tea that was dumped in Boston Harbor?

As soon as Minaya and Expos president Tony Tavares caught wind of Steinbrenner's remarks, they immediately wanted an apology from The Boss.

"We certainly hope that, upon reflection, Mr. Steinbrenner will deliver a public apology to the Montreal Expos with the same ease that he found in impugning the integrity of our organization."

First off, never was it mentioned by anyone that Steinbrenner made a classy move by stating that the Red Sox made a good deal, and acknowledging him for having sour grapes for not getting Floyd is foolish. People seem to forget what he said after questioning the Expos' move. Secondly, here's some scenarios where Steinbrenner will ever apologize for anything:

* The second coming of Christ.

* Hell freezing over.

* Bill and Hillary Clinton admitting they were in Whitewater.

* When the Cubs, White Sox, and Red Sox all win the World Series within three years.

Steinbrenner makes no apologies for attempting to make the Yankees a better team with the money he's spent to not only bring in free agents, but also keep the players who have come up through the farm system.

I think Michael Kay said it best in a column written on the YES Network's web site. Granted, you could call Kay a "homer" for taking The Boss' side, but I think he makes a valid point:

"The Expos are owned by baseball, the Red Sox are sold to a group that is hand-picked by the Commissioner, the Yankee organization has seemingly emerged as the Darth Vader of the sport and the Red Sox are trailing them in the AL East. The team, owned by baseball, has a chance to help the team whose ownership is hand-picked by baseball, to catch the team that is supposed to represent everything wrong with the game."

Is it a major league conspiracy against the Yankees? (No pun intended.) No, but it does make you think about the shady business that is Major League Baseball these days.