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This DirecTV deal is terrible for us fans. I can see the football package where games are only available once (maybe twice) a week. But this deal is another example of MLB screwing over its hardcore fan, who can't conceivably go to a sports bar every night to watch a game. Thanks MLB. Hope you choke on the money. 
-- Andres R. Guevara, Denver

Andres, you were much kinder in your hopes than many, believe it or not.

It seems in light of the anti-trust exemption MLB currently enjoys, MLB's obligation to the fans should be a higher priority than their desire to maximize profits. 
-- Brian Thomas, Clifton Park, NY

There are rumblings that Congress possibly could get involved. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has been threatening to look into the NFL's relationship with DirecTV through its exclusive Sunday Ticket package. You'd have to figure that, if baseball follows the NFL's lead, MLB will pop onto the Senator's screen as well. That's all that MLB needs -- another trip up Capitol Hill.

Extra Innings is already a joke. You only get 60 games a week. You can never get all of the games for any one out-of-market team. That is why you buy the thing. You can't even buy the games of your teams, pay-per-game.
-- John, Atlanta

It's true that you can't get all of the out-of-market games you want all the time. Extra Innings is a little screwy that way. It's definitely not perfect. But, not to settle or anything, you have to admit that it's better than the alternative.

Signing stuff

The Red Sox and J.D. Drew finally made their pact official on Friday. The team will still be liable for the first three years of the five-year, $70 million whopper, according to reports, but the Sox can get out of the last two years if further injury to Drew's right shoulder causes him to miss significant playing time.

This whole deal took so long to consummate -- more than six weeks since the two sides agreed to basic terms -- because Drew's injury history is THE issue here. If you throw injuries out of the equation, five years and $70 million, in this market, is a bargain for a player who has a career on-base percentage of .393.

The annual average salary of Drew's deal ($14 million) is less than Vernon Wells' new one ($18 million with the Blue Jays), Alfonso Soriano's ($17 million with the Cubs), Carlos Lee's ($16.7 with the Astros), and Aramis Ramirez's ($15 million with the Cubs). And Drew's ability to get on base is much greater than any of those players. He also plays superior defense.

The only question all along has been his injury history. As is the case with a lot of contracts, this should turn out well as long as the player stays healthy. If he goes down -- especially in the first three years, when the team isn't covered -- Theo Epstein will have a lot of backpedaling to do.

Meanwhile, the Giants and Barry Bonds still are doing their little post-verbal agreement two-step. Reports are that the Giants want nothing to do with Bonds' sideshows this season, including his ever-present entourage, and they want language in his contract that addresses that before the deal is finalized. The alleged positive test for amphetamines can't sit too well with the team, either, and it seems that public perception, even in the Bay Area, has turned against the would-be home run king.

"I think it changed since the end of last season,'' Giants managing general partner Peter Magowan told the New York Times. ''There are more against him than there have been in the past.''

I get e-mails all the time like this one ...

OK, it's been about six weeks, give or take, since Bonds and the Giants agreed, in principle, to $20 million. And, since then, they're still arguing over terms. Am I the only one who's wondering if the Giants are secretly thrilled about everything that's happened since then? No other team could possibly want him, and the reported amphetamine test could probably be reason enough to cancel the contract. So, is there a possibility that Bonds will, in fact, not be playing for the Giants next year?
-- Eric Miller, Los Altos, Calif.

I have to think that this will get done in the end. But the Giants clearly are tired of the negativity surrounding Bonds. They'll want him on his best behavior, and they'll insist on it through language in the contract. Bonds, given his limited options, is going to have to grin and sign it.

Bottom lines

Early guess: It's not a matter of if the Mariners will offer enough to bring Ichiro back for 2008 and beyond. They will. They have to. And it'll be a smart move. The question is when the offer comes and, more important, whether Ichiro will accept that offer. After three straight losing seasons -- and, very possibly, another coming -- I see him taking off for San Francisco or Southern California or New York. Maybe even for less money. The M's had their chance ...

Next winter could see three stellar center fielders on the market; Ichiro (he's moving to center this season), the Twins' Torii Hunter and the Braves' Andruw Jones ...

As much as I like Jeff Weaver, I wonder how he'll do in Seattle, if that's where he ends up. I liked his chances for success better with the Cardinals or, believe it or not, in Pittsburgh (where he'd be reunited with Jim Colborn, his former pitching coach with the Dodgers). Instead, he's reportedly going to Seattle. That's not all bad, of course. Outside of Petco Park in San Diego, Seattle's Safeco Field is maybe the best pitcher's park in the bigs ...

Now, for those upset enough about the DirecTV thing:

Office of the Commissioner
Major League Baseball
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-7800

I could get you some e-mail addresses for the league office, but I'm not sure spamming would be very effective, and it'd probably just make everyone there mad at me. You know how people are about their e-mail. So call or write.

You can also call or write your local team. Here are those addresses. You can e-mail your local team at fanfeedback@teamname.mlb.com. (Replace teamname with your local team name. Get it?)

And if you want to go above baseball's head, you can voice your concerns right to Congress. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is the new head of the Senate Judiciary Committee. You can contact him here: The former chairman, now the ranking member on the committee, is Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.). Contact him here.

Good luck. If anyone hears anything, e-mail me. Thanks for reading.