Back in June, Georges Yared blogged about one of the silliest lawsuits in sports history: Major League Baseball decided that it would take on fantasy baseball leagues, battling for a licensing fee for the use of statistics, such as batting averages, home runs and earned run averages. Major League Baseball sought to limit the number of companies that could use its data for operating fantasy baseball websites in exchange for a fee, and CDM Fantasy Sports Corp sued, essentially arguing that data about a factual event such as the outcome of a baseball game was not proprietary because it could be garnered from various sources other than the league itself.

CDM won in federal court and baseball appealed to the Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case. According to the Wall Street Journal, "In taking on the fantasy-baseball operators, and losing, MLB has likely cost every pro sports league millions of dollars. All the leagues had been getting fees from fantasy operators."

It's good to see Major League Baseball lose here: after failing miserably to protect the game's integrity from the threat of illegal drugs, gouging fantasy players for fees should have been the last thing on the league's mind. MLB doesn't need any more controversy right now, and should never have waded into this battle in the first place.

Baseball is not always a perfect metaphor for life, but it is a good one for investing.

Good teams know how to find value where others may not see it. Spending gobs of money on expensive players does not always pan out and successful companies do the little things well. There is no better illustration of this than the current sad state of the New York Mets and New York Yankees.

Despite investing more money than the GDP of some small, developing countries on high-priced talent, the New York Mets and New York Yankees are being outperformed by teams from the vast baseball wasteland known as Florida. The pain being felt by New York sports fans pales in comparison to the anguish in the executive offices of Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS)'s ESPN and News Corp. (NYSE: NWS)'s Fox Sports, which spent big bucks tor the rights to broadcast baseball games. I bet ESPN and Fox ad sales representatives would break out in a cold sweat at the thought of an all-Florida World Series.

What's ironic is that the people in Florida don't seem to like baseball. More than 80,000 people showed up to watch the football games of powerhouses University of Florida and Florida State in 2006. Last year, the American League Rays attracted an average of 17,148 fans to their games and the NL Marlins drew 16,919, according to the Baseball Almanac. That's roughly a third of the 52,739 who went to see the Yankees or the 47,579 who went to watch the Mets.

Porkbelly futures and plain-vanilla interest rate swaps not exciting enough?

Well now you can invest in a pitcher! For $50,000, you can buy 4% of 25-year-old minor league relief pitcher Randy Newsom's future Major League earnings. That means that he'll need to earn $1.25 million in the majors before you start raking it in.

Newsom has set up Real Sports Investments LLC to broker the deal, and he describes it this way:

Investing in a player is similar to investing in a company. If the company makes money, the investors get paid in the form of a dividend. If an athlete you own shares in makes it to the big leagues, then you will be paid a percentage of his contract .... Investors can also trade their shares to other willing buyers and sellers via this website. Shares will increase or decrease in value based on the athlete's future earning potential and supply and demand.

It's certainly an interesting idea, and Newsom is hoping to get other players to sign up to offer a portion of their future earnings.

One concern is that at 25, Newsom has never pitched past Double-A, although he did notch 18 saves there last year. But the idea certainly makes sense and Newsom definitely has a future in business, if not in pitching.

Ready to start your due diligence? Watch this YouTube video of him pitching and decide whether you think he has a future.

Yesterday, I praised Adam Piatt for his admission of steroid use and efforts to assist former Senator George Mitchell in his efforts to investigate performance enhancing drug use in professional baseball. I wrote that "Hopefully the media will treat him well in light of his revelations as a sign to people in all industries that, no matter how badly you screw up, there is redemption to be found if you do what you can to fix it."

Now, free agent catcher Gary Bennett, who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2007, admitted in a phone interview with the Washington Post that he used human growth hormone: "As far as the report is concerned to me, it's accurate... Obviously, it was a stupid decision. It was a mistake. It was something that quite obviously, you regret now. And beyond that, I just don't know."

I would congratulate Bennett for his honesty -- more than a few players are insisting on their complete innocence in spite of strong evidence to the contrary. How are the fans reacting? This is just a small sample, but most of the comments left on the Washington Post blog post were very positive:

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig needs to discipline the players named in the Mitchell Report on steroid use that's set to be released today. It's not only the right thing to do for the game's future but it's the best way to safeguard the game's bottom line.

Some players named by former Sen. George Mitchell reportedly include some of the most popular players in the game including future Hall of Fame pitcher Roger Clemens, Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Nomar Garciaparra, Texas Rangers star Milton Bradley and Detroit Tigers catcher Pudge Rodriguez. All of these players need to explain what they did and when they did it, or face immediate suspensions or fines. Click here for a list of the players as reported by WNBC TV.

Baseball survived the Black Sox scandal, free agency and those godawful uniforms from the 1970s. It will survive steroids as well but it needs to rip off the scab immediately. For too long, the game took a speak no evil, hear no evil approach to the performance-enhancing drugs. Doing nothing, though, isn't an option for Selig any longer because too much money is at stake.

Seeking advice on his contract negotiation with the New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez went to the number one source for business wisdom, Warren Buffett, and a pair of Goldman Sachs executives.

After opting out of his contract at the urging of super-agent Scott Boras, Rodriguez found limited interest in his services at the price he was seeking. Now, he's back negotiating with the Yankees, after alienating the team badly by refusing to meet with them.

Buffett's advice to Rodriguez was this: If you want to stay in New York, go talk to the Yankees yourself and leave Boras out of it -- there's too much bad blood between him and the Yankees.

There are lot of athletes who could use Buffett's wisdom: Mike Lowell has professed his desire to stay in Boston, but may leave the team if he can secure a four-year deal from another team -- Boston is only offering him three. Buffett would probably tell him that it's silly to leave a great situation for more money when you're already rich. Mr. Lowell: Please stay in Boston. You had the best year of your career and the fans love you.

Buffett would probably tell Barry Bonds ... Well, Buffett would actually probably beat the crap out of Barry Bonds, because Warren Buffett is a person of integrity -- he doesn't like people who cheat and lie.

Full Disclosure: Zac Bissonnette is long the Boston Red Sox and has a large naked short position in the New York Yankees.

It was less than 3 weeks ago when Alex Rodriguez decided that the middle of World Series Game 4 was the opportune time to announce he was ditching the Yankees through a clause in his contract. At the time, Howard Stern sidekick (and lifelong Yankees fanatic) Artie Lange quipped: "Don't let the free-agency door hit you on the way out" (I'm paraphrasing to keep it clean, folks).

In the wake of this stunt, our own Georges Yared referred to A-Rod as a "crybaby extraordinaire" and a "selfish, self-centered you-know-what." Georges also noted that, "The attempt to upstage the Red Sox and Rockies should not be forgiven nor forgotten by the baseball brethren." Indeed, it was a classless move, one likely perpetrated by A-Rod's agent, but certainly given the green light by the third baseman himself.

And yet, here it is mid-November, and hijo pródigo A-Rod and the Yanks are back at the table. It's all sorts of amusing, really. This morning, it hit newswires that negotiations mediated by Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) officials have resulted in a new contract for the clutch player who isn't. Reportedly, A-Rod wanted to restart negotiations with the team, but chose to use a third party (Goldman representatives) instead of his agent, Scott Boras.

Shortly after the market closed today, I got one of my familiar MarketWatch.com bulletins in my in-box. But it wasn't concerning after-hours earnings or the Dow's (latest) triple-digit drop. Rather, it simply stated: "Home-run king Barry Bonds indicted on perjury, obstruction of justice charges."

Yowsa. While everyone always just assumed Bonds used the juice at some point in his career, I think this comes as a surprise to many sports fans. A federal grand jury has accused Bonds of lying under oath when he said he was unaware that substances handed out by personal trainer Greg Anderson were steroids. Bonds has also maintained that he did not use steroids in 2001, as he chased the single-season home-run record, then held by Mark McGwire.

According to MarketWatch, John Burris, "one of" Bonds' lawyers, told San Francisco radio station KCBS the Bonds would plead "not guilty." Burris also asserted that Bonds "will be found not guilty." Burris says the indictment was a shock, as the government doesn't have proper evidence to bring such a claim.

Barry Bonds was indicted Thursday for perjury and obstruction of justice. It may very well be that the all-time home run record holder will be spending a lot more time in court rooms and with attorneys than playing baseball next season.

• "A federal grand jury slaps the San Francisco Giants' slugger with perjury and obstruction of justice charges. The charges come after a four-year investigation into whether the home run king lied under oath to authorities investigating the abuse of performance enhancing drugs in professional sports."

Late in the season the Giants let it be known that they were not interested in having him in the line-up next year. As a free agent Bonds certainly would have plenty of value to an American League team looking for a Designated Hitter (DH) and he would like to put the record far out of reach, I'm sure. This saga looks likely to continue for years. However, this indictment alone may cost him the opportunity to build on his record and may very well put the proverbial asterisk next to it.

I'm sure there will be those that will say his record is not legitimate; that has already been the case. I say the record is the record. The rest of the story is, and will continue to be well documented.

Corporate governance experts will tell you that executives generally perform best when their interests are aligned with those of their shareholders -- a CEO who owns a big chunk of stock tends to be more concerned about the interests of investors. After all, he is one! But does the same idea apply to baseball players?

Alex Rodriguez's super agent Scott Boras is said to be looking for a 10-year, $300 million deal for the star, and The Wall Street Journal has an idea (subscription required) for a novel way for a team to come up with the cash:

That is an awful lot for any team without the Yankees' payroll to commit to. But what if, as with a Wall Street firm, a chunk of it came in the form of equity? Such risk-sharing might be attractive for some team owners, though the compensation might need to be deferred to comply with league rules...

It sounds like an interesting idea. It might encourage Rodriguez, who has developed a reputation for being enigmatic at time, to engage in PR activities and really add value to the team, on and off the field.

It's probably a long shot, but definitely interesting to think about.

Yesterday, during the Boston Red Sox' sweep of the upstart and exciting Colorado Rockies, crybaby extraordinaire Alex Rodriguez decided it was "the time" to announce he was opting out of his contract with the New York Yankees and filing for free agency. He had to make a decision within 10 days after the World Series ended, not within 10 minutes of the start of Game 4.

What a selfish, self-centered you-know-what. This guy is a total and complete goofball. Sure his stats are fearsome, but he has never won at any level a championship. He had great numbers on flailing Seattle Mariner and Texas Ranger teams, but both rarely played .500 ball. After four seasons with the Yankees, Mr. No-October has taken the chicken's way out. The attempt to upstage the Red Sox and Rockies should not be forgiven nor forgotten by the baseball brethren.

This guy comes to New York and played next to Derek Jeter -- a real ball player. Jeter will never hit the home runs that A-Rod does -- Jeter has 195 career home runs in 12 seasons, compared to Rodriguez's 500 and some. But Jeter has won more games than A-Rod ever will. Derek Jeter may be one of the most clutch players and hitters to ever play the game. Jeter may go 0-4 in a game but make a diving stop at shortstop to kill an opponent's rally. Jeter may get the stolen base at the right time to start a rally: Jeter will sacrifice himself and hit the ball to the right side to move a teammate. Bottom line, Jeter is the complete player. With him, it's all about team.

With A-Rod -- it's all about him. In the playoffs, Rodriguez has been a total and miserable failure. Jeter is clutch. In the playoffs, year-in and year-out, Derek Jeter is the toughest out. Rodriguez is 0-18 in the playoffs with runners in scoring position: the ultimate barometer.

The Boston Red Sox won the World Series last night, so what is the baseball world buzzing about today? In the same way that the antics of train wrecks like Britney Spears steal headlines away from others with worthy accomplishments, we are writing about the Yankees and their messy divorce from future Hall-of-Famer Alex Rodriguez. Yesterday, A-Rod's agent, Scott Boras, announced that the third-sacker would take his option to terminate his 10-year, $252 million contract early and put himself up for auction.

In the typical classy Yankee way, Steinbrenner the Lesser, Hank, took the opportunity to blast the player, telling the New York Daily News, "He doesn't understand the privilege of being a Yankee on a team where the owners are willing to pay $200 million to put a winning product on the field."

After years of being crucified by the New York press, fans and front office for failing to hit enough to overcome a minor-league starting rotation and a gaggle of overpaid, over-aged teammates, who wouldn't want out?

The question now is who will step forward to pay A-Rod more than his previous contract? No other team enjoys the Yankees' attendance or media income. Fortunately, we're not talking Wall Street, but baseball, and business economics are not its forte. Remember that A-Rod signed his huge contract with Texas, who, when they came back to their senses and realized they couldn't cover that salary, were forced to deal him to New York while agreeing still to cover part of his salary.

Boras, known as the superagent, is too shrewd to make such a move without confidence that a least a couple of teams will contend to sign the best player in baseball. The Chicago Cubs could use his talents, although last year's signing of Alfonso Soriano tied up a lot of Chicago's cash. The Cubs could also go on the block soon, as well, and a lot of debt might not help that.

As Barry pointed out last week, Taco Bell -- my favorite arm of the Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) empire -- introduced a "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco" gimmick wherein free crunchy beef tacos (one per customer) would be handed out if a base was stolen in the 2007 World Series. Thanks to a speedy move from Boston Red Sox rookie center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, free tacos are on the table.

There are, of course, some catches. The offer must be redeemed between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. local time tomorrow, October 30. And the deal is valid at participating locations only.

The site advertising the Free-Tacos deal, however, could use some updating. It closes with "Watch the 2007 MLB World Series Live on FOX." As fans of the national pastime already know, the Red Sox again nabbed the World Series trophy in a four-game sweep of their opponents. (They committed the same offense against the St. Louis Cardinals in 2004). Colorado Rockies fans should be entitled to two tacos as a consolation prize, but the bitter taste of defeat might have a negative effect.

Meanwhile, at YUM, regular tacos currently run somewhere around 89 cents to 99 cents a pop, depending on the market. That's a lot of free ground beef, cheese, and red sauce, even for a 3-hour window. I'm assuming YUM officials are counting on most free-taco bandits also ordering other menu items, or a drink.

Beth Gaston Moon is an analyst at Schaeffer's Investment Research.

In yet another trite but undeniably efficient marketing scheme, Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) restaurant Taco Bell is offering one free Beef Crunchy Taco to every American if a base is stolen in the 2007 World Series.

Just one pilfered sack in the entire best-of-seven series, and a single taco -- likely worth less than your time and effort to make the trip -- can be yours for the taking.

Oh -- you have just three hours to redeem it. Between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on a Tuesday. Tuesday to be determined (October 30 if the first base is stolen in Game 1 or 2, November 6 if the first base is stolen in Game 3 or later).

Participating locations only.

For their sake, I hope America's college freshmen can get out of class and take advantage, if indeed a base is stolen in this year's series. Even as much of a laugher as this promotion is, it's totally plausible that no bases will be stolen.

To those of you sitting at home who often think you can manage your favorite baseball team better than those actually in charge -- a position just came open.

On the heels of the New York Yankees bowing out in the first round of post-season play -- again -- Joe Torre has parted ways with the legendary club, but on his terms. Instead of being dismissed, as many fans and sports analysts were anticipating, Torre was actually given the option of a one-year contract carrying a price tag of $8 million (including incentives).

But the former Yankees skipper -- who held the title for 12 years and ranks second in the club's history for number of wins (at 1,173, trailing only Joe McCarthy) -- met Thursday afternoon with Yankee general manager Brian Cashman and owner George Steinbrenner to turn down the offer.