ESPN show "Outside the Lines" reported that former Major League Baseball standout David Justice bought performance enhancement drugs off of Kirk Radomski. Justice, who helped lead the Cleveland Indians to the 1997 American League Championship, denied the charges today saying:

"He has never been in a car with me," Justice said. "He didn't take me to the airport. He's going to call me a liar and that's his information? That's a bald-faced lie."

Radomski was an integral part of the scathing Mitchell report commissioned by MLB that implicated stars such as Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield, Juan Gonzalez, and Justice in the steroids scandal that rocked the baseball world last year.

Another former Indian Dwight Gooden was also featured on "Outside the Lines" for his relationship with Radomski and he, too, denied that former New York Mets clubhouse worker took urine tests for the star who had a history of substance abuse problems stating:

"That never happened," Gooden said. "I don't know what he's talking about. I've made mistakes through the years, and I've admitted them, but that never happened. And the way the tests were administered, it couldn't have happened. I've done enough wrong on my own, I don't want to get blamed for something I didn't do."

Now that Joe Torre is far from the Bronx Zoo he has decided to write a tell all book about his time under George Steinbrenner as he guided the New York Yankees to 4 World Series championships. Torre, currently the skipper for the Los Angeles Dodgers, writes in “The Yankee Years" that when Alex Rodriguez joined the team via free agency the whole atmosphere in the clubhouse changed. The book, co-written with Tom Verducci, reads:

“Whether hitting 450-foot home runs or sunbathing shirtless in Central Park or squiring strippers, Rodriguez was like nothing ever seen before on the championship teams of the Torre Era: an ambitious superstar impressed and motivated by stature and status, particularly when those qualities pertained to himself”

The interesting comment about Madonna's boytoy aside, the book also talks in unfavorable terms about Yankees GM Brian Cashman. Torre is still bitter, rightfully so in my opinion, that the Bronx Bombers didn't offer Torre a multi-year deal after the team was knocked out of the playoffs by the Indians after the 2007 season.

Ricky Henderson, arguably the greatest leadoff hitter in the history of Major League Baseball, gained entrance into the Baseball Hall of Fame today earning 94.8% of all votes casts by the Baseball Writers of America. Joining Henderson in Cooperstown, New York, will be Jim Rice who made the cut after being denied for 14 years. If Rice, a slugger with the Boston Red Sox in the 70's and 80's, hadn't made it this year he would have been taken off the writers ballot but could have been elected by fellow players who vote on a panel.

Henderson's choice in his first year of eligibility is hardly a surprise. His career saw him break the in stolen bases (1,406) and runs scored (2,295) and those marks will likely never be broken.

“I feel great about it,” Henderson said. “It’s been a long time coming. I played baseball because I loved the game. I wanted to continue playing. It came to a time that I had to stop. And now that it has been five years, they have chosen me to go into the Hall of Fame. I cannot be any more pleased or thrilled about it.”

Franklin Gutierrez is no longer a Cleveland Indian. The Indians' GM, Mark Shapiro, announced Thursday a massive three-team swap which netted them right-handed reliever Joe Smith from the Mets and infielder Luis Valbuena from the Mariners in exchange for outfielder Franklin Gutierrez.

The Mets received the Mariners' closer J.J. Putz, outfielder Jeremy Reed, and right-hander Sean Green. The Mariners got Gutierrez from the Indians, and from the Mets they got right-hander Aaron Heilman, outfielder Endy Chavez, and four Minor Leaguers (1B Mike Carp, pitchers Maikel Cleto & Jason Vargas, & outfielder Ezekiel Carrera).

The three-way trade came together at the MLB Winter Meetings being held in Las Vegas this week because of the Mets' interest in Putz, the Mariners' interest in Gutierrez, the Indians' recent talks with Seattle about Putz, and the regular communication between Shapiro and his friend Minaya.

Don't expect the Tribe to sit back now, however. They don't believe their work is done. While Smith will immediately join the bullpen, Valbuena is not seen as the solution to the Indians' hole in the infield. For now, he is viewed as an upper-level prospect that adds depth to a thin area in the organization, which is the middle infield.

Terms not yet revealed. Former Cub has history of arm problems but will be a great addition to the Indians if he remains healthy.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the Cleveland Indians have signed flame throwing closer Kerry Wood to a two year contract. The Tribe's major need this upcoming season was to add quality arms in the back end of the bullpen, and Wood addresses those needs. The Indians are also taking a chance as Wood has a history of arm trouble.

When Wood is healthy, he is one of the most dominating players to ever don a Major League Baseball jersey. In Wood's fifth ever career start, the rookie phenom made national headlines when he struck out 20 batters and threw a one hitter. He and former Indians great Bob Feller are the only players in the history of the game to strike out their age as Wood was 20 when he accomplished the feat and Feller was 17 when he fanned 17 batters as a rookie.

Once again Alex Rodriguez has changed his mind. On Saturday, A-Rod confirmed that he will play for the Dominican baseball team in next year's World Baseball Classic rather than the United States. Just three years ago, A-Rod played for the US team after waffling back and forth between countries.

"I'm fulfilling a promise to my mother to play for the Dominican team. I'm very proud to represent the Dominican team. It's a dream come true," said Rodriguez in Spanish to a group of reporters.

Rodriguez was born in New York, but his parents are both Dominican. According to WBC rules, a player can elect the team of his birth country or another team if he has ancestors from that country.

Former Indians outfielder Coco Crisp has been dealt by the Boston Red Sox today to the Kansas City Royals. The Royals, who are normally an also ran in the AL Central, shipped relief pitcher Ramon Ramirez to the BoSox in exchange for the veteran.

Crisp hit a solid .283 for Boston last year and stole 20 bases in 118 games. Ramirez pitched in 71 games for the Royals last year compiling a 2.64 ERA allowing only 57 hits in 71 innings. Crisp is probably glad that he didn't get shopped to the Seattle Mariners where he has had his problems with the Mariner Moose who used him as target practice a couple years back.

Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia won the American League Most Valuable Player award Tuesday. Pedroia got 16 of the 28 first-place votes and easily beat out Minnesota slugger Justin Morneau.

Albert Pujols, who hit .357 with 37 home runs and 116 RBI in 2008, won the National League's MVP award Monday. The Cardinals' first baseman received 18 of 32 first-place votes, beating Philadelphia's Ryan Howard by a comfortable margin