New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is in the news on Thursday for what he and his lawyers are claiming to be an extortion case, in which he allegedly paid a woman $6,000 after the couple had an “inappropriate relationship.”

Madonna, being the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show performer, took questions recently from a media throng. One reporter, though, stood out in cutting through to the important issues. [The Nosebleeds]

Well, the infamous rally squirrel from the St. Louis Cardinals’ playoff run had to be commemorated somehow…turns out, it’s at the expense of Cardinals outfielder/second baseman Skip Schumaker. Schumaker’s Topps card for this coming season technically has him on it…but top billing clearly goes to the rodent. An admirable attempt by the trading card industry to stay relevant…though we might have given the critter a card of its own. [Big League Stew]

A season of losses was capped off by a major blow for Red Sox Nation, as NESN’s in-game reporter Heidi Watney left the network to become a sideline reporter for the Lakers. But fear not, Sawx fans: her replacement has been found. Boston: Jenny Dell. Jenny Dell: Boston.

“I have a Benihana grill.” Um, what.

[Hall of Very Good, via Hot Clicks]

Right now, as far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing worse than these “Sh*t [Insert Someone/Anyone Here] Say” videos. They just aren’t that funny. Seriously, no one says these things. Or even if they do, no one cares that anyone says them. Well, no one but Michael Lapayower, who in three minutes time manages to ramble off everything that baseball fans apparently say. Feel the excitement.

Scary? Yes. Sad? Yes. Intriguing, in a “Reverse Jersey Shore/Carnival of Nightmares” kind of way? Also yes. Cubs legend Sammy Sosa’s increasingly white skin was once again on display in a Spanish-language newspaper.