Author A-Rod. Bernie-Blues. Posada's Power.

Alex Rodriguez has become an author. Not a novella or an in-depth study of foreign markets and their impact on domestic oil prices. It's a children's book based on the experiences Alex had growing up and breathing baseball.

Entitled Out of the Ballpark, the book may well be heartfelt, forming a connection with young children in need of inspiration. Unfortunately, A-Rod will probably get bashed for this one as well. Not sure what people will say, maybe he'll be accused of plagiarism.

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Bernie Williams appears receptive to accepting the Yankees Spring invite. Personally, this latest nugget is shameful. A professional as hopelessly humble and unchanged by his fame should not be treated like a minor-leaguer. The organization owes it to Bernie to place a call informing him that his services will no longer be needed, with Cashman throwing his name around the GM circuit, possibly finding Williams a new address if he desires to play in 2007.

It appears [Bernie's] determined to become the first prominent Yankee since Don Mattingly in 1995 to leave through the same door he entered. Mattingly, the Yanks' current bench coach, played all 1,785 of his regular-season games in a Yankees uniform during a 14-year career while Williams has played in 2,076 regular-season games, plus another 121 in the postseason, the most in MLB history.

Recent reports indicate that Williams, 38, would rather sign a Minor League contract, which has been offered, and report to the Yankees' camp as a non-roster player than ink a Major League contract with another big-league club. That way, if he doesn't earn a spot on the Yankees' 25-man Opening Day roster, he could retire and pursue other endeavors.

If Williams does ride off into the sunset, he would have batted 7,869 times during the regular season, hit 287 home runs, drove in 1,257 runs, played in five All-Star Games, 12 League Division Series, seven League Championship Series and six World Series.

The Yankees' first full-squad workout in Spring Training is Feb. 20.

Give him a plaque or give him the boot, but don't string him along like a high school cheerleader.

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Jorge Posada seems content with playing out next season without a 2008 contract squared away. And he shouldn't feel uneasy since he's still among the top hitting catchers in the majors - especially following his best year at the plate since 2003. Last year Posada posted a .277 batting average, 23 homers, 93 RBI and an OBP of .374.

Posada will make $12 million in 2007, the final season of a deal paying him $59 million over six years. The 35-year-old catcher says he's leaving his contract situation up to his agents, Sam and Seth Levinson, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.

"Obviously I have one more year left, and a lot can happen," Posada said Monday after a pre-spring training workout. "We'll see. It's up to them. That will take care of itself. I'm concentrating on what I have to do."

Statistically, only Joe Mauer, Victor Martinez, and Brian McCann posted better offensive numbers than Jorge in 2006.