Make Mine Mike

No, it's not as awesome as a puppy or a hot blogger babe in a prep school outfit or cowgirl gear (hubba, hubba). And non-baseball fans probably won't appreciate this.

But an authenticized autographed baseball by "Rocket" Roger Clemens, with its own protective display case (kinda like the one below, but inscribed with all Clemens' teams, including the Yankees, of course) is a damn cool surprise gift. My mom and sister are really sweet.



I caught a foul ball last year from Adrian Beltre, who's an MVP candidate this year (he won't win; Barry Bonds will get it again for the 7th time). I didn't have the patience to try to get Beltre to sign it. This is even better -- Clemens may win a record 7th Cy Young this year.

AND, I'm told, I'm getting another gift -- a framed photo of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, from Gehrig's 1939 farewell speech at Yankee Stadium. "Today-ay-ay, I consider myself-elf-elf, the luckiest man on the face of the earth-earth-earth."