Battle of the Blogs: Phil Hughes vs. Pat Neshek

It comes with the territory, I guess.

When you're a Yankee, there's a target on your uniform. Everyone wants to take you down.

Since the end of last season, it's been no different. George Mitchell, Mr. Redsock, shockingly aims the drug investigation at the Yanks, apparently unable to track down any trainers in his own locker room. The Rays (whose attendance is so bad they had the first part of their name repossessed), are vainly trying to make pests of themselves - they're the baseball equivalent of a foo-foo dog that bites annoyingly at your ankle until you're forced to kick it to the curb.

And now, we're being challenged on the Internet.

Pat Neshak of the Twins (You remember the Twins, right? The team that wanted half of our farm system for Johan Santana, then traded him to the Mets for two Happy Meal toys and a 10-percent-off coupon from Sears?) has been blogging for a while. All well and good.

But then our hero, The Franchise, Phil Hughes, started his own blog this year. And started getting a pretty big following. Hell, Phil could post that he just took a crap and he'd get 200 fawning comments under the post ("tx 4 sharng that dude-thats awsome - ur so cool U ROCKKKKK!!!!!!!)

And then he started giving stuff away. Stuff like autographed hats and baseballs and the like.

And that's when Neshak took direct aim at the Franchise.

Pat stared having his own contests, saying this: "Up on the message board is a FREE contest for a Signed Joe Mauer Debut McFarlane figure from this year's collection. I need to keep up with Phil Hughes's site...that guy will probably give away a car next!"

Well, friends, Phil didn't waste much time firing back.

He's giving away a Shelly Duncan-signed bat, video games, a signed baseball, a team-issue used shirt, even a cork from a champagne bottle used in last year's wild-card celebration.

Get ready boys. This is heating up.

Can't wait for the car giveaway.