Just a weird week last week. That's all I can say. The story in the paper about how the team was close to trading me and three prospects to Cincinnati threw us all for a loop. That rumor spread to all the blogs, the websites, SportsCenter... I got phone calls and text messages from other players (including one of the three guys I was allegedly going to be traded for), some emails. It is hard to describe the personal mayhem a rumor can create.

I did what I do best in these situations. I called my agent, Steve Fortunato, to find out the truth. After insuring me that yes, I do have a full no-trade clause to any American baseball team, I asked if it was possible that I could be traded to an American team in another sport, like the New York Knicks. I'd hate that. The Knicks stink. He said my value to teams in other sports was at an all time low. No need to concern myself with making the Bengals as their third-string punter for the '08-'09 season (NFL contracts aren't guaranteed like in baseball. I'd never earn a dime.).

What about Japan? Could I be traded to Japan? He said no. I could not be traded to Japan. I could be sold to Japan, however.

Oh my God, I thought, and said, and then thought some more. I don't like sushi. I was doomed.

No need for any dooming, Steve said. After one call to the front office, he received confirmation that the rumor was just that, a rumor. I wasn't going anywhere. No Cincinnati Chili in my or my teenage daughters' near future. No highway hotel drive for my wife, Vanessa, to make that night. I wiped the sweat off my brow and pretended I'd never been nervous in the first place.

Trade rumors are terrible, especially if you’re the subject of the rumor and you’re paying attention. I was traded once, back in 1994. That trade had been coming for about 6 months, and that was half a year that I'll never get back. The constant wondering about mine and my family's future. The worry about whether new fans will like me and cheer as much as the ones did in Chicago. Will I get along with my new teammates? My new manager? It’s not an easy adjustment.

On the flip side, the ballplayer isn't the only one being traded. When I was traded, Vanessa was traded too, along with (my then) twin baby girls. At least it was during the off season so I could help with the move. But talk to any player's wife and she'll tell you that when her husband is traded, or sent down to the minors, or sent up to the majors, her life is turned upside down just as much as her husband's. It's rarely fun. But it does work out. Sometimes.

So where do the rumors start? In this case, it could have been that somebody within earshot of a large-eared reporter just threw out a suggestion. It could have been our assistant GM checking out the landscape and listening to another GM's suggestion. It could have been all b.s. as well, just a writer looking to draw attention to himself.

Whatever the reason, a rumor like this is one reason why I no longer speak to the press (the irony that I’m writing for NY Sports Day is not lost on me). A rumor like this will not find its genesis from me. If you want to know what I think, you can find out on Jimmy Scott’s High & Tight website. It’s a more accurate way for me to say how I feel about something rather than the old telephone game of me telling a reporter, him writing it out, his editor screwing around with it, someone else writing the headline, and then other media outlets reporting their versions as they see fit (and have the space for). I don't blame reporters for this situation. I like reporters. No, I blame the system.

So next time you see a rumor about this guy going someplace for somebody else, keep in mind that what you're reading is about real people, people with families and feelings. And then come back here and ask me what I think. I’m rarely at a loss for words.

Read more about Jimmy Scott at his website.

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