September 12, 2005 Issue 127
	Yankees Sign "Jeopardy!" Guy Originally posted 7/27/2004 New Yankee Ken Jennings, also known as "The 'Jeopardy!' Guy," considers a reporter's question NEW YORK - The New York Yankees added another name to their increasingly star-studded lineup this weekend, signing the "Jeopardy!" Guy, also known as Ken Jennings, to a multi-year contract. "People are talking about this guy, saying he's a real winner," said Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. "I haven't seen him play yet, but, if what I'm hearing is true, that's the kind of guy we want in a Yankee uniform." Jennings, who has won 38 straight "Jeopardy!" games and a total of $1,321,660 during a streak that will continue into the popular game show's next season, has never played baseball and is, by all accounts, kind of a puss. Nevertheless, Steinbrenner insisted on signing the 30-year-old Mormon computer programmer. "George called me up personally," Jennings said at a Yankee Stadium press conference on Saturday, "he said he'd heard about the winning streak I was on, and he thought maybe the Yankees could use me. I thought it was a little weird -- sports is one area where my knowledge isn't that widespread, after all -- but, he insisted. And the kind of money he offered me made what I'm getting from 'Jeopardy!' look like pocket change, to be honest." Jennings' new teammates expressed some concern over the signing, however. "I don't know how Ken's going to fit in around here," said Yankee pitcher Mike Mussina. "He's a really smart guy, but, he doesn't really know baseball. He was putting on his uniform a few hours ago, and he thought one of his stirrups was the jockstrap. It was a pretty confusing fifteen minutes for him, from what I saw." The signing also prompted the usual cries of foul from the rival Boston Red Sox, who had been in the running for Jennings' services until they were outbid by New York. "This is what's wrong with baseball, right here," said Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein. "The rich get richer." Epstein added that while they lost out on Jennings, the Red Sox hope that before the trading deadline they'll be able to work out a deal for that Indian kid who fainted during the spelling bee.
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