Windex

With an empty box to fill, the good folks at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. could have been charitable with the Team Canada players from the World Baseball Classic but really, it just isn't their way.

Instead, when the ball players asked about attending last night's Leafs game, they were stunned to learn the cost for sitting in an unfilled luxury box would be $12,000. When they said the price was too high, the MLSEL people dropped the number to $7,000. And when the players indicated they would need to purchase an additional 10 tickets for their group, the price leapt to over $10,000, prompting the Team Canada players to say thanks, but no thanks.

And wouldn't it have been a nice gesture for MLSEL to welcome the Team Canada players with an invitation last night?

But that's not the view of Leafs president and general manager, Brian Burke.

"Do you think the Yankees would give us a box if we asked for one?" Burke said. "I don't think so. So why should we?

"And if they wanted the tickets, couldn't one of the millionaires have paid for them."

In fairness, there are 28 players on the Canadian roster: Six of them earn more than $1 million US in the major leagues. (source Steve Simmons -- Toronto Sun)