Red Sox owner calls for salary cap

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BOSTON, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Boston Red Sox owner John Henry said Wednesday baseball needed a salary cap after the New York Yankees acquired $252 million superstar Alex Rodriguez.

The Yankees acquiring Rodriguez from Texas for Alfonso Soriano was especially painful for the Red Sox, who were close to acquiring Rodriguez in December.

"A salary cap will be good for baseball to deal with the team that has gone so insanely far beyond the resources of all the other teams," Henry said.

The Yankees' payroll has exceeded $190 million.

New York owner George Steinbrenner struck back by saying:

"We understand that John Henry must be embarrassed, frustrated and disappointed by his failure in this transaction. Unlike the Yankees, he chose not to go the extra distance for his fans in Boston.

"It is understandable, but wrong that he would try to deflect the accountability for his mistakes on to others and to a system (collective bargaining agreement) for which he voted in favor."