Struggling With Runners In Scoring Position in April

As I was watching the Mets painful debacle yesterday, I couldn't help but notice just how bad this team is with runners in scoring position. I have yet to find a statistic that reflects just how bad this team is in scoring position, especially late in games. ESPN states that the Mets as a team hit .252 with runners in scoring position, but I'm sure late in games, that number goes way down. Trust me folks, it's ugly.

The one guy on the Mets that stuck out to me in particular was David Wright. Here was Wright, the face of the franchise, up yesterday with runners on first and second and no one out and I had absolutely no confidence that Wright could get a hit with a runner in scoring position. Wright has let me down far too many times this season, and hell, it's not even May.

But what surprised me is that Wright has not been nearly as bad as I thought with runners in scoring position this season. According to ESPN, Wright is hitting .226 in 31 ABs with runners in scoring position, which is not nearly as bad as I thought. Perhaps my mind was deceived by the number of times Wright failed to come through when the Mets ABSOLUTELY needed him too. Either way, the stats are pretty interesting.

And what I found most amazing is that there are tons of high profile players, who are struggling even more than Wright, hitting with runners in scoring position. Here is a list of some of the "names" and their batting average with runners in scoring position in April:

Cameron Maybin (18 ABs) .000

Felix Pie (12 ABs) .000

Chris Snyder (11 ABs) .000

Geovany Soto (14 ABs) .071

Miguel Olivo (14 ABs) .071

JJ Hardy (22 ABs) .091

Felipe Lopez (11 ABs) .091

Torii Hunter (20 ABs) .100

JD Drew (28 ABs) .107

Jermanine Dye (18 ABs) .111

Michael Young (17 ABs) .118

Jhonny Peralta (25 ABs) .120

Alfonso Soriano (16 ABs) . 125

Mike Fontenot (16 ABs) .125

Lance Berkman (22 ABs) .136

Jim Thome (14 ABs) .143

Brandon Phillips (19 ABs) .158

Chris Young (19 ABs) .158

Alexei Casilla (25 ABs) .160

Hunter Pence (18 ABs) .167

Travis Hafner (18 ABs) .167

Adam Dunn (18 ABs) .167

Ryan Church (18 ABs) .167

Want to know why the Cubs and Diamondbacks offenses are struggling this season? Look no further than this list, which shows that each team has three regulars hitting under .158 with runners in scoring position. The Cubs are only batting .241 with runners in scoring position this season while the Diamondbacks are hitting an anemic .208. Yikes.

And it is interest to note that there are guys on this list who are off to great starts at the dish: Adam Dunn, Michael Young, Torii Hunter, etc. I'll be honest, I did not expect to see any of those names on this list (well maybe Dunn given his terrible history hitting with runners in scoring position).

Note: How is there only one Met on this list?

So take these numbers for what they're worth because I'm sure these numbers are bound to go up. Keep in mind that statistics do not tell the whole story.

Perhaps it's just some strange solace for me knowing that yes, there are actually players worse with runners in scoring position than David Wright; and it's very true that my Mets fandom is cynical and ridiculous.

2009 April NL All Stars

Well ladies and gentlemen, today marks the last day of April. It seems like just yesterday that we were all eager to get the baseball season underway, but time flies when it's baseball seaso

With that said, some players are off to a fantastic start so far this season. While the results may look somewhat skewed right now, it's interesting to take a look at which players are producing for their clubs early on. Then again, come September, some of these numbers might seem ridiculous as players inevitably come down to Earth or struggle to maintain their current place.

I have assembled a roster of the 2009 April All Stars. While I expect some of these guys to be producting 2-3 months from now, it's obvious that some of these guys are playing out of their minds right now.

And for clarity, I am focusing on the national league today and the American League tomorrow.

Without further ado, here are your National League studs for April.

2009 April NL All Stars

C- Benjie Molina, Giants
Benjie Molina hit a triple last night...this is not a joke. For that reason alone (plus his production), Molina makes this roster over Yadier.

1B- Albert Pujols, Cardinals
"The Machine" is off to a ridiculous start with 7 HR, 26 RBI, and only 7 strikeouts

2B-Chase Utley, Phillies
Fully recovered from hip surgery and off to a flying start (.342, 7 HR, 20 RBI, .461 OBP). Lots of good choices to choose from at 2b.

3B-Pedro Feliz, Phillies
Gotta love April baseball: Pedro Feliz has a .395 OBP. Pure comedy.

SS-Miguel Tejada, Astros
Since Hanley Ramirez and Jose Reyes are not off to flying starts, I went with Tejada. The NL shortstops have been a disappointment thus far. They are almost like the anti-2b.

OF- Raul Ibanez, Phillies
Further proof that Raul Ibanez is not yet an old man yet: (.359, 7 HR, 17 RBI, .433 OBP)

OF- Kosuke Fukudome, Cubs
Is he just an April wonder? Let's hope not. (.358, 4 HR, 15 RBI, .482 OBP)

OF-Carlos Beltran, Mets
Sure Carlos is hitting .388, but can he hit in the clutch?

(How the hell did they not make the list: Adrian Gonzalez, Orlando Hudson, Manny Ramirez, Jorge Cantu, Adam Dunn, Ryan Braun, Yadier Molina)

SP-Johan Santana, Mets
Best pitcher on the planet right now. And no, I don't care what Sports Illustrated says.

SP-Dan Haren, Diamondbacks
Should be 5-0 right now if the Diamondbacks could give him some run support. 2-3 with a 1.54 ERA???? C'mon D-Backs.

SP-Chad Billingsley, Dodgers
One of the best young starting pitchers out there. When he's on, Billingsley is scary good.

SP-Wandy Rodriguez, Astros
Quietly developing as a solid #2 in Houston. 27 Ks in 32 innings with a 1.69 ERA is very promising.

SP-Jair Jurrjens, Braves
Boy, I'm sure the Tigers would love to have Jurrjens and his 1.72 ERA back...


RP-Jonathan Broxton, Dodgers
16 Ks in 10 innings is pretty dominant if you ask me

RP-Ryan Franklin, Cardinals
I think it's safe to say that the Jason Motte closer experiment is over in St. Louis...Franklin is 7-7 is save opportunities, which has prevented Tony La Russa's mental health from deteriorating because of the bullpen.

CL- Heath Bell, Padres
I still can't believe Omar Minaya traded Bell away for nothing...

(How the hell did they not make the list: Joel Pineiro, Kyle Lohse, Josh Johnson, Johny Cueto, Chris Volstad, Matt Capps)

So, who are the flukes? And who will keep it up?

Cecil Cooper Is Not Impressed By Edinson Volquez's Dominance

Apparently Cecil Cooper is not impressed by Reds starter Edinson Volquez, even though Volquez only gave up one hit over eight innings last night against Cooper's Astros.

ESPN:

"I didn't think he was all that sharp," Astros manager Cecil Cooper said. "It
looked like he had some life to his fastball. It looked like we had some pitches
to hit, but we just didn't swing it very well. You have to give him some credit,
but I didn't think he was like a one-hit performance tonight.

I saw some of this game in between studying for exams and I can honestly say that I thought Volquez was very sharp. He was as good as any pitcher I have seen this season and was in total control of the game. Volquez had great control (only 1 BB), struck out 6, and induced lots of ground balls that turned into easy outs. I was honestly just surprised that Dusty Baker did not leave Volquez out there for the 9th at 106 pitches given how much Dusty loves to ride young starters...(that's you, Mark Prior).

So what gives? Did Cecil Cooper watch a different game than I did? Or was this some sort of motivational tactic by the Astros manager?

Morning Photo: Bobby Jenks's Goatee Is Entertaining And Ridiculous

(...searching for something positive to say...)

I'm sure the blonde goatee is a huge hit with the ladies. Does this absurd patch of hair make him a more intimidating closer? I'd say so.

What's your take?

(photo: AP)

Matt Diaz: Takin' One For the Team

I'm sure there are many of us out there (myself included), who have screamed and yelled at players to let a very tight, inside pitch hit him when the bases are loaded so that a run will score. I vividly remember getting hit on arm in little league simply because I knew the run on third base would score. Hey, a run is a run is a run. And as a fan, I am naturally desperate for runs and I'll selfishly take them any way I can.

But never in my life would I ever expect to see a player openly advocate such a practice no matter how badly he is struggling. Well, not only did Matt Diaz hope he got hit with the bases loaded, he was willing to get hit in the head! CRAZY!

ESPN.com:

With St. Louis leading 1-0, McClellan (1-1) walked Omar Infante, Chipper Jones and Jeff Francoeur to set the stage for Diaz's go-ahead hit with two outs.

McClellan threw his 2-2 pitch behind Diaz's head. Diaz didn't exactly jump out of the way.

"I was hoping it would hit my head," Diaz said. "I could not believe it didn't hit my head. I guess I lost too much weight."

I don't care how much I struggled with baseball, I could never imagine wanting to get hit in the head. That would freakin' hurt.

Needless to say, Matt Diaz ia a braver man than I and without a doubt, a somewhat crazy outfielder, who is severely devoted to helping the Braves in whatever way he can.

Morning Photo(s): Let's Argue!

I'll be honest: I love watching managers argue. Whether he kicks dirt, throws his hat, acts like a baffoon, or even screams until his lungs give out; there is something remarkable about watching a manger argue. Even though there is little chance a manager will actually win his argument with the umpire, he still takes the time to scream, yell, and curse at a hopeless umpire all in the name of firing up the players and sometimes, the fans. Nevertheless, the spectacle is fantastic and amusing.

Luckily for us, we have three examples of managers gettin' into it with umpires from last night's games.

Orioles manager Dave Trembley giving the umpire "the business" before getting tossed. Good to see Trembley is on his toes. Epic stare down occurring here.

Royals manager Trey Hillman getting right in the umpire's face, screaming and yelling like a mad man. Great technique. I'm pretty sure Royals fans should be screaming at Hillman for his misuse of the bullpen thus far.

Yankee manager Joe Girardi demonstrating the "Yankee Way" by acting somewhat civil in his argument last night. I would absolutely love to see Girardi explode at an umpire a la Lou Piniella. That would complete my baseball life.

(photos: AP)

Morning Photo: Barry's Back

Hmmm...I wonder what Mr. Bonds and the Giants higher ups talked about during the Giants v. Dodgers game last night. I'm going to take a guess and say that asterisks and BALCO were not on the agenda.

Awkwardddd.....

Too Quick to Criticize: Gil Meche

(Everyone is a pundit these days. In the baseball world, people love to judge and criticize contracts because of their value, length, or just general stupidity. But every so often, the supposedly bad contract, actually turns out OK. I'll admit that the instances are rare, but it's important to highlight that every so often, the critics are NOT 100% correct.)

The numbers were staggering.

5 years/$55 million...for Gil Meche. What the hell?

Did the Royals know who exactly Gil Meche was? Was it the same Gil Meche that the rest of baseball saw? The Gil Meche, who had a 4.65 career ERA and in 2004, was sent down to the minor leagues to work on his mechanics?

Yes, that was the same Gil Meche, who GM Dayton Moore was investing so heavily in.

And for a small market club with only a $60-$70 million dollar payroll, the move seemed like a staggering commitment to a guy, who was anything but a sure thing. The Royals had many needs, more than Gil Meche would be able to fill in a lifetime.

The deal just didn't seem to add up...to anyone besides Moore.

Why the Royals Signed Meche:

USA TODAY:

"What's important to us is accountability," says Moore, once the Braves' highly regarded player-development and scouting director whom the Royals hired last spring to replace Allard Baird. "We have 25 guys in that clubhouse, and all we heard was, 'Go get Gil Meche.' We have our players excited. Our fans are excited. And that's who you're accountable for.

"To me, this is the perfect signing for Kansas City."

"Everybody in baseball realizes that Gil Meche has an outstanding quality to his pitches," Moore says. "You can talk to people and they'll tell that this guy should win 15-plus games a year. I see this guys entering the prime years of his career. Guys just don't break into the major leagues as a No. 1 or No. 2 starter. Look at Johan Santana, Chris Carpenter, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz. It takes time.

"And to get pitchers like that, we'd have to give up (top prospects) Alex Gordon and Billy Butler. We can't afford to give them up. We looked at the free agent market in '07 and '08. We realized that if we're going to do something, we've got to do it now."

Basically, Moore justified the move because this was THE only way the Royals would be able to acquire a pitcher of Meche's ability without giving up the farm was to pay up. Plus, Moore believed that Meche was entering his prime and would be a front of the line pitcher for the Royals.

What the critics said:

Joe Posnanski:

"Wait a minute! The Royals gave Gil Meche what? Fifty-five million? Dollars? Eleven million a year? For Gil Meche? Hello? Is this a joke? Is that American money? Does he come with a chest of doubloons? Can he at least parallel park like those new Lexuses? Is there a doctor in the house?"

Jerry Crasnick:

"There's no getting around it: The signing received worse reviews than Eddie Murphy's performance in "Norbit.'' Media critics either characterized Meche as a payroll bandit-in-waiting or torched Kansas City general manager Dayton Moore for spending so extravagantly on a starter with a 55-44 career record and a 4.65 ERA in a pitcher-friendly ballpark.
The most cutting (and humorous) assessment came from Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman, who observed that "Gil Meche" may be French for "money thrown down a toilet.''

Scott Miller:

"Oh ... my ... goodness."

Why the deal has worked (maybe):

To put it plainly, Meche has established himself as the pitcher no one other than Dayton Moore thought he could become. Before Meche came to KC, he was an average pitcher. But since becoming a Royal, Meche's performance has dramatically improved by delivering two seasons with ERAs under 4. In addition, Meche has been "Steady Eddy" at the front of the rotation, as he is yet to miss a start related to injury.

So far, Gil Meche has proven the doubters wrong with his performance. Is he an ace? No. But what Meche has proven is that he is a more than capable front of the rotation starter, who is a very valuable building block for the Royals.

I don't know if Meche will ever be able to justify the 5 year/$55 million dollar contract, but as it stands right now, Meche is probably Dayton Moore's finest move to date, which in all honesty, is not saying too much. I am still a firm believer that the Royals need to show some dramatic improvement over the next few seasons for the Royals to actually be able to justify the parameters of the contract (length, money). Hopefully, the Royals success is right around the corner.

So let's be honest folks, this deal has NOT been a train wreck for the Royals even though everyone, including myself, thought this deal was doomed from the start.

Discuss.

Jose Lima and Hideki Irabu Have a Home

With these two phrases, I now pronounce the Long Beach Armada of the Golden Baseball League to be both ridiculous and entertaining.

"THE FAT TOAD"

"LIMA TIMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMME"

That's right folks, the Armada have now officially signed Hideki Irabu and Jose Lima to be in their starting rotation. These two were good starters in 1999, but not so much in 2009.

If the Armada sign Rich Garces and Randall Simon, then I will officially declare them "the most ridiculous Independent League team." But for right now, the Newark Bears of the Atlantic League hold the title with Carl Everett, Michael Tucker, Armando Benitez, Alberto Castillo, Keith Foulke, and more.

But the Armada are going to be a fun bunch...or at least more entertaining than the Washington Nationals.

Roster of the Worst Free Agent Contracts (2000-2004)

It's a tough economy out there. We all know that by now. But it's obvious to note that baseball is completely different than the real world. I thought it would be fun to make a roster comprised solely of terrible free agent contracts. Contract extensions need not apply.

My original intention was to create a roster made up of the worst free agent contracts of the decade (2000-2009). But teams have given out so many horrific contracts over the years that the only way for me to comprise a 25 man roster was to limit the number of large contracts to choose from. This roster was more difficult to make up given the decrease in contractual information on the internets and those stupid "pay to read" subscription sites. Nevertheless, I did my best.

(Note: The way I sorted these contracts out goes as follows: if the player signed the contract for the 2000-2004 season, then he is on the roster. But for some, like Carl Pavano, they signed the contract in 2004, but first played on their new team (Yankees) in 2005.)

Guys like Pavano are not on this roster and can be found on the 2005-2009 roster

Without further ado (don't mind the 6 man rotation):

2000-2004 Worst Free Agent Contracts Roster


C: Todd Hundley, Cubs
(4 years/$23.5 million)
1B: Jason Giambi, Yankees
(7 years/$120 million)
2B: Ricky Gutierrez, Indians
(3 years/$11.5 million)
3B: Edgardo Alfonzo, Giants
(4 years/$26 million)
SS: Kaz Matsui, Mets
(3 years/$20 million)

OF: Juan Gonzalez, Rangers
(2 years/$24 million)
OF: Derek Bell, Pirates
(2 years/$9.5 million)
OF: Roger Cedeno, Mets
(4 years/$18 million)

Bench: Scott Spiezio, Mariners
(3 years/$9 million)
Bench: David Segui, Orioles
(4 years/$28 million)
Bench: Marty Cordova, Orioles
(3 years/$9 million)
Bench: Charles Johnson, Marlins
(5 years/$35 million)
Bench: David Bell, Phillies
(4 years/$18 million)
Bench: Jeffrey Hammonds, Brewers
(3 years/$21 million)

SP: Mike Hampton, Rockies
(8 years/$121 million)
SP: Denny Neagle, Rockies
(5 years/$51 million)
SP: Chan Ho Park, Rangers
(5 years/$65 million)
SP: Darren Driefort, Dodgers
(5 years/$55 million)
SP: Sidney Ponson, Orioles
(3 years/$22.5 million)
SP: Aaron Sele, Angels
(3 years/$21 million)

RP: Steve Karsay, Yankees
(4 years/$22.5 million)
RP: Darren Oliver, Rangers
(3 years/$19 million) *Not a true relief pitcher*
RP: Mike Stanton, Mets
(3 years/$9 million)
RP: Mark Petkovsek, Rangers
(2 years/$4.9 million)
RP: Todd Van Poppel, Rangers
(3 years/$7.5 million)

So where was I correct? And where was I wrong? Who did I miss?

(Note: Is it me, or did lots of Mets and Rangers make the list?)

Make your voice heard...in the comments.

(photo: Diamond Hoggers)

And There Goes The Bat

That bat toss has second row written all over it.

Viva la pine tar!

Mark Sanchez: Hallelujah

This post has nothing to do with baseball, but as a Jets fan, I'm very, very excited. Good to see the Jets make another bold move. Hopefully, Sanchez is as good as advertised.

Random Video of the Week: You Gotta Have Heart!

The 1969 "Amazing Mets" singing...how classic. L. Nolan Ryan looks like he would rather be in hell than on stage singing with the rest of the Metropolitans.

Rock that belt, Tug.

Brian Tallet Has A Freakin' Sweet Mustache

I gotta be honest, I never really heard of Brian Tallet before tonight. But after seeing his mustache, he immediately became one of my favorite Toronto Blue Jays.

After seeing pictures of Tallet and Rick Ankiel, I'm thinking about starting the 2009 MLB Mustache Hall of Fame...any thoughts?

The Perfect Player

Yesterday, Albert Pujols destroyed Mets pitching. Pujols hit two home runs, drove in four runs, scored four runs, and got on base four times. Performances like this have become commonplace for Pujols, who is one of the best players in all of baseball.

Obviously, Cardinals manager has many reasons to gush over his star first baseman. Without Pujols, the Cardinals are toast. But perhaps LaRussa's opinion of Pujols is even further elevated than I originally thought.

ESPN.com:

"Perfect player, in my opinion," manager Tony La Russa said. "We're lucky to
have him, believe me."

Pujols is a phenomenal player and probably the best hitter in baseball today. But by no means is he the perfect player because well, that's an impossible title.

Even in the face of impossibility, I thought it'd be interesting to create the "perfect player" using the various skills and talents of the best current ball players.

Here is my "perfect ballplayer", loaded with tons of intangibles:

SPEED: Jose Reyes

POWER: Adam Dunn

SWING: Albert Pujols

LEADERSHIP: Derek Jeter

HEART: Aaron Rowand

HUSTLE: Dustin Pedroia

ARM STRENGTH: Rick Ankiel

RAW TALENT: Josh Hamilton

DEFENSE: Torii Hunter

CLUTCH: David Oritz

Combine all those talents into one player, and that my friends, would be an amazing position player. I would pay big bucks to watch this guy play.

What makes up your "perfect player"? (position players only!)

Discuss in the comments.

Rick Ankiel's Mustache Gets A Free Pass

Who knew the Cardinals had a 1970's porn star on the roster.

Long live the 'stache!

(photo: yahoo)

The Confidence Game

I always wonder about how managers deal with the various attitudes and personalities on a roster. Baseball is a marathon, not a sprint; which means there are going to be lots of ups and downs. It's easy to deal with a player when he's going good, but what about when he's not going good?

For example, take look at the following quotes from Ozzie Guillen and pitching coach Don Cooper regarding SP Jose Contreras. Contreras has had success in the majors before, but is struggling right now:

"It's not his velocity. ... It doesn't look like he has the confidence now to
let the ball go," Guillen said.
Chicago pitching coach Don Cooper said,
"We've got to get [his confidence] back. That's our focus," Cooper said. "He's
frustrated. Everyone wants better results."

How exactly will Cooper and Guillen bring back Contreras's confidence? Is that by working with him on his mechanics daily? Or how about giving him a pep talk? How about watching a previous game where Contreras pitched well? Or could it be as simple as doing nothing and letting Contreras build up his confidence naturally? Player personality should play a big role in determining how the coaches bring back his confidence.

In addition, should Guillen skip Contreras in the rotation to let him work on his stuff or keep throwing him out there hoping that he figures it out? Would removing Contreras from the rotation completely kill his confidence?

I imagine that dealing with struggling players like Contreras is somewhat of a balancing act. Knowing when to give the guy a pat on the back or a pep talk and at the same time, knowing when it's time to pull the plug. The White Sox don't think it's time to pull the plug on Contreras yet, so hopefully he can turn it around.

And one thing that I've wondered is, does a player's position matter in how a manager deals with him when he's struggling?

For example, Angels relief pitcher Scot Shields is off to a terrible start in 2009, which Mike Scioscia attributes to his confidence:

"Scotty's just not repeating pitches," Scioscia said. "What makes him so good is
that he's almost like a gunslinger out there. He's fearless and he goes after
hitters and finds a way to make pitches. Right now that confidence level isn't
there, and that presence on the mound isn't there. But he'll get it back."

Because Shields is a relief pitcher, will Scioscia try to bring his confidence back by throwing him out there in big spots as to say, "hey, I know you're struggling right now, but I believe in you." The hope there would be that Shields would follow up with a couple of good performances in a row, which could pull him out of his funk. Or maybe Scioscia would try to ease Shields back into the swing of things by having him pitch in a less pressure packed situation, such as the 6th or 7th inning in the hopes that Shields responds to less pressure by throwing the ball better.

If you had the choice, how would you handle Scot Shields?

It's fascinating to note how differently these two situations will be handled. The goal remains the same: bring back the player's confidence, but because Shields is a relief pitcher, he will have many more opportunities to pitch. Contreras, on the other hand, has four days in between starts to think about his poor outing and work on his mechanics for the next one.

Confidence is what you make of it. Some say it's acquired, while others say your born with it. Either way, we can see through Shields and Contreras the issues that might run through the mind of manager or coach as he tries to help a struggling player.

Are the Pirates for Real?

At 9-6, the Pittsburgh Pirates have gotten off to their best start since 2002. After sweeping the first place Florida Marlins this week, things are looking pretty good in Pirate-ville right now.

But the question remains: is this team for real, or a fluke?

First baseman Adam LaRoche chimes in:

"I feel like we took advantage of every mistake they made, every little thing, whether it's stealing a bag, scoring on a passed ball -- we took advantage of opportunities," Adam LaRoche said. "I think that proves we're a pretty good team and it's not just a fluke. You come in and play the best team in baseball and sweep them, that's saying something."

While I admit that it's encouraging to see the Pirates play so well against the Marlins, I'm very doubtful that this team is actually for real. There is simply not enough talent there right now, especially after the injury to star catcher Ryan Doumit. The Cubs, Cardinals, and even the Reds are far more talented than the Pirates right now.

But with that said, there are a number of pieces on this team that I am intrigued by. The starting pitching, led by Paul Maholm and Zack Duke, has been fantastic so far and has enabled the Pirates to win some close games early on. No one of the Pirates starting staff has an ERA above 4.25, so hell, if they can keep this pace up, the Pirates could actually remain competitive. But it remains to be seen as to what the Pirates can expect out of young guns like Jeff Karstens and Ross Ohlendorf over the course of the entire season.

And what's been most refreshing about the Pirates start so far has been the work of their bullpen, namely John Grabow and Matt Capps. These two have combined to give up zero earned runs in 13 IP, which has been a major stabilizing force for the young ballclub. The Pirates will go as far as their pitching will take them, which in years past has been the reason why the team has fallen apart.

As for the offense, there appears to be limited upside, especially after losing Doumit. Adam LaRoche has performed magnificently well this April, but when comes back down to Earth, who will pick up the slack outside of Nate McLouth? It remains to be seen what the Pirates will get out of Brandon Moss and Andy LaRoche, but there is no doubt that the pressure to produce rests solely on these two young guys.

Simply put, I don't think the Pirates will be able to maintain this pace all season. The real Pittsburgh Pirates are not close to being a playoff team-yet. The Pirates will have to do a lot more than sweep the Marlins to prove to me that they are a good team.

In the end, if the Pirates continue to play well, it'll be a major boost for Pittsburgh and Pirates fans, however many of them are still out there. It'd be nice to see the Pirates become buyers during the trade deadline instead of sellers, for once. More than likely, by the time July 31 rolls around, potential free agents like Adam LaRoche, John Grabow, Freddy Sanchez, and Jack Wilson will all be shopped as the Pirates continue to build for a bright future that still seems far away.

CC Sabathia: Only In New York

It only took 4 starts, but the honeymoon between CC Sabathia and Yankee fans is officially over. Sabathia lost his "boo-ginity" today, as Yankee fans paraded the large left hander with boos as he walked off the mound after his fourth consecutive average start.

"Sabathia feels much the same way. He allowed seven runs -- six earned -- six hits and four walks in 6 2/3 innings with two strikeouts, and he was booed by the crowd that seemed far smaller than the 43,342 announced on the rainy afternoon.In 24 1/3 innings, he's walked 14 while striking out just 12."I'm just trying to be too fine," he said, "trying to throw right to the corners."

Sabathia probably had a difficult time hearing a majority of the boos because the most expensive seats at the Stadium were once again, empty.

I know Yankee fans expect the world from this guy after giving him the biggest contract ever handed out to a starting pitcher, but can you please give him more than 4 starts before booing him? I understand fans want to express their displeasure, but booing your new ace after just four starts is stupid in my eyes.

But don't take it personally, CC, everybody gets booed in New York. Even Derek Jeter.

Yankee Stadium: Empty

Here is the major problem with the new Yankee Stadium: there is nobody sitting in the best seats. It seems almost incomprehensible because hey, these are the Yankees! They always sell out! That's the way it's always been!

But not this year. Not with this economy.

As a result, the New Yankee Stadium's best seats, which are also the most expensive, were consistently empty throughout the Yankees first homestand.

What a embarrassment.

For more on the empty seats at the New Yankee Stadium, check out these two fantastic blogs:

JASON at IIATMS: The embarrassment of the rich
Fack Youk: The Great Divide(rs)

(photo: AP)

Brian McCann Cannot Believe The Braves Lost to the Nationals

Surgeon General's Warning: Losing to the 3-10 Washington Nationals may cause dilated pupils and a grave amount of shock.

And on a side note, Brian McCann went to the eye doctor yesterday to get new contacts for blurred vision!

(photo: AP)

At Least the Mets Can Hit .300

Sure, the Mets can't hit in scoring position to save my life, but wow, these guys can hit .300!

As of last night's game against the Cardinals, each position player on the Mets was hitting at least .300 with the exception of Ramon Castro (and Castro only has 20 at bats this season). Think about that: the Mets entire infield and outfield is hitting at least .300 right now. Crazy.

Proof:

J Reyes SS	5	1	2	1	0	1	1	.339
D Murphy LF	3	0	1	1	1	0	2	.320
D Wright 3B	4	1	2	1	0	1	2	.306
C Delgado 1B	4	0	1	0	0	1	0	.300
C Beltran CF	3	0	2	1	1	0	0	.354
R Church RF	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	.350
R Castro C	4	0	0	0	0	0	1	.150
L Castillo 2B	4	1	2	0	0	1	0	.400

I know it's only 13 games into the season, but this is still very, very impressive. And somewhat weird.

When you consider that each of the seven guys hitting over .300 has at least 40 at bats, this feat seems somewhat astonishing.

(Note: Has this ever happened before? Seven starters, all hitting above .300 this "late" into the season.) *It seems as though the odds would be astronomical*

What's not impressive is the Mets record: 6-7. It's incredible to think that this team has not gotten off to a better start considering how hot their bats are.

In the end, hitting .300 doesn't matter when the team doesn't win. The Mets have to perform better with runners in scoring position if they are going to make a serious push in the NL East.

2009 Roster: Worst Contract Extensions

It's a tough economy out there. We all know that by now. But it's obvious to note that baseball is completely different than the real world. I thought it would be fun to make a roster comprised solely of terrible contract extensions.

First off, lemme explain how I classified an "extension" for this list. A extension could mean a number of different things:

1. Player was traded to new team and then signed a new contract with the club
(i.e Miguel Cabrera)

2. Player was under contract with a team, but signed a new, long term deal

3. Player signed a new contract with same club BEFORE he filed for free agency
(i.e Alex Rodriguez's 10 year/$275 contract is not an extension on this list...and neither is Luis Castillo's 4 year/$26 million dollar contract...both guys filed for free agnecy before they signed with their old team)

Please keep in mind that I am only dealing with contracts that are currently active, meaning that extensions that have expired (like Mark Mulder), are not eligible.

So there you have it. Maybe these extensions looked good at the time, but for whatever reason, these deals look excessive, and somewhat stupid, now.

2009 Roster of the Worst Contract Extensions

C-Kenji Johjima (3 years/$24 million), Mariners
1B- Todd Helton (9 years/$141 million), Rockies
2B- Bill Hall (4 years/$24 million), Brewers
*(I know Hall doesn't play second base anymore, but I had no one else!)*
SS- Michael Young (5 years/$80 million), Rangers
3B- Eric Chavez (6 years/$66 million), A's

OF- Vernon Wells (7 years/$126 million), Blue Jays
OF- Eric Byrnes (3 years/$30 million), Diamondbacks
OF-Gary Sheffield (2 years/$28 million), Tigers

DH- Travis Hafner (4 years/$57 million), Indians

Bench- Brandon Inge (4 years/$24 million), Tigers
Bench-Scott Rolen (8 years/$90 million), Cardinals/now with Blue Jays
Bench-Carlos Guillen (4 years/$48 million), Tigers *Debatable*
Bench- Hideki Matsui (4 years/$53 million), Yankees
Bench: Dmitri Young (2 years/$10 million), Nationals
Bench: Jack Wilson (3 years/$20 million), Pirates

SP- Chris Carpenter (5 years/$65 million), Cardinals
SP- Jake Westbrook (3 years/$33 million), Indians
SP- Dontrelle Willis (3 years/$29 million), Tigers
SP- Bronson Arroyo (2 years/$25 million), Reds
SP-Nate Robertson (3 years/$21 million), Tigers
SP-Jose Contreras (3 years/$29 million), White Sox

RP-Mike McDougal (3 years/$6.5 million), White Sox

So what does this list prove?

1. Teams rarely give out extensions to relief pitchers, especially middle relief pitchers. Given the unpredictability of middle relievers, this is expected.

2. What about the second basemen? Any feelings as to why there is/are virtually no second basemen on the list?

3. You'll notice that I was unable to fill out an entire 25 man roster. That surprised me.

Did I miss anyone?

Discuss.

2005-2009 Roster: Where's JD Drew?

As I continue to evaluate the 2005-2009 roster, a commenter made an interesting point over at River Ave Blues.

Tripp says:

April 18th, 2009 at 2:41 pm

No love for J.D. Drew? 5 years 80 million for an average right fielder?

I'm not gonna lie here, I thought about putting JD Drew on the roster. His injury history and horrible 2007 season seemed to make him somewhat of a worthwhile candidate.

However, I did not go with JD Drew for various reasons.

1. His 2008 season was fantastic (.280, 19 HR, .408 OBP)

2. The Red Sox won the World Series in 2007 in large part because of Drew (he hit .333 in the World Series)

3. Even when Drew was hurt in 2007, he still came up large with a grand slam in game 6 of the ALCS. Huge home run; no way around it.

4. The contract is actually 5 years/$70 million, not $80 million. If that makes any difference at all.

So in the end, it's quite laughable that JD Drew is the Red Sox highest paid player. There is no way that should be possible. But given his performance thus far, it's impossible to say the Drew has been a disaster. One bad season, one very good season. It's likely that the value of the duration of Drew's contract will come down to whether or not Drew can stay healthy.

Freddy Sez, "Let Me In!"

First the empty box seats, then the albatross of home runs, and now this:

Freddy "Sez" Schuman, the one-eyed, cookware-clanking octogenarian who's been an unofficial pinstripe mascot for 22 seasons was forced to panhandle for tickets at the new Yankee Stadium this past weekend.

In years past Schuman, who like Yogi Berra turns 84 next month, received free season tickets from sponsors such as Modell's, or was simply let through the press gate with a wink from a stadium official.

On Sunday he stood outside the stadium holding his frying pan and a sign that read, "Freddy Sez, Yankees say 'I can't go in. Must buy ticket!"

"The Yankees say I am a part of the stadium. What part am I, the toilet bowl?" Schuman said. "But the fans have come through. They gave me $40, and even $100 tickets."

The uncertainty about his future presence at the stadium has given him insomnia and indigestion, Schuman said.

What a travesty. Freddy is not only a Yankee icon, but a baseball legend as well. I vividly remember banging his pan at Yankee Stadium and hell, even my Mets loving heart was touched.

Well, at least the Yankees are attempting to rectify the situation...they claim:

Yankee officials insist that shutting out their superfan was just a "miscommunication." When Schuman first told the Post he was nervous about being shut out two weeks ago, a team spokeswoman said "We love Freddy and will accommodate him."

Accommodate him, they must. Or else.

Ryan Zimmerman Extension: Good or Bad?

Lots of Nationals talk here lately, and I for one, am loving it. There is nothing better than a 1-11 club getting all the pub.

Anyway, for those who missed it, the Nationals have locked up third baseman Ryan Zimmerman to a 5 year/$45 million dollar extension.

The fantastic David Pinto, from baseballmusings.com, weighs in:

Washington may be stuck with him, too. I’m just not that high on his offense, as he’s failed to build on his rookie season at an age when players should be improving. He is a good defender, but he gets a huge boost from one great defensive year. Given the price of players today, the contract seems appropriate given what he’s accomplished, but I would like to see a season where his offensive numbers improve before I lay out the big bucks. Zimmerman strikes me as the kind of player I’d wait a year on before going long term.

While I respect Pinto's opinion and completely understand it, I'm going to take the other side here.

If there was ever a time for the Nationals to sign Zimmerman to a team friendly contract, now was the time. Zimmerman is coming off an injury plagued season where the buzz surrounding him dissipated from "the next David Wright" to "let's hope to the baseball Gods that Zimmerman reaches his potential. If Zimmerman has a great season in 2009, then there is no doubt that Zimmerman's price tag would have gone up, probably closer to the Nick Markakis 6 year/$66 million dollar contract.

At worst, the Nationals have locked up a very good player and a possible rising star for a more than reasonable price. Zimmerman is a very valuable and useful building block to have on board. Is Zimmerman a franchise player? Right now, no; but Zimmerman, almost by default, is the Nationals franchise player.

Considering how much of a mess the Nationals are, this move brings some stability to management, now knowing that a possible Zimmerman extension does not have to be held over their heads.

In addition, Zimmerman is one of the few guys the Nationals have, who the fans actually want to come and see. For better or worse, Zimmerman is the face of the franchise and they have little else besides Zimmerman to get excited about (other than Strasburg!). Having Zimmerman around for the near future gives fans at least some glimmer of hope that better days are ahead and that talented Nationals will stay in Washington.

And finally, what good young player actually wants to be with the Nationals these days? By my count, the answer is only one: Zimmerman.

Should the Nationals Fire Manny Acta?

The Nationals are terrible. We all know that. At 1-10, the Nationals are an absolute mess and have been an embarrassment to watch thus far. While no one in their right mind expected the Nationals to compete this season, they were expected to be better than they were last season, which is just not happening right now.

As Manager Manny Acta stated today:

"I think it's embarrassing. I think it's unacceptable. I think our fans have every right to be mad, like we are right now."

And if you're a Nationals fan right now, you should be mad. This team, and namely this franchise, has been a mess and a disappointment since they came to Washington DC in 2005. We all know that the rebuilding process can take time, but at some point the Nationals need to show some legitimate progress on the field.

If the Nationals continue to struggle, the question will be raised: should the Nationals fire Manny Acta? By most accounts, Acta is a great guy and is considered to be one of the best young managers in baseball. But at what point is performance taken into account? The Nationals have finished in last place in each of Acta's first two seasons and they seem destined for the NL East cellar already in 2009.

Even with that in mind, I still think the Nationals should not can Manny Acta. While some of his in game decisions have been suspect, Acta has not been given a whole lot of talent to work with during his tenure with the Nationals, and many times, his options simply have not been that good. I really don't think having a manager other than Acta would have drastically changed the Nationals record. Let's face it, the Nationals teams in 2007 and 2008 were last place clubs, plain and simple.

I know management has spent the "big bucks" this offseason and expects better from the Nationals this season. Between Adam Dunn, Josh Willingham, Scott Olson, and Joe Beimel; the talent level was expected to go way up.

And in some respects, it has. But there is no denying that this team is still far too flawed. The bullpen so far has an ERA of 6.48 and last year's closer, Joel Hanrahan, has a 9 ERA in 5 games. Once again, there was just not much for Acta to work with out there.

There is no doubt that the Nationals roster is in flux right now. Hell, just yesterday, 3/7ths of the Nationals roster was either sent to the minor leagues or designated for assignment. One can make the case that through the first two weeks of the season, Acta did not have the luxury of playing with his best 25 guys. Again, this statement is very debatable, but management needs to give Acta quality talent to work with.

And I'll say that the moves made today were a start. The Nationals need their players to be productive and solely preaching patience is unacceptable. Saul Rivera was horrible; Wil Ledezma was a waste; and Steven Shell showed nothing during his three outings. None of these three deserved to be in the majors and pulling the plug on each was the right move.

In the end, if the Nationals finish with 100+ losses yet again, those calling for Manny Acta's head will grow stronger. But until Acta gets some actual talent, I have a tough time evaluating his overall performance as manager. I think this team is better than they have shown so far, but the problem is pitching, not Manny Acta.

Ronny Cedeno Is Not Distracted By The Dancing Grounds Crew

Not only is this picture awkward, but it's fantastic at the same time. Perfectly out of rhythm and out of sync, yet beautifully strange. Nothing better than three dudes in sweat pants trying to dance in rhythm with each other at a baseball game.

Anyone in Seattle know exactly what these guys are dancing too? I know at Yankee Stadium the Grounds Crew dances to YMCA, but I have not the slightest idea about Seattle. Does anybody actually enjoy this at games?

Phil Humber: Baseball is a Cruel Game

When the Mets drafted Phil Humber back in 2004, I was thrilled. Even though my baseball knowledge was still in a prehistoric state, I had read enough about Humber to get excited about the prospects of the Mets drafting him. As a member of Rice University's "Big Three" along with Jeff Niemann and Wade Townsend, there was quite a bit of buzz around Humber and I considered the Mets fortunate to have had the opportunity to draft Humber.

When I arrived at Mets spring training in 2005, I was eager to get the opportunity to meet Humber and get an autograph. Even though the Mets had just drafted Humber, they invited him to spring training and quickly shined with the Mets. The buzz surrounding Humber was building.

Like so many hyped up young pitchers before him, people, like me, were convinced that Humber was going to be the next big thing simply after scouring all the scouting reports and articles about the Mets 1st round pick. As soon as Humber finished his workout for the day and signed autographs, a massive amount of people surrounded him, hoping and pleading for an autograph or picture. You would have thought Humber was Roger Clemens or something.

Luckily for me, I was able to walk away from Mets camp that day with a Philip Humber autographed baseball....on the sweet spot! I immediately put the ball into a ball holder, firmly believing that this guy was the future ace of my beloved New York Mets.

But before I knew it, Humber was hurt. Just a few months into the 2005 season, Humber was forced to undergo the dreaded Tommy John surgery. Just like that, Humber's season was over and his future was very much in question.

And then, something amazing happened. Humber's recovery from Tommy John surgery went quicker than anticipated and just one year later, Humber was back in AA. By the end of 2006, Humber made his major league debut with the Mets as a relief pitcher. The buzz was back!

Or so I thought. Even though Humber put up good numbers in 2007, he was not the same lights out kind of pitcher the Mets hoped for. It was clear that Humber was the not the same pitcher post surgery as he was prior to surgery. The Phil Humber ceiling was inevitably lowered.

By 2008, Humber was traded by the Mets in the Johan Santana deal. Just like that, the Mets had traded their "future ace", who just three years ago was their top draft pick and one of the best prospects in the Mets' system.

Even though Humber's velocity appears to have come back since his surgery, the results simply were not there this spring training. Humber did wind up making the Twins opening day roster, but once the Twins needed to make a roster move, there was no doubt who the Twins were going to designate for assignment: Philip Humber.

In just five years, Humber has gone from third overall pick to a guy struggling for his major league life. While Humber may never have piles of fans yearning for his autograph, I hope that Humber can simply maintain a major league career as a relief pitcher.

Orlando Cabrera Can Fly

Who knew an Athletic could fly?

Pretty sweet shot if you ask me.

(Photo: AP)

2005-2009 Roster: Why No A-Rod?

My good friend Joe at River Ave Blues was kind enough to post my list of worst free agent contracts on his site yesterday. For those of you who have not yet checked out River Ave. Blues, it's one of the best Yankee blogs on the web and needs to be fully explored by all (click here!).

Anyway, Joe airs his main grievance of the roster I constructed by stating:

A-Rod did not make the cut, although I disagree. The worst third baseman contract Josh found was Adrian Beltre, but he was eventually talked out of it, replacing him with Vinny Casilla. Sorry, but two years and $6.2 million for no production is still better than 10 years and $275 million for a guy who will be 42 when the contract expires.

While Joe makes a valid point here, I thought I would take some time to explain my reasoning as to why the highest paid player in baseball was not included on the roster:

Quite Frankly, I still think it's too early to fully judge this contract. I have a tough time evaluating a 10 year contract when only 1 year has passed. Granted, the last year has been terrible for A-Rod. Between steroids, injuries, divorce, problems hitting in the clutch, and questions about his character; it seems as though most of the baseball community has turned on A-Rod. And rightfully so. A-Rod has made lots of mistakes and has suffered his share of unfortunate injuries since the extension.

However, with that said, when healthy, A-Rod is still one of, if not the most, productive offensive players in baseball. While it might be hard to justify giving any player that much money (rightfully so), I can't say that A-Rod's contract has been a disaster for the Yankees even with his transgressions thus far.

So there you have it, if you disagree with me, I completely understand. In another three or four years, this extension very well could look horrific for the Yankees if A-Rod cannot get healthy and stay off the back pages. And as Joe mentioned, A-Rod will be 42 when the contract expires, which in itself is a scary thought.

But for now, there is my logic.

Please discuss.

Line of the Night #2: The New Yankee Stadium Is A Freakin' Launchpad

What an atrocity.

Yankees pitching vs. Indians (4/18):
-22 runs given up
-5 home runs given up
-25 hits allowed

New York Yankees
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
C Wang (L, 0-3)	1.1	8	8	8	0	1	1	52-34	34.50
A Claggett	1.2	9	8	8	2	2	2	60-34	43.20
E Ramirez	2.0	3	4	4	3	4	2	58-34	8.44
J Veras	3.0	1	1	1	1	2	1	43-26	8.53
D Marte	1.0	4	1	1	0	1	0	23-14	21.00

Where in the world is the real Chien-Ming Wang? Who is Anthony Claggett? And why has the Yankee bullpen been so terrible? Wasn't it supposed to be one of the Yankees' strengths this season?

Please discuss.

Line of the Night #1: Dan Haren Hates the Arizona Diamondbacks Offense

Yet again, Dan Haren was the losing pitcher last night. For the third time in as many starts this season, Haren pitched great, but the Diamondbacks simply could not score any runs for him. Thus, his brilliant start went to waste and Haren actually wound up with the loss.

DATE	OPP	RESULT	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	GB	FB	PIT
Apr 17	@SF	L 2-0	6.0	5	1	1	0	0	6	7	9	79
Apr 12	LAD	L 3-1	6.0	4	2	2	0	3	2	7	12	100
Apr 7	COL	L 3-0	7.0	3	1	1	1	0	9	9	6	100
Monthly Totals			19.0	12	4	4	1	3	17	23	27	279

That's gotta be a tough pill to swallow for Haren, who like all starting pitchers covets wins. But at the same time, it's gotta be encouraging for the Diamondbacks that Haren is throwing the ball this well, especially with Brandon Webb on the DL. Haren should be 3-0, not 0-3; but that's just the way the ball bounces sometimes.

Now score some runs, Diamondbacks!

It's Dicky V, Baby!!!

OOoooooooooooooooooh! It's awesome, BABBBBBBBBBBBBBY! He's a PTPer! Look at the Diaper Dandy on the mounnddddddd!

That's right, the world's most famous Rays fan/season ticket holder, Dick Vitale, threw out the first pitch at the Rays game yesterday. His form isn't too bad, but it's far from, "awesome babyyyyyyyyyyyyyy"

I personally don't mind Dick Vitale, but if ever comes close to calling a baseball game, I'm moving as far away from the TV as possible.

Line of the Night #1: Jose Veras and Damaso Marte Are Not Fans of the New Yankee Stadium

During the 7th inning, fans at the new Yankee Stadium started chanting, "We Want Swisher" in reference to Yankees OF Nick Swisher, who pitched an inning against the Devil Rays earlier in the week when the Yankees were getting blown out. Yup, that just about sums up the Yankee bullpen.

New York Yankees
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
C Sabathia	5.2	5	1	1	5	4	0	122-70	3.57
E Ramirez	0.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	6-5	2.70
P Coke	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2-1	9.00
J Veras (L, 0-1)	0.0	2	3	3	1	0	0	12-5	13.50
D Marte	1.0	3	6	6	1	0	2	21-12	27.00
D Robertson	2.0	2	0	0	0	3	0	28-19	0.00
Totals	9.0	13	10	10	7	7	2	191-112

Veras and Marte combined to give up 9 runs in one inning. Ouch.

Who do they think they are, Kyle Farnsworth and LaTroy Hawkins!??

Roster of the Worst Free Agent Contracts (2005-2009)

It's a tough economy out there. We all know that by now. But it's obvious to note that baseball is completely different than the real world. I thought it would be fun to make a roster comprised solely of terrible free agent contracts. Contract extensions need not apply.

My original intention was to create a roster made up of the worst free agent contracts of the decade (2000-2009). But teams have given out so many horrific contracts over the years that the only way for me to comprise a 25 man roster was to limit the number of large contracts to choose from. Thus, we have broken this down over the course of 5 years, and in the upcoming days, we will be showcasing a second 25 man roster from the years 2000 through 2004.

Without further ado (don't mind the 6 man rotation):

2005-2009 Worst Free Agent Contracts Roster

C-Ramon Hernandez, Orioles
(4 years/$27.5 mil)
1B-Richie Sexon, Mariners
(4 years/$50 mil)
2B-Ray Durham, Giants
(2 years/$14.5 mil)
SS-Julio Lugo, Red Sox
(4 years/$36 mil)
3B-Vinny Castilla, Nationals
(2 years/$6.2 mil)

OF-Andruw Jones, Dodgers
(2 years/$36 mil)
OF- Juan Pierre, Dodgers
(5 years/$55 mil)
OF-Gary Matthews Jr, Angels
(5 years/$50 mil)

Bench- Dave Roberts, Giants
(3 years/$18 mil)
Bench- Edgar Renteria, Red Sox
(4 years/$40 mil)
Bench-Bill Mueller, Dodgers
(2 years/$9.5 mil)
Bench-Cristian Guzman, Nationals
(4 years/$16 mil)
Bench-Mike Matheny, Giants
(3 years/$9 mil)

SP-Barry Zito, Giants
(7 years/$126 mil)
SP-Jason Schmidt, Dodgers
(3 years/$47 mil)
SP-Kei Igawa, Yankees
(4 years/$20 mil)
SP-Adam Eaton, Phillies
(3 years/$24 mil)
SP-Carl Pavano, Yankees
(4 years/$39.95 mil)
SP-Russ Ortiz, Diamondbacks
(4 years/$33 mil)

Long man-Carlos Silva, Mariners
(4 years/$48 mil)
RP-Miguel Batista, Mariners
(3 years/$25 mil)
RP-Kyle Farnsworth, Yankees
(3 years/$17 mil)
RP-Danys Baez, Orioles
(3 years/$19 mil)
RP-Eric Gagne, Brewers
(1 year/$10 mil)
CL-Armando Benitez, Giants
(3 years/$21 mil)

(DIShonorable mention: Jarrod Washburn, Kevin Millwood, Reggie Sanders, Adrian Beltre (debatable, eh), Tony Womack, Matt Morris, Jaret Wright, Eric Milton, Luis Castillo...for now)

So where was I correct? And where was I wrong?

(Note: Is it me, or did lots of Giants, Dodgers, and Mariners make the list?)

Make your voice heard...in the comments.

(Edit: replaced Beltre with Vinny Castilla (Jim Bowden!) and Womack with Cristian Guzman (2005-2008). What do you think?)

Fluke or For Real?

Looking at the standings right now (8-10 games into the season) is a complete waste of time. However, it's impossible not to notice some of the teams that have gotten off to suprisingly good starts this season. How have they done it? And more importantly, are they for real?

Toronto Blue Jays (7-3):

Why: Offense. Offense. Offense. As a team, the Blue Jays lead the American League in team batting average (an amazing .313), total bases, hits, doubles, and they are tied for first in the AL in home runs with 17. Scott Rolen, Vernon Wells, Adam Lind, and Scott Rolen have all gotten off to amazing starts at the plate that have jump started the offense.

For Real?: I say no. The Blue Jays are playing in the best division in the major leagues and eventually, their lack of starting pitching depth will haunt them once the offense cools down.
FLUKE

Seattle Mariners (7-2):

Why: Pitching. Pitching. Pitching. Through the first 8 games, the Mariners pitching staff is leading the AL in ERA (2.96), runs given up (22), and shutouts (2). The rotation, led by Felix Hernandez, Jarrod Washburn, and the resurgent Erik Bedard, has been fantastic. And hey, even Carlos Silva has not been totally terrible...only a 6 ERA!

For Real?: I say no, but the Mariners have looked very good thus far. If the pitching staff holds up, the Mariners could surprise some people and actually compete in the AL West, especially if the Angels pitching staff cannot get healthy. However, the Mariners offense leaves much to be desired, even with Ichiro Suzuki returning last night. This offense still cannot get on base consistently, hit with lots of power, or produce a high enough batting average to adequately supplement the pitching staff.
FLUKE

Florida Marlins (7-1):

Why: Over the first 8 games of the season, the Marlins have gotten a wonderful mix of quality starting pitching and fantastic offense. Their pitching staff ranks 4th in the National League with a 3.25 ERA and the Marlins offense has been downright scary. Emilio Bonifacio looks like the second coming of Jose Reyes (can he keep it up???). And Hanley Ramirez has developed into a lethal #3 hitter. (Side note: Josh Johnson=beast)

For Real?: I say yes. Sure the Marlins have some weaknesses namely in the bullpen and with the defense, but this team is too talented not to make some noise. In the end, the Marlins might not have the intangibles needed to make the playoffs, but they sure as hell can scare the living crap out of the Mets and Phillies. If the Marlins can improve their bullpen and defense, then watch out. This club is dangerous.
FOR REAL

San Diego Padres (6-3):

Why: Pitching. Pitching. And more pitching. The Padres pitching staff, led by Jake Peavy, Chris Young, and Heath Bell, has been fantastic so far as they rank third in the National League in ERA (3.15 ERA). If the Padres pitching staff can keep up this kind of production, especailly at PETCO Park, then the Padres will be better than expected.

For Real?: Hell no. The Padres offense is one of the worse in all of baseball and it doesn't help that the Padres play in one of the most pitcher friendly ballparks in all of baseball. Even with the incredible Adrian Gonzalez, the Padres simply do not have enough offensive depth to come anywhere close to competing.
FLUKE

Like my picks? Think I'm crazy? Make your voice heard...in the comments!

Clayton Kershaw: The Face of an Ace

Los Angeles Dodgers fans, welcome to your future.

Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers 2006 first round pick, was absolutely dominant last night against the Giants. Kershaw struck out an astounding 13 Giants over seven innings. Even though Kershaw did not record the win, his amazing performance has to make the Dodgers feel much better about their rotation.

The two most impressive young pitchers I have seen all season have been Clayton Kershaw and Josh Johnson. I see CY Young awards in both of their futures...they're that good.

Clayton Kershaw=dominant.

(Photo: Getty)

Line of the Night #2: Orioles Bullpen Madness

The Orioles bullpen provided no relief against the Rangers in Arlington last night:

Baltimore Orioles
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
M Hendrickson (L, 1-1)	3.2	7	9	2	4	2	1	95-53	3.00
R Liz	1.0	5	4	4	1	1	1	36-23	36.00
B Bass	2.0	3	2	2	1	2	0	47-25	14.73
M Albers	1.1	4	4	4	1	2	0	33-17	11.25

36.00. 14.73. 11.25. Those are not dollar amounts, instead those are the respective ERAs of Radhamez Liz, Brian Bass, and Matt Albers. Yeah, the Ballpark in Arlington is officially hell for pitchers.

10 ER in 4.1 innings for the Orioles bullpen tonight...that's enough to make Dave Trembley pull his hair out.

P.S: Nick Swisher could have done better.

Line of the Night #1: Mark Hendrickson

Baltimore Orioles
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
M Hendrickson	3.2	7	9	2	4	2	1	95-53	3.00

Nine unearned runs. Only 2 of which were earned.

Wow. What a strange, strange line for Mark Hendrickson.

Xavier Nady: "Not Good"

Looks like the Yanks could be without their "X" for the foreseeable future, and maybe the entire season.

ESPN.com:

New York Yankees right-fielder Xavier Nady will be put on the disabled list with a right elbow injury and could be sidelined for an extended period.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Wednesday that the initial report from an MRI exam on Nady's elbow "is not good."

"We're planning on DLing him Thursday," Girardi said.

Nick Swisher will replace Nady in right field.

It's funny how these things work out. During spring training and even in the first week of the season, there were many Yankee fans who wondered how Nick Swisher would ever get into the lineup given the Yankees outfield situation. Well, problem solved. The lesson is simple: depth is a good thing.

I don't think this injury is catastrophic for the Yankees, but it does cut into the limited depth on their bench. The Yankees are an old roster even with Mark Teixeira, so injuries, especially later on in the season, have to be a concern.

With that said, I don't think it's out of the question to assume that the Yankees will eventually be looking for a right handed OF bat to replace Nady. Two names that come to mind: Josh Willingham and Austin Kearns.

Any thoughts?

Chris Carpenter: Uh, Oh

Remember a week back when I wrote a piece, emphatically titled "Chris Carpenter: The Ace is Back"? Well, that story is now on hold or just a waste of time. Carpenter is hurt, yet again.

ESPN.com:

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter appears headed for the disabled list after straining his left rib cage swinging the bat Tuesday night.

Carpenter was injured grounding out to third base to end the top of the fourth. He went to the mound to warm up before the bottom of the inning, then called for a trainer.

"I felt it just a little bit on that swing, and every warmup pitch got worse and worse until the last one bit pretty good," Carpenter said after the Cardinals' 7-6 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 10 innings. "So there's nothing I could do about it but come out."

Not to make Cardinals fans feel any worse, but manager Tony LaRussa thinks Carpenter will be out "for awhile."

Yikes. That's not good.

Obviously the Cardinals cannot afford to lose Carpenter for an extended period of time. Without an ace, the Cardinals are no better than 2nd or 3rd in the NL Central and will have a very difficult time fighting for the wild card.

Bad break for the Cardinals and Carpenter last night.

Extra Innings, Anyone?

If you're like me, then you are a firm believer that extra innings are one of the best facets of baseball. Period. The combination of "sweet, more baseball" coupled with the reality of "holy crap, when the hell is this game going to end" is one of the most interesting dynamics of fandom for me. I mean, I'm a huge baseball fan, but even I have my baseball watching limits...I think.

With that said, last night was a baseball lover's fantasy. There was not just one extra inning game...not just two...but five.

Seattle 3, LA Angels 2, 10 innings

Arizona 7, St. Louis 6, 10 innings

Baltimore 7, Texas 5, 10 innings

Minnesota 3, Toronto 2, 11 innings

Oakland 6, Boston 5, 12 innings

What a great night of baseball. It doesn't get much better than bonus baseball times 5.

When was the last time there was five extra inning games in one night???? Anyone know?

Red Sox and Athletics: Battle of the Bullpens

Quite an epic battle last in night in Oakland as the both the A's and Red Sox bullpens were lights out.

Proof:

Boston Red Sox
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
D Matsuzaka	1.0	5	5	5	2	0	0	43-22	12.79
J Masterson	4.0	2	0	0	0	6	0	60-42	4.50
M Delcarmen	1.2	3	0	0	1	3	0	36-24	0.00
R Ramirez	1.1	0	0	0	1	1	0	20-13	0.00
H Okajima	2.0	0	0	0	1	2	0	28-16	6.75
J Papelbon	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	16-12	2.70
J Lopez (L, 0-1)	0.2	1	1	1	3	1	0	25-12	7.36

Oakland Athletics
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
D Eveland	4.2	8	5	5	3	2	0	108-63	6.75
A Bailey	2.0	0	0	0	2	2	0	34-19	0.00
S Casilla	1.1	1	0	0	0	0	0	19-11	3.37
R Springer	1.0	1	0	0	0	2	0	23-15	0.00
B Ziegler	2.0	2	0	0	2	2	0	39-19	3.00
S Gallagher (W, 1-0)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	10-6	4.50

Absolutely fantastic. As someone who loves a good pitchers duel, this was about as good as it gets, minus the starting pitchers.

For the Red Sox, this loss is especially costly. Not only did they lose Matsuzaka to a mysterious injury/fatigue, but they burned their bullpen in the process (by necessity) and still lost the game. Even though the bullpen pitched 10 scoreless innings, it was not enough. Damn offense.

Never the less, GM Theo Epstein built one of the deepest and most productive bullpens in baseball this offseason. Tonight's performance simply cements the quality of the Red Sox bullpen. Even though the Red Sox lost the game tonight, this bullpen will win lots of games for them in the coming weeks and months. It's that good.

If the Athletics bullpen performs like this over the long haul, the Athletics will be a force to be reckoned with in the AL West. Count on it.

On a side note, I cannot understand why Terry Francona limited Jonathan Papelbon to only one inning. I understand that the Red Sox want to limit his innings, but Papelbon last pitched on April 11th, only threw 16 pitches tonight, and frankly, the Red Sox needed another inning out of him tonight. The bullpen was running thin; outside of Javier Lopez and Takashi Saito, who is coming off arm surgery, there was no one else out there. If there was ever a time for Papelbon to go two innings, this was the game.

Rickie Weeks: Ouch!

What a painful foul ball. That's gonna leave a mark.

Scott Podsednik: Welcome Back to Chicago

With starting center fielder Dewayne Wise out for the next 6-8 weeks, the White Sox are turning back the clock by signing old friend Scott Podsednik to a minor league deal.

ESPN.com:

Scott Podsednik rejoined the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, agreeing to a minor league contract one day after center fielder Dewayne Wise separated a shoulder.

Podsednik played for Chicago from 2005-07 and hit .253 for the Colorado Rockies last year. He became a free agent after the season, agreed to a minor league contract with the Rockies and then was released April 1.

The White Sox (namely Ozzie Guillen) don't seem to have much faith in Brian Anderson or Jerry Owens as a starting outfielder, so it would not surprise me to see Podsednik eventually get lots of playing time. Then again, Podsednik has not put up good numbers since 2006 so I'm not sure Podsednik is that much better of an option at this point.

Then again, this is a no risk, mild reward situation here for the White Sox if Podsednik plays well.

White Sox fans sure hope for more of this:

Washington Nationals: Is It the Offseason Yet?

0-7....yeesh. Talk about a bad start.

Where to begin with this team?

-Shortstop Cristian Guzman, who is hitting .515, has a strained hamstring

-Lastings Milldge is underperforming and pissing off the Nationals organization...so he has been sent to the minor leagues.

-The Nationals lead the national league in errors (tied with the Mets with 7).

-The pitching staff has a combined 7.71 ERA

-Opening Day starter John Lannan has a 10.00 ERA

-#2 starter Scott Olsen has a 14.63 ERA

-starting second baseman Ronnie Belliard is hurt

-Josh Willingham wants to play everyday....but can't.

But don't panic yet, Nationals fans, it's only April. On the plus side, there's nowhere to go but up from here!

2009 Cleveland Indians= 2008 Detroit Tigers?

At 1-6, the Cleveland Indians are one of baseball's biggest disappointments through the first week of the season. Their pitching has been an absolute disaster thus far as they rank dead last in the majors with a 8.24 team ERA. After witnessing those stats, it should come as no surprise that the Indians have struggled so far. In addition, the offense has not been terrible, but there is still lots of room for improvements as they rank 13th in team batting average (.241) and 11th in hits (58).

The question remains: can they pull out of it?

Conventional wisdom says, hell yes. There are still so many games left to play (155 to be exact) that is is simply far too early to count any team out of it, even with a bad start. And we cannot forget, this team still has tons of talent, especially on offense, and will win some games simply based on their talented roster.

However, if this is a sign of things to come for the Indians, then there is no doubt that they are in trouble. We all remember the 2008 Detroit Tigers, who were picked by many baseball people to win the AL Central, started the 2008 season 0-7. The Tigers never recovered from their terrible start and actually finished the season in last place in the AL Central. Simply put, the Tigers could not put all the pieces together (especially the pitching) even with their talented roster.

The 2009 Cleveland Indians were picked by some to win the AL Central. Obviously, their terrible start is quite concerning, but it's impossible to count the Indians out already. I still subscribe to the belief that if the Indians get quality production from Lee and Carmona that they will be OK.

With that said, I have my doubts that Carl Pavano is the answer for the Indians. But can you blame me?

Pitchers' Duel in Texas Last Night...

Baltimore Orioles
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
K Uehara (W, 2-0)	5.0	7	7	7	4	3	2	87-56	7.20

Texas Rangers
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
V Padilla (L, 1-1)	3.1	11	7	7	1	1	0	70-46	10.00

NOT!

Tom Seaver: He's Still Got It

For the inaugural regular season game at Citi Field, there was no doubt about who was going to throw out the ceremonial first pitch: Tom Seaver. And what do you know, Seaver threw the first pitch to Mike Piazza. What a fitting choice.

But the looks of it, Seaver's still got a great delivery, especially for a 64 year old man. Just so you know, Seaver threw a strike.

Not too shabby.

Welcome to Citi Field, New York Mets

Figures. First Padres hitter of the game in the Mets new digs...home run.

Jody Gerut.

San Diego Padres
Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
J Gerut CF	1	1	1	1	0	0	.267
D Eckstein 2B	1	0	1	0	0	0	.240
B Giles RF	1	0	0	0	0	0	.148
A Gonzalez 1B	1	0	0	0	0	0	.280
C Headley LF	0	0	0	0	1	0	.214
K Kouzmanoff 3B	1	0	0	0	0	0	.208
N Hundley C	0	0	0	0	0	0	.417
L Rodriguez SS	0	0	0	0	0	0	.300
W Silva P	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Totals	5	1	2	1	1	0
BATTING HR: J Gerut (1) RBI: J Gerut (2)

Here's to some optimistic thinking for the next 100 years at Citi Field!

Youtube Tribute to Harry Kalas

Wow. What a terrible couple of days for the baseball family.

ESPN.com:

Longtime Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas, who punctuated innumerable home runs with his "Outta here!" call, died Monday after being found passed out in the broadcast booth before a game against the Washington Nationals. He was 73.

"We lost our voice today," team president David Montgomery said, his voice cracking. "He has loved our game and made just a tremendous contribution to our sport and certainly to our organization."

What a terrible day for baseball and the city of Philadelphia. Kalas was such a legendary figure that I thought it was only fitting for us to remember some of Kalas's best moments.

Without further ado:











RIP Harry. Your voice and impact will live on forever.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Navigating Through Respectability and the Future

When the Pirates made the decision to trade Jason Bay last July, they were hoping that the package they got in return for their best player was enough to help turn around the struggling franchise as they strive towards respectability.

However, just one week into the 2009 season, the centerpiece of that deal, 3B Andy LaRoche, is struggling....big time. At one time, LaRoche was viewed as one of the top prospects in baseball, but he seems a long ways away from that status. LaRoche has not yet registered a hit so far this season and has been a disaster defensively at third base. Simply put, LaRoche isn't doing anything good right now.

If LaRoche continues to struggle, this could put the Pirates in an awkward situation. They want to give LaRoche every opportunity to succeed and show the fan base that trading away star player Jason Bay for LaRoche was a justified move. Plus, because the Pirates believe that LaRoche has immense talent and a future with the organization, they will give him every opportunity to right his wrongs and succeed at the major league level.

As manager John Russell stated today,"We're going to give Andy every chance to work through this."

And let's be frank here, the Pirates are going nowhere this season. They play in a very competitive division and do not have the talent to compete with the big guys. There is every reason for the Pirates to be patient with LaRoche and give him all the time in the world to figure out.

But for Pirates fans, this has to be both concerning and annoying. The Pirates have obviously invested a large portion of their future in LaRoche, so it has to be nerve racking to see this young player struggle in both facets of the game. The judgement of upper management once again must be questioned, but this is nothing new for Pirates fans.

And just for once, it'd be nice to see the Pirates actually be respectable in the NL Central and not be eliminated by the beginning of May. There is no doubt that Ramon Vazquez is the better player right now, but does it actually make sense to start Vazquez over the struggling LaRoche? With the future of the franchise in mind...it does not.

Hopefully LaRoche can turn it around and become a stud on the Pirates because Lord knows, they need him to be a very good player.

Bring On the Complete Games!

Before Sunday, there were exactly 0 complete games thrown in 2009.

After Sunday, there were three, including two complete game shutouts!

Cincinnati Reds
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
A Harang (W, 1-1)	9.0	3	0	0	0	9	0	108-80	0.64

Florida Marlins
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
J Johnson (W, 2-0)	9.0	5	1	1	1	7	0	113-77	0.57

St. Louis Cardinals
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
K Lohse (W, 2-0)	9.0	3	0	0	0	4	0	112-71	1.12

Strange stuff, huh?

Random Video of the Week: Who's That at Shortstop?

Miguel Cairo....what happened to that Jeter guy?

I dunno about you, but it was very strange for me not to hear the Bleacher Creatures say "Derek Jeter." It's become almost second nature...

A Kosuke Fukudome Sandwich

Nothing like getting squished/jumped in between Alfonso Soriano and Reed Johnson after a victory. Cubs win!

What a welcome sight for Cubs fans.

Milton Bradley getting injured for the 8 millionth time in his career...not so much.

(photo: AP)

Turk Wendell and Your Favorite Baseball Superstitions

One of my all time favorite Mets was a relief pitcher named Turk Wendell. Turk was eccentric, erratic, hilarious, entertaining, and strange all at the same time. At the heart of the Turk Wendell craziness was a series of superstitions that Turk would perform each game he pitched. Among the many Turk superstitions were:

-wore a necklace full of shark teeth
-leaping over the first base foul line
-viciously throwing down the rosin bag on the mound before throwing his first pitch
-wearing the 99 jersey (in honor of "Wild Thing" Vaughn" from Major League)
-brushed his teeth in between innings
-chewed licorice instead of chewing tobacco
-and many, many, many more

As you can see, Turk was a pretty crazy dude. And I, for one, loved it.

But why the hell was Turk so damn superstitious? Well, according to Newsweek:

"And when you feel that things are beyond your control? Then, according to a study being published today in Science, you fall prey to what the scientists call “illusory pattern perception”: you see “a coherent and meaningful interrelationship among a set of random or unrelated stimuli.” Less politely, we might call it seeing things that aren’t there, falling victim to conspiracy theories and developing superstitions."

Interesting. While I doubt any of Turk's superstitions helped him statistically, whatever makes him feel comfortable on the mound works for me. No matter the reason for his superstitions, I'm just thrilled that Turk Wendell actually existed and was brought into my baseball conscience with his strange antics.

With that in mind, what are some of your favorite baseball superstitions? Be as ridiculous as possible, please.

Tom Glavine: Get Well Soon!

Could this be the end of a hall of fame career? Let's hope not.

ESPN.com:

Atlanta Braves left-hander Tom Glavine ended his minor league start with Double-A Mississippi early on Sunday after experiencing shoulder discomfort.

The 43-year-old Glavine had expected to throw 50 to 60 pitches, but left after only 36 in two innings. He gave up three hits, including a solo home run, with one walk and no strikeouts against Carolina.

Even though I am still bitter about Glavine's final start as a New York Met, this is not the way a hall of fame career should end.

Josh Johnson: Dominant.

Florida Marlins
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
J Johnson (W, 2-0)	9.0	5	1	1	1	7	0	113-77	0.57
Totals	9.0	5	1	1	1	7	0	113-77

Johnson's line doesn't even come close to displaying just how dominant he was against the Mets today. Simply put, the Mets had no chance against Johnson. He masterfully mixed his overpowering fastball with his ridiculously filthy slider and made Mets hitters look absolutely terrible. He was consistently getting ahead of hitters and making the Mets swing at his pitches, which were unhittable.

If Johnson stays healthy this season, it would not surprise me to see him make the all-star team and perhaps establish himself as a darkhorse CY Young award candidate.

Yes, I am officially chugging the Josh Johnson cool-aid. Look for big things from Johnson this season.

Manny Ramirez is Just Silly

What a perfect way to start the day! Manny Ramirez, a sweaty forehead, and lots of tongue.

Manny being Manny...!

(photo: AP)

Stinkin' Mike Lincoln

Well, the Reds are only 5 games into the season, but the performance of Mike Lincoln has to be concerning thus far. Lincoln had a very good first half last season (3.89 ERA) and very poor second half last season (5.47 ERA), but the Reds decided to give Lincoln a 2 year/$4 million dollar contract hoping that Lincoln would revert to his 1st half form. However, the signs don't look too good so far.

Cincinnati Reds
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
J Cueto (L, 0-1)	6.0	8	4	4	1	9	1	109-66	6.00
D Herrera	1.0	1	1	1	1	3	0	29-16	10.80
J Burton	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	16-8	3.86
M Lincoln	1.0	3	5	5	3	0	2	30-14	34.71

And by the way, Mike Lincoln has a 5.14 WHIP so far this season. Not a good start. Again, it's early, but concerning nonetheless.

The Reds will need solid production from their bullpen this season if they are going to be the surprise team in the National League this season. With that said, how concerned should the Reds be about Lincoln?

The San Diego Padres are Fired Up

And ready to go! (sorry, a little Obama here)

Good to see former Met Heath Bell have some early success as the Padres closer. He is quickly becoming the new Francisco Rodriguez at the end of games with his "hell yeah I just closed the door on this mutha" reactions. And I, for one, could not be happier.

And for the record, Nick Hundley is not related to former Mets great Todd Hundley. What a bummer.

(Photo: AP)

Chris Carpenter: The Ace is Back

Dominant. In control. Outstanding.

All of these words come to mind when describing Chris Carpenter's outing against the Pirates last night. Carpenter gave up only 1 hit and 1 unearned run over 7 dominant innings as the Cardinals beat the Pirates 2-1.

St. Louis Cardinals
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
C Carpenter (W, 1-0)	7.0	1	1	0	2	7	0	92-61	0.00
R Franklin (H, 1)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	15-11	0.00
D Reyes (S, 1)	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	11-6	0.00
Totals	9.0	1	1	0	2	8	0	118-78

Even though Carpenter was facing the lowly Pirates, this performance still has to be awfully encouraging for the Cardinals and their fans. Carpenter has missed most of the past two seasons with arm injuries, so it has been a long time since the Cardinals have had their ace fully healthy and productive.

Most importantly, Carpenter appears to finally be fully healthy.

"It was fun to get out there and pitch, compete in a real game and give my team a chance to win," Carpenter said. "This was the first time in a long time I felt as good as I do now."

Music to Cardinals fans' ears.

If the Cardinals are going to compete for a playoff spot this season, they need Carpenter to be healthy and productive. The Cardinals starting rotation suddenly becomes very formidable with the addition of Carpenter. Kyle Lohse and Adam Wainwright make a solid 2-3 punch and Todd Wellemeyer and Joel Pineiro are a solid duo in the backend of the rotation. It would not shock me to see the Cardinals playing meaningful September baseball if Carpenter can stay healthy.

(photo: AP)

Remembering Nick Adenhart

"It matters not how a man dies, but how he lives. The act of dying is not of importance, it lasts so short a time."
-Samuel Johnson

With that in mind, here are a few reflections about the life of Nick Adenhart. Nick sounds like a great guy with enormous talent, who was simply taken from us too soon.

Tragic end to a promising future-si.com

Adenhart's tragic death hits hard-Joe Posnanski

The Loss of Nick Adenhart- Halos Heaven

Rod Steiner: Adenhart's high school coach- LA Times



In addition, my condolences go out to Henry Pearson, the other man who was killed in the automobile accident. For more on Henry Pearson, check out the touching tribute written up by Matt at Sharapova's Thigh.

Remembering the Best Friend I Ever Had-Sharapova's Thigh

Rest in Peace.

Carl Pavano is in Midseason Form

Cleveland Indians
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
C Pavano	1.0	6	9	9	3	1	2	39-21	81.00

This is your #3 starter, Cleveland! Yikes.

I'm sure somewhere Yankee fans are laughing hysterically at this box score.

Oliver Perez: The Good and the Bad

The line looks ugly. Very ugly. Oliver Perez simply didn't have it (control!) today against the Reds.

New York Mets
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
O Perez (L, 0-1)	4.1	5	8	8	5	7	1	100-55	16.62

This has to be concerning for the Mets, who just committed $36 million bucks to Perez and are depending on him to be their third starter.

But Perez's performance today can be broken down into two distinct parts: the good (innings 1, 2, 4) and the bad (innings 3, 5). When Perez was on during the three "good innings", he only walked one batter and struck out six hitters. He was the Oliver Perez that the Mets fronted the big bucks for.

But when Perez was bad, he was really bad. Just take a look at the play by play of the third and fifth innings when Perez was on the hill:

Cincinnati - Bottom of 3rd	SCORE
Oliver Perez pitching for New York	NYM	CIN
R Hanigan walked.	3	0
P Janish struck out swinging.	3	0
B Arroyo sacrificed to pitcher, R Hanigan to second.	3	0
W Taveras walked.	3	0
D McDonald singled to center, R Hanigan scored, W Taveras to second.	3	1
J Votto homered to right center, W Taveras and D McDonald scored.	3	4
B Phillips flied out to center.	3	4
4 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors

Cincinnati - Bottom of 5th	SCORE
Oliver Perez pitching for New York	NYM	CIN
W Taveras reached on bunt single to pitcher.	4	4
D McDonald walked, W Taveras to second.	4	4
J Votto singled to center, W Taveras scored, D McDonald to third.	4	5
B Phillips hit sacrifice fly to center, D McDonald scored.	4	6
J Bruce walked, J Votto to second.	4	6
D O'Day relieved O Perez.

As you can see, when Perez is bad, he is really bad. During innings 3 and 5, Perez walked 4 batters, gave up three hits, and only struck out one hitter. The walks were the real killer for Perez. When Perez walks hitters, he's terrible.

Inconsistent. Inconsistent. Inconsistent.

It's night and day with Perez. When he's on, he's fantastic. But when he gets distracted or loses his control, he's painful to watch.

The Mets better hope that Perez comes around and does not deal with these inconsistency issues for the entire season. We all know that Perez will deal with his ups and downs over the course of the season, but the Mets need the dominant Perez much more often than the Oliver Perez who cannot find the strike zone.

Nick Adenhart: RIP

RIP. What a sad story. A life lost far too soon.

My thoughts are prayers are with his family and friends

Atlanta Braves: Oh, Dear Lord

It's never good having a ## (infinity) ERA instead of having an actual number. An infinity ERA is perhaps the grossest thing in all of baseball as it means a pitcher has given up at least a run without ever retiring a batter in that respective season.

For the Atlanta Braves, you know something went terribly wrong when two guys in the bullpen have infinity (###) ERAs after yesterday's game against the Phillies.

Atlanta Braves
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
J Vazquez	6.0	5	3	3	4	5	1	102-61	4.50
E O'Flaherty	0.1	1	2	2	0	0	0	17-11	10.80
P Moylan	0.0	2	4	4	2	0	0	16-7	###
B Boyer (L, 0-1)	0.0	0	2	2	2	0	0	9-1	###
J Campillo (B, 1)	0.2	2	1	1	2	0	0	21-9	13.50
J Bennett	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	14-10	0.00
Totals	8.0	11	12	12	10	6	1	179-99

So what the hell went wrong? Well, the Braves bullpen squandered a 7 run lead in the most excruciating way possible: by walking in four runs. Yes, in the seventh inning alone the Braves bullpen walked six batters. Talk about ugly.

Just take a look at this play-by-play from ESPN.com:

M Stairs walked, J Werth scored, R Ibanez to third, P Feliz to second.	10	6
B Boyer relieved P Moylan.	10	6
C Coste hit for C Condrey.	10	6
C Coste walked, R Ibanez scored, P Feliz to third, M Stairs to second.	10	7
J Rollins walked, P Feliz scored, M Stairs to third, C Coste to second.	10	8
J Campillo relieved B Boyer.	10	8
S Victorino singled to right, M Stairs scored, C Coste to third, J Rollins to second.	10	9
C Utley walked, C Coste scored, J Rollins to third, S Victorino to second.	10	10

Four runs on walks. Incredible. If you're a Braves fan and you watched this game in its entirety...I apologize.

I think Bobby Cox summed it up best:

"I've never seen anything like it," Braves manager Bobby Cox said of the bullpen's meltdown. "I've seen a couple walk-ins, but never like that."

And as you know by now, the Braves eventually lost the game, 12-11 because of their bullpen meltdown. What a tremendous and fun win for the Phillies and an agonizing and pathetic loss for the Braves.

After 3 games, the Braves bullpen looks very shaky and uneven right now, especially if Mike Gonzalez struggles as the Braves closer. This has got to be a major concern for Bobby Cox and Frank Wren right now.

Can Derek Lowe pitch out of the bullpen and start?

New York Mets: The Cardiac Bullpen

For any of the Mets fans out there who saw last night's game, I must ask: did you seriously think K-Rod was going to close the door? After the bullpen gave back 3 runs and K-Rod proceed to load the bases (thanks in part to the glove work of Delgado) with only one out, I must admit, my initial reaction was not too positive.

Oh shit. Here we go again.

But as soon as I started cursing at my TV like it was 2008 all over again, K-Rod shut the door. A strikeout and a fly ball later, and the Mets were home free with a 2-0 record.

New York Mets
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
M Pelfrey (W, 1-0)	5.0	5	4	4	4	2	1	104-56	7.20
R Parnell (H, 1)	1.0	0	0	0	2	1	0	21-11	0.00
P Feliciano	0.2	2	2	2	1	1	0	17-11	27.00
S Green (H, 2)	0.1	1	0	0	0	0	0	4-3	0.00
J Putz (H, 2)	1.0	1	1	1	0	0	0	14-10	4.50
F Rodriguez (S, 2)	1.0	0	0	0	2	1	0	30-12	0.00
Totals	9.0	9	7	7	9	5	1	190-103

Even though the bullpen struggled tonight, I do have faith in this crew. I really like what I've seen so far out of Green, Putz, and K-Rod; even after tonight's somewhat shaky finish to the game. Bottom line: K-Rod got the save and that's exactly what the Mets are paying him the big bucks to do.

Make no mistake about it, this bullpen will be under intense scrutiny for the entire season. It doesn't make a difference that most of these guys in the bullpen were not around for 2007 or 2008. What matters is that Mets fans have been so scarred by the late season demises over the past two seasons that the Mets bullpen needs to be dominant from the start.

I look forward to seeing if these guys can handle the pressure. But two games in: so far, so good.

Yo, Yovani Gallardo!

Pretty good night for Mr. Gallardo if I don't say so myself.

Not only did Gallardo pitch well:

Milwaukee Brewers
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
Y Gallardo (W, 1-0)	6.2	6	2	2	2	6	0	104-67	2.70
M Stetter	0.0	0	0	0	1	0	0	5-1	0.00
T Coffey (H, 1)	1.1	0	0	0	0	1	0	15-11	0.00
C Villanueva (S, 1)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	13-9	0.00
Totals	9.0	6	2	2	3	9	0	137-88

But Yovani hit the eventual game winning three run home run off Randy Johnson!

HR: M Cameron (1, 2nd inning off Ra Johnson 0 on, 2 Out); Y Gallardo (1, 5th inning off Ra Johnson 2 on, 2 Out)

How's that for a night at the ball park?

The 2009 "Darren Oliver" Roster

Back in 2005, Darren Oliver's career was on life support. Oliver did not pitch in 2005 after being released by the Colorado Rockies, and was unable to put together a productive big league season since 1999. His statistics from 2000-2004 were ugly. Very ugly. There was no reason why a GM should have been compelled to give Oliver an opportunity in 2006 with the hopes that he suddenly became a productive major league pitcher.

But for some reason, Mets GM Omar Minaya decided to bring Oliver into spring training on a minor league contract in the hopes that Oliver could revive his declining career and help the Mets in the bullpen. And what do you know, not only did Oliver make the team in 2006, but he put up some pretty darn good numbers (4-1, 3.44 ERA) as the Mets long relief pitcher. Oliver made Omar Minaya look like a genius for bringing his aboard on just a minor league contract.

So no as the new season draws upon us, I thought I would take a look at some veteran players, who took minor league contracts like Oliver, in the hopes of reviving and extending their careers. Like Oliver, all of these players made their respective 25 man roster out of spring training, which at least gives them the opportunity to show the baseball world what they can do.

Darren Oliver Roster Criteria:
1. Veteran player with vast major league experience
2. Signed to minor league contract this offseason
3. Made 25 man roster entering 2009 season

*THE 2009 "Darren Oliver" Roster*

C- Michael Barrett
1b- Kevin Millar
2b- Miguel Cairo
3b- Rich Aurilia
ss- Juan Uribe
OF- Chris Duffy
OF- Andruw Jones
OF- Craig Monroe
DH-Mike Sweeney
Bench-Corky Miller
Bench-Doug Mientkiewicz
Bench- Omar Vizquel
Bench- Nick Green
Bench- Tony Graffanino

SP-Livan Hernandez
SP-Russ Ortiz
SP- Kris Benson
RP- Kiko Calero
RP- Juan Rincon
RP- Julian Tavarez
RP- Jason Jennings
RP- Eddie Guardado

(Note: Need more starting pitchers!)

So how many games could I win with this bunch? I'd say 68...as long as Andruw Jones doesn't completely bomb out.

Food for thought: which guy on this roster will actually become the next Darren Oliver and have a productive 2009 season in the majors? My guess is Kiko Calero.

Party Like It's 1999, A's Fans

Back in 1999, a Giambi-Garciaparra-Chavez middle of the order would have been incredible. All three guys were young, future stars, who were oozing with potential. This incredible trio would have put up some scary good power numbers if they were in the same lineup. I vividly remember having a dynamite Athletics lineup in Griffey Slugfest with both Giambi and Chavez. Could you imagine if Nomar was hitting in between them? I can dream, right?

Now, let's fast forward to last night's Athletics-Angels game. Athletics manager Bob Geren did not start Matt Holliday because of an illness, which left him no choice but to go with the Giambi-Garciaparra-Chavez middle of the order! Even if it's 10 years later, this trio did quite well together last night as the A's beat the Angels.

J Giambi DH	5	1	3	1	0	0	2	.375
N Garciaparra 1B	5	1	2	0	0	0	4	.222
E Chavez 3B	5	0	1	1	0	1	4	.250

Obviously, the A's will need the following if they are going to compete: lots of production from Giambi and healthy seasons from both Chavez and Garciaparra. These three veterans will play a large role in determining how far the Athletics go this season, especially if the young Athletics starting pitching struggles. Giambi and Chavez are especially important as they provide protection for the always dangerous Matt Holliday. As for Nomar, I cannot wait to see how Geren works him into the lineup. Nomar can still hit, that we all know, but it will come down to his health and the health of those around him (Giambi and Chavez!)

Sorrow for Morrow

Seattle Mariners
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
E Bedard	5.0	6	3	3	0	8	0	85-56	5.40
R Corcoran (H, 1)	2.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	22-15	0.00
D Aardsma (H, 1)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	9-6	0.00
B Morrow (L, 0-1; H, 1)	0.2	0	3	3	3	1	0	28-14	40.50
M Batista (B, 1)	0.0	2	0	0	0	0	0	3-3	0.00

For Mariners fans, this has to be quite concerning. Even though Morrow was able to get the first two outs in the ninth inning today, he wound up blowing the game because of porous control. Once Wakamatsu was forced to go to Miguel Batista, you knew the game was over.

But back to Morrow, Mariners fans have to expect some bumps in the road from their young closer as he fully adapts to the role for good. In addition, Morrow missed a good portion of spring training, so there's a good chance that he is behind on his work. The control issues are a tell tale sign of that, but Mariners fans need be cognizant that Morrow has struggled in the past with his control (50 to 66 K/BB ratio in 2007, 34 to 75 K/BB ration in 2008) and he will obviously need to cut down on the walks.

I have no doubt that Morrow will be a very good closer in this league...eventually. When he is on, Morrow has fantastic stuff. Plain and simple.

But if last night is any indication, it might take a little time for Morrow.

Now That's a Celebration, Toronto

Great win last night for the Blue Jays, even if the crowd was unable to purchase alcoholic beverages. It's tough to get excited over two measly wins, but Toronto deserves a winning ball club. They have been stricken by the AL East (Yankees/Red Sox) Curse for far too long.

(Note: Even though the picture is quite emotional and entertaining, the live celebration on the field did not look exciting at all. Check it out.)

As for the Tigers, yikes. That bullpen is an absolute train wreck.

Get well soon, Joel Zumaya. Detroit needs you.

Giants Fans Could Get Used to This

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
MIL (0-1)	0	2	1	2	0	0	0	0	1	6	10	0
SFO (1-0)	3	1	0	2	1	0	2	1	-	10	12	1

10 RUNS!

Throughout the entire offseason, many fans and bloggers, like myself, were skeptical that the Giants offense would be able to produce this season. We all know about their potentially dominant starting rotation and solid bullpen, but the offense looked like the glaring sore spot on the Giants roster.

Well, for one day at least, the Giants offense made people like myself look stupid for questioning their ability. The Giants mashed out 10 runs against the Brewers pitching staff and most importantly, they were able to win a game where Tim Lincecum did not look like the 2008 CY Young award winner. If the Giants are going to compete, the offense will need to pick up the slack on days where the pitching is off.

I still contend that the key to the Giants' offensive success this season will be Sandoval and Ishikawa. The Giants are banking on these two youngsters to be as good as advertised and o Opening Day, both guys showed off their immense abilities at the dish.

P Sandoval 3B	4	2	2	0	0	1	2	.500
T Ishikawa 1B	5	1	2	3	0	1	5	.400

I would still expect the Giants offense to struggle at times this season, but hey, maybe just maybe, the Giants offense can surprise me and deliver. Make no mistake about it though, the pressure is one Ishikawa and Sandoval.

Still Farnsworthless

New team, new year, same result: Kyle Farnsworth blows the game by giving up a 3 run home run to Jim Thome. Could have seen that one coming.

Kansas City Royals
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
G Meche	7.0	7	1	1	0	6	0	91-61	1.29
K Farnsworth (L, 0-1; B, 1)	1.0	4	3	3	0	1	1	24-17	27.00
Totals	8.0	11	4	4	0	7	1	115-78

(Side note: Where was Ron Mahay to face Jim Thome? Doesn't it make more sense to have Mahay, the lefty specialist, face the Thome instead of Farnsworth?)

C'mon, Trey Hillman!

Greg Miller: Baseball is a Cruel Game

Back in 2004, I had the pleasure of going to Dodgers spring training in Vero Beach, Florida. The Dodgers training complex was notoriously open, which gave fans easy access to players for autographs, pictures, and whatnot. At Dodgers spring training, I was essentially a kid in a candy store as players were readily accessible and baseball seemed to be at your fingertips.

Even with all the opportunity to meet players and get autographs, I was not one to be fixated on the Dodgers big stars. Sure it was a thrill to see Eric Gagne and Shawn Green, but what really excited me was seeing big name prospects. Using Baseball America as my guide, I fully hyped up the Dodgers best prospects in my head and I was sure that after reading a measly paragraph in the Baseball Handbook that the best Dodgers pitching prospects were going to be studs. It's amazing what the 14 year old mind can believe simply by reading a book.

But anyway, my mind was made up, Edwin Jackson and Greg Miller were going to be the next big things in the National League, especially Miller. I hoped that I would be able to meet Greg Miller and perhaps get an autograph and a picture taken with him...I vividly remember thinking how easy it would be to meet Miller simply because he was "just a prospect."

What I didn't expect was a freakin' mob scene. Apparently Miller had quite a following of Dodger fans, who like me, thought he was on the fast track to success in the big leagues. I'm happy to note that I did indeed gets Miller's autograph with the help of a little pushing and some luck. No one ever said autograph hunting was easy. I walked away from Dodgertown that day thinking that I had just secured an autograph of one of the best prospects in baseball and a certain future all star.

But unfortunately, my predictions about Greg Miller were completely wrong.

Ever since being hailed as one of the best pitching prospects in the minors, Miller has dealt with serious shoulder issues that have sapped him of his pristine prospect status. Since 2004, Miller has been shuffled between the starting rotation and the bullpen as his struggles advanced and became more severe on the mound. No matter where he has pitched, the results have been the same: terrible.

So I guess it should come as no surprise that the Dodgers released Greg Miller yesterday. After posting an ERA above 7 in AAA, it has become blatantly clear the Miller probably does not have a future in the majors. How sad.

Here's the thing to remember about baseball: one day, you could be on top of the world with the fans clamoring for your attention and organizations salivating at your talents. However, it only takes one injury or one poor performance for the bandwagon to completely fall apart. Baseball is a humbling sport that has phenomenal highs for players, but at the same time, horrific lows of unfulfilled expectation, injuries, and poor performance.

In the case of Miller, it really is quite sad to see how far he has fallen. I will always remember seeing the large crowd push and shove in the hopes of having Miller sign their ball., You would have though this guy was Sandy Koufax or something! And just 5 years later, Miller is no longer a Dodger and likely will not have a major league career. How sad.

So often we focus on those select few who have made it big in the major leagues, and rightfully so, they deserve it. But just remember players like Greg Miller, who had so much promise and potential only to have their careers curtailed by injuries and whatnot.

I'm pushing hard for Miller to eventually succeed in the major leagues. Even though the odds are completely stacked against him, there is no such thing as impossible odds in baseball. Let's hope Miller can regain some of his old form so I can do some more reminiscing about gettin' Greg Miller's autograph. I'm sure the topic will be a fierce party starter and will make my Greg Miller autograph quite the momento.

Better Get Used to This, Arizona

Arizona	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Webb	4.0	6	6	6	2	2	2	13.50