HR# 755 - Barry Bonds Ties Henry Aaron Vs. San Diego

SIDE BY SIDE WITH AARON
Bonds' historic home run, dogged by controversy, is a big relief
Henry Schulman, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, August 5, 2007
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(08-05) 04:00 PDT San Diego -- Throughout the pursuit, Barry Bonds' world had become suffocating. He chased Hank Aaron while allegations of steroid abuse chased him. To his left, to his right, above and below, the media and fans crowded him, watched him, questioned him, cheered him and taunted him.
When he caught Aaron on Saturday night, hitting his 755th home run in the second inning of the Giants' 3-2, 12-inning loss to the San Diego Padres, Bonds finally got his reward - a chance to run the bases in solitude, to breathe, to know that no man who ever wore a major-league uniform has hit more home runs than he has.
Thirty-three years, three months and 27 days after Aaron hit his 715th home run to surpass Babe Ruth, Bonds met Aaron with a 382-foot shot against San Diego right-hander Clay Hensley, a onetime Giants prospect who two years ago drew a 15-game suspension in the minors for using performance-enhancing drugs.
Bonds' 755th homer went to left field, just like his first homer in 1986. It clanged off the facing of the low second deck at Petco Park, a stadium, legend holds, that was built with deep dimensions to be "Bonds-proof." A crowd of 42,497 reacted with more cheers than boos, flying in the face of yearslong fears that this feat would be greeted with embarrassing derision.
Four hours after he homered, and eight hours after he took 113 swings in an unusual, early batting-practice session inside an empty stadium, Bonds expressed his relief with getting it done.
"This is the hardest thing I've ever gone through in my entire career," Bonds said. "It's a different feeling than any of the other ones. I really am lost for words at this moment."
Aaron has not embraced Bonds' pursuit of his record, but Bonds has embraced Aaron and did so again when they stood together at 755.
"We as baseball players, especially as African American ballplayers, have so much respect for Hank Aaron and all our other African American athletes as well," he said. "They have paved the road to what we are doing now. No one at any time, shape, form will ever allow me to say anything different about Hank Aaron (than) what a great person he is and what a great athlete he is."
It was fitting Bonds tied the record against the Padres. Bonds' 87 home runs against them are his most against any opponent. Hensley became the 445th pitcher to surrender one.
After homering, Bonds walked three times. When he left in the eighth for pinch-runner Rajai Davis, he received a standing ovation from a large segment of the crowd.
His next opportunity to pass Aaron is expected to be Monday, when the Giants open a seven-game homestand with the first of four games against the Washington Nationals. Even before Saturday's game, manager Bruce Bochy said Bonds probably will rest in today's series finale, and Bonds confirmed it, saying, "I am not going to be in the lineup tomorrow. I'm going to be celebrating with my family."
At 7:29 PDT, Bonds came to the plate on a warm evening, with plenty of sunlight still bathing the office buildings and hotels that compose the skyline beyond the 3-year-old stadium. As usual, flashbulbs popped incessantly as soon as he made his way to the batter's box, although their effect was muted in the dusk.
Bonds took the first three pitches, a strike and two balls, before slamming the 2-1, outside fastball to the opposite field. He had no doubt he made history. The same went for the pitcher.
"I knew it was gone when he hit it," said Hensley, who did not seem overly distraught with his infamous place in history. "I'm not going to put much stock in it. ... What I was more upset about was giving up the home run. I don't like giving up runs."
Bonds stood and watched the record-tying home run sail away. Left fielder Scott Hairston retreated as far as he could, stuck his back against the left-field wall and did not bother to look up and watch the baseball sail over the fence. A scrum for the ball ensued among the bleacher fans. It was retrieved by Adam Hughes, 33, of nearby La Jolla - a city whose Spanish name translates to "The Jewel."
Bonds dropped his bat, punched one hand with the other and clapped as he started to run. There were no histrionics, only a satisfying 360-foot trot.
The fans, already on their feet, offered a mixed reaction that symbolized the divisiveness Bonds has engendered during his chase for the record, although it was far more positive than many predicted for a road game.
The cheers, many from Giants fans in a hostile house, reflected their appreciation for Bonds' feat. The boos reflected the anger of many baseball fans who believe Bonds achieved this milestone only because he took performance-enhancing drugs.
Bonds' son and batboy, Nikolai, charged out of the dugout on the third-base side of the field as the ball cleared the fence. When Bonds reached the plate he lifted Nikolai with one arm and continually slammed him on the back with the other, walking several steps along the way.
Commissioner Bud Selig was present, a reluctant spectator. As Bonds rounded the bases, ESPN cameras showed Selig standing in his box, looking indifferent, his hands appearing to be in his pants pockets. Selig later issued a statement congratulating Bonds and saying, "No matter what anybody thinks of the controversy surrounding this event, Mr. Bonds' achievement is noteworthy and remarkable."
Bonds hugged on-deck hitter Ryan Klesko then greeted the rest of his teammates, who emerged from the dugout. They stood on the field only a short time before Bonds walked to his wife, Elizabeth, and daughter Aisha, who were seated in a box behind the plate. Bonds kissed both through the protective netting of the foul-ball screen.
Bonds then hugged Sue Burns, the Giants' principal investor, tipped his helmet to the crowd, walked into the dugout, sat down and smiled, knowing that his next home run will leave him atop the all-time list.
No. 755 was rooted in his early batting-practice session. He asked batting coach Joe Lefebvre for the extra work, and Bonds said Lefebvre suggested they come out more than four hours before game time, away from the media glare of regular batting practice, and "go over some of the things my dad used to talk to me about. Joe wanted us to be by ourselves and get away from all of the attention.
"Joe wanted me to get out there and work on the things I've done for so long in my career, for 22 years, and get out there and spend time doing it like I've always done it, then take yourself away, go relax, visualize the things we did and follow through with it into the game. And it worked."
Manager Bruce Bochy threw to Bonds for 30 minutes, and Lefebvre the final 10, alternating in the cage with rookies Fred Lewis and Davis. Bochy is not one to take credit for things like this, although he did say, "I had some good stuff today."
When Bonds caught Ruth at 714 last year, he said that was far more important to him than passing Ruth. Most people will consider Bonds' next homer, No. 756, a more important event. But Bonds seemed to differ Saturday, saying, "The hardest part is over now."
In fact, Bonds already sounds resigned to losing the record to Alex Rodriguez, who hit his 500th home run earlier Saturday. Reiterating how difficult this chase has been, Bonds said, "I had rashes on my head. I felt like I was getting sick at times. It's tough to go up there and be in this situation as it is. Alex, I'm rooting for you. I'll be there for you. I'll help you through it all. I'm praying for you."
-- The Giants-Padres game was not over by press time. Go to sfgate.com for coverage.

Morgan Ensberg Homers Twice In Padres Victory

By David
Kaye

Behind seven scoreless innings by Jake Peavy and two home runs by new Padre Morgan Ensberg, San Diego defeated divisional rival Arizona 11-0.

Acquired in a trade deadline deal Tuesday from Houston, Ensberg belted two two-run homers and drove in four runs to inch within 1.5 games of the division lead. In 85 games with the Astros he was batting a dismal .232 with eight long balls and 31 runs driven in.


All-Star Jake Peavy struck out ten Diamondbacks and improved his record to 11-5, while lowering his E.R.A. to 2.30. Arizona right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Dustin Nippert both gave up 5 earned runs in their teams first lose since a 14-0 shellacking at the hands of the Atlanta Braves Sunday afternoon.

Two mainstays in the Padres, Adrian Gonzalez and Khalil Greene, both added home runs to shut out the NL West leading Dbacks. New hitting coach Wally Joyner must have enjoyed the offensive explosion San Diego put on against their division rival.

San Diego will welcome Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants into town this weekend.

Twins Trade Luis Castillo To Mets

By David
Kaye

In need of added depth in the infield the New York Mets acquired three-time gold glove second baseman Luis Castillo from the Minnesota Twins for minor league catcher Drew Butera and minor league outfielder Dustin Martin.

"We pride our team as being pitching and defense," said Mets general manager Omar Minaya. "Castillo is one of the best second basemen in baseball."

Although Ruben Gotay has filled in nicely at second for Jose Valentin who fractured his right leg earlier this month, the Mets needed a veteran presence at a critical position as they enter the dog days of summer.

Castillo ,31, is a career .294 hitter and has swiped 315 bases during his twelve big league seasons. In 1999 he had 50 stolen bases, 62 in 2000 and 48 in 2002. He has spent the last two seasons in the Twin Cities after winning a World Series ring during his ten seasons in South Florida.

Chicago White Sox Trade Tadahito Iguchi To Phillies

By David
Kaye

In need of a second baseman after All-Star Chase Utley went down with a fractured right hand, the Philadelphia Phillies acquired Chicago's Tadahito Iguchi for minor league pitcher Michael Dubee.

Although Iguchi is batting a disappointing .251 this season, he is a career .273 hitter in three seasons with the White Sox. He will bring a veteran presence to the Phillies infield and a reliable bat in the lineup. Remember, he was part of the White Sox 2005 World Series team.

Utley will miss at least four weeks after having a pin inserted in his hand last week and his injury could prove to cripple the Phillies chances of reaching the playoffs.

Texas Rangers Trade Kenny Lofton To Indians

By David
Kaye

The Cleveland Indians re-acquired Kenny Lofton on Friday for minor league catcher Max Ramirez.

Lofton, 40, will enjoy his third stint with the ball club that he flourished with during the mid 90's. He's the all-time stolen base leader (450) in franchise history and ranks third in runs scored (951), tenth in career base hits (1,463) and at-bats (4,872).

He will provide added depth to a young outfield that is comprised of 24-year old all-star Grady Sizemore, 30-year old Jason Michaels and 33-year old Trot Nixon.

General manager Mark Shapiro said, ''This is a guy who brings a lot of energy to us. He is 40-years old with a body of a 25-year old.''

Unlike in Texas where Lofton was playing on a struggling team, he will quickly be thrusted into a pennant race in Cleveland. The Indians are currently leading the wild card race and are right behind the Tigers for the division lead.

Max Ramirez,22, played in the All-Star Futures game earlier this month and was hitting over .300 with Class A Kinston.

Bullpen Help Is A Premium As The Trade Deadline Approaches

By David
Kaye

Having a solid bridge to the end of a ballgame is imperative for every team that is in the hunt for a playoff berth. With an abundance of available relievers on the market many general managers have the undue burden of deciding what players best fit their rotation.

The Rangers Eric Gagne, the Pirates Salomon Torres, the Yankees Kyle Farnsworth and Scott Proctor, the Royals Octavio Dotel, the Nationals Chad Cordero, Luis Ayala and Jon Rauch, the Reds David Weathers, the Astros Dan Wheeler, the White Sox Matt Thornton, the A's Joe Kennedy and the Rockies Brian Fuentes are all viable options for contending teams.

Eric Gagne, Chad Cordero and Octavio Dotel are the most intriguing and coveted names, but they will come with high price tags. All three play for underachieving teams and it would only be logical to expect that management would want mid to high level prospects.

Scott Linebrink Traded To Brewers

By David
Kaye

In need of added depth and a veteran presence to an inexperienced bullpen, the Milwaukee Brewers acquired Padres set up man Scott Linebrink from the Brewers for right-hander Wil Inman, left-handers Joe Thatcher and Steve Garrison.

Padres general manager Kevin Towers has separated himself as an elite GM due to his propensity for acquiring young talent and transforming them into major league stars. Case in point was last season when he traded for Adrian Gonzalez and Chris Young of the Texas Rangers who were thought of at the time as borderline players.

Wil Inman was rated as the Brewers third best prospect according to Baseball America and Joe Thatcher will be added to San Diego's 25-man roster tomorrow when they open up a weekend series in Houston. After the transaction was completed Towers said, ''it was a deal that was by far the best deal. This was one that collectively we looked at and said, we can't pass it up.''


The Padres, who by all estimations have the premier bullpen in baseball, will be losing their set up man that has been with the team since 2003. He'll provide leadership and a short term infusion for the remainder of the season. Linebrink, 30, has posted a 2.82, 2.14, 1.83, 3.57 and 3.80 E.R.A. over the course of the past five seasons. He's appeared in three career playoff games and while he has not enjoyed a great success rate, he'll be able to provide a steady presence late in ballgames.

The one question mark that can be raised about the Austin, Texas native is that his E.R.A has increased substantially the last two seasons. Going from an 8-1 record with a 1.83 earned run average to a 10-7 record with a 3.69 earned run average stages a major red flag in my mind. Nine home runs surrendered in 45 innings is inexcusable for a player of his caliber.

Trade Rumors Swirling As Deadline Approaches

Fact or fiction: the Yankees will acquire a bat off the bench and much needed bullpen help. All of that and much more will be finalized with eight days remaining until the MLB trade deadline.

Will general managers trade for a big name hitter or pitcher or will they remain placid with the hope that they have the team in place to make a run for a playoff berth? July 31st will determine what clubs are contenders and which are pretenders. The underlining truth is that all division leaders and teams in the wild card mix could use an extra arm and fill a void on offense.

With a very scarce pool of quality players available it will be up to the crafty gm's to find value where most others would come up empty. It's an arduous feat to accomplish, but guys like Kevin Towers of the Padres, John Schuerholz of the Braves, Theo Epstein of the Red Sox and Omar Minaya of the Mets have made a living at finding undervalued players.

Two prominent pitchers that will be available are the White Sox Jose Contreras and the Giants Matt Morris. Contreras, 35, is on course to suffer the worst season in his 5-year major league career. At 5-12, he's sporting a 5.76 E.R.A. and has allowed 134 hits in 114 innings pitched. Still, he brings playoff experience and is the cheapest of the White Sox pitchers that Kenny Williams would be willing to trade.

After ending a disappointing first-year by the bay where he lost 15 games, Matt Morris has rebounded nicely to go 7-6 with a respectable 4.08 E.R.A. He's the veteran leader of a young and dynamic pitching staff that is among the best of baseball. He would be the quintessential fit for any playoff bound team.


Rangers' first baseman Mark Teixeira is the hottest commodity available on the trade market and all indications demonstrate that general manager Jon Daniels is willing to deal his franchise player. For a team like the Yankees, Angels, Tigers or Braves to acquire the power hitting infielder, they must be willing to give up several high-profile prospects.























Dodgers are frontrunner to acquire Dotel who's pitching exceptionally well. Is finally healthy.

Yankees Offense Explodes For 21 Runs Against The Tampa Bay Devil Rays

By David
Kaye

21 runs, 25 hits, six home runs, a 29-minute ten run fourth inning and close to four hours of constant battering of Devil Rays pitching was all in a days order for the Bronx Bombers as they inched closer to the Indians in the highly combustible AL wild card race.

While training camp does not start till Friday for the hometown Jets , the Yankees got off to an early start as they scored three touchdowns and held the woeful Rays to a field goal and extra point. To put the offensive onslaught of New York into perspective, fifteen teams on Sunday combined to score 21 runs and the Rockies, Mariners, Pirates, Cubs, A's and Padres were all shutout.

Shelley Duncan, brother of the Cardinals Chris Duncan and son of St.Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan, went 2-for-4 with two home runs, four runs knocked in and two base on balls. In the fourth inning with two on and two out against left-handed reliever Casey Fossum he belted a Prince Fielder type home run deep to left field. After receiving two curtain calls by the Yankee faithful, the 6-foot-5 power hitter now has three in four days.

"It's pretty exciting. He has a lot of energy," Rodriguez said. "Sometimes we need that energy, so that's good. I'm happy he's here."

A-Rod, who is having one of the most productive seasons in baseball history, blasted his 34th long ball of the season and climbed one RBI away from 100. In 97 games played, he's batting .313 with a .412 on base percentage and .665 slugging percentage. Rodriguez is now two homers shy of reaching the paramount mark of 500 career home runs.

Left Fielder Hideki Matsui added a regular season career-high five hits and scorched his 17th homer of the season to contribute to the offensive explosion. Before the All-Star break, second baseman Robinson Cano was batting a respectable .274. Since play resumed in the second half, he's batting .413 with 19 hits and a .609 slugging percentage. On Sunday, Robby tattooed Tampa's pitching for four hits, 3 runs batted in and a two-run home run deep to right field in the bottom half of the eight inning.

Other notable contributions were made by Melky Cabrera (2-for-4, two walks, two runs scored and a run knocked in), Derek Jeter (1-for-3, two runs scored and an RBI), Bobby Abreu (3-for-4, 3 runs batted in, 2 runs scored and a solo home run), and Jorge Posada (3-for-6, 1 run batted in and one run scored).

Tulsa Drillers coach dies after being struck by line drive

When any individuals life is cut short due to an unforeseen event it is tragic, but the situation is magnified when it occurs in the public spotlight in front of your players and the opposing team.

Although I do not follow the Texas League with great awareness and never heard of Tulsa coach Mike Coolbaugh, my best wishes go out to his family during this unfortunate grieving process.


July 23, 2007

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- Tulsa Drillers coach Mike Coolbaugh died Sunday night after being struck in the head by a line drive as he stood in the first-base coach's box during a Texas League game with the Arkansas Travelers, police said.

The game was suspended in the ninth inning after Coolbaugh was struck by a hard-hit foul ball off the bat of Tino Sanchez and taken to Baptist Medical Center-North Little Rock.

Phil Elson, spokesman for the Travelers, said Coolbaugh was struck by the ball on the right side of his head, or on the forehead -- "I'm getting conflicting reports," he said -- and fell to the ground immediately.

According to a report posted on the Drillers' Web site late Sunday, Coolbaugh was knocked unconscious and CPR was administered to him on the field.

Sgt. Terry Kuykendall, spokesman for North Little Rock police, said Coolbaugh was still alive when he was put in an ambulance for the trip to the hospital, but stopped breathing as the ambulance arrived at the facility.

"They tried to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead at 9:47 p.m.," Kuykendall said.

Cardinals' Albert Pujols Continues Home Run Tear Against Philadelphia Phillies

By David
Kaye

Slugger Albert Pujols has taken one step closer to handing the Phillies their 10,000 career lose as he drilled home runs number 19 and 20 on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.

In the fifth inning with Skip Schumaker leading off first he belted a mammoth shot into the right field stands to give starting pitcher Adam Wainwright a 5-0 lead. In the seventh inning against reliever Brian Sanches he hit a solo shot to left field for his 20th home run of the season.

Since second half play began Thursday, he has compiled four home runs and 5 RBI's. It had taken the 5-time All-Star 28 games to hit his last four long balls and in the prior 22 games before the break he was homerless.

Undervalued Commodities In The Marketplace

By David
Kaye

Power hitting defensive catchers are few and far between in baseball. The list of outstanding back stoppers can be counted on one hand.

The Indians' Victor Martinez, the Yankees' Jorge Posada, the Red Sox' Jason Varitek, the Twins' Joe Mauer and the Tigers' Ivan Rodriguez are all former All -Stars who contribute substantially to their teams success and receive hefty pay checks.

Still, there are several catchers who make close to the league minimum and are playing well.

Brian McCann: The 23-year old is a fixture in the middle of the Braves lineup and one of the premier young players in baseball. An All=Star for the second time this season Brian is one of the top fantasy catchers in the league and has a career .988 fielding percentage. His success is frequently overshadowed due in part to the big name catchers who steal the headlines.

With a salary of $666,667 McCann is a bargain for Gm John Schuerholz.

Russell Martin: Voted in as an All-Star this year by the fans he is a multi dimensional player. The 24-year old brings speed, power, above average throwing accuracy, outstanding hitting ability and athleticism to Grady Little's lineup every night.

To put his agility into perspective, he has 16 stolen bases this season. The rest of the starting catchers in the National League have a combined 12 swiped bags. Additionally, his 61 runs knocked in are sixth best in the senior circuit and his .313 average places him in the top 15.

An .882 OPS(.382 OBP ans .500 SLG percentage) is extremely respectable for a catcher.

Russell's very fortunate to be playing in a big market city like L.A. because it enables him to receive the exposure that he deserves. Not only is he excellent with the bat, but he mans one of the better pitching staffs in the majors very well. In my opinion, he is the most undervalued catcher in MLB.

At $387,500, Martin is earning $7,500 over the league minimum.

Mike Piazza To Leave The Bay Area

By David
Kaye

The highest paid backup catcher in baseball might be taking his game to another city if general manager Billy Beane can find a viable suitor.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Piazza, who has been out of action since May 2nd with a severely sprained sprained shoulder, is not ready to begin a rehab assignment as a catcher. The future Hall of Famer does not have the strength to throw the ball accurately and if it was up to him he'd return as the designated hitter.

Originally, the A's signed Piazza to be there everyday DH, but once he injured himself Jack Cust resumed that role. Cust has been playing so well (.262, 15 HR's, 42 RBI's, .388 OBP, 556 SLG) that no room remains for the man who holds the record for most home runs by a catcher.


Furthermore, 27-year old power hitting outfielder Nick Swisher would move to first base, but that position is currently occupied by Dan Johnson. However you try to jumble around the lineup card there will be no room remaining for Piazza.

Teams in search of a bat before the July 31st trading deadline include the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels of Anahiem.

White Sox Slugger Jermaine Dye To The New York Mets?

By David
Kaye

Two and a half weeks remain until the July 31st trade deadline and there are constant rumors swirling that the Mets are pursuing Chicago Right Fielder Jermaine Dye.

In 74 games this season, Dye is batting .219 with 13 home runs and 41 runs batted in. Not the ideal season to be having when you enter the daunting period of free agency.

In 2006 he enjoyed a career year, batting .315 with 44 home runs, 120 RBI'S, 103 runs scored, 170 hits, 27 doubles, a .385 on base percentage and a .622 slugging percentage. His monster season parlayed into an all-star appearance, a Silver Slugger award and a fourth place finish in the MVP voting, ahead of players such as Joe Mauer, Johan Santana, Travis Hafner and home run derby champion Vlad Guerrero.

Mets general manager Omar Minaya has feverishly been searching for another bat in the lineup for the past several weeks and while the asking price for Dye might be too high it's still worth taking a shot. He made it crystal clear earlier this week that he was displeased with the direction of the offense when he dismissed hitting coach Rick Down and replaced him with first base coach Howard Johnson.

The next step is to acquire a power hitting corner outfielder who can fill the void left by 40-year old Moises Alou and struggling right fielder Shawn Green. Endy Chavez is a spark plug off the bench, but is not the long term solution. The recalling of Lastings Milledge indicates that Minaya is letting other general managers assess the young outfielders ability before they come calling to trade for him. If Dye is to land in the Big Apple Milledge must be included in the package.

With constant speculation mounting whether the Amazins will land the 2-time all-star, let's break down if it really makes sense for Minaya to pull the trigger. A free agent at the end of the season, Dye will demand at least $15-20 million a season and with the statistics he's putting up this season it will be hard for him to plead his case.

Plagued with a left quad injury for the majority of the season, Dye has been unable to generate the power off his bat that fans on the south side of Chicago have become accustomed to since 2004. If he's unable to drive in runners it would be senseless for the Mets to trade a top prospect for a player they'll have for two months. There are other avenues that Minaya can search in order to acquire a productive outfielder.


Two-time World Series winner Jeff Conine would be a solid fit, A's outfielder Shannon Stewart can provide speed and a veteran presence in the clubhouse, Coco Crisp of the AL East leading Red Sox could serve as a cheap addition, 14-year veteran Matt Stairs would be the quintessential power bat off the bench(.288, 14 HR's, 36 RBI's and .556 SLG percentage), Sammy Sosa and Kenny Lofton would both be fine additions and so would the Giants' Randy Winn.

Average Major League Baseball Career Is 5.6 Years, According To New Study

Article from University of Colorado at Boulder website.

July 9, 2007

The average career of a Major League Baseball player is 5.6 years, according to a new study by a University of Colorado at Boulder research team.

The study also revealed that one in five position players will have only a single-year career, and that at every point of a player's career, the player's chance of ending his career is at least 11 percent.

Results of the study, "Major League Baseball Career Length in the 20th Century," will be published in the August issue of Population Research and Policy Review. The study was conducted by former CU-Boulder graduate student William Witnauer, sociology Professor Richard Rogers and doctoral student Jarron Saint Onge. Rogers also directs the Population Program in the CU-Boulder Institute of Behavioral Science.

"Population research can provide rich insight into important and popular social issues, including baseball," Rogers said. "Population research can provide rich insight into important and popular social issues, including baseball," Rogers said.

The study examined the career statistics of baseball players who started their careers between 1902 and 1993. Pitchers were excluded because of their unique positions, career volatility and propensity for injuries.

Between 1902 and 1993, 5,989 position players started their careers and played 33,272 person years of Major League Baseball. Using voluminous baseball statistics, the authors then developed a table of average career lengths for the players.

Everyone knows that Major League Baseball is highly competitive," Witnauer said. "But as Americans enjoy this year's All-Star game, they now have a definitive answer on the average length of a baseball career."

The CU-Boulder Institute of Behavioral Science, established in 1957, provides a setting for interdisciplinary, collaborative research. For more information visit www.colorado.edu/ibs.

Undervalued Commodities In The Marketplace

By David

Kaye

Oakland Athletics General manager Billy Beane detailed in Michael Lewis's critically acclaimed book Moneyball, how he transformed the second lowest payroll in the league into one of the premier franchises in Major League Baseball.

Beane took what I call undervalued commodities or players that no other team finds desirable, and signed them to budget conscience contracts with the hope that they would produce a winner on the field.

In this article, I will discuss what under appreciated pitchers through the first half of the season have done very well. My analysis is based upon salary and performance of these unheralded stars that have played integral parts in their teams success.

Pat Neshek: Undrafted out of Butler, the 26-year old right-hander is 3-1 in 42.1 innings with an anemic 1.70 E.R.A. His 0.73 WHIP, .129 batting average against and 4:1 strikeout to walk ratio is among the best in the American League. He is the bridge in the bullpen to closer Joe Nathan and in games he appears in the Twins are 22-20. At $395,000, Neshek is making $15,000 over the league minimum.

Fausto Carmona: In his rookie season, Carmona went 1-10 with an inflated 5.38 E.R.A. 38 walks, 7 home runs, 45 earned runs and 88 hits allowed in 74.2 innings would have pushed any 22-year old pitcher to the brinks. Could it be possible for him to rebound and become a mainstay in the Indians starting rotation?

After being optioned down to AAA Buffalo on May 1st, Carmona was recalled on May 7th and he has not looked back since. In 17 games started the Dominican Republic native is 10-4 with a 3.85 E.R.A. In one season he has gone from 10 losses to 10 wins and there is still the second half of the season to play. His 10 wins rank fourth in the AL and his .714 winning percentage is ninth best in the league.

Amazingly, every big league team overlooked his talent as he went undrafted several seasons ago. At $387,500, Carmona has been a bargain find for the AL wild card leading Indians.

Carlos Villanueva: A righty specialists for the NL Central leading Milwaukee Brewers, Villanueva is 6-0 with a 2.83 E.R.A. in 60.1 innings. Undrafted out of the Dominican Republic, he has been effective in both short and long relief for Manager Ned Yost. In five appearances of three innings or more Villanueva has surrendered nine hits and one earned run.

The Brew Crew are 22-14 when Villanueva pitches, and if they are to win their first division title since 1982 he will have to continue his success in the second half. At $384,500, Villanueva is earning $4500 over the league minimum.

Kevin Cameron: While the majority of people have heard of the pitchers listed above, very few outside of San Diego know who Kevin Cameron is. Undrafted out of Georgia Tech, this Yellow Jacket has been stinging opposing hitters all year long to the tune of a 0.31 E.R.A. Stop and indulge the statistic I just provided you. A 0.31 E.R.A. is unheard of in today's world and the only time he's given up a run in his young career was on May 29th at Pittsburgh.

To think that he did not permit a runner to score in April, June or July, and only gave up an RBI single to Pirates first baseman Adam LaRoche in May is absurd. Playing for the league minimum, Cameron tops the list of undervalued commodities in Major League Baseball.

Tom Gorzelanny:In his second season with the Pirates, Gorzelanny is 9-4 with a 3.10 E.R.A. in 18 starts. The 24-year old south paw has pitched at least 6 innings or more in 16 of his appearances and has held left-handed hitters to a .202 batting average. His 9 victories are sixth best in the NL, his 3.10 E.R.A. ranks seventh best in the senior circuit, his 119 innings pitched eighth best and his .692 winning percentage is eighth best in the NL.

Clearly, at 24-years of age Gorzelanny is an elite left-hander in the National League and the ace of the Pirates pitching staff. At $386,000, he comes extremely inexpensive to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Tomorrow, I will share who I think the most undervalued catchers in baseball are.

MLB ALL-Star ratings decline

July 11, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) -- Television ratings for Major League Baseball's All-Star game fell almost 10 percent from last year.

The American League's 5-4 victory in San Francisco on Tuesday night drew an 8.4 rating and 15 share on Fox, averaging 12.5 million viewers.

Last year's game received a 9.3/16 with an average of 14.4 million viewers.

The rating is the percentage watching a telecast among all homes with televisions, and the share is the percentage tuned in to a broadcast among those households with televisions on at the time. A ratings point represents 1,114,000 households.

The total number of viewers for the game increased, up to 31.4 million from 31.2 million in 2006.

The game and pregame show averaged a 7.9/14, giving Fox the highest-rated night of prime time on any network since its "American Idol" finale on May 23.

Ichiro Suzuki Blasts A 2-Run Inside The Park Home Run and Wins MVP

By David
Kaye

AT & T Park was filled to capacity Tuesday night to watch the AL all-stars continue their dominance over the NL. On a cloudy and cool summer night by the bay Ichiro Suzuki and Victor Martinez blasted two-run home runs and Josh Beckett pitched two scoreless innings to hand the AL their tenth victory in the last eleven years.

In the top of the fifth inning with one out Mariners Center Fielder Ichiro Suzuki ripped a Chris Young offering off the right field wall that Ken Griffey Jr. was unable to handle. The ball took a crazy bounce off the 309 marker and rolled away from Griffey, and from there Ichiro was off to the races. Brian Roberts scored from first and Ichiro easily rounded home plate to give the AL a 2-1 lead. This was the first inside-the park home run in All-Star game history.

Suzuki finished 3-for-3 with a run scored and was named the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player of the 78th All-Star game. He was rewarded with a new SUV and possibly a five-year contract worth $100 million from the Mariners.

Red Sox Reliever Hideki Okajima Added To AL All-Star Roster

By David
Kaye

Boston set up man Hideki Okajima was the winner of the 32nd man Internet vote edging out the Twins' Pat Neshek , the Tigers' Jeremy Bonderman, the Blue Jays' Roy Halladay and the Angels' Kelvim Escobar.

A record 23 million votes were cast during four hectic days in the sixth annual Monster All-Star Final Vote. Okajima will be attending his first career All-Star game along with teammates Josh Beckett, Jonathan Papalbon, Mike Lowell, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz. Boston is the first team to win the All-Star Final vote three times and that honor is mostly attributed to their loyal fans who come to the ballpark to cheer on their favorite team each and every night.

''I appreciate all the fans who voted for me.'' ''American baseball fans and Japanese baseball fans, teammates, everybody. Big thanks to all the people that supported me,'' said Okajima.

My 2007 NL All-Star Picks

By David
Kaye

The all-stars have been selected, the rosters are nearly full, and now it's time to dissect if the fans and players have made the right decisions.

Although the fans do not vote based on players performance, they did make pretty shrewed decisions this year. The popularity contest that usually culminates in non-deserving players going to the summer classic has resulted in very deserving players heading off to San Francisco next week.

In the National League, catcher Russell Martin, first baseman Prince Fielder, second baseman Chase Utley, shortstop Jose Reyes, third baseman David Wright and outfielders Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr. and Carlos Beltran were voted in by the fans.

As of Wednesday, Mets third baseman David Wright was batting .290 with 14 home runs, 45 runs batted in and a .502 slugging percentage. Conversely, Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera is batting .329 with 17 home runs, 58 RBI's and a .580 slugging percentage. Cubbies third baseman Aramis Ramirez is tearing it up with a .311 with 15 home runs, 49 runs batted in and a .566 slugging percentage in 18 fewer games. Take your pick between Cabrera and Ramirez.

Roaming in the outfield are three elite players, but only one has the statistics that could warrant an all-star start. 11-time all-star and 10-time gold glove winner Ken Griffey Jr. is having a phenomenal season as he continues to inch up on the career home run list. He's batting .286 with 23 homers, 59 runs batted in and 49 runs scored in 82 games. His 23 blasts rank third in the National League and his .568 slugging percentage places him in eighth place in the NL, behind the likes of all-stars Miguel Cabrera, Chase Utley and Prince Fielder.

The two glaring weaknesses that are visible in the outfield are Barry Bonds and Carlos Beltran. Even though the game is being played in San Francisco and Bonds is 5 home runs away from breaking Hank Aaron's record, the numbers he put up in the first half were not impressive. Barry's .295 average with 17 home runs and 42 runs batted in is not deserving of a start.

Carlos Beltran has become invisible in the Mets lineup this season with a .264 average and 16 home runs. Because the fans are allowed to vote for what players they want to see start in July's exhibition game he was given the starting nod. All I can say is that no slugger, despite the fame or money they have deserves to be rewarded for playing poorly.

Matt Holliday of the Colorado Rockies and Carlos Lee of the Houston Astros are tearing the cover off of the baseball this season. Holliday, 27, is batting .341 with 15 home runs and 69 RBI's. His average is fourth best in baseball, his RBI's seventh and his .573 slugging percentage is good for eleventh in the majors.

In his first season with Houston ''El Caballo'' leads the NL with 73 runs batted in and has been a fixture in the Astros everyday lineup. It's unfortunate that baseball is not showcasing their premier talent in Tuesday's game, but as we've learned over the years MLB couldn't give a damn about what the fans think. As long as they money continues to flow in at a record pace everything will be ok for the commissioner's office.

Fomer All-Star Closer Rod Beck Passed Away At 38

By David
Kaye

The legendary Billy Joel put it so eloquently when he said ''only the good die young'', and the baseball world was tragically reminded of that last night when it was discovered that former reliever Rod Beck passed away at the age of 38.

Detroit Tigers Trade LHP Mike Maroth To The St.Louis Cardinals

By David
Kaye

Southpaw Mike Maroth has left the winning environment of Detroit to join the struggling St.Louis Cardinals who are 5 games under .500 in the lackluster NL Central.

The Cards are desperate for pitching as ace Chris Carpenter, lefty Mark Mulder and right-hander Braden Looper are all on the disabled list.

Two of their current starters, Kip Wells and Anthony Reyes are 3-19 with an E.R.A. over six through the first two and a half months of the season. Earlier this week they signed Tomo Okha who was 2-5 with a 5.79 earned run average with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Due to the return of veteran Kenny Rogers from a blood clot in his left shoulder, the Tigers had extra spots in their rotation. Maroth, who had been with Detroit for the past six seasons, said ''this is a team stacked with pitchers, which is a great situation to be in from an organizational standpoint.''

Even though Maroth is 5-2 this season with a 5.06 E.R.A., he'll provide much needed assistance to a poor pitching staff.

Former Marlins Manager Joe Girardi Rejects Orioles Offer

By David
Kaye

Former NL Manager of the Year and current YES analyst Joe Girardi has opted to stay in the broadcasting booth and not take the Orioles managerial position.

After being offered the job earlier this week, Girardi said ''I'm extremely excited the Baltimore Orioles called me. It's a great job, too, but not at this time''. New president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail had a strong relationship with Girardi during their time with the Cubs, and therefore it was expected for both men to begin to put the O's back on the map.

Baltimore is a proud organization that has experienced an abundance of success over the years, but in the past decade they have evolved into one of the laughing stocks of baseball. That partly has to do with owner Peter Angelos who has required complete control over the team and takes until the last second to make important decisions. Now, with the hire of MacPhail he will become the buffer between Angelos and the Orioles baseball guys(Mike Flanagan and Jim Duquette).

Girardi has reiterated on countless occasions that he wants to return to the managerial ranks, but apparently this was not the quintessential scenario for him and his family. The former Cubs and Yankees catcher's dream jobs would be to manager either Chicago and New York, but there is no guarantee that those positions will be available in the coming years.

Currently, Dave Trembley is the interim manager and outfielder Jay Payton said '' I'm very happy with the guy we got.'' Still, the search for a permanent manager remains and names such as Dusty Baker, Jerry Manuel, Joey Cora and Don Baylor.

O's interview Girardi for manager's job

MLB.com

06/20/2007 1:26 AM ET

BALTIMORE -- Joe Girardi was interviewed in Chicago on Tuesday by Baltimore Orioles executives, a day after the team fired manager Sam Perlozzo.

"They have a process that they need to get through, and we'll see what happens," Girardi told The Baltimore Sun after the interview. "They basically told me that they wanted to do it sooner or later, but it is a process. It was a good meeting. I am not sure what their timetable is."

ESPN's Peter Gammons is reporting that the team has offered him their vacant managerial job. The Baltimore Sun cited cited two team sources as saying Girardi was the front-runner for the job. A source close to Orioles said the ESPN report was inaccurate.

"We met for a couple of hours," Orioles executive vice president Mike Flanagan told The Sun. "We're not going to get into characterizing how well it went."

Girardi was a first-time manager last season when he led Florida to a 78-84 record last year, keeping the youthful Marlins in contention until late September.

He was fired at the end of the season following a rift with owner Jeffrey Loria, then was voted NL Manager of the Year -- the first to win the award with a losing record.

A former coach for Yankees manager Joe Torre, Girardi returned to New York this season as a broadcaster for the YES Network.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Cubs Derek Lee Punched San Diego's Chris Young - Fight Video

The Cubs are below .500 as of this writing, so I guess hitter and first baseman Derek Lee figured that the best way to get the club off the dime was to hit Chris Young in response to whatever he said. The trouble is, no one's reporting what he said and the slugger faces possible suspension. According to the Chicago SunTimes, this is what happened:

In the fourth, Young hit Lee in what appeared to be the upper left arm with the pitch, knocking him to the ground. Lee got up, walked by Young on the way to first, then said something to the 6-foot-10 260-pound right-hander.

After the pitcher apparently responded, Lee threw a punch that didn't land. Young tried to throw a punch back that missed. Then he and Lee tried to connect at the same time.

By that time both benches had emptied, resulting in pushing, shoving and holding in a scrum as Lee and Young were held back. Several players fell to the ground before order was restored.

Lee said the pitch actually hit him in the wrist and caught more bat than him. He said he was angry because he thought Young was throwing at his head.


Here's the video:

Baltimore Orioles On Eight-Game Losing Streak

By David
Kaye

After surging into the month of June on a six-game winning streak, the Orioles have lost eight in a row and thirteen out of their last fifteen.

As the club embarks on a six-game West cost swing to San Diego and Arizona the chance of the O's snapping their losing streak does not seem bright.

Once they end interleague play they return to Camden Yards to face the Yankees and Angels before traveling to Chicago and Texas to close out the first half of the season.

During their nine-game home stand the Orioles went 1-8, while being outscored 53-29. Their porous pitching staff permitted twenty-one Diamondback runners to pass home plate this weekend as they were embarassed in front of their home fans for yet another time.

Outspoken designated hitter Kevin Millar called his teams play ''brutal'' and reiterated that ''we've just got to find a way to stop the bleeding now.'' With a restructed bullpen that has failed miserably to live up to expectations it will be difficult for the O's to wright the ship.

Watson extends streak to IL-record 43 games

Congratulations to Brandon Watson. A job well done.

06/17/2007 6:22 PM ET

By Marissa Rega / Special to MLB.com

Clippers leadoff batter singles in sixth to surpass 95-year-old record

Brandon Watson established a new International League record by hitting safely in his 43rd straight game as Columbus fell to Ottawa, 9-8, in 11 innings Sunday.

"It's unbelievable. I don't have any words for it," the 25-year-old center fielder said. "I believe that I've been fortunate to surpass such a record."

The 25-year-old center fielder flied out in the first inning and lined out in the third before ripping a single in the sixth to break the 95-year-old record set by Rochester's Jack Lelivelt.

"[Ottawa starter J.D. Durbin] threw a slider, and I just stayed on it enough to get it up the middle," Watson explained. "Today was a little tougher because it was the day to break the record."

Watson struck out in his second at-bat in the sixth and again in the eighth before being replaced in the ninth. He is batting .360 (63-for-175) with six doubles, a triple, 19 runs scored and 10 RBIs during the streak that began May 1.

End Of The Line For Third Baseman Sean Burroughs

By David
Kaye

First round draft picks in 1998 include World Series winner Jeff Weaver who was selected 14th overall by the Detroit Tigers, Brad Lidge who was taken 17th overall by the Houston Astros and appeared in the 2005 Fall Classic as the teams closer, and J.D. Drew who was picked fifth overall by the St.Louis Cardinals and who had the opportunity to sign a 5-year, $70 million contract with the Boston Red Sox during the off- season.

Other notable players include Pat Burrell, Mark Mulder, Corey Patterson, Felipe Lopez and Austin Keanrs. The one underlying theme about each player mentioned is that they're current major leaguers who are enjoying successful careers.

Sean Burroughs was the ninth overall pick in the '98 draft by the San Diego Padres and this past week he was released by the Seattle Mariners. Seattle was his third stop in the last two years and unless he miraculously turns around his career baseball will never see the once promising prospect dawn the galore of a big league uniform.

Instead of making the shrewd decision by accepting a scholarship from the University of Southern California, Burroughs signed with the Padres straight out of High School. In his first big league season in 2004 he batted .298 with two homers and 47 runs batted in. While his defense was always his strength during his three seasons in the majors, he struggled with the bat.

In 440 career games Sean managed to belt three home runs and drive in 65 runs. At the rate Yankees' third baseman Alex Rodriguez is slugging he will have 65 RBI's before July's all-star game.

Given numerous opportunities to succeed, he was never able to mature into a big time player and live up to expectations.

Punches Exchanged Between San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs

By David
Kaye

First it was a brawl between teammates Carlos Zambrano and Michael Barrett. Now the Cubs have focused their attention to fighting with their opponents.

In Saturday's 1-0 lose first baseman Derrek Lee retaliated from an inside pitch thrown by the Padres' Chris Young by attacking him. It was a battle of heavyweights with Lee registering at 6-foot-5 and Young 6-foot-10.

After being plunked on the side of the head by Young's fastball Lee gingerly walked down the first base line starring the Padres right-hander square in the face. By all indications Young said some inappropriate words to Lee and that triggered a benches clearing brawl where both men began to take cheap shots at each other.

Luckily, no punches were landed cleanly, but according to http://www.mlb.com/ San Diego's Jake Peavy was seen sucker-punching the Cubs first baseman. When the melee was over and the umpires had seperated both teams four people in total were ejected.

The Padres' two best starting pitchers, Chris Young and Jake Peavy were tossed from the game, while the Cubs' biggest offensive threat Derrek Lee and hitting Gerald Perry were ejected for their inexcusable actions.

The one major shock from this incident was that the two players who instigated the brawl are two of the best behaved and like able players throughout MLB. Young and Lee are stand up guys who represent the game of baseball in the best possible light and would never be suspected of fighting.

The unfortunate part of this fracas is that lengthy suspensions are sure to loom. Even though San Diego might lose Young for only one start, the Cubs will be without their power hitting first baseman for the next 3-5 games. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez is currently on the disabled list with left patellar tendinitis and will not be available to return until this weekend at the earliest.

At 31-36 and 6.5 games behind the upstart Brewers for the division lead the Cubbies can ill afford to lose one of their premier players. This deplorable incident should serve as a remainder to all little leaguers that the actions of big leaguers on television are not always correct and should not be condoned.

L.A. Angels Defeat L.A. Dodgers In Battle Of Right-Handers

By David
Kaye

The Freeway Series continues to sway the Angels way as they defeated their cross town rival for the fourth time this season.

24-year old right-hander Jered Weaver pitched 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing only four hits along the way as he improved his record to 6-3. Darren Oliver, Scot Shields and closer Francisco Rodriguez combined to pitch 3.2 innings of one-hit baseball as the Angels defeated the struggling Dodgers 3-0.

In front of 56,000 fans L.A.'s biggest off-season addition Jason Schmidt was searching for his first victory at Dodger Stadium Saturday afternoon. The right-hander lasted a mere 4.2 innings as he surrendered 3 earned runs, five hits and four walks to raise his E.R.A. to a dismal 6.31. He is now 1-4 on the season and 0-4 at home with a 10.43 E.R.A.

Out of their five starting pitchers(Lowe, Penny, Wolf, Schimidt, Kuo), Jason has the highest salary, highest expectations and highest E.R.A. The former all-star signed a 3-year, $47 million contract during the Winter and he has caused nothing but headaches for the team and fantasy owners through the first 10 weeks of the season.

Conversely, the Angels pitching staff is clicking on all cylinders and the ball club is riding high with a record of 43-26. They sport a 4.5 game lead over the A's in the ardent AL West and their 24-9 home record is the best in baseball.

Anaheim's starting five of Lackey, Escobar, Weaver, Colon and Santana are hungry for a return to the World Series and that has been indicative by their play on the field. Kelvim Escobar is 7-3 with a 2.89 E.R.A. and ace pitcher John Lackey is 10-4 with an anemic 2.53 earned run average. Lackey's ten victories are tops in MLB and his E.R.A. is fifth best in the majors.

If the Angels continue on their torrid pace they very well could be representing the American League in this year's Fall Classic.

Terrible Start For The Chicago White Sox

Can it get any worse for the Chicago White Sox? At 27-35 they are 10.5 games back of the Indians for the division lead and 8.5 back in the wild card race.

Two years removed from a World Series title the White Sox are gravely underachieving and playing like a group of whining babies. Manager Ozzie Gullien has been extremely vocal about volunteering to be fired and if his team can't string together a few wins General Manager Kennie Williams might be forced to hand him the pink slip.

New York Mets Struggling As They Enter The Subway Series

By David
Kaye

The New York Mets have lost five straight and nine out of ten as they head into a three-game set with the red hot New York Yankees this weekend in the Bronx.

At the beginning of the month manager Willie Randolph had his team fifteen games over .500, but they are now eight over the .500 mark and two games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies.The Amazins are coming off of a road trip where they lost 2 out of three to the Tigers and were swept by the Dodgers. In all six games they held the lead early on, but either saw their starting pitcher or bullpen hand the game to the opposition.

Conversely, the Yankees have won nine straight and find themselves 7.5 games back of the division leading Red Sox. At 33-31, their pitching and hitting is clicking on all cylinders. Their big four of Wang, Clemens, Pettitte and Mussina have pitched lights out and their offense has begun to wake up.

Tonight the Yankees' send Roger Clemens to the mound to face off against left-hander Oliver Perez. This will be the rockets second big league appearance since he made his debut last Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Seattle Mariners Playing Extremely Well

By David
Kaye

At 35-26, the Seattle Mariners are the surprise story of MLB through the first two months of the season.

Predicted by the majority of baseball analysts and writers to finish dead last in the AL West, the M's are three games back of the division leading Angels and one game back in the wild card race.

Mike Hargrove who lead Seattle to a 69-93 record in '05 and a 78-84 record last season was on the hot seat entering this year, but is now up for manager of the year honors. While his pitching staff has been inconsistent this season, posting a disappointing 4.73 E.R.A., their offense has been the second best in the American League.

The team has posted a .287 batting average with 59 home runs and 308 runs batted in. Leading the way has been right fielder Ichiro who is batting .333 with 17 stolen bases and 87 hits and is currently third in all-star voting for outfielders in the AL.

Jose Lopez has distinguished himself as one of the premier second baseman in the AL with his .295 average and 37 RBI'S, shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt is not only doing it with the glove, but now has a batting average over .300 and catcher Kenji Johjima is quietly having a career season.

Johjima who is in his second season in the majors is batting .335 with seven homers, 27 runs batted in, 63 hits, 15 doubles and a staggering .527 slugging percentage. Along with his .997 fielding percentage Johjima is having the second best season of any AL catcher. Only New York's Jorge Posada with his .353 batting average and .559 slugging percentage is playing better.

If the Seattle Mariners are to continue their torrid pace they will find themselves in the thick of things come September.

New York Yankees Continue Hot Streak

By David
Kaye

With a three-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates at the stadium this weekend, the Yankees continue to show signs that their struggles are over and they are ready to compete for a playoff spot.

The Bronx Bombers have now won six in a row and nine out of eleven to pull within 9.5 games of the first place Boston Red Sox.

Giants' Barry Zito Struggles Against The Oakland Athletics

By David
Kaye

Has there ever been a time in your life when a former co-worker or friend who you spent countless years with leaves and comes back to haunt you?

After signing a 7-year, $126 million contract with the San Francisco Giants during the off season Barry Zito knew that he'd have the opportunity to face his former team at least once, twice if he was lucky.

On May 18th in his first start against his former team Zito was ruffed up for seven runs in four short innings of work. While the A's went onto win 15-3, it was shocking that the former CY Young winner struggled against the team he spent the first seven years of his career with.

You would think that he'd be used to the tendencies of his former teammates and would know how to pitch to them. Luckily, Barry had the chance to redeem himself yesterday at AT&T Park against players that he mentored for several seasons.

Unfortunately, it was a case of student defeating teacher as the A's hitters pounced on Zito for nine hits and three earned runs in four innings. The southpaw is now 6-6 with a 4.02 E.R.A. to begin his Giants career. Before Saturday's start Zito had won his previous three outings and surrendered just one run in hi last twenty innings pitched.

For the second consecutive time the player with the largest contract for a pitcher in baseball history was not able to defeat his former co-workers.

Astros' Berkman earned two-game suspension for onfield outburst

Associated Press

Updated: June 8, 2007, 7:43 PM ET

HOUSTON -- Astros first baseman Lance Berkman was suspended for two games and fined an undisclosed sum Friday, three days after he was ejected against Colorado and tossed his batting glove and equipment bag onto the field.

The suspension by Major League Baseball was to have begun Friday night against the Chicago White Sox. Berkman, however, is appealing the decision and was to play Friday.

"I think it's just a normal course of action so we can have a little bit more time to look at all of our options," Berkman said Friday in Chicago.

"It just gives everybody a little more time to make a decision as to whether it best behooves the club to go ahead and serve the suspension or to try to fight it with an appeal if we think we have a good chance of winning."

Berkman was ejected Tuesday night in the eighth inning after arguing a third strike. He then threw his glove and bag onto the field from the dugout.

He violated rules by returning in the ninth inning when the benches emptied after the Rockies' Manny Corpas hit Houston's Carlos Lee with a pitch. The Astros won 4-1.

"The suspension is automatic. But I'm not outraged by it, other than I think the whole incident is unfortunate because I don't feel I did anything to deserve to be thrown out of the game in the first place," said Berkman.

"Which means I should have been able to come back out on the field because I would never have been out of the game. I still don't know why he threw me out of the game. I didn't charge over there until after he gave me the heave-ho."

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

Cardinals Sign Closer Troy Percival

By David
Kaye

First it was starting pitcher Roger Clemens who attempted to make a comeback and now it's 37-year old reliever Troy Percival who signed a minor-league contract today with the St.Louis Cardinals.

During his 11-year career Percival racked up 324 saves, while posting an impressive 3.10 E.R.A. After retiring during the middle of the 2005 season due to arm injuries, the future Hall of Famer signed on to become a special assignment pitching instructor with the Angels.

He spent ten successful seasons with Anaheim before he signed with Detroit before the '05 season. His addition to a struggling St.Louis team will provide an instant boost in both the clubhouse and on the field.

Fortunately, he's one of the good guys in the game who has worked extremely diligently to get the point where he is in his career. Currently, he ranks 12th on the all-time saves list and he'll look to add onto that number during his time in the gateway city.

Surprisingly, the one strength of the Cards team this year has been their bullpen that ranks sixth in MLB with a 3.41 E.R.A. I figure that Percival was enticed by the fact that he has the opportunity to play with Albert Pujols and learn from people like Dave Duncan and Tony La Russa.

The only thing that scared me when I read about the signing was that Percival has never pitched in the NL and he will quickly have to adapt to facing different hitters.

It has been rumored for several weeks that Percival was ready to return from retirement, but the reigning World Series champions were not among the list of choices. Initially, the Philadelphia Phillies and Florida Marlins were mentioned as teams he was interested in.

He will report to triple AAA Memphis to begin his comeback return and in the coming weeks he will be making an impact on the major league level.

Chicago Cubs Struggling To Play Well

By David
Kaye

After going on a $300 million spree during the Winter, the Chicago Cubs were expected to be a top the National League Central. Instead, they are in third place at 23-31 and losers of seven out of their last ten games.

Clearly, manager Lou Piniella had seen enough and was ready to blow a gasket when he threw a temper tantrum during Saturday's game against the Braves. His fit was directed at third base umpire Mark Wegner who was the unfortunate victim of Piniella's disrespectful tirade. Once again, sweet Lou embarrassed himself on a national stage and earned himself an indefinite suspension from MLB.

If you thought that his fight with the umpire was the worst incident that could happen to a woeful Cubs' team, then you didn't see the exchange of punches between starting pitching Carlos Zambrano and batterymate Michael Barrett.

After another poor pitching performance Chicago's ace took out his frustrations on his teammate in the dugout and the locker room. He instigated a scuffle that landed Barrett with a busted lip and both players with an undisclosed fine. Instead of working out their differences like men, both guys acted like children and set a deplorable example for any youngster watching at home.

Unfortunately, constant fighting between players and management will not translate to a winning product on the field. The front office spent over $300 million on players like Soriano, De Rosa, Lily and Marquis, but have ended up with a team that is reminiscent to the one that finished an NL worst 66-96 last season.

Even though both Chicago teams are under performing, the north siders have no excuse because they play in a weak division. At least the White Sox are forced to compete with teams like the Twins, Tiger and Indians on a night to night basis. Can someone tell me what the excuse is for the Cubs?

Despite Zambrano's inflated 5.62 E.R.A., the other four starters all have earned runs averages of under 3.52. Marshall, Marquis and Hill all have theirs at 2.93 or lower. One of the main problems has been the poor start by the bullpen and the inconsistent production by the offense. To make matters worse, the team is 2-12 in one-run games.

If things don't begin to turn around in a hurry, sweet Lou might be singing the blues right out of the windy city.

Houston Astros Lose Tenth Straight Game

By David
Kaye

After losing tonight to the Reds 4-2, the Astros lost their tenth game in a row.

It's hard to imagine that a lineup loaded with so much power and talent could go eleven days without a victory. Since defeating the Texas Rangers on May 19th, the Astros were swept by the Giants in a three-game series, swept by the Diamondbacks in a four-game set at Chase Field and have now lost the first two games of their series at home to the division rival Reds.

On Sunday, May 20th Houston was shellacked by their interstate rivals 14-1, and since then they have been unable to resolve their struggling offense and mediocre pitching. Only twice during their eleven game slid did the offense manage to score at least four runs and on five occasions they scored one run or less.

Hitting coach Sean Berry must be scratching his head and wondering what do I need to do differently to get my players out of their funk. It's not everyday that all-stars like Craig Biggio, Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman, and rising stars Hunter Pence and Luke Scott fail to drive in runners.

Manager Phil Garner was quoted as saying ''there's no question we're not swinging the bats well. It's a team wide-funk.'' The ten straight loses by his ball club are the most since 1995 and if they are not able to right the ship in a weak division Garner's job could be on the line.


Owner Drayton McLane expects a winning product on the field and he has spent the necessary money to make sure the Astros' are a winner. It wouldn't be a shock to see general manager Tim Purpura get the axe if his team doesn't start to improve their play.

Video - SF Giants Barry Bonds Hits Home Run # 746 Against The Rockies

This is SF Giants slugger Barry Bonds hitting it out of the park on a 2-1 count against the Colorado Rockies one week ago in San Francisco. This is home run number 746, placing him just nine away from Hank Aaron's record.

Arizona Diamondbacks on a Five-Game Winning Streak

At 30-23, Bob Melvin has his hitters and pitchers playing exceptionally well to begin the season.

Cleveland Indians Complete Three-Game Sweep of Detroit Tigers

By David
Kaye

The Cleveland Indians entered Friday's game with the division rival Detroit Tigers .5 games back, but after sweeping the AL champions they leave Comerica Park 2.5 games ahead in the division race.

Eric Wedge and his ball club will face their biggest test starting today as they square off against the red hot Red Sox' who are running away with the AL East. Both teams are regarded as the super powers in the American League, but this three-game set at Fenway Park will go a long way in determining which team has the upper hand.

At 31-17, the Tribe have not experienced this kind of success since back in 2001 when they last won the division.It's interesting to note that six years ago last nights winning pitcher Fausto Carmona was only seventeen years of age and most of his teammates were either in their late teens or early twenties.

After sweeping the Tigers on the road, Detroit will look to return the favor starting Thursday night as both clubs begin a four-game series at Jacobs Field. If the Indians are able to salvage a split they will have to feel pretty confident about themselves and their ability to compete with one of the best teams in baseball.

Colorado Rockies' Trade Rumors

By David
Kaye

With the trading deadline two months away, there are several teams in need of an extra bat or pitcher that will put them over the top.

The Denver Post reported Thursday that the Rockies' are willing to part with three of their best players: third baseman Garrett Atkins, first baseman Todd Helton and closer Brian Fuentes.

Atkins, 27, has been stuck in a slump throughout the first two months of the season, but would provide the Angels with the much needed power bat that they have been seeking for years. Even though he's batting .220 with three home runs and 19 RBI's, the UCLA graduate enjoyed a breakout season in 2006 hitting .329 with 29 homers, 120 runs batted in and 48 doubles.

At 21-27 and 12.5 games back of the AL East leading Boston Red Sox', the Yankees need all the help that they can get. Two Rockies', closer Brian Fuentes and veteran first baseman Todd Helton could be headed to the Bronx to right the sinking ship.

If the deal is completed between now and the end of July, beleaguered general manager Brian Cashman would be forced to trade away young talent and that's something I'd hate for him to do.

Tigers' Outfielder Magglio Ordonez For AL MVP

By David
Kaye

After running away with the AL MVP race in April and being one step away from having his name engraved on the award, Yankees' third baseman Alex Rodriguez is the not the clear cut favorite to take home the hardware.

Instead, Tigers' right fielder Magglio Ordonez is having a torrid month of May and is quietly distinguishing himself as the premier slugger in the American League. Through 45 games Magglio is hitting .361 with 12 home runs and 45 RBI's.

He ranks third in the AL in batting average, on base percentage[.441] and home runs, while he leads the majors in runs batted in and slugging percentage[.710]. Unlike A-Rod's team, the Tigers' are twelve games over .500 and lead the AL Central by a half game over Cleveland.

Ordonez, 33, is hitting .380 this month and in his last ten games he's batting .415 with seventeen hits, 11 runs knocked in, fourteen runs scored and five long balls. Yesterday against the AL West leading Angels he went 4-for-4 with three RBI's and three runs scored.

Hancock's father sues over pitcher's death

I understand what Hancock's father is trying to do, but at some point he must understand that his son was an adult and he needed to invoke so personal responsibility on his part. In no way should the restaurant be liable for the horrific events that ensued on the interstate.

By JIM SALTER, Associated Press Writer
May 24, 2007

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The father of Josh Hancock filed suit Thursday, claiming a restaurant provided drinks to the St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher even though he was intoxicated prior to the crash that killed him.

The suit, filed in St. Louis Circuit Court by Dean Hancock of Tupelo, Miss., does not specify damages. Mike Shannon's Restaurant, owned by the longtime Cardinals broadcaster who starred on three World Series teams in the 1960s, is a defendant in the case along with Shannon's daughter, Patricia Shannon Van Matre, the restaurant manager.

Other defendants include Eddie's Towing, the company whose flatbed tow truck was struck by Hancock's sport utility vehicle in the early hours of April 29; tow truck driver Jacob Edward Hargrove; and Justin Tolar, the driver whose stalled car on Interstate 64 was being assisted by Hargrove.

The Cardinals and Major League Baseball were not listed as defendants. In a brief statement, the Cardinals said, "We hope this matter will come to a swift and fair resolution for all parties involved."

Authorities said the 29-year pitcher had a blood content of nearly twice the legal limit for alcohol in his system when he crashed into the back of the tow truck. He was also speeding, using a cell phone and wasn't wearing a seat belt, Police Chief Joe Mokwa said after the accident. Marijuana also was found in the SUV.

Mokwa said Hancock went to Shannon's not long after the Cardinals played a day game against the Chicago Cubs on April 28. The lawsuit claimed that Hancock was a regular at the restaurant bar and was there for more than 3 1/2 hours.

"It's understood that for the entire 3 1/2 hours that Josh Hancock was there that he was handed drinks," Keith Kantack, a lawyer for Dean Hancock, said. "It's our understanding that from the moment Josh Hancock entered Mike Shannon's that night that he was never without a drink."

A person answering phones at the restaurant declined comment. A message left with Van Matre was not returned.

The lawsuit claimed Tolar was negligent in allowing his vehicle to reach the point where it stalled on the highway, and for failing to move it out of the way of oncoming traffic. A police report said the car became stalled when it spun out after being cut off by another vehicle.

Police said Hargrove noticed the stalled vehicle and stopped to help. The report said he told officers he was there five to seven minutes before his truck was hit by Hancock's SUV. But Kantack said the tow truck may have been there up to 15 minutes, yet failed to get the stalled vehicle out of the way.

"Were the police contacted?" Kantack asked. "Why weren't flares put out? Why was the tow truck there for an exorbitant amount of time?"

Tolar did not have a listed telephone number. Calls to the towing company were met with a busy signal.

Kantack said others could be added later as defendants in the suit. He declined to speculate on whether the Cardinals or Major League Baseball could be added to the suit, but said the Hancock family has been "overwhelmed by the support and respect the Cardinals have shown since Josh's passing."

Dean Hancock said in a statement that the "facts and circumstances" of Josh's death "have caused great pain to all of Josh's family." As administrator of his son's estate, Dean Hancock said he has an obligation to represent the family on all issues, "including any legal actions necessary against those who contributed to the untimely and unnecessary death."
Updated on Thursday, May 24, 2007 7:44 pm EDT

Giambi meets with MLB

Please MLB, leave the Yankees' slugger alone. He needs to be rewarded for having the courage to come out publicly and admit to what he did. Maybe if the rest of the players did, the sport of baseball would have credibility and former fans would once again follow the games.

By RONALD BLUM, AP Baseball Writer
May 23, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) -- Jason Giambi met with lawyers from the baseball commissioner's office Wednesday to discuss recent comments that some interpreted as an admission of steroids use.
Allegations that he flunked an amphetamines test, however, were not discussed.

"The commissioner requested that Jason come in in response to the USA Today piece. Jason was interviewed this morning," union general counsel Michael Weiner said.

The Daily News on Wednesday reported Giambi failed an amphetamines test within the last year.

However, a person familiar with what went on at the meeting, said it only dealt with the remarks quoted in USA Today. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because those attending agreed not to make details public.

The meeting, at baseball's main office, lasted less than an hour.

The New York Yankees' designated hitter was quoted last Friday as saying:

"I was wrong for doing that stuff. What we should have done a long time ago was stand up -- players, ownership, everybody -- and said: 'We made a mistake.' We should have apologized back then and made sure we had a rule in place and gone forward. ... Steroids and all of that was a part of history. But it was a topic that everybody wanted to avoid. Nobody wanted to talk about it."

The meeting included Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice president for labor relations, senior vice president Frank Coonelly and Howard Ganz, an outside lawyer.
Giambi brought along agent Arn Tellem, lawyer Brian O'Neill and Weiner, who represented the players' association.

Management and players did not agree to ban steroids until late 2002. Testing with penalties did not begin until 2004.

An agreement was reached before the 2006 season to also ban amphetamines. An initial positive test subjects a player to counseling and six additional tests for one year.

Names of players who test positive for amphetamines for the first time are not made public.

Updated on Wednesday, May 23, 2007 3:19 pm EDT

First Baseman Ryan Garko and The Cleveland Indians Continue To Play Well

By David
Kaye

Ryan Garko, 26-year old first baseman for the surging Cleveland Indians, continued his success Friday night against interstate rival Cincinnati.

After thumping Cinci by the final score of 9-4 this evening, the Indians have improved to 25-14 on the season. They are now one-game ahead of the Tigers in the AL Central and 2.5 games behind the Red Sox for the best record in the American League.

The Tribe are an amazing 15-3 at Jacobs Field and 9-2 against their division foes. Center Fielder Grady Sizemore and designated hitter Travis Hafner headline the group of youngsters who have re-energized the city of Cleveland. A credible argument can be made that the Indians have the best young position players in the majors and will be among baseball's best teams for several years to come.

Last night in the battle of Ohio, Ryan Garko went two for three with a three-run home run and improved his average to .321. All-star center fielder Grady Sizemore went four for five with a two-run dinger, three runs batted in and three runs scored. A recent Sports Illustrated article by Tom Verducci stated that ''he's without a doubt one of the greatest players of our generation.'' If Sizemore can continue on his torrid pace he will in deed live up to the hype.

The rest of the Indians offense includes Travis Hafner who belted 42 home runs and drove in 117 runs last season while sporting a .659 slugging percentage and .439 on base percentage, all-star catcher Victor Martinez who consistently ranks among the best hitting catchers in baseball , 24-year old shortstop Jhonny Peralta who is mounting a strong comeback season after struggling last year, and 23-year old third baseman Andy Marte who has a bright future with the club.

When you sprinkle in veterans like Trot Nixon, David Dellucci and Casey Blake Cleveland's offense is a recipe for success.

Pitching wise the Indians starting rotation will not over power you, but they'll get the job done when counted on. Left-hander C.C. Sabathia is the ace of a staff that has combined to go 17-8 on the young season. C.C. has started off the season strong going 6-1 with a 3.65 ERA.

23-year old righty Fausto Carmona who went 1-10 with a 5.42 ERA last season, is now 5-1 with a 2.55 earned run average in seven games. In his last victory Thursday against the Twins he pitched a complete game shutout against baseball's best pitcher Johan Santana.

Still, for the Indians to win the division this year and advance far in the playoffs they will need to resolve their bullpen woes. Closer Joe Borowski is 0-2 this season with a nine ERA and twelve saves. Look for general manager Mark Shapiro to make a trade by the end of July if his pen continues to pitch ineffectively.