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.