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.

Giambi's reported remarks to be investigated by baseball

Finally, a MLB player has come out of the shadows and said something sensible regarding the steroids issue.


Owners, players and the commissioner's office should be embarrassed by their actions during the steroid era and they haven't made their case any better by not taking the offensive to clean up their sport.

The example they set for young players just beginning their careers and who look up to these players as their role models is deplorable.


Yankees slugger Jason Giambi should not be quieted by MLB for telling the truth. There needs to be more players and executives who come out and tell the truth about what really happened in the last decade. A formal apology to all fans would be appropriate.

By RONALD BLUM, AP Baseball Writer

May 18, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) -- The baseball commissioner's office intends to investigate reported remarks by Yankees slugger Jason Giambi that the sport should apologize for use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Rob Manfred, executive vice president for labor relations in the commissioner's office, spoke Friday with Yankees president Randy Levine about the matter, a baseball official with knowledge of the conversation said, speaking on condition of anonymity because baseball officials didn't want the matter publicly discussed.

"I was wrong for doing that stuff," Giambi was quoted as saying in Friday's editions of USA Today. "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."

Giambi told a grand jury during the BALCO investigation in December 2003 that he used steroids and human growth hormone, the San Francisco Chronicle reported in December 2004. Before the start of spring training in 2005, Giambi made repeated general apologies at a news conference but wouldn't discuss whether he used steroids or admitted to the grand jury in 2003 that he did.

"The commissioner's office, I think, is going to be looking into this, and so at this point I just can't comment," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said before Friday's game against the Mets. "Let the commissioner go through the process he needs to go through, and we'll go from there."

Giambi refused to talk about the USA Today story on Friday.

Cashman was troubled by the notion that fans are owed an apology by Major League Baseball.

"There's an implication that there was a lot of people that were involved that would know that, what was going on, and I can tell you that's false," Cashman said. "We've spoken to that in the past, so I do have a problem with that, without a doubt, because I can tell you -- I can speak from being right there, too -- that whatever goes on individually with these guys, is really on them."

Giambi, whom USA Today said was interviewed on Wednesday, was quoted by the paper as saying he's thankful for baseball's testing program for steroids and amphetamines that was revised before the 2006 season. MLB does not test for human growth hormone and Giambi said he does not use the drug.

"Unfortunately, (the rumors) are going to be a part of it. But that's OK. I'm probably tested more than anybody else. I'm not hiding anything," he was quoted as saying. "That stuff didn't help me hit home runs. I don't care what people say, nothing is going to give you that gift of hitting a baseball."

Updated on Friday, May 18, 2007 7:20 pm EDT

Braves sale is approved

Liberty Media taking control of franchise from Time Warner
By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- The sale of the Atlanta Braves from Time Warner to Liberty Media was unanimously approved by Major League Baseball's owners at a special meeting on Wednesday.

The complicated stock-for-franchise deal had a deadline of midnight ET because of a change in the federal tax code affecting such transactions, that Commissioner Bud Selig said was far too complicated to explain. That change occurs on Friday.

The 30 owners met in a late-afternoon session to vote on the deal, which was in the process of being closed by the appointed hour. The ownership committee and the executive council had earlier in the day also cleared the deal. All the owners or their representatives are together this week for the second quarterly meeting of the year, one that has become a May staple at MLB's New York offices.

"There are a lot of reasons that I'm happy today, but one of the things I said right from the outset was we wanted to preserve what I thought was a great management structure," Selig said at a press conference almost immediately after the special vote. "They certainly have the record to prove that. A lot of (Braves) fans should be happy tonight because we've not only created great stability here, but it's in the best interest of the Braves and baseball."

The owners will still meet to take care of other business at their regularly scheduled joint meeting on Thursday morning.

Asked if he had any doubt that the deal would close by midnight, Selig said, "I would be stunned if it doesn't. I would say the chances are better than excellent. That was the reason we had the special meeting."

Under terms of the transaction, in which the franchise itself was valued at $450 million, Terry McGuirk will remain as president, John Schuerholz as general manager, Bobby Cox as manager and Hank Aaron, the Hall of Famer and current Major League Baseball home run leader with 755, will have an increased role in his position of senior vice president.

City-owned Turner Field will remain under the Braves control and the name will not change.

McGuirk said it was stipulated in writing that new ownership could not go below the team's current player payroll of $87.3 million, but was certainly encouraged to invest in the franchise. Under Ted Turner and Time Warner, the Braves won 14 division titles in a row -- a streak that ended last season -- captured five National League pennants and were victorious in the 1995 World Series over the Indians.

"Continuity seems to be the word that has triumphed here," McGuirk said during the press conference. "The championship level baseball that has been played here for the last 15 years, the management, all of that continues on unabated, thanks to the Commissioner and the owners and their confidence in this group. So we think it's a great day for the Braves. We're ready for the job and we're looking for many more championship seasons."

The approval effectively ends an era of Braves ownership, which began when the franchise was purchased in 1976 by Turner, who also had taken over the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. The cable television mogul used the ballclub as a national tool to bring attention to his burgeoning cable empire that eventually evolved into CNN, Turner South and TBS.

Originally the home of old movies, TBS has carried Braves games nationally for the last 31 years, a relationship that will expire at the conclusion of this season.

Turner remained associated with the ballclub and his cable product when Turner Broadcasting merged with Time Warner in 1995. He was vice chairman of the company, which eventually also merged with AOL, until his resignation in 2003. Three years later, Turner severed his relationship with the board of directors and hasn't been involved since.

Time Warner has been shedding itself of its sports properties, previously having sold the Hawks, the NHL's Thrashers, and Philips Arena, the downtown home of both indoor teams.

For a large block of Liberty stock, Time Warner is reportedly exchanging the Braves, a number of craft magazines and $1 billion. Liberty owns about four percent of Time Warner.

As has become a pattern in recent years, MLB was concerned about leaving the operational control of the team in familiar hands and wanted to make sure McGuirk remained with the club. The owners had previously been assured of that condition when the deal was formally announced in February.

"There are no changes," McGuirk said. "There will be a continuation of past practices."

Last year, as a condition of selling the Nationals to the Lerner family, MLB insisted in the last phases of the deal that Stan Kasten be brought in as part of the group. Kasten, at one time the president of all the Time Warner sports properties, was made a minority owner and was placed in charge of running the team.

Since late 1999, 18 MLB franchises have either been sold or have experienced a change in control of majority ownership, including the Expos/Nationals twice. The sale of the Cubs by the Tribune Co. is next on the table.

Barry M. Bloom is a national reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Cincinnati Reds' Struggling To Begin The Season

By David
Kaye

At 16 and 24, the Cincinnati Reds are dead last in the porous NL Central. Through forty games last season the Reds were 23-17 and two games behind the Cardinals for the division lead. Boy, what a difference a year makes.

Cincinnati possesses one of the best one-two punches in baseball with right-handers Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang guiding the pitching staff. After breakout season's last year, both pitchers have stumbled out of the gates. Despite a 5-1 record, Harang is sporting a 4.42 ERA in nine games this year.

Conversely, Arroyo has pitched well, but his offense has provided him with no run support. The 30-year old is 2-4 so far with a 2.64 ERA and one complete game thrown. The remaining three starters, Kyle Lohse, Matt Belisle and the injured Eric Milton have been ineffective to start this season.

All three starters have ERA's over four and have combined for eleven losses. The only bright spot in the Reds bullpen has been veteran closer David Weathers who has an impressive 1.89 ERA and seven saves through the first seven weeks of the season. The rest of the pen has been disappointing, ranking as one of the worst in the majors.

Offensively, only one hitter, 37-year old Ken Griffey Jr., has a batting average over .300. On the season the ten time all-star is hitting .311 with eight home runs and 25 runs batted in. Third baseman Edwin Encarnacion entered the season with a pool of high expectations, even being regarded by many analysts as a potential sleeper player who will have a breakout season, but he is now back in the minors after struggling with the bat. In thirty-one games he batted .218 with one dinger and 14 RBI's.

Although the Reds batters have not hit with great success, by no stretch of the imagination are they struggling. Five out of the eight hitters in their lineup have at least six home runs, but when they are called upon in the big situation they have all come up empty.

Cinci is 6-13 in games decided by two runs or less and are 4-12 in the month of May. They were 1-5 on their recent West Coast swing and have not won a series since the end of April when they took 2 out of three from the Pirates at PNC Park. To make matters worse, the Reds have not won a home series since they took two out of three from the Bucs during the first weekend of the season.

Remarkable Run By Milwaukee Brewers Shortstop J.J. Hardy

By David
Kaye

Thirty-seven games into the 2007 season, Brewers slugger J.J. Hardy is hitting .327 with 12 home runs and 37 runs batted in.

In the last two seasons combined [159 games] Hardy blasted 14 homers and drove in 64 runs, while batting .245. The question remains: where did the 24-year old acquire this much power and why did no one expect this entering the season?

It's not often that a shortstop who is primarily known for his defense is leading the NL in home runs mid-way through the month of May. Many analysts expected the Brew Crew to have a solid season, but they did think their man power source would come from a player who has never hit more than nine home runs in a season.

Entering today, the Tuscon, Arizona native is first in the NL with 12 home runs and 37 rbi's, tied for first with Rockies outfielder Matt Holiday with 98 total bases, fourth in total hits with 51 and fourth in slugging percentage at .628. The only major leaguer who has been more effective with the bat up until this point in the season has been Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

To his credit, A-Rod is expected to put up insane statistics, Hardy is not. He is more of the conventional shortstop who is great with the glove and manages to hit around .250. For whatever reason, James Jerry Hardy has broken that trend and is quickly securing a reservation to San Francisco for July's all-star game.

Seattle Mariners Find Success Against The New York Yankees

Usually, West Cost trips are favorable to the Yankees, but not this weekend against the upstart Seattle Mariners.

After exploding for seven runs Saturday night against right-hander Miguel Batista, New York looked to win back-to-back series for the first time this year by roughing up lefty Horacio Ramirez who entered the game with a 7.62 ERA.

Unfortunately, Ramirez continued his success at Safeco Field by pitching lights out against the powerful Yankees lineup. The 27-year old surrendered five hits and one run over 6.1 innings to secure his third victory of the season.

Fellow south paw Andy Pettitte came up the hard luck loser as he pitched 7.1 innings and only permitted two runners to score. In the two loses for New York over the weekend they combined to score one run and provide their pitchers with zero run support.

Friday night the Yankees had trouble with left-hander Jarrod Washburn who pitched eight scoreless innings to lower his ERA to an impressive 2.64 ERA.

One glaring weakness for the Bronx Bombers in their series against the M's was their lack of success against left-handers. While the best teams in the AL, the Red Sox, Tigers, Indians and Angels have predominantly right-handed starting rotations, New York's weakness was exposed this weekend against two quality lefties.

Bobby Abreu and Robinson Cano, two integral parts of the offense, continue to struggle at the plate. Abreu, who is a career .301 hitter, is currently batting a dismal. 236, while Cano has his average at .237. If the Yankees are to win the division this season they will need both players to break out of their slumps quickly. Especially with the Yankees traveling to face the White Sox and cross town rival Mets in the next week.

As for Seattle, they continue to over achieve as they are now 1-game over .500 at 17-16. Predicted by many to finish dead last in the AL West manager Mike Hargrove has his guys playing exceptionally well through the first six weeks of the season. The longer the Mariners can continue playing well, the less likely it is for Hargrove to be fired. Still, if the M's start out struggling after the All-Star break, it wouldn't be surprising to see a change in the dugout.

LHP Ryan has Tommy John surgery, out for season

Ryan's season-ending injury adds to the struggles the Blue Jays are experiencing.

May 10, 2007

TORONTO (AP) -- Blue Jays closer B.J. Ryan will miss the season after having Tommy John surgery on his left elbow Thursday, a major blow to Toronto's hopes.

Ryan, who signed a $47 million, five-year contract before the 2006 season, is expected to ready for spring training next year.

Ryan was 0-2 with three saves and a 12.46 ERA in five games this season. Last year, he was 2-2 with a 1.37 ERA and 38 saves in his first season since leaving Baltimore as a free agent.

Dr. Timothy Kremchek, the Reds' team doctor, performed the ligament surgery in Cincinnati.
Ryan initially felt soreness in March during spring training. After two weeks of rest and rehabilitation, he resumed throwing.

Ryan felt worse after a game April 14 against Detroit. He was placed on the disabled list the next day for the first time in his nine-year career.

Later, Ryan flew to Birmingham, Ala., to see renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews, who confirmed there were no ligament tears in Ryan's left elbow. At the time, Ryan was expected to miss six weeks.


Updated on Thursday, May 10, 2007 3:30 pm EDT

Report: Mitchell probe seeking medical records of Sosa, Palmeiro

May 9, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) -- The medical records of Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro are being sought by investigators in baseball's steroids probe, The New York Times reported in Wednesday's editions.

The investigation, led by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, is seeking the files of dozens of other players, an unidentified baseball official with direct knowledge of the request told the Times.

Sosa and Palmeiro both played for Baltimore in 2005. The Times said investigators have also asked the Orioles to send medical records pertaining to Jason Grimsley, David Segui and Fernando Tatis to those players, hoping they will release them to Mitchell.

The Daily News reported in Wednesday's editions that Mitchell's panel wants information from former Orioles player Jerry Hairston Jr., along with Palmeiro, Segui and Tatis.

Major League Baseball and the players' union reached an agreement earlier this week that players will decide whether to release their medical records, unidentified baseball sources told the Daily News reported.

Under the compromise, when Mitchell asks for a player's history, the team will give it to the player. After that, the player will decide whether he wants to cooperate.

"We can't comment on any of that, the medical records," Mike Flanagan, the Orioles' executive vice president of baseball operations, told The Associated Press on Tuesday night.

Asked if he had been contacted by Mitchell's panel, Flanagan replied, "I have not."

Mitchell's staff has interviewed at least nine members of the Orioles' front office and training staff, and has checked at least six of their personal computers for evidence pertaining to performance-enhancing drugs, the Times said.

Mitchell told the Times on Tuesday: "While it is our practice not to comment on the investigation, any suggestion that the investigation is focused on any single team is incorrect."

Sosa, now with the Texas Rangers, declined to answer any questions after Tuesday night's game at Yankee Stadium.

Earlier Tuesday, Michael Weiner, general counsel for the players' union, told the AP there had not any developments in Mitchell's requests for interviews with active players or medical records.

Earlier this month, Mitchell said he expected interviews with active players to begin soon.

Mitchell, picked by commissioner Bud Selig last year to lead the investigation, does not have subpoena power and has faced resistance in his effort to interview players and get medical records.

Mitchell has not set a timetable for his report.

Updated on Wednesday, May 9, 2007 2:28 am EDT

Toronto Blue Jays Struggling To Find Their Stride

By David
Kaye

Thirty-one games into the 2007 season the Blue Jays find themselves 13-18 and in the cellar in the AL East.

I know what you're saying, how are the woeful Devil Rays not in last place? The answer is that through quality hitting and pitching by many of their young players Tampa is in third place in the division. Although that run of luck by the Rays will not continue, it is promising to see a team that has never won more than 70 games in a season experience minimal success.

Toronto's off season additions of Frank Thomas, Victor Zambrano and Tomo Ohka haven't exactly gone the way general manager J.P. Ricciardi envisioned it would when he signed all three veterans to mix in with a young core of players.

Injuries to players B.J. Ryan, Reed Johnson, Gustavo Chacin, John Thompson and Gregg Zaun have hampered the Jays ability to succeed. The left elbow sprain to all-star closer B.J. Ryan which has sidelined him since April 15th was the most crushing injury of them all.

Last season for Toronto Ryan saved 38 games and posted a 1.37 ERA. He had become a dependable arm for manager John Gibbons and without the left-hander Toronto's bullpen has spiraled into a complete mess.

After posting an impressive 87-75 record a season ago, Toronto was looking to add upon their success and reach the playoffs in the ardent American League. Although the 2007 season is long from being over, it doesn't appear as if the Blue Jays have the ability to compete in the AL East.

Yankees' Manager Joe Torre and Reliever Scott Proctor Suspended By MLB

By David
Kaye

New York Yankees skipper Joe Torre and right-handed reliever Scott Proctor were suspended by MLB Monday after Proctor purposely threw inside to Seattle shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt.

After the Proctor-Betancourt incident, both benches cleared and members from both bullpens began to run onto the field. Fortunately, no punches were thrown, but because the umpires had already warned both teams, it was expected that the 30-year old reliever would have to pay for his actions. Not only will he have to serve a four-game suspension, but he will be mandated to pay a $1,500 fine.

As a result of Torre serving his one-game suspension Monday night in the series finale against the Mariners, bench coach Don Mattingly will receive his first opportunity at managing. There has been many rumors swirling around New York that when Joe decides to leave the Bronx Bombers Mattingly will step in as the new manager.

Roger Clemens might have signed with the Yankees at the perfect time because two current starters, Kei Igawa and Carl Pavano are both experiencing there own difficulties. Igawa, who was brought over in the off season from Japan for $46 million, was sent to the minors after going 2-1 with a 7.63 ERA in six games.

Pavano, who was the Yankees opening day starter at home, is once again injured and will now visit a fourth doctor this week to decide if he needs Tommy John surgery. He signed a four-year, $39.95 million contract before the '05 season and has been a bust so far in pinstripes.

While New York knew that they couldn't rely on Pavano in a big game situation, it was not expected that he would re-injure himself and possibly be sidelined for the next 12-18 months.

ESPN2 to televise MLB's 2007 First-Year Player Draft-mlb.com

With the NFL, NBA and now MLB drafts on television, the NHL must follow up by having their draft on t.v. Also, it would be great for the NFL to institute baseball's rule by permitting each team five minutes decide on their first-round selection.

If this happened the first-round of the football draft wouldn't last six hours and eight minutes.

05/07/2007 1:58 PM ET
ESPN2 to televise MLB's 2007 First-Year Player Draft

Major League Baseball's 2007 First-Year Player Draft will be carried live by ESPN2 from 2:00-6:00 p.m. (EDT) on Thursday, June 7th, marking the first time that the Draft will be telecast. The Draft will be held at The Milk House at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.

ESPN2 will air each Club's first round choice. Clubs will have a maximum of five minutes to make their picks during the first round. Following the pick-by-pick coverage of the first round, ESPN2's telecast will continue as the Draft is ongoing until 6:00 p.m. (EDT). After the completion of ESPN2's coverage, the first day of the Draft will proceed until approximately 8:30 p.m. (EDT). On Friday, June 8th, the Draft will resume at 11:30 a.m. (EDT) and then will continue to its conclusion.

"Major League Baseball is delighted that ESPN2 will provide live coverage of our Draft," said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "I am glad that this agreement will give fans access to see this critical function of an organization's development. This is an idea whose time has come."

The selection order is determined by the reverse order of finish at the close of the previous championship season. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays will have the first selection of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. The San Francisco Giants will have three selections in the first round, while the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers will each have two first round choices. Supplementary selections are given as compensation to those Clubs that lost Type A or B free agents.

The Draft will have 50 rounds and will conclude after all 30 teams have passed on a selection or after the final selection of the 50th round, whichever comes first.

MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, will offer comprehensive coverage of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, highlighted by two days of live multimedia coverage from Orlando on The Baseball Channel and live interactive pick-by-pick results via the exclusive Draft Caster.

Please see the accompanying file for the complete order of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft.

Best NL Pitchers In The Month Of April

By David
Kaye

John Maine, Tim Hudson, Brad Penny and Rich Hill top the list of best pitchers in the month of April for the National League.

The criteria I use to determine the elite pitchers each month includes wins, ERA, K/BB ratio, hits allowed and quality outings. All four pitchers exemplified great skill in most categories and while some pitchers did not accumulate the most victories, they had the best quality performances.

New York Mets right-hander John Maine entered the 2007 season as the third starter in the rotation, but ended the month of April as the Mets' ace. In 33.1 innings pitched Maine surrendered a mere five earned runs and 18 hits against some of the leagues top offenses. The 25-year old ended the month 4-0 with a 1.35 ERA and captured the award as the NL's pitcher of the month. On top of that Maine is arguably baseball's best performing pitcher through the first five weeks of the season.

After a disappointing 2006 campaign where he went 13-12 with a 4.86 ERA, Atlanta Braves right-hander Tim Hudson is 3-0 on the season with a immaculate 1.40 earned run average. In 45 innings pitched this season Hudson has allowed seven earned runs, 29 hits and one long ball.

His most impressive stat might be that he has 32 strikeouts compared to 12 walks in the month of April. With a shaky starting rotation the Braves need stability and they have found that in the 9-year veteran who has gone at least seven innings in all five outings and has yet to permit more than three runners to score.

Dodgers hurler Brad Penny has continued the success that landed him as the starter in last years All-Star Game by going 3-0 with a 1.95 ERA. In give games started he has yet to allow more than three earned runs and in each outing has lasted at least six innings.

While the 28-year old's walk and hit count were high, he has been lethal at keeping opposing offenses at bay. With Jason Schmidt injured L.A. will need to rely on Penny for quality outings and so far the Oklahoma native has proven he's up for the test.

Lastly, Chicago Cubs youngster Rich Hill has been nothing but unhittable this season. He enters the month of May 3-1 with a 1.77 ERA and in four out of his five outings he has permitted two runs or less.

A bright spot for the left-hander has been that he's kept his hit total low and his K/BB ratio at nearly 3:1. In only his second full major league season the 26-year old is transforming into one of the elite left-handed pitchers in the NL. It might be the start of May, but there can be a serious case made for Hill to be an All-Star come the middle of July.

While the four starting pitchers mentioned had excellent first months of the season, there are several other hurlers that deserve credit for pitching outstanding. That list includes Brewers starter Chris Capuano, Padres ace Jake Peavy, Cubs right-hander Jason Marquis and Brew Crew closer Francisco Cordero.

Milwaukee Brewers Off To A Red Hot Start

By David
Kaye


At 16-9, the Brewers are a top the NL Central. They have won seven out of their last ten games and are 3.5 games ahead of Pittsburgh for the Central division title.



Entering the 2007 season it was expected for the Brew Crew to be competitive, but not to lead the division at the end of April. While they are off to a tremendous start it will be key for the Brewers to continue to play well for the duration of the season. If they can acquire key players at the trade deadline there is a real possibility that Milwaukee could win the division.

With a young nucleus of hitters and a quality pitching staff the Brewers present serious problems for opposing teams. Prince Fielder, Bill Hall, Rickie Weeks and J.J. Hardy headline an offense that is one of the most entertaining to watch on a consistent basis.



Milwaukee has sixteen players on their team that are 30-years of age or younger, as well as a nice compliment of veterans. They are lead by one of the superior managers in all of baseball in Ned Yost who has stayed patient with his young Brewers club and is now starting to see the dividends.



The Brewers present opposing offenses nightmares when they are able to come at you with a starting rotation that includes Jeff Suppan, Chris Capuano, Ben Sheets, Dave Bush and Claudio Vargas. Each pitcher has the ability to win at least twelve games on the season and Capuano and Suppan have already piled up four wins each through the month of April.



If you ask someone who the best closer through the first month of the season has been you will receive replies such as Joe Nathan or Francisco Rodriguez. Surprisingly, the Brewers' Francisco Cordero has been the best closer of 2007 as he is 10 for 10 on save opportunities and in 11.1 innings pitched this season he has permitted only two hits and zero runs. In my book that is amazing and his accomplishment must be recognized.





I have been a fan of the Brew Crew for several years now and I would love nothing more than for them to win the NL Central this season.

Steinbrenner backs Torre and Cashman, but says results `clearly not acceptable'

April 30, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) -- George Steinbrenner has spoken: For now, Joe Torre has his backing to turn around the Yankees following a start the owner termed "clearly not acceptable."

Torre was joined by general manager Brian Cashman on the team's charter flight to Texas for a three-game series against the Rangers that starts Tuesday night. Steinbrenner challenged players and staff "to show me and the fans what they are made of" and said of his $195 million team: "I believe in them."

Steinbrenner previously had refused comment on the last-place Yankees, who went 1-5 against the Boston Red Sox the past two weekends. New York has lost eight of nine and is last in the AL East at 9-14. Entering Monday night's games, only Kansas City and Washington (both 8-17) had poorer winning percentages.

"The season is still very young, but up to now the results are clearly not acceptable to me or to Yankee fans," Steinbrenner said in a statement. "However, Brian Cashman, our general manager, Joe Torre, our manager, and our players all believe that they will turn this around quickly.

"I believe in them. I am here to support them in any way to help them accomplish this turnaround. It is time to put excuses and talk away. It is time to see if people are ready to step up and accept their responsibilities. It is time for all of them to show me and the fans what they are made of.

"Let's get going. Let's go out and win and bring a world championship back to New York. That's what I want."

Cashman, who spoke with Steinbrenner on Monday, canceled a scouting trip to the Dominican Republic and traveled with the team.

"I appreciate his support and look forward to finding the solutions to these problems," Cashman said just before the plane took off. "We intend to find a way to get back on track sooner rather than later."

Yankees general partner Steve Swindal said the fault for the start doesn't lie with Torre.
"My feeling is Joe doesn't play on the field. He has to do the best he can with the players available to him on any given day. Because we've had so many recent injuries, I just don't feel it's fair to blame him," said Swindal, who is in divorce proceedings with the owner's daughter, Jennifer.

"I believe a manager is important to get players motivated to play, and Joe has historically done that," Swindal added. "You've got to judge a guy by his record, and he's been successful. There's no reason why he can't be with this team as well, especially if they get healthy."

After the Yankees' 4-8 start two years ago, Steinbrenner made a similar statement.

"Enough is enough. I am bitterly disappointed, as I'm sure all Yankee fans are, by the lack of performance by our team," he said then. "It is unbelievable to me that the highest-paid team in baseball would start the season in such a deep funk. They are not playing like true Yankees. They have the talent to win and they are not winning. I expect Joe Torre, his complete coaching staff and the team to turn this around."

New York fell as low as 11-19 that year, then rebounded and won the AL East title on the final weekend of the regular season.

Injuries, especially to Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina and Carl Pavano, have caused this year's poor beginning. The Yankees have a 5.02 ERA, 27th among the 30 major league teams, ahead of only Florida (5.13), Texas (5.37) and Tampa Bay (6.01). New York is the first major league team ever to use five or more pitchers in 10 straight games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Two clubs had done it nine in a row: Boston (2004-05) and Tampa Bay last September.
Wang returned from a hamstring injury but is 0-2 with a 5.84 ERA. Mussina is due back from a hamstring injury on Thursday night.

Yankees players have backed Torre, saying the blame should be directed at them. Captain Derek Jeter called criticism of the manager "unfair" and said "it should stop."

"You go back 100 years: pitching and defense," Alex Rodriguez said. "The team with the best pitching wins. It's as simple as that."

Updated on Monday, Apr 30, 2007 5:39 pm EDT

Cardinals Pitcher Josh Hancock Killed At The Age Of 29

By David
Kaye

Two months ago I had the opportunity to meet St.Louis relief pitcher Josh Hancock and my first impression was that he was an exceptionally gracious individual who took nothing for granted.

I am deeply saddened to learn that he was killed in a car accident early Sunday morning and that I will not have the distinguished honor of meeting him again. I might have known him for five minutes, but he will forever leave me with a positive lasting impression.

On a picture perfect day in Jupiter, Florida Josh pulled up to the railing where the fans wait for autographs and spoke to us for several minutes. I distinctly remember him driving the same vehicle, a 2007 Ford Explorer, that was involved in his fatal crash Sunday when he smacked in to a tow truck on the highway. Now, I will value my signature from him with much greater significance.

The fact that Hancock was a member of the Cardinals brings back memories to when former Cards pitcher Darryl Kyle died just less than five-years ago in a hotel room before a game against the Cubs. Additionally, Hancock is the second baseball player and pitcher for that matter to pass away in the last six and a half months. Former Yankee Cory Lidle passed away last October in a plane crash.

I'm curious to wonder if it's just pure luck that two current and healthy players passed away recently or is something not being done by MLB to fully protect their players. I hope that this is not a trend that will continue to occur.

This incident really puts the value of a persons life in perspective because we realize how precious every moment we spend with them is. It also demonstrates that a sports figure such as Hancock is not super human and is like every other person in the world. His family and teammates will now enter a long grieving process and they will unfortunately never be able to see their good friend again.

Cardinals principal owner Bill Dewitt Jr. put it best when he said ''the pain our organization feels today is unspeakable.''

Schilling criticizes media, offers $1 million blood bet on his blog

April 27, 2007

BOSTON (AP) -- Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling offered $1 million to anyone who could prove it was not blood that blotted his famous sock in the 2004 playoffs, and criticized members of the media in a blog on his personal Web site Friday.

The controversy over what stained Schilling's sock was reignited this week when Baltimore Orioles broadcaster Gary Thorne said Red Sox catcher Doug Mirabelli had told him it was paint, not blood, and that it was done for a publicity stunt.

Mirabelli called that a lie, and Thorne said Thursday he had misreported what Mirabelli said.

Still, Schilling blasted Thorne and the media in general Friday in his first public statement since Thorne's on-air comments.

Schilling was injured in Game 1 of the 2004 AL championship series against New York. Team doctors stitched a tendon in his right ankle to keep it from flopping around, and he returned to lead the Red Sox to a remarkable win in Game 6 to tie the series at 3-3. The Red Sox went on to win that series, and won the World Series for their first title since 1918.

"If you have ... the guts, grab an orthopedic surgeon, have them suture your ankle skin down to the tissue covering the bone in your ankle joint, then walk around for 4 hours," Schilling wrote on his Web site www.38pitches.com. "After that go find a mound, throw a hundred or so pitches, run over, cover first a few times. When you're done check that ankle and see if it bleeds."
Thorne did not immediately return a message Friday left with his employer, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network.

Schilling offered $1 million to anyone who could prove the blood on his sock was not authentic. But it's unclear where the sock is. Schilling has said he put it in the laundry; on Friday he wrote that he suspects a Yankees clubhouse employee still has it. The pitcher donated another bloodstained sock worn in Game 2 of the World Series to the Hall of Fame.

"If the blood on the sock is fake, I'll donate a million dollars to that person's charity, if not they donate that amount to (Schilling's charities for ALS research)," he wrote. "Any takers?"

Schilling also ripped several members of the national sports media for exaggerating stories based on their own insecurities and for "rolling their eyes" when he talks about his faith in God. His recommendation: "Put them all on an island somewhere.

"If you haven't figured it out by now, working in the media is a pretty nice gig," the pitcher wrote. "Barring outright plagiarism or committing a crime, you don't have to be accountable if you don't want to."

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Updated on Friday, Apr 27, 2007 12:37 pm EDT

Baseball's Best Pitchers Are Sidelined With Injuries

By David
Kaye

Every year the injury bug hits teams hard, but through the first month of the season the elite pitchers around MLB are getting injured at drastic rates.

Chris Carpenter, Felix Hernandez, Jason Schmidt, B.J. Ryan, Kenny Rogers and Mike Mussina highlight the list of pitchers who are on the disabled list instead of on the field trying to help their club win.

The best example of how injuries have affected a pitching staff's performance is to look at the current state of the Yankees rotation. Mike Mussina and Carl Pavano are currently on the DL and staff ace Chien-Mien Wang returned Tuesday night and surrendered four runs over 6 and 1/3 innings of work.

New York has been forced to throw out inexperienced pitchers such as Jeff Karstens, Darrell Rasner and Chase Wright. It has been a struggle to get any Yankees starter to survive past five innings and this has taken a considerable toll on the bullpen. If Wang, Mussina and Pavano do not return to pitch effectively it could be a long Summer in the Bronx.

There has been a litany of other quality pitchers who are sidelined with injuries and as a result their teams have struggled out of the gate. The most notable players are Jaret Wright, Jason Jennings, Cliff Lee, Eric Gagne, Kerry Wood, Mark Prior[now out for the season, again], Ricky Nolasco and Micah Owings.

While I can't find a common theme as to why there's such a high propensity of top major league pitchers getting hurt so early in the season, I believe that this issue needs to bring awareness to how these players condition themselves and how the teams treat their injuries. Many ball clubs do not report the entire truth about an injury and many players will attempt to rush back to play before they are fully healed.

If Blue Jays closer B.J. Ryan is not healthy by the middle of June and if ace pitchers Chris Carpenter and Felix Hernandez can not be effective upon return their teams chance of being successful is shattered. Carpenter is the leader of the St.Louis's pitching staff and is the reliable arm who can win 15-17 games and post an ERA under four. King Felix appeared unhitable in his first two starts of 2007 and looked as if he was quickly transforming into the majors most exciting and successful young star.

Baltimore Orioles Continue Red Hot Play

By David
Kaye

Five games into the 2007 season the O's were 1-4, but since then they have compiled a 10-3 record. They are coming off a three-game sweep of the division rival Blue Jays and have now catapult into second place in the AL East.

After watching the Orioles down at spring training in Ft.Lauderdale this year I got the sense that they were an improved team from last season, but were still missing that compliment pitcher to Erik Bedard and hitter to Miguel Tejada.

Through the first three weeks of the season manager Sam Perlozzo has his team playing exceptionally well, but the next two weeks of their schedule will lend be an indicator if they can contend with the elite teams in the American League. The O's open a three-game series at home tonight against the A's and then travel to Cleveland and Detroit.

Offensively this season Baltimore has seen strong play out of several hitters. Nick Markakis is a star in the making and is currently batting .284 with three long balls and 14 batted in. Third baseman Melvin Mora and team leader Miguel Tejada have started off the season hot, but it will be critical for them to continue their success throughout the duration of the season. A strong year out of Mora would be key to the O's contending.

Unfortunately, second baseman Brian Roberts and outfielders Jay Gibbons and Corey Patterson have not begun the season on high notes. Patterson needs to be more aggressive on the base pads and Gibbons must display his power if his team expects to improve on last season. Zero home runs in 56 at bats is unacceptable for a man with his potential.

New York Yankees' Struggle Against Boston Red Sox'

By David
Kaye

After a three-game sweep of the Indians at the stadium the Yankees were confident heading into their weekend series with the arch rival Red Sox'. Optimism would quickly transform into a state of panic as New York was outplayed brutally by Boston and was unable to salvage one victory in the series.

Many people can use the excuse that the Sox had their three best pitchers [Schilling, Beckett and Matsuzaka] lined up against Pettitte, Karstens and Wright, but despite who the Yankees throw out there they are expected to be victorious. The starting rotation was not aided by a poor performance by Mariano Rivera and the rest of the bullpen.

Rivera imploded in the bottom of the eighth Friday night as he surrendered two runs and three hits in two-thirds of an inning. His ERA now stands at an inflated 8.44 and his record is 1-2 after his second blown save of the season. If Mo continues to struggle the Bronx Bombers have no chance of overtaking the Red Sox and winning the division. With the abundance of talent in the AL New York might possibly be on the outside looking in come playoff time. I still expect Rivera to rebound and for the Yankees to reach the playoffs and possibly return to the World Series.

Saturday afternoon Jeff Karstens made his season debut for the Yanks and allowed seven runs over 4.1 innings. David Ortiz lit up Karstens for a 2-run double and a 2-run home run. Surprisingly, the Yankees bullpen kept Boston's sluggers at bay for the rest of the evening as they pitched 3.2 innings of shut out baseball. In the end, the Yankees fell to Boston for the second straight game by the score of 7-5.

In an attempt to salvage the third game of the series the Yankees preserved their mark in the record books. Unfortunately, this is a record that Joe Torre and his players are not proud of. In his second career major league start, Chase Wright surrendered four consecutive home runs to the Red Sox' hitters. Manny Ramirez started the hit parade with a blast to left field and he was followed by J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek. In a span of 10 pitches Wright's pitching career was changed forever.

Entering Monday, the Yankees stand four games out of first place. New York has 147 games remaining on the schedule and while fans will begin to worry about their early season lack of success, I don't begin to get concerned until August when the games start to carry some merit.