Cards Blank Mets, Lead 2-1

ST. LOUIS (AP) - During batting practice, scoreboards at Busch Stadium billed Game 3 of the NL championship series as "Gotham vs Gateway."
With Jeff Suppan doing just about everything for St. Louis, "No contest" would have been much more appropriate.
Suppan hit a rare home run and pitched a tidy masterpiece Saturday night that gave the St. Louis Cardinals control of the NLCS against the suddenly staggering New York.

Spiezio smacked another big triple and St. Louis dazzled on defense, dominating the Mets for a 5-0 victory and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

New York lost yet another pitcher to injury when an ineffective Steve Trachsel was clocked by Preston Wilson's comebacker. On offense, the Mets' normally imposing lineup hardly threatened against Suppan, who allowed three hits in eight crisp innings and homered against Trachsel for the second time in two years.

"They say I don't smile in the dugout. I was smiling there, man," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "I thought we got a one-run gift."

With a sea of red-clad Cardinals fans twirling their colorful towels, St. Louis moved within two wins of a trip to the World Series to face the Detroit Tigers, who polished off a four-game sweep of Oakland in the ALCS earlier Saturday.

Only 24 hours before, the Mets were in great shape. After tagging Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter, New York led Game 2 by two runs with two outs and none on in the seventh inning.

But the Mets' vaunted bullpen faltered, St. Louis rallied back and the Cardinals grabbed all the momentum with a 9-6 victory.

"I don't think there's any real correlation or carry-over from last night to tonight," New York manager Willie Randolph said.

Now the Mets, who cruised to an NL East title and tied the crosstown Yankees for the best regular-season record in baseball, will pin their hopes on erratic lefty Oliver Perez in Game 4.

With a 3-13 record and 6.55 ERA, he'll face Cardinals rookie Anthony Reyes.

"We've been in tougher spots than this," Randolph said. "We feel like we're in pretty good shape, even though we're down 2-1. Things could change real, real quick, so we'll get some rest tonight and I guarantee you we'll be ready to play tomorrow."

But while New York keeps losing key players to injuries, the Cardinals are beginning to get them back.

All-Star third baseman Scott Rolen, hampered by a sore left shoulder, returned to the lineup and snapped a 1-for-15 skid with a fifth-inning single. He also made a couple of fine plays in the field.

Trachsel left with a bruised right thigh in the second after getting struck by Wilson's smash, ending a horrendous performance in what could have been his final outing with New York.

"It stiffened up pretty quickly and I wasn't able to drive off that leg," Trachsel said.

Already missing Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez, the Mets can't afford another serious injury to a starting pitcher.

But if they don't regroup fast, Trachsel's next turn won't come up again anyway.

"He had a little swelling and we'll keep it iced overnight and see how he feels tomorrow," Randolph said. "He seems OK."

The lone positive for New York: long man Darren Oliver chewed up six scoreless innings, saving the rest of the bullpen a bit for Games 4 and 5.

Suppan, who beat Houston's Roger Clemens in Game 7 of the 2004 NLCS, didn't need much help at all.

After losing 3-1 to San Diego in Game 3 of the division series, the right-hander struck out four and walked one Saturday night, throwing 69 of his 99 pitches for strikes in an absolute gem.

"He was so focused and kept making great pitches," La Russa said.

Josh Kinney finished up with a perfect ninth, leaving New York scoreless in its past 12 innings.

With no off day because of Wednesday's rainout in New York, the Mets and Cardinals had a short turnaround between Games 2 and 3. The Cardinals' charter landed at about 3 a.m. CDT, while the Mets got to their hotel about 4:30 a.m.

And New York definitely looked like the tired team in a lethargic performance.

Spiezio sparked St. Louis again with a two-out, two-run triple in the first inning.

With Wilson and Albert Pujols aboard, Spiezio hit a drive toward the right-field line that dropped just in front of a diving Shawn Green and deflected away off his chest.

Of course, it was Spiezio's two-out, two-run triple (on an 0-2 pitch from Guillermo Mota) off the glove of a leaping Green that tied Game 2 and turned the series.

Leading off the second, Suppan connected on an 0-2 offering and the ball bounced off the top of the left-field fence, just beyond the reach of a leaping Endy Chavez, and into New York's bullpen.

"I don't know. I swung, it ran into my bat," Suppan said.

Suppan's only regular-season homer in 251 career at-bats also came against Trachsel on Sept. 10, 2005.

The previous pitcher to homer in the postseason was Kerry Wood for the Chicago Cubs in Game 7 of the 2003 NLCS, off Florida's Mark Redman.

Suppan also dropped down two successful sacrifice bunts, drawing chants of "Suuuupe!" from the crowd of 47,053.

Wilson's hard comebacker hit Trachsel on the leg, and the ball ricocheted into shallow left field for a single that put runners at the corners. The right-hander was checked by Randolph and a trainer after hobbling off the mound.

Trachsel remained in the game - but not for long. He was removed after a four-pitch walk to Pujols, and Oliver was given as much time as he needed to warm up.

Still, Oliver's second delivery to Jim Edmonds was a run-scoring wild pitch, and Edmonds' RBI groundout made it 5-0.

Trachsel lasted only one-plus inning. He faced 12 batters, giving up five hits and five walks.

"I felt like I made some pretty good pitches. Just, I fell behind," he said. "I wasn't missing by a lot. I was probably trying to be too fine, too early."

Tigers Win!

DETROIT (AP) - All those people who kept doubting the Detroit Tigers, take a week off and think again.
Magglio Ordonez hit his second homer of the game, connecting for a three-run shot with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and lifted the Tiger's over the Oakland Athletics 6-3 for a startling four-game sweep of the AL championship series.

"I think early on in spring training we had a lot of good players. We didn't have a good team," Leyland said. "And today I can make the statement that we've got a good team, and that's the thing that I'm proudest of."

With the crowd of 42,967 at Comerica Park in delirium, joined by fans watching from distant downtown buildings and all over Michigan, the Tigers rejoiced after their seventh straight postseason win.

The wild-card Tigers now get to rest up for Game 1, at home next Saturday night against either the New York Mets or St. Louis Cardinals. It will be their first Series appearance since winning it all exactly 22 years ago Saturday on Oct. 14, 1984.

In those days, Sparky Anderson, Kirk Gibson and Jack Morris were among the big names at Tiger Stadium, making history at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull.

Starting next week, these Tigers get a chance to make their mark at the address of baseball's most surprising story - Woodward and Montcalm.

"Nobody could have expected this. It's unreal," said Tigers Hall of Famer Al Kaline, currently a team official.

The losingest team in the majors over the past 13 seasons, Detroit was in despair after dropping an embarrassing 119 games in 2003. But in their first year under Leyland, the Tigers projected a winning attitude from the start.

And never has the olde English "D" on the jerseys puffed more proudly. The symbol stands for Detroit, of course; yet at this point, surely some think it stands for destiny.

Ordonez stamped it so with his no-doubt, winning drive into the left-field stands.

"I knew it was gone as soon as I hit it," Ordonez said. "This is what I've dreamed about my whole career, my whole life. I don't even remember running around the bases."

Members of the Tigers' bullpen rushed in from left field and nearly beat Ordonez to the plate as fans twirled white towels. The guys from Motown were losers no mo'.

Detroit was the site for the Super Bowl in February, but local fans were simply bystanders. This time, the party is theirs.

"The Super Bowl was great, but that was Pittsburgh's time to dance," Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick said. "This is Detroit's. The only thing better than hosting a party is hosting one for yourselves. We're going to enjoy this."

Down 3-0 early, the Tigers clawed back to tie it against Dan Haren when Ordonez hit a solo home run in the sixth off Dan Haren.

After Craig Monroe and ALCS MVP Placido Polanco singled with two outs in the ninth off Huston Street, and with the entire ballpark on its feet, Ordonez launched a shot over the wall.

Ordonez stood to watch the ball sail while Monroe and Polanco began jumping. It was the eighth homer ever to end a postseason series, and it had to be sweet salvation for Ordonez - there were certainly plenty of critics when the Tigers signed the injured All-Star to a multimillion dollar, free-agent deal before the 2005 season.

As the Tigers celebrated at the plate, Leyland walked across the field to Oakland's first-base dugout to congratulate the A's. He had special words for A's slugger Frank Thomas, who went 0-for-13 in the series.

"It was a numbing feeling," Thomas said. "It's my little brother who did it - Magglio. We spent seven years together and I'm happy for him. He's always wanted a ring and he's going to get a chance."

Leyland then slapped high-fives with fans along the box-seat railings before taking part in the festivities in the middle of the field.

Not even a baseball lifer like Leyland - who started out in the Tigers' system as a minor league catcher - could have foreseen this. Heavy underdogs, they lost Game 1 in the first round to the New York Yankees, but have roared back to win seven in a row.

And those last six victories have all been by at least three runs - making Detroit the first team to put together such a streak in the postseason.

Leyland won the 1997 World Series with Florida, but had taken six years off before deciding to accept the Tigers' job. A lot of people figured he was crazy, taking over a team that had endured 12 straight losing seasons.

"I kept getting closer to it and closer to it," he said.

Wilfredo Ledezma, who bailed out the Tigers by retiring Marco Scutaro on a foul pop with the bases loaded to end the eighth with the score 3-all, got the win.

Detroit posted the first ALCS sweep since Oakland chased Boston in 1990. The A's started off strong in this postseason, sweeping Minnesota in the first round, but manager Ken Macha's AL West champions could not get key hits against the Tigers.

"I told the players they can't let this series diminish what they did this year," Macha said. "I thought it was a tremendous year.

"The guys played their tails off and that's all you can ask," he said.

Polanco, whose separated left shoulder in mid-August had him worried that his season was over, delivered three more hits and went 9-for-17 in the series.

"I know we had a shot to make it to the playoffs, and I didn't know if I was going to play again," he said. "Like I said before, you don't have this opportunity every year, and I wanted to be part of the team."

Jay Payton's solo homer gave Oakland a 3-0 lead in the fourth.

A night earlier, Thomas said the A's needed one big inning to get back into the series. Or at least, as Athletics owner Lew Wolff quipped before the game, "We've got to figure out how to beat them without getting a run."

While they scored, the A's didn't get quite enough.

"There's a thing called the Chaos Theory, where you just can't control certain things," Athletics outfielder Mark Kotsay said. "We had no control. We did our best. There wasn't a lack of effort, just a lack of execution."

Held to a paltry two singles in a 3-0 loss Friday, the A's came out swinging in Game 4. It worked, as Milton Bradley and Eric Chavez hit RBI doubles in the first inning off Jeremy Bonderman.

As the afternoon turned into night, however, the game tilted to the Tigers.

"The Detroit Tigers are going to the World Series," Monroe said. "Oh, my God. We're going to the World Series

Cards steal one from Mets

Scott Spiezio delivered a clutch hit in the 7th inning, driving a 0-2 pitch into the right field corner for a two run triple and tying the score at 6-6. Shawn Green leaped in an attempt to catch the drive, the ball just bouncing off his glove and hitting the top of the wall. Both runners scored and the back and forth game was tied again.

It stayed that way until the 9th.. when defensive replacement So Taguchi battled vaunted Mets reliever Billy Wagner for nine pitches before finally hitting a mistake into the left field seats for the go ahead run. The Cards tacked on two more off Wagner and shut the Mets down in their half. A huge win for the Cards, they now travel back to St. Loo with a 1-1 series and a chance to flex their muscles at home.

With Pujols emerging from a poor post season, battling for two sold hits late in the game, and Jim Edmonds showing life... the Cards offense could present problems for the Mets if they get on track. They were solid throughout the season and continue to impress you with their lineup.. speed at the top and solid power in the middle.

The Mets must shake off the loss and consider it the Process of Baseball. It's a funny game and you have to take your failures and brush them aside. The only thing that is important is.. the next pitch. And we will be waiting to see that pitch in anticipation as this series just got very entertaining.

Kenny Rogers deals A's another Loss

Detroit is one win away from a World Series! Kenny Rogers pitched another fantastic game in October, going 7 1/3 innings and blanking the A's powerful lineup. After having miserable statistics in the post season for his career, Rogers seems to be intent on wiping those numbers off his record. Two straight fabulous October performances have made a believer out of me.

Detroit's offense did just enough to secure a 3-0 win and, more importantly, a 3-0 advantage in the series. Such an advantage has the A's up against insurmountable odds as only one team in history has recovered... the Boston Red Sox vs. the Yankees in 2004. For some strange reason, I don't see that happening this time around. The Tigers simply cannot lose.

Leyland has pulled all the right strings.. the starting pitching has been incredible.. the offense has provided power... a steady defense.. all resulting in 6 straight playoff wins.

Check out this awesome article on ALCS Game 3 - click here!

El Tigre' Bueno!

Story by Jack Curry - NY Times

Alexis Gómez, a rookie who was designated for assignment twice by the Tigers this season, had a homer, a single and knocked in four runs as Detroit stifled the Oakland Athletics, 8-5, in the second game of the American League Championship Series.

Behind Gómez, the Tigers grabbed a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and scooted to within two victories of their first World Series since 1984. The Tigers, who played miserably at the end of the regular season, have won five straight playoff games.

Gómez, a left-handed batter, started at designated hitter because Sean Casey, another left-handed hitter, is out with a torn muscle in his left calf. Manager Jim Leyland switched shortstop Carlos Guillén to first and put Neifi Pérez at short. But Leyland still wanted more help from the left side against the right-hander Esteban Loaiza, so he pulled Gómez out of the corner of the dugout.

Leyland and Tigers catcher Iván Rodríguez joked how Gómez hit what seemed like 500-foot home runs in batting practice. But Leyland was serious when he took a chance by starting Gómez.

Leyland’s hunch proved magical and provided memorable results. When Gómez batted with the bases loaded and the score tied in the fourth, he chopped a ball that hit near the lip of the infield grass and zoomed at third baseman Eric Chavez. The ball hit off Chavez’s glove and squirted into left field, allowing two runs to score and putting the Tigers ahead, 5-3.

Two innings later, Gómez took a more muscular route to driving in a pair of runs, drilling a two-out homer to right-center field. There must have been fans at McAfee Coliseum staring at their scorecards and wondering who Gómez was and why he was playing. The fans might have also wondered how a player who had six runs batted in all season had damaged the A’s so badly.

“We didn’t have a whole lot on him,” Oakland Manager Ken Macha said.

Justin Verlander allowed base runners in five of the six innings he pitched, but he was better than Loaiza and that was enough to enable him to win. Verlander gave up four runs in five and one-third innings, while Loaiza surrendered seven runs in six innings. Milton Bradley homered twice for the A’s, who must win two of the three games scheduled in Detroit to avoid elimination.

The Tigers draw first blood.

The stage is set and the Final Four teams are in the gate... Which horse will hit it's mark?

Detroit is riding such an incredible high after losing the first game in the Yankee series.. only to reel off three straight impressive wins. Pitching was the difference, as it always is in the post season. The Tiger's young arms are as impressive as any in baseball and the demonstrated why they had the No. 1 ERA in the league.

The A's .. off an impressive sweep of the high flying Twins are also relying on incredible arms in their rotation. Opening the ALCS with Barry Zito vs the depth of the Tiger offensive lineup, this turns into the classic matchup. Pitching vs. Hitting. Pudge and Company vs. Zito and Company. Frank Thomas and Company vs. Nate Robertson and Company.

As for the NL Series.. it is so elementary.. who's offensive lineup will expose the rotation's weakness. Which incredibly potent offense will prevail? Will it be Delgado, Beltran, Wright and company... or Pujols, Edmonds, Rolen and company?

I can't see either pitching staff fending off the tremendous bats on the opposing side.. I can only see an offensive series here.

Whereas, on the AL side. . it can easily be dominated by pitching.

Awesome game. . . Baseball. It all boils down to Me against YOU. Pitcher against Hitter. Who will win?

Just like tonight's game.. Nate Robertson was impeccable.. made every pitch he needed to make to keep the A's from answering any challenges. The Tigers were so patient vs. Zito that they could eventually get into good hitter's counts and put Zito on the defensive. Once you can get that position... and have the offensive capabilities of a team like the Tigers... look out. Just ask the Yankees.

And so it was tonight. The patience of the Tiger hitters prevailed. They couldn't even put a dent in Zito through the first eight hitters. 1-8 got up .. and just as quickly sat down. But.. each of those hitters remained patient.. getting to at least a two ball count.. working Zito.. working Zito.. Until the #9 man.. Brandon Inge. . 2 outs nobody on. Bang! Bombarooni! A good hitter's count.. a 1-0 ball game. All of a sudden the Tigers came alive.. and .. never looked back. Don Slaught had to be proud of the approach the Tiger hitters undertook.. in part (I'm sure) from Don's coaching.

So.. with a first game win on the road.. here go the Tigers again. They have put themselves in a tremendously advantageous position to take the ALCS and get to the World Series.

Who will they meet?

My pick.. the Mets!

Tigers take a bite out of Yanks!

Detroit's improbable season continues... The Tigers snuck past New York in Game2 to excite Tiger fans for their first home playoff game in many years. No disappointment... Kenny Rogers was intensely focused and shutout the mighty Yankees 6-0. The Tigers are one win away from advancing to the ALCS with the Oakland A's who dispatched the Twins earlier in the day.

New York's impressive lineup was stymied again by Tiger pitching. A-Rod has had a miserable series so far. Actually, the only bat in the Yankee lineup since Game 1 has been Jeter's.. and he has even cooled off from that Fabulous 5 for 5. Tip your hat to the Tigers, it's very impressive to watch. Game 4 should be awesome.

Woah! Nellie!

Or should I say Whoah! JD! Where are you going? What are you thinking 1st to home?? It better be over the fence.

A sad day for the Dodgers as they turn into the Brooklyn bums in Shea Stadium. Nobody out in the top half of the second with Kent and JD Drew on the bases, rookie Russell Martin rifles a shot to right field, for some reason Kent hesitates... and the worm turned. A perfect relay not only plugs Kent at home but JD Drew!! Whoah! Who is the traffic cop at third base!?

As it usually proves to be the case.. those lost runs were the difference in the game. The Dodgers end up scoring just one run in the inning and the Mets had life. They came back in the fourth with two solo homeruns by Carlos Delgado (4-5 on the day) and Cliff Floyd. Both homeruns were on 2-1 counts. .hitters counts.. must be some Rick Down teaching in that dugout. Better yet. .Delgado goes oppo! Superb hitting by the Mets.

And then it was Mr. Wright to the rescue. The Mets went up 4-1 in the bottom of the 6th on another outstanding at bat by David Wright. The guy just continues to thrive in the NY Met lineup. Wright's double to the opposite field knocked in two and knocked out Derek Lowe.

The Dodgers.. not a team that has quit in the stretch.. score 3 runs to answer the challenge in the top half of the seventh. In a typical Dodger inning, Anderson leads off with a drag bunt single.. and they get a little help from Jose Valentin making a bad decision on a grounder by Betemit. Valentin attempted to get the lead runner on a tough spin and throw move. The ball was errant and the Dodgers had an inning cooking. Rafael Furcal cashed in one on a sharp single to make it 4-2 and a clutch double by Nomar down the Left field line tied the game at 4!

But.. for some inexplicable reason Grady Little went out of the norm and brought in Brad Penny in the bottom of the inning. Penny was tarnished for sure.. walking Reyes and putting the rabbit on the bases. A 1 out walk to Beltran and a sharp hit by Carlos Delgado put the mets up for good at 5-4. David Wright followed with another opposite field hit.. a soft one that dropped and drove in the Mets final run to make it 6-4.

Again, the Dodgers bowed their necks but couldn't get that big hit from Nomar as he struck out to end the game. A 6-5 Thriller and a good start to probably the most entertaining of the series' so far.

Kotsay saves the Day!

Marquis pitching lasted four innings between two top notch starters. Loaiza was a little shaky with two outs.. allowing the Twins to mount a little offense on a couple of occasions. He was able to snuff out the scares each time.

A's batters staked him to a 2-0 lead in the fifth when Scutaro started a rally. Then in the Twins' half of the 6th two incredible at bats by Cuddyer and Morneau tied the game for the home team with back to back blasts! Cuddyer worked a beautiful count to 3-2 and deposited a Loaiza pitch into the Left Field stands and deep. Morneau followed with a monster blast to the upper deck in Right field.

But with two outs in 7th inning Kotsay hit a sinking drive to center that Twins center fielder Tori Hunter misplayed. Thinking he could snag the liner to end the inning.. the ball died and dropped to the left of the sliding Hunter, rolling all the way to the wall. Kotsay motored around for an inside the park homer and the deciding runs. The A's went on to win it 5-2.

Ironically, exactly four years ago to the day Ray Durham (then with the A's)also hit an inside the parker against the Twins in Minnesota. It's a crazy game.

Padres lose, Tigers Trounced

Jake Peavy looked tremendous for the first 3 innings, he was precise with his spots... impeccable even. That is...Until Piazza misplayed a foul ball off the bat of Pujols that would have retired the PhatMan. From that moment on.. it was like waking up the sleeping Giant.

The Cards, who looked so sleepy down the stretch, suddenly awoke with one swing of Albert Pujols' bat... Bang! The alarm clock has sounded. Pujols slammed a two run blast off of Peavy to start the train rolling and it never stopped. Nothing San Diego could do about it. The Cards just rode the wave of emotion.. did everything right and walked away with a 5-1 win to take Game 1.

It's funny, I knew from the moment Piazza dropped that ball that he had made a mistake. It wasn't an easy play .. mind you, but.. he's the leader.. he should have caught it. When the leader of one team allows the leader of the other a second chance.. .. .. well, you saw what happened. Pujols was so locked in. He is a joy to watch in those situations, such superb concentration. For all you young players out there, he wasn't trying to hit a home run. His concentration was simply to hit the ball pure. He had just missed the previous pitch and it almost cost him his at bat.. so he locked in a little more in his mind and thought about nothing but hitting the ball pure. Voila! Ding Dong! Home Run. It really is awesome to watch him. I hope you pay attention to that in the next few Cards games.

On to the Tigers. What Happened? Well, sadly they have a mountain to climb and it just got steeper with ice on the sides and a strong head wind. Derek Jeter, Five for Fabulous Five, is an amazing post season player. Already the all-time leader in Post Season hits, Jeter put on a show for the Yankee crowd last night. He hit to left, he hit to right, he hit to center.. Oh, he hit one OVER center :-)

Derek Jeter may be one of the best players to have played the game. Surround him with the cast that makes up the NY Yankees and it is very difficult to see them getting beat. Of course, it happens .. I mean, they weren't undefeated this year by any means. But, in these short series match ups.. what a line up.

About the only thing you had to scratch your head about was a move by Torre in taking out Wang with such a quick hook. Wang pitched very well. You have to tip your hat to the Tigers line up for not laying down after the Yanks jumped out to a 5-0 lead. They clawed back into it.. but Abreu, Jeter and company were too much to handle. Game 1 is history and it looks like the Tigers might be history as well.

It Hurts soooo Good!

Holy Premonition Bat Man! Maybe I should listen to myself a little more closely :-)

I do believe I said something like "Can you say Frank Thomas?" Yea, well I be you can hear that name all over the state of Minnesota right now.. and my bet is it is precursed with at least one expletive and followed by a couple more.

The man that was signed for a half million (+ incentives.. he reached every one by the way and earned about 3.8m for his year) was worth his weight in gold today! Thomas led off the second and ninth innings with solo home runs and supported a beautiful pitching performance by Barry Zito. Houston Street mopped up in the ninth and .. that was that!

Oakland takes a 1-0 lead in the series.

Post Season Upon Us

Wow! What an awesome year of baseball we were blessed with in 2006.
We had a little bit of everything there. Heck, we even got a no-hitter and a few flirts with others... including a near no-hitter vs the powerful NY Yankees offense. Yea, it really was a great, great year for baseball. Don't even think about the mud that flew.. just look at the shiny new version in front of us: Its The Post Season!

Lets take a look here, hmmmm.. A's vs Twins. Well, if you look back at my blogs you can see I didn't pick either to get there. I had the Mariners in the West and was certain that the White Sox and Tigers would make it from the Central. The White Sox dropped like a soggy wet one and the Tigers clawed and scratched their way through a very tough end of the season to end up as AL Wild Card reps. The Mariners.. well, never mind. :-)

Who do I like here? The A's are just sneaky. They have bigger bats then you think they do.. can you say Frank Thomas? And their arms are strong as well. I kind of like them... except for the fact that they open in Minnesota and have to face a formidable pitching staff in the Twins' staff... not to mention a studly offense led by AL Batting Champ Joe Mauer (Yea, same guy from Mauer QuickSwing - Awesome product by the way.. you should check it out here). I think I have to lean toward the home field advantage. It's there for a reason and when it comes to playoffs it may be the one thing that makes a difference in a team moving on. The Twins are tough at home winning 2/3 of their games there for the season. It stands to reason they will do well in a short series.

Tigers vs Yankees .. well, as much as I love my man Don Slaught and am excited for him and the Tigers to get to the playoffs, it would have been so much better to face the A's!! Losing the Division has really placed them in the Hornets nest in NY. The Bronx Bombers are awfully tough in the post season. Soooo much experience. Soooo much talent. Soooo much Jeter and Giambi and Sheffield and A-Rod and Johnson and Mussina and Johnson and.. and.. and... you get my drift.

The Tigers had a really tough ending to an incredible year. I think part of it could be the young arms having pitched more innings than in their past. The playoffs could infuse some Desire in the youth of the Tigers, and they do have great leadership in Pudge Rodriquez. But, they would simply have to play a superb series and have tremendous pitching to come out on top vs the Yankees.

As for the Yanks, well.. despite the fact that I recognized a lack of unity at the very beginning of the year (which did exist by the way).. they have gelled in the second half. With Matsui back they take on a completely different look and his bat compliments the rest of the lineup so very well.. it will be a Yankee win in this series. I can't see the Tigers getting past them, unfortunately.

Dodgers vs NY Mets. Well, I was pretty sure the Dodgers were going to make it. They had themselves a helluva year.. up and down and back up again when it counted. Their young players really stepped up all year. Adding Marlon Anderson late in the year was a superb move my Grady Little. They will give the Mets all they wanted and more. Coming off a tremendous sweep at the close of the regular season to make the playoffs.. they are on a great roll now. They showed earlier in the year how they were able to prolong winning streaks. I think if they can split in NY in the opening two games.. they will win this series. Even though I love my buddy Rick Down and the Mets look incredibly awesome on paper, they are on a downward slide and it may be difficult to reverse it... even if it is the post season. But.. time will tell and either way this one shakes out I'll be happy. If the Mets win.. I'll root for my man Rick to get his ring. He deserves it. Hell, he deserves a shot at one of the vacant managerial jobs coming up. The man is a winner.. check his record here if you don't believe me.

And.. you know, just looking at that lineup.. it's hard to believe they could lose. Wright, Reyes, Delgado, LoDuca, Beltran, Floyd, Green.. The Dodgers will need to continue to ride the wave to beat this team. But.. like I said, either way.. this may be the best of the 5 game sets we get to watch.

Cards vs Padres. Maybe not the most intriguing of the matchups to start the playoffs. The Cards are limping badly and the Padres are rolling. They played very well down the stretch to snatch the West. I like the Padres here. Again, home field advantage is huge and the Cards are coming in wounded and wondering if they can win. Piazza has the Padres on a charge and I think the pitching will be good enough to quiet the bats of St Loo (not even a whisper at the end of the season). It will be fun to watch Phat Albert though, he is an incredible hitter. If nothing else you have to hope to watch him in a clutch situation. He is so focused and steady, there is alot to learn here.. just by watching.

Anyway, that's my two cents. Enjoy the Playoffs.. they should be Fan Tastic!

Trade Line Check Up

With slightly more than 100 games played in the season.. the deadline now dead.. here's the shakedown on MLB as I see it.

There were some interesting moves made within the last 48 hours. I think Abreu moving over to the Yankees and the fact that neither the Red Sox or the Blue Jays did anything much to help their causes.. The Yankees were our pick in the beginning and I think they give the AL East a good run.

The Red Sox have been getting such tremendous production from their young closer, together with some incredibly timely hitting by Big Papi and Manny, they have shown what a Championship seasoned team can do. But, the season is far from over and this two team battle is going to be one of the most entertaining and exciting races to watch.

There really is no pressure on the NL East leading NY Mets. With the sweep of the Atlanta Braves.. the East is pretty much wrapped up. They made a nice move to shore up the pitching rotation loss of Duaner Sanchez (injured in a car accident and out for the season) by picking up Hernandez from the Pirates. Since Roberto has been with the Mets in the past and proven he can play under the pressure of the Big Apple press.. I think that was a safe and very solid move on the Mets' part.

Over to the wild and whacky West. In the AL it is still a tightly bunched up Division. From top to bottom the separation is 3.5 games. I put my hat in the ring with the Mariners early in the season and I think they are playing fairly decent ball recently. They have some issues in the pitching department .. but only 3.5 games back and the troubles in this Division they could still pull it off.

As for the trading.. It appears the Rangers have made the biggest moves in an attempt to make a run at the top. Although the wise move might be to go with the Angels who are stacked.. or the Rangers with all the moves.. or even the A's who still have the best pitching staff in this group.. I have to go with what I picked in the beginning. The bat of Sexton has been heating up and Ichiro's leadership will make a difference in the end.

As for the NL West.. speaking of leadership.. The Dodgers made a leadership type of move when they picked up Greg Maddux. A certain HOF'er .. his game may not be so perfect after his big 5-0 start to the year.. but.. his leadership abilities are without question. He may be just the stabilizing force the Dodger staff needs.. especially following the embarrassing tirade put on by Brad Penny in his last start. The injuries continue to slow the Dodger parade though. They can't seem to keep the same lineup on the field.. Nomar and Kent have been in and out all year.. No Bill Mueller. Letting go of Izturis and picking up Lugo may end up being a super move in the long run. The Dodgers have some outstanding young talent in the farm system as far as their position players are concerned. This move makes a lot of sense to me. Five games back and at the bottom of the NL West does not bode well for my early season pick.. but hey, it ain't over til it's over.

The Detroit Tigers look like they have finally separated a bit from the Chicago White Sox. Ozzie showing a bit of frustration a few games back may be just the chink in the armor that the Tigers needed to see. Since that time the Tigers have steadily pulled away. I see them finishing strong. The White Sox will battle for the Wild Card.

The NL Central looks like St. Louis staying strong. Although, the Reds made some nice moves to shore up their pitching staff and 3.5 games is not that large a deficit if they can get on a bit of a roll. Strong hitting leads the way for both clubs and it will come down to whether the pitching additions were the smart move or not.

All in all the season has been outstanding.. with tremendous plays (remember Matthews, Jr's catch?) incredible hitting performances.. now it is Chase Utley in the spotlight.. and topsy turvy divisonal races. Baseball is awesome and I am proud to be involved in my own little way.

Enjoy the rest of the season!

60 Game Check on MLB

Looking around the league there are plenty of stories to excite us so far in the season. The unexpected leaders, the expected leaders, the great play of some lesser knowns and the great play of the very well knowns.

Assessing our earlier comments about where we thought the cream of the crop would end up, we are looking fairly prophetic slightly over 1/3 of the way into the season. They Yanks and Red Sox.. pretty much neck and neck.. with the Blue Jays playing well, this is surely looking like a 3 horse race. The Blue Jays team Batting average is over .300! That has to come as a surprise to most analysts. Our feeling though was the Yanks hand was a better play.. and although they have had some crippling injuries.. we'll stay with that horse. Jeter is the ace in the hole.

The surprising Tigers and White Sox .. running away with the Central. I still have to ponder.. is it because both teams use the XLR8 Practice Balls :-)

Seriously though, these two teams have proven to be solid up and down the lineup. Great pitching: The Tigers lead MLB in ERA. They hold the AL lead in ERA by nearly a 1/2 run over the Yankees, White Sox sitting 3rd. Hitting is a toss up between these two Central Division leaders. The White Sox are first in AL in HR's with 87 and the Tigers sit right behind them with 86! Only the REDS with Griffey and Dunn have more (88). I think this surprises most people this far into the season. Jim Leyland has done a masterful job with this team and I think he has truly gotten more from them than even he has realized. A talented coaching staff and great moves from GM Dave Dombrowski have this team in position for the long haul. I think they can pull it off although I am hesitant to hang my hat just yet as the White Sox are defending WS Champs and are playing supreme baseball. We'll continue to watch and be entertained by this Division.

Rounding up the AL with the mediocre WEST; Not alot to say here as no team looks strong enough to push much farther than a Division Championship. Funny things happen and you never know with this game. But from the start of the season until now we haven't seen much from this group. Believe it or not, I think the best team here is the Mariners. Sitting just 4 1/2 games out of the lead and to this point not having any significant win streak. They have solid pitching, fielding and hitting . .ranking in the top 1 or 2 in the West in all categories. With Sexon swinging a solid power bat and Ichiro being Ichiro (hitting over .500 in his last 10 games!) .. This could be the team that comes out on top here.

Sliding over to the NL the Phillies have made a small push at the Mets, closing within 5 1/2 at the time of this writing. Although they are in lower half in BA for the NL, they are fourth in HR totals behind the Reds, Brewers (!) and Mets. The power could be the key factor. But, I don't think they have the horsepower in the long run as the Mets are just too solid up and down. The Mets lead the NL in Pitching and I think that will be the difference. I'm sticking with em and hope Rick Down gets that elusive ring this year.

The Central is a little different animal. With Pujols on DL the Reds have seized the opportunity to get solidly back in position to steal this Division. Griffey and Dunn provide the power and the run production has been fantastic, trailing only the Dodgers in the NL. The achilles heel here though is the fielding; 2nd to last in MLB in fielding and not a solid enough pitching to staff to compensate. I say the Cardinals run away with this Division as soon as Pujols makes his return. His health is a huge factor, there is no question there. The Cardinals are solid though, even without PhatAlbert. I'm on the RedBirds here and feel very confident with that choice.

The NL West has really shaped up to be a great Division. The Diamondbacks have played outstanding baseball. The Padres were really smoking earlier in the season, proving that their young talent is capable of making a run. But.. injuries and all the Blue Crew is at the top of the heap. Outstanding run production with very little power has been a key for the team. They are outstanding with RISP and have a young group of guys that are excited to take the field every day. With Gagne on the return.. Nomar playing like his old self.. this is the team I chose at the start and I'll stay with them. You may see some interesting battles with the Diamondbacks though. Arizona has a very solid team and with the right trade at the right time.. they could end up making this long season a memorable one.

So.. lets just let em play and enjoy the games.

Matsui: The Pride of the Yankees

Matsui: The Pride of the Yankees
by Tom Plate
Los Angeles --- In the sports-happy, globe-oblivious country of United States, probably more people know who Hideki Matsui is than who Junichiro Koizumi is.

The former is the star left fielder of the New York Yankees baseball team. The latter is only the prime minister of Japan. But for a shining few minutes late last week in New York, you could very well make the case that Matsui was the most important Japanese celebrity in the world.

The dramatic situation was this. It was early in a feral game against the hated Boston Red Sox baseball club. A sharp line drive was slammed into left field in the general direction of Matsui. An excellent fielder as well as batter, a Yankee star and a baseball superstar in Japan, Matsui charged the liner without fear, lunged for it, fell to the ground and rolled over onto his left wrist and arm.
The capacity crowd at historic Yankee Stadium in the Bronx gasped at the sight of the fallen warrior on the ground unable to move because the pain was so great. The team doctor and teammates ran to his aid, but nothing could be done. The arm was broken, the star had to leave the game, the recovery period is said to require months.

But here is where Matsui exceeded his greatness as individual player with great dignity as a human being and as a team player. In the age of the coddled athlete, the widely overpaid athlete, the agent-protected athlete, and the totally obnoxious superstar athlete, Matsui from Japan did something that hardly anyone could remember another athlete doing in a long time.

Matsui apologized.

He publicly apologized to his manager for the injury that would keep him out of the team's lineup indefinitely, and he apologized to his fellow players for having to withdraw from the front lines of the battle to allow his broken left wrist to heal back together.

The apology was so unusual and unexpected and uncharacteristic, it became a major news story in the American media. The New York Times devoted a major feature to the Matsui apology. Countless news organizations picked up the story for the astonishing if almost unprecedented development that it represented: a superstar athlete and celebrity actually and sincerely saying he was sorry.

Apologies are as rare in the United States as they may be unexceptional in Japan. In this country even major newspapers fail to apologize to a citizen who has clearly been wronged by a story. To date, nearly 2,500 Americans have died in the Iraq war (and who knows how many Iraqis) and nothing remotely close to an apology has been issued by the perpetrators of this unnecessary calamity. In Los Angeles a driver on a cell phone will drift mentally off into Mars, make a serious life-endangering driving error, cause a multi- car pileup, and will you hear an apology? More likely you'll hear first from his lawyer or his insurance company.

It was against this stony-faced culture of arrogance that the Matsui "I'm sorry' rang across America like the ringing of some new liberty bell, freeing us from a culture of smugness. Unprompted by media advisors, unforced by barristers, it offered the feeling of sincerity and of coming deep from the heart.

In American baseball lore, few phrases or gestures are memorable enough to last longer than the next newspaper edition. Perhaps the most famous gesture of all time is Yankee slugger-of-history Babe Ruth's alleged gesture to the bleachers right before hitting one more or less exactly there. Another is Lou Gehrig's famous "I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth" phrase memorably delivered in Yankee Stadium during a ceremony saluting the great player's struggle against a fatal disease.

Matsui's apology probably will not go down in history to quite that degree of gravity. But to this ear it was memorable. Like Ruth or Gehrig before him, Matsui, the happy but humble warrior from Japan, gave a public and moving demonstration that reflected the pride of a Yankee.

UCLA Prof. Tom Plate, a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy, is an American journalist who has worked at Time, New York, Newsday and The Los Angeles Times. © Tom Plate, 2005. Distributed by the UCLA Media Center, Oct. 1, 2005.

Reprinted and distributed with permission by Nagase Kenko Corporation.

'06 Individual Performances

Where do you start? So far this year we have seen Jimmy Rollins scare the all-time hitting streak record. Kevin Mench has just fallen short of the all-time MLB record of consecutive games with a Home Run. Mench clubbed a round tripper in 7 straight. Ken Griffey Jr., Don Mattingly and a fellow named Dale Long (Pittsburgh Pirates - 1956)share the record at 8. Mench, however is the only right handed hitter in that group and holds that distinction. Mench tied another all-time mark back in June when he smashed a homerun in three consecutive innings vs the LA Angels. During his current binge, Mench hit two Grand Slams and drove in 20 RBI's!

Speaking of Griffey, he has surpassed Mickey Mantle and continues to climb the all-time Home Run list. Mike Piazza crushed his 400th Home Run. Barry, yes Barry... he climbed over Babe Ruth. No, not for the Home Runs. Barry has amassed more walks in his career than The Babe. How many more marks will he topple? He sits just 3 Home Runs shy of Ruth for second place all-time. The problem for Barry is... nobody seems to care. MLB plans no celebration, the Ruth family seems distant. A far cry from the moments in 1998 that featured Mammoth Mark eclipsing Roger Maris. Poor Barry. Do you think the trust factor might be missing?

And oh.. mentioning the Babe Ruth records. One more of Babe's records could be tied this year. His pitching prowess is completely forgotten. But, the Babe could chuck the rock! Curt Schilling takes aim at tying Babe Ruth and Pedro Martinez (if he could only hit like the Babe)as the only Red Sox pitchers to chalk up five wins in April.

What else is happening out there? Oh, who could forget.. possibly the most intimidating hitter in the league (yea, even more than Bonds); Albert Pujols is drumming the opposing pitchers. Big Bad Mr. Albert (can't call him Fat) set the MLB record for most Home Runs in the opening month of the season - 14! Should we get a blood test here? Only kidding. I think Albert is as legit as they come... Humble, confident and completely honorable, there doesn't appear to be any "fat" on the man. We could be seeing something special from him this year.

MLB Team CheckUp

What a tremendous start to the 2006 season. As we have already noted, some surprising teams have forged their way to the top of their divisions. The Tigers remain hot holding the MLB best winning percentage on the road and sitting only 1.5 games behind the Chicago White Sox. The Tigers continue to pelt the ball at just about every park they go to. The great pitching of the Angels staff was able to put a small bump in their road.. but the teams that followed have paid dearly. Tigers scoring runs like a Little League team (I wonder if those XLR8 Balls have anything to do with it?).

Speaking of the White Sox.. Not even the great Angels pitching seems to slow them down. The World Series champs keep on pounding out hits, getting timely hitting and playing very solid in the field. If they win today they will sweep the Angels in their own ballpark.. no small feat. The addition of Jim Thome into that lineup has been huge. With Konerko, Dye and Crede swinging solid bats.. throw in the pitching and fielding.. this will be a tough challenge for any team to beat.

Then there's the NY Mets. They are simply running away with the East, beating up on the Braves at every opportunity. Sometimes pounding their teams, often times relying on the pitching. They are a solid team. Tom Glavine having a remarkable year beating the Braves yesterday and pitching like the Hall of Famer he will be. Glavine was contstantly fooling the powerful Braves hitters enroute to a sterline 1-0 win on Saturday. The only hitter that looked like he had a plan against Glavine was LF Diaz who went up to the plate with the right approach, had good at bats and still only managed one hit against Terrific Tom. The solid hitting of the Mets and their rotation that features one of the best of our time; Pedro Martinez.. well, they may just find themselves playing for a ring a little later in the year.

Other notable teams; Houston Astros, Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds. The Astros have set a franchise record for the month of April with great pitching and timely hitting. Thats the great news. The bad news is they are in the same division as the Reds. Yea, the same Reds that have set a franchise record of their own.. reeling off 17 wins to sit atop the NL Central. They hold a single game lead over the Pujols powered Cards (who just keep chalking up wins) and a 1.5 game edge over the Astros. The Rockies, even without their star Todd Helton, have just decided to take over the West. Although a 14-10 record isn't exactly scintillating, they sit atop their division over the Bonds led Giants. Or should I say; The Alou led Giants. Moises has clearly had a great start to his year. I stand by my prediction that this division will eventually be won by the LA Dodgers. They just seem to be blogging along at this point, but up and down that lineup (with exception of the catcher spot.. where is Paul LoDuca when you need him)they look pretty solid.

Here is the standings as of today.

RedSox, Indians, Mets, Rockies RedHOT!

The Red Sox, powered by offseason acquisitions look to be a team to reckon with this year in AL East. Mike Lowell has fit in nicely, thank you very much. Lowell went 4 for 4 yesterday to support the pitching of Josh Beckett. Beckett's day started rather slowly. He struggled mightily in the first inning, but survived to walk off the mound only surrendering one run. The Red Sox bats did the rest. Look for this team to gel as the season moves on.

The Indians have reeled off six wins in a row! After watching the hot start put up by the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland decided to show a little muscle of their own. Hoping their pitching would be the key for them this season, they have relied heavily on the bats instead. Only one of the starting nine is struggling at the plate; Ronnie Belliard at .143. Every other player, with the exception of Ben Broussard (.286), is at .300 or better for the season. I'm not so sure this team can continue to post numbers like that for any length of time. With the exception of Hafner and Boone there is simply not alot of proven talent in the lineup. Time will tell.

The Mets. Wow! The Mets. Their offseason moves look to be complimenting an already star studded team. Unlike the Indians, the Mets have a proven lineup 1-8 that can deliver on any day against any pitcher. David Wright appears poised to establish himself as one of the premier players in the league. His power and leadership skills are making a positive impact on a daily basis. No doubt, with Rick Down there to hone the little things, Wright will blossom this year. I see this team as the cream of the crop. Pitching, Hitting, Fielding, Coaching... that about says it.

The Rockies are definitely a surprise. Packed with a bevy of young talent and sprinkled with just the right veteran (Todd Helton), this team could be a force. Helton is a masterful hitter that rarely gets his kudos because of the Coors Field stigma. Make no mistake, He can hit! Throw in the young talented bats of Hawpe, Holliday and Clint Barmes and the run production shouldn't be a problem. Can they put up the pitching numbers? I think that is the major question for this team. They should be fun to watch, but I think my money rests on the Dodgers in this division. They are loaded with talent and once Grady Little figures out how the pitching breaks down they should be solid all year long.

Yanks stumble out of gate

Poor George. He must be going through a few sleepless nights in New York. The beloved and fabled Yankees, yes the same Yankees with 26 World Championships, are a woeful 1-4 starting the 2006 campaign.

You can point the finger in a few spots, mainly the Murderers Row of the 3-4-5 hitters, but I have my own view on why they sit at 1-4. Hey, it's a long season and these guys are proven winners. They are perennial front runners that know what it's like to grind it out for 6 months.

Will they have their hands full in the division with the improved Blue Jays and rival Red Sox? You bet. Will it make the road tougher starting off slow? You bet. Will they put the off field distractions behind them and get some team unity going? You hope. You see, that's what I see wrong. From a distance mind you.. but you can sense something.

There seems to be no unity. Zip. Zero. Nada.

Nobody is picking up the slack. In the past, one Yank would falter in a crucial point of a game.. no problemo.. next guy.. or the next guy would step up and deliver. The Yankees of today, laden with talent, are simply laying down.

A-Rod looks run down and tired. Jeter is being pitched deep inside on a consistent basis (although he made a nice adjustment in his first at bat last night). Sheffield, well.. Gary's troubles have only just begun if you ask me. With the news about the Grand Jury testimony on the Balco trial... there are some damaging, very damaging, statements coming to light. Has this permeated the Yankee locker room? I think so.

On the field, the players are so immensely talented it is difficult to determine anything in the clubhouse causing a loss on the field. But, if you watch the dugout.. if you watch the interaction on the field. Something is amiss. It is like a rift going through a close knit family. You can see and feel the tension. It comes down to unity. One for all and all for one. It is the unwritten code in baseball. A key to success in every championship team that has ever stepped on the field is team unity. You can't manufacture it. You can't package it. You simply have to be lucky enough to have it. It comes from trust, faith, caring and sharing the same desire. You will hear it described as chemistry or a number of other terms. But, Unity is what is missing from the Yanks. They can physically go out and perform every day, no problem. They just aren't playing for the team yet. Will they? Yea, the season will move on and the Yankee cream will rise to the top. But, without Unity ... will they be able to get number 27? I don't think so.

Rollins Hit Streak ends

Jimmy Rollins, a career .270 hitter, was making news over the past two seasons as he slowly crept up on some all-time great hitters with his hitting streak. Rollins fell just shy of Paul Molitor who hit in 39 straight back in 1987.

Controversy swirled on the talk radio circuit on the validity of a streak that was split between two seasons. Did he have a two game hit streak (2006) or a 38 game hit streak (2005 & 2006).. the debate fueled many a discussion with baseball analysts.
My personal feeling is that had Rollins been able to continue the streak to say.. 44, matching Pete Rose for the longest hitting streak since DiMaggio's incredible run of 56 in 1941, there would have been a lot of chatter about placing an asterisk on the Rollins streak.

Here is the list of the greatest streaks of all time (courtesy of Fox Sports); Click Here

Notes from Opening Day '06

So.. opening day is over and the stories are coming in from around the league. Is Roger Clemens through? Will he return? If so.. with who?

Did the Dodgers, Mets and a few others improve over the off-season? What about the Soriano saga? Or... more so.. The Bonds epic?

It's all here. Take a trip around the league...

CLICK HERE TO SEE A PHOTO GALLERY

ARLINGTON, Texas — Unsigned and not-quite-retired Roger Clemens spent nearly an hour in the Red Sox clubhouse before the game, including closed-door conversations with general manager Theo Epstein, principal owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner, then watched alongside Rangers owner Tom Hicks as Boston won 7-3.
Clemens received a standing ovation when introduced during the first inning. In between, he made it clear he is considering the Red Sox, Rangers, New York Yankees and Houston Astros — if he decides to play this season.

He can't negotiate with Houston until May 1 because the Astros did not offer him salary arbitration, but he plans to attend Tuesday's game to receive his 2005 NL championship ring.

"I don't have any interest in playing right now," said Clemens, 43, emphasizing "right now."

Clemens added he would be watching the four teams' progress. He said he has no timetable for making a decision, but agent Randy Hendricks, who was with him in the Boston clubhouse, said he would advise not waiting past the All-Star break.

Clemens said the teams' championship chances might override the lure of remaining in his hometown Houston, at least at a salary below what he views as his open-market value.

"If I was offered arbitration," he said, "we probably wouldn't be talking about this right now."

By Paul White, USA TODAY

Bonds has them howling in San Diego

SAN DIEGO — The sellout crowd at Petco Park, witnessing perhaps the final opening-day game of Barry Bonds' career, responded by vociferously booing the San Francisco Giants slugger at nearly every opportunity.

Bonds, under investigation by Major League Baseball for allegations he began using steroids after the 1998 season, was booed heavily during pregame ceremonies, in his first at-bat and on the first catch he made. He was greeted by an array of signs, including one that read "Barr-roid."

Bonds, who at 708 career home runs is six shy of Babe Ruth and 47 from Hank Aaron, ignored the "s-t-e-r-o-i-d" taunts and doubled to left-center on the first pitch he saw from San Diego starter Jake Peavy. Bonds finished 1-for-4 as the Padres won 6-1.

Peavy, who gave up Bonds' 700th home run, called him "the best player I've ever played against or will play against."

"You've got to respect the guy," said Atlanta Braves special assistant Jim Fregosi, who like Bonds graduated from Serra High in San Mateo, Calif. "But I just wish everything was cleared up, one way or another."

Matos wakes himself up

BALTIMORE — Outfielder Luis Matos, the player that no team wanted in the offseason, including his own Baltimore Orioles, is learning a valuable lesson this spring.

"I'm not going to take anything for granted anymore," Matos said after hitting his second consecutive Opening Day home run in the Orioles' 9-6 win against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. "The manager told me what I needed to do, and I am going to do it. It was a wake-up call."

Matos, 27, hit .303 in 2003 but slumped last season, leading to a heart-to-heart with Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo, who told Matos he needed to work harder. The Orioles tried to trade Matos but couldn't.

When the Orioles acquired center fielder Corey Patterson, Matos figured he'd move to left. Then the Orioles added Jeff Conine, and Matos realized his job was in trouble.

Patterson had a bad spring while Matos hit .350 and impressed with his hustle. So Monday, Matos batted second and played center.

Matos' first two innings didn't go well. The Devil Rays scored on a short sacrifice fly to center. Matos got a bad grip, and his throw bounced on the mound. He got doubled off second to end the Orioles' half of the first and struck out in the second inning.

In the fifth, he became the first Oriole since Frank Robinson in 1969-70 to hit back-to-back opening-day home runs.

By Mel Antonen, USA TODAY

Injury pains Dodgers again

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers' penchant for acquiring high-mileage veterans in the team's first year under general manager Ned Colletti was the source of much consternation during the offseason.

L.A. players logged the second-most time on the disabled list in the National League in 2005 (1,366 days), and the club's Opening Day lineup Monday averaged 32.6 years.

So word that new first baseman Nomar Garciaparra would sit out the opener and possibly go on the disabled list with a strained rib-cage muscle had a certain here-we-go-again feel to it. Already, new center fielder Kenny Lofton, 38, had been placed on the DL with a calf strain.

As a further omen, scheduled national anthem singer Kristin Chenoweth was sidelined with laryngitis. Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish pinch-sang for her.

Then two three-run homers powered the Atlanta Braves to an 11-10 victory, spoiling the debut of Dodgers manager Grady Little.

Colletti smiled when asked whether the early injuries were a bad sign.

"If it goes from now till the end of the season," he said, "you'd probably be right."

When someone pointed out it was raining, Colletti cracked: "Things are looking up."

By Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY

President uses executive priviledge

CINCINNATI — President Bush became the first sitting president to throw a ceremonial pitch in Cincinnati as the Reds lost to the Chicago Cubs. The ball to catcher Jason LaRue was high and off the plate, but Bush called it "my best pitch, which was kind of a slow ball."

Bush received a loud standing ovation when he took the mound in this Republican-leaning city. He was accompanied by two injured soldiers and a father who lost his son in Afghanistan. Little American flags were distributed to the crowd of 42,591 before the game. Fans waved them excitedly as Bush was introduced and drowned out the few scattered protesters, like the family sitting behind home plate wearing matching red-and-white T-shirts that said "11-04-08" — the date of the next presidential election.

Bush, the former Texas Rangers owner, told Fox Sports Network that he has been a baseball fan since birth. "I've got the dish at home at the White House, and so, when I'm doing my work, I keep a game on."

Bush shook hands with players from both teams before they took the field. In the Reds clubhouse, Griffey gave him a black bat, and pitcher Kent Mercker showed he was a loyal Bush supporter holding up a blue Bush-Cheney hat.

In the Cubs clubhouse, Bush announced, "This is the year." He went straight to manager Dusty Baker, grabbed his hand, and turned him to the cameras. "Smile," Bush said, shaking Baker's hand with a broad grin. Baker did as instructed, saying, "I'll do what I got to do."

By The Associated Press

Soriano in middle of major play

NEW YORK — All eyes were rightly fixed on Washington's Alfonso Soriano in left field when the Nationals played the New York Mets on Monday. Turns out he was being watched for the wrong reasons.

Most in the record Opening Day crowd of 54,371 wanted to see how Soriano would fare after he reluctantly made the transition to the outfield after playing his first five seasons at second base.

Soriano was the central figure in Washington's 3-2 loss to the Mets — but it had nothing to do with positioning. Soriano made four putouts, including a nice running catch by the wall in foul territory.

In the eighth inning, Soriano led off with a single but was thrown out at home as he attempted to score the tying run on Ryan Zimmerman's double to left.

Then again, maybe not.

Replays showed catcher Paul Lo Duca dropped shortstop Jose Reyes' relay throw, then quickly grabbed it in time to fool umpire Tim Tschida.

"Show it, sell it and if you don't get it, you don't get it," Lo Duca said of his sleight of hand. "We were lucky enough to get it."

After the game, Tschida saw the replay and admitted his mistake.

"We've all seen it now. The angle there is pretty conclusive that the ball came out," he said. "From my vantage point, it looked like he made the tag. For the brief second the ball was out of my sight, it came out of his glove."

It happened so quickly that both Soriano and Washington manager Frank Robinson were fooled. Neither argued.

By Tom Pedulla, USA TODAY

Posted 4/4/2006 3:30 AM

Tips on Hitting

You know, sometimes... every now and then.. you run across something that you weren't even looking for. But, once you find it.. you think.. hey, this is pretty cool. I need to share this.

Well, that's exactly what happened to me today. I happened to be mindlessly scrolling through the internet when I came across this really great page about hitting. It is simply a compilation of many different aspects, but each of them rings very true.

If you have a moment, and you too are mindlessly scrolling through the internet, click on the below link and check this out. It has a real cool little chart at the bottom that shows the probable batting average in relation to the particular count you are facing. Like I said, just a cool little thing. Every little bit helps, 'cuz; it's the little things that make big hitters!

CLICK HERE

World Classic Teams Preparing

Japan's Tokyo Dome will host the Korea vs. Japan game on March 5. (Katsumi Kasahara/AP)


Look Out! Baseball is about upon us... Spring Training Camps have opened, World Baseball Classic camps have opened. All the off-season bickering and trading is behind us. Let us set upon a new season, be excited for our team's chances to reach the Playoffs and be ready to see some historic moments in the 2006 Baseball Season.

Click on the link below to see the latest on the World Baseball Classic.

Click Here

Lingering Off-Season Issues

By
Ken Rosenthal / FOXSports.com




As busy as the off-season has been, an unusually large number of issues remain unresolved, raising the possibility of a volatile spring.

So much talk, so many possibilities, so many loose ends.
Alfonso Soriano. The Nationals want to move Soriano to the outfield; Soriano intends to stay at second base. A trade is possible, but a more logical solution would be a juicy long-term contract that would entice Soriano, a potential free agent, to change positions. The idea that Soriano's value is highest as a second baseman no longer is valid. Soriano has committed a major-league high 105 errors at second over the last five seasons; Jeff Kent and Ray Durham are next with 59 each, according to STATS Inc.

Manny Ramirez. All indications are that Ramirez is staying put, but the return of general manager Theo Epstein adds fresh intrigue. Epstein A.) craves roster flexibility B.) tried to trade Ramirez last summer and C.) placed him on waivers in 2003, inviting any team to assume his contract for the $1 waiver price. It would be difficult to move a contract as complex as Ramirez's in the middle of a season, but why not take one more shot before spring training? Remember, two years ago the Yankees didn't acquire Alex Rodriguez until Feb. 16.

Boomer Wells. Red Sox Distraction No. 2. Wells wants to be traded to a west-coast team, and his first choice is to return to the Padres, who currently project Chris Young and Woody Williams as their Nos. 2 and 3 starters. The Red Sox want no part of an exchange for Williams, and their need for outfielder Dave Roberts was eliminated by their trade for Coco Crisp. Not to worry — the Dodgers, Angels, Giants and Mariners all could use Wells, too.


Will Roger Clemens be back in Houston this season? We still don't know.

Roger Clemens. When the Astros declined to offer Clemens salary arbitration, it prevented them from re-signing him as a free agent until May 1. Clemens likely will continue his flirtations with the Rangers and possibly the Yankees, if only to drive up the price for Astros owner Drayton McLane. The best bet is that he goes back to the Astros for a salary similar to the $18 million he earned last season — not bad for a five-month gig.

Jeff Bagwell. The Astros are trying to collect a $15.6 million disability claim on Bagwell, who wants to prove that he can still play first base with his twice-surgically repaired right shoulder. The logical solution would be to trade Bagwell to an American League team that could use him as a DH, but the Astros received a lukewarm response when they made informal inquiries to the Angels, Red Sox and other clubs. If the Astros get their money, they could take another run at Tejada or pursue other deals at the July 31 non-waiver deadline.

Miguel Tejada and Javy Lopez. Tejada is content for the moment, but Lopez — displaced at catcher by free agent Ramon Hernandez — wants the Orioles to either give him a three-year extension or trade him. Club officials gladly would have obliged the latter request, clearing Lopez's $8.5 million salary and signing free agent Mike Piazza to play a similar role for much less; Lopez and Piazza had almost identical offensive numbers last season. Alas, no team would bite.

Reds general manager. New Reds owner Bob Castellini made his first curious move by hiring former Expos and Orioles GM Jim Beattie as a consultant and naming him a candidate to be G.M. The Reds need to do better than Beattie, whose low-key, deliberate style is too similar to that of Dan O'Brien's. A bold, dynamic leader is required to perform the necessary overhaul, and though the timing of O'Brien's firing was unusual — it's too close to the start of the season for a new GM to hire his or her own people — Castellini does not lack for quality candidates.

The Phillies. New GM Pat Gillick says openly that his team isn't good enough; the question is whether he can improve it by the start of the season. A number of rival executives anticipate Gillick making a splash, but the Phillies' inflexible roster and weak farm system is working against him.

The Braves. Still without a closer, they likely will trade for another reliever, probably a hard-throwing youngster, by Opening Day.

Remaining free agents. Outfielder Sammy Sosa appears headed to the Nationals. Catcher Mike Piazza could end up with the Padres. The wait continues for right-hander Jeff Weaver and catcher Bengie Molina, both of whom could play significant roles for contenders.

The market for Weaver remains unclear. The Orioles backed off after acquiring right-hander Kris Benson. The Indians were interested only if they traded right-hander Jake Westbrook earlier in the off-season. The Mets can't be ruled out, but don't seem especially eager. If Weaver ends up accepting a one-year deal, his decision to reject the Dodgers' offer of a one-year contract through arbitration will appear short-sighted. He could have remained in a comfort zone pitching for his hometown team.

Molina is threatening to sit out rather than accept a one-year, $4 million contract from the Blue Jays or a similar offer from another club. It's difficult to believe he would actually follow through with that plan, but taking time off from catching would save wear-and-tear on his body, enabling him to get into excellent shape and come back stronger. Then again, teams might not consider him as desirable if he was away from the game for even half a season.

Remaining chips. The list of players who could be moved between now and July 31 includes A's left-hander Barry Zito, White Sox right-hander Jose Contreras and Pirates right-hander Kip Wells. Others who are expendable: Cubs second baseman Todd Walker, Reds outfielder Austin Kearns and Devil Rays shortstop Julio Lugo and D.H. Aubrey Huff.

Ken Rosenthal is the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com.

Football Change

Well, Football has about past us for the year. We have seen some incredible games, fantastic plays, awesome Bowl games.. AND the NFL Playoffs are just around the corner.

Great, so what does all of that have to do with Baseball and a Be A Better Hitter website.

I'm about to tell you my friend.

Football Change.. that's what. Football what? Football Change. It has also been referred to as Football Curve. It is a devastating pitch that hitter's should learn to immediately recognize. It not, you will likely have a very difficult time laying off of this pitch. If thrown by a Right Handed Pitcher, the ball falls away from a Right Handed Hitter. It looks like a fastball, has a fastball arm speed... comes at you like a fastball. The only problem is, It's not a fastball. It's a Football Change and it completely disappears right at the front of the plate.

I scoured the internet to find any photos of this grip. Unfortunately, I could not come up with any. So... I made a few myself. I have to ask you to please excuse the pictures from inside the house.. my socks, etc. :-)

As for you Pitchers out there. These photos should show you how to grip and throw the pitch. I personally like to have my thumb on a bottom seam and the top seam resting between my index and middle fingers. You may want to experiment with a few different positions. One important fact about the pitch: Do NOT slow down your arm. Throw it just like a fastball. Full fastball arm speed. You will have to experiment to find out your release point. But, when you do it is a devastating weapon. Especially to your 3, 4 & 5 hitters in the lineup. You know, the guys that like to gear up and drive your best fastball. Surprise! It only looks like a fastball. The Football Change does NOT act like one.

The best part about it is .. no stress.. none.. nada.. zip.. zero.. zilch. When you throw it right. There is no difference between the fastball arm action. Just do not rotate the wrist trying to provide spin (slider). Simply let the ball slip out of your hand with fastball motion. The fact that there are more fingers on the one side of the ball creates more friction at the release. This automatically causes spin. You don't have to try to create it. It's automatic. Just throw it. Pretend you are Matt Leinert throwing to Reggie Bush. Just throw it as hard as you can. Let the ball come out on it's own.

For you hitters. You had better learn to recognize the grip early. Stay Back .. Wait.. Wait.. Wait.. if it gets in your zone and is UP.. give it a rip if the count is in your favor. If it isn't up.. you better lay off. It will disappear on you. AND with it your average will too! Hope this helps you to be a Better Hitter (And Pitcher!)