If anyone out there reads the NY Times, you will see an excellent example of Yankee arrogance and some questionable journalism.

The Times quotes two Yankees sources (unnamed) saying they are trying to work a deal to send prospects to the NY Mets for Armando Benitez, who would then be sent to the Giants for Felix Rodriguez AND a prospect.

That the Yankees would actually believe the Giants would do this is off-the-chart ridiculous.

First of all, Benitez isn’t much better than F-Rod, if at all. But he makes $7 mil compared to F-Rod’s $3 mil. Plus, FRod has a deal for another two years at $3 mil a year (although it goes up if he becomes the closer). Benitez is a free agent. With Worrell also a free agent, FRod is the Giants only fallback plan if Robb Nen is unable to pitch in 04, which is a distinct possibility. To think that the Giants would make this deal AND throw in a prospect boggles the mind. [Read more →]

Tim Hudson is the best pitcher on the A’s staff right now. Mark Mulder is the best pitcher on the A’s staff right now. Barry Zito is the third best pitcher on the A’s staff right now.

They all are what they are. The best three pitchers on any staff in baseball.

This weekend is strikingly familiar to the Arizona series two years ago when the A’s played an amazing three game set against the Diamondbacks just before the all star game and rode their pitching all the way to the playoffs.

Friday night was the Giants night, the rest of the weekend they will be tested facing Curt Schilling, for at least five innings, and then the hot rookie Brandon Webb.

How far can Minnesota slide, the A’s are hoping very far because they go to Minneapolis for four games beginning Thursday.

Lloyd McClendon gets an extension in Pittsburgh and Randall Simon gets suspended for knocking over a sausage in Milwaukee. How would you like to be a Pirate fan this week?

Dontrelle Willis will make the all star game worth watching.

The Orioles need two more starting pitchers and one big bopper in the lineup and they might be able to play in the AL East. Problem for them is deciding what to do with free spirit Sidney Ponson. They don’t want to sink 40 million into this potential headcase who right now is one of the best pitchers in the league.

Someone will and will get one helluva pitcher.

The Angels keep winning, don’t discount the talent on this club.

Former Cardinal Bill White described how the Cards sneaked to the pennant in 1964. He said they were so far back, about ten games in August, that no one noticed them. All of a sudden, the leaders (Phillies and Reds) faltered in September and they found themselves in the race. They just kept playing solid baseball along the way and the flag fell into their lap.

Take heed: Florida, Colorado, and Anaheim all may not be lost.

That’s baseball.

See you on the 17th.

Marty Lurie [Read more →]

During the past 29 games the leading

Mariners have scored three or fewer

runs 19 times.

Yet General Manager Pat Gillick

says their is no panic here in

“coffe town”.

This weekend Lou Piniella

is in town, the best Mariners

manager in history.

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Seattle [Read more →]

I’ll be starting my all star break on Saturday, so the Daily Dish will regroup and return on Thursday July 17th.

But, now let’s talk some baseball.

Last season Lou Piniella was managing the highflying Seattle Mariners. Heading into the 2002 all star break Lou had the lead in the AL West, but the A’s and the Angels were showing signs of life.

Lou realized that his team had some trouble on offense and implored his bosses to pick up another big time hitter, preferably a left fielder.

The brass disagreed, leading to an irrevocable split between Lou and his GM.

Lou now resides in Tampa Bay and brings his lowly Devil Rays into Safeco Field this weekend.

This season the Mariners are off to another good start. Guess what? Even though Ichiro is hitting .350 and Bret Boone looks like an MVP so far, they still have trouble on offense.

Tampa Bay is no great shakes either, but Lou’s team will play some close games with the Mariners starting tonight.

The A’s miss Baltimore’s best pitcher Sidney Ponson who added to his top billing by throwing a complete game against Seattle last night.

The Angels get the hapless Twins for the weekend.

This AL West will tighten up very quickly after the break, you watch and see. Seattle is very much the same bunch Lou analyzed very well at the break last year. Great defense, solid pitching, but an offense that won’t put anyone away, and if the pitching slips they become a very catchable team.

Click below for more! [Read more →]

Marty,

After writing the latest article on the state of the Giants’ pitching I searched for an appropriate title and gave consideration to describing it as a “shambles”. I decided that such a description might be too disheartening and,instead, settled on describing it as being in disrepair and asking whether it could be salvaged. On picking up this morning’s paper, I discovered that Glenn Dickey had no such cumpunctions and reasonably described the present pitching plight as a “shambles”. There could have been no greater justification for the use of such appelation than reading in the same paper that the Giants had just called up a heretofore remarkably unsuccessful pitcher, when pitching in the majors, from the Fresno farm. Giants fans, who have consistently been supporting the club with record breaking attendance deserve better. The earlier announced justification for for disposing of Ortiz was to save the money it would have cost to retain him, thereby forcing Sabean to look around for the best deal. That coming up with Moss was the best solution is open to question but the primary culprit is management. The Giants, if they are to have a successful year, are probably going to have to spend as much money as they saved by getting rid of Ortiz. It is exceedingly unlikely that any new face they come up with is going to be as good a pitcher as Ortiz. Further, to compound the lack of foresight on management’s part, their actions may end up costing them a pennant and the resultant income benefits that would produce. Ed [Read more →]

During this time of year don’t be surprised when your favorite pitcher gets knocked around. Most pitchers who have been working in the regular rotation have now logged over 100 innings. The weather is warming up in the midwest and east, so get used to seeing your guy getting knocked out of the box.

The real test of the 2003 season will begin after the all star break. Most teams will have played over 90 games by next week’s all star game, this means there will be around 70 games to go until the end of the season. With ten weeks to play seventy games, there won’t be many off days, meaning the standings can change dramatically as teams wilt during the dog days of summer.

Arizona is playing real well right now. Everytime they go to the minors for a player, they come up with what looks like a gem. Last night was no exception as sidewheeling lefty Chris Capuano threw seven major league innings at the Padres for his first major league win.

What’s up with the Padres Jake Peavy? He gave up four homers last night. I pointed out last week that the veterans are doing the job for Arizona and that one shouldn’t look at the Diamondbacks as some rookie heavy team. Homers last night from Craig Counsell, Luis Gonzalez, Steve Finley, and Shea Hillenbrand, all established major leaguers should open the Giants eyes, if they aren’t open already.

Click below for more!

[Read more →]

Marty; At the start of yesterday’s game against St. Louis the Giants had two outstanding starters, Schmidt and, surprisingly, Williams. Each of the remaining members of the rotation presented problems. Rueter had been lit up in his two previous starts, Foppert was a promising youngster who had not developed in a manner consistent with his spring training numbers,and Moss had for two months been a disaster. By the second inning the problems were magnified. Reuter had come down with a sore left shoulder and removed himself from the game.He now is on the DL. When he returns is anyone’s guess.

Click below and I’ll give you my thoughts.
[Read more →]

Barry Zito gave up 15 hits and seven runs to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays Tuesday night in another mystifying performance for the reigning Cy Young award winner.

In Zito’s last three starts he has surrendered thirty five hits.

How come?

Zito has given up a number of cheap hits, but that doesn’t account for his problem. His fastball location does. Zito hits about 88 MPH on his heater, not a lot by major league standards. Consequently, when he puts it over the plate he gets hit. Zito has not been able to throw the fastball without getting creamed.

Zito lacks command of his pitches right now, his curve ball is still superb, but major league hitters can eventually sit on a pitch if they know that is the only one you can throw when the going gets tough.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with Zito other than his being human. With all the hits he has given up, he still has pitched 126 innings and been tagged for only 111 hits, pretty good.

More importantly, he has to figure out a way not to let big league hitters foul off so many of his pitches, so he can still be in the game in the eighth inning, he needs to keep his pitch total down.

The Yankees lost Alfonso Soriano and Derek Jeter for a couple of games at least, when both were hit by Pedro Martinez fastballs on the hand in Monday’s game.

Martinez pitches up and in, these hitters dive over the plate, the collisions are inevitable. That’s baseball, when Martinez is on the hill, you don’t dive across the plate, Don Drysdale did the same thing to batters, so did Bob Gibson and they are in the Hall of Fame.

Click below for more. [Read more →]

Many of my friends have no

idea how the Giants keep

winning. Some tell me

“…they are playing weak

teams…” or …”they’re a lucky

team…”

Well, recently they beat the

Cardinals 3 of 4 in St Louis.

The Cards are the only team

in baseball that have 4 guys

that could drive in 100 or more

runs this season.

By Amaury Pi-González

Click below and I’ll explain why. [Read more →]

The triple crown run of Luis Pujols is one of the quietest in baseball history. Carl Yastrezmski did it last in 1967 for the Red Sox. Leading the league in batting average, runs batted in, and homers is simply amazing in today’s game of big time sluggers. Pujols is doing Mickey Mantle stuff with his .378 average, 26 homers, and 80 RBI’s heading into the game at Wrigley today.

The guy might hit .400 too, which is another complete story.

Until the Cradinals do something about closing a game with Jeff Fassero, Esteban Yan, and Cal Eldred I can’t take them all that seriously.

I’m just curious is Erubiel Durazo trying to hit all those balls the other way, is he only seeing pitches on the outside part of the plate, or is his bat speed slower than I think?

I know his average doesn’t reflect it, but Jermaine Dye has hit some balls very hard lately. His knee injury has sapped him of his ability to lift the ball regularly, but he can hit some shots for doubles and contribute to the team if this trend continues.

Miguel Tejada is a tough out, but he still looks like he is very uncomfortable once he has to make up his mind as to whether or not to swing at the pitch. It seems to me his head is up in the air instead of buried in his shoulder immediately after his swing.

Eric Chavez will hit 35 homers, drive in over 100 runs, but will still not be a 3 or 4 hitter. Amazing that he hasn’t stepped up his game in this his fifth year in the majors.

Folks therein lies the story of the A’s 3,4,5,and 6 hitters. Don’t blame the lack of little ball or any other supporting member of the offense, the big guys need to get it done just like they do it in NY, Boston, Toronto, Anaheim, and Seattle.

The A’s have 76 games to get it together, so all is not lost, but they sure don’t look like champions right now.

Click below for more. [Read more →]