Mike Mussina is pitching the way he did a few years ago when he came close to throwing two perfect games. Friday night he handled the Rangers in Arlington with the skill of a surgeon.

Mussina’s knucklecurve is sharp, but his velocity is up to the mid nineties, a tremendous jump from last year. Can it last for the Yankee righty? Yes, the Yankees seem to pace their older pitchers very well during the season.

Next weekend The A’s and the Yankees meet for three games in New York. Say what you will, but I think this series will be a preview to the ALCS in October.

I’m curious to see how the A’s set the rotation for the series in NY. Barry Zito will pitch for sure, so will Tim Hudson, but who goes third? If Mulder pitches Wednesday in Chicago, then he’s out in NY. If Lilly pitches Thursday in Chicago, then he ‘s out too. I’d pitch Halama in Chicago Thursday and open with Lilly Friday against the Yankees.

I’ll figure out the Yankees possible starters tomorrow.

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When this morning’s baseball standings were observed they showed the Yankees at 18 and 4 and the Giants at 17 and 4, basically identical. It is true that April is still with us and the season has a long way to go. Nevertheless, each team has put significant distance between itself and the most likely pursuers. A game won in April looks the same in the standings at the end of the year as a game won in October.

Click Read more and let’s talk about the Giants and the Yankees and their starts this season, let me know what you think of my analysis. [Read more →]

Check out the transaction wire each day and figure out who is the latest major leaguer to go on the DL. Oldtimers tell me that the DL was never used as much when they played.

It does seem like the DL is overworked in today’s game.

Thursday Pedro Astacio came back form the DL which now gives the Mets a rotation of Tom Glavine, Al Leiter, Astacio, Steve Trachsel, and Jae Sao. Not half bad. Now if the Mets could just hit they might challenge in the East.

The Rangers put Ismael Valdes on the DL Thursday which is more bad news for a struggling pitching staff. Sterling Hitchcock is not being used by the Yankees very often. Hitchcock pitched well last night in relief in Anaheim, he would be a welcome addition to the Texas staff.

Kaz Sasaki finally went on the DL and the Mariners brought up Rafael Soriano to bolster their pen which now will feature Arthur Rhodes and Jeff Nelson in the closers role. Seattle plays with a grittiness which can’t be measured, but translates into more wins than one would suspect when analyzing the team.

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All records are made to be broken, except this one.

For me that’s the way it should be…

Click Read More and I’ll tell you why this one is special.

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It felt like a John Tunis classic baseball novel being written last night in Oakland as 20 year old Jeremy Bonderman former first round pick of the Oakland A’s, seeking his first major league win, matched up against reigning Cy Young Award winner Barry Zito.

Bonderman grabbed the crowds attention by the end of the first inning when he dispatched Mark Ellis, Scott Hatteberg, and Miguel Tejada without blinking an eye.

The story continues just like Tunis’ novels did with the rookie getting stronger each inning, while the 23 game winner showed signs that it wasn’t to be his night to shine.

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Hey Mrs. Robinson, where have all the closers gone?

Seems like everytime I look at a box score whoever is trying to salt the game away in the ninth inning is having trouble.

All except John Smoltz in Atlanta, who may be an MVP if the Braves can win the East for the 12th straight time.

Eric Gagne in LA is pretty automatic, but he is the only other recognizable name doing the job.

The rest are either struggling or new guys on the block who haven’t shown they will be there in August.

Armando Benitez becomes very valuable on the trade market if the Mets decide they aren’t going to resign him. He has closed successfully for four years and even though he is off to a miserable start there is another team out there who will give him a chance and pay to do it.

No lead is safe and that is good for baseball, the games have taken on a sudden death ninth inning quality similar to overtime in football, exciting down to the last play or pitch.

More games today, click below.

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After three weeks of playing the same teams the major league schedule turns the corner as all the teams get to play new opponents.

How will the AL West fare against the rest of the American league after beating each other up for 19 games?

How will the Giants do on their first trip to Pennsylvania to take on the Pirates and Phillies?

Boston takes their bull pen by committee to Texas and the Yankees take their undefeated starting pitchers to Anaheim to face the Angels, the team that chewed up their pitching staff last October on the way to the World Series.

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The significance of the Giants 15 and 3 winning record has been questioned by some very knowledgable people who have a day by day interest in the game. They point out that only 18 games has been played by the Giants, that the season has a long ways to go, that it cannot be considered a sprint but is more in the nature of a marathon, that the team that has momentum during the last few weeks is the team that wins.

Click below and I’ll tell you why this start is significant in the context of the long season. [Read more →]

The other day I mentioned that I thought the nature of how a baseball game is played today adds to the fans violent reactions twoards umpires and players.

Here’s what I mean.

The pitchers used to brush back batters routinely as part of the game until the last ten years or so.

Now, if a batter is merely moved off the plate with an inside pitch he glares at the mound. If the batter is actually hit by the pitch, then he takes a menacing step towards the pitcher and motions toward the shocked moundsmen with his fist or even his bat.

Fans see this and get in the spirit of wanting to club the pitcher or the batter depending on where the incident takes place. By the time this scenario is repeated two or three times during the game, the fans are now part of the action taking place on the field.

No wonder with drinking in the park by the later stages of the game, someone from the stands vents his frustration and jumps the fence or throws something at the player.

If the players would play good ole country hardball and not flip out every time the ball comes close to the batter, I think the fans would be calmer and you’d see fewer incidents.

Just an observation, but watch the batter and how he threatens the pitcher when he is brushed back and watch the crowd reaction at the same time.

Now, back to the game. Click below. [Read more →]

Barry Zito raised his lifetime record against the Texas Rangers to 9-0 Friday night with his fourth career shut out, beating the bumbling Rangers 9-0.

The A’s offense came alive and once they had Rangers starter John Thomson on the ropes, they didn’t let up.

Roger Clemens is on a mission. The Rocket notched victory number 296 against the Twins Friday and could be going for number 300 in Oakland during the Yankee-A’s series May 9, 10, and 11th. Now that would be something to see.

Kevin Brown no longer has a hex over the Giants. Brown no hit the Giants in 97 and beat them regularly over the next four years, but now the righty has given up 28 runs in his last 29 innings against SF after last night’s five inning five run start.

If the Mets win today against Miami (I like that better than Florida) it will be Art Howe’s 1000th win as a major league manager. Art is putting Steve Trachsel on the hill against hard throwing righty AJ Burnett.

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