Re: Sunday Morning Muse: The Giant’s Foppert has more presence on the mound than Ainsworth and will go further. Sounds as tho Alou believes that also.It took a no-hitter to beat him on Sunday. [Read more →]

Anaheim received a big boost Saturday night when Scott Shields emerged from the bull pen and gave the Angels five and one third excellent innings in his start against Boston. The scouts raved about Shields and predict he will be a winner for the Angels.

Darrin Erstad is on the DL adding to the Anaheim woes. Now, they get to face Pedro on Sunday night ESPN Baseball and can only counter with John Lackey,who makes his third

Sunday night start of the season, getting rocked in every one so far (he hasn’t had a decent start in any other game either).

Anyone notice Nick Johnson is ripping the ball for the Yankees and is easing Jason Giambi into the full time DH roll?

The rotation is set for the A’s. It’s John (almost no hit ) Halama on Thursday in Chicago then Ted Lilly, Tim Hudson, and Barry Zito against David Wells, Jeff Weaver, and Roger Clemens against the Yankees over the weekend in NY.

A’s will see Mike Mussina the next weekend in Oakland. Is this series a big moment for the A’s? Nothing can compare to opening the ALDS in NY following Sept. 11th, 2001, and most of these A’s players were on that team, so, no, I don’t think this series will fluster anyone on the team including the new manager Ken Macha.

Click Read more for more baseball.

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Yes, it is only the end of April

but the Mariners have found

one of those key players

that could make quite a

difference.

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez [Read more →]

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.

Click Read more for more on today. [Read more →]

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.

More baseball news follows: [Read more →]

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.

Click below for more on the story. [Read more →]

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.

Click read more and let’s see. [Read more →]