Amaury’s column is provacative, as always. I question, however,whether “heart and passion” will be enough. It is too early in the season to be overly confident with predictions, as we all say, but even though early in the season we have history to fall back on.

Click Read More for my take Giants Baseball. [Read more →]

It didn’t take long for the AL West teams to win on the road, they all won their first games on their current road trip in impressive fashion.

As I said earlier in the season, Gil Meche has top of the rotation stuff for the Mariners. Coming back from arm surgery is always iffy, and who knows how the season will play out, but Meche’s dominance of the Yankees in NY Tuesday night is a positive sign for the Mariners.

The two Japanese stars in the game excited the crowd by their presence, but did little else on the field to distinguish their night’s play.

Brett Boone, Edgar Martinez, and John Olerud continue to lead the way for Seattle. Similar to last year, they need one more legit bat in the line up, not getting one in 2002 eventually led Lou Piniella into a dispute with management and his banishment to baseball purgatory in Tampa.

The Angels crushed the Indians, the Rangers unloaded six homers on the Blue Jays and their minor league relievers, and the A’s played a solid game in beating Bartolo Colon and Chicago 3-2.

More baseball below:

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Do you get the feeling that

the San Francisco Giants

are playing with much more

heart than the Dodgers

or Diamondbacks in the

West?

You might be right.

By Amaury Pi-González [Read more →]

Major league teams change partners once again this week, facing new teams across the board.

The Cubs come into SF after losing two of three to the Rockies in Colorado.

Are the Rockies for real? Once they show they can win on the road, then they will be taken seriously. Of course, if they won 67 home games, a record on the road of 24-57 would give them 91 wins and make the NL West nervous. Nah, won’t happen.

Roger Clemens pitches against Seattle, a team he has handled in the past. Mariano Rivera is due back tonight which will settle the NY bull pen which is showing some signs of wear and tear.

Joe Torre even let a lefty (Randy Choate) face A Rod with the bases loaded in a one run game Sunday and then had to watch as Rodriguez iced the Rangers win with a three run double.

Chan Ho Park, struggling with a 7 plus ERA lost his personal catcher when Texas released Chad Kreuter after Park’s Sunday debacle (nine straight balls to open the game).

Much more to talk about, Click Read more.

[Read more →]

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.

[Read more →]

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 →]