The Cubs are now back on my radar screen after Mark Prior and Kerry Wood won back to back games against the San Diego Padres. With 50 games to go for Chicago, they trail Houston by 2 1/2.

Pitching with a solid four man group of Wood. Prior, Matt Clement, Carlos Zambrano, and even an occasional acceptable start from Juan Cruz or Shawn Estes, gives the Cubs a real shot of making it through August still in contention.

Funny, but in 1969, the Mets did exactly that to the Cubs, trailing the Cubs by 8 in August, the Mets rotation of Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Gary Gentry, Don Cardwell, and Jim McAndrew finally clicked at the same time, and the Mets won the division by 8 games, picking up 16 games on Chicago in two months.

Joe Borowski is still closing for the Cubs, but lately he has gotten some help from Kyle Farnsworth, Dave Veres, and Antonio Alfonseca.

Cubs-Red Sox, it’s not impossible.

Bizland has had trouble with its server, so the Dish is abbreviated today. Let’s hope for better computer luck tomorrow. [Read more →]

It is over in the National League
West. The San Francisco Giants
have won it. The Arizona Diamond-
backs have seven games left
with the Giants and the
Los Angeles Dodgers six.
Both teams will have to beat
the Giants in all those games
and then play .800 ball to be
there tied with Giants at
end of September.
And yes, at the same time
the Giants would have to
collapse. What are the
chances ? Easier for
Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown
to announce next week
the building of a new ballpark
in downtown Oakland for the
A’S.

By Amaury Pi-González
San Francisco [Read more →]

Jeff Nelson said it, the Mariners obviously listened. The veteran reliever was publically upset with “Stand Pat” Gillick when the Seattle GM didn’t make any deals at the trading deadline last Thursday.

Gillick took care of that on Wednesday when he dealt Nelson to the Yankees for reliever Armando Benitez.

It was obvious that the Yankees had no confidence in Benitez, not using him during the weekend series in Oakland, instead choosing to over work closer Mariano Rivera.

So, tell me what you think of the deal, will it help Seattle down the stretch, will it take the heat off the Seattle bullpen, will the Yankees be stronger in the eighth inning, will they bring Mike Stanton back next as the lefty set up man?

I’m interested in your thoughts. Never a dull moment in baseball.

More tomorrow on the over worked White Sox bull pen as they get Thursday off, in prepartion for the A’s this weekend. [Read more →]

Four days out of town with no opportunity to watch some uncharacteristic performances by the Giants. Before leaving town, however, word of the Ponson trade hit the news wires. Ponson, from the accounts one reads of his performance this year with Baltimore, is an accomplished pitcher who should occupy the number two spot in the rotation and eat up the innings. The Giants can use a pitcher who meets that description. The team has a 12 game lead in a division that for the past month has provided no opposition. What we are talking about, therefore, are the playoffs.

Click Below for Ed Stern’s analysis of the current state of his favorite team. With a Bay Bridge Series a distinct possibility this season, Ed’s thoughts are much appreciated by AL fans…… Marty Lurie [Read more →]

They don’t have much pitching, they don’t have a lot of power, but the KC Royals do hit the ball all over the ball park.

Sound Familiar? Ever hear of the 2002 Anaheim Angels?

The Royals are holding their own in the AL
Central. Starting August 11th, they play the Yankees, Twins, Rangers, and Angels exclusively for one month.

Without much starting pitching, I don’t consider an oft injured Runelvys Hernandez, Kyle Snyder, blister plagued Jeremy Affeldt, Kris Wilson, banged up Jose Lima, minor league graduate Darrell May, or rookie Jimmy Gobble a pennant winning group, the Royals should get their lunch in August.

But they have two things going for them. One, they simply have destroyed the competition head to head in the central, and two, they do have an uncanny way of scoring runs just when you think they are out of the game and the pitchers I listed above somehow keep them in the game.

Seemingly down and out last night they put up a seven spot in the sixth inning against the White Sox bull pen and voila, a neat 13-9 win to extend their lead to three games.

Who knows how it will all turn out, these are the stories that make baseball the game it is.

Click below for more! [Read more →]

August brings the dog days of baseball, it effects not only the players, but everyone connected to the game. I’m tired too.

One of the two days off the A’s will enjoy in August, comes on Monday, it is well appreciated by all.

The A’s and the Yankees finished one of the best series of the year Sunday with the A’s pulling out a 2-1 win on Miguel Tejada’s double to win the game in the ninth off of Mariano Rivera.

Click below for more thoughts on the weeknd. [Read more →]

The Yankees can hit mediocre pitching. Barry Zito on Saturday was a mediocre pitcher. Ken Macha has got to recognize when Zito doesn’t have it and get him out of the game. Of course, the move is not made if the prospective reliever is not perceived to be able to do a better job than the pitcher removed from the game. I guess that is what Macha thought when he looked down the left field line and saw John Halama warming up.

What is up with Zito? As I said earlier when this tailspin started, he can’t locate his pitches and he doesn’t have the fastball to get by when his curve is on vacation either playing the guitar or on the David Letterman Show.

Today, classic lefty battle between two pitchers who will be looked upon as the two best lefties of their eras in the AL, when their careers are judged in 20 years: Mark Mulder versus Andy Pettitte.

Click below for more [Read more →]

ONE OF THE GREAT PLEASURES OF WORKING IN THE MEDIA IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK BASEBALL ON A DAILY BASIS IN THE PRESS BOX WITH OTHER WRITERS, BROADCASTERS, SCOUTS AND FRONT OFFICE FOLKS. NO OTHER SPORT SEEMS TO LEND ITSELF TO THE KIND OF TALK WE HAVE IN BASEBALL DURING AND BEFORE A GAME, AND THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY YOU HAVE TO ENJOY BEING AROUND THE PARK SO MUCH.
[Read more →]

The Athletics pitchers have the Yankees number. The A’s have beaten the Yankees five of seven times this season, and the Yankees have yet to bust loose against Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, or Barry Zito.

Last night, Hudson threw seven excellent innings, continuing the A’s starters streak of contributing outstanding pitching to this team.

The game turned on the arm of Yankee set up man Armando Benitez. His two out walk to Scott Hatteberg following a clutch single by unheralded Mark Ellis, allowed Miguel Tejada to reach the plate in the eighth inning. Benitez broke Tejada’s bat, unfortunately the A’s shortstop hit a tricky grounder to Alfonso Soriano who did everything but treat the ball like a hand grenade, kicking the ball for an error while Ellis scooted home from second base with the tying run.

With the score now tied at 2-2 the A’s turned the ball over to closer Keith Foulke who shut the Yankees down, matching Mariano Rivera pitch for pitch.

Tenth inning, enter Antonio Osuna for NY, who we affectionately call “The soona they bring him in, the soona we go home”. Two outs, Tejada has a beautiful at bat culminated by a home run to win the game 3-2.

Just another A’s Yankee game in Oakland.

Click below for more [Read more →]

L: I’m joined by one of the top rookies in the American League, and that’s Rocco Baldelli of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. I say that name, and it brings back John Boccabella, names like that. Do any of the PA announcers around the league have fun with you with the name?

B: Yeah, I think a couple of them do. I think our home PA announcer in Tampa Bay probably has the most fun with it. He takes a long time to say the name. [Read more →]