There are many reasons not to like interleague play. For one, it is grossly unfair. League standings are skewed because teams don’t play the same number of games against their opponents, but are judged on the number of games won at the end of the season.

The one saving grace of the concept is the rivalry matchups which do bring more enthusiasm to the game.

I like the Mets and Yankees playing one another, the Giants and A’s also.

These games matter in the standings and have determined division races. For instance last year the Giants barely lost out to Arizona in the West, losing four of six to the A’s didn’t help the Giants in late September.

This year the six games may have more of an impact on the final standings because both teams are locked in tight races for the playoffs.

So, what to look for this weekend?

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

The A’s are the type of team best described as “grinders”, that is they work very hard to win a game, not the spectacular way, but by putting themselves in a position to win numerous times during a game, and then finally executing properly, and chalking up the “W”.

Wednesday night against Texas was a good example. With Miguel Tejada, Eric Chavez, and Jermaine Dye all in a deep freeze at the plate, the A’s had to turn to some very tough at bats late in the game to pull out the victory.

They constantly worked the count in their favor, the relievers wiggled out of jams, and when the game was on the line, Scott Hatteberg came through with a bloop hit, also in a hitters count.

What preceded the hit was typical A’s baseball. Billy McMillon, terrific off the bench singled, Adam Melhuse looked horrible trying to get a bunt down, so Ken Macha let him hit away and wouldn’t you know it, double play, rally over.

Not so fast. Mark Ellis stroked a single, Eric Byrnes, who pitchers are starting to work hard on the inside part of the plate, walked. Hatteberg gets the hit, and the A’s win.

Oakland tied the game in the ninth in similar fashion with Hernandez singling, McMillon getting a key walk preceding Ellis’ sac bunt, then Hatteberg drove in the tying run with a sac fly.

No homers, no extra base hits, just a lot of heart pumping, tough at bats which resulted in a win.

That is how a “grinder” wins a game.

Click below for more. [Read more →]

I know the numbers don’t bear me out on this one, but I’ve watched Alex Rodriguez play in Oakland over the past eight years and countless times on television, and you know what, I’ll take Miguel Tejada on my team over A Rod as my shortstop.

Rodriguez plays with little passion. A quality I don’t like to see in any player, let alone the straw that stirs the drink on a team.

Ever since Roger Clemens blew Rodriguez away in the playoffs, he has been a timid player. He took the money and moved to Texas, leaving any heart he had behind in Seattle.

The A’s routinely handled Rodriguez last night in key situations. Maybe if Texas ever gets it together, Rodriguez will become interested in his game, but until then he goes through the motions and rarely does anything to beat a good team, one in pennant contention.

I’d rather have a maximum effort guy like Nomar or Tejada in my lineup. At least they play like they care and are clutch baseball players.

Click below for more on baseball.

[Read more →]

The Minnesota Twins rallied from an eight run deficit to tie the game against Kansas City, only to lose the game in the bottom of the ninth inning 9-8.

The big news is not the comeback, but that the Twins were down by eight with their best pitcher Kyle Lohse starting the game.

All teams go through slumps, both pitching and hitting. Minnesota can afford this lull because both the Royals and White Sox are very flawed teams and are not likely to outplay the Minnesotans over the course of 162 games.

However, one must wonder how strong this Twins team will be in August if their bullpen is used every night for three to four innings. Tony Fiore used over 50 pitches in two innings last night as an example of what has happened to the relievers.

The Royals lose virtually everytime they see a lefty starter. Tonight, lefty Kenny Rogers will test that theory against Jeremy Affeldt, who has blister issues once again further clouding his season.

The Red Sox brought Ryan Rupe in the game in the sixth after Pedro Martinez ran out of gas in the fifth, leaving with a 2-1 lead over the White Sox.

Rupe got two outs, then the trouble started. He left a fastball up and over the plate to Joe Crede with two on, and the rest is history as they say.

Tonight the pitcher the Red Sox really want on their team, Bartolo Colon, goes against John Burkett.

With Colon being a free agent next season it is likely Chicago will trade him before the year is out. Boston is a very logical destination.

The only complicating factor is Minnesota’s poor play. Is that enough to keep the Sox in the race and force them to hold on to Colon for the season?

All of New England hopes not.

I think he moves on no matter what the Sox are doing on July 31st.

Click below for more baseball. [Read more →]

Roger Clemens should worry about winning more games and seeing his team get into the World Series this year instead of threatening to boycott his expected entry into the Hall of Fame, if the museum places a Red Sox cap on his plaque instead of his desired Yankee emblem.

If Clemens follows through with his retirement plans this year, his entry into Cooperstown will be in the year 2009. Apparently, he could care less about the Boston fans who supported him through the first 192 wins and 2500 strike outs of his career and is planning on boycotting the ceremonies if the Red Sox lid is on his head because Dan Duquette, Red Sox GM in 95, thought he was through as a big time player, forcing Roger to take his game to Toronto.

What a bore Clemens is. I’ll take Greg Maddux any day of the week over this guy.

What was more amazing San Diego lefthander Oliver Perez shutting down the White Sox without a run over 6 2/3 innings or Rod Beck getting the save throwing 80 MPH?

Or how about the Boston bullpen throwing 8 innings of zeros against the exhausted Astros?

More baseball on Monday below, I even take on the Eric Byrnes All Star question. [Read more →]

Independent league baseball has its charm on the baseball landscape. Colorful team nicknames, the Atlantic City Surf for one, a great place for reasonably priced baseball entertainment is another plus, but the biggest positive is the chance it gives former major leaguers seeking another shot at the big leagues a chance to show what they can do against good competition.

With that in mind, it is Lima Time today in Kansas City as the likeable righthander Jose Lima is back in the big leagues with the Royals after pitching for the Newark Bears in the independent Atlantic League this season.

Lima joins Brenden Donnelly and Ruben Sierra as recent graduates of the league making it to the show.

Lima pitches against Jerome Williams as KC tries to win the series against the Giants.

Known for his bravado on the mound, let’s hope Lima remembers who the Giants leftfielder or DH is when Barry Bonds comes up or else Lima Time will be short lived.

SF goes to LA next week for three with the Dodgers, then to Oakland for three with the A’s, home for three more with LA, then the A’s come in to finish the twelve game stretch with three more in Pac Bell.

We will know a lot more about the staying potential of all three teams after this set of games.

Bullpens are very important and the Dodgers have the strongest of the three, let’s see how many wins it translates into over the next two weeks.

Click read more for more on Sunday! [Read more →]

The story continues in New York Friday night as Roger Clemens tries again for career win 300. His opponents, the Cardinals, hit the heck out of the baseball and will give Clemens all he can handle.

Jason Simontacchi has 15 big league wins, he came out of nowhere to claim a job in the St. Louis rotation last season and is flying his father in tonight to see this historic game.

The Yankees, Cardinals, Red Sox and Giants are falling all over themselves to see who will pry Ugueth Urbina away from the Rangers, perhaps as early as next week.

The Giants have the most to offer, young pitching, but would you give up one of their starters to get Urbina, a free agent this winter?

Anyway, the Cardinals can hit with the best teams in baseball and should put a lot of pressure on Clemens. Simontacchi has ice water in his veins, so 300 isn’t in the bag tonight.

Click below for more on the games today.

[Read more →]

I haven’t seen the Red Sox or the Blue Jays live yet this season, but I have seen the Atlanta Braves and let me tell you they are the best hitting team I’ve witnessed this season.

Bobby Cox doesn’t have the arms he is used to either in the starting rotation or in middle relief, but man does he have the bats.

Ted Lilly gave up five hits in the first four innings he pitched last night against the Braves, only trouble was they were all tape measure home runs. Sprinkle in a walk and Lilly left the game trailing 7-1. When I see a major league pitcher get hit that hard, the first thing that comes to my mind is that he is experiencing arm trouble.

Keep in mind Lilly has pitched about 340 innings in his entire major league career, the A’s have him in the regular rotation (he has suffered arm miseries other times in past seasons), this year he already has thrown 77.3 frames. Lilly has given up 13 homers and if you look at his pitching lines the homers and walks are hurting him. A 3-5 record isn’t going to cut it for Oakland’s fourth starter.

Lilly’s situation bears close scrutiny from here on out.

My only question is why did it take so long to yank Lilly from the game last night?

Speaking of the Yankees, how about a no hitter in the Bronx thrown by six Houston pitchers. We all know Lidge, Dotel, and Wagner are the best combination of seventh, eighth, and ninth inning relievers in the game today, but a no hitter by Oswalt (a groin injury again), Saarloos, and Munro against the vaunted New Yorkers is too much to imagine.

As I’ve discussed many times, there is trouble brewing in New York.

Click below for more!

[Read more →]

As the story of the 2003 season takes shape, most teams are passing the 62 game mark, meaning they have 100 games left to play.

In the AL West with Seattle looking like a sure bet to win 100 games, it would take a 65-35 second half for Oakland to catch the Mariners.

The A’s have done it before and one can’t rule it out this season, but the local team should set its sights on at least 96 wins to ensure a playoff berth.

By going 61-39 over its final 100 games, the A’s should be right there with Anaheim, Toronto, New York, and Boston for the final playoff spot. I don’t see Chicago or Kansas City putting up 64 or 67 second half wins, so the top four should fight it out for the AL Wild Card.

AL Wild Card this morning:

New York

Oakland

Toronto 2 1/2

Anaheim 3

Kansas City 3 1/2

The Yankees released Juan Acevedo yesterday after he blew Roger Clemens game on Saturday. Acevedo should be picked up by someone rather quickly because he did save close to 30 games with Detroit last season, no easy task.

NL Wild Card

Montreal

Houston 2

Los Angeles 2 1/2

St. Louis 3

Phillies 4

Colorado 5 1/2

Click below for more baseball!

[Read more →]

Check back next week as I will take a few days off to watch interleague play.

thanks,

Marty [Read more →]