"I'm out of it for a little while, and everyone gets delusions of grandeur!" Now you have to know where that quote is from. If you don't, well then I just feel sorry for you. Once again, I've been out of the loop for a little bit. Not quite as long as last time of course, but a lot of big stories have come up in the past couple of weeks. I'm going to try and touch on them all here..., but not in the creepy way. Begin!
The Atlanta Braves won their 10,000th game on July 15th against the Washington Nationals. It is only the third time a team has crossed this milestone in baseball history, and congratulations are in order for one of the best franchises ever assembled. (In case you are wondering, the Giants and Cubs have the first and second-most wins.) It is hard enough to put together a good team over the course of 10 years, let alone for decade upon decade, and especially in today's game with free-agency and high contracts throwing things out of whack. It was easier back when the Braves began as the Red Stockings, because players were basically indentured servants to the owners. Still though, to keep talent around long enough, and to scout the next young phenom for over 135 years, as the Braves organization has done, is truly something special. If you would like to read a more detailed synopsis of how, when, and where those 10,000 wins were collected, check out this article http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/662374/Braves-10000-Wins-Timeline.png It's a great read, and has a super graphic attached to it.
A few less spectacular, but nonetheless interesting feats were accomplished recently. The Texas Rangers won 12 games in a row dating back to July 4th, having been slightly interrupted by the All-Star break. The winning streak had been over by this point, but Ranger's right-fielder Nelson Cruz tried to have a winning streak all by himself on July 22nd versus the Blue Jays, by driving in 8 runs during a 12-2 rout. Nellie has been up and down this year, especially due to his earlier injury, but he's still on schedule to have one of his best statistical years ever in RBI, doubles and homers. When Nellie does get hot, it get hot in heare. That last sentence was not a typo.
The Seattle Mariners were at the opposite end of the winning spectrum, as they lost 17 straight games between July 6th, and uh, yesterday. They finally won a game versus the lowly... wait. The Yankees? The team who lost a franchise-record 17 games in a row, turns around and breaks the streak against the third-best team in the league? Go figure! I have to give credit where credit is due, though. The Mariners had been hanging tough like New Kids with the rest of their division up until that point. However, I think they were playing way above their potential, and reality is a cruel mistress. Sometimes she smacks you down, hard. The Mariners will be fine though. In a couple of years.
Speaking of the American League division, Mr. Hideki "Godzilla" Matsui hit his 500th career homerun last week. That's right, Hideki Matsui has gone yard 500 times in his career. It does have to be stated that 332 of those homeruns were in Japan, in a different league with a different style of play and different caliber of players. However, it should not be said that Matsui got any of those 500 dingers the cheap way. It may not count in MLB record books alone, but Matsui should be extremely proud to have crossed such a historic feat.
Some major roster moves are being made since the trading deadline comes and goes in just three more days. The New York Metropolitans managed to move another big piece of their team, by sending rightfielder Carlos Beltran to the San Francisco Giants yesterday for a highly touted hurler named Zach Wheeler. Many teams were suitors for Beltran, including strangely, the Yankees, Phillies, Rangers and Indians. The Indians did end up getting an outfielder piece today though, as they traded a couple of minor leaguers to the Chicago Cubs for Kosuke Fukudome. Fukudome is hitting at a .273 clip, but his playing time this year has been considerably reduced, so it's not like he was lighting the world on fire. The first Japan-born player to ever play for the crowd in The Friendly Confines, didn't find the confines so friendly. Kosuke was largely considered a bust signing by many a Cub fan, as his average and defense never amounted to much. Maybe Cleveland will be a better home for him.
Another big deal happened the other day and it included three teams. The Chicago White Sox sent starter Edwin Jackson and utility-man Mark Teahen to the Toronto Blue Jays for reliever Jason Frasor and starter Zach Stewart. The Jays then turned that around and immediately traded Jackson, outfielder Corey Patterson, and relievers Octavio Dotel and Marc Rzepczynski to the St. Louis Cardinals for center-fielder Colby Rasmus, and three other relievers. Sorry, I just couldn't type anymore relievers names after Rzepczynski-whosi-whazits-now.
Edwin Jackson is no stranger to being traded, as he's been with five teams in the last four years. Rasmus, however, is a different story. He's been a highly regarded centerfielder for what feels like forever now, but he's also been underperforming for the Cards this year. Some sabermetric lovers out there think that this lack of production is actually the norm for Rasmus, and that his solid 2010 numbers were a mere mirage. The truth may prove otherwise as Rasmus will try to replicate what his new teammate Yunel Escobar did last year when he was traded to the Jays and turned his career around for the better.
Last but certainly not least, we should mention a very special accomplishment by Ervin Santana. The 28-year-old threw the third no-hitter of 2011 last night in Cleveland and turned around his personal history at Progressive Field. That was the place of his Major League debut, which was quite a harsh welcome for the young man back in 2005. As a Sports Illustrated article put it, "The first four batters he faced in the majors teamed up to hit for the cycle - Grady Sizemore led off with a triple, Coco Crisp doubled, Travis Hafner singled and Ben Broussard homered." Well Ervin got the last, or at least most recent laugh, as he fanned 10 batters and was in control all evening. Congrats to Santana, who threw the first no-hitter for the Angels in 27 years.
There is still lots more baseball to be played, but I can't believe that the season only has two more months left. I'm going to try and do my mid-season reviews next time, but at this rate, they might be late-mid-season reviews. Thanks for keeping the love alive folks! Until next time.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Mr. Mister
Ok, I'm starting to get back into the regular swing of things here. Still, there are a few major moments in baseball that need a little discussing on this blog before they can be put to rest. I'm speaking, of course, of Derek Jeter's historic campaign for 3,000 hits, and the All-Star game. I'm not saying these are on par with each other, seeing as how each year we have an All-Star game, and only very infrequently does a player collect 3,000 hits. I'm just saying they are both big stories that just occurred. Let's first give credit where it is deserved, and start with the big man himself.
Mr. Mister was a terrible band from the 1980s, that gave us the teary ballad "Broken Wings." Why am I bringing it up? Well, as you noticed by the blog title, that name can also now refer to Derek Jeter. The man who was affectionately referred to as Mr. November by Yankees play-by-play man Michael Kay during the lengthened post-season of 2001, now can also be called Mr. 3,000. On July 9th versus David Price and the Tampa Bay Rays, Jeter made "history with an exclamation point." Again, I quote the gregarious Michael Kay.
Kay just knows how to sum up the accomplishments of such an outstanding player such as Derek Jeter. To say Jeter has had his ups and downs of late is an understatement. The guy has had to live with the burden of being a living legend in the Bronx, while slowly becoming a less than superb player in the twilight years of his career. Derek had one last surprise up his sleeve for the Yankee faithful, and it was something that hadn't been done before in pinstripes. Jeter not only became the first Yankee player to ever collect 3,000 regular season hits, but he added the "exclamation point" by making it a homerun. A feat carried out by one other man in history, Wade Boggs.
Derek wasn't finished with the drama yet that day. He continued to have his best game of the season by going 5 for 5, whilst driving in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth. Since that day, he has gone 4 for 22, and has kept his mediocre season on pace. For one day though, the Yankee fans remembered what it was like when they saw #2 step to the plate, and everything was right with the world. Before and after that day however, the only thing heard is that Jeter is old. Jeter looks tired. Jeter should be moved to left field, or DH, or to the bench. It's a shameful way for the fans and media personalities alike to treat the man who basically rebuilt the team in his image for the past two decades. It is the nature of the business unfortunately, and especially in the fast-paced epicenter that is New York, it is 'What have you done fore me lately?'
When you look at his 2011 statistics, Jeter's season is not great, but it's still decent. Cleveland Indians' Asdrubal Cabrera should have been selected to go to the All-Star game ahead of Jeter, but Jeter was really the only choice behind Cabrera. There just aren't many good shortstops in the American League today. Cabrera did end up playing in the All-Star game due to Jeter's invitation pass. On that subject, I'm emotionally torn. I like to think that Jeter declined to attend because he knew he shouldn't have been selected, and he'd been there before, so it would be a nice gesture toward the younger Cabrera to step aside. However, the fans voted him in, so for their support should he at least have shown up in Arizona and maybe played one inning, or just waved his hat to the adoring fans before sitting on the bench and enjoying his glory? I know I'm putting him between a rock and a hard place, but that's what legendary players like Jeter have to deal with. No one has handled this kind of pressure with more class, though.
The All-Star game did actually commence without Jeter's presence. Yankee teammate, Robinson Cano won the coveted Home Run Derby Championship. This title has unfortunately brought some unwanted baggage along with it in recent years, as players have worn themselves, and thrown off their swings by swinging too hard for the fences during this event. I'm sure Cano will be fine though, as he's gotten five hits in five games since the All-Star break.
The player who really shined during the game itself was Milwaukee Brewers' first-baseman Prince Fielder. He smacked a big 3-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning, which gave the National League the lead for the rest of the game. After that, he seemed to be everywhere as MLB tried to find another star in a small-market to broadcast to the world. Credit the fantastic pitching from the NL stars as well. A strong argument can now be made that the NL is the stronger of the two leagues. I know, analysts have said the AL is more dominant in both hitting and pitching for the past decade and a half now. However, I think the majority of those writers are bias and refuse to the see the changing of the guard. With the incredible pitching from the likes of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Clayton Kershaw, and Jair Jurrjens, just to name a brief few, the National League is a force to be reckoned with.
And as I mentioned before, without Asdrubal Cabrera to solidify the shortstop vote in the AL, who else was there in that position to choose from. In fact, besides possibly 1B, the National League has probably more depth at every position. There are still star players in the American League without question. However, the utter dominance of AL play has come to an end in the past few years, and more people need should accept that. What do you think?
Sorry for the small aside there, but it's been a while and I have lots of baseball questions and ideas running through my head. Gotta get 'em all out before I go crazy! Anyways, it's good to be back. See you soon sports fans.
Mr. Mister was a terrible band from the 1980s, that gave us the teary ballad "Broken Wings." Why am I bringing it up? Well, as you noticed by the blog title, that name can also now refer to Derek Jeter. The man who was affectionately referred to as Mr. November by Yankees play-by-play man Michael Kay during the lengthened post-season of 2001, now can also be called Mr. 3,000. On July 9th versus David Price and the Tampa Bay Rays, Jeter made "history with an exclamation point." Again, I quote the gregarious Michael Kay.
Kay just knows how to sum up the accomplishments of such an outstanding player such as Derek Jeter. To say Jeter has had his ups and downs of late is an understatement. The guy has had to live with the burden of being a living legend in the Bronx, while slowly becoming a less than superb player in the twilight years of his career. Derek had one last surprise up his sleeve for the Yankee faithful, and it was something that hadn't been done before in pinstripes. Jeter not only became the first Yankee player to ever collect 3,000 regular season hits, but he added the "exclamation point" by making it a homerun. A feat carried out by one other man in history, Wade Boggs.
Derek wasn't finished with the drama yet that day. He continued to have his best game of the season by going 5 for 5, whilst driving in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth. Since that day, he has gone 4 for 22, and has kept his mediocre season on pace. For one day though, the Yankee fans remembered what it was like when they saw #2 step to the plate, and everything was right with the world. Before and after that day however, the only thing heard is that Jeter is old. Jeter looks tired. Jeter should be moved to left field, or DH, or to the bench. It's a shameful way for the fans and media personalities alike to treat the man who basically rebuilt the team in his image for the past two decades. It is the nature of the business unfortunately, and especially in the fast-paced epicenter that is New York, it is 'What have you done fore me lately?'
When you look at his 2011 statistics, Jeter's season is not great, but it's still decent. Cleveland Indians' Asdrubal Cabrera should have been selected to go to the All-Star game ahead of Jeter, but Jeter was really the only choice behind Cabrera. There just aren't many good shortstops in the American League today. Cabrera did end up playing in the All-Star game due to Jeter's invitation pass. On that subject, I'm emotionally torn. I like to think that Jeter declined to attend because he knew he shouldn't have been selected, and he'd been there before, so it would be a nice gesture toward the younger Cabrera to step aside. However, the fans voted him in, so for their support should he at least have shown up in Arizona and maybe played one inning, or just waved his hat to the adoring fans before sitting on the bench and enjoying his glory? I know I'm putting him between a rock and a hard place, but that's what legendary players like Jeter have to deal with. No one has handled this kind of pressure with more class, though.
The All-Star game did actually commence without Jeter's presence. Yankee teammate, Robinson Cano won the coveted Home Run Derby Championship. This title has unfortunately brought some unwanted baggage along with it in recent years, as players have worn themselves, and thrown off their swings by swinging too hard for the fences during this event. I'm sure Cano will be fine though, as he's gotten five hits in five games since the All-Star break.
The player who really shined during the game itself was Milwaukee Brewers' first-baseman Prince Fielder. He smacked a big 3-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning, which gave the National League the lead for the rest of the game. After that, he seemed to be everywhere as MLB tried to find another star in a small-market to broadcast to the world. Credit the fantastic pitching from the NL stars as well. A strong argument can now be made that the NL is the stronger of the two leagues. I know, analysts have said the AL is more dominant in both hitting and pitching for the past decade and a half now. However, I think the majority of those writers are bias and refuse to the see the changing of the guard. With the incredible pitching from the likes of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Clayton Kershaw, and Jair Jurrjens, just to name a brief few, the National League is a force to be reckoned with.
And as I mentioned before, without Asdrubal Cabrera to solidify the shortstop vote in the AL, who else was there in that position to choose from. In fact, besides possibly 1B, the National League has probably more depth at every position. There are still star players in the American League without question. However, the utter dominance of AL play has come to an end in the past few years, and more people need should accept that. What do you think?
Sorry for the small aside there, but it's been a while and I have lots of baseball questions and ideas running through my head. Gotta get 'em all out before I go crazy! Anyways, it's good to be back. See you soon sports fans.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Hibernation
Oh, hi. I haven't seen you in quite some time. You look great. I've been, um, busy with some stuff. You know, this and that. So, I still like you and stuff. Do you like me? Really? You mean it? Oh, we should definitely get together soon and talk. Right now? Hell, now is as good a time as any!
Ok, so I know we are not in a relationship, but I still feel like I need to reconnect. I've been gone for what feels like forever, and I've missed what seems like a crap-ton of baseball goings-on. So forgive the lack of depth in this particular post, but there are many topics I need to touch on. Come join me on a little journey I like to call, the last month and a half I missed.
The Toronto Blue Jays extended shortstop Yunel Escobar until 2013 worth $5 million each year. That takes care of his arbitration years, but the extension also gives the club the option to re-up with Escobar in '14 and '15 for another $5 million a year. Was it worth it? Well, he's only 29 and could potentially have the best year of his career with a great second half. True he's had his attitude problems, but they seem to have faded as he's departed from Bobby Cox. Maybe this guy just needs a little leeway. I think this could be a very good/great deal for the Jays come 2015.
In off-the-field news, Major League Baseball rejected the Frank McCourt/Fox TV proposed deal that would have given the news network a 17-year hold on Dodger baseball, and given McCourt the money to meet payroll for his players. Now that commissioner Bud Selig has laid Mjolnir (look it up) down on this deal, it's only a matter of time before MLB assumes total control of the L.A. Dodgers and sells the team off to an owner who won't completely screw up one of the most storied franchises in all of sports.
Albert Pujols broke his wrist and will be out for 4-6 weeks, which puts a huge damper on the Cardinals hopes for a... What's that you say, he's fixed? Pujols is apparently a magician and has healed his broken wrist is a mere two weeks. Yes, folks, Albert Pujols wrist has defied all medical logic and was ready to go in just 16 days. Of course, the sports critics all over immediately started debated whether Fat Albert took any illegal substance, like a human growth hormone, to cure this ailment. That would be a severe lack of concern for possibly being caught on Albert's part. It's also quite possible that his original diagnosis was just plain wrong. As MLB has no blood test for HGH available, I guess this matter will go unresolved for now. One things for certain, my fantasy just got back to normal.
Then there was the case of Jim Riggleman, the now former manager of the Washington Nationals. I hadn't heard one word of this debacle until Davey Johnson was announced as the Nationals coach for the next two and a half years. Wha? During my baseball absence, Riggleman saw fit to have it out with Nationals ownership and the Washington area press, and either demanded, or simply had a discussion about (depending on which version of the story you are hearing) a contract extension. When everything illuminated for old Jim that his tenure in Washington was not secure over the long haul, he "chose not to work under those conditions any more.” He stomped off, pulled a Charlie Sheen in interview after interview, but now appears more reflective and calm about his departure. Two things are clear after this whole episode has cleared. One is, Riggleman will most likely have a hard time finding another managerial position now, and the second is, 'you don't mess around with Jim.'
Speaking of new coaches, Bob Melvin has taken over for Bob Geren in Oakland after apparently every relief pitcher Geren has ever been involved with said he was a terrible coach. Even if some players may be a little happier with Geren out of the driver's seat, the team still can't hit for crap. The Athletics are ranked 28th overall in runs scored, homeruns, and average, and are 29th in on-base percentage. So unless the hitting coach Gerald Perry is getting replaced soon, this move won't matter much for Billy Beane's boys.
Meanwhile in Florida, grandpa is home. 80-year-old Jack McKeon has come back to the city he won a 2003 title with, to clean up shop. His first day back on the job, old Jack benched Hanley Ramirez because he "said he 'didn't like' the way that Ramirez was running during Sunday's (June 19th) game," according to Yahoo Sports. Jack's presence couldn't turn around a horrific June for the Marlins, as they went 5-23, losing 11 in a row at one point, and set a franchise record for loses in a month. But July has been kinder so far to the stately manager. Since Jack's first day on June 20th, the club has a record of 11-8, and have won their last 5. Only time will tell if Jack has the magic to turn around this team's season.
Speaking of National League East teams, there was a tale of two cities while I was away. In the City of Brotherly Love, Cliff Lee wasn't showing any to opposing hitters, as he threw three straight shutouts from June 16th to the 28th. He came back to Earth with a walloping from Toronto, but then went back to being fabulous in the his last start versus Atlanta. That was a big weekend series as well, as the Phillies retained a healthy lead on their division rival the Atlanta Braves, by taking two out of the three games before the All-Star break. Philadelphia now has a two game lead over Boston for the best record in baseball. Nothing unexpected there.
In New York, the situation was a little different. The much-maligned Mets were scoring runs in bunches. In fact, they broke a franchise record by scoring 52 runs in four games while on an interleague trip. Lead by possible NL MVP Jose Reyes, the lineup seemed to do no wrong, for a while. But then Reyes pulled something while attempted to get back to first base, and once again the Mets are without another star player. It looks like the injury isn't too serious though, and a short DL stint might do the trick. In more recent news for the Mets, following the All-Star game which came and went this past Tuesday, Francisco Rodriguez was traded suddenly to the Milwaukee Brewers for two players to be named later. The coming weeks will tell what holds for the Mets as Carlos Beltran might be traded away, and David Wright, Ike Davis and Johan Santana could all make return appearances for the club.
Some big name roster moves have been made in the past few weeks as well. Before K-Rod was shipped off, J.C. Romero was released by the Phils, and then picked up by the Nats. The Cubs released starter Doug Davis. Ryan Franklin was cut by the Cardinals, quite a dropoff there. Meanwhile, Mike Cameron was cut by the Boston Red Sox. None of these moves should be of any real surprise, as none of these players were playing particularly well. It's just always weird to see guys who have had sustained success suddenly lose it and fall off with one team. Who knows, though, perhaps they can regain the lost magic with another team in time for the playoffs.
br /> I know that was a lot to cover in such a short time, but please indulge me as I'm still trying to catch up on all I've missed. Have I mentioned that I got rid of cable television and thus my beloved MLBNetwork and my ability to actually watch baseball? Well, now you know. I hope to be much more in your face for the foreseeable future. I know you thought you could get rid of me, but it's just not possible. And don't worry, I'll be covering the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game in my next post. And I think something important happened in New York. Something about this guy named Derek Jeter. I don't know, sounds like a bum to me. Until next time sports fans!
Ok, so I know we are not in a relationship, but I still feel like I need to reconnect. I've been gone for what feels like forever, and I've missed what seems like a crap-ton of baseball goings-on. So forgive the lack of depth in this particular post, but there are many topics I need to touch on. Come join me on a little journey I like to call, the last month and a half I missed.
The Toronto Blue Jays extended shortstop Yunel Escobar until 2013 worth $5 million each year. That takes care of his arbitration years, but the extension also gives the club the option to re-up with Escobar in '14 and '15 for another $5 million a year. Was it worth it? Well, he's only 29 and could potentially have the best year of his career with a great second half. True he's had his attitude problems, but they seem to have faded as he's departed from Bobby Cox. Maybe this guy just needs a little leeway. I think this could be a very good/great deal for the Jays come 2015.
In off-the-field news, Major League Baseball rejected the Frank McCourt/Fox TV proposed deal that would have given the news network a 17-year hold on Dodger baseball, and given McCourt the money to meet payroll for his players. Now that commissioner Bud Selig has laid Mjolnir (look it up) down on this deal, it's only a matter of time before MLB assumes total control of the L.A. Dodgers and sells the team off to an owner who won't completely screw up one of the most storied franchises in all of sports.
Albert Pujols broke his wrist and will be out for 4-6 weeks, which puts a huge damper on the Cardinals hopes for a... What's that you say, he's fixed? Pujols is apparently a magician and has healed his broken wrist is a mere two weeks. Yes, folks, Albert Pujols wrist has defied all medical logic and was ready to go in just 16 days. Of course, the sports critics all over immediately started debated whether Fat Albert took any illegal substance, like a human growth hormone, to cure this ailment. That would be a severe lack of concern for possibly being caught on Albert's part. It's also quite possible that his original diagnosis was just plain wrong. As MLB has no blood test for HGH available, I guess this matter will go unresolved for now. One things for certain, my fantasy just got back to normal.
Then there was the case of Jim Riggleman, the now former manager of the Washington Nationals. I hadn't heard one word of this debacle until Davey Johnson was announced as the Nationals coach for the next two and a half years. Wha? During my baseball absence, Riggleman saw fit to have it out with Nationals ownership and the Washington area press, and either demanded, or simply had a discussion about (depending on which version of the story you are hearing) a contract extension. When everything illuminated for old Jim that his tenure in Washington was not secure over the long haul, he "chose not to work under those conditions any more.” He stomped off, pulled a Charlie Sheen in interview after interview, but now appears more reflective and calm about his departure. Two things are clear after this whole episode has cleared. One is, Riggleman will most likely have a hard time finding another managerial position now, and the second is, 'you don't mess around with Jim.'
Speaking of new coaches, Bob Melvin has taken over for Bob Geren in Oakland after apparently every relief pitcher Geren has ever been involved with said he was a terrible coach. Even if some players may be a little happier with Geren out of the driver's seat, the team still can't hit for crap. The Athletics are ranked 28th overall in runs scored, homeruns, and average, and are 29th in on-base percentage. So unless the hitting coach Gerald Perry is getting replaced soon, this move won't matter much for Billy Beane's boys.
Meanwhile in Florida, grandpa is home. 80-year-old Jack McKeon has come back to the city he won a 2003 title with, to clean up shop. His first day back on the job, old Jack benched Hanley Ramirez because he "said he 'didn't like' the way that Ramirez was running during Sunday's (June 19th) game," according to Yahoo Sports. Jack's presence couldn't turn around a horrific June for the Marlins, as they went 5-23, losing 11 in a row at one point, and set a franchise record for loses in a month. But July has been kinder so far to the stately manager. Since Jack's first day on June 20th, the club has a record of 11-8, and have won their last 5. Only time will tell if Jack has the magic to turn around this team's season.
Speaking of National League East teams, there was a tale of two cities while I was away. In the City of Brotherly Love, Cliff Lee wasn't showing any to opposing hitters, as he threw three straight shutouts from June 16th to the 28th. He came back to Earth with a walloping from Toronto, but then went back to being fabulous in the his last start versus Atlanta. That was a big weekend series as well, as the Phillies retained a healthy lead on their division rival the Atlanta Braves, by taking two out of the three games before the All-Star break. Philadelphia now has a two game lead over Boston for the best record in baseball. Nothing unexpected there.
In New York, the situation was a little different. The much-maligned Mets were scoring runs in bunches. In fact, they broke a franchise record by scoring 52 runs in four games while on an interleague trip. Lead by possible NL MVP Jose Reyes, the lineup seemed to do no wrong, for a while. But then Reyes pulled something while attempted to get back to first base, and once again the Mets are without another star player. It looks like the injury isn't too serious though, and a short DL stint might do the trick. In more recent news for the Mets, following the All-Star game which came and went this past Tuesday, Francisco Rodriguez was traded suddenly to the Milwaukee Brewers for two players to be named later. The coming weeks will tell what holds for the Mets as Carlos Beltran might be traded away, and David Wright, Ike Davis and Johan Santana could all make return appearances for the club.
Some big name roster moves have been made in the past few weeks as well. Before K-Rod was shipped off, J.C. Romero was released by the Phils, and then picked up by the Nats. The Cubs released starter Doug Davis. Ryan Franklin was cut by the Cardinals, quite a dropoff there. Meanwhile, Mike Cameron was cut by the Boston Red Sox. None of these moves should be of any real surprise, as none of these players were playing particularly well. It's just always weird to see guys who have had sustained success suddenly lose it and fall off with one team. Who knows, though, perhaps they can regain the lost magic with another team in time for the playoffs.
br /> I know that was a lot to cover in such a short time, but please indulge me as I'm still trying to catch up on all I've missed. Have I mentioned that I got rid of cable television and thus my beloved MLBNetwork and my ability to actually watch baseball? Well, now you know. I hope to be much more in your face for the foreseeable future. I know you thought you could get rid of me, but it's just not possible. And don't worry, I'll be covering the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game in my next post. And I think something important happened in New York. Something about this guy named Derek Jeter. I don't know, sounds like a bum to me. Until next time sports fans!
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