Around the Horn - 9/13

I'm not going to lie and say it's great to be back from vacation, but it's great to be able to get back to the information world. With no computer and newspapers that were published too early to even have 7 pm starts, it took a healthy, well maybe unhealthy, does of Baseball Tonight to keep up with things. That and wading through college football scores on the TV screen tickers.

- Ryan Howard - this guy is incredible. He's got 56 home runs entering today's play. The only other lefties in NL history to top 50 home runs in a single season are Barry Bonds and Luis Gonzalez. He has slugged 80 home runs in 870 at-bats of his brief career. He's also driven in 201 runs in 228 games. And he's only 26! Hopefully he's done this all clean and will one day eclipse Bonds's tainted single season record. He should become just the fifth player to top 60 home runs in a season, and the first to do it since Roger Maris without cheating.

- The AL East batting title is going down to the wire. Fellow MVP candidates Joe Mauer (.348) and Derek Jeter (.346) are separated by just 2 percent points entering Wednesday's play.

- Just how far can the KC Royals fall before they hit rock bottom? At the conclusion of last night's 3rd inning, starting pitcher Runelvys Hernandez and catcher John Buck exchanged blows. They both stayed in the game and Hernandez picked up the victory. What did Buddy Bell ever do wrong to deserve this?

- Can Jeffrey Loria please shut his mouth. That's not a request either. Do it. Of course when Joe Girardi is managing in Chicago next year, you can come up with some other reasons for your team's drop-off from this year and why you're playing in front of 10 of your closest friends. Idiot. Guys like you and Peter Angelos are Steinbrenner wannabes. Only difference is George "somewhat" wised up from his 1970-1980s days and the Yankees became consistent winners. You two are just consistent idiots.

- Talk about playing under the radar. In case no one has noticed, or possibly not cared, Barry Bonds has gotten hot in September. Recent injection or rub-on cream? Perhaps. Either way, Bonds not has 731 home runs after hitting 4 in the first 8 games of September. Now if they can only find a way to ban this scumbag in the off-season before he breaks Hank Aaron's record. You can bet Bud Selig is praying that George Mitchell can find something.

- How about Mike Piazza. Last night he belted his 21st home run, the most he has hit since 2002. More remarkable is that he leads all catchers in home runs.

- Eddie Guardado, Jason Isringhausen, Roger Clemens, Brad Radke...those are just a sampling of the major players that are hurting in September. Some are DL'ed, some are resting, either way they have a big impact on their team’s chances in September, and in some case, in October.

- The Minnesota Twins have to be worried. After throwing pain-free in his rehab start, Francisco Liriano had to leave his start against Oakland today after just 29 pitches due to elbow pain.

And finally, a speedy recovery and prayers sent out to the Red Sox's Jon Lester who is battling non-Hodgkins lymphoma.