MLB Hall of Fame Time: Why is it the Most Miserable Time of the Year?

Finding out which players, executives, announcers, etc. were elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame used to be one of the most exciting, highly anticipated days of the year. Then the Internet and social media took off and suddenly a day that should be joyous for a number of people became overshadowed by the disdain nominees, fans, and media - specifically the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) had for one another.

With the announcement coming up tomorrow, Wednesday, the fury has already gotten off to a great start thanks to MLB.com beat writer Ken Gurnick. As part of this year's process, all of the MLB.com writers made their ballots public on Tuesday which put a bullseye right on Gurnick's back due to this statement by the Dodgers' beat writer:

"(Jack) Morris has flaws -- a 3.90 ERA, for example. But he gets my vote for more than a decade of ace performance that included three 20-win seasons, Cy Young Award votes in seven seasons and Most Valuable Player Award votes in five. As for those who played during the period of PED use, I won't vote for any of them."

With that simple act Gurnick threw the baby out with the bathwater. It means he completely ignored legitimate candidates like pitcher Greg Maddux and slugger Frank Thomas. It also means there will still be no unanimous electee to the Hall. It's also an embarrassment to the game and to those are tasked with the privilege of electing the Hall entrants.

While I agree that players that were caught or admitted using performance enhancing drugs should not gain entrance to the Hall, you cannot lump other players (i.e. Jeff Bagwell) that you believe were PED users in with the "bad guys". And you certainly shouldn't be leaving out those, like Thomas, who have been anti-PED activists.

This year's election process also became farcicle when one voter sold a ballot to Deadspin.com, which then allowed its readers to fill out the ballot. Deadspin is trying to make a point of how much the process has degraded over the years, but the anonymous seller of the ballot should be permanently stripped of the honor of being part of the vote.

My ballot, if I had a vote, would look like this:

Greg Maddux
Frank Thomas
Jack Morris
Craig Biggio
Jeff Bagwell
Mike Piazza
Tom Glavine

Around the Horn - 4/29

Not too much action in the major leagues last night. The Orioles and White Sox had rain interrupt play at the start and the end of their game. It ended up a 3-3 tie with the game suspended after 12 innings. Since it was the end of 4-game series, there's no word on when it would be continued. Daniel Cabera (2 ER 6.1 IP) and Javier Vazquez (1 ER 8 IP) both turned in good starts.

The A's scored 8 runs in the 7th inning to blow away the Angels, 14-2. Frank Thomas was a HR short of the cycle when he left the game, and Daric Barton, Emil Brown, and Jack Hannahan each homered. Chad Gaudin has come back from injuries well to post a 3-1, 3.00 record. John Garland gave up 7 runs in 6 innings for the Angels.

The Mets and Pirates were rained out in Flushing. The Reds held off the Cardinals 4-3 as Bronson Arroyo finally picked up his first win. Rick Ankiel hit his 5th HR for the Cards.

Dan Haren improved to 4-1 in the Diamondbacks 5-3 triumph over the Astros. Mark Reynold's 2-run double gave him 24 RBI for the month.

The Giants moved Barry Zito to the bullpen, but Matt Cain and the pen gave them some relief last night. Cain was the victor in the Giants 4-0 win against the Rockies. Aaron Rowand knocked in a pair of run and is hitting .308.

News and Notes

After passing through waivers, Hideo Nomo was officially released by the Royals.

Mike Lieberthal will be signing a 1-day contract shortly with the Phillies, so that he can officially retire as a Phillie.

Rich Harden is scheduled for rehab start on Thursday as he tries to come back from yet another injury for the A's.

Scott Kazmir threw an 81-pitch rehab start on Monday and could be activated by the Rays this weekend.

Around the Horn - 4/29

Not too much action in the major leagues last night. The Orioles and White Sox had rain interrupt play at the start and the end of their game. It ended up a 3-3 tie with the game suspended after 12 innings. Since it was the end of 4-game series, there's no word on when it would be continued. Daniel Cabera (2 ER 6.1 IP) and Javier Vazquez (1 ER 8 IP) both turned in good starts.

The A's scored 8 runs in the 7th inning to blow away the Angels, 14-2. Frank Thomas was a HR short of the cycle when he left the game, and Daric Barton, Emil Brown, and Jack Hannahan each homered. Chad Gaudin has come back from injuries well to post a 3-1, 3.00 record. John Garland gave up 7 runs in 6 innings for the Angels.

The Mets and Pirates were rained out in Flushing. The Reds held off the Cardinals 4-3 as Bronson Arroyo finally picked up his first win. Rick Ankiel hit his 5th HR for the Cards.

Dan Haren improved to 4-1 in the Diamondbacks 5-3 triumph over the Astros. Mark Reynold's 2-run double gave him 24 RBI for the month.

The Giants moved Barry Zito to the bullpen, but Matt Cain and the pen gave them some relief last night. Cain was the victor in the Giants 4-0 win against the Rockies. Aaron Rowand knocked in a pair of run and is hitting .308.

News and Notes

After passing through waivers, Hideo Nomo was officially released by the Royals.

Mike Lieberthal will be signing a 1-day contract shortly with the Phillies, so that he can officially retire as a Phillie.

Rich Harden is scheduled for rehab start on Thursday as he tries to come back from yet another injury for the A's.

Scott Kazmir threw an 81-pitch rehab start on Monday and could be activated by the Rays this weekend.

Around the Horn - 4/23

The Mets have to be glad to be their series with the Cubs was only 2 games. The North siders thumped the Flushing crew for the second straight game, this time 8-1. Ronny Cedeno belted a grand slam and drove in 5 to help Ted Lilly earn his first win of the year.

Eric Gagne blew his 4th save already, but the Brewers pulled the game out, 9-8, in 12 innings on Gabe Kapler's RBI single.

Xavier Nady drove in 2 runs to give the Pirates a 3-2 win over the Marlins and Paul Maholm his first win of the season.

The Diamondbacks overcame a 3-0 deficit to make Brandon Webb the first 5-game winner in the majors. Webb helped his own cause, delivering a 2-run double in the Dbacks 5-4 win over the Giants. Barry Zito dropped to 0-5 for the Giants.

John Smoltz (3-1, 0.78) picked up his 3,000 career strikeout, but despite allowing just 1 run in 7 innings, also picked up his first loss in the Nationals 6-0 win over the Braves. John Lannan went 7 innings for his first win of the year.
Jerry Hairston Jr. celebrated his recall from the minors with a 4-hit, 3 RBI day as the Reds thumped the Dodgers, 8-1. Edinson Volquez improved to 3-0, 1.21 with the win.

Pat Burrell drove in 3 runs, giving him 22 RBI for the month of April, and Jayson Werth homered in the Phillies 8-6 win over the Rockies.

Jose Valverde blew his 3rd save this month, but the Astros scored 4 times in the bottom of the 8th for an 11-7 win over the Padres. Miguel Tejada remained red hot, going 4-5 to raise his average to .370. Jake Peavy allowed 4 run in his 6 inning start for the Padres.

C.C. Sabathia finally got his first win with 6 innings of shutout ball. The big left-hander struck out 11 and the Indians pounded the Royals 15-1. Casey Blake was 4-4 with a grand slam and 6 RBI.

Justin Verlander picked up his first win too in the Tigers 10-2 drubbing of the slumping Rangers. Verlander allowed 1 run in 6 innings to send the Rangers to their 5th straight loss. Ramon Santiago hit his first home run in 4 years and Miguel Cabrera and Magglio Ordonez also went deep. Ordonez picked up his 1,000th career RBI in the process.

The Red Sox won their 6th straight, and has become custom lately, won it late. Dustin Pedroia doubled in the go-ahead run in the 8th to give the Sox a 7-6 win over the Angels. David Pauley was the emergency starter for Josh Beckett who was scratched with a stiff neck.

Craig Monroe hit a game tying home run in the 8th and Jason Kubel singled in the game winner in the 9th in the Twins 5-4 win over the A's. Monroe was hitting just .231 entering the game, but capped off his 3-hit day with his first home run of the year.

Arthur Rhodes won his first game in two years in the Mariners 4-2 win over the Orioles. Jose Vidro's 2-run single in the 8th snapped a 2-2 tie. Mariners starter Felix Hernandez was effective (7 IP 2 ER 7 K), but got no decision.

Dionner Navarro made a triumphant return from the DL with a 3-hit, 2 RBI night, and Eric Hinske matched him in the Rays 6-4 win over the Jays. Hinske also homered and James Shields picked up his 2nd win.

News and Notes

Wednesday's Pitching Match up of the Day - Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers. Dan Haren (3-0, 1.80) vs. Derek Lowe (1-1, 2.59)

The San Fran Chronicle reports that the A's are considering bringing back Frank Thomas, who had big year for them in 2006.

Blue Jays 3rd Baseman Scott Rolen has started his rehab assignment, going 0-6 in two games. He returned to the infield after DH'ing the first game.

The Tigers defense wasn't helping their cause any, so they decided a defensive switch was in order. Shaky 3rd Baseman Miguel Cabrera was moved across the diamond to 1st Base, and 1st Baseman, and former shortstop, Carlos Guillen was shifted to 3rd.

Gabe Gross scored the Brewers winning run in the 12th inning yesterday- and then was traded. With a glut of outfielders, the Brewers sent Gross to the Rays for minor league pitcher Josh Butler.

Braves oft-injured pitcher Mike Hampton says he's ready to start a rehab assignment. Good luck with that.

The Star-Ledger's Jeremy Cothran has a feature today on how Carlos Delgado's struggles are dragging down the Mets and his career.

Around the Horn - 4/23

The Mets have to be glad to be their series with the Cubs was only 2 games. The North siders thumped the Flushing crew for the second straight game, this time 8-1. Ronny Cedeno belted a grand slam and drove in 5 to help Ted Lilly earn his first win of the year.

Eric Gagne blew his 4th save already, but the Brewers pulled the game out, 9-8, in 12 innings on Gabe Kapler's RBI single.

Xavier Nady drove in 2 runs to give the Pirates a 3-2 win over the Marlins and Paul Maholm his first win of the season.

The Diamondbacks overcame a 3-0 deficit to make Brandon Webb the first 5-game winner in the majors. Webb helped his own cause, delivering a 2-run double in the Dbacks 5-4 win over the Giants. Barry Zito dropped to 0-5 for the Giants.

John Smoltz (3-1, 0.78) picked up his 3,000 career strikeout, but despite allowing just 1 run in 7 innings, also picked up his first loss in the Nationals 6-0 win over the Braves. John Lannan went 7 innings for his first win of the year.
Jerry Hairston Jr. celebrated his recall from the minors with a 4-hit, 3 RBI day as the Reds thumped the Dodgers, 8-1. Edinson Volquez improved to 3-0, 1.21 with the win.

Pat Burrell drove in 3 runs, giving him 22 RBI for the month of April, and Jayson Werth homered in the Phillies 8-6 win over the Rockies.

Jose Valverde blew his 3rd save this month, but the Astros scored 4 times in the bottom of the 8th for an 11-7 win over the Padres. Miguel Tejada remained red hot, going 4-5 to raise his average to .370. Jake Peavy allowed 4 run in his 6 inning start for the Padres.

C.C. Sabathia finally got his first win with 6 innings of shutout ball. The big left-hander struck out 11 and the Indians pounded the Royals 15-1. Casey Blake was 4-4 with a grand slam and 6 RBI.

Justin Verlander picked up his first win too in the Tigers 10-2 drubbing of the slumping Rangers. Verlander allowed 1 run in 6 innings to send the Rangers to their 5th straight loss. Ramon Santiago hit his first home run in 4 years and Miguel Cabrera and Magglio Ordonez also went deep. Ordonez picked up his 1,000th career RBI in the process.

The Red Sox won their 6th straight, and has become custom lately, won it late. Dustin Pedroia doubled in the go-ahead run in the 8th to give the Sox a 7-6 win over the Angels. David Pauley was the emergency starter for Josh Beckett who was scratched with a stiff neck.

Craig Monroe hit a game tying home run in the 8th and Jason Kubel singled in the game winner in the 9th in the Twins 5-4 win over the A's. Monroe was hitting just .231 entering the game, but capped off his 3-hit day with his first home run of the year.

Arthur Rhodes won his first game in two years in the Mariners 4-2 win over the Orioles. Jose Vidro's 2-run single in the 8th snapped a 2-2 tie. Mariners starter Felix Hernandez was effective (7 IP 2 ER 7 K), but got no decision.

Dionner Navarro made a triumphant return from the DL with a 3-hit, 2 RBI night, and Eric Hinske matched him in the Rays 6-4 win over the Jays. Hinske also homered and James Shields picked up his 2nd win.

News and Notes

Wednesday's Pitching Match up of the Day - Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers. Dan Haren (3-0, 1.80) vs. Derek Lowe (1-1, 2.59)

The San Fran Chronicle reports that the A's are considering bringing back Frank Thomas, who had big year for them in 2006.

Blue Jays 3rd Baseman Scott Rolen has started his rehab assignment, going 0-6 in two games. He returned to the infield after DH'ing the first game.

The Tigers defense wasn't helping their cause any, so they decided a defensive switch was in order. Shaky 3rd Baseman Miguel Cabrera was moved across the diamond to 1st Base, and 1st Baseman, and former shortstop, Carlos Guillen was shifted to 3rd.

Gabe Gross scored the Brewers winning run in the 12th inning yesterday- and then was traded. With a glut of outfielders, the Brewers sent Gross to the Rays for minor league pitcher Josh Butler.

Braves oft-injured pitcher Mike Hampton says he's ready to start a rehab assignment. Good luck with that.

The Star-Ledger's Jeremy Cothran has a feature today on how Carlos Delgado's struggles are dragging down the Mets and his career.

Around the Horn - 4/21

The Boston Red Sox exposed the Texas Rangers bullpen time and time again this weekend. On Sunday, the Sox rallied from a 5-0 deficit for a 6-5 win. Rangers closer C.J. Wilson didn't retire any of the 5 batters he faced in the 8th inning and let an inherited runner score as well. This was on the heels of Saturday's blown game when Manny Ramirez capped a 3-run 8th inning rally with a 2-run game winning home run. The two teams are at it again right now as part of the Patriots Day celebration in Beantown.

Dustin McGown pitched the Blue Jays to a 3-2 win over the Tigers on Saturday. On Sunday it was light hitting shortstop David Eckstein taking the Tigers down with a 3-run home run. And the Jays released disgruntled and slumping DH, Frank Thomas.

Andy Sonnastine pitched a complete game shut out of the White Sox on Saturday and the White Sox avenged it with a shutout of their own on Sunday. John Danks allowed just 3 hits over 7 innings and struck out 8 to pick up his 2nd win. Jim Thome had 4 hits, including career home run #512, tying him with Ed Mathews and Ernie Banks for 19th on the all-time list.

Twins pitching dominated the Indians over the weekend. Nick Blackburn lead a 3-0 shutout on Saturday, helped by a Justin Morneau home run. Morneau played the hero on Sunday when he singled in the game winner in the 10th inning of a 2-1 game.

Ervin Santana's trade value was near zilch after the 2007 season. Right now the Angels have to be ecstatic that they kept him He tossed 8 innings of 3-hit, 8 K ball on Saturday as the Angels beat the Mariners, 4-1. Santana improved to 3-0 with a 2.67 ERA. The Mariners salvaged the final game of the series with a 4-2 win on Sunday. Miguel Batista pitched 7+ shutout innings and Richie Sexson stayed hot with a home run.

The Mets beat the Phils for the 4th straight time on Saturday, but Chase Utley and the Phillies snapped that streak on Sunday Night Baseball. Utley's two home runs, giving him 3 in 2 days, gave the Phillies a 4-0 lead. The Mets rallied to tie it before Pedro Feliz won the 'Pedro' battle over Pedro Feliciano with a solo home run in the 7th. Perhaps Pedro Martinez should have intervened.

The Braves swept the Dodgers in a 3-game set behind Mark Teixeira's 5 RBI in the two weekend games. Andruw Jones finally hit his first home run as a Dodger in Saturday's loss. The once 4-2 Dodgers have lost 9 of 12.

The Marlins put two more in the Nationals loss column. After Kevin Gregg blew a 2-run lead in the 9th on Saturday, Wes Helms got him off the hook with a walk-off RBI single in the Marlins half of the frame. On Sunday, Scott Olsen dominated the Nats over 7 innings to improve to 3-0 in Florida's 6-1 win.

The Pirates pitching staff is hurting this morning after allowing 13 runs in both weekend games to the Cubs. On Saturday Derek Lee and Daryl Ward pounded 2-run home runs in a 13-1 win. Sunday's 13-6 rout saw Aramis Ramirez and Ryan Theriot get 4 hits each and combine for 6 RBI.

Aaron Cook pitched the Rockies back above .500 with a 3-2 win over the Astros. But the Rockies pen quickly dropped them back on Sunday, blowing a 4-3 lead late. Kaz Matsui and the fast aging Miguel Tejada combined for 3 RBI in the 8th inning.

The Brewers and Reds played back-to-back 10 inning games. Bill Hall's 2-run double won it for the Brew Crew on Saturday, but Eric Gagne blew a 2-run lead in the bottom of the 10th on Sunday. Ken Griffey Jr. singled in the game winner as the Reds took the finale of the 3-game series.

The Giants took two of three from the Cardinals with a weekend sweep. Tim Lincecum and the bullpen shut the Cards out 3-0 on Saturday and the Giants bats came alive on Sunday in an 8-2 win. Bengie Molina drove in 3 runs and Jonathan Sanchez tossed 5 shutout innings. The Cards finally scored 2 in the 9th to avoid back-to-back shutouts.

The Diamondbacks followed up their 9-0 drubbing of the Padres on Friday with a 10-3 drubbing on Sunday. The Dbacks scored 6 runs in the 8th inning to put the game out of reach. The Padres finally came back with some offense on Sunday in a 9-4 win. Justin Huber hit his first major league home run, a 3-run shot off of Randy Johnson.

Around the Horn - 4/21

The Boston Red Sox exposed the Texas Rangers bullpen time and time again this weekend. On Sunday, the Sox rallied from a 5-0 deficit for a 6-5 win. Rangers closer C.J. Wilson didn't retire any of the 5 batters he faced in the 8th inning and let an inherited runner score as well. This was on the heels of Saturday's blown game when Manny Ramirez capped a 3-run 8th inning rally with a 2-run game winning home run. The two teams are at it again right now as part of the Patriots Day celebration in Beantown.

Dustin McGown pitched the Blue Jays to a 3-2 win over the Tigers on Saturday. On Sunday it was light hitting shortstop David Eckstein taking the Tigers down with a 3-run home run. And the Jays released disgruntled and slumping DH, Frank Thomas.

Andy Sonnastine pitched a complete game shut out of the White Sox on Saturday and the White Sox avenged it with a shutout of their own on Sunday. John Danks allowed just 3 hits over 7 innings and struck out 8 to pick up his 2nd win. Jim Thome had 4 hits, including career home run #512, tying him with Ed Mathews and Ernie Banks for 19th on the all-time list.

Twins pitching dominated the Indians over the weekend. Nick Blackburn lead a 3-0 shutout on Saturday, helped by a Justin Morneau home run. Morneau played the hero on Sunday when he singled in the game winner in the 10th inning of a 2-1 game.

Ervin Santana's trade value was near zilch after the 2007 season. Right now the Angels have to be ecstatic that they kept him He tossed 8 innings of 3-hit, 8 K ball on Saturday as the Angels beat the Mariners, 4-1. Santana improved to 3-0 with a 2.67 ERA. The Mariners salvaged the final game of the series with a 4-2 win on Sunday. Miguel Batista pitched 7+ shutout innings and Richie Sexson stayed hot with a home run.

The Mets beat the Phils for the 4th straight time on Saturday, but Chase Utley and the Phillies snapped that streak on Sunday Night Baseball. Utley's two home runs, giving him 3 in 2 days, gave the Phillies a 4-0 lead. The Mets rallied to tie it before Pedro Feliz won the 'Pedro' battle over Pedro Feliciano with a solo home run in the 7th. Perhaps Pedro Martinez should have intervened.

The Braves swept the Dodgers in a 3-game set behind Mark Teixeira's 5 RBI in the two weekend games. Andruw Jones finally hit his first home run as a Dodger in Saturday's loss. The once 4-2 Dodgers have lost 9 of 12.

The Marlins put two more in the Nationals loss column. After Kevin Gregg blew a 2-run lead in the 9th on Saturday, Wes Helms got him off the hook with a walk-off RBI single in the Marlins half of the frame. On Sunday, Scott Olsen dominated the Nats over 7 innings to improve to 3-0 in Florida's 6-1 win.

The Pirates pitching staff is hurting this morning after allowing 13 runs in both weekend games to the Cubs. On Saturday Derek Lee and Daryl Ward pounded 2-run home runs in a 13-1 win. Sunday's 13-6 rout saw Aramis Ramirez and Ryan Theriot get 4 hits each and combine for 6 RBI.

Aaron Cook pitched the Rockies back above .500 with a 3-2 win over the Astros. But the Rockies pen quickly dropped them back on Sunday, blowing a 4-3 lead late. Kaz Matsui and the fast aging Miguel Tejada combined for 3 RBI in the 8th inning.

The Brewers and Reds played back-to-back 10 inning games. Bill Hall's 2-run double won it for the Brew Crew on Saturday, but Eric Gagne blew a 2-run lead in the bottom of the 10th on Sunday. Ken Griffey Jr. singled in the game winner as the Reds took the finale of the 3-game series.

The Giants took two of three from the Cardinals with a weekend sweep. Tim Lincecum and the bullpen shut the Cards out 3-0 on Saturday and the Giants bats came alive on Sunday in an 8-2 win. Bengie Molina drove in 3 runs and Jonathan Sanchez tossed 5 shutout innings. The Cards finally scored 2 in the 9th to avoid back-to-back shutouts.

The Diamondbacks followed up their 9-0 drubbing of the Padres on Friday with a 10-3 drubbing on Sunday. The Dbacks scored 6 runs in the 8th inning to put the game out of reach. The Padres finally came back with some offense on Sunday in a 9-4 win. Justin Huber hit his first major league home run, a 3-run shot off of Randy Johnson.

Around the Horn - 4/9

0 wins, 7 losses, 15 runs scored, a .235 team batting average. Those are the woeful stats of the Detroit Tigers who remained winless after the Red Sox won their home opener, 5-0. The Tigers haven't started this badly since their forgettable 119 loss campaign of 2003. How long until Jim Leyland pops his cork?

Kudos to the Red Sox yesterday (yes it pains us to say that)- they had Bill Buckner throw out the ceremonial 1st pitch. Billy Bucks has been unfairly known as the goat of the 1986 World Series because of the ball that went through his legs in Game 6, helping to extend the "Curse of the Bambino". But the real goat was manager John McNamara who wanted Buckner out there to celebrate the championship. McNamara knew Buckner was no longer the defensive gem he once was. The Red Sox also honored current and former members of the Patriots, Celtics, and Bruins.

With K-Rod sidelined for a few days with an ankle injury and Scot Shields coming off an ineffective season, the Angels gave Justin Speier a chance to close out last night's game with the Indians. The result? A Travis Hafner 2-run HR that won it for the Tribe.

Alan Embree blew a 2-run lead on a Frank Thomas HR in the 8th, but the A's prevailed over the Jays in the 9th, 9-8, on Ryan Sweeney's RBI triple. Huston Street picked up his first save and had his first scoreless appearance. The home run was #516 for The Big Hurt.

Aubrey Huff and the Orioles are on a tear. Huff had 4 hits and 4 RBI yesterday as the O's won their 6th straight, 8-1 over the Rangers. Can the Rangers ever get pitching?

Erik Bedard won his first game as a Mariners in the M's 6-5 win over the Rays. Remember when Ichiro couldn't buy a hit during spring training? With a 3-hit day, he's hitting .324. The Rays have lost 3 straight after winning 3 of their first 4.

The Phillies still have the Mets number. They won the last 8 meetings last season to help clinch the Wild Card. Yesterday they ruined the Mets home opener and a nice performance by starter Oliver Perez, by rallying from a 2-0 deficit late to win 5-2.

Troy Glaus delivered a decisive 2-run double in the 8th in the Cards 5-3 win over the Astros.

Mark Reynolds stayed red hot for the Diamondbacks, homering for the 5th time in as many games. He and Connor Jackson each drove in 3 runs as the Dbacks toppled the Dodgers 10-5. Doug Davis, battling thyroid cancer, picked up his first win of the year. He'll undergo surgery tomorrow. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Davis and his family.

Closer Brian Wilson blew the Giants one run lead to the Padres in the 9th, but Bengie Molina saved him with a walk-off home run in the 11th. Molina's 2nd home run of the game gave the Giants a 3-2 win.

Matt Holliday had 3 hits and a pair of RBI in the Rockies 4-3 win over the Braves.

Eric Gagne gave up a 9th, game tying home run to the Reds Corey Patterson for his 2nd blown save of the season. But Richie Weeks delivered a walk-off single in the 10th to give the Brewers a 3-2 victory.

Injury News

The Twins are expected to place starter Matt Garza on the DL with nerve irritation in his arm. The plan is to have Francisco Liriano take Garza's place on Sunday.

The Red Sox have placed Bartolo Colon on the minor league DL with a strained oblique.

B.J. Ryan made his 2nd rehab appearance for the Jays; Randy Johnson struck out 7 in a 6 inning rehab start. He allowed 3 runs.

The Nationals have placed Dmitri Young on the DL with a sore back.

Mets right-hander El Duque has been sent for an MRI due to continued soreness in his right foot.

Around the Horn - 4/9

0 wins, 7 losses, 15 runs scored, a .235 team batting average. Those are the woeful stats of the Detroit Tigers who remained winless after the Red Sox won their home opener, 5-0. The Tigers haven't started this badly since their forgettable 119 loss campaign of 2003. How long until Jim Leyland pops his cork?

Kudos to the Red Sox yesterday (yes it pains us to say that)- they had Bill Buckner throw out the ceremonial 1st pitch. Billy Bucks has been unfairly known as the goat of the 1986 World Series because of the ball that went through his legs in Game 6, helping to extend the "Curse of the Bambino". But the real goat was manager John McNamara who wanted Buckner out there to celebrate the championship. McNamara knew Buckner was no longer the defensive gem he once was. The Red Sox also honored current and former members of the Patriots, Celtics, and Bruins.

With K-Rod sidelined for a few days with an ankle injury and Scot Shields coming off an ineffective season, the Angels gave Justin Speier a chance to close out last night's game with the Indians. The result? A Travis Hafner 2-run HR that won it for the Tribe.

Alan Embree blew a 2-run lead on a Frank Thomas HR in the 8th, but the A's prevailed over the Jays in the 9th, 9-8, on Ryan Sweeney's RBI triple. Huston Street picked up his first save and had his first scoreless appearance. The home run was #516 for The Big Hurt.

Aubrey Huff and the Orioles are on a tear. Huff had 4 hits and 4 RBI yesterday as the O's won their 6th straight, 8-1 over the Rangers. Can the Rangers ever get pitching?

Erik Bedard won his first game as a Mariners in the M's 6-5 win over the Rays. Remember when Ichiro couldn't buy a hit during spring training? With a 3-hit day, he's hitting .324. The Rays have lost 3 straight after winning 3 of their first 4.

The Phillies still have the Mets number. They won the last 8 meetings last season to help clinch the Wild Card. Yesterday they ruined the Mets home opener and a nice performance by starter Oliver Perez, by rallying from a 2-0 deficit late to win 5-2.

Troy Glaus delivered a decisive 2-run double in the 8th in the Cards 5-3 win over the Astros.

Mark Reynolds stayed red hot for the Diamondbacks, homering for the 5th time in as many games. He and Connor Jackson each drove in 3 runs as the Dbacks toppled the Dodgers 10-5. Doug Davis, battling thyroid cancer, picked up his first win of the year. He'll undergo surgery tomorrow. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Davis and his family.

Closer Brian Wilson blew the Giants one run lead to the Padres in the 9th, but Bengie Molina saved him with a walk-off home run in the 11th. Molina's 2nd home run of the game gave the Giants a 3-2 win.

Matt Holliday had 3 hits and a pair of RBI in the Rockies 4-3 win over the Braves.

Eric Gagne gave up a 9th, game tying home run to the Reds Corey Patterson for his 2nd blown save of the season. But Richie Weeks delivered a walk-off single in the 10th to give the Brewers a 3-2 victory.

Injury News

The Twins are expected to place starter Matt Garza on the DL with nerve irritation in his arm. The plan is to have Francisco Liriano take Garza's place on Sunday.

The Red Sox have placed Bartolo Colon on the minor league DL with a strained oblique.

B.J. Ryan made his 2nd rehab appearance for the Jays; Randy Johnson struck out 7 in a 6 inning rehab start. He allowed 3 runs.

The Nationals have placed Dmitri Young on the DL with a sore back.

Mets right-hander El Duque has been sent for an MRI due to continued soreness in his right foot.

Around the Horn - 4/7

Frank Thomas and the Blue Jays ruined Josh Beckett's return as the Jays completed a 3-game series sweep in Toronto. Thomas hit career HR #515, a grand slam off of Manny Delcarmen, in the Blue Jays 7-4 win over the Red Sox. Roy Halladay won his first game of the year.

The Tigers are now 0-6 after the White Sox thumped them 13-2 in a Sunday night nationally televised game. Joe Crede went 4-5 with 3 RBI as Mark Buerhle beat Justin Verlander.

With J.J. Putz on the DL, Mariners manager John McLaren is using a closer by committee. It didn't work out too well on Sunday when the Mariners blew a 2-0 lead in the 9th to the Orioles. Felix Hernandez had dominated the O's on 5 hits over 8 innings, but Eric O'Flaherty and Mark Lowe couldn't protect the lead. Luis Hernandez had been 0-6 on the season before singling in the game winner.

Brett Tomko tossed 5 shutout innings against the Twins to help the Royals snap their 2 game losing streak. Alex Gordon drove in 2 runs in the 2nd and it stood up in a 3-1 win. Joakim Soria struck out the side in the 9th for the save.

Gerald Laird homered twice and drove in 6 in the Rangers 10-4 pounding of the Angels.

The Indians nipped the Angels 2-1. Ryan Garko's walk with the bases loaded in the 7th proved to be the difference.

The Cubs came at the Astros with heat yesterday and won 3-2. Carlos Zambrano threw 7 innings, followed by an inning each for Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood. Derek Lee's home run in the 7th was the game winner.

Ben Sheets has made two starts this season and has not allowed a run. The Brewers right-hander tossed a complete game shutout in the Brew Crew's 7-0 blanking of the Giants. Barry Zito gave San Fran another sub par performance (5 IP 5 R 3 ER).

The Cardinals blanked the Nationals 5-0 for their 5th straight win. Kyle Lohse won his first game for the Redbirds, helped by a home run and an RBI double by Rick Ankiel.

The Diamondbacks rallied in the 9th to tie the Rockies (Mark Reynolds 2-run HR), blew the lead in the bottom of the 9th (Matt Holliday HR), and then scored 3 times in the 10th to win it (that incl. a Stephen Drew HR).

The Reds pounded the Phillies 8-2 behind Jeff Keppinger's 3 hit, 3 run, 3 RBI day. Ken Griffey Jr. hit his first home run of the year and #594 for his career.

Chin-Lung Hu had the game winning single in the top of the 9th in the Dodgers 3-2 win over the Padres.

Xavier Nady hit his 3rd home run and the Pirates banged out 15 hits in their 9-2 drubbing of the Marlins.

The Braves still have the Mets number. Johan Santana pitched a gem, but Tim Hudson came away with a victory in the Braves 3-1 win. Mark Teixeira's 2-run HR off of Aaron Heilman in the 8th proved to be the difference.

Around the Horn - 4/7

Frank Thomas and the Blue Jays ruined Josh Beckett's return as the Jays completed a 3-game series sweep in Toronto. Thomas hit career HR #515, a grand slam off of Manny Delcarmen, in the Blue Jays 7-4 win over the Red Sox. Roy Halladay won his first game of the year.

The Tigers are now 0-6 after the White Sox thumped them 13-2 in a Sunday night nationally televised game. Joe Crede went 4-5 with 3 RBI as Mark Buerhle beat Justin Verlander.

With J.J. Putz on the DL, Mariners manager John McLaren is using a closer by committee. It didn't work out too well on Sunday when the Mariners blew a 2-0 lead in the 9th to the Orioles. Felix Hernandez had dominated the O's on 5 hits over 8 innings, but Eric O'Flaherty and Mark Lowe couldn't protect the lead. Luis Hernandez had been 0-6 on the season before singling in the game winner.

Brett Tomko tossed 5 shutout innings against the Twins to help the Royals snap their 2 game losing streak. Alex Gordon drove in 2 runs in the 2nd and it stood up in a 3-1 win. Joakim Soria struck out the side in the 9th for the save.

Gerald Laird homered twice and drove in 6 in the Rangers 10-4 pounding of the Angels.

The Indians nipped the Angels 2-1. Ryan Garko's walk with the bases loaded in the 7th proved to be the difference.

The Cubs came at the Astros with heat yesterday and won 3-2. Carlos Zambrano threw 7 innings, followed by an inning each for Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood. Derek Lee's home run in the 7th was the game winner.

Ben Sheets has made two starts this season and has not allowed a run. The Brewers right-hander tossed a complete game shutout in the Brew Crew's 7-0 blanking of the Giants. Barry Zito gave San Fran another sub par performance (5 IP 5 R 3 ER).

The Cardinals blanked the Nationals 5-0 for their 5th straight win. Kyle Lohse won his first game for the Redbirds, helped by a home run and an RBI double by Rick Ankiel.

The Diamondbacks rallied in the 9th to tie the Rockies (Mark Reynolds 2-run HR), blew the lead in the bottom of the 9th (Matt Holliday HR), and then scored 3 times in the 10th to win it (that incl. a Stephen Drew HR).

The Reds pounded the Phillies 8-2 behind Jeff Keppinger's 3 hit, 3 run, 3 RBI day. Ken Griffey Jr. hit his first home run of the year and #594 for his career.

Chin-Lung Hu had the game winning single in the top of the 9th in the Dodgers 3-2 win over the Padres.

Xavier Nady hit his 3rd home run and the Pirates banged out 15 hits in their 9-2 drubbing of the Marlins.

The Braves still have the Mets number. Johan Santana pitched a gem, but Tim Hudson came away with a victory in the Braves 3-1 win. Mark Teixeira's 2-run HR off of Aaron Heilman in the 8th proved to be the difference.

Around the Horn - 4/6

Jake Peavy was our pre-season pick to win a second consecutive Cy Young Award and so far he's making us look good. Peavy pitched a complete game 2-hitter in the Padres 4-1 win over the Dodgers. Peavy, who struck out 8, is 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA.

No matter how good the Mets get they always seem to have trouble with the Braves. Yesterday was no exception. Kelly Johnson blasted a grand slam as the Braves blew away the Mets 11-5. John Maine had a rare bad start for the Mets, allowing 4 runs in 4 innings.

Mike Jacobs followed up his walk-off home run on Friday with a grand slam encore on Saturday. The Marlins beat the Pirates 7-3.

Brewers left-hander Manny Parra no-hit the Giants for 5 innings en route to his 1st major league win. Ryan Braun hit his 1st home run of the year in the Brewers 5-4 victory.

The Cardinals topped the Nationals 5-4 to improve to 4-1 on the season. Adam Wainwright threw 8 solid innings and Yadier Molina knocked in a pair of runs. Nats' Nick Johnson hit his first home run since September 19, 2006.

The Cubs rallied for 5 runs in the 7th to beat the Astros 9-7. Derek Lee went 4-4 and belted his 2nd home run. Astros ace Roy Oswalt gave up 5 earned runs in 6.2 innings.

Brandon Webb improved to 2-0 as the Diamondbacks rolled over the Rockies 7-1. Chris Young homered twice and Justin Upton hit his 3rd of the year.

Paul Bako's 3rd hit of the game in the bottom of the 9th drove in the game winner in the Reds come from behind 4-3 win over the Phillies. Corey Patterson's home run in the 8th tied the game.

The Orioles took their straight game from the Mariners, 6-4. New O, Luke Scott went 3-3 with 2 ribbies and former M, George Sherrill saved his 2nd straight game.

The Blue Jays continue to be a menace to the Red Sox. After winning Friday night's game 6-3, the Jays thumped the Sox 10-2 on Saturday. Sox starter Clay Bucholz was average, but the Sox bullpen was awful, allowing 6 runs. Frank Thomas hit his 514th career home run.

Justin Morneau homered and drove in 4 runs in the Twins 6-4 win over the Royals. Livan Hernandez (2-0) topped Gil Meche as the Royals lost their 2nd straight.

The White Sox ran the Tigers winless streak to 5 with a 5-3 victory. Gavin Floyd threw a solid 6 innings, in outdueling Dontrelle Willis. The D-Train allowed just 1 hit in 5 innings, but walked 7 batters.

Mark Ellis homered and drove in 3 as the A's belted C.C. Sabathia and the Indians, 6-1. Sabathia has allowed 9 earned runs in 10.2 innings so far this season.

Jered Weaver threw 3-hit ball over 7 shutout innings in the Angels 2-1 win over the Rangers. Kevin Millwood fell to 0-2 despite a 1.29 ERA.

* * *

White Sox outfielder Jerry Owens, on the DL with a groin strain, it expected to be out much longer than his eligible April 8th date.

Angels starter John Lackey played catch on Saturday and may be able to begin throwing off a mound next week.

Mets outfielder Moises Alou, recovering from hernia surgery, has begun swinging a bat.

Erik Bedard was scratched from Sunday's start against his former team due to hip inflammation.

B.J. Ryan made his 1st rehab appearance on Saturday for the Blue Jay's Single-A team in Dunedin. Armando Benetiz, looking to work his way back to the majors, struck out all 3 batters he faced in the same game.

Around the Horn - 4/6

Jake Peavy was our pre-season pick to win a second consecutive Cy Young Award and so far he's making us look good. Peavy pitched a complete game 2-hitter in the Padres 4-1 win over the Dodgers. Peavy, who struck out 8, is 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA.

No matter how good the Mets get they always seem to have trouble with the Braves. Yesterday was no exception. Kelly Johnson blasted a grand slam as the Braves blew away the Mets 11-5. John Maine had a rare bad start for the Mets, allowing 4 runs in 4 innings.

Mike Jacobs followed up his walk-off home run on Friday with a grand slam encore on Saturday. The Marlins beat the Pirates 7-3.

Brewers left-hander Manny Parra no-hit the Giants for 5 innings en route to his 1st major league win. Ryan Braun hit his 1st home run of the year in the Brewers 5-4 victory.

The Cardinals topped the Nationals 5-4 to improve to 4-1 on the season. Adam Wainwright threw 8 solid innings and Yadier Molina knocked in a pair of runs. Nats' Nick Johnson hit his first home run since September 19, 2006.

The Cubs rallied for 5 runs in the 7th to beat the Astros 9-7. Derek Lee went 4-4 and belted his 2nd home run. Astros ace Roy Oswalt gave up 5 earned runs in 6.2 innings.

Brandon Webb improved to 2-0 as the Diamondbacks rolled over the Rockies 7-1. Chris Young homered twice and Justin Upton hit his 3rd of the year.

Paul Bako's 3rd hit of the game in the bottom of the 9th drove in the game winner in the Reds come from behind 4-3 win over the Phillies. Corey Patterson's home run in the 8th tied the game.

The Orioles took their straight game from the Mariners, 6-4. New O, Luke Scott went 3-3 with 2 ribbies and former M, George Sherrill saved his 2nd straight game.

The Blue Jays continue to be a menace to the Red Sox. After winning Friday night's game 6-3, the Jays thumped the Sox 10-2 on Saturday. Sox starter Clay Bucholz was average, but the Sox bullpen was awful, allowing 6 runs. Frank Thomas hit his 514th career home run.

Justin Morneau homered and drove in 4 runs in the Twins 6-4 win over the Royals. Livan Hernandez (2-0) topped Gil Meche as the Royals lost their 2nd straight.

The White Sox ran the Tigers winless streak to 5 with a 5-3 victory. Gavin Floyd threw a solid 6 innings, in outdueling Dontrelle Willis. The D-Train allowed just 1 hit in 5 innings, but walked 7 batters.

Mark Ellis homered and drove in 3 as the A's belted C.C. Sabathia and the Indians, 6-1. Sabathia has allowed 9 earned runs in 10.2 innings so far this season.

Jered Weaver threw 3-hit ball over 7 shutout innings in the Angels 2-1 win over the Rangers. Kevin Millwood fell to 0-2 despite a 1.29 ERA.

* * *

White Sox outfielder Jerry Owens, on the DL with a groin strain, it expected to be out much longer than his eligible April 8th date.

Angels starter John Lackey played catch on Saturday and may be able to begin throwing off a mound next week.

Mets outfielder Moises Alou, recovering from hernia surgery, has begun swinging a bat.

Erik Bedard was scratched from Sunday's start against his former team due to hip inflammation.

B.J. Ryan made his 1st rehab appearance on Saturday for the Blue Jay's Single-A team in Dunedin. Armando Benetiz, looking to work his way back to the majors, struck out all 3 batters he faced in the same game.

The Daily Yankeeland

A-Rod's 519th home run last night put him within 2 long balls of Ted Williams and Willie McCovey for 15th place on the all-time list. It was also the 174th of his Yankees career.

Shelley Duncan and Melky Cabrera are scheduled to meet with Bob Watson on Monday to appeal their 3 game suspensions.

The minor league affiliates begin their seasons today. Scranton (Triple-A) hosts Lehigh Valley, Trenton (Double-A) is at Binghamton, Tampa (Advanced 'A') hosts Lakeland, and Charleston ('A') is in Rome.

Morgan Ensberg learned the hard way that you can't talk on your cellphone will driving in New York City. He'll have to shell out $50 for the ticket he received.

Much has been made of Joba Chamberlain's over the top celebration after a big strikeout. But not everyone is bothered by it. Growing up, one of Joba's heroes was Frank Thomas, who he blew a fastball past to end the 8th inning on Tuesday. Joba's dad Harlan had a chance to talk to Thomas and told him about the poster Joba had hanging up of the Big Hurt when he was growing up.

"I just wanted to tell him how much of a dream that was," Harlan said he told Thomas.

Thomas told Harlan, "He brought it, and he deserved it."

And Thomas said he took no exception to Joba's fist pump after the strikeout.

"Well, the game has changed a lot in the last six or seven years," Thomas told reporters. "The bottom line is, if I get a hit in that situation, it doesn't happen."

Girardi said he would not tell Chamberlain to give up the fist pump.

"I'm not going to take that away from him," Girardi said. "Because I don't think he's showing people up. I think it's emotion, and you want emotion in this game. And sometimes people take the emotion the wrong way, that we're supposed to be just kind of -- playing. But I think emotion is good in this game as long as you're not showing anybody up."

Alex Rios now has a 22 game hitting streak against the Yankees. That's the longest string since the White Sox' Nellie Fox did it in 1951-52.

The Daily Yankeeland

A-Rod's 519th home run last night put him within 2 long balls of Ted Williams and Willie McCovey for 15th place on the all-time list. It was also the 174th of his Yankees career.

Shelley Duncan and Melky Cabrera are scheduled to meet with Bob Watson on Monday to appeal their 3 game suspensions.

The minor league affiliates begin their seasons today. Scranton (Triple-A) hosts Lehigh Valley, Trenton (Double-A) is at Binghamton, Tampa (Advanced 'A') hosts Lakeland, and Charleston ('A') is in Rome.

Morgan Ensberg learned the hard way that you can't talk on your cellphone will driving in New York City. He'll have to shell out $50 for the ticket he received.

Much has been made of Joba Chamberlain's over the top celebration after a big strikeout. But not everyone is bothered by it. Growing up, one of Joba's heroes was Frank Thomas, who he blew a fastball past to end the 8th inning on Tuesday. Joba's dad Harlan had a chance to talk to Thomas and told him about the poster Joba had hanging up of the Big Hurt when he was growing up.

"I just wanted to tell him how much of a dream that was," Harlan said he told Thomas.

Thomas told Harlan, "He brought it, and he deserved it."

And Thomas said he took no exception to Joba's fist pump after the strikeout.

"Well, the game has changed a lot in the last six or seven years," Thomas told reporters. "The bottom line is, if I get a hit in that situation, it doesn't happen."

Girardi said he would not tell Chamberlain to give up the fist pump.

"I'm not going to take that away from him," Girardi said. "Because I don't think he's showing people up. I think it's emotion, and you want emotion in this game. And sometimes people take the emotion the wrong way, that we're supposed to be just kind of -- playing. But I think emotion is good in this game as long as you're not showing anybody up."

Alex Rios now has a 22 game hitting streak against the Yankees. That's the longest string since the White Sox' Nellie Fox did it in 1951-52.

Yankees vs. Blue Jays - April 2

The Yankees and Blue Jays go at again at the Stadium tonight at 7:05. Mike Mussina takes the hill for the Bombers while A.J. Burnett gets the call for the Blue Jays. It's only the second game of the season, but this is already a huge game for Mussina who is trying to prove to himself that he still has what it takes to pitch in the major leagues.

The 250-game winner begins his 18th season tonight. He's reached double figures in every single one of those previous 17 seasons except his rookie year. Last year Mussina had career worst numbers for ERA and opponent's batting average. But Moose felt healthy this spring and after a rough start, had a pretty solid exhibition campaign. The Yankees are looking for a consistent year out of him, especially with two kids in the starting rotation.

Burnett is under the gun too. He's in the 3rd year of a 5-year, $55 million contract that has seen him off the field as much as on. After setting career highs in starts and innings in his final season in Florida (2005), Burnett has averaged 23 starts his first 2 years north of the border. His G.M., J.P. Ricciardi, even took a shot at him last season (Ricciardi really should have been taking a shot at himself since he knew what he was paying for).

Burnett has very good numbers against the Yankees, going 3-2, 3.20 in 6 career starts. He's also held the Pinstripes to a .193 average. Individually, the Yankees hitters don't have much experience against the lanky righty, but those who had done well are:

Bobby Abreu .325 (11-40) 1 HR 8 RBI 11 BB
Derek Jeter .357 (5-14) 1 HR 2 RBI
Alex Rodriguez .357 (5-14) 2 HR 6 RBI
Jason Giambi .300 (3-10) 1 BB

On the flip side, Johnny Damon and Melky Cabrera are a combined 2-23.

Mussina has faced the Blue Jays 42 times in his career, posting a 23-11, 3.76 mark. He's only faced the Red Sox more times than the team from Toronto. With the exception of catcher Greg Zaun (6-27, .222), Lyle Overbay (1-13) and Matt Stairs (.250, 8-32 ), this nest of Blue Jays has teed off on Moose, especially the Big Hurt.

Aaron Hill .313 (5-16)
Shannon Stewart .295 (18-61) 1 HR 8 RBI 5 BB
Frank Thomas .375 (30-80) 9 HR 21 RBI 13 BB
Vernon Wells .345 (19-55) 2 HR 8 RBI

Yankees vs. Blue Jays - April 2

The Yankees and Blue Jays go at again at the Stadium tonight at 7:05. Mike Mussina takes the hill for the Bombers while A.J. Burnett gets the call for the Blue Jays. It's only the second game of the season, but this is already a huge game for Mussina who is trying to prove to himself that he still has what it takes to pitch in the major leagues.

The 250-game winner begins his 18th season tonight. He's reached double figures in every single one of those previous 17 seasons except his rookie year. Last year Mussina had career worst numbers for ERA and opponent's batting average. But Moose felt healthy this spring and after a rough start, had a pretty solid exhibition campaign. The Yankees are looking for a consistent year out of him, especially with two kids in the starting rotation.

Burnett is under the gun too. He's in the 3rd year of a 5-year, $55 million contract that has seen him off the field as much as on. After setting career highs in starts and innings in his final season in Florida (2005), Burnett has averaged 23 starts his first 2 years north of the border. His G.M., J.P. Ricciardi, even took a shot at him last season (Ricciardi really should have been taking a shot at himself since he knew what he was paying for).

Burnett has very good numbers against the Yankees, going 3-2, 3.20 in 6 career starts. He's also held the Pinstripes to a .193 average. Individually, the Yankees hitters don't have much experience against the lanky righty, but those who had done well are:

Bobby Abreu .325 (11-40) 1 HR 8 RBI 11 BB
Derek Jeter .357 (5-14) 1 HR 2 RBI
Alex Rodriguez .357 (5-14) 2 HR 6 RBI
Jason Giambi .300 (3-10) 1 BB

On the flip side, Johnny Damon and Melky Cabrera are a combined 2-23.

Mussina has faced the Blue Jays 42 times in his career, posting a 23-11, 3.76 mark. He's only faced the Red Sox more times than the team from Toronto. With the exception of catcher Greg Zaun (6-27, .222), Lyle Overbay (1-13) and Matt Stairs (.250, 8-32 ), this nest of Blue Jays has teed off on Moose, especially the Big Hurt.

Aaron Hill .313 (5-16)
Shannon Stewart .295 (18-61) 1 HR 8 RBI 5 BB
Frank Thomas .375 (30-80) 9 HR 21 RBI 13 BB
Vernon Wells .345 (19-55) 2 HR 8 RBI