Paul Blair, 69

Sad news out of the baseball world tonight; former Baltimore Oriole and New York Yankee Paul Blair has passed away at the age of 69. Orioles beat writer Roch Kubatko reported the news a short time ago.

Blair had suffered a heart attack at age 66, which led to the discovery that his main artery was 98% blocked. He had a stent installed and went through months of physical therapy. He apparently collapsed at a bowling alley prior to his passing.

Until Ken Griffey Jr. came along, I never saw anyone play center field with the defensive prowess that Paul Blair displayed. He would turn his back to the infield, race back towards the center field wall, turn around and be at the exact spot the ball came down and landed softly in his glove.

He was a seven time Gold Glove winner with the Orioles, a two-time World Series champion, and a member of four AL pennant winning teams. Blair was dealt to the Yankees in January of 1977 for Elliott Maddox and Rick Bladt and earned two more World Series rings.

The California native could hit too, but after being beaned in the head he was never the same player at the plate. He spent the 1979 season with the Cincinnati Reds before a return to the Yankees in 1980 for his 17th and final season in the Major Leagues. The two time All-Star's career came to an end when the Yankees released him in July, 1980.

After his professional playing career concluded, Blair held head coaching positions at Fordham University and Coppin St. College, worked as an outfielder instructor and a minor league coach in the Orioles organization

My condolences go out to his family and friends.


Paul Blair with the game winning hit in Game 1 of the 1977 World Series

Donnie Baseball's Coming to Town

Don Mattingly had three misfortunes when he wore the Yankees pinstripes during his playing career. He was called up from the minors one year after the Yankees had been in the World Series for the third time in five seasons and in the playoffs in four of those five seasons.

Second, his work ethic took a toll on his back and shortened the productivity and possibly the length of his career. It definitely impacted his chances at being elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.

Finally, he retired right before the Yankees won four World Series in five years. Don Mattingly left his imprint on the New York Yankees, Yankee Stadium, and Yankees fans around the globe. To this day he is one of the most beloved players to both fans and his former teammates.

Mattingly returns to New York and the new Yankee Stadium for just the second time tonight (His other appearance was for the unveiling of George Steinbrenner's plaque) as the team he manages, the Los Angeles Dodgers, gets ready to play its first ever regular season game at the Stadium.

While he wasn't the babe magnet that Derek Jeter is, Mattingly was every bit the rock star his fellow captain is. He didn't need to go clubbing or appear in his own series of car commercials to be the most popular athlete in the Tri-State area.

From 1984 through 1987, there was arguably no better baseball player on the planet. During the four year stretch, Mattingly averaged 29 home runs, 120 RBI, 102 runs scored, 210 hits, 45 doubles, a .336 batting average, and 350 total bases.

He drove in 145 runs in 1984 and won the AL MVP Award by 93 pts over Kansas City's George Brett. Controversy ensued a year later when Mattingly finished second to pitcher Roger Clemens despite having led the AL in seven offensive categories and won his second of nine Gold Gloves.  He had 238 hits in 1985, 53 of them doubles, and finished with a .967 OPS.

Mattingly's 1987 season included a then record six grand slams. Remarkably, they were the only ones he hit in his career. That same season he tied Dale Long's Major League record by homering in eight straight contests.

However, too many swings off the batting tee and his perseverance to continually improve at the plate took its toll on Mattingly's back. (There has also been a story that Mattingly injured his back messing around with pitcher Bob Shirley in the clubhouse, but both players denied it.) He would only top 20 home runs and 100 RBI one more time in his career.

He went from being extra-ordinary to ordinary at the plate. It's the reason the six time All-Star has fallen short of election to the Hall of Fame. 2,153 career hits, 222 home runs, and 1099 RBI don't cut it in a sport driven by numbers, playoff appearances and championship rings.

Unfortunately, timing was everything when it came to Mattingly's baseball career. There was no wild card playoff entrant for all but one season of Mattingly's career and the Yankees did not win any division titles in his tenure in New York. (They finished in 2nd place three times prior to the 1995 season). That may have changed in 1994 had the players' strike not wiped out the last two months of the regular season and all of the post-season.

Mattingly finally made the playoffs in his final year thanks to baseball's implementation of the wild card in 1995. The playoffs started out like a dream come true in Yankee Stadium. The Yankees beat the Seattle Mariners in the first two games of the best of five series and Mattingly's home run in Game 2 sent the crowd into delirium. (The Game 2 victor was a rookie by the name of Mariano Rivera)

The baseball Gods were not kind though when the series moved out to Seattle. The Mariners won three straight games, the finale in their last at-bat in the 11th inning. The team flight home was extremely emotional as Mattingly said good-bye to his teammates, many of whom felt they had let their leader down. In his only playoff appearance Mattingly hit .417 and had a gaudy 1.148 OPS. It was the captain's 2-run double that snapped a 2-2 tie and given the Yankees the lead in the 6th inning of Game 5, but it was not meant to be. A 14-year career came to an abrupt end.

The team retired Mattingly's number 23 on August 31, 1997, but he still wore it for several seasons as a Spring Training instructor with the team. He was then named the team's hitting coach prior to the 2004 season. After three seasons he became manager Joe Torre's bench coach until Torre's 12 year run ended after the 2007 season.

Mattingly was a finalist with Joe Girardi for the Yankees job and then joined Torre as hitting coach with the Dodgers. He lost out to Manny Acta for the Cleveland Indians job for the 2010 season, but then replaced Torre when he retired after the 2010 season.

The 2013 season came with a lot of expectations after new ownership threw money around like it was going out of style. Injuries and under achievement beset the team early on though and the Dodgers enter tonight's game in last place in the NL West, seven games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks.

There has been talk that Mattingly's job is in jeopardy. No matter what happens, he will always have a home in the Bronx.  The fans will prove that tonight.

Welcome Back Donnie Baseball!

Kuroda Shines On Opening Day

Hiroki Kuroda's Yankees debut was less than memorable - 4 earned runs allowed in five-plus innings in an 8-6 loss to Tampa Bay a week ago. But despite being admittedly nervous, Kuroda stepped on the mound for the home opener and pitched a gem and the Yankees beat the LA Angels 5-0.

Kuroda allowed five hits over eight innings, before David Robertson finished up in the 9th, to pick up his first American League victory. Kuroda got an early boost when Nick Swisher delivered a two out, bases loaded double to jump start the Yankees to a quick 3-0 lead in the 1st inning against Ervin Santana.

The former Dodger is now 2-2, 1.71 against the Angels, whom he faced three times in inter-league play. He threw 109 pitches, 71 of them for strikes, walked two and struck out six, including an aggravated Albert Pujols in the 6th.

The Yankees added some tack on runs with a pair of home runs. Alex Rodriguez tied Ken Griffey Jr. for fifth on the all-time home run list with blast number 630, a shot to straight away center field. Curtis Granderson then took advantage of the short porch in right with his second home run of the season.

A Cycle Of Home Runs

Alex Rodriguez has never done it. Neither has Albert Pujols, Barry Bonds, Jim Thome, or anyone else that I am aware of. That is until now.

Toms River National little leaguer Kevin Blum did what all those (would be) future Hall of Famers haven't done. He hit for a cycle of home runs in this past Sunday's little league contest.

That's right- a solo shot, a 2-run home run, a 3-run blast, and the grand slammy of them all, the "ducks on the pond" home run.

The Capitol City, DC area team fell victim to Blum's10 RBI onslaught in New Jersey's 21-0 win in Little Little Baseball regional action in Bristol, CT. If Blum keeps this up, he'll be regularly featured on that little sports network down in the road in Bristol.

Blum followed up his weekend performance with two more home runs, both solo shots, on Tuesday when the NJ representatives handed Stony Brook, NY their first loss of the tournament.

Joba: Performances That Go Thud in the Night

M’s Thump Joba and Yanks

Filed Under: Yankees

Tags: Ian Snell • joba chamberlain • Joba Rules • Ken Griffey Jr. • Seattle Mariners • Yankees 9/20 recap • Yankees vs. Mariners

The Yankees have plans for Joba Chamberlain, I’m just not sure what they are. I’ve been critical of how Chamberlain has been handled in the second half and my thoughts haven’t changed any. No confidence can be gained from the outings Chamberlain has had since the Yankees started limiting his innings and pitches. And yesterday’s showing against the Seattle Mariners was a complete disaster. Chamberlain got hammered for five runs in the 2nd inning and gave up seven runs total in a three inning stint. The result was a lackluster 7-1 Yankees loss and a lost road series.

The Yankees threatened against Ian Snell (5-2 since joining Seattle) in the 1st inning, putting two runners aboard with no one out. But Snell retired Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, and Hideki Matsui to escape the jam and the Yankees offense flopped like a fish after that. The Yankees would manage just five hits on the day, three of them byTeixeira.

Chamberlain retired the first two hitters of the game, but then gave up back to back doubles to Jose Lopez and Ken Griffey Jr., and an RBI single to Adrian Beltre for a 2-0 M’s lead. Things went from bad to worse an inning later with Griffey punctuating the 5-run outburst with a 3-run home run. It was Griffey’s 16th home run of the season, the same output as his 1989 rookie season, and 627th of his career.

Game Notes

On the bright side, Sergio Mitre tossed five innings of 1-hit ball in relief.

The Yankees begin a three game series tonight with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The AL East lead has been reduced to 5 1/2 games (ahead of Boston), but the magic number is just one to clinch a playoff spot.

Things That go Boom in the Night

Teixeira’s 9th Inning Heroics a Blast

Filed Under: Yankees

Tags: A-Rod • andy pettitte • Ichiro • Johnny Damon • Ken Griffey Jr. • mariano rivera • Mark Teixeira • Ryan Rowland-Smith • Yankees 8/14 recap • Yankees vs. Mariners

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
NY Yankees	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	2		4	7	0
Seattle	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		2	7	0

WP - Hughes (5-3) SV - Rivera (34) LP - Lowe (1-5)

I was probably off the mark when I predicted Mark Teixeira would be the American League MVP this year. That being said, Teixeira has been plenty valuable to the Yankees this season. Last night Teixeira cracked his 30th home run to snap a 2-2 in the top of the 9th and the Yankees went on to a 4-2 win over the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. The win gave the Yankees the first two games of the four game set and kept them 6 1/2 games ahead of Boston in the AL East.

Starter Andy Pettitte had a rough 1st inning, but settled down and struck out a season high 10 hitters. It gave the Yankees a chance to come back from a 2-0 deficit against Mariners’ starter Ryan Rowland-Smith and set up the 9th inning scenario. Hard throwing reliever Mark Lowe left a change up in Teixeira’s wheelhouse and the 1st baseman turned on it and sent a high arcing shot about 15 rows back in the right field stands. The Yankees then gave Mariano Rivera some breathing room with an insurance run. Robinson Cano reached on a 2-out ground rule double and scored on Nick Swisher’s single to right for a 4-2 lead.

Rivera who sat out Wednesday’s game with a sore shoulder and wasn’t needed Thursday night, got three ground ball outs in the bottom of the 9th for his league leading 34th save. Phil Hughes worked out of a 2-on, 2-out jam in the 8th to pick up his 5th win of the season and first since July 17. He’s allowed just 3 earned runs in his last 28.2 innings pitched.

Pettitte went deep in the count most of the night and ran into immediate trouble in the 1st inning. He allowed consecutive singles to Ichiro Suzuki and Franklin Guitierrez to start the game and an RBI double to Jose Lopez. Ken Griffey Jr. drove in the M’s 2nd run of the inning with a ground out to Cano, but Pettitte stranded Lopez at 3rd by striking out Russell Branyan and Jack Hannahan.

The Yankees got a run back in the 2nd on Jorge Posada’s near-home run double off the yellow stripe in right-center field and an RBI ground out by Jerry Hairston Jr., and tied things up in the 5th on 2-out singles by Melky Cabrera and Johnny Damon, sandwiched around a wild pitch.

Game Notes

Mariano Rivera became the 22nd pitcher in MLB history with 900 appearances.

Johnny Damon reached 600 hits as a Yankee, becoming just the third player to accomplish the feat with three different teams. The others were “Wee” Willie Keeler and Doc Cramer.

Damaso Marte is nearing the end of his rehab assignment, but Joe Girardi said the left-hander’s fastball is still not up to par.

Alex Rodriguez sat out again with a sore elbow and his 50/5o to play on Saturday.

The Daily Yankeeland - 7/2

Views from the Facade - 7/2

July 2nd, 2009

Filed Under: Yankees

Tags: Alex Rodriguez • Brian Cashman • Eric Hinske • joba chamberlain • Joe Dunand Jr. • Joe Girardi • Jose Molina • Ken Griffey Jr. • New York Yankees • Views from the Facade • xavier nady

Much has been made about what a great move it was giving Alex Rodriguez two days off during the Yankees series in Florida last weekend. What’s still being overlooked, at least by the YES broadcast team, is why didn’t it occur earlier? Why did it take an intervention from Brian Cashman to make it happen? Why didn’t Joe Girardi get off the dime earlier?

The only reason I can come up with for questions 1 and 3 is that Girardi is under so much pressure to win he’s going pedal to the medal the rest of the season. That, and personally, I don’t think he’s a very good manager. It doesn’t matter if A-Rod said he felt great every day, Girardi has an obligation to A-Rod and to the team to make sure he’s performing at or near 100%. And make Phil Hughes the 8th inning guy already, would ya.

It’s this type of situation that convinces me that anything short of a world’s championship will cost Girardi his job.

Xavier Nady will undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow next Wednesday. Nady was told by doctors that the ligament tore completely off the bone (hope you weren’t eating when you read that).

Jose Molina will begin a minor league rehab assignment at Triple-A Scranton on Friday. Once Molina is ready to return to the majors, the Yankees have to decide whether to carry three catchers or send Francisco Cervelli to the minors to play every day. The latter probably makes the most sense.

Alex Rodriguez Jr. may star in the bigs one day. Okay, he’s not really A-Rod’s son, just his nephew..the son of his half-brother Joe Dunand Sr. Lil Joe, Joe Dunand Jr., is 5′9″, 140 lbs…and only 13 years old. But as the Daily News reported he’s a chip off the old uncle’s block.

Uncle A-Rod and his nephew have a “comfortable” relationship, according to Dunand Sr., who adds that his son shares A-Rod’s “love of the game and work ethic.”

You just never know..hopefully if Lil Joe does make it to the majors, he doesn’t totally follow in his uncle’s footsteps.

This from the Elias Sports Bureau - When A-Rod and Ken Griffey Jr. homered in last night’s Yankees-Mariners game it marked just the 2nd time in major league history that two players with 550 or more home runs went yard in the same game. Willie Mays and Hank Aaron were the first duo in 1971.

Newest Yankee Eric Hinske will wear #14. The Baltimore Orioles are the only AL East team that Hinske has not been a member of.

Joba “the nibbler” Chamberlain set a new record, but it’s not one to be pleased about. He has the most career no-decisions for a pitcher with 26 starts.

2009 AL West Preview

The division was a joke last season with the Los Angeles Angels cruising (21 games ahead of second place Texas) to their fourth AL West title in five years.

Even with the Angels rash of injuries, we don't see much evidence that 2009 will be any different than 2008.



AL WEST

Angels
Rangers
Mariners
A's

Don't get us wrong, the Angels definitely have to be concerned with injuries to their starting rotation. John Lackey (April return) and Ervin Santana (May return) are DL'ed with elbow injuries, while Kelvim Escobar rehabs from off-season shoulder surgery. But the team still has Jered Weaver and Joe Saunders. (The Jake Peavy trade rumors have already started as well.)

They lost Mark Teixeira and Francisco Rodriguez to free agency, but we still think the Angels are the best team in the division. For one thing, they have the best manager in the division in Mike Scioscia. He'll mix and match and move things around until it all fits. If Brian Fuentes struggles at closer, he'll turn to Jose Arredondo and Scot Shields. On offense, Bobby Abreu and Kendry Morales should pick up some of the slack left by Teixeira's departure.

The Rangers finished four games under .500 last season and should be back in that neighborhood thanks to an offense that's still potent even without Milton Bradley, who left for the Cubs. The problem with this team is the same year in and year out - starting pitching. Kevin Millwood, Vincente Padilla, Kris Benson, Brandon McCarthy and Matt Harrison aren't going to scare anyone. The Rangers should win a lot of 9-8 games.

The Mariners have to better than last season's 61 win campaign. Don't they? New manager Don Wakamatsu certainly hopes so. Erik Bedard is feeling good. Kenji Johjima swung a hot bat in the WBC and spring training. And Ken Griffey Jr. is back!

But WAIT...Ichiro is out with bleeding stomach ulcers, Jarrod Washburn and Ryan Rowland-Smith are in the rotation. Brandon Morrow is being used as closer and...Ken Griffey Jr. is back.

While the team is improved from last year, big run producer Raul Ibanez is gone. Adrian Beltre is suffering from a bad toe and is a lame duck. .500 is a long shot, but the team should see at a 10 game improvement.

The A's are a mix of wet behind the ears kids and banged up, over the hill stars. The A's can be very good in 2-3 years because of the talent they always produce at pitcher. They're basically starting over again this year with a rotation of Dallas Braden, Sean Gallagher, Brett Anderson, Trevor Cahill, and Dana Eveland (Justin Duchscherer will take a spot when he returns from the DL.) Brad Ziegler will close, but the team suffered a big blow when would be closer Joey Devine went on the 60-day DL with a sprained elbow.

Eric Chavez's back feels better, but will he ever resemble his early seasons again? Can a team really win with Jason Giambi, Nomar Garciaparra, and Orlando Cabrera at this stage of their careers? Nah. This team is starting to look like a squad KC would put together (except their pitching would stink).

Spring Training Notes - 2/20

We got some catching up to do as the old day job got us tied down the last couple of days.

Ken Griffey Jr. did indeed return to Seattle after all. After reports came out that he was going to Atlanta, Junior said he hadn't made up his mind yet. He would know best. The current Mariners are excited to have him back.

Brian Roberts, who has been the subject of trade rumors the last couple of years, inked a 4 year, $40 million extension with the Orioles.

Tom Glavine will be going back to Atlanta for one more year.

The Rays signed veteran second baseman Adam Kennedy to a new 1 year deal.

Here's one Red Sox fan who doesn't believe in a salary cap.

Jr. Heads to Atlanta

Ken Griffey Jr. won't be coming home to Seattle. Instead he'll be heading south to Atlanta, inking a one year deal with the Atlanta Braves. Junior is expected to make between $2 and $3 million a year.

UPDATE 9:38 PM - Late this afternoon, Ken Griffey Jr. dismissed earlier reports that he had agreed to a deal with the Atlanta Braves. He added that he was still deciding where he wanted to play.

Jr. Could Be Going Home

Ken Griffey Jr. may be a Seattle Mariner once again, per MLB.com's Jim Street. The 39-yr old (How is that possible???) began his career in 1989 with the M's and spent 11 seasons in Seattle before signing a free agent deal with the Reds prior to the 2000 season.

Jr. averaged 52 home runs and 141 RBI in his last four seasons on the left coast. In addition to his offensive numbers, Griffey made highlight reel catches in the Kingdome a nightly occurrence.

Mariners' general manager Jack Zduriencik wouldn't comment on any player movement, but Jr. has made it known he wants to retire a Mariner.

Pettitte Can't Shoulder the Load

There were reports during the Summer that Andy Pettitte was pitching injured. He denied it at the time, but now admits he's been taking the mound with a sore shoulder. Clearly something is wrong. After last night's 6-2 loss to the White Sox, Pettitte had dropped 7 of his last 8 decisions and saw his record go from 12-7 to 13-14. He's never finished a season under .500.

Pettitte's start last night evolved the way many of his starts have this season, going from good to bad in the middle innings. Tied 1-1 in the fourth, Pettitte walked Brian Anderson to start the inning. Consecutive singles by Jermaine Dye and Ken Griffey Jr. produced the go ahead run, and Dye scored on a double by Paul Konerko to give the White Sox a 3-1 lead.

Pettitte finally retired A.J. Pierzynski for the first out of the inning and then intentionally walked Alexei Ramirez to set up a double play situation. But the move backfired when Pettitte walked Juan Uribe to force in a run.

As they have been all season, especially in the second half, the Yankees went lifeless after being behind. A Jason Giambi home run in the Yankees half of the fourth cut the deficit to 4-2, but they would get no closer. The White Sox tacked on runs against the worn out Jose Veras, and Dan Giese for a 6-2 final.

The only highlight of the night was Derek Jeter's passing of Lou Gehrig for hits at Yankee Stadium. Jeter's first at-bat took care of it, though the hit should have been ruled an error when the ball went right through Uribe at third base.

Gavin Floyd continued his break out season for the White Sox, improving to 16-7 with the win. The Yankees biggest threat against him was a bases loaded, two out jam in the fifth. A 10-pitch battle ensued with Jason Giambi, that Floyd won when Giambi swung and missed at a strike three breaking pitch. Bobby Jenks, in a non-save situation, easily retired the punchless Yankees in the ninth.


News and Notes

Hideki Matsui has decided to go in for knee surgery after Sunday's home finale.

Derek Jeter also passed Lou Gehrig for second place on the franchise career at-bats list.

Brett Gardner stole two bases and is 10-11 on the season.

Olympic medalist Dara Torres threw out the first pitch.

Pettitte Can't Shoulder the Load

There were reports during the Summer that Andy Pettitte was pitching injured. He denied it at the time, but now admits he's been taking the mound with a sore shoulder. Clearly something is wrong. After last night's 6-2 loss to the White Sox, Pettitte had dropped 7 of his last 8 decisions and saw his record go from 12-7 to 13-14. He's never finished a season under .500.

Pettitte's start last night evolved the way many of his starts have this season, going from good to bad in the middle innings. Tied 1-1 in the fourth, Pettitte walked Brian Anderson to start the inning. Consecutive singles by Jermaine Dye and Ken Griffey Jr. produced the go ahead run, and Dye scored on a double by Paul Konerko to give the White Sox a 3-1 lead.

Pettitte finally retired A.J. Pierzynski for the first out of the inning and then intentionally walked Alexei Ramirez to set up a double play situation. But the move backfired when Pettitte walked Juan Uribe to force in a run.

As they have been all season, especially in the second half, the Yankees went lifeless after being behind. A Jason Giambi home run in the Yankees half of the fourth cut the deficit to 4-2, but they would get no closer. The White Sox tacked on runs against the worn out Jose Veras, and Dan Giese for a 6-2 final.

The only highlight of the night was Derek Jeter's passing of Lou Gehrig for hits at Yankee Stadium. Jeter's first at-bat took care of it, though the hit should have been ruled an error when the ball went right through Uribe at third base.

Gavin Floyd continued his break out season for the White Sox, improving to 16-7 with the win. The Yankees biggest threat against him was a bases loaded, two out jam in the fifth. A 10-pitch battle ensued with Jason Giambi, that Floyd won when Giambi swung and missed at a strike three breaking pitch. Bobby Jenks, in a non-save situation, easily retired the punchless Yankees in the ninth.


News and Notes

Hideki Matsui has decided to go in for knee surgery after Sunday's home finale.

Derek Jeter also passed Lou Gehrig for second place on the franchise career at-bats list.

Brett Gardner stole two bases and is 10-11 on the season.

Olympic medalist Dara Torres threw out the first pitch.

The Pennant Race - 8/21

You just get the feeling that for the second straight year, the Mets and Phillies will come down to the final weekend to determine the NL East winner. The Mets are playing good baseball, but they haven't been able to put much cushion between themselves and the Phillies since moving into first place.

Mike Pelfrey has really stepped up this season and did again last night, limiting the Braves to three hits in a complete game, 6-3 Mets victory. David Wright continued his run at the NL MVP with his 24th home run and 97th RBI. Rookie Dan Murphy's two RBI gave him 11 in 18 games and he's batting .404 in 47 at-bats.

The Phillies got a complete game of their own from Brett Myers, who scattered nine hits in shutting down the Nationals 4-0. Washington has lost 12 straight. After a brief stint in the minors, Myers has returned to form and is 3-1, 1.47 in his last five starts.

The Marlins' hopes are fading away. They dropped a 6-5 game to the Giants last night that put them 5 games behind the Mets and 7.5 behind the wildcard-leading Brewers. Florida rallied for 3 runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game, but Bengie Molina's sac fly won it for the Giants in the bottom of the ninth.

Speaking of the Brewers, they got themselves back to within 5 games of the Cubs with a 5-2 win over the Astros. J.J. Hardy hit a 2-run home run to help Manny Parra win his 10th game. Ryan Braun sat out for the 9th time in 11 games due to lower back soreness.

The Reds edged the Cubs 2-1 despite starter Ted Lilly allowing just two hits over seven innings.

The Cardinals remained 2.5 behind the Brewers in the wildcard with an 11-2 thumping of the Pirates. Todd Wellemeyer won his career-high 11th game and reached the century mark in strikeouts for the first time.

The Diamondbacks moved two games ahead of the Dodgers with an 8-6 win over the Padres. Neither starter Dan Haren nor Jake Peavy was good, but after allowing four runs in the first inning, Haren settled down to get the win. Adam Dunn belted a 3-run home run, his 34th of the season.

The Rockies played spoilers, beating the Dodgers 4-3. The Dodgers lead 3-0 early, but Brad Hawpe almost single-handedly beat LA. He reached on an error that cut the lead to 3-2, singled in the game-tying run in the seventh, and singled again in the ninth to drive in the go-ahead run.


There was no movement in the AL Central standings as both the White Sox and Twins were daytime winners. Chicago got four home runs in a 15-3 rout of the Mariners. Ken Griffey Jr. tied Sammy CheaterSosa with his 609th career home run, and his first in Chicago. Gavin Floyd earned his 13th win.

Francisco Lirano and four pitchers pitched the Twins to a 3-1 win over the A's. Little-used reserve Mike Redmond drove in two runs.

The AL East's top two teams remained 4.5 apart as they both lost last night. The Angels beat the Rays 5-4, overcoming an early 3-0 deficit, and then winning after blowing a 4-3 lead. Garret Anderson's ninth inning single was the game winner. K-Rod notched his 48th save.

The Red Sox jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but it was all Baltimore after that as the Orioles won it 11-6. Melvin Mora, who had four RBI, and Ramon Hernandez each hit 3-run home runs. Clay Buchholz was hammered for five runs in 2.1 IP and is reportedly headed back to Pawtucket.

The Pennant Race - 8/21

You just get the feeling that for the second straight year, the Mets and Phillies will come down to the final weekend to determine the NL East winner. The Mets are playing good baseball, but they haven't been able to put much cushion between themselves and the Phillies since moving into first place.

Mike Pelfrey has really stepped up this season and did again last night, limiting the Braves to three hits in a complete game, 6-3 Mets victory. David Wright continued his run at the NL MVP with his 24th home run and 97th RBI. Rookie Dan Murphy's two RBI gave him 11 in 18 games and he's batting .404 in 47 at-bats.

The Phillies got a complete game of their own from Brett Myers, who scattered nine hits in shutting down the Nationals 4-0. Washington has lost 12 straight. After a brief stint in the minors, Myers has returned to form and is 3-1, 1.47 in his last five starts.

The Marlins' hopes are fading away. They dropped a 6-5 game to the Giants last night that put them 5 games behind the Mets and 7.5 behind the wildcard-leading Brewers. Florida rallied for 3 runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game, but Bengie Molina's sac fly won it for the Giants in the bottom of the ninth.

Speaking of the Brewers, they got themselves back to within 5 games of the Cubs with a 5-2 win over the Astros. J.J. Hardy hit a 2-run home run to help Manny Parra win his 10th game. Ryan Braun sat out for the 9th time in 11 games due to lower back soreness.

The Reds edged the Cubs 2-1 despite starter Ted Lilly allowing just two hits over seven innings.

The Cardinals remained 2.5 behind the Brewers in the wildcard with an 11-2 thumping of the Pirates. Todd Wellemeyer won his career-high 11th game and reached the century mark in strikeouts for the first time.

The Diamondbacks moved two games ahead of the Dodgers with an 8-6 win over the Padres. Neither starter Dan Haren nor Jake Peavy was good, but after allowing four runs in the first inning, Haren settled down to get the win. Adam Dunn belted a 3-run home run, his 34th of the season.

The Rockies played spoilers, beating the Dodgers 4-3. The Dodgers lead 3-0 early, but Brad Hawpe almost single-handedly beat LA. He reached on an error that cut the lead to 3-2, singled in the game-tying run in the seventh, and singled again in the ninth to drive in the go-ahead run.


There was no movement in the AL Central standings as both the White Sox and Twins were daytime winners. Chicago got four home runs in a 15-3 rout of the Mariners. Ken Griffey Jr. tied Sammy CheaterSosa with his 609th career home run, and his first in Chicago. Gavin Floyd earned his 13th win.

Francisco Lirano and four pitchers pitched the Twins to a 3-1 win over the A's. Little-used reserve Mike Redmond drove in two runs.

The AL East's top two teams remained 4.5 apart as they both lost last night. The Angels beat the Rays 5-4, overcoming an early 3-0 deficit, and then winning after blowing a 4-3 lead. Garret Anderson's ninth inning single was the game winner. K-Rod notched his 48th save.

The Red Sox jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but it was all Baltimore after that as the Orioles won it 11-6. Melvin Mora, who had four RBI, and Ramon Hernandez each hit 3-run home runs. Clay Buchholz was hammered for five runs in 2.1 IP and is reportedly headed back to Pawtucket.

Trade Deadline Recap

This was one of the most active trade periods in recent memory. Not only were a number of deals that got done, but a number of high profile players exchanged places. Let's take a look at today's big deals and a couple of ones that had already taken place.

3 Hall of Fame Players - Manny Ramirez, Ivan Rodriguez, and Ken Griffey Jr. were all dealt today. There have been rumors of Jr. to the White Sox on and and off for a couple of months. He finally went today, after waving his no-trade clause, for infielder Danny Richar and pitcher Nick Masset. Richar was thought to be the starting 2nd baseman for the White Sox this season before injury stalled his year. Eventually Alexi Ramirez made Richar expendable. Masset is a mediocre reliever who will just add some depth to the Reds pen.

Ivan Rodriguez gives the Yankees much needed punch at catcher while the Tigers got some much needed help in their bullpen with the acquisition of Kyle Farnsworth.

By adding Manny Ramirez to their lineup, the Dodgers have an excellent shot at overtaking the Diamondbacks for the NL West crown. Who ever would have thought Joe Torre would be managing the Man-child, and for that matter, Nomar.

The Red Sox get back a very solid player in Jason Bay. He's not Manny, but he's still a good addition. The biggest difference will be no protection for David Ortiz.

The poor fans in Pittsburgh, those who actually pay attention to baseball, get back 4 prospects. Reliever Craig Hansen, who was once thought to be closer material, and outfielder Brandon Moss, who has tremendous upside. He's a good outfielder with a decent bat, and will be just 25 in September.

From LA, the Pirates got Andy LaRoche, who joins his brother Adam, and pitcher Bryan Morris. The younger LaRoche will see time at 3rd base and eventually could supplant his brother on the other side of the diamond. He's got good power and will finally get the chance to see if he can live up to his hype. Morris is in just his second minor league season after missing 2007 due to Tommy John surgery. The 21-yr old's best pitch is his curveball.

The Reigning AL Cy Young Winner - CC Sabathia has been outstanding since his trade to the Brewers, going 4-0, 1.82 in 5 starts. The Indians have the chance for an outstanding bat in Matt LaPorta who was hitting .288-20-66 in 84 games in Double-A. He's made a slow transition to the Indians team in Akron, hitting just .212-1-7 in 14 games. Last year he drove in 31 runs in 30 games.

The Stud - Rich Harden finally won his first game as a Cub today. And yes, we are being sarcastic. Harden hasn't given as many innings as Sabathia, but his arm has to be cared for a lot more. Nonetheless, he's been outstanding, putting together a 1.11 ERA in 4 starts. He's also struck out 39 batters in 24.1 innings. Sean Gallagher is in the A's rotation and projects to be a number 3 or 4 starter. The reports on outfielders Matt Murton and Eric Patterson are mixed. Murton, soon to be 27, did well in 2006, hitting .297-13-62 with an .809 OPS. But he's tailed off since. Patterson is getting a shot now after tearing the cover off the ball in 14 minor league games after the trade, and has the bigger upside.

The Big Bat - Mark Teixeira is playing in his second game in an Angels uniform tonight. After going 0-4 against Boston, he's 2-4 against the Yankees and drove in his first run in for the Halos. This was a great deal for the Angels. Casey Kotchman will be a very solid defender for the Braves, but the jury is still out on his bat. Pitcher Steve Marek is a hard thrower, but is pretty much a crap shoot.

So there you have it. Big names, big deals, big difference makers.

Trade Deadline Recap

This was one of the most active trade periods in recent memory. Not only were a number of deals that got done, but a number of high profile players exchanged places. Let's take a look at today's big deals and a couple of ones that had already taken place.

3 Hall of Fame Players - Manny Ramirez, Ivan Rodriguez, and Ken Griffey Jr. were all dealt today. There have been rumors of Jr. to the White Sox on and and off for a couple of months. He finally went today, after waving his no-trade clause, for infielder Danny Richar and pitcher Nick Masset. Richar was thought to be the starting 2nd baseman for the White Sox this season before injury stalled his year. Eventually Alexi Ramirez made Richar expendable. Masset is a mediocre reliever who will just add some depth to the Reds pen.

Ivan Rodriguez gives the Yankees much needed punch at catcher while the Tigers got some much needed help in their bullpen with the acquisition of Kyle Farnsworth.

By adding Manny Ramirez to their lineup, the Dodgers have an excellent shot at overtaking the Diamondbacks for the NL West crown. Who ever would have thought Joe Torre would be managing the Man-child, and for that matter, Nomar.

The Red Sox get back a very solid player in Jason Bay. He's not Manny, but he's still a good addition. The biggest difference will be no protection for David Ortiz.

The poor fans in Pittsburgh, those who actually pay attention to baseball, get back 4 prospects. Reliever Craig Hansen, who was once thought to be closer material, and outfielder Brandon Moss, who has tremendous upside. He's a good outfielder with a decent bat, and will be just 25 in September.

From LA, the Pirates got Andy LaRoche, who joins his brother Adam, and pitcher Bryan Morris. The younger LaRoche will see time at 3rd base and eventually could supplant his brother on the other side of the diamond. He's got good power and will finally get the chance to see if he can live up to his hype. Morris is in just his second minor league season after missing 2007 due to Tommy John surgery. The 21-yr old's best pitch is his curveball.

The Reigning AL Cy Young Winner - CC Sabathia has been outstanding since his trade to the Brewers, going 4-0, 1.82 in 5 starts. The Indians have the chance for an outstanding bat in Matt LaPorta who was hitting .288-20-66 in 84 games in Double-A. He's made a slow transition to the Indians team in Akron, hitting just .212-1-7 in 14 games. Last year he drove in 31 runs in 30 games.

The Stud - Rich Harden finally won his first game as a Cub today. And yes, we are being sarcastic. Harden hasn't given as many innings as Sabathia, but his arm has to be cared for a lot more. Nonetheless, he's been outstanding, putting together a 1.11 ERA in 4 starts. He's also struck out 39 batters in 24.1 innings. Sean Gallagher is in the A's rotation and projects to be a number 3 or 4 starter. The reports on outfielders Matt Murton and Eric Patterson are mixed. Murton, soon to be 27, did well in 2006, hitting .297-13-62 with an .809 OPS. But he's tailed off since. Patterson is getting a shot now after tearing the cover off the ball in 14 minor league games after the trade, and has the bigger upside.

The Big Bat - Mark Teixeira is playing in his second game in an Angels uniform tonight. After going 0-4 against Boston, he's 2-4 against the Yankees and drove in his first run in for the Halos. This was a great deal for the Angels. Casey Kotchman will be a very solid defender for the Braves, but the jury is still out on his bat. Pitcher Steve Marek is a hard thrower, but is pretty much a crap shoot.

So there you have it. Big names, big deals, big difference makers.

Junior Heading to the South Side

Ken Rosenthal reports that Ken Griffey Jr. has accepted the trade from the Reds to the White Sox. In exchange for Junior, the Reds will receive pitcher Nick Masset and infielder Danny Richar. Cash will be exchanged as well, but the details are not yet disclosed.

With Jermaine Dye and Carlos Quentin in the outfield, and Jim Thome as DH, the White Sox will probably move Nick Swisher to 1st base, thereby descreasing Paul Konerko's playing time.

Junior Heading to the South Side

Ken Rosenthal reports that Ken Griffey Jr. has accepted the trade from the Reds to the White Sox. In exchange for Junior, the Reds will receive pitcher Nick Masset and infielder Danny Richar. Cash will be exchanged as well, but the details are not yet disclosed.

With Jermaine Dye and Carlos Quentin in the outfield, and Jim Thome as DH, the White Sox will probably move Nick Swisher to 1st base, thereby descreasing Paul Konerko's playing time.

Deadline Deal Rumors

The Manny Ramirez, three team trade is of course the biggest rumor out there. Jayson Stark of ESPN quoted an official in the know as saying there's a 50/50 chance it will happen.

Ken Rosenthal reports that Reds outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. is deciding whether or not to waive his no trade clause to accept a trade to the White Sox. No details on the trade itself. The White Sox are reportedly interested in relievers David Weathers and Jeremy Affeldt as well. The Chicago Sun-Times also reports the White Sox are interested in acquiring A's closer Huston Street to serve in a set up role to closer Bobby Jenks.

The Twins continue their search for a 3rd baseman. Much talk has been made about their interest in Adrian Beltre (Nick Blackburn, Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, Glen Perkins or Denard Span), but the Mariners are reportedly asking for too much in return. According to the San Francisco Chronicle the Twins have turned the sights on a lesser player such as the Giants' Rich Aurilia. (Yankees should send them Wilson Betemit..NOW). The Giants are also listening to offers for catcher Bengie Molina and shortstop Omar Vizquel.

The Mariners have clearly lost their minds. Jarrod Washburn has been on a tremendous roll, but their asking price for him is crazy, especially considering he's set to make $10.9 million next season. The Mariners asked the Rockies for top prospects Dexter Fowler and Casey Weathers, and were looking for a Jon Niese or Fernando Martinez type prospect from the Mets. The Mariners are also shopping closer J.J. Putz.