Do The Yankees Have the Stones to Trade For Tulo?

Since the rumors began about a month ago that the Colorado Rockies might just trade their prized shortstop, Troy Tulowitzki, the wheels in my mind have been spinning. Would/could Tulo play for the Yankees and be the heir apparent to his idol, Derek Jeter?

Though the Rockies have denied any interest in dealing the 29-year old, it makes for interesting thought and conversation. The seventh overall pick in the 2005 draft is in the midst of a contract that guarantees him $134MM through 2021, with the possibility of earning an additional $11MM if the Rockies (or whomever) picks up a team option for the 2021 season.

Tulo is scheduled to earn $14MM in 2014, followed by five seasons at $20MM and the final completely guaranteed year at $15MM. The Rockies would have to pick up some of the salary, with the amount directly impacting the players sent in return. The $14MM for 2014 would fight nicely into the Yankees "budget" plans.

The Yankees, at some point, will need a long term solution for Derek Jeter. It could be as soon as this year or the 2015 season. There could be a scenario this season, much as there was last season, where the left side of the infield has no Jeter and no Alex Rodriguez.

Even if Jeter is perfectly healthy, he'll need some extra days off and/or time at DH in 2014. However, Tulo should not be the Yankees shortstop in 2014. Have I confused you yet? You should be able to see where this is going. One year of Troy Tulowitzki, third baseman. You could split his time between shortstop and third base, but that would be a lot to ask of someone that is in a new town, hasn't played one of the positions, etc., and is looking to replace the most popular athlete in New York.

Instead, you have Jeter play shortstop with a Brendan Ryan type backing him up. The goal would be to move Tulowitzki back to full-time shortstop in 2015 with A-Rod or someone else at the hot corner. Jeter, if he still wanted to play, would be relegated to part-time status or more of a utility role. And yes, that's a lot to ask of him, which is why he would probably walk away rather than accept the role.

There are plenty of complications to such a deal. Tulo will not come cheaply, no matter how much money Colorado picked up.  The Yankees would have to part with one of the three outfielders - Mason Williams, Slade Heathcott, Tyler Austin; a Major League player - David Phelps?, a top tier pitching prospect, and one of the Yankees catching prospects. That might not even be enough unless the Yankees picked up the bulk of the salary.

This is Jeter's team and the Yankees would be, in essence, starting the post-Jeter era. The St. Louis Cardinals tried to do it with Ozzie Smith and his heir apparent, Royce Clayton, and it proved to be a disaster. Of course Tulowitzki is on a level well above Clayton.

Would Tulowitzki make the temporary position switch to accomodate his idol, the reason that he wears #2 on his uniform?

Injuries..not the Captain's, but Tulo's. The California native has only played in more than 126 games once in the last four seasons.

There's plenty of positives though. A 10 year age difference to the positive. A player whose skills are better than Jeter's right now, both at the plate and in the field. A player that is signed for the next seven seasons. Imagine Robinson Cano and Tulo turning double plays year after year.

Is this all crazy? Of course it is. But, and this but is bigger than Prince Fielder's properly spelled backside, this is what the hot stove is all about. GM's talking, hypothetical trades discussed out, and the possible alteration of a team's future.

I say go for it. Now batting, number 22, Troy..Tulo-witzki.

All Braun and No Brain

"My name is Ryan Braun and I am a liar."

Still think Ryan Braun should only have a 65 game suspension? You might change your mind shortly. While everyone is coming down on Alex Rodriguez, there's more and more proof that Braun is a complete dirtbag.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports has reported that Braun told several MLB stars that the man (Dino Laurenzi Jr.) who collected his urine was an anti-Semite (Braun is Jewish if you don’t know) and a Chicago Cubs fan  in attempt to ruin the man's reputation. (The latter assertion is laughable.) ¹

Among those contacted by Braun, as first reported by ESPN.com, was LA Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, whom Braun had cheated out of the NL MVP Award, Cincy Reds first baseman Joey Votto, and Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. The players took Braun's word as gospel.

A source close to Laurenzi said that the anti-Semitic allegation is untrue, but could not clarify what team Laurenzi was a fan of, as if that even mattered.

Kemp has already spoken about the issue and told media members that he felt "betrayed" and was “disappointed."

Passan also reported that Braun was in the process of calling the players up to apologize. It is not known if Braun has spoken to Laurenzi, but what good would it do anyway? Laurenzi should sue Braun for everything he's worth, but even that won't help restore Mr. Laurenzi's reputation.

1 - Yahoo Sports

Giambi Rocks Yankees

I've never hidden my disdain for Jason Giambi. He's a nice guy, the golden thong stuff was funny, but he was/is a miserable first baseman (No matter how many times Michael Kay tried to convince us he was great at scooping throws out of the dirt), his steroid use and subsequent body breakdown hurt the team, he was a mentally soft player (Derek Jeter, one of his biggest supporters was pissed at him during the 2003 playoffs when Giambi begged out of the lineup with a bad knee, but later homered- "if you can hit a home run, you can play"), and his contract was a boondoggle. George Steinbrenner was chiefly to blame for the deal as he just needed to sign "the big star" despite knowing full well that Giambi may have used steroids.

All of the above is the reason I had problem with those who gave Giambi a standing ovation last night when he was announced for his first plate appearance of the game. Also, though I didn't hear it, the Bleacher Creatures gave him a roll call. So all Giambi did his first time up was hit a home run that may have landed in the Rockies (even if they are in the wrong direction). It was the first of the three hits, the now grey bearded Giambi, had on the night. But it was Ty Wiggington's RBI ground out in the 4th and Troy Tulowitzki's home run an inning later that did A.J. Burnett and the Yankees in, 4-2.

Burnett had an up and down, including become the first Yankees pitcher to strikeout four batters an inning. Alex Rodriguez gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the 1st inning with an RBI double, but Giambi's blast deep into the mass of Bleacher Creatures tied the game in the 2nd inning and started a pick fence as the Rockies scored a single run in four consecutive innings.

Rodriguez had temporarily tied the game with second RBI of the game in the 3rd inning, but as is the custom this season, the Yankees provided no run support for Burnett. Rockies starter Ubaldo Jimenez had control issues early (he eclipsed 60 pitches in the 3rd inning), but settled down to limit the Yankees bats to four of their five hits over seven innings.

FullCountPitch - Rockies Mountain Slide, Colorado

Many baseball aficionados, both professional and amateur, picked the Colorado Rockies to win the NL West this season. The month of April made said people look very good as the Rockies got off to a 17-8 start. But injuries and poor performance in May not only have people doubting if the Rockies can win the division, but if they can even make the playoffs (as I had predicted as a wild card entry). Through Sunday they had gone 10-23 since May 1 and their overall record stood at 27-31, 5.5 games back of the defending champion San Francisco Giants and the surprising Arizona Diamondbacks.

Pitching is the name of the game and Colorado entered the season with a solid top three in their rotation- Ubaldo Jimenez, Jorge de la Rosa, and Jhoulys Chacin. Jimenez looked like the second coming of Bob Feller and Walter Johnson all rolled into one during the first half of last season, but pitching a game in rotten weather after a long rain delay seemed to throw him off for the entire second half.

Click here to read the rest of this free article at FullCountPitch.com

Todd Helton Carlos Gonzalez Huston Street Troy Tulowitzki

Topsy Turvy Two Weeks | Baseball Digest

Topsy Turvy Two Weeks | Baseball Digest

It’s been a little over two weeks since the start of the Major League baseball season; so far we’ve seen some things that everyone would expect, but there has been plenty to make us go, “huh?”

The Baltimore Orioles started out like gangbusters winning their first four games and six of seven. The media quickly jumped on the bandwagon, “The Orioles have turned things around”; “Buck Showalter is a genius”. Well hold on to your crab cakes, the O’s have lost eight straight. Teams live and die with their pitching- during the losing streak the Orioles’ staff has given up nearly seven runs a game. Let’s all hold off on considering the O’s AL East contenders. Mm, k?

Speaking of fast starts, the AL Central leaders squared off last night. Twins? Tigers? White Sox? Forget it; it was the Indians and Royals. Yes, Cleveland and Kansas City entered Monday night’s play as the only two AL Central teams above .500. The Tribe won in extra innings and are a remarkable 12-4. The Indians rotation has been bolstered by their #3 and #4 starters, Justin Masterson and Josh Tomlin, who have gone a combined 6-0, 2.03 in their six starts. The Indians have also gotten big time offensive production from an unexpected source- their middle infield. Second baseman Orlando Cabrera and shortstop Asdrubel Cabrera have combined for 25 RBI. And could it be that Travis Hafner’s shoulder is finally healthy? “Pronk” has a 1.061 OPS through 14 games. The Indians also turned the season’s first triple play- you can check it out here.

The Indians built most of their record without the services of center fielder Grady Sizemore who returned on Sunday with a home run. In two games, Sizemore is 5-9 with a pair of doubles, two RBI, and two runs scored.

Will Troy Tulowitzki break Barry Bonds’ home run record? No, but the star shortstop is healthy (and hopefully he stays that way), which should mean a huge offensive year. The Rockies have won 12 of their first 16 games in no small part because of Tulo’s 1.259 OPS, 7 HR, and 14 RBI. 2010 NL MVP contender Carlos Gonzalez has also picked up where he left off with 12 RBI. The Rockies are getting contributions from everywhere and at this rate I am going to have to eat my words for saying the Rockies wouldn’t make the playoffs. I get some redemption for talking about how overlooked Jhoulys Chacin was as a rookie last season. He’s off to a 3-0, 1.64 start and has picked up the slack for the injured Ubaldo Jimenez.

It looks like someone has finally gotten through to Matt Kemp, the Dodgers’ Mr. Inconsistency. Who better than new manager and hitter extraordinaire Don Mattingly? Kemp has always had the ability, but has been knocked for his inability to produce. Hello .459 batting average. Throw in 3 HR, 13 RBI, and 8 SB, and you have a monster season in the making. No expects Kemp to keep the average going, but a .325-30-100 line sure would be appreciated by the Dodger faithful.

The Twins are the consensus pick to repeat as AL Central champs, but they better wake up soon, especially their bullpen. Off to a 6-10 start and in last place, the Twins bullpen, a supposed strength is crumbling. Joe Nathan, a year removed from Tommy John surgery, returned to his closer role and last year’s closer Matt Capps became the 8th inning guy. Great 1-2 punch, right? Someone forgot to tell the two of them. Perhaps he’s not at 100%, but whatever the reason Nathan is out at closer after two blown saves, a loss, and five earned runs allowed in 5.1 IP. Capps struggled in the set up role, but has saved both games he entered as the new closer (he did blow one save prior to that in extra innings after Nathan had blown the lead in the ninth inning.)

Monday night the Tigers’ Ryan Raburn became the first player to hit a ball off the roof in Seattle’s Safeco Field. The ball was foul the entire time and fell between third baseman Chone Figgins and catcher Miguel Olivo in foul territory.

Ryan Franklin’s days as St. Louis’ closer are close to being over (they should have been already). The guy with the creepy goatee has blown four saves already in just 16 games. With the competitive NL Central, you just can’t be giving games away. At least someone hold him down and shave that thing off.

Some Q & A between me and me.

Should Yankees fans be worried about Derek Jeter and Phil Hughes?

Worry is probably too strong of a word, but if you follow the Pinstripes you should be concerned. Some fans and media (e.g. Yahoo’s Jeff Passan) have already pushed the panic button and feel Jeter should be batting eighth or ninth. While Jeter struggled for most of last season and hasn’t hit too many balls out of the infield this season, this season has only consisted of 14 games. Jeter’s reputation, at the very least, has earned him a full month or more before a move should even be considered.

Hughes is the bigger concern for manager Joe Girardi at the moment and rightly so. In his three starts, last year’s 18-game winner’s velocity has been missing in action. Normally throwing 92-93 mph, Hughes isn’t hitting 90 on the radar gun this season and has been battered around the ballpark. He’s now on the DL with a “dead arm”, which he at first didn’t want to own up to (perhaps he’s not really injured), and will work on long tossing to strengthen his prized right arm.

Are Josh Beckett and John Lackey for real?

Good question. Beckett has had back to back dominate performances, one of them against an impressive Yankees lineup. While I don’t believe he’ll continue throwing 2-hit ball for seven innings, it does give Red Sox Nation some hope. Lackey on the other hand could be a real problem. The 215 innings Lackey threw last year concerned me since he his numbers have steadily declined since he topped 200 innings in 2006-2007. He’s won one of his two starts this season, but has an ERA of 15.88 and has had his turn skipped once. Manager Terry Francona: “A lot of his pitches, it didn’t seem like he finished them, [he] left them in the middle. He had two walks, a hit batsman, and all three scored. Against that (Yankees) lineup, you got to make them earn everything they get, because they’re that good.”

Is Zach Britton the real deal?

Though he got knocked around in his last start, you bet he is. While Britton, the Orioles number one pitching prospect wasn’t expected to contribute until later in the season, he won his first two games and posted a 0.69 ERA. ESPN’s Buster Olney feels that Britton could generate as much buzz this year as the Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg did last season.

Will Jose Bautista pop 50 home runs again?

Not a chance, but Bautista should hit 30-35. He’s hit three already and is slugging at a .510 rate, but a lot will depend on how much protection he gets in the order. At the moment that responsibility falls to Adam Lind; after a quick start, Lind is hitting just .230 as he tries to recapture his 2009 season (.305-35-114).

Biggest surprise and disappointment

Teams – If Tampa Bay hadn’t just won 7 of 10 it would have been them, but the Red Sox 2-10 start (now 5-10) is the winner for losing/disappointment. 2-10? Incomprehensible. I have to go back to the Tribe for the surprise. 12-4? Get out of here.

Players – Alex Gordon, KC. The uber-prospect may finally be reaching the heights expected of him. He’s batting .353 so far and is playing like someone with confidence. Finally. (Matt Kemp gets honorable mention) The biggest disappointment, hands down, is Boston’s Carl Crawford. The big free agent signee is already being vilified in Boston for his .133/.175/.167 splits. And when you don’t get on base, you don’t steal. Crawford has just two thefts in three attempts. (Phil Hughes gets honorable mention)

Around the Horn - 6/17

There was limited action in MLB last night, but there's a full slate on tap tonight. Before the news a recap of last night's action.

A big night for Ryan Howard in the city of brotherly love. He smashed a pair of home runs and legged out a triple in the Phillies 8-2 dismantling of the Red Sox. Howard's 4 RBI came mainly at the expense of Bartolo Colon who left, after a 4 inning, 4-run appearance, with back spasms. Cole Hamels went 7 innings for his 7th win.

The Tigers 6-game winning streak came to a screeching halt when they couldn't hold a 4-3 lead late. Fernando Rodney's first appearance of the season is one he'd like to forget- a 3-run home run surrendered to John Bowker. The Giants won it 8-6.

Carlos Beltran gave Willie Randolph a going away present, 2 home runs to propel the Mets to a 9-6 win over the Angels. Perhaps if Beltran and his teammates had played with fire and desire all year Randolph might still be manager.

The Marlins continued the Mariners misery with a 6-1 win on the left coast. Andrew Miller, who started the season so badly, allowed 1 run over 7 innings to improve to 5-5.

In the lone intraleague game, Jair Jurrjens threw 7.2 shutout innings to beat the Rockies 7-1. Chipper Jones returned to the lineup with a pair of RBI and raised his average to .403.


News

The Detroit Free Press is reporting that the Tigers are interested in free agent pitcher Freddy Garcia.

This just in...the Mets are still gutless.

The Indians have signed recently released Morgan Ensberg to a minor league deal.

The Denver Post reports that Troy Tulowitzki could return from the DL this Friday.

The White Sox placed Paul Konkero on the DL with a strained oblique.

The Red Sox are expected to activate Dice-K this weekend.

Around the Horn - 6/17

There was limited action in MLB last night, but there's a full slate on tap tonight. Before the news a recap of last night's action.

A big night for Ryan Howard in the city of brotherly love. He smashed a pair of home runs and legged out a triple in the Phillies 8-2 dismantling of the Red Sox. Howard's 4 RBI came mainly at the expense of Bartolo Colon who left, after a 4 inning, 4-run appearance, with back spasms. Cole Hamels went 7 innings for his 7th win.

The Tigers 6-game winning streak came to a screeching halt when they couldn't hold a 4-3 lead late. Fernando Rodney's first appearance of the season is one he'd like to forget- a 3-run home run surrendered to John Bowker. The Giants won it 8-6.

Carlos Beltran gave Willie Randolph a going away present, 2 home runs to propel the Mets to a 9-6 win over the Angels. Perhaps if Beltran and his teammates had played with fire and desire all year Randolph might still be manager.

The Marlins continued the Mariners misery with a 6-1 win on the left coast. Andrew Miller, who started the season so badly, allowed 1 run over 7 innings to improve to 5-5.

In the lone intraleague game, Jair Jurrjens threw 7.2 shutout innings to beat the Rockies 7-1. Chipper Jones returned to the lineup with a pair of RBI and raised his average to .403.


News

The Detroit Free Press is reporting that the Tigers are interested in free agent pitcher Freddy Garcia.

This just in...the Mets are still gutless.

The Indians have signed recently released Morgan Ensberg to a minor league deal.

The Denver Post reports that Troy Tulowitzki could return from the DL this Friday.

The White Sox placed Paul Konkero on the DL with a strained oblique.

The Red Sox are expected to activate Dice-K this weekend.

Around the Horn - 5/21

Whatever good feelings the Mets and their fans may have had after the weekend sweep of the Yankees went out the window yesterday when the Braves took both ends of a doubleheader from the Flushing crew.

Mets fans are still mad at Tom Glavine's horrid performance in the season finale last year and are probably pissed off even more now after Glavine retired the last 17 men he faced in beating the Mets in game 1, 6-1. Jorge Campillo earned his 1st major league win in the nightcap when the Bravs won again, this time 6-2.

The Phillies and Nationals hooked up in a scoreless pitching duel until Greg Dobbs' pinch-hit RBI double gave the Phillies a 1-0 win in the 9th. Tom Gordon got the win after Cole Hamels struck out 11 in 7 innings.

The Brewers bounced back from their awful weekend in Boston with a 7-2 pasting of the Pirates. Mike Cameron and Corey Hart homered to help Manny Parra win his 2nd of the season. Eric Gagne had to leave the game in the 9th with shoulder stiffness.

Tim Lincecum improve to 6-1 after the Giants edged the Rockies 6-5. Lincecum has a road best ERA of 0.39. Rich Aurilia and Fred Lewis each homered. Rockies injured shortstop Troy Tulowitzki took fielding practice for the first time since ripping a quad muscle at the end of April.

The Cardinals' Joel Pineiro was shutting down the Padres into the 6th when Kevin Kouzmanoff belted a go-ahead 428-ft, 3-run home run. The blast held up in the Padres 3-2 win. Greg Maddux got no decision after giving up 2 runs in 5 innings.

Dan Uggla belted his 14th home run and Mark Hendrickson struck out 7 in 5-plus innings as the Marlins edged the Diamondbacks 3-2. Micah Owings was solid, thought he went hitless, for Arizona, allowing 3 runs in 7 innings while striking out 10.

Chad Billingsley tossed 7 scoreless innings in the Dodgers 4-1 over the Reds. Adam Dunn has his (shared) team record of 5 straight games with a home run stopped, and also had an 8-game RBI streak ended. Ken Griffey Jr. has gone 86 at-bats without a home run.

Hunter Pence belted a 4th inning grand slam in the Astros 4-2 win over the Cubs. Miguel Tejada doubled in the game for his 1,800th career hit to help Chris Sampson even his record at 3-3.

There was no no-hitter for the Red Sox last night, but the KC Royals went down just as meekly. Justin Masterson won his first major league game as he and the Sox bullpen limited the punchless Royals to 5 hits. Sox reliever/spot starterJulian Tavarez passed through waivers and expected an assignment to Pawtucket.

Justin Verlander finally won his 2nd game as the Tigers out scored the Mariners 12-8. Edger Renteria enjoyed a 4-hit, 5 RBI night, as he, Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Guillen, and Curtis Granderson all went deep.

Left fielder Emil Brown lost Dionner Navarro's 8th inning line drive in the lights enabling 3 runs to score to give the Rays a 3-2 win over the A's. Navarro was credited with a 3-run double after the play was initially ruled an error. It ruined a great effort from Greg Smith who was tagged with the loss. Frank Thomas hit his 518th career home run.

John Lackey won his first game of the year with 7 stellar innings in the Angels 3-1 win over the Blue Jays. Francisco Rodriguez walked the bases loaded in the 9th, but escaped with his 18th save. Angels shortstop Erick Aybar dislocated his pinky during the game. X-Rays were negative, but he may miss some time.

The Twins pounded the Rangers 11-4 to earn Glen Perkins his first major league win. Texas expects to activate Hank Blalock this weekend. He'll be starting at his new position, 1st Base.

Jose Contreras won for the 3rd straight time out in the White Sox 4-1 win over the Indians. He lowered his ERA to 3.17 in the process of beating C.C. Sabathia. Carlos Quentin and Jim Thome (#515) homered for the Chisox.

Around the Horn - 5/21

Whatever good feelings the Mets and their fans may have had after the weekend sweep of the Yankees went out the window yesterday when the Braves took both ends of a doubleheader from the Flushing crew.

Mets fans are still mad at Tom Glavine's horrid performance in the season finale last year and are probably pissed off even more now after Glavine retired the last 17 men he faced in beating the Mets in game 1, 6-1. Jorge Campillo earned his 1st major league win in the nightcap when the Bravs won again, this time 6-2.

The Phillies and Nationals hooked up in a scoreless pitching duel until Greg Dobbs' pinch-hit RBI double gave the Phillies a 1-0 win in the 9th. Tom Gordon got the win after Cole Hamels struck out 11 in 7 innings.

The Brewers bounced back from their awful weekend in Boston with a 7-2 pasting of the Pirates. Mike Cameron and Corey Hart homered to help Manny Parra win his 2nd of the season. Eric Gagne had to leave the game in the 9th with shoulder stiffness.

Tim Lincecum improve to 6-1 after the Giants edged the Rockies 6-5. Lincecum has a road best ERA of 0.39. Rich Aurilia and Fred Lewis each homered. Rockies injured shortstop Troy Tulowitzki took fielding practice for the first time since ripping a quad muscle at the end of April.

The Cardinals' Joel Pineiro was shutting down the Padres into the 6th when Kevin Kouzmanoff belted a go-ahead 428-ft, 3-run home run. The blast held up in the Padres 3-2 win. Greg Maddux got no decision after giving up 2 runs in 5 innings.

Dan Uggla belted his 14th home run and Mark Hendrickson struck out 7 in 5-plus innings as the Marlins edged the Diamondbacks 3-2. Micah Owings was solid, thought he went hitless, for Arizona, allowing 3 runs in 7 innings while striking out 10.

Chad Billingsley tossed 7 scoreless innings in the Dodgers 4-1 over the Reds. Adam Dunn has his (shared) team record of 5 straight games with a home run stopped, and also had an 8-game RBI streak ended. Ken Griffey Jr. has gone 86 at-bats without a home run.

Hunter Pence belted a 4th inning grand slam in the Astros 4-2 win over the Cubs. Miguel Tejada doubled in the game for his 1,800th career hit to help Chris Sampson even his record at 3-3.

There was no no-hitter for the Red Sox last night, but the KC Royals went down just as meekly. Justin Masterson won his first major league game as he and the Sox bullpen limited the punchless Royals to 5 hits. Sox reliever/spot starterJulian Tavarez passed through waivers and expected an assignment to Pawtucket.

Justin Verlander finally won his 2nd game as the Tigers out scored the Mariners 12-8. Edger Renteria enjoyed a 4-hit, 5 RBI night, as he, Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Guillen, and Curtis Granderson all went deep.

Left fielder Emil Brown lost Dionner Navarro's 8th inning line drive in the lights enabling 3 runs to score to give the Rays a 3-2 win over the A's. Navarro was credited with a 3-run double after the play was initially ruled an error. It ruined a great effort from Greg Smith who was tagged with the loss. Frank Thomas hit his 518th career home run.

John Lackey won his first game of the year with 7 stellar innings in the Angels 3-1 win over the Blue Jays. Francisco Rodriguez walked the bases loaded in the 9th, but escaped with his 18th save. Angels shortstop Erick Aybar dislocated his pinky during the game. X-Rays were negative, but he may miss some time.

The Twins pounded the Rangers 11-4 to earn Glen Perkins his first major league win. Texas expects to activate Hank Blalock this weekend. He'll be starting at his new position, 1st Base.

Jose Contreras won for the 3rd straight time out in the White Sox 4-1 win over the Indians. He lowered his ERA to 3.17 in the process of beating C.C. Sabathia. Carlos Quentin and Jim Thome (#515) homered for the Chisox.

Around the Horn - 4/17

6-hours, 16 minutes. That's how long it took the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres to complete 22 innings of baseball. Troy Tulowitzki, in his 10th plate appearance, doubled in the game winner. The final out was recorded 1:21 a.m. PDT.

Jeff Francis (7 IP 0 R 7 K) and Jake Peavy (8 IP 0 R 11 K) started the pitchers duel off. No one scored until the 14th inning when both teams put a runner across home plate.

The Phillies belted 4 home runs in thrashing the Astros 10-2. Pat Burrell continued his hot start (.373-6-17) with a home run, single, and 2 RBI.

The Mets and Nationals went 14 innings before Joel Hanrahan wild pitched home the winning run.

The Brewers rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Cardinals 5-3 in 10 innings. Prince Fielder ended his month long home drought with a game winning 2-run blast.

Joey Votto homered and drove in 5 runs in the Reds 9-2 win over the Cubs. Ken Griffey Jr. slugged a 3-run shot, the 596th of his career.

Chipper Jones, Mark Teixeira, and Brian McCann hit consecutive home runs in the 5th inning to propel the Braves past the Marlins 8-0. Jones went 4-4 with a pair of home runs as John Smoltz picked up his 210th career win.

In an AL Central battle of heavyweights, Fausto Carmona and the Indians outpitched Justin Verlander and the Tigers. The Tribe won 11-1 with a 13 hit attack. The game also featured some hit batters (Verlander into Garko's back) and clear retaliation (Carmona and Sheffield), but no ejections.

Vincente Padilla outpitched Roy Halladay in the Rangers 4-1 win over the Blue Jays. Halladay pitched his 2nd straight complete game.

The Mariners used a 5-run 3rd inning to beat the A's 8-1. Raul Ibanez (.343) and Jose Lopez had 3 hits each. After Kurt Suzuki (.327), the highest average in the A's lineup was Ryan Sweeney at .267.

The Orioles rallied from 2 down in the 9th against White Sox closer Bobby Jenks, and Adam Jones stroked the game winning single in the 10th.

Eric Hinske homered and Jason Hammel picked up his first win in the Rays 7-3 victory over the Twins. Carlos Pena had to leave the game with a hamstring injury and has been listed as day-to-day.

Garrett Anderson drove in 3 runs and John Garland improved to 2-2 in the Angels 5-3 win against the Royals. David DeJesus already bothered by a bad ankle this year, had to leave the game with a jammed toe.

News and Notes

Evan Longoria has only played 6 major league games, but the Rays know what they've got. That's why they've signed him to a 9-year, $44 million deal.

Braves pitcher Peter Moylan may have to have season ending elbow surgery, but the Braves are still looking into all the options.

Miguel Tejada may or may not have lied about P.E.D. use, but he did lie about his age. Tejada admitted yesterday that he's 33 not 31.

Around the Horn - 4/17

6-hours, 16 minutes. That's how long it took the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres to complete 22 innings of baseball. Troy Tulowitzki, in his 10th plate appearance, doubled in the game winner. The final out was recorded 1:21 a.m. PDT.

Jeff Francis (7 IP 0 R 7 K) and Jake Peavy (8 IP 0 R 11 K) started the pitchers duel off. No one scored until the 14th inning when both teams put a runner across home plate.

The Phillies belted 4 home runs in thrashing the Astros 10-2. Pat Burrell continued his hot start (.373-6-17) with a home run, single, and 2 RBI.

The Mets and Nationals went 14 innings before Joel Hanrahan wild pitched home the winning run.

The Brewers rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Cardinals 5-3 in 10 innings. Prince Fielder ended his month long home drought with a game winning 2-run blast.

Joey Votto homered and drove in 5 runs in the Reds 9-2 win over the Cubs. Ken Griffey Jr. slugged a 3-run shot, the 596th of his career.

Chipper Jones, Mark Teixeira, and Brian McCann hit consecutive home runs in the 5th inning to propel the Braves past the Marlins 8-0. Jones went 4-4 with a pair of home runs as John Smoltz picked up his 210th career win.

In an AL Central battle of heavyweights, Fausto Carmona and the Indians outpitched Justin Verlander and the Tigers. The Tribe won 11-1 with a 13 hit attack. The game also featured some hit batters (Verlander into Garko's back) and clear retaliation (Carmona and Sheffield), but no ejections.

Vincente Padilla outpitched Roy Halladay in the Rangers 4-1 win over the Blue Jays. Halladay pitched his 2nd straight complete game.

The Mariners used a 5-run 3rd inning to beat the A's 8-1. Raul Ibanez (.343) and Jose Lopez had 3 hits each. After Kurt Suzuki (.327), the highest average in the A's lineup was Ryan Sweeney at .267.

The Orioles rallied from 2 down in the 9th against White Sox closer Bobby Jenks, and Adam Jones stroked the game winning single in the 10th.

Eric Hinske homered and Jason Hammel picked up his first win in the Rays 7-3 victory over the Twins. Carlos Pena had to leave the game with a hamstring injury and has been listed as day-to-day.

Garrett Anderson drove in 3 runs and John Garland improved to 2-2 in the Angels 5-3 win against the Royals. David DeJesus already bothered by a bad ankle this year, had to leave the game with a jammed toe.

News and Notes

Evan Longoria has only played 6 major league games, but the Rays know what they've got. That's why they've signed him to a 9-year, $44 million deal.

Braves pitcher Peter Moylan may have to have season ending elbow surgery, but the Braves are still looking into all the options.

Miguel Tejada may or may not have lied about P.E.D. use, but he did lie about his age. Tejada admitted yesterday that he's 33 not 31.

Monday Hot Stove

Yadier Molina agreed to terms on a brand spanking new contract with the Cardinals today. The 4-year deal also has an option of a 5th year, and would buy out his 2nd year of free agency.

The Royals have signed Brett Tomko to a 1-year, $3 million deal. Can the Royals stock up on mediocre pitchers, or what?

The Indians thought about bringing back Bartolo Colon. Then they saw him pitch in the Dominican, where he only hit 89 on the radar gun. The White Sox have reportedly backed off too, because of Colon's desire for a multi-year deal.

The Rockies have reportedly signed their rookie phenom shortstop, Troy Tulowitzki, to a 6-year, $30 million deal. There's also an option for a 7th year included.

The Reds have inked lefty Jeremy Affeldt to a 1-year, $3 million deal. Remember when Affeldt's agent called his client a premier left-hander and wanted a 3- or 4-year deal?

Monday Hot Stove

Yadier Molina agreed to terms on a brand spanking new contract with the Cardinals today. The 4-year deal also has an option of a 5th year, and would buy out his 2nd year of free agency.

The Royals have signed Brett Tomko to a 1-year, $3 million deal. Can the Royals stock up on mediocre pitchers, or what?

The Indians thought about bringing back Bartolo Colon. Then they saw him pitch in the Dominican, where he only hit 89 on the radar gun. The White Sox have reportedly backed off too, because of Colon's desire for a multi-year deal.

The Rockies have reportedly signed their rookie phenom shortstop, Troy Tulowitzki, to a 6-year, $30 million deal. There's also an option for a 7th year included.

The Reds have inked lefty Jeremy Affeldt to a 1-year, $3 million deal. Remember when Affeldt's agent called his client a premier left-hander and wanted a 3- or 4-year deal?