Washington, D.C. Trip/Nationals Game

For those of us in the New York metro area, going to a baseball game can be extremely expensive and, if you have a family, almost a wallet busting adventure. However, only a short train ride away lies the Washington Nationals in our nation's capital. You can get amazing seats for a fraction of what it would cost to sit in those same seats in Yankee Stadium or Citi Field. My wife and I and her parents travelled down to D.C. and got seats behind the home dugout for $74 a pop. Those same seats can run from $375-1,000 for Yankee Stadium. That is just insane for a baseball game. So, for $74 we settled into our seats and watched the Nationals take on the Padres. This was my second time I have attended a Nationals game, having watched the Nationals beat the Orioles last year on May 22nd where we sat one section over to the left, closer to home plate.

Aside from the inexpensive tickets, Nationals Park is a clean, fan-friendly environment. They have several mascots, "Screech" is the main mascot but there are four others that greet fans as they enter the park. Those four are Teddy, Tom, Abe, and George. Of course they are named after the four most famous Presidents in history, Teddy Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington. With cartoonishly big heads, they interact with fans, pose for pictures, and all. My wife showed up wearing a Yankee jersey and hat and for the second year in a row Teddy gave her a hard time. He was much more cordial to me because I was wearing a Nationals t-shirt. Sometimes, you gotta make a sacrifice and, after the Yankees of course, I root for the Nationals, mostly because they have zero chance of winning but there is a bright future there with Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper.

Once inside the stadium, the fans have plenty to do. There was a live band in right field belting out some decent renditions of some classic rock songs. There is a play area for kids. There was also a booth set up to encourage fans to vote for the All-Star game. If a fan filled out 10 ballots they would be entered into a drawing to win autographed Nats memorabilia. If you filled out 100 you automatically won a Pudge Rodriguez bobblehead. Just across the street from the stadium there is an area for fans to gather before and after the game to have a few brews. I didn't get in there but after the game it was bumpin' with music blaring and people hanging around not wanting to go home. There are plenty of places to grab some food, mostly your standard ballpark food. Most ballpark food, however, is not conducive to those who are gluten intolerant, or suffer from siliac (spelling?) disease. For them, going to a ballpark can be torture. However, Nationals Park has a gluten free stand that includes gluten free beer and hot dogs among several other choices.

When we went it happened to be freezer mug giveaway night sponsored by Miller Lite. The mugs are pretty nice, and I will be using them this summer to down a frosty beverage or two. There was also a stand run by Chevrolet that gave those who filled out a card a chance to win a Camaro. I filled one out and walked away with a free t-shirt. It has a small Chevy symbol on the left sleeve but for a giveaway it was actually pretty nice.

As for the baseball, it was actually pretty good. We witnessed a gem tossed by John Lannan who carried a no-hitter into the 5th and left with two outs in the 8th after allowing two consecutive singles. Manager Jim Riggleman brought in his closer, Drew Storen who got the final out. Offensively for the Nats, Danny Espinosa's solo home run was all the offense for the game until the 9th inning. In the 9th, Jason Bartlett hit his first homer of the year off the first pitch of the 9th inning off of Drew Storen. Storen settled down and retired the next three men but the game was tied and seemed destined to go into extra-innings. However, Michael Morse, the Nats first baseman hit the first pitch he was off of Padres reliever Mike Adams into the right field bullpen and the Nats were walk-off winners. During his post-game interview, Morse was treated to the customary pie in the face and was also given a Gatorade bath.

Overall, Nationals Ballpark is one of my favorite destinations. How can you beat walking around our nation's capital, going into all of the landmarks and visiting all of the memorials which are all free and going to a Nationals game to cap off your day? We stayed in D.C. from Thursday until Sunday evening. Train fare wasn't bad, we got $49 each way on a deal through Amtrak which they do every so often. So, for $172 we got transportation and a great seat. Oh, and add in a couple of bucks for the Metro Ride which is D.C.'s subway system. Beers cost me $8-8.50 a pop which is still cheaper than Yankee Stadium and hot dogs were, I think, $5 but were huge. Still an all around cheaper experience than one game in those same seats at Yankee Stadium. Plus, you never know who you might run into at a Nats game. You could be sitting next to a retired general, as we were, or a Congressman or Senator. You just never know. Oh, and another great thing about the Nats is they give you a small program/scorecard as you enter which they don't do at Yankee Stadium. I saw a bunch of people around me keeping score, something I rarely see anymore. So, even if you are just going down for the day, check out some of the landmarks and then head to a Nats game. You'll have a blast, but don't forget your camera!

Bloop Singles

Sorry it has been so long between posts. I moved this past weekend and I'm sure most of you know how that is. Tomorrow I leave for Washington, D.C. where I will be taking in a Nationals game. They are playing the Padres so the Nats should win even without Ryan Zimmerman who remains out until mid-June with an abdominal tear. Nationals Park is an extremely fun place, not only for adults but the whole family. If you ever get a chance I suggest you go check it out. Tickets are not expensive and are available.

-Former Cavaliers coach Mike Brown has agreed to a contract to replace Phil Jackson. It should be interesting to see how well he does in Los Angeles.

-The Yankees claimed Kanekoa Texeira (no relation to Mark, hence the different spelling) off waivers from the Royals. Texeira was a member of the Yankees minor league system but was shipped off to the White Sox as part of the Nick Swisher deal. He was picked up by Seattle in the Rule 5 draft before finding his way to the Royals where he was mediocre. This is strictly a depth move. Phil Hughes was moved to the 60-day DL to make room on the 40-man roster for him.

-Zack Greinke hit what turned out to be the game winning homer off of Jason Marquis for the Brewers today against the Nationals. He also struck out ten.

-Congratulations to Mariano Rivera who became just the 15th player to pitch in 1000 games and becoming only the first player to do it for only one team. Amazing.

-The Canucks are in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since they lost to the Rangers in the 1993-94 season. They will wait to see if the Lightning or Bruins will be their opponent. The Bruins currently hold a 3-2 edge going into tonight's game. Either way, I am having a hard time seeing the Canucks losing this thing.

-Speaking of hockey, it appears as if Doug Weight of the Islanders is going to be retiring. Weight was an excellent playmaking center who made his NHL debut with the Rangers in 1991. He was traded off to Edmonton for Esa Tikkanen who was traded by the Rangers following their Cup Victory to the Blues with Dougie Lidster in exchange for underachieving Petr Nedved. The Rangers could sure use someone like Doug Weight in his prime these days to set up Marian Gaborik.

-Even if Rafael Soriano doesn't need major surgery (again, he already had Tommy John before) he is further proof that you don't spend big money on relievers not named Mariano. David Robertson and Job Chamberlain are doing a good enough job bridging the gap to Mariano to further prove there was no need for Soriano to begin with. Maybe this will teach the Yankee brain trust once and for all that you don't break the bank open for anyone to be a middle reliever. In house options are always the best bet.

Well, that's all I got for the moment. I'll be back when I get back from good ol' D.C. Gonna see where all our taxes are and aren't going.

Suicide Squeezes

-The New York Mets Dillon Gee had a no-hitter broken up in the 6th inning by Nationals pitcher Livan Hernandez. Actually, Hernandez, despite being a pitcher, is a pretty good hitter, for a pitcher. Last year, at Nationals Park, I actually saw Hernandez pinch-hit. Gee, though, is emerging as arguably the Mets best starter. Today he threw 7.2 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out three. His ERA now sits at 3.44 for the season.

-Francisco Rodriguez now sports a 0.79 ERA to accompany his 14 saves on the year. If the Mets do decide to deal him they should find some takers without a problem. In fact, he might even be the Mets best trade chip.

-Speaking of Mets relievers, how can you not feel good for Jason Isringhausen? The guy is doing well in Queens where his career began.

-I think it is now safe to call Jason Bay and John Lackey free agent busts. I would be willing to bet the Mets and Red Sox respectively would love to find takers for these duds. Bay, however, did collect three hits today, one of them a double. I doubt he is turning it around though but you never know. Lackey, meanwhile, sits on the DL in Boston.

-Last night the Yankees-Orioles game was a marathon that should not have gone 15 innings but both teams had an allergy to hitting with RISP. That is, however, until Robinson Cano took an Allegra and hit a 2-run double in the top of the 15th. Sooner or later, the Yankees are going to have to start hitting with RISP. Right?

-Great game last night by Bartolo Colon who threw 87 pitches in 8 innings of shutout baseball. Colon did everything he could possibly do to ensure the Yankees got the win, even striking out the side in the 8th. However, and I can't fault Joe Girardi for doing this, he was pulled for Mariano Rivera to close it out. Rivera, as we know, gave up the tying run and the Yankees had to go into the 15th before getting the go-ahead runs. I can't dream of pulling a pitcher, no matter who he is, when you are bringing in the greatest closer the game has ever seen. I would have done the same thing.

-Complete games are a rare thing these days. Seven teams do not even have 1 complete game from their pitching staffs. Those teams are Boston, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati, Houston, New York Mets, and San Diego. Philadelphia leads the majors in this category with six.

-Everyone made a big deal about the Phillies pitching staff this offseason. However, Atlanta actually has a better team ERA. Atlanta has a 2.92 team ERA while the Phillies are sporting a 3.06 team ERA. But the Braves have played three more games than the Phillies. Atlanta pitchers are also holding batters to a .220 AVG while Phillies pitchers are holding opponents to a .240 AVG.

-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recently whined to The Sporting News about not having a statue outside the Staples Center. Umm, Kareem, the Lakers apparently told you you were going to get one. Guess you forgot. Either way, this is not something you whine about, it makes you look like a self-centered...oh wait.

-To all LeBron bashers out there, take a break. Michael Jordan had his Pippen, Shaq had his Kobe, Kobe had some good players around him. Who did the Cavs have when James took them to the Finals? They had James and nobody else. So what if James hasn't won a championship yet, you can't take away the fact that he has taken over games in the playoffs this year. He and Dwayne Wade are playing well together and it looks like its going to be a Heat-Mavs final. I can say this now after my hatred toward LeBron has gone away after he spurned my two basketball team, the Knicks and Nets, by signing with the Heat. I've moved on, perhaps other just need to do the same.

-I'm actually a little upset that Kobe is out of the playoffs. How awesome would a Lakers-Heat match-up have been? Kobe and Gasol vs. LeBron and Wade.

-Dirk Nowitzki's 48 points was impressive. I don't know if it answers all the questions about his game though. I still need a bit more defense and toughness from a 7-footer. Still, there is no question he is the best big-man shooter in the NBA. He is also one of the top ten players in the NBA without question.

-Jorge Posada to start at first base tonight for the Yankees. Wow. It is his 16th careerstart at first and first since 2008.

-The Rangers signed 2010 Second Round Pick Christian Thomas, son of ex-NHL'er Steve Thomas, to an entry level contract. Thomas scored 54 goals last season in Juniors. He is still Junior eligible so he might not make his debut next year. If he is anything like his dad was, the Rangers should have an added boost on the offense in the coming years.

-Is anybody else jonesing for some NFL offseason free agent movement? Man, I can't wait for this lockout to be over.

Theeeee Yankees Finally Win! And Other Short-hops from Around Sports

-The Yankees have snapped the longest losing streak of the Joe Girardi era, six games. Ivan Nova pitched well enough to get the win and Alex Rodriguez busted out of his slump with two homers. Even Jorge Posada joined in the action, going 2 for 3 with a double. David Robertson saved the Yankees bacon though after Ivan Nova got into a bases loaded jam in the 6th inning. With the bases loaded and only one out, Robertson slammed the door shut on the Rays fingers by striking out B.J. Upton and Casey Kotchman to end the inning. Where would the Yankees be this year without David Robertson?

-The Cleveland Cavaliers "won" the NBA Draft lottery. Kyrie Irving, welcome to Cleveland.

-Speaking of the NBA Draft, do you think the T'Wolves draft another point guard? Kemba Walker should be there and the T'Wolves did draft about 40 PG's a year ago. I wonder if Ricky Rubio will make his NBA debut next season or if he will hold out until he goes to a better team.

-The death of Harmon Killebrew is a blow to Major League Baseball. He was truly a remarkable man and exceptional player, he will be missed.

-Errors by Carlos Pena, Matt Garza, Welington Castillo, and Kerry Wood led to a total of seven unearned runs for the Reds. The Cubs lost 7-5.

-Braves catcher Brian McCann had a game kids dream about. He entered the game in the 9th as a pinch hitter and hit the game tying home run. Then in the 11th inning, McCann hit the game winning homer. Talk about a good day! And to think, this was his off day!

Well, that's it for now on this late-night edition of Sportsaholics Anonymous. Have a good night.

Intentional Walks

Sorry I am not posting as much as I should but I am currently moving to a new house this weekend and there is a ton of stuff to be done beforehand. Now, to get to some of the sports stuff.

-Royals relief pitcher Vin Mazzaro allowed 14 runs in 2.1 innings as Kansas City fell to the Indians 19-1 on Monday.

-The Yankees losing streak is now at 6 after A.J. Burnett blew the lead in the 6th inning last night. Nothing is going right for the Yankees. Wild pitches, poor throws, poor defense, an almost complete lack of hitting, yeah it is ugly. This is the longest losing streak of the Joe Girardi era.

-The Red Sox are now over .500 for the first time this season after coming back against the Orioles last night. As bad as the Yankees are playing, the Red Sox are the complete opposite right now.

-How far has Jason Bay's stock with the Mets fallen? He was asked to bunt to bring up Daniel Murphy and Justin Turner. Wow.

-Jon Niese, Mets relief pitcher, hit a triple last night, in the same inning that Marlins relief pitcher Burke Badenhop drove in what turned out to be the game winning run.

-Arnold Schwarznegger admitted that wife Maria Shriver left him after learning that Arnold fathered a child with a staffer. So, I guess the steroids didn't affect his package.

-Michael Dunn, former Yankee prospect, struck out 5 Mets in 2 innings. He now carries a 1.96 ERA and .98 WHIP. I'm going to go out on a limb and say Dunn, a lefty reliever who was included in the Javy Vazquez/Boone Logan trade, is just a bit better than Boone Logan at this point.

-The Mets have no luck. They started winning so what happens? They lose Ike Davis to injury, Carlos Beltran to pink eye, and David Wright to a stress fracture in his lower back. If I am Jose Reyes I am wrapping myself in bubble wrap.

-The Yankees have only one more win than the Mets.

-The Nationals and Yankees have the same amount of wins.

-Prior to last nights game, the Tampa Bay Rays had not scored more than 5 runs in a home game this year. They scored 5 runs in the 6th inning alone last night as they came back to beat the Yankees.

-Last week Melky Cabrera homered against the Yankees. Last night Johnny Damon homered against them. Coming up, Hideki Matsui as the Revenge of the 2009 Yankees continues.

-Alex Rodriguez is hitting .180 over the last 23 games. He has not hit well since an issue with his oblique.

-Hector Noesi has spent 14 days on the Yankees in two separate call-ups this season and has not faced a single batter. Umm, why is he on the team then?

-So I guess it is safe to say that the Blue Jays' Jose Bautista is for real. He only has 63 homers in his last 162 games. The guy is like Albert Pujols from a couple of years ago. Just a monster.

-Kyle Farnsworth got the save against the Yankees last night, setting them down 1-2-3 last night.

-Cliff Lee walked 6 Cardinals last night to raise his season total to 13. He walked only 18 men all of last year.

-If Shane Battier doesn't re-sign in Memphis the Knicks should go after him. The stats aren't superstar quality but the guy is a leader and plays both offense and defense. Just sayin'.

Well, break out your umbrellas people. It is like an episode of "The Killing" out there, raining and gloomy. Enjoy the sports today if there is any you wanna watch, or isn't rained out.

Penalty Shots

-Eric Hosmer, aka The Wizard of Hoz, hit his first major league home run at Yankee Stadium with his family in attendance. This kid has it.

-Twins great Harmon Killebrew is losing his battle with cancer. Killebrew, 74, announced today that he is no longer plans to fight the esophageal cancer that he was diagnosed with last December. Killebrew currently ranks on 11th on baseball's all-time home run list with 573 homers. He appeared in 11 All-Star Games and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984. This is sad news for baseball.

-The Conference Finals have arrived in hockey and I am picking San Jose and Tampa Bay to move on and face each other in the Stanley Cup Finals. Having said that, put your money on Vancouver and Boston.

-In the NBA I am betting on a Dallas-Miami Finals. I don't see anyone beating Miami right now either.

-On Thursday night @NFL on Twitter posed the question "If Tony Gonzalez isn't the best tight end currently playing in the NFL right now then who is?" I responded, "No tight end is currently playing in the NFL." Damn this lockout.

-Speaking of Twitter, Chad Ochocinco has announced he is going to try Professional Bull Riding as he waits for the lockout to end. I guess he grew accustomed to BS from being around Terrell Owens.

-If the Mets want to secure a solid future they are going to have to sacrifice the present. This means getting something in return for Jose Reyes, Francisco Rodriguez, Carlos Beltran, and Jason Bay among others.

-Nationals top prospect Bryce Harper looks like the real deal. In 32 games for A Hagerstown he is hitting .395 with 8 homers and 30 RBI, 6 SB's, 17 BB's, 27 K's, an OBP of .473, 11 2B's, and has an OPS of 1.175. Sure, its only 32 games but he is just 18 years-old!

-Boxer Bernard Hopkins ripped into Washington Redskins QB Donovan McNabb on Tuesday. Hopkins said of McNabb, "Forget this. He's got a suntan. That's all." Basically, Hopkins thinks McNabb's being raised in a Chicago suburb disqualifies McNabb from being black. Really? I didn't know there were certain criteria individuals needed to meet in order to be a member of a race.

-I don't know what is wrong with the Yankees lately but I haven't seen them play such bad all around baseball since 1990-91. Bad fielding, poor hitting, forgettable pitching, nothing is going right for the Yankees right now. Even when they get good pitching, like A.J. Burnett's 7 inning 1 hitter, they don't hit. Last night was the worst. The errors, poor pitching, and the lack of hitting resulted in poor showings against the Tigers and Royals over the past week. Terrible, just terrible.

Wrist Shots

Hello everyone, my name is Chris and I am addicted to sports. Here are some stories from around the sports world.

-Rangers forward Sean Avery recently came out in support for gay marriage. Hockey agent, Todd Reynolds took to Twitter to announce his support against it. Personally, I think both men are correct in airing their opinions. Reynolds didn't get crazy and did support equality among all people but believes in the sanctity of marriage. Personally, I don't see how this makes ESPN but it did. I think both men are entitled to their opinions and as long as everything remains civil I don't see why either should be crucified for their beliefs.

-There is a story circulating around Detroit and on NY's sports talk radio station WFAN about a possible trade between the Tigers and Mets. The trade, from what I am understanding, is David Wright to the Tigers for Max Scherzer, Austin Jackson, and Brandon Inge. If I'm the Mets I do the deal. Now before you get upset, hear me out. I know Wright is the face of the Mets franchise but he is not as good as Reyes, who is the real spark plug of the Mets offense. Wright is a good player but its the following numbers that scare me about him: 113, 113, 115, 118, 140, 161. Those are Wrights strikeout totals from 2005 to 2010. They have gone up every year. Another number that causes me concern: 72, 66, 94, 94, 74, 69, the number of walks for Wright during those same years. His batting average has also taken a nose dive during that span. Beginning in 2005 Wright hit .306, then .311 in 2006, .325 in '07, .302 in '08, .307 in '09, .283 in '10 and is currently batting .241. Something isn't right. This year he currently has 38 K's and 22 BB's in 35 games. The Mets need to ask themselves is Jose Reyes a better player at 29 than Wright at 28? Look at who is currently performing and who is not. Sure, Reyes is hurt a lot more than Wright but when Reyes is on the field he is one of the most exciting players in the game. With no big shortstops coming up in the free agent market (aside from Reyes), over the next couple of years the Mets need to ask themselves, can they afford to let Reyes leave via free agency or do they try to re-sign him and trade Wright, or keep Wright and trade Reyes for a reduced price? If I'm Sandy Alderson I trade Wright, especially if I can get that package from Detroit plus an extra prospect.

-It was nice to see Yankee fans give Melky Cabrera some love in his first game back to Yankee Stadium since the 2009 World Series. He was traded as part of the Javier Vazquez deal that offseason. He was included in the roll call which was classy.

-I am finding the NBA Playoffs to be exciting, but, and this kills it for me, I can't stand the officiating in the NBA. Stars get away with murder. They can travel, foul, and basically do anything they want. This makes it unwatchable for me.

Well, that's it for tonight. Be safe and enjoy the sports!

Is Jorge Posada Done?

Jorge Posada is one of the "Core Four" and has helped the Yankees to four World Series Championships. He has caught 1,573 regular season games. He is now 39 years-old, no longer catches, and is struggling mightily at the plate. Posada currently owns a .152 AVG, 15 hits in 99 at bats. Eight of those hits have been for extra bases, 2 doubles and 6 homers. He has struck out 28 times while walking 13 times which contributes to his .257 OBP. A stat line like that usually leads to a release or a demotion to AAA. A demotion to AAA won't happen, and, because of his prestige as a Yankee-great, neither will a release. But does that mean Manager Joe Girardi has to keep trotting Posada out there as the Yankees DH every game?

Much has been made about the Yankees failure to score without the home run and Posada is the embodiment of this. When six of fifteen hits go for home runs you can see there is not much diversity when it comes to Posada's hits this season. To make matters worse, he hasn't homered since April 23rd at Baltimore. He showed some signs of possibly breaking out of his slump from May 1-3 when he collected five hits, including two doubles, in twelve at-bats. However, he immediately fell into a 1 for 15 slump, one that he is currently mired in. Can he break out of it? Sure. But how reasonable is it to expect a thirty-nine year-old former catcher to be able to to suddenly erupt and bring his stat lines up to his career norms? The answer is, it isn't. One can make the case that he is trying to adjust to being a full-time DH but he has had 29 games in which to show something.

This brings us to the real question, can the Yankees afford to keep trotting Posada out there everyday with little expectation for something positive to happen? Right now, the Yankees might be able to get away with it because guys like Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, and Russell Martin are all contributing something right now. However, if Posada doesn't snap out of it soon he might force Girardi to bench him. Especially if Eric Chavez comes back from his foot fracture and swings a hot bat. So, right now, Girardi can keep Posada at the DH spot but if he fails to hit over the next two weeks then Girardi should bench Posada in favor of someone who can actually contribute at the plate. Right now, all Posada is doing is holding up the development of Jesus Montero who is stuck at AAA, Austin Romine, who is stuck at AA because Montero is at Scranton, and Gary Sanchez who is behind those two.

At the very least, this should be Jorge's last year in professional baseball. The worst thing that can happen for the Yankees in the long-term is Posada catches fire and hits over 20 home runs and brings his average up to, say, .250, and the Yankees bring him back for next season. That would be Cashman's biggest mistake. Posada's best days are long gone. Sure, he will get a hold of a fastball down the middle of the plate and punish it every now and then but he won't improve much on those breaking balls which have been fooling him consistently all season. He has looked lost up there, as if his bat is stuck in cement and either strikes out or drills the ball into the ground. Personally, if I were in Girardi's chair right now I would have no problem with benching Posada in favor of Eric Chavez, or a Justin Maxwell or Jesus Montero. Hopefully, Yankee fans can enjoy a little bit of Posada before he retires. He is one of the all-time great Yankees and deserves to have a good send-off, hopefully his poor season doesn't sour the experience.

Pop Flies & Suicide Squeezes

-Derek Jeter went 259 at bats between home runs when he hit his first today against the Rangers. He then had to wait until his next at bat before belting his second one of the year, the shortest wait time for him between homers. Baseball is weird sometimes. By going 4 for 5, Jeter raised his batting average 20 points to .276. Baseball is a strange, strange game. But awesome as well.

-Francisco Cervelli hit his first grand slam today. He actually had to wait longer than Jeter between homers, going 307 AB's, last homering on June 24, 2009.

-Justin Verlander threw his second no-hitter of his career, and the second one this week which is also the second one this year. Verlander struck out 4, which tied his lowest output this year, which is also his other complete game this year.

-Mariano Rivera pitched 1 inning on May 6, 2011 and struck out more batter than the starter, Ivan Nova did in 7 innings.

-According to Ben Badler on Twitter, Blue Jays minor league shortstop Gustavo Pierre has 20 errors in 27 games. All that for the bargain basement price of $700,000.

-There will be no repeat this year in the NBA. The Dallas Mavericks completely outplayed the Lakers. The Lakers showed absolutely no class in their loss. Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom got thrown out for flagrant fouls and the Lakers had no control over their emotions, or the Mavericks. On a side note, I guess Kobe Bryant was right to feel like the Mavs could beat the Lakers, because, well, because they did. In four games. So, now I guess its time for Phil Jackson to take a hiatus from the NBA before he goes on to coach the Heat, Knicks, or some other team with some superstar power.

-Whose offense is more feeble? The Twins or Padres? The Padres have been shut out 8 times this year. The Twins have a team OPS of .614, the Padres are second to last at .620. The Padres are hitting .216 as a team and the Twins are hitting .230. The Twins have hit 14 home runs while the Padres have 20. I honestly can't decide who is worse.

-The Mets are one of the 16 teams with a higher team batting average than the Yankees (.250-.247). The other team with a higher team average are: Cardinals, Cubs, Angels, Royals, Astros, Indians, Rangers, Reds, Phillies, Dodgers, Tigers, Brewers, Mets, Red Sox, Marlins, and Blue Jays. Yes, the Royals are 4th in the big leagues with a .268 AVG. However, the Yankees do lead the majors in home runs with 49, 9 more than the Rangers.

-Justin Maxwell hit his 11th home run for the SWB Yankees in 101 at bats. He also has 45 K's, and 20 BB's. He only has 24 hits (11 of which are the homers) and has 3 2B's, and 1 triple. So, he either hits the ball a long way or not at all. Kind of Jorge Posada this year.

-SWB Yankees reliever Andy Sisco has yet to allow a run this year. That is 12 games and 11.1 innings. He has struck out 12, walked 8, and allowed only 4 hits. If he can cut his walks a bit he could be in the Bronx at some point this season. Or, he could just be this year's version of Zack Kroenke.

-The Royals have stayed true to their commitment to winning. Yeah, you read that right. They called up Eric Hosmer this past week without regard to starting his arbitration clock early. The Royals think he is ready and they needed some help at first base. Hosmer is just the first of a long line of Royals prospects who should make their major league debut this year. Mike Montgomery and Danny Duffy should be next in the parade, followed by Mike Moustakas. It could be the days of the Royals being pushovers might be coming to an end. If half of these prospects they have in their system live up to the hype the Royals are going to field an amazing team.

Well, that's all for now. Enjoy your sports.

Bunts

-This day in history, Babe Ruth hits the first home run in his career in 1915.

-The Yankees designated Kevin Russo for assignment to make room for relief pitcher Jess Todd who was released by the Indians. Todd was a second round pick by the Cardinals in 2007 and has seen some success in the minors, posting a career 3.02 ERA and an excellent 9.2 K/9 rate. At the major league level, however, Todd owns a 7.62 ERA in 25 games but still has an excellent k/9 rate of 9.2. He is only 25 and knows how to get a strikeout. With some help he can still develop into a bullpen option. Worse case, he cost the Yankees a utility player at best who failed to hit even .200 at the big league level. I'll take the flier on the arm.

-The Red Sox placed Bobby Jenks and Dan Wheeler on the DL today. Jenks with a biceps strain and Wheeler with a calf strain. Further evidence that it is foolhardy to invest in free agent bullpen arms. Scott Atchison and Rich Hill will take their places.

-Happy Birthday to Willie Mays, who turned 80 today. Mays is one of the best ballplayers to ever step foot on a diamond and it would have been interesting to see what he would have done had he not lost a year and a half in the prime of his career to military service during the Korean War.

-In an effort to add some umph to its pass rush, the Houston Texans are moving Mario Williams to OLB in their new 3-4 scheme.

-Clothing maker Champion dropped Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall as a sponsor following Mendenhall's controversial tweets on Twitter.

-Rutgers and Army will be playing at Yankee Stadium on Nov. 12th. Last year, the two teams met at Giants Stadium in an overtime victory for Rutgers.

-Duke PG Kyrie Irving declared for the NBA Draft last month. I think this is a big mistake on Irving's part. He missed a large chunk of the season to a foot injury and was rusty when he came back but he did show signs of shaking off that rust as Duke advanced. Still, he will be a top ten pick and will eventually develop into an elite point guard.

-Derek Jeter, according to Beckett Baseball Card Monthly has 12, 694 cards worth a total of $319,687.95. The average price? $34.39. Bryce Harper, who has yet to appear in a Major League game, has 49 total cards worth a total of $10,830.00 for an average price of $401.11. Of course, these numbers are slightly skewed because 28 of those cards are autographs and Jeter has 1,044 similar cards. Still, it is amazing what hype can do in the baseball card hobby.

Well, that's it for now. The Yankees are taking on the Rangers in Texas with first pitch at 8:05 PM and the Mets are home against the Divorcers, I mean Dodgers with first pitch at 7:10 PM. There is also assorted NHL and NBA playoff games going on as well. Enjoy the sports.

Is Derek Jeter hurting the Yankees?

We have heard it a lot lately. Is Derek Jeter past his prime? Will he be able to recapture the form that only two years ago had him hitting over .300? The answers are simple. Yes, and no. Derek Jeter is a Yankee icon. Winning World Championships in New York will do that, ask Mark Messier. The past two seasons, however, have been somewhat new for Derek Jeter as he adjusts to, well as he adjusts to his age. Jeter is now 37 years old and has become the focus of a lot of debate throughout the baseball world. Can he bounce back? History says no. Age is generally not kind to middle infielders of Jeter's age. Just two years ago, Jeter put up outstanding numbers, hitting .334 with 18 home runs, 66 RBI's, and 30 stolen bases. Last season Jeter began his decline. He hit just .270 with 10 homers. He did, however, hit 2 more triples (3) and 3 more doubles (30) but his 179 hits were down from 212. This year, Jeter has been off to an even worse start. He looks more like Luis Castillo than Derek Jeter at the plate. So far this year, Jeter has hit the ball on the ground 69 times in 27 games. Twenty of those hits have allowed him to reach base for a .290 average. That average is helped by leading the majors in infield base hits. Jeter's speed is still there but, as the season progresses, he will most likely see those numbers drop. On the rare occasion that Jeter does get the ball off the ground he has only a .133 average, 2 hits in 16 plate appearances. And, on the even rarer occasion that he hits a line drive he possesses a .444 average, 4 singles in 10 plate appearances. More often than not, Jeter has put the ball on the ground, and more often than not, an at bat is wasted. One can almost predict with certainty what Derek Jeter will do in an at bat. He will hit the ball on the ground.

So, if Derek Jeter's best days are behind him, what can the Yankees do about it? Manager Joe Girardi doesn't have an easy solution. Jeter started the year in the second spot in the order with Brett Gardner leading off. However, Gardner struggled and Jeter was elevated back to batting leadoff. Jeter has not exactly lit the world on fire from that spot either. He does possess a .417 AVG in the first inning through 27 plate appearances and a .455 AVG in the second inning in 12 PA's. However, in innings 4-6 he is hitting just .194 and in innings 7-9 he is hitting just .120. As the game progresses, so does the pitcher's ability to get him out. Of course, as a leadoff hitter, it is later in the game that runners will be in scoring position, a situation he is only hitting .130 in. These stats suggest that leading off he can still hit the ball, hitting .278 from the leadoff spot this year in 72 at bats. Sadly, in baseball, one has to be able to hit in all situations, something Jeter has done very little of in non-leadoff situations. There are few options to replace Jeter in the leadoff spot, with Brett Gardner the most viable option. Gardner, however, hasn't exactly shined in that spot either. Moving Jeter further down in the lineup than the #2 spot would create a media storm like no other in Yankee Stadium. This is a predicament but one that should never be taken into consideration if you are the manager of the Yankees where winning is the only thing. Surprisingly, leaving Jeter in the leadoff spot is the best option right now as it is the only place he is hitting the ball.

Watching Yankee games has been pretty painful at times this year. Jeter is not really hitting the ball out of the infield, or off the ground. But with a lack of options and the fact that as the first at-bat of the game Jeter is actually hitting better than anywhere else, it doesn't make sense to take him out of that spot. At least not this year at this point in time. So, Derek Jeter, the Yankee version of Luis Castillo, will be given every opportunity to fight his way through his struggles. After all, there is no way that his power, what little there was, has completely left him? One has to believe that he is capable of more than 2 extra base hits in 108 at bats which comes out to about 11 extra base hits over a 600 at bat season. The question is, will he?

Drag Bunts

-Francisco Liriano threw one of the ugliest no-hitters in the history of baseball. Liriano walked six and struck out only two, throwing only 66 of his 123 were strikes. That's 57 balls! One man, Juan Pierre, actually raised his on-base percentage from .307 to .321 by walking three times! Liriano emerged from his no-hitter with a 6.61 ERA. Oh, the weird world of baseball!

-Phil Hughes is reporting feeling better after getting a cortisone shot back in April. Wait a minute, I thought Phil wasn't complaining of any pain...so why the shot? Following his saga is like following information from the White House and other government organizations regarding the bin Laden takedown. What the hell is actually going on? Whatever it is, it was reported by Kim Jones that he is out another 6-8 weeks. Not good news, but at least its better than him having something seriously wrong with his arm.

-The Texas Rangers signed twenty-three year-old Cuban defector Leonys Martin to the second largest contract ever given to a Cuban defector, a five-year major league deal worth $15.5 million. The largest contract ever given to a Cuban? That would be the Reds' contract with Aroldis Chapman which was a six-year $30.25 million deal.

-On a sports card collecting note, if there is no football this season, will there be football cards issued? And if there is no football and players can't sign contracts, what does this mean for rookie cards of the players just drafted?

-Blake Griffin unanimously won the NBA Rookie of the Year. He is the first unanimous choice since David Robinson won it in 1990.

-According to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com, the San Francisco Giants have looked into acquiring Mets SS Jose Reyes. Nothing is close to be being done as these were just internal discussions. One thing is for sure, the Giants anemic offense surely needs a boost.

-When the Knicks picked up point guard Chauncey Billups' $14.2 million option I couldn't help but wonder if it is just so the Knicks can dangle his expiring contract in a trade. Billups may have been a slight upgrade over Raymond Felton but injuries caused him to miss 3 of the 4 games in the playoffs but the Knicks need to ask themselves whether or not Billups, 34, will be able to hold up over a full season and still be effective for a playoff run. I think Billups is still a good point guard with boatloads of experience and his expiring contract is worth more to the Knicks as an expiring contract than a trade chip.

-Jesus Montero is currently leading the International LEague in batting average with a .373 AVG. Think the Yankees could use that?

-The Pittsburgh Pirates currently lead the Majors with 11 road wins. Yes, you read that correctly. However, they are tied for the least amount of home wins with 4.

-Has Derek Jeter actually hit the ball out of the infield this year? I know he has but it feels like it was 3 years ago. So far, he only has 2 extra-base hits, is batting .250 and has a paltry .308 OBP. Not exactly a true leadoff hitter by any stretch.

Well, that's it for tonight. Have a great night.

Free Throws

Just some quick notes from around sports:

-Derrick Rose won the MVP award, becoming the youngest in the history of the NBA to win the award. He averaged 25 PPG, 7.7 APG, and 4.1 RPG. There is no doubt he is one of the brightest young stars in the NBA.

-Evan Longoria was activated from the 15-day DL by the Tampa Bay Rays. Longoria is one of the best hitters in the game and there is no doubt that Tampa's offense suffered in his absence.

-Shin-Soo Choo was arrested for drunken driving early Monday morning in Sheffield Lake, Ohio. This hasn't been the best season so far for the man many consider the Indians best player. This season, Choo is hitting 44 points below his career average of .294. The last three seasons, Choo has hit at least .300 while increasing his home run total each year as well.

-Phil Hughes's shoulder checked out in the battery of tests he underwent over the past week. That is excellent news for the young Yankee right-hander. However, his diminished velocity is still an absolute mystery and that is not good news. I think, if I were Hughes, I would want something found so I know what it is. This HAS to be weighing on him.

-The escapades of Milton Bradley continue as he was suspended for one game and fined an undisclosed amount after his ejection last weekend in a game against the Red Sox. Bradley has always had the talent but has never been able to translate it on the field because he could never control himself. Bradley does lead the league in career ejections and his record of hurting himself during an outburst at an umpire's call is still something to behold. I am not sure why any team would take a chance on him anymore. He is just too unpredictable.

-Rex Ryan won the Horrigan Award which is given out by the media for being the best non-player helping the media do their jobs. This is how you are rewarded for giving the media fodder on an almost weekly basis. I am not looking forward to listening to Rex Ryan this season. He just doesn't know when to be quiet and I am sure this award will fuel his hubris.

-Former NFL safety, Dave Duerson, was found to have moderately advanced brain damage when he committed suicide in February of this year. Duerson's condition was a result of blows to the head. I remember Duerson from the 1990 Super Bowl Champion New York Giants team where he provided veteran leadership to the Giants secondary. He made 4 Pro Bowls and was never afraid to put his body out there. Hopefully, Duerson's condition won't go unnoticed by coaches from grade school to the NFL and head trauma will finally be taken a lot more seriously than it is now.

-One reason for the Detroit Tigers struggles this year, aside from Victor Martinez being sidelined with an injured groin, has been the utter disappointment Magglio Ordonez has been this year. Through 19 games, Ordonez is hitting .151 with only 1 RBI and 1 extra base hit. The RBI, in case you were wondering, came as the result of a groundout. When one of three best hitters is performing as poorly as Ordonez is, and you combine it with Austin Jackson's pace to tie Mark Reynolds' record for most strikeouts in a season and Ryan Raburn's attempt to beat Jackson you are going to struggle on the offense. This Tigers team is a shell of the one that went to the World Series a few years ago and was considered a team on the rise. This Tigers team is on the way down and with Cleveland and Kansas City developing young talent I don't think we will be seeing this team in contention anytime soon.

-Andre Ethier extended his streak to 28 games. He is halfway to Joe DiMaggio.

-Yesterday, I mentioned Alfonso Soriano leading the major leagues in home runs with 11. Eleven also happens to be the total number of homers the rest of his teammates have hit this year.

-A lot was made about the Brewers acquisition of Zack Greinke this past offseason. However, the real surprise might be Shaun Marcum who is currently 3-1 and is currently 4th in the NL in ERA with a 2.21 average and owns a 1.06 WHIP, all below his career norms.

-The Yankees signed Brad Halsey to a minor league contract today. You might remember Halsey from his previous stint with the Yankees in 2004 when he appeared in 8 games. Halsey, 30, has been playing in the independent leagues for the past two seasons and has not appeared in the majors since 2004 when he was with the A's. This move is nothing more than adding pitching depth. The guy throws left-handed so of course he was going to get another shot.

-Mike Axisa put together an excellent graph over at Riveraveblues.com that charts the Yankees offense by inning. You can check it out here. IF you don't already read this blog, you should. These guys are good at covering the Yankees.

-The Nashville Predators are injecting life into hockey in the South. Their playoff run is filling seats and injecting life into a franchise and area once thought to be not hockey-friendly enough. The Pirates, Royals, and other small market teams that have not spent money on getting players to bring success to the field should take note.

-The Angels Jared Weaver was handed his first loss of the year last night by the Red Sox. The Red Sox just flat out own the Angels, winning 14 of their 15 matchups.

-I have been having a hard time getting into the NBA Playoffs this year. The reason? The ref's. Some of the calls these refs make have me believing some of these games are fixed. Calling fouls where none exist and not calling fouls on others that are blatantly obvious just angers me to no end. I understand the NBA is a stars league but this is getting ridiculous. The NBA needs to do something about these refs before they rip the heart out of the game.

-Speaking of the NBA playoffs...I don't think it is too early to announce that there is a changing of the guard taking place in the NBA right now. The Lakers and Celtics have huge warts this year and other teams might have found the answers to beating them. Sure, the Lakers and Celts can still put it together and make a run but age is definitely catching up to them as it has the Spurs.

-Even though the Knicks got knocked out of the first round and the Nets failed to make the playoffs, I can't help but feel excited for basketball in the NYC metro area. With Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire, Deron Williams, and Brook Lopez, there is more talent around now than I ever remember. And what is better, the best basketball is yet to come.

-If you don't know the story of Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich you are missing a truly feel good story in sports. Herzlich was diagnosed with a from of bone cancer in 2009 after an excellent year in 2008. That would stop most people in their tracks. Not Herzlich. He was back on the field in 2010 and produced. His girlfriend is also in Army ROTC and will soon embark on a stint in the Army. He went undrafted in last weekends draft but he hasn't let that stop him. He has been working out and readying himself in case some NFL team comes with a free-agent contract once the lockout is lifted. If the lockout isn't lifted, Herzlich can sign with the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League who took him in the 10th round of their draft. If I were an NFL GM I would be on the phone with Herzlich first thing. Character goes a long way in my book.

That's all for now. Enjoy the sports tonight.

A Not-So-Sweet Tweet

Twitter has broken downs doors between fans and the media. It has led to different sports writing "social media policies" which, if broken, can lead to fines for the player in question. Recently, Ozzie Guillen was fined by MLB for being ejected from a baseball game and then going into the clubhouse to tweet about the umps in the game. Twitter has also led to a distribution of opinions that otherwise would never have come forth. Rashard Mendenhall, the Pittsburgh Steelers running back, used Twitter to share his views about the news of Osama bin Laden's death. Needless to say, they were tweets that are not exactly mainstream thought.

Mendenhall, after learning of Osama's death, asked his followers, "What kind of person celebrates death? It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side..." Allow me to retort Mr. Mendenhall. Hate is exactly what has motivated al Qaeda, bin Laden's organization, to attack people who they regard as a threat to Islam. Whether you like it or not, you reside in a country that is considered to be "The Great Satan" by these fundamentalists. Oh, and as for never having heard him speak, well, you just need to poke your head outside your helmet to see that bin Laden has spoken many times to the American people. Anybody with an internet connection can hear his words. Allow me to assist you in understanding what bin Laden preached by quoting him. Quoting from Imperial Hubris, here is bin Laden as he addresses Muslim women, "You are the ones who have incited and motivated and before then reared all men who fight the jihad in Palestine, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Chechnya. You are the ones who brought forth the band of heroes in the New York and Washington conquests." Describing 9/11, bin Laden also said, "These great events [referring to Palestine and the September 11th attacks] are all a manifestation of the blessed jihad that has stayed its course toward the ultimate objective and Allah's promised end." Hardly the words of a man of peace. Encouraging women to raise men to kill us, celebrating the 9/11 attacks. Mr. Mendenhall basically defends bin Laden, saying he is a misunderstood man. Well, perhaps you are right. The media has not a very good job of portraying the real bin Laden since he burst onto the scene in the early 1990's. Osama bin Laden is not a madman. He was not a crazy man who lived in a cave and desired to kill every person on earth who is not a Muslim. In reality, bin Laden was a determined man who disagreed wholeheartedly with US foreign policy and haddecided that waging a war on the innocent was justified because American troops are on Muslim soil. He believed American foreign policy enslaves Muslims. The reality of it is American foreign policy does not enslave Muslims, in fact, much of American foreign policy was formulated in DEFENSE of Muslims. But, hey, what's reality when one can keep the blinders on?

It seems to me if Mendenhall had taken his blinders off he would have seen that the one who celebrated an attack he ordered was bin Laden, the man whom Mendenhall is defending.

Oh, but Mendenhall wasn't done. Nope. He continued to tweet. He went on to say, "We'll never know what happened [referring to 9/11]. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style." Here, Mr. Mendenhall seems to cling to the belief that 9/11 was an inside job. Apparently he ignores scientific fact. For someone who wishes he knew both sides of a story he sure doesn't exert any energy into finding out for himself the truth. Flipping on the television would work here Rashard. The Science Channel, History Channel, National Geographic Channel, and a host of others have all aired programs that has described the events of 9/11 in a purely scientific manner. But why seek the truth you so quickly instruct others to do.

Mendenhall, also went on to tweet, "I believe in God. I believe we're ALL his children. And I believe HE is the ONE and ONLY judge." He continues in another tweet, ""Those who judge others will also be judged themselves." Yet another tweet asks, "For those of you who said you want to see bin Laden burn...I ask how would God feel about your heart?" And then the kicker, "There is not an ignorant bone in my body. I just encourage you to think."

Think. Interesting. Not an ignorant bone in your body? Well, I agree with that. The only thing ignorant is your mind, Mr. Mendenhall. I will not tell you what to believe but I ask you heed your own words and think and look for answers yourself before spouting forth in such a public manner. Make no mistake, bin Laden declared war on us. He evaded capture for almost 10 years while carrying out, or influencing several terrorist attacks since 9/11. He had perpetrated several attacks against US interests before 9/11. Maybe, you live in a cozy environment where people will agree with you and encourage you to make an ass of yourself in public via Twitter. I am also a Christian, Mr. Mendenhall. I am happy we were able to acheive justice for thousands who lost their lives in one man's idea of warfare. These thousands did not ask for death, were not in military uniform, and were only going about their daily lives. For this, they died. Ask yourself if you believe, deep down in your heart, that these people deserved to die?

You can sit back on your computer and phone and tweet anything you want because bin Laden, and those like him, are not succeeding in turning the world into what Afghanistan was under the Taleban. What you witnessed, Mr. Mendenhall, was a celebration in response to a victory in an ongoing war against bin Laden and his followers. What you witnessed was a renewal of American spirit, not a celebration of death. What you witnessed was an outpouring of emotion that has been repressed by an American public that has been waiting for the other shoe to drop for almost ten years. By taking down bin Laden, we have recovered valuable intelligence while removing the head. Basically, we can see what is in the wardrobe instead of waiting for the other shoe to drop.

So, sit back, Mr. Mendenhall and continue to utilize the freedoms that are defended and protected by the men and women who have worked hard and used their blood and sweat to secure your freedoms while you made as much money in a year as an entire company of soldiers will make in a year. I don't beseech the fact that you make millions. You are a good running back and have a talent on the field that puts you in an elite category in a sport I love to watch. Good for you. I am glad God blessed you with that talent. What I am upset about is your ignorance of the world outside of football. You can believe in turning the other cheek. That is fine. We technically did that after we were attacked in 2000 when the USS Cole was attacked. We turned the other cheek when two of our embassies were bombed in Africa in 1998. We didn't commit ourselves in 1993 to uncovering the terror network that was emerging after the World Trade Center was bombed in 1993. Those are just a few examples. Turning the other cheek is an admirable quality. But, security is an obligation of our government owes us and watching thousands of people perish while sitting behind their desks at work is unacceptable. Taking the war to bin Laden was a step to ensure you didn't get blown up at Heinz Field in the middle of doing your job. So, go ahead and tell us how to live our lives while being ignorant of reality. As an American it is your right, what I like to call the "Right to be Stupid Amendment." I also have rights and they include the right to boo you, disagree with you, and cheer American victories in the longest and toughest war (a war I fought in, mind you) this nation has ever fought. As you tell us not to judge others but condemn those who took to the streets you only expose yourself as a hypocrite. Enjoy your tweeting. I will enjoy paying attention to certain linebackers as they target you as bin Laden targeted America.

Line Drives

A few quick hits on some baseball happenings around the leagues.

-It appears as if top Mets pitching prospect Jenrry Mejia is going to undergo Tommy John surgery after suffering a complete tear in his medial collateral ligament in his right elbow. If he does have the surgery, the 21 year-old will be out until next year. He is going to head down to Alabama and get a second opinion from leading Tommy John surgeon Dr. James Andrews before opting for surgery.

-The Phil Hughes saga continues. He is slated to see more specialists.

- Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell was fined an undisclosed amount and was suspended two weeks after making threatening remarks and making threatening gestures towards fans while in San Francisco on April 23rd. McDowell, apparently, did something similar last season. This time, he made homophobic remarks about three men while making sexual gestures with a baseball bat and his hips. When McDowell was rebuked for his behavior by Justin Quinn, who was attending the game with his wife and kids, McDowell asked Quinn, "How much are your teeth worth," while making a gesture with the bat. Real class act that Roger McDowell.

-The Cleveland Indians are 19-8 going into Monday's action. They are, by far, the surprise of baseball. The question is, can they sustain this over a season? Well, no. Winning at a .704 clip is hard on the best of teams, in fact almost impossible. What the Indians can do is build confidence, and cushion a lead that currently sits at 4.5 games over second place Kansas City. Yeah, you read that right. The Royals are in second place with a15-13 record. It is doubtful the Royals will be able to sustain over the season, much less into June, so the Indians, who are doing everything right on the field and are bolstered by a healthy and productive return from Grady Sizemore, should be able to build up enough of a lead to push them as the season progresses. It would not be surprising if the Indians made the playoffs at this point. The White Sox have been putting up no offense and when their offense scores a few runs their pitching burns them and the Twins are a shell because of injuries.

-What is with all the O's in Colorad-O? Ubald-O. Tul-O, and CarG-O. Last week's SI had a great story on the three O's. It also dawned on me that Colorad-O was also home to Carmel-O before he was traded, and the Broncos starting QB is now Tim TebOw. Weird.

-Minnesota is having one of the worst seasons I can remember. They have a run differential of -64. No other team is even in the negative 40's.

-Last season the Pirates only won 4 series on the road. They already have won 4 this year.

-Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays leads the American League in batting average and home runs but is 24th in RBI's. Adam Lind, on the other hand, is tied for second in the AL with 22 RBI's. Bautista also leads MLB in walks and OBP. In fact he has almost twice as many walks as K's, 30-16. Go figure. Maybe the dude is for real.

-Vladimir Guerrero has not walked at all this year. It's May.

-Josh Johnson of the Marlins, has an ERA of 0.88, a WHIP of 0.77, is 3-0, and has allowed only 18 hits in 41.0 IP. That is just ridiculous.

-Dustin Moseley, former Yankee, now has a win to go with his 1.63 ERA. Yeah, the same Dustin Moseley.

-Matt Garza of the Cubs is leading the Majors in K's with 51. Seems he likes Wrigley.

-Rafael Soriano is tied for the MLB lead in holds with 8, but sports a 6.57 ERA. Hmmm. No other relievers in the Top 10 have an ERA over 2.61.

-Alfonso Soriano leads MLB with 10 homers. But he only has 20 RBI's.

-Lance Berkman has a .398 AVG, is tied for 4th in MLB with 8 homers and is tied for 4th in RBI's with 23. I can only imagine what the Yankees record would be with him hitting from the DH spot instead of Jorge Posada.

-Peter Bourjos of the Angels leads MLB with 4 triples but has been caught stealing more often than he has been successful, 4-2.

-Two Detroit Tigers lead the majors in strikeouts, Austin Jackson is leading MLB with 37 with teammate Ryan Raburn nipping at his heels with 36. Mark Reynolds only has 25 so far so...WOW.

-Adrian Gonzalez of the Red Sox only has 1 home run so far, but is tied for second in doubles in MLB with 10.

That's it for now. Be safe out there and enjoy your nightly games.

Grading the Jets Draft

Round 1, Muhammed Wilkerson, DT, Temple.

Wilkerson came out after his Junior year at Temple. He had nothing else to prove. Wilkerson is a beast who can only get better if he learns to get violent at the point of attack. He had 9.5 sacks last year Temple to go along with 70 tackles. He should be able to slide in at defensive end and generate a pass rush that was on the fritz last year. He gets all over the field by using quickness not always seen on men of his size (6'4", 315 lbs). He actually can afford to add some weight and should so he can throw off blockers on his way to the ball carrier. The Jets think he should be able to step in right away and add to a pass rush that was lacking last year. He will definitely do that. Great pick at #30 in the first. Grade: A+

Round 3, Kenrick Ellis, DT, Hampton.

Ellis comes from a small school that played decent competition. Coming from a small school is never a detractor in my opinion. The Jets might have gotten a steal here, IF he can keep his nose clean. He wasn't the best student on or off the field. South Carolina kicked him out for violating team policy, and got himself arrested for assault last year. On the field, Ellis has some flaws but that is easily corrected. He possesses good size, strength, and speed for someone his size (6'4", 346 lbs). Had he been a more upstanding citizen he might have been a first round pick. Rex Ryan will have his hands full with him but if he can stay out of trouble he will be an excellent addition. I just question the Jets using a third rounder, their second pick in the draft on someone with as much of a checkered past as Ellis', especially when a lot of Jets have had trouble staying out of the headlines for off-field stuff in recent years. Grade: B+ to A-

Round 4, Bilal Powell, RB, Louisville.

Very productive back in college who should be able to contribute on special teams and in the backfield. He averaged 6.1 YPC last season while rushing for 1,488 yards. He won't run away from people and has average size for a running back (5'10" 207 lbs). Can he be an everydown back in the NFL? I don't see why not if he learns the offense and works hard. The instincts are there and he has the patience to wait for holes to open up. He won't lose yards too often because he won't panic and start running wild in the backfield. He will also be able to assist Mark Sanchez catching passes out of the backfield. A very underrated pick in the 4th round. Grade: B

Round 5, Jeremy Kerley, WR, TCU.

Kerley isn't going to win as many jump balls as, say, Braylon Edwards, but he is pretty quick off the line. He isn't blinding in the speed department but uses quickness off the snap to grab the ball on a quick throw and he takes off, using his shiftiness to make a play. He is fearless over the middle and will hang on to the ball once caught. He will also help out on special teams as a return man. The Jets might have a good one here, especially if they lose Edwards or Santonio Holmes to free agency. Grade: B.

Round 7, Greg McElroy, Alabama.

This was one of my favorite picks because I think McElroy was highly undervalued at the quarterback position this year. He is an accurate passer, completing 70.9% of his passes last year and 60.9 in 2009. He isn't the prototypical size for a QB (6'1", 200 lbs) but neither is Drew Brees. He knows how to win, he is a smart quarterback, rarely making a bad throw. He is strictly a pocket passer, lacking the quickness to make much happen if protection dissolves and he is forced to run. However, he will stay in the pocket until the last second to make his throw. I really like this pick. Let this kid sit behind Mark Sanchez and someone else while he learns the offense and you will have a very capable backup who could develop into a starter down the road. Grade: A+

Round 7, Scotty McKnight, WR, Colorado.

Childhood friend of QB Mark Sanchez. Sometimes all you need between a QB and WR is chemistry and there certainly is chemistry here. With a 7th round pick, why not see if something develops between these two and they can make it produce on the field. McKnight is 5'10" so he has decent size, not dominating, for a wide receiver. He is also very productive, becoming the first Colorado receiver to lead the team in catches for four years. He was also the 10th player in college football history to catch a pass in every game he played in. If I were a GM I would have taken this guy a lot earlier than the 7th round. But, nobody did...until the Jets did. I am willing to bet a few bucks he makes the team and is a very productive possession receiver for the Jets this year or next. Grade: A+

Grading the Giants Draft

Round 1, Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska.

Who knew that when the Giants were on the clock that Prince Amukamara would be staring them in the face. Many people expected the Giants to select Nate Solder, Gabe Carimi, or Anthony Costanzo. But when someone sends you a gift, you take it and that is exactly what the Giants did when Prince was sitting there. Amukamara has the potential to become a shut down corner in the NFL. He was considered the best cover corner in the draft and with Corey Webster, Aaron Ross, and Terrell Thomas in front of him he won't be asked to carry the load right away. Instead, he turns a unit that got burned too many times on deep plays last season into a potential strength. Jerry Reese will always take the best player available and he certainly was at the time. Grade: A+

Round 2, Marvin Austin, DT, UNC.

Austin could have been a first round pick but he missed 2010 due to being dismissed from the team for improper dealings with an agent. He has some serious makeup work to do in the maturity department but there are some solid citizens in the locker room that can lead Austin on the right path. He lacks consistency because his work ethic isn't the best but is explosive when he gets going. With the defensive line the Giants have he won't be asked to do too much right away and should be able to step into a rotation if he can grasp the defensive scheme of Perry Fewell. If he gets his head out of his posterior he can become a force for the Giants in time. Grade: A-

Round 3, Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy.

Many people scratched their heads when the Giants picked Jernigan. However, with Steve Smith coming off of micro-fracture surgery his return and effectiveness are questionable. Jernigan can also add a new dimension to the Giants offense as he can run out of the backfield and also throw the ball. Perhaps a wildcat offense is not out of the question at times. What's more, Jernigan can flat out run. He is also an excellent special teams player, something the Giants need, especially in the return game. He can either be Santana or Sinorice Moss. The Giants might have gotten a steal here. Grade: B+

Round 4, James Brewer, OT, Indiana.

The first thing that comes to mind when you see this guy is "wow!" He is huge. 6'7" and 325 lbs. The second thing that comes to mind is "raw." The Giants needed offensive line help in this draft and waited until the fourth round to address it. Brewer needs a lot of work before he steps into a starting job, but with Shaun O'Hara (if healthy), Chris Snee, Rish Seubert, Kareem McKenzie, David Diehl, and Will Beatty, the Giants have a decent offensive line....when healthy. If the Giants bring back Shawn Andrews then the depth increases but so does the health concerns. Brewer will need to work extremely hard to become a consistent member of the rotation. As he learns he should begin to see more and more playing time. He will need to adapt to the next level, something that many scouts question. His size is a plus as he can compensate with pure size what he lacks in talent. I don't know if he will be a starter in this league but with work can become a solid back-up. Grade: C

Round 6, Greg Jones, LB, Michigan State.

Jones is one of those guys that produces on the field despite being the ideal type of linebacker. He has the speed to make up for his mistakes but has the instincts to make sure he doesn't make too many of those. Jones also never missed a game due to injury. His only real weakness is his lack of strength, something that can be corrected with work in the weight room. He needs to show he can shed the blocker, violently if needed, and bring the ball carrier to the ground. He has the smarts and football instincts to lead a defense. Two-time All-American in 2009 and 2010. For a sixth round pick, Jones is a great value. Grade: A

Round 6, Tyler Sash, S, Iowa.

This guy will run through a wall for his coaches. He's one of those hard-working, high production players that seems to play above his athletic level. I don't know if that will translate into a starting job down the road but Sash will bust it out on special teams, making that tackle no matter what is put in front of him. He could work his way into a rotation in the secondary but right now he will be a Steve Tasker-type gunner. One plus, he has a nose for the ball. He uses great football instincts and knowledge to position himself in the right place to make the pick, something the Giants need...badly. Grade: B-

Round 6, Jacquian Williams, LB, South Florida.

Williams is a JuCo transfer and only played two years at South Florida...like Jason Pierre-Paul, last season's first round pick. Technically, he only has one full year of football under his belt so he is raw. He also played at 220 lbs. last season so he is going to need to bulk up on his 6'3" frame. However, he recently weighed in at 235 so he has been working on it. The key to Williams' game is speed. He uses his speed to fly all over the field and can range from sideline to sideline. He will be a project but the potential is there to turn into something special. When you have 3 sixth round picks, you might as well take a project. Grade: C (I'm thinking this will turn into an A+...call it a hunch).

Round 7, Da'Rel Scott, RB, Maryland.

Not exactly the best back in the draft but he is one of the fastest. He averaged 5.58 YPC while at Maryland and, if he grasps the offense, can develop into a good third down back. He can make the catch out of the backfield and use his speed to turn it on. He could also help out on special teams as he learns the offense. Grade: B-.