Man Muscles Swings to a New Beat

Not only will Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer be stepping into the batter's box for the first time this season on Friday (weeeeee!) against the Kansas City Royals, but he'll be doing it to a different tune.

St. Paul rapper and homeboy of Man Muscles, A & R has once again come up with an original song for the reigning AL batting champ to show off his sweet swing to this season. Last year, Mauer stepped up to the plate to the sound of Joe Mauer's Theme Song, created by A & R, especially for Joe.

Sox Shutting Down Smoltz. Still.

Boston Red Sox veteran John Smoltz, still recovering from June shoulder surgery, will avoid batting practice (again) this Thursday. In fact, he'll likely sit out of all baseball-related activities for the next week or so, according to manager Terry Francona.

The 41-year-old righty, who signed with the 14-7 Sox in January after 20 seasons with the Atlanta Braves -- we still don't get that -- is scheduled to rejoin the team on May 6th when they return home from a nine-game road trip. Maybe he'll even pitch for them someday.

Speaking of Boston, here's an awesome post from 27 Pitches on the douchery of Bill Simmons. Who doesn't love Mad Libs?

[Boston Herald] | [Dueling Couches] | [Full Count] | [The Joy of Sox]

Tragedy Strikes Liberty University

Sad, sad news out of Virginia this morning, as another freak accident on the diamond has taken the life of a 44-year-old man.

Jeff Taylor, Sr., a professor at Lynchburg, Virginia's Liberty University, collapsed and later died at the hospital after being hit in the throat area by a line drive on a Lynchburg College field during pitching practice.

Five players, including Taylor's son, Jeff, Jr., who plays baseball for Liberty, witnessed the incredibly unfortunate accident. Taylor was an assistant professor of health sciences and kinesiology.

"Jeff Sr. was one of those guys who was always there. He was at every game and a lot of practices," said LC Vice President John Eccles.

As Hard Ball Times notes, I'm surprised that this sort of thing hasn't happened in the big leagues. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Taylor family and all of Jeff Sr.'s friends and coworkers during this horrible, faith-challenging time.

[Washington Post] | [WSLS]

Was Zack Greinke Jinxed?

At what point do we bring up a pitcher's scoreless streak without jinxing him? Do we keep it to ourselves? Whisper it to the dude sitting next to us? Write a giant cover story about it? That is, if you believe in that sort of thing.

The same question arose when reading about Kansas City Royals ace Zack Greinke's long string of goose eggs all over the internet this week, just days before he gave up his first earned run in 43 innings on Wednesday. It took only two batters: a double by Marco Scutaro before Vernon Wells singled him home with two outs in the first to produce the first earned run off the righty since last September, a streak that spanned six incredible starts.

Continue reading this story at Fantasy Pros 911.

The Return of A-Rod's Pouty Face

Alex Rodriguez could return to the New York Yankees lineup a little sooner than initially expected this season... which is a good thing, since I totally picked him to be the American League MVP this Spring. I may or may not have been under the influence, but I stand by my pick.

According to Dr. Marc Philippon, the doc who operated on his hip back in March, Rodriguez could be back in pinstripes as soon as ten days from now. Dr. Philippon even watched the three-time American League MVP work out on Wednesday at the Yankees minor league complex and said:

The Yovani Gallardo Show

Now that I've sobered up (kinda) from my super funtastic live-blogging experience over at the incomparable Walkoff Walk, where I only blew the internet up one time, which hardly anyone even noticed, and only had one beer per Johan Santana strikeout, it's time to talk about the awesomeness that is Yovani Gallardo.

Liveblog at Walkoff Walk!

It's been a busy morning so far, so I'm going to go ahead and link to some great stories around the blogosphere instead of actually using my brain.

The SportsBubbler is pumped to have Trevor Hoffman back in action.

Very Small Talk is glad fans are now getting a "bargain" on tickets at the spankin' new Yankee Stadium.

Read about Jorge Cantu! believing in himself at his very own big league blog.

Cubs Hub details Big Z's near-cycle. Oh, what could have been.

Anyway, I get the joy of live-blogging Johan Santana and the New York Mets vs. Josh Johnson and the Florida Marlins, whose bandwagon I abandoned earlier this week, over at Walkoff Walk. If you've never been to this blog, I demand you go there immediately. It's my favorite. Seriously. Right. Now.

Thanks A Lot Cole Hamels

Philadelphia Phillies ace Cole Hamels, who I just traded for in my Fantasy Pros 911 Writers League (this was literally his first start on my roster) has sprained his ankle. So yeah. Thanks for that.

The lefty exited Tuesday night's game against the horrible Washington Nationals in the fifth inning after he appeared to have snagged his metal cleat while trying to field a John Lannan bunt.

This marks the second straight start in which the reigning World Series MVP left early, after a Prince Fielder line drive nailed his pitching shoulder during last Thursday's outing against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fourth inning.

Hamels, still winless on the season, left with a 5-0 lead after allowing four hits and striking out four in 4 1-3 innings. We'll keep you posted.

[NBC Sports] | [MLB Fanhouse] | [700 Level]

You Suck, ESPN Boy!

Just kidding. But really, Dock Ellis can throw one while tripping balls and you can't even throw five in a row stone cold sober?

Patrick Schuster, mentioned earlier today, lost his bid for a fifth-straight no-hitter in the third inning when Gaither's Drew Doty doubled over the right fielder's head.

On March 19th, his team defeated Gaither 13-2 while Schuster pitched six solid innings of one-hit ball. The only hit in the game? A double by Doty, his new nemesis.

Nice try, Patrick!

[USA Today] | [MAX Preps]

No Pressure, Patrick Schuster

Florida high school pitcher Patrick Schuster goes for no-hitter #5 today in the state playoffs.

The 18-year-old lefty has struck out an impressive 60 batters during his state-record string of no-no's, and if he's not getting them with his 90 mph fastball, he relies on a nasty slider and a nifty curve.

Two dozen major league scouts attended his last start, along with TV crews and a crowd somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000 people, which his dad Roger estimated to be around 900 more than attended the home opener. The jerks in the opposing dugouts have tried to distract the young hurler by chanting, "Hey, ESPN boy!"

After not throwing even one no-hitter through his first three years of high school, Schuster is two short of the national prep record of six consecutive set by Chris Taranto of Mississippi back in 1961 and tied by Tom Engle of Ohio in 1989. Best of luck, Patrick!

[NY Times] | [CBS Sports]

There's That Sucking Sound Again

I'm seriously beginning to wonder where the Washington Nationals get off thinking they have what it takes to be in the major leagues.

The one area of the game where they've really excelled as a team is handing the opposition three-game winning streaks, which is incredibly generous, but not cool if you're a Nationals fan. At times this season, it seems as though they can't even spell their team's name correctly, let alone swing a bat and field a baseball.

Continue reading and rate this story at Fantasy Pros 911.

Making Mitch Williams Look Smart

In the short history of my favorite channel, MLB Network, Matt Vasgersian has shoved his foot in his mouth at least one time in the past. This is one of those instances.

Update: Vasgersian has left a comment on Kissing Suzy Kolber's video post. Check it out. P.S. he hasn't been on any of the MLB Tonight shows at all today.

[Bugs and Cranks]

Red Sox Crank It Up to Eleven

We'd probably hop on this bandwagon too, but I don't think there's any room.

The Boston Red Sox (13-6) have pushed their amazing winning streak to eleven games, thanks in part to another exciting ninth-inning Jason Bay longball. This one came as a three-run shot off Cleveland Indians "reliever" Kerry Wood for a 3-1 victory.

Hey Everybody!

This one has been around a while, but it's a lazy Monday, which can mean only one thing: a video you may or may not have already seen.

Ellsbury Runs Like He's Being Chased

... by the cops. Boston Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury makes stealing home -- hands down the most exciting play in baseball -- against a shocked Andy Pettite look easy.

MLB Advanced Media are a bunch of party poopers. View the video over at SOX & Dawgs if you haven't had the chance!

[Boston Dirt Dogs] | [RandBall] | [Red Sox Reality Check]

Throwing Ourselves from the Bandwagon

As quickly and effortlessly as the Florida Marlins stole our hearts at the beginning of this season with their flashy 11-1 record, miraculous comebacks and sweet-swinging victories, they've broken our hearts just as fast with a six-game losing streak.

Talk about ups and downs. Their latest loss was so out of control that outfielder Cody Ross ended up pitching the ninth inning. The good news? He allowed only an infield single to top off his 3-for-3 day at the plate which was highlighted by a sweet diving catch out in right field, where he started.

"We’re not an 11-1 team, and we’re not an 0-6 team—we’re somewhere in the middle," says manager Fredi Gonzalez.

A Ballpark Stimulus Would Be Pretty Sweet

The many scores of outraged, frugal fans have spoken. And Bud Selig has answered. Sort of.

In these tough economic times, some of us ride our bikes to work and school. Others have cut down on going out to eat or sadly, even slowed down on the binge-drinking. One thing we shouldn't have to give up is a trip to the ballpark to watch our favorite teams play our favorite game.

Those empty seats in the shiny new palaces of New York have not gone unnoticed by commissioner Selig.

It's not that he's asked the Yankees and Mets to lower their ticket prices, but he may have hinted at it. Ultimately, it's up to them.

Where Have You Gone, Cliff Lee?

Back to my infatuation with struggling pitchers...

Cliff Lee has officially matched his loss total of the entire 2008 season, and it's only April 23rd.

Now 1-3 with a 5.25 ERA over four starts this month and a frightening strikeout-to-walk ratio (19/9), the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner allowed two runs and nine hits over eight innings against the Kansas City Royals during his best game of the year on Wednesday. A year ago, the lights-out lefty went 5-0 against them on his way to a 22-3 record and 2.54 ERA.

He didn’t even see his third loss until Sept. 23rd at Boston. Then again, he should be pretty happy with pitching eight innings and allowing only two runs, right?

Continue reading and rate this story at Fantasy Pros 911.

Stop Calling Me Radio!

Will you be bored out of your mind at 3pm Central this afternoon?

Excellent.

So tune into BlogTalk Radio to listen to me and fellow Fantasy Pros 911 writer Kevin Orris on The Big O's Fantasy Baseball Review, where we'll talk about all kinds of baseball-related stuff.

Guess How We Feel About Your Mustache

Dennis Eckersley of NESN gets a behind-the-back low-five for expressing his opinion on Brad Penny's fastball this evening...

"He's a little gay with his cheese."

Thank you, Dennis.

So Long For Now, Anna

Guess what?! Kris Benson is on the disabled list again. It's like a second home to this guy.

The Texas Rangers righty landed on the 15-day DL with tendinitis in his right elbow, retroactive to April 16th. Benson, who is 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA in two starts this season, had been away from baseball since 2006. He skipped the 2007 season after shoulder surgery and pitched in the Philadelphia Phillies' minor league system in 2008 before the Phils released him in August. He then signed a minor league contract with Texas last winter and miraculously made their opening roster.

Right-handed pitcher Scott Feldman, who is 0-0 with a 12.60 ERA in two relief appearances this season, will start in Benson’s place this Saturday.

[MLB]

Happy Earth Day!

Pick up some trash today.

[MLB] | [Major League Jerk] | [Fenway West]

Doc's Hancock Stays

After Dwight Gooden signed a wall in the Ebbets Club when he attended the April 13th opener at Citi Field, there was speculation that some janitor was going to come along with a Magic Eraser and remove the autograph which read,

Doc Gooden
84 R.O.Y.
85 Cy Young
86 W.S. Champs

Little Leaguers Love Me, Dawg

The good folks from the Great Falls, Virginia Little League are a little upset over Elijah Dukes recent $500 fine.

After the Washington Nationals outfielder made an appearance at the little guys' season opener gathering for a little extra cash ($500) he ended up five minutes late for his day job as a professional baseball player. Five minutes late from making a bunch of little kids smile with autographed baseballs and pictures taken.

We're Not Hopping Off Yet!

No way. One loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates isn't going to make us ditch the Florida Marlins bandwagon just yet.

They headed into Monday night's contest with baseball's best record at 11-1, coming off three straight come-from-behind victories. This time, they fell behind 1-0 in the first inning and never gained the lead to suffer their first loss (by a score of 8-0) in seven road games. Still, not bad.

Marlins starter Andrew Miller, placed on the disabled list with a right oblique strain after the loss, gave up four runs in 4 2/3 innings.

Pirates righty Ross Ohlendorf discovered his slider, allowing just two hits over seven solid innings to give Pittsburgh their third shutout in four games. With four blankings, the team already has double the shutouts as they did last season. Nate McLouth drove in four runs to bring his team's record to 7-6.

[Florida Marlins Forum] | [Josh Q. Public] | [Big Red Egg]

A Tale of Two Zim(m)s

During a game in which maybe 25 of 1,000 fans stuck around for the glorious finish, and the bullpen tossed three hitless innings, highly-touted pitching prospect Jordan Zimmermann won his big league debut. Pretty awesome, considering who he's pitching for. That's right, victory #2 for the Washington Nationals, this time over the Atlanta Braves.

Zimmermann impressed the small crowd over six strong innings, allowing two runs off six hits, with three strikeouts and a walk. Not bad for a 22-year-old kid from Wisconsin. A second-round draft pick in 2007, he played at D-III school Wisconsin-Stevens Point and hadn’t played above Double-A ball until this season. Stud. Muffin.

The Imminent Return of Man Muscles

First of all, I suppose I should dish out a little background info for those of you who think I'm a giant nerd for referring to Joe Mauer as "Man Muscles". Remember back in June of 2006 when the Minnesota Twins catcher went 2-for-3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers to spike his season average to .396? Of course you do.

This prompted former Twins center fielder Torii Hunter to blurt out,

"What Joe Mauer's doing is sick. He's 23 years old. What's he going to do when he gets man muscles?"

The name stuck... with me and Bat-girl anyhow. Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about the stud backstop's injury and his projected May 1st return to baseball.

Continue reading and rate this story at Fantasy Pros 911.

Matt Stairs is a Total Hoser

This video has been around a while, but it's hilarious. These guys crashed a Blue Jays/Red Sox game at the Rogers Centre last season, dressed in powder blues to interview Canadians and mostly, have a blast. Because, you know, baseball is a game of centimeters.

Enjoy.

[Nine More (Oots)]

Dodgers Continue Rampant Hot Streak

Heading out on a nine-game road trip Monday afternoon, the Los Angeles Dodgers have more than great offense, pitching and defense on their side. They have confidence.

And why wouldn't they? Just last night, Matt Kemp hit a grand slam, along with a solo shot, to aid the defending NL West champs in their their eighth straight victory with a 14-2 whoopin over the Colorado Rockies. Andre Ethier and Orlando Hudson each drove in three runs as well for the Dodgers, who've won all six of their first home games for the first time since Jackie Robinson's 1947 rookie year with the Brooklyn Dodgers. That team, who began the year at 8-0, were trumped only by the 1946 Dodgers, who enjoyed a 9-0 streak to kick off their season. Now would be the time to visit the world of MLB betting and check the box marked Dodgers.

Happy Holidays!

Love,
Dmitri

What Rhymes With Awesome?

...besides possum. And opossum. Apparently there's a difference, cause they're both scary-looking.



You know, we're starting to run out of words to express the excitement we've been feeling over the Florida Marlins. The hot-hitting club earned their seventh straight victory Sunday, bringing their record to 11-1.

Centerfielder Cody Ross hit a game-tying home run in the eighth inning before nailing a three-run double in the ninth to aid the Marlins in their 7-4 win over the Washington Nationals. Don't be unimpressed just because it's the Nats that they beat. Got it? Okay then.

There's the Timmy We Know and Love

The San Francisco Giants sure know how to waste a good pitching performance.

Tim Lincecum tossed eight incredible innings Saturday, allowing no runs on five hits, striking out 13 Arizona Diamondbacks batters. Last year's Cy Young award winner (who we've been a little worried about so far this season) threw 98 pitches, 74 for strikes. Holy smokes, it looks like our get well soon card worked.

So what did the 24-year-old righty do differently this time? He simply adjusted the landing point of his front foot, moving it back in front of the batter's box, where it belongs.

Too bad the Giants couldn't muster a single run behind him, finding themselves shut out by Doug Davis and losing the seventh of their last eight games. Boooooo.

[Fanhouse] | [Baseball Musings] | [West Coast Bias]

Sucking Wang

What's up with Chien-Ming Wang? I haven't seen this kind of suckfest from him since... oh. His last start.

It all started out just fine for the New York Yankees right-hander, who sent down the Cleveland Indians 1-2-3 in the first and enjoyed a two-run lead before silently imploding in the second.

It began with a lead-off single from Travis Hafner, followed by a Jhonny Peralta base hit, before Shin-Soo Choo belted one over the expensive new fence to give the Tribe a cushy 3-0 lead. So then Ryan Garko pops out to Jorge Posada and Wang is two outs closer to ending this debacle.

But wait! There's more. After Ben Francisco doubles up the middle, there is a highly-expected coaching visit to the mound. Words may or may not have been exchanged, and before you know it, Asdrubal Cabrera nails an RBI single, and Grady Sizemore and Mark DeRosa pull out back-to-back doubles. Sounds like a great time for a wild pitch.

The Florida Marlins are Out of Control

Just when you think there is no way the Florida Marlins are going to rally from a three-run deficit in the ninth inning (even against the sucktastic Washington Nationals) to take the game into extras and win it in the 11th by a score of 9-6... they do exactly that. They're out of control. In fact, they're the Anti-Nationals.

Sigh: Bernie Williams

I found a link to this video of Bernie Williams strumming my favorite tune on The Love of Sports, a site I'm kinda in love with. So, of course I felt the need to share it with you. Enjoy.

Hitting for the Cycle: Popular These Days

Minnesota Twins designated hitter Jason Kubel hit for the cycle -- highlighted by a grand slam -- to cap a dramatic seven-run rally in the bottom of the eighth inning of his team's 11-9 victory over the Los Angeles Angels Friday night.

As Bert Blyleven always says, you should never leave early.

Kubel hit an RBI double in the first before he singled in the third, tripled in the sixth and smoked the grand salami in the eighth. Well done.

Just the ninth Twin to ever accomplish the feat, Kubel's marks the third cycle to go down in just five days. First it was Orlando Hudson showing off on Monday before Ian Kinsler went nuts on Wednesday.

So, who's gonna hit one this Sunday?

[AP] | [Twinkie Town] | [Fantasy Baseball Flash] | [Sliding Into First]

Gary Sheffield Hits #500

Gary Sheffield has finally done it.

The old school right fielder hit two milestones Friday night against the Milwaukee Brewers at the New York Mets new Citi Field: his first home run as a Met, and the 500th of his career. Victoriously rounding the bases to a standing ovation after tying the game with his bomb off lefty reliever Mitch Stetter, he was greeted with high fives and hugs from his new teammates.

Well, Hello Sexy: My Affair With The New Yankee Stadium

(I know this looks long, but it's quick. Just like my ex boyfriend.)

After years of being a Yankees season ticket holder, I was finally priced out. In the new stadium, my seats would not have been as good and now that I've re-located, I can't go to the 40-50 games I used to. I certainly couldn't afford the prices on the secondary market and therefore had resigned myself to watching the first regular season game in the new Yankee Stadium on television.

Then, late Wednesday afternoon, I got an email from a contact I have at Pepsi (the new "official beverage of the New York Yankees") offering me a pair of tickets to the game. Of course I didn't even think twice about it. I'm very easily bought.

So being that I was out of town at the time, I jumped on a bus from DC at 6:45am and began the trek to the new Yankee Stadium. My heart belonged to the original one (my thoughts from the final game are here), and I was holding my judgment on the sexy new lover that had come to claim my affection. I got to the city and jumped on the familiar D train, the same train that carried me to my second home hundreds of times before.

Doc Halladay: I'm Your Huckleberry

Toronto Blue Jays All-Star righty Roy Halladay has won his first three starts of the season, party due to some great pitching performances, but mostly because the Jays have scored 26 runs behind him during those three contests. That makes things just a bit easier on the guy.

Doc, along with his trusty cutter, curveball and sinker, tossed seven dominant innings Thursday against the Minnesota Twins, allowing just one run (on a fielder's choice) and eight hits without a walk in his team's 9-2 victory. The win -- highlighted by eight strikeouts -- improves Halladay's record to 8-0 against Minnesota, who recently snapped a nine-game losing streak against the Jays, just to lose two more in a row. Yes, Harry Leroy Halladay the III has the Twins' number. Toronto took three of the four-game series in commandeering fashion.

Mike Hampton Survives First Start

I'm a day or so late on this news, but whatever. It's still amazing no matter how many times you hear it.

When you read the recaps of the Houston Astros 4-1 win over the the Pittsburgh Pirates, the first thing you see is how amazing it is that they "stopped their five-game skid" or that "Miguel Tejada had a base hit! Wow!"

No. You should not give a crap about any of that stuff. The real news here is that Mike Hampton pitched six innings, struck out eight batters, and did not allow a single run. He did all this, without getting hurt. Not even a hangnail.

Congratulations, Mike. Hopefully we didn't just jinx you.

[MLB] | [Crawfish Boxes] | [Following the Astros]

Nice Work, Washington Natinoals

The Washington Nationals finally won a game. And it only took them eight tries. This can be blamed on poor pitching and even poorer offense. And defense.

Tonight, Curacaon youngster Shairon Martis stepped it up and threw 6.1 solid innings, allowing two runs on five hits. His performance had a steady foundation: Adam Dunn nailed a three-run shot off Philadelphia Phillies corn-fed righty Joe Blanton in the first inning. Which brings me to this open letter.

Florida Marlins: Who Are These Guys?

Who are these awesome baseball-playing impostors and what have they done with the Florida Marlins?

Hmmmm. Let's begin by pointing out their 7-1 record, which just so happens to be their best start since 1997. Curious. We all know what happened that year... yep, eight wins in the first nine games. What, did you think I was going to mention the World Series? I don't think so. First of all, I'm not on crack. Second, it's way too early for that kind of nonsense.

Continue reading and rate this story at Fantasy Pros 911.

And I Got Mad Hits Like I Was Rod Carew

If we were in Japan right now, Ichiro Suzuki's record-tying hit Wednesday would be a very, very big deal. I mean, it's still a pretty big deal, but it was sort of over-shadowed by the awesomeness of Ken Griffey Jr.'s 400th bomb as a Seattle Mariner.

Isao Harimoto's 3,085 hits (a lone, long-standing Japanese record until yesterday) was knotted up after Ichiro went 2-for-5 including a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh during his team's 11-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

Ian Kinsler Is an Animal

...but sometimes it happens twice in three days.

Texas Rangers slugger Ian Kinsler hit for the cycle Wednesday night in his team's current 15-4 ass-whoopin' over the Baltimore Orioles, just two days after Orlando Hudson became the first Dodger to do so in 39 years.

Happy Jackie Robinson Day

There will be #42s everywhere you look today as baseball honors Jackie Robinson’s first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers, which came 62 years ago, on April 15, 1947.

Commissioner Bud Selig has asked that all managers, coaches and players on all 30 big league teams wear Robinson’s number to signify unity in the game and celebration of the date, which marks the breaking of baseball’s color barrier.

Learn more about Robinson's struggles and triumphs at the Official Jackie Robinson Site and by checking out the blogs below. Also, this book is amazing.

A wonderful sight: click here to see one number across the backs of all the nameless players today.

[MLB] | [True Blue LA] | [I Love This Game]

Take It Outside

This Minnesota Twins commercial has been around for a while now, but I was reminded of it while reading a great post on lights-out closer Joe Nathan (a sick imposter for a human being) over at The Love of Sports. Enjoy!

Speaking of last season's AL batting champ, Joe Mauer's achy back has been feeling better enough for him to start running for the past few days, and he's expected to begin his rehab next week. The All-Star catcher will continue to take batting practice, run, and catch bullpen sessions in Fort Myers for the rest of the week. Assuming all goes well, he'll start playing in some Gulf Coast League games and be on his way back to the Twins starting lineup, possibly by mid-May.

Get well soon, Man Muscles!

[MLB] | [Baseball Joy!] | [Twinkie Town]

Stain Something

If you need to stain something made of wood, like a deck, rocking chair or baseball bat, and you'd like to go to the 2009 World Series, then boy do we have a deal for you.

Krylon wood stain is offering a chance to win two tickets to this year's Fall Classic, along with other great prizes like big screen TVs. No purchase necessary to win, so enter online at saveoursaturdays.com. And if you really are interested in staining something and not just out for free World Series tickets, they even have snazzy how-to videos and wood stain project ideas to check out.

The Grand Prize winner will receive a prize package consisting of the following: Two tickets in the lower level outside of the bases to the 2009 Baseball's Fall Series, a round-trip coach air transportation for winner and winner’s guest, including airport transfers to hotel and hotel accommodations for two consecutive nights. Approximate retail value of the Grand Prize package: $6,200

The First and Second Grand Prize winners will receive a 42” or larger big screen TV, approximate retail value of $1,000 each.

Ten monthly winners, for the duration of six months, will be awarded a $25 gift card to a specific retailer or an American Express gift card. Monthly winners in May will receive a $25 ACE gift card. Total retail value of monthly prizes is $1,500.

Tom Glavine is Tired

After being told Tuesday that he must rest for at least two weeks after inflammation was found in his left rotator cuff, Tom Glavine may decide to retire.

The 43-year-old Atlanta Braves veteran and future Hall of Famer said he’s tired of rehabbing following his August elbow and shoulder surgeries. He’s willing to give the shoulder two weeks of rest, but not the six to eight weeks this type of rehab sometimes takes.

Glavine, who ended Sunday’s minor league start with the AA Mississippi Braves after just two innings due to shoulder soreness, felt similar discomfort when hitting in spring training, but the pain apparently didn’t last as long as it did this time. But if you're into sports betting, I'd wager (sadly) that he won't return.

Tsk, Tsk, Josh Beckett

Boston Red Sox star pitcher Josh Beckett has been suspended for six games and fined by MLB, which came to the conclusion that he intentionally threw a pitch at the head of Los Angeles Angels’ outfielder Bobby Abreu last Sunday.

The right-hander was also reprimanded for "aggressive actions" during the bench-clearing dust-up. Beckett, who was "shocked" by the outcome immediately appealed his suspension, so any penalties will be delayed until after his hearing.

Nick Swisher's Career 0.00 ERA

Nick Swisher can play at first base or in the outfield. Now, you can go ahead and add the mound to his repertoire. Sort of.

The New York Yankees' right fielder enjoyed a chuckle or two on the hill Monday during his team's 15-5 pounding by their newest nemesis, the Tampa Bay Rays. After a poor Chien-Ming Wang outing, the Yanks already-exhausted bullpen consisted of Jonathan Albaladejo, Edwar Ramirez and Phil Coke.

Swisher (and his 4-seam fastball clocked at 80 mph even) was the only "hurler" to keep the Rays off the board.

The 28-year-old, who last pitched as a high school freshman, became the first Yankee position player to toe the rubber since Wade Boggs threw knuckleballs against the Angels in 1997. Swisher walked B.J. Upton to kick off the eighth, gave up a base hit to Willy Aybar, got Gabe Kapler to go down swinging, Carlos Pena to pop out, and Pat Burrell to fly out to center. As 3:10 to Joba put it, he's the Anti-Ankiel. Swish also homered in the fourth, his third of the season.

That Was Painful to Watch

When my sister told me she and her husband were taking my nephew to the Brewers/Cubs game for his 15th birthday Sunday night, I was super pumped for them. Miller Park is a great baseball atmosphere, even when you're bound to grow up to be a bitter, drunk Brewers fan.

So, I tuned into the game and eagerly watched Jeff Suppan take the hill. It didn't take long for the disappointment for my family and the rest of Brewers nation to settle in. To be fair, I also laughed so hard I almost peed a little.

Continue reading and rate this story at Fantasy Pros 911.

Welcome to Orlando

Los Angeles Dodgers fans sure do love their new second baseman.

Orlando Hudson accomplished one of the most difficult feats in baseball Monday, hitting for the cycle in his team's 11-1 rout of the San Francisco Giants.

"Dodger fans can’t expect this every day," he said, "The cycle is very hard. First of all, getting a hit is hard."

Tell that to his .389 OBP this season.

Hudson, who agreed to a free-agent deal in February after three seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, completed the first big league cycle of the 2009 season with a sixth-inning triple off Brandon Medders. The 31-year old also singled in the first, homered in the third and doubled in the fourth, becoming the first Dodger since Wes Parker in 1970, the ninth in franchise history, and the first ever to hit for the cycle at Dodger Stadium.

Way to go, buddy!

[LA Times] | [Fanhouse] | [6-4-2] | [Mop Up Duty]

Look What The Cat Drug In

The New York Mets' grand opening of their spankin' new ballpark, Citi Field, was not even close to everything they'd hoped it would be.

First of all, they lost 6-5 to the San Diego Padres. Second, a mangy cat wandered onto the field. Is that bad luck, even if the cat isn't black?

Gary Sheffield, who did god-knows-what to the kitty after the game, will have his first shot at hitting #500, being slated to have his debut in a Mets uniform this Wednesday.

[Amazin' Avenue] | [Sports Rubbish] | [Gaslamp Ball]

Back-To-Back Badassery

Chicago White Sox stars Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko, both just one longball away from their 300th career home runs, did the unbelievable Monday evening against their division rival Detroit Tigers.

They hit their milestone homers, back-to-back.

Dye hit a 2-1 pitch from right-hander Zach Miner over the left-center wall to lead off the second inning before Konerko went deep on a full-count toss to make it 2-0.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, these two became the first teammates in history to hit the #300 milestone in the same game, not to mention one right after the other. Our congratulations go out to both power-hitters! Now let's see how long Gary Sheffield's ugly mug takes up the space in the top-left corner of BLB.

[MLB] | [Hardball] | [Huffington Post]

Season Previews: Baltimore Orioles

Now that the season is under way, it's time for one of our favorite things in all the world: Season Previews. Two years ago, they began as a serious analysis and ended up as half-assed haiku. We're just gonna go with what we know. Cruising along with our preview of the American League East, here is our look at the 2009 Baltimore Orioles.

The O's are off to
An awfully decent start
They are four-and-two

Don't get excited
They are still the Orioles
It's only week two

But they have Guthrie
Koji and Hendrickson too
Don't forget Eaton

Get Well Soon, Little Timmy

Hey, you. Who are you, and what have you done with San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum?

Following his first start of the season -- a horrible outing in which he allowed three runs on three hits over 78 pitches -- Little Timmy struggled once again. This time, against the San Diego Padres, where the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner surrendered four runs on a career-high ten hits over 5.1 innings.

"I was all over the place," Lincecum said. "It got frustrating at times. I don't know if you guys could see it on my face, but I was trying to keep my poise out there. It was a rough game and it just got rougher."

Lincecum had dominated the Pads in his previous eight starts against them, going 3-1 with an itty-bitty 0.95 ERA.

So, who is this guy? Big League Stew contemplates the possibilities, including a look-alike San Fran hippie off the streets.

[SF Giants] | [Every Joe] | [Extra Baggs] | [Fake Teams]