Phillies, Reds entertain Sportsomniacs

Despite an East coast venue, the Phillies and Reds treated us to a late night West coast finish, wrapping up at 1:19 am after taking 19-innings to settle at 5-4 Phillies. With over six hours of game time and a quality start from Roy Halladay, the Phillies relied upon 2B Wilson Valdez to come in and close out the game in the 19th.

After playing to a 3-3 tie in nine innings, the Reds and Phillies traded runs in the 10th, including a solo shot by Ryan Howard to keep the game alive. For the next several innings, relief pitchers for both sides locked down the offenses. In the top of the 19th, Philadelphia took Wilson Valdez from 2B and moved him to the mound. Ruiz became the first position player since Brett Mayne in 2000 to win a Major League game and the first since Babe Ruth in 1921 to win a game in which that player started in the field.

The game reminded me of the 22-inning marathon between the Rockis and Padres that I covered on this site in 2008. With a combined 600 pitches, 33 left on base and 16 pitchers used, the Phillies and Reds are both going to be dragging come 1:05pm today when the two meet again. Just as I did in 2008, I have to ask, would Ernie Banks make his famous "Let's play two!" call after a game like this?

MLB Power Rankings

As we hit the quarter pole of the MLB season, we finally have enough to start separating the pretenders (Cleveland?) from the contenders (nobody else in the AL Central?).

1. Philadelphia Phillies - This should be no surprise as the Phils have the best starting rotation in the majors despite giving Cliff Lee no support

2. Cleveland Indians - Despite my personal doubts, it is hard to rank the team with the major's best record and highest run differential any lower than second. A weak AL Central looks wide open

3. Cincinnati Reds - The Reds have dominated the NL Central with a 20-10 division record

4. Tampa Bay Rays - After losing Manny Ramierez to retirement and playing with Longoria for much of the season, the Rays are showing a lot of life and are the surprise leaders of the AL East

5. Florida Marlins - Another team that gives me doubts about their staying power, but the Marlins have looked impressive and a 3.38 team ERA will keep them in a lot of games

6. New York Yankees - Despite massive slumps from Jeter, Posada and A-Rod over the past 20 games, the Yankees are still within striking distance of Tampa

7. Atlanta Braves - Already the third NL East team to make the list, the post-Bobby Cox braves are looking solid at six games above .500 and the second best run differential in MLB

8. Detroit Tigers - As a Michigan resident I have a tough time believing in this team, but the Tigers are rallying, posting the best record over the last 10 games in the majors

9. Boston Redsox - Don't let the near .500 record fool you, the Red Sox will be part of fall baseball

10. St. Louis Cardinals - The best hitting team in baseball is doing it all with a quiet 2011 from its star, Albert Pujols

Waiting to wake up: Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers,

Jeter, Posada - Time to Accept your Fate

As one of the few American sports fans that does not have an overwhelming opinion on the Yankees, either positively or negatively, I must say that the Sportscenter lead most nights is annoying. That said, I found the recent contract negotiations with Derek Jeter and the self-imposed benching by Jorge Posada to be some of the most interesting stories of the young season. In reality, Jeter (36) and Posada (39), have no real business trying to dictate anything in New York. While their slumps are likely temporary, they will be more pronounced than in past years and the mortality of age is set in for the two Yankee stalwarts of the past fifteen years.

Nowhere in the lineup will you find Bernie Williams, Paul O'Neill or Tino Martinez. Gone are Gary Sheffield and Jason Giambi. The new faces of the Yankees are Mark Texiera, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano. While Jeter and Posada are paid like more productive players at their respective positions, Troy Tulowitzki and Joe Mauer, they play like men well into the twilight of their careers.

Only in New York could these two continue to make a combined $27 million in 2011, but also only in New York do fans have a supreme intolerance for scuffling performance. With Jeter showing range similar to Prince Fielder at short stop and Posada failing to hit his weight, it is only a matter of time for the Yankee lore to wear off these two and fans to demand more production.

It's time for Mariano Rivera to share a little of whatever he's taking with his two struggling teammates in New York before 'The Captain' finds his way to left field and Jorge Posada takes a permanent seat on the bench.

Halladay Last of Dying Breed

While the Lakers were busy closing out the Phoenix Suns in what should have been the most interesting sporting event on TV this weekend (sorry French Open, it's still Tennis), Roy Halladay dominated the Florida Marlins en route to throwing the 20th Perfect Game in MLB history.

At 7-3 with a 1.99 ERA, Halladay is once again proving to be one of the best pitchers in baseball. The more exciting part is to see this accomplishment by one of the last throw back pitchers in the majors. In the model of Greg Maddux, Nolan Ryan, Warren Spahn and Bob Gibson, Halladay is an innings eater with a fixation for throwing deep into ball games. While Maddux and Ryan couldn't be much more dissimilar, neither wanted to see the closer warming behind them to close out a game. Halladay takes pride in the same approach. In an era when middle relievers are paid millions and four runs over 5 2/3 justifies a quality start, it's refreshing to see someone like Halladay. While others like Livan Hernandez are known to jump into 120 and 130 on pitch counts, no one else maintains mastery of both velocity and control so late in the game.

Without sounding like a toothless traditionalist with my mind in the 1950's, it was only a generation ago when teams carried four-man rotations and pitchers traditionally went late in games. The last 30-game winner was Denny McLain in 1968 and no one has come close in the last fifteen years. Cy Young winners can now win half as many games (Tim Lincecum, 15-7 in 2009) and still hoist pitching's most prominent award. The last Cy Young winners to even have 30 decisions were both in 1996 (Pat Hentgen, John Smoltz). While Halladay certainly won't win 30 games this year, and is unlikely to finish with 30 decisions, he will be a bullpen saver and put the brakes on a losing streak.

Ubaldo Jimenez look out, Roy Halladay is coming for you.

Who's the NL MVP?

While I rant at times about the useless stats that get thrown around in professional commentary such as winning percentage with a full moon, completion percentage against left handed corners, etc.; there are others that we live and die by as sports fans. Turnover ratio in football, shooting percentage in basketball, batting average in baseball, hot dogs per minute in professional eating. It is with the most essential baseball stats in mind, that I present the case for each of the three primary MVP candidates in the National League.

1. Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
Utley is having a career year and it's only the start of June. With another home run tonight, Utley brought his MLB leading total to 21 home runs to compliment his .320 batting average and NL-leading 52 RBI. Utley is also slugging an impressive .680 and is the driving force behind the first place Phillies. While Utley's success translates very well into numbers, he is also carrying the Phillies to victories right now and is covering for some of his slumping teammates, like Ryan Howard who has 80 strikeouts and a .209 batting average.

2. Lance Berkman, Houston Astros
While Houston isn't enjoying the same success as Philadelphia, Berkman may be playing an even larger part in his team's results than Chase Utley. With a .385 batting average, Berkman is showing he's not limited to pure power productions and the "Big Puma" is living up to his reputation of driving the ball deep. With 17 home runs and 47 RBI, he trails only the aforementioned Utley for the national league lead. Berkman is also showing his versatility by stealing 10 bases already, ranking him in the top 10 in nearly every measurable category on offense. To pose himself as a triple crown threat, Berkman also ranks second in batting average behind our third legitimate MVP contender, Chipper Jones.

3. Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves
Chipper Jones is batting .407. I don't know how much I need to say beyond that. It is getting a little too late in the season to be batting over .400 and Chipper even has Tony Gwinn talking up his accomplishments to this point. If it weren't for Chipper, the ridiculous numbers being put up by Lance Berkman would be shining even brighter. While Jones' average gets the spotlight, he has still driven 12 home runs and batted in 35 RBI. As the only previous MVP winner, Jones can pull from his experience in 1999 on how to maintain numbers down the stretch as in that year he hit 45 HRs, 110 RBI and batted .319.

The season is still young and the massive numbers always have a tendency to level out during the course of a 162 game schedule, but to this point Utley, Berkman and Jones have looked incredibly impressive and each deserving of the distinguishing award. Before these three become complacent however, there are a few more players on the fringe that will be looking to jump into the mix.

In no particular order:
-Alfonso Soriano, Derek Lee, Aramis Rameriez
-Brandon Webb
-Albert Puljos, Ryan Ludwick
-Dan Uggla
-Ryan Braun

At this point in the season, I can't help but vote for Berkman. I know the Astros aren't leading the division, but Berkman has looked like a men among boys at this point and is getting it done in all areas of his game. That said, Utley is heating up more than slowing down and Chipper Jones will not go quietly, especially if he can maintain his insane batting average for much of the season. The Cubs are the best team in baseball and have three talented hitters in addition to Fukudome, Soto and Theriot who are all contributing quietly. Dan Uggla's pursuit may be over if the Marlins can't stay competitive and slip down the standings in the NL East. Ryan Braun is picking up where he left off a year ago but is the victim of a mediocre team with relatively no national press. Brandon Webb has the supreme disadvantage of being a pitcher while Albert Puljos and Ryan Ludwick aren't standing out against the likes of the top three players listed.

My sleeper pick for the MVP has to be Carlos Zambrano. Zambrano is looking to improve to 8-2 tonight and is batting .366 on the season now. There are few pitchers that present nearly the type of threat that Zambrano represent at the plate each at bat.

The season is young and the NL MVP is certain to finish the year with some amazing statistics. Hopefully baseball gets the sport cleaned up so these numbers don't get marked with an asterisk that shouldn't apply.

MLB Power Rankings - Top 10

With a new month means new Power Rankings. In parenthesis behind each team is their position in the last Top 10.

1. Chicago Cubs (3)
Chicago is led by its strong starting rotation as Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster both have collected 7 wins and have sub-3 ERAs on the season. Carlos Marmol is looking like the best setup man in the big leagues right now with a 1.75 ERA and 54 strikeouts in only 36 innings pitched. The biggest concern I have for the Cubs at this point is their poor road record. At 25-8 at the friendly confines this season, Chicago holds the major's best home record by a healthy margin. However, at 10-13 on the road the Cubs have looked like a very different team. While early in the season many teams naturally struggle a bit on the road, the Cubs disparity between home and road performance will have to lessen during a big late summer road trip.

Interesting Statistic: Carlos Zambrano is now hitting .316 with a .447 slugging percentage, higher than Gary Sheffield, Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome, Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, Derek Jeter and Travis Hafner.

2. Philadelphia Phillies (5)
Philadelphia was one of my favorites coming into the season and they have done little to dissuade my arguments thus far. The Phillies are looking very strong and Chase Utley is showing no signs of slowing down. While Philadelphia may not have the type of starting rotation of most World Series contenders, they do make up for it with a potent offense. In a previous ranking I placed the Phillies 5th despite being 17-14. I'm proud to say the team has been climbing the standings since and is now comfortably 7 games above .500 and only 1/2 game back of NL East Leaders Florida.

3. St. Louis Cardinals (4)
St. Louis entered the season as something of an underdog as they were off the radar for most analysts. However, Albert Puljos is quietly putting together a strong season and starters Adam Wainwright and Todd Wellemeyer are carrying the load, combining for a 10-3 record and looking like they can maintain their fast start for the remainder of the season. For as strong as the Cubs are playing, St. Louis is still only 2 1/2 back.

4. Boston Red Sox (8)
While the Red Sox haven't been playing their best baseball of late, the team still has the Manny Rameriez & David Ortiz duo in the middle of the lineup and a strong pitching staff. However, the team slipped in my rankings due to the injury/fatigue suffered by ace Daisuke Matsuzaka. While the Red Sox do have other talented arms, Matsuzaka is clearly the class of their rotation and was on pace to battle Cliff Lee of Cleveland for the right to start the All-Star game. If he comes back healthy, Boston will certainly get a boost, but without him they may struggle to hold off Toronto.

5. Los Angeles Angels (2)
I had no choice but to drop the Angels in the rankings this month, despite putting together another winning month in May. While the Angels are still finding a way to win, the team's offensive productivity has crawled to a halt. Vladimir Guerrero's production has been incredibly limited this season, hitting only .246 with 7 HR. Previously one of the most feared hitters in the game, Guerrero is striking out over 17% of at bats and is showing even less discipline at the plate than normal.

6. Tampa Bay Rays (NR)
Be careful not to let the word get out, but Tampa is actually putting together a solid season. While many experts are calling the Rays the best team in the American League, and certainly their record supports that, the team likely does not have the type of offensive fire power necessary to hold off the Red Sox all season. Tampa Bay's Scott Kazmir is a ridiculous 5-0 with a 1.22 ERA in 6 starts. BJ Upton continues to look like an All-Star and Carl Crawford is dangerous at the plate and on the base paths. Upton and Crawford already combine for 32 steals in 41 attempts. The Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics have proven in the past that timely hitting, strong defense and aggressive base running can keep a team in any game, but I think the Rays still might be a season too early for this type of breakout year.

7. Arizona Diamondbacks (1)
The Diamondbacks stumbled from the No. 1 spot in last month's rankings all the way to 7. While some are placing the Diamondbacks even lower on their respective lists, I'm not that quick to call the first month a fluke. Arizona still has dynamic pitching, and while went 6-8 over the last month, the three are far too talented to struggle over the course of a season.

Interesting Statistic: Arizona leads the Majors with 21 triples and ranks 5th in runs scored (282).

8. Chicago White Sox (NR)
In a division that should have featured the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians running away from the rest of the American League, Chicago has quietly built a 2 game lead over the Minnesota Twins. The White Sox rank second in team ERA at 3.35 on the year and surprise player Carlos Quentin is looking like an MVP contender at this point in the season. If Paul Konerko (.206 batting average) and Jim Thome (.207) can wake up and start hitting the ball the surprising White Sox will carry the division lead late into the season.

9. Florida Marlins (NR)
The Marlins, much like the Rays, are an unlikely division leader this late into the season. In the competitive AL & NL East, the Florida teams don't have the type of star power that their division rivals hold, yet they continue to put notches in the win column. Dan Uggla is putting together a career year with 129 total bases and 16 home runs already, despite 60 strikeouts.

10. Toronto Blue Jays (6)
I initially planned on having the Athletics in the No. 10 spot on these rankings, but that was before the Blue Jays out scored the A's 15-4 and took 2 of 3 in their recent series. Also with AJ Burnett lowering his ERA with each of his last 5 starts and Roy Halladay continuing his long inning wins, the Jays look like contenders in the AL East.

And without explanation, the Bottom 5. Way to go NL West.

26. San Francisco Giants
27. Kansas City Royals
28. Seattle Mariners
29. Colorado Rockies
30. San Diego Padres

I'm a Believer

I can remember watching Kerry Wood in 1998 when he threw his 20-strikeout gem. Years later he was being looked at as a total bust. Now, Wood is making a revival in the bullpen as the Cubs closer, making his 9th save of the season earlier today.

Alfonso Soriano has spent his career going from an All-Star second baseman with the biggest franchise in professional sports to an outfielder for the Rangers and Nationals. Now Soriano is a Cubbie and despite receiving more boos than Tony Romo during the 7th inning stretch, Soriano has risen to his old form and is really producing out of the lead off position again.

As a life long fan of the lovable losers it's tough to get too high on the team that lets me down season after season. That said, I'm tempted to believe at this point. Soriano is getting on base and hitting for power, Derek Lee is playing well and Fukudome looks like just the piece the team was missing.

With all of the surprises for this season, I have to give the most credit to the pitching as Ryan Dempster is 5-1 with a 2.35 ERA and Kerry Wood looks rejuvenated.

Behind solid pitching and timely hitting, the Cubs are 10 games over .500 at 26-16 and have the lead in the NL Central. I know this happens every year, but I'm officially excited about the Cubs' chances in the playoffs.

I used to think I'd give up hope at some point, but considering it's been 100 years since the last championship and I still enter every season like the ugly kid going stag at prom, hoping that this just might be my chance, I hold on to the long shot, the underdog. Go Cubs!

Greg Maddux, the Best of an ERA

After four failed attempts, Greg Maddux collected his 350th career victory over the weekend against the Colorado Rockies. Maddux improved to 3-3 on the season with a 3.60 ERA. To collect win 350 it was vintage Maddux as he allowed 3 hits in 6 innings on only 68 pitches. Maddux held the Rockies without an earned run, and as he has so often in his career, did not allow a walk.

My interest in baseball grew in the early 90s, in part from watching Greg Maddux throw ridiculously efficient games for the Cubs and Braves. When Maddux was on the mound I found myself turning the channel to another game or Indiana Jones replaying on TNT for the 80th time while his team was up to bat, but always flipped back for every pitch. Maddux has spent his entire career as a student to the game and while he has never had dominant pitches, he has had dominant command and strategy.

For his career Maddux has been the barometer for pitching efficiency. With a career average of 1.8 walks per 9 and a career ERA just over 3, all in an era when players like Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire lit up the record books with juice-inflated numbers.

While at 42 years old Maddux no longer has the endurance to carry him into the late innings on a regular basis, the Mad Dog has compiled 35 career shutouts and 109 career complete games. That goes with 17 Golden Gloves and 4 Cy Young Awards. While on paper Roger Clemens put together a more dominant career, he will be remembered as the more skilled pitcher and Maddux will be the great pitcher. Clemens will be the cheater and Maddux will be the genius. Clemens' numbers will be recounted as being fueled by steroids, while Maddux's memory will be that of the most strategic pitcher in history.

While he will never admit to it, Greg Maddux is the greatest pitcher since Bob Gibson and Warren Spahn and will go down as one of the ten best pitchers in MLB history. Enjoy it while you can because Greg has all of his milestones and has his ring, he won't be around much longer.

Don't want Bonds? Must be collusion

I can't believe it, MLB owners don't want to sign Barry Bonds. Afterall, Bonds is only the single biggest lockerroom distraction in recent baseball history and has more people writing him hate mail than cheering him in the stands.

The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) has opened an investigation to determine if owners are in collusion as Barry Bonds, Kenny Lofton and other free agents are going unsigned.

Barry Bonds' agent Jeff Borris indicated that his client is yet to receive an offer from a team since becoming a free agent at the end of the 2007 season. I do enjoy that this allegation implies teams should have no choice but to make Bonds an offer. Barroid has a black cloud over his head and would certainly bring drama to any team that signed him. Bonds may be an incredible hitter into his 40s, but teams are by no means obligated to sign him.

While Bonds is an enormous distraction and realistically would be a bad addition to almost any team, Kenny Lofton may have a case. While Lofton has become more of a defensive liability than a highlight show primed for a SportsCenter Top 10 at any moment, he hit .300 or better in 2 of the last 3 seasons and still stole 23 bases in 2007. Lofton would be a strong addition to most teams, especially those looking for some veteran leadership and a steady leadoff hitter.

Maybe the Mariners should sign Barry Bonds as DH, but I don't know if they have enough free money to pay for his acne medication and increasingly larger hats and shoes each week.

MLB Power Rankings - Top 10

I caught the ESPN Power Rankings for Major League Baseball again this week (found here) and also those from a few other sites, and regrettably none of them can seem to figure things out. Below is the only legitimate list you'll find on the internet.

1. Arizona Diamondbacks - Arizona is led by its pitching with a combined 15-1 record among its top three pitchers (Webb, Haren & Owings). LA is finally picking things up and they may be the only team capable of preventing Arizona from getting a double-digit lead in the NL West before the All-Star break.

2. Los Angeles Angels - The Angels are getting it done and have had success from all areas of the bullpen. Torii Hunter is looking like one of the best offseason acquisitions at this point and Vladimir Guerrero hasn't even hinted at a hot streak yet. If this team stays healthy all season, they'll be the dark horse for the pennant.

3. Chicago Cubs - Let's face it, Chicago is ready for this season. There is a certain swagger to this year's Cubs and maybe the pressure after 100 years of failing isn't that high anymore. Derrek Lee is looking like an MVP and Kosuke Fukudome makes Ichiro look like "that other Japanese player" with a smooth .348 batting average. Right now the Cubs rank first in the NL in batting average and runs scored, all while Alfonso Soriano has been out or ineffective. Carlos Zambrano is also looking flat out mean at this point, and moving Ryan Dempster to the starting rotation may be the smartest move this club has made since acquiring Aramis Ramierez.

4. St. Louis Cardinals - For everything that Chicago is doing right, St. Louis is right there with them and currently leading the division. While the red birds are leading the Cubbies to this point, the team hasn't had the same level of consistency and run potential each night that Chicago possesses. Albert Puljos is stroking the ball like always and St. Louis is going to be neck and neck with Chicago all season.

5. Philadelphia Phillies - Yes I'm aware that Philly is only 17-14 but is there anyone that wants to face Philadelphia right now? The team leads the NL East on the strength of Chase Utley's bat (.369, 13 HR, 26 RBI) and the middle of the lineup is going to cause problems all season. With just a little more consistency out of the starting pitching, Philadelphia just may hold its division lead and keep New York and Atlanta at bay.

6. Oakland Athletics - The A's have some of that "The Little Engine that Could" mentality. It seems like every year they lose talented free agents and drop money off the roster, only to contend the following year. They're like the Minnesota Twins of NoCal. I really like the addition of Frank Thomas particularly due to his success with the team in 2006 you can't deny a 3.26 ERA that leads the American League. The Angels will have Oakland breathing down their necks all season.

7. Los Angeles Dodgers - I don't know what happened during the first couple weeks of the season, but somehow Joe Torre sorted things out, as he always does, and got this team moving in the right direction. Now at 17-13 Los Angeles is moving things in the right direction and seem unstoppable during the past week. I may have ranked the Dodgers a rung or two higher, but Andruw Jones has been too horrendous (.163, 1 HR, 4 RBI) for me to consider this to be an elite team. Rafael Furcal is really looking strong to this point, however.

8. Boston Red Sox - While Boston isn't exactly blowing people away, the team looks like the Yankees of the late 1990s. Everyone knows they can flip the switch at any time and rattle off 10 of 12 and they're going to be in contention when the post season rolls around. All it's going to take for this team to explode will be one throw-down with the Yankees. I would not want to be the pitcher responsible for throwing at Manny Ramierez and waking this sleeping giant.

9. Detroit Tigers - After an anemic start on offense Detroit has recently found something of a groove. The bats are warming up and balls are flying out of Comerica Park faster than F150s roll off the assembly line. The return of Curtis Granderson has helped to spark the offense, and Placido Polanco is finding his bat. Miguel Cabrera looks very comfortable not being the guy every night and Ordonez isn't far off his form from a year ago. If Detroit's starting pitching figures things out you'll want to take cover.

10. New York Mets - The Mets are underachieving to this point at only 15-13 but Johan Santana looks like he's made the transition from the AL to the NL without much difficulty (3-2, 3.12 ERA) and the bats will be there as the season wears on. On another positive note, Billy Wagner is still yet to give up a run and has 6 saves on the season.

I don't know if the Power Rankings will become a regular part of the Sportsomniac, but with so little on TV tonight and all the news being about the Kentucky Derby, I had to find something to keep me busy all night.

Can someone please inform the San Diego Padres and New York Yankees that they need to pick things up? If the Spurs vs Hornets game wasn't on tonight they would have ended up in the Bottom 10 list.

Indians & Tigers are Back! + MLB Rewind

I can now comfortably say that the Detroit Tigers have turned things around for the season. There were a few points along the way where they showed the team was headed toward a winning season many predicted, but the recent sweep of the Yankees in New York and at only 1 game below .500, Detroit is back in contention.

Fortunately for Jim Leyland and the Tigers, the AL Central has been far from the hyper-competitive division many experts predicted. Many predicted winning 90 games would probably finish 3rd as preseason estimates had Detroit and Cleveland both at 90+ game winners. Now they're knotted up at 14-15 with only the Chicago White Sox ahead of them at 14-12.

With the first full month of the season in the books, baseball is resembling normality at this point. However, Brandon Webb could still pass for Superman and Derek Jeter's .357 slugging percentage more closely resembles a typical batting average for the Yankee captain.

Here are a few things we know for sure at this point, and some questions that are unanswered.

What we know:
1. The Arizona Diamondbacks can pitch. With Brandon Webb, Dan Haren and Micah Owings combining for a 14-1 record as starters the three are making major leaguers look silly at the plate. While they won't maintain that pace all season, they're not just getting outs, they're dominating people at this point.

2. Carlos Zambrano would be the best hitter on the Cubs if it wasn't for Derek Lee. Zambrano has a .421 slugging percentage and has 9 homeruns in the past 2+ seasons. And oh, by the way, Zambrano is 4-1 with a 2.11 ERA. That big contract the Cubbies offered up is looking a lot better than the $126 million forfeited by the Giants for Barry Zito.

3. Torii Hunter was a great addition to the Los Angeles Angels. Hunter is batting .299 with 55 total bases, second on the team and ahead of Vladimir Guerrero. Most importantly, Hunter is making it tougher for opposing pitchers to work through the middle of the Angels' lineup. No more are these a scrappy bunch of base stealers with one big bat in the lineup, the Angels are going to go as far as their pitching can hold up, and that appears to be to an AL West title.

Now for what we don't know:
1. Greg Maddux should get to win 350 before the All-Star break. For one of the greatest pitchers of all time, and the greatest of this era (I'll reference all Clemens proponents to the Mitchell Report), but the Padres are not giving Maddux any help. In his last two outings since reaching 349 career wins, Maddux has gone 7 innings of 4-hit ball without a run in the first (no decision) and 6.1 innings of 3-run ball in the second (loss). With Adrian Gonzalez as the team's primary offensive force, it's little wonder that Maddux, Young, Peavy and the rest will struggle to get wins this season despite having ridiculous ERAs.

2. Where John Smoltz will fall in the rotation by season end. John Smoltz just hit the 15-day disabled list and is reportedly going to be returning to the team as a reliever. While John Smoltz was the best closer in baseball a couple years ago, he is far too talented to be in that role. I have a lot of respect for someone like Mariano Rivera who can completely shut down the middle of a lineup in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Smoltz made a bigger impact throwing 8-inning gems than he ever can out of the 'pen. That said, who could blame a guy who consistently plays his heart out and rarely gets any runs from his team. Thank goodness for Atlanta that Chipper got off to a hot start (.410 average, 8hr) because the team is 0-9 in 1-run games so far this year. Switch that to 9-0 and theyd have the best record in baseball.

3. How long Roy Halladay's arm will stay on. The season is still young but Halladay has already thrown 4 complete games and leads the bigs in innings pitched. With a 3.26 ERA Halladay has looked sensational at times. Now for the downside; at 2-4 Halladay is getting no help and without the underproducing Frank Thomas, there is little pop left in the lineup aside from Vernon Wells. Already in last place in one of the most top heavy divisions in baseball, Toronto is going to need Halladay to continue throwing strong late into the season, but the amount of innings he has pitched already are going to catch up to him eventually.

The season is still young and there are a lot of moves yet to take place, but we're already primed for a big summer. Do you think the Yankees will miss A-Rod while Jeter is hitting the way he is? Hopefully for them they're not 10 games back when he returns.

Barry Zito is a Historic Failure

Today the San Francisco Giants revealed that pitcher Barry Zito, the $126 million man is being relegated to the bullpen. At 0-6 with a 7.53 ERA Zito is one of only three pitchers in history to lose six games in the month of April, joining the elite group, joining Dave Stewart and Mike Maroth.While there is no official word on how long Zito will be backing up the likes of Kevin Correia (1-3, 4.50 ERA) and Matt Cain (0-2, 5.27 ERA), the real question is if he should be called on with the game on the line and what will have to be done in order for him to return to the starting rotation.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Giants weren't looking for an $18 million/year middle reliever when they decided to bring on Barry Zito before the 2007 season. Zito is the highest paid pitcher in the majors despite a clear decline in production following his 23-5 Cy Young season of 2002. Zito has won a high of 16 games in a single season since and has had as many losses as wins since the start of 2003.

Even Kerry Wood is making fun of Barry Zito's loss of pitching ability.

Padres, Rockies go 22 strong

Image from ESPN.com, courtesy of FSN Rocky Mountain

Sports insomniacs rejoiced last night while being treated to a 22-inning showdown between the Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres. For those of us who live for the late night theatre, the pitching duel between the two NL West opponents provided more late night excitement than a slurpee run to 7-Eleven.

In a game that featured 658 pitches from 15 different pitchers and stretched on until 4:21 AM EST. The teams' combined 30 runners left on base and 37 strikeouts won't likely be beaten this season, as the 22-inning showdown was the longest game since 1993.

Perhaps the most impressive statistic is that Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba and Padres Josh Bard caught the entire game for their respective teams. They might wake up in the morning with sore knees.

At one point in the game they flashed to the grounds crew who was set to clean up the stadium, impatiently and tiredly waiting for the game to finish so they could get to work. Both Colorado and San Diego are hitting the road after the long matchup, highlighted by Greg Maddux going for his 350th career win Friday in Arizona.

Would Ernie Banks make his famous "Let's play two!" call after a game like this?

Miguel Tejada admits to being 47 years old

In all seriousness, Miguel Tejada is now admitting to be 33 after spending his entire Major League career lying about his age. Tejada, who was traded to the Astros before the season, is now two years closer to a productivity decline.

At one point in the story originally reported by The Houston Chronicle, Tejada said, "I'm feeling free now. It's something that I had in my mind."

Is there anyone who is buying this? Tejada is pretending like he's a victim in this instance that he can now live freely now that people know the truth about his age. That's about as convincing as when Tejada said he didn't take steroids.

I'm a little surprised it took so long for Tejada's real age to be released, considering ESPN.com stated that his driver's license, green card, and other official documents list May 25, 1974 as his date of birth. That also means Tejada is only six weeks away from turning 34. Aside from Barry Bonds, players generally don't have career years after hitting their mid thirties. Then again, Bonds also had unusual growth in head and foot size...but that is all natural afterall.

I think my favorite part of the story posted on ESPN is the line "Earlier in the interview, before being presented with the birth certificate, Tejada was asked how old he was. His answer was '32' -- which is neither his real age nor his listed age." I don't know who Miggy thought he was fooling there, because only he is fooled by the tricky conversion of figuring his age. Considering every child can factor in the "half" year old, I'm left to assume Tejada was simply rounding up with what he reported to be his (alleged) 32nd birthday upcoming. Tejada probably won't realize the full effect of his newly revealed age when he hits the free agent market at 35 instead of 33.

Anyone want to take bets on if Julio Franco is in his sixties? The over-under is set at 57.

Orioles will fly South, Tigers will Roar

There are a few things that get frustrating as a sports fan, and one of them is bandwagon jumpers. I've had to suffer through Davidson's run to the Elite 8 and the Giants making the Superbowl, but now I've actually heard people talking up the Baltimore Orioles and downplaying the potential of the Detroit Tigers.

At what point do people realize that the season is 162 games? As a life-long Cubs fan I endure the pain of watching the team show promise in April and suffer through August, and that bitter reminder every fall is enough to tell me that how a team starts the season has relatively little to do with how they'll finish it.

Certainly the AL Central is a difficult division with the Cleveland Indians the trendy pick to win the World Series this year, but people forget the Yankees were 21-29 at one point in 2007. A number of years ago the Houston Astros were 15-30 and still went on to make the playoffs.

I was amazed to hear commentators pulling out the statistic that no team has ever started 0-6 and made it to the playoffs. Yes, that is a true statistic, but it also means about as much as how Brett Favre's passer rating was influenced by a full moon. The Tigers have a strong start to the rotation, but their bullpen is suspect. However, the team boasts an outstanding lineup and right now it's all a matter of the bats heating up. Granted the team could have scored 12 runs in the final game against the White Sox and still lost, but the team is last in the AL in run production.

The Tigers need to snap out of their slump, but Jim Leyland is too good a manager and the lineup is too strong for the team to play sub-.500 ball for long. By fall the Orioles will have fallen to 4th in the AL East unless they can beat out the Rays in the battle for worst MLB franchise, and the Tigers will be incontention for the Wild Card or AL Central.

Speaking of bandwagons, what happened to the Houston Rockets?