The best of the Tuesday sports blogs, including Rachel Leigh Cook. I'm not entirely sure what happened to her, but apparently she will be in a movie coming out soon called Blonde Ambition. Except the leading role belongs to Jessica Simpson instead of Cook. Which is probably not a great thing for the cinema.

- The boys (is that racist?) at NOIS believe that Barry Bonds should celebrate the homerun record in Africa, where it belongs. (Nation of Islam Sports Blog)

- Tony Romo next to some huge knockers, courtesy of a well-endowed blogger. (Girls Gone Sports)

- American Gladiators was once a game for Nintendo. And it sucked. (My Brain Says Rage)

- Osi Umenyiora is not the biggest fan of Simeon Rice, apparently. He is also not the biggest fan of doing things for the good of his team. (Winning the Turnover Battle)

- Listen, we're all sports fans, but punching your dad in the face, then stabbing and beating your mother to death with a barbell because your team blew a lead might be a sign you take sports too seriously, as this Mets fan did. (Deuce of Davenport)

- More people watch baseball in Isarel than in Kansas City. That is both hilarious and sad. (Bugs & Cranks)

- Fans of PTI have certainly noticed this: Kornheiser and Wilbon are doing their vacation thing, and the fill-ins leave a little something to be desired. (Wasting Company Time)

- It's all come down to this: who has the best MLB mascot? Vote Fredbird today! (Home Run Derby)

Another Tuesday has come upon us. Message board douchebaggery time!

ESPN.com - MLB General:
"BONDS HATERS ARE A JOKE. ALL I HAVE TO SAY, IS WHERE ARE THE FAILED DRUG TESTS? UNTIL THEN, ITS ONLY SPECULATION. IF YOU CALL ME A IDIOT, THEN ITS OBVIOUS THAT I'VE ALREADY WON..........." - No_Favorite_Player

ESPN.com - MLB General: "Prince Fielder did staroids!!! no one ways 260 without them! JJ hardie?!?! april?! he did HGH! THEN THEY TESTED HIM! ben shets injurys?! staroids made them! RICKY WEEKS! 5 HR! he does not no how to cheat anymore! HAHA BREW CREW CHEATS" - CubsFanForever4

Dodger Blues: "Fuck your team and fuck your town, Gayville. Got rolled up last Fri. night in Frisco!!! Blue kicked that ass 9-1...I proceeded to earn "assistance" from Frisco's finest after some cocksucker soiled my GIANTS SUCK/BARRY SWALLOWS shirt with beer. It was pure bullshit, I tell ya. It was a motherfucker trying to get back home. Man, fuck SFPD and fuck the Gayants."
- Kirk Gibson's Nutsack

Amazinz.com - New York Mets: "You guys need to get over Lastings Milledge, there is nothing wrong with his attitude."
- BeltranFan15

Royals Corner: "What do the Royals really need? 1. #2-#3 Starter 2. Power Hitting OF or 1B 3. 2B of the Future. Get these 3 good players and we could compete for the division title in 08 and 09"
- RoyalTurnaround

ESPN.com - MLB General: "Ripken: Most overrated player ever. Period." - BillSelfHasNoFinalFours

SFHardball - San Francisco Giants: "I want to see an asterisk next to Ruth, who did not have to hit against the best in the world (or his own country for that matter)...AND had a ballpark built to suit his hitting.

I want an asterisk next to Aaron, who hit in a bandbox...so unfair.

I want Bonds in BOLD b/c he hit in the windy caverns of the Stick AND then the deepest park in the country...with a RF wall 20ft high. If Bonds/Mays had the advantages of Aaron/Ruth, they'd both have over 1,000 HRs." - sdstonesguy

Pinstripes Plus - New York Yankees: "Ultimately, this reply boils down to what my instincts are screaming at me: Torre still needs to be fired. I'm sick of him, and I know that many of you are as well. He was the right guy at the right time to take the club out from Showalter to a championship; but that time is done, folks. Girardi or Bowa. Now. Please." - PlayinWheel

Every year, sports fans from around the country get excited as their favorite team gets ready for draft season. From the NFL draft in late April to the NHL, NBA and MLB drafts in June, new talent brings new hope for franchises.

Some fanbases get lucky and have a Reggie Bush fall unexpectedly into their lap. Still others grow nervous at the thought of blowing a top pick, and landing a Michael Olowakandi while players like Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, Paul Pierce, Antawn Jamison, Rashard Lewis and Mike Bibby were there for the taking.

With that, we will take a look at a city's cumulative draft choices and see where they stand, and what fans of their teams can look forward to.

We will only include cities that have at least 3 of the 4 major sports franchises (there are 22 of those cities), and yes we are considering the NHL as a major sport. So our apologies to the folks in places like Kansas City and San Francisco. Also, in the interest of time, only the first two rounds (or two picks) of the NFL draft, and the first round picks of the MLB, NBA and NHL draft will be looked at.

A few things before we get going. First, remember that this is entirely subjective and done only for entertainment purposes. Nobody knows what is going to happen with these guys - it's really just a review. Second, we will count some franchises as regional, thus making the Patriots part of Boston and the Arizona Cardinals part of Phoenix, and so on. Also, the number in paranthesis is where the player was selected overall.

With that, let's get going.

Oakland
Raiders: QB JaMarcus Russell (1), TE Zach Miller (38)
Athletics: RHP James Simmons (26)
Warriors: F Brandan Wright (8), SG Marco Belinelli (18)

Having the first overall in the NFL Draft certainly makes this an attractive group. Russell has ridiculous arm strength and Miller should be a nice target. Still, the best part of this haul may be Wright and Belinelli. Coming out of UNC, Wright is super athletic, and Belinelli is a typical Euro - meaning he can and will shoot or flop from anywhere,

Detroit
Lions: WR Calvin Johnson (2), QB Drew Stanton (43)
Tigers: RHP Rick Porcello (27)
Pistons: SG Rodney Stuckey (15)
Redwings: D Brendan Smith (27)

Calvin Johnson is the best receiver out of college in a very long time, and Stuckey is the type of player who fills out the stat sheet. The player Detroit should probably be most excited about, though, is Porcello. Universally called the best high school pitcher in the draft, he slipped to 27 because it's going to take a load of dough to sign him. Here's what Baseball America (BA) says about him: "His fastball sits at 93-95, touching 98. He holds his velocity deep into outings. He throws a tight curveball at 74-76 and a harder, sharp-breaking slider at 80-82. He shows feel for his changeup."

St. Louis
Rams: DT Adam Carriker (13), RB Brian Leonard (52)
Cardinals: SS Pete Kozma (18)
Blues: C Lars Eller (13), D Ian Cole (18), LW David Perron (26)

If Carriker can be the guy who finally solidifies the defensive tackle position for the Rams, he'll be a hero in STL. The Kozma pick seemed cheap uninspired, though - especially with Porcello still on the board. BA says Kozma "grades out as average to slightly above-average in every tool except power, and he does have pop." That's just what we all want with a first round pick. Avergae to slightly above average. Blues fans should be excited, though, as the franchise is well on it's way to turning things around, and three first round picks will certainly help. Especially Eller, who is nifty with the puck and seen as an all-around talent.

Cleveland
Browns: OT Joe Thomas (3), QB Brady Quinn (22)
Indians: 3B Beau Mills (13)
Cavaliers: None

Browns fans have to be loving their take in the NFL draft. Joe Thomas has been touted for a long time as the next great left tackle, and while Quinn is called overrated by many (including me), he is a local kid with experience playing in the spotlight. Beau Mills has raw power but isn't seen as much of a fielder.

Phoenix
Cardinals: OT Levi Brown (5), DT Alan Branch (33)
Diamondbacks: RHP Jarrod Parker (9)
Suns: SG Rudy Fernandez (24), SF Alando Tucker (29)
Coyotes: C Kyle Turris (3), D Nick Ross (30)

The Cardinals have a pair of boom or bust linemen. Levi Brown was thought to have gone too high by a number of "experts", and Branch slid from an initial first round selection to the second round because he'd rather eat donuts than work. Turris is an exceptional scorer for Gretzky's squad who had a whopping 121 points in just 53 games last year. Fernandez probably won't be in the league for a while, and Tucker is short for his position and can't shoot well - which may be a problem.

Washington, D.C.
Redskins: S LaRon Landry (6), LB Dallas Sartz (143)
Nationals: LHP Ross Detwiler (6)
Wizards: SG Nick Young (16)
Capitals: D Karl Alzner (5)

Lots of 6's for the D.C. fans. It's unclear how Landry and Sean Taylor will work together, as they're essentially the same type of player - but he was very productive out of LSU. The Wizards seemed to get a steal with Young, and he could form an exciting duo with Gilbert Arenas. Detwiler, while a beanpole at 6'4", 175 lbs., is a lefty who throws hard with a good curveball. Alzner is a player many thought was the best or close to the best defenseman in the draft.

Minnesota
Vikings: RB Adrian Peterson (7), WR Sidney Rice (44)
Twins: CF Ben Revere (28)
Timberwolves: SG Corey Brewer (7)
Wild: C Colton Gillies (16)

The Vikings needed offense, and they got it. Should Adrian Peterson hold up physically, the Vikings stole him at 7. Ben Revere is a high school outfielder who BA says can run like Forrest Gump, along with noting a .487 career average in high school. Brewer has tons of upside, will actually play defense in the NBA, and can shoot. Hard not to love what this kid brings. Minnesotans had a nice '07 haul.

Atlanta
Falcons: DE Jamaal Anderson (8), OG Justin Blalock (39)
Braves: CF Jason Heyward (14)
Hawks: F Al Horford (3), PG Acie Law (11)
Thrashers: None

Baseball America had to make Braves fans feel good with this opening statement about Heyward: "Heyward has as much upside as any player in the draft. He possesses a rare blend of strong tools and feel for all phases of the game ... his tools are similar to Willie McCovey's and his approach is comparable to Frank Thomas'." So, he's got that going for him. Anderson is iffy, as he only had one really good year at Arkansas, but Horford and Law are nice players. However, it is the Hawks, so allow me to temper any excitement.

Miami
Dolphins: WR Ted Ginn, Jr. (9), QB John Beck (40)
Marlins: 3B Matt Dominguez (12)
Panthers: D Keaton Ellerby (10)

Not too sure about the Miami take. Ellerby was one of the top defensemen in the draft and analysts claim he should have been drafted higher. However, Ginn at 9 was a shock, and he still has to prove he's fully healed. Dominguez also has something to prove. His stock fell sharply due to a poor season.

Houston
Texans: DT Amobi Okoye (10), WR Jacoby Jones (73)
Astros: None
Rockets: PG Aaron Brooks (26)

The Texans load up on D-Linemen the way hypochondriacs stock up on Germ-X. One of these days, they'll get a great one, and there's plenty of reason to believe Okoye is that guy. Brooks is a nice player, but how often he'll see the floor is a question, considering the 2 or 3 other point guards Houston has.

New York
Giants: CB Aaron Ross (20), WR Steve Smith (51)
Jets: CB Darrelle Revis (14), LB David Harris (47)
Yankees: RHP Andrew Brackman (30)
Mets: None
Knicks: SF Wilson Chandler (23)
Nets: C Sean Williams (17)
Rangers: RW Alexei Cherepanov (17)
Islanders: None

Being New York, they have a lot to talk about. The Giants added good speed with both of their picks, and the Jets stocked up on D. The city also got two extremely intriguing prospects in Brackman and Cherepanov. Brackman should have gone in the top 10, but he'll be mighty expensive to sign - which shouldn't be a problem for the Yankees. Still, he's 6'10", and BA says this about him: "He touched 99 mph ... and he pitches at 94 with exceptional plane. His mid-80s spike-curveball is filthy." Cherepanov was arguably the most talented offensive player in the draft, and analysts covering the draft nearly had an aneurysm because he dropped so low. The concerns about him are his lack of defensive prowess ... and the mob. Russian hockey has shady controlling interests, and the Rangers will have to pay his Russian team handsomely in order for them to agree to release him from his contract. There are rumors that his club is controlled by Russian mafioso, which means the Rangers will have to make them an offer they can't refuse.

Pittsburgh
Steelers: LB Lawrence Timmons (15), DE/LB LaMarr Woodley (46)
Pirates: LHP Daniel Moskos (4)
Penguins: C Angelo Esposito (20)

Esposito was considered a steal at 20, as he had been lauded as the potential top overall pick before the season started. If he lives up to his potential, the Penguins will add another young scorer to the mix. Timmons and Woodley are prototypical Steelers: quick with an ability to get to the ball and rush the passer.

Denver
Broncos: DE Jarvis Moss (17), DE Tim Crowder (56)
Rockies: RHP Casey Weathers (8)
Nuggets: None
Avalanche: D Kevin Shattenkirk (14)

Weathers is probably going to follow the lead of players like the Nationals Chad Cordero and jump swiftly to the major leagues. He throws 97 mph heat as a closer, along with a nasty slider. Moss and Crowder are the newest members of the Broncos D-Line, which has been in flux for a number of years. Maybe they will solidify that.

Boston
Patriots: S Brandon Meriweather (24), DT Kareem Brown (127)
Red Sox: None
Celtics: None
Bruins: C Zach Hamill (8)

Hamill is a great scorer and maybe in time he'll lessen the sting of losing Joe Thornton. Meriweather is still iffy, as he was engaged in some problems last year. Like brawling with people on the football field, and shooting at people off it. Still, there's no doubt he can play.

Chicago
Bears: TE Greg Olsen (31), DE Dan Bazuin (62)
Cubs: 3B Josh Vitters (3)
White Sox: LHP Aaron Poreda (25)
Bulls: PF Joakim Noah (9)
Blackhawks: RW Patrick Kane (1)

The city of Chicago has tons to look forward to. If the Blackhawks had any fans left they'd be thrilled to get Kane. Last year he scored 145 points in just 58 games. Noah is never going to be a star in the NBA, but he should be a solid complimentary player. Vitters is a fantastic bat with a below average glove. Bears fans have to hope Olsen can be Rex Grossman's new favorite target and hope he can hit that target consistently.

Seattle
Seahawks: CB Josh Wilson (55), DT Brandon Mebane (85)
Mariners: RHP Phillippe Aumont (11)
Sonics: SF Kevin Durant (2), SF Jeff Green (5)

Wilson and Mebane are nice picks, and Aumont is a Canuck who throws hard. Fine. But Kevin Durant? Now that's something to be excited about. Green, too, though he is not the showcase here. Durant is. He did things as a freshman at Texas that have rarely been done before. Want proof? The University is retiring his jersey after only one season. There really isn't anything Durant can't do. Hopefully, for Seattle residents, the team stays there and they get to watch him score and score and score.

Philadelphia
Eagles: QB Kevin Kolb (36), DE Victor Abiamiri (57)
Phillies: LHP Joe Savery (19)
76ers: SF Thaddeus Young (12), PF Jason Smith (21)
Flyers: LW James Van Riemsdyk (2)

Apparently Kevin Kolb is Donovan McNabb's heir apparent, but since McNabb has no plan on going anywhere, who knows when Philly fans will see that return on the investment. Thaddeus Young is a really intriguing prospect who is an insane athlete. Van Riemsdyk is a big kid at 6'3", 200 lbs., and he can score and pass, along with taking a few penalties. He should be a productive power forward in Philly.

Dallas
Cowboys: DE Anthony Spencer (26), OT James Marten (67)
Mavericks: None
Stars: None

The only city with 3 sports franchises with just 1 first round pick. And they almost didn't have that, as the Cowboys traded up with Philly to get their spot in the first round after trading out of it earlier.

Los Angeles
Dodgers: RHP Chris Withrow (20)
Angels: None
Lakers: PG Javaris Crittenton (19)
Clippers: SF Al Thornton (14)
Kings: D Thomas Hickey (4)
Ducks: C Logan Macmillan (19)

Hickey was the surprise of the NHL Draft, as many analysts had him much, much further down the list. Crittenton is a big PG who will eventually take that position over and watch as Kobe shoots it. Thornton has been compared to Shawn Marion, and that's a good thing.

Milwaukee
Packers: DT Justin Harrell (16), RB Brandon Jackson (63)
Brewers: 1B Matt LaPorta (7)
Bucks: PF Yi Jianlian (6)

Harrell was a bit of a surprise and was thought to be taken a bit too early, but Jackson could be the real surprise. If he gets to camp and learns the offense he has a chance to be the man in Green Bay. LaPorta is a great power hitting first baseman, but the problem is, the Brewers have one of those who is pretty good. As for Jianlian, he hates Milwaukee and everybody there. Or maybe China hates Milwaukee. Either way, he put his big, communist foot down and said he isn't going there.

Charlotte
Panthers: LB Jon Beason (25), WR Dwayne Jarrett (45)
Bobcats: SF Jared Dudley (22)
Hurricanes: C Brandon Sutter (11)

The Panthers had what many called the best draft, and got yet another athletic linebacker, and Jarrett can be a nice compliment to Steve Smith in a couple years. Dudley is one of those guys that brings passion to the game. He should make Adam Morrison cry before the year is over. Sutter is from the famed Sutter family of NHL players, and if he can be as productive as many of them, he'll prosper.

Toronto
Blue Jays: 3B Kevin Ahrens (16), C J.P. Arencibia (21)
Raptors: None
Maple Leafs: None

Without a first rounder for either the Raptors or Leafs, Toronto residents have to settle for waiting a while for Ahrens and Arencibia to mature. Still, Baseball America compares Ahrens to Chipper Jones, which is usually a good thing.

Tampa Bay
Devil Rays: SP David Price (1)
Buccaneers: DE Gaines Adams (4)
Lightning: None

Citizens of Tampa Bay have every reason to be excited about both picks. If they still get excited about the D-Rays, that is. Price, the first overall pick, is a nasty lefty that BA says, "His fastball/slider/changeup repertoire is unmatched among amateurs ... He spots all three of his pitches to all four quadrants of the strike zone, adds and subtracts and carves up hitters with efficiency and ease. His arm action and delivery are excellent." Meanwhile, Adams is the heir apparent to the recently released Simeon Rice, and he will look to restore the glory to the Bucs defense.

Even though the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 11-1 Thursday night, they are still in a huge hole. They lost two of three to the unlovable losers from Chi-town and remain 8 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the N.L. Central with a 46-52 record.

So, basically, they suck. And the word has spread. All the way to Hollywood and a film legend. Rob Lowe. In an article in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the actor smugly asks a question Redbird Nation has asked for many months:

"Lowe himself wanted to talk baseball; specifically, 'What's the matter with your Cardinals this season?' He grew up a Cincinnati Reds fan."

So, Lowe, the Reds fan, wants to know what's wrong. Hey, Sodapop Curtis, why don't you ask what's wrong with your beloved Redlegs? Are you listening to me Dean Youngblood?

Do us all a favor, Robby. Call up Emilio Estevez and Patrick Swayze and you can star in your own reality show. Hey, Corey Feldman and Corey Haim are doing it (sort of). You should too.

I can see it now. You, Estevez, Swayze and more. You can invite the former Mrs. Estevez, Paula Abdul. She has her own reality show too. And she really is crazy! You can also invite that underage girl you had sex with. And how about "Justin Morris," the guy you had a threesome with? Wonder what he's up to these days.

It'll be a ratings bonanza!

Or you can be quiet and watch the Reds fall deeper into fifth or sixth place. Again.

The best from this Thursday in sports blogging, including Padma Lakshmi. She hosts the television show Top Chef, and was inexplicably married to Salman Rushdie. Until they got a divorce a couple weeks ago. Which sucks for him. Really sucks. Anyway, on to the blogs.

- Addictions can be difficult to break. Especially if you are an old ballplayer addicted to baseball. So, here's some help for those poor souls. (Babes Love Baseball)

- A look at this year's NFL rookies. Rookie cheerleaders that is. If you are a heterosexual male, this is enjoyable. (Winning the Turnover Battle)

- Want to stalk meet Erin Andrews? Here ya' go. She just gave you some valuable information about how she spends her down time. (Awful Announcing)

- Great video featuring a daddy teaching his kids how to play baseball. He sure can handle a bat. (Sons of Sam Malone)

- I don't watch Nascar, but if I had a favorite driver, it would be Greg Biffle. He pretty much tells Mike Vick to go to hell. (NYJer Please)

- Remember that hot start Jack Cust got off to? Well, he's slowed down. A lot. (Rumors and Rants)

- Want to play a new sport? Faceball may be the next best thing. But probably not. (Deuce of Davenport)

- Former Duke Lacrosse coach Mike Pressler is still pretty pissed about that whole lying whore rape accusation thing, and how Duke handled it. (Shakedown Sports)

- Bob Costas? Well, he's just jealous of Barry Bonds' Adonis-like body. (Nation of Islam Sports Blog)

- Boy, Yankee fans sure are the best drunkest. (Home Run Derby)

Baseball is a game built around debate. Fans can argue endlessly about who the best pitcher in the game is, the best first baseman, and so on.

A similarly trivial question exists within cinema: If you could pick a starting line up, batting order and manager strictly from baseball films, what would it look like?

Staff

- Manager: Jimmy Dugan, A League of Their Own: A former big league slugger, and a smart baseball man, he led the Peaches to within a couple outs of the All-American Girls Baseball League Championship. He has a problem with alcohol, anger and annoying fat kids, but his leadership qualities are unquestioned.

- Pitching Coach: Morris Butterfield, Bad News Bears: Should fit right in as Dugan's right hand man. Also experiences a problem with alcohol, and once drove a convertible full of kids around while drunk. However, his baseball expertise and handling of players makes him a logical choice.

- Trainer/Pinch Hitter: "Moonlight" Graham, Field of Dreams: His role is in a dual capacity. Unafraid of anything, his medical expertise is welcome. Also able to come in to games late and play fundamental ball.

Pitchers

- Starting Pitcher: "Nuke" LaLoosh, Bull Durham: Young, brash and cocky. If he can ever get his head on right, the sky is the limit. Will need a mentor, though he and pitching coach Butterfield should mesh nicely.

- Relief Pitcher: Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn, Major League: There is no batter that doesn't fear him. The MVP of the California Penal League, Vaughn throws 100 MPH with reckless abandon. Started off poorly, but renewed eyesight helped him get over his rocky start. He has petitioned MLB to let him wear his signature sleeveless jersey.

The Lineup

1. CF, Willie Mays Hayes, Major League: Speed, speed, speed. Hayes can run with anybody, and is a fine defensive outfielder. Too relaxed at times, manager Dugan is sure to kick him into gear. Is known to do push ups on the field after hitting fly balls.

2. RF, Kelly Leak, Bad News Bears: Leak is not a right fielder by trade, but his unique blend of skills lends him nicely to the position. Can run, hit and throw with anybody. He has no problem lighting up a cigarette in the dugout, which may be a concern. However, he brings other intangibles to the team, and his ability to pick up older women on his dirtbike should not be overlooked.

3. LF, Roy Hobbs, The Natural: Aging, but a powerful bat. Has a weakness for blond women, but never fails to do the right thing. His past is a mystery that needs exploring, but his power is unquestionable. Has a new deal with Louisville Slugger to make "Wonder Boy" bats. Hobbs is known for literally hitting the cover off the ball. He also possesses a cannon for an arm and could pitch if necessary.

4. C, "Crash" Davis, Bull Durham: The wily veteran brings power to protect Hobbs in the line up. Here to help keep an eye on LaLoosh, Davis will never hit for big average, nor is he great defensively, but he is the leader of the team.

5. 1B, Jack Elliott, Mr. Baseball: A former Yankee who was traded to the Japanese league's Nagoya Chunichi Dragons because of his attitude and a younger player on the rise. Possess a powerful left handed bat, he will not be privy to any ridiculous rules. Another plus is his ability to bring in fans from the Asian market, as he is very popular there.

6. 2B, Marla Hooch, A League of Their Own: A woman with all-around game. Not the prettiest picture to look at, but she can play. She provides the team with a switch hitter who possesses gap to gap power. Hooch is always quiet, but is known to sing at bars if she drinks too much. She should have no problem fitting in with the men.

7. 3B, Buck Weaver, Eight Men Out: Weaver is just what a team needs. He is fiery and intense, and hates to lose. Though MLB banned him from life for taking part in the Black Sox scandal in 1919, his involvement is questionable.

8. SS, Tanner Doyle, Bad News Bears: The team spark plug. Not the most talented member of the bunch, he certainly has the most heart. Hates being picked on and will challenge anybody. Once decided to fight the entire 7th grade.

Recently, St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Bernie Miklasz penned an article questioning the St. Louis Cardinals medical staff, which is led by Dr. George Paletta. He cites three examples in the article: Scott Rolen, Mark Mulder and Chris Carpenter.

Rolen initially hurt his shoulder in a collision at first base. After surgery was done by the Cardinals Doctor Paletta, Rolen tried to return but could be seen wincing and yelling in pain every time he tried to swing. Miklasz writes:

"Rolen declined to have the team doctors take charge of his follow-up care and opted to see the Cincinnati Reds' team doctor, Timothy Kremchek, who recommended season-ending reconstructive surgery, which Kremchek performed. Cardinals management wasn't pleased with Rolen's decision to enlist another team's doctor."

In Mark Mulder's case, there was clearly a problem, as his fastball, which once topped out at 91 or 92 miles per hour, was only hitting 83 or 84 MPH. Eventually, Mulder sought treatment:

"Cardinals docs diagnosed a shoulder impingement and fatigue. Mulder rested, then returned to get clobbered in two late-August starts. Mulder sought outside medical counsel and had rotator cuff surgery performed by the New York Mets' orthopedic surgeon, Dr. David Altchek."

Finally, what was certainly the biggest blow came this summer, as Chris Carpenter had elbow swelling after his first start against the New York Mets on Opening Day. He was told that simple rest and rehab was the answer. That didn't work:

"The problems persisted, and Carpenter had surgery to clear bone spurs from his right elbow. There was no disclosure of ligament damage at the time. After an aborted rehab stint in the minors, Carpenter consulted with Paletta and outside specialists. This week, it was determined that he needed season-ending surgery to repair a defective elbow ligament."

Anybody see a pattern there? If you're slow, I'll help you out.

1. Cardinals get injured
2. Cardinals get medical advice from their team doctors
3. Cardinals do not get better
4. Cardinals go to another team's doctors.

Naturally, LaRussa had a problem with this article, and he addressed the matter yesterday, suggesting a press conference about the Cardinals medical treatment of players. This, according to Post-Dispatch writer Derrick Goold:

"La Russa told the media he suggested the open-book press conference to an unidentified team official, but did not know if one was forthcoming. La Russa strongly defended the medical staff against a column in Sunday's Post-Dispatch."

Not that this should surprise anybody. Miklasz is the same writer LaRussa had a heated exchange with earlier in the season (which you can see in the YouTube video) over a column that ran in the paper poking fun at the Chicago Cubs.

Still, there are other supporters of Dr. Paletta's inside the clubhouse. In the same article, centerfielder Jim Edmonds gushed about him, saying:

"(I) would return here for surgery by Paletta even if I was traded elsewhere. There is no doubt he's the best."

So here we are. In a Cardinals season filled with a DUI arrest, the death of a pitcher, key injuries to multiple players and non-stop rumors about G.M. Walt Jocketty's potential departure, here is yet another odd twist to the 2007 season.

That World Series seems like a loooooooong time ago.

Some of you may remember a few years ago, when former Yankee clubhouse worker Paul Priore sued the New York Yankees for $165 million. The case was eventually thrown out, but Priore made explosive accusations, claiming he was fired for being gay and HIV positive, and was sexually harassed by members of the Yankees during the 1996 and 1997 seasons.

Well, now he has jut put up an ad on Craigslist, seeking a co-author for a book he's writing about his time working for the Yankees. The ad reads like this:

"I have many fascinating 'insider' stories to tell about the New York Yankees, some of which are rather seamy. I would like to find an experienced co-writer to work with me on an explosive, 'tell-all' book about my experiences at the New York Yankees, which will include detailed and vivid descriptions of the many things that I witnessed, overheard, or was otherwise privy to, during the time period that I worked for my father or directly for the team. The right candidate needs to have major literary contacts, and cannot be afraid of participating in what is bound to be an extremely explosive and controversial book."

So, prospective authors, even though you may get sued for every penny you have, based on Priore's testimony, it is sure to garner headlines. You know, if it gets published. Which seems unlikely.

Just for a refresher course, let's review some of his actual testimony.

On his relationship with Ruben Rivera:

- "He would touch me, put his hand between the cheeks of my rear end."

- "I was trying to like, kept it low key, and trying to like, push it away when he was, you know, rubbing himself or he was erected and touching me."

On Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada:

- "When they went into the steam room I was cleaning up things around the bathroom area ... I opened the door not knowing they were in there and caught them interacting with one another. They in turn scream at me to close the 'F-ing' door and then later on came over to me and said, 'You didn't see what you saw.'"

He also shares tapes of his "secret transcripts." He claims he took these tapes when he was working so there would be proof of his mistreatment. Some highlights from these alleged tapes include Bob Wickman ridiculing Priore for being gay (and admitting in his testimony he called him a "faggot"), David Weathers calling him a "queer boy" and Jeff Nelson saying all he talks about are "men's asses."

So, if you really want to be an author, here's your opportunity! And hey, you get to split the prospective earnings 50/50:

"If the project is sold, the split on advances and royalties will be 50-50. The split on all future income or net profit generated by projects and activities that are based on the book, such as television programs, movies, personal appearances, speaking engagements, and merchandising will also be 50-50."

There you have it. Revenue from television, film and speaking engagements. It can all be yours. For only the price of an enormous lawsuit by insanely wealthy and popular individuals. Good luck with that.

Another Tuesday has come, which means it's time to look at the latest round of internet message board douchebaggery!

- ESPN.com (MLB General): "Their is no way that the Dodgers would give up Laroche and Loney for Texeira. Loney might be better than him already." - nickvanexcellent

- ESPN.com (MLB General): "Bonds haters ... Just shut up, you're riduclus rhetoric act and posts are re tarded. I mean, if you can not realize that barry is a VERY special player, and you might not ever see they type of hitter he is again, then i dont consider you real fans...So do everyone a favor who loves the game of baseball and respects and realizes how hard it is to hit a 95 mph fastball..SHUT UP." - ProBaseballAnalyst1

- Orioles Hangout: "Lets just say it now...Erik Bedard is the best Lefty in the game. You can talk about Santana, or Hamels or any other lefty in the game right now...and perhaps they have better stats...but they dont have better stuff." - Roy Firestone

- Sox Talk (Chicago White Sox): "Shouldn't Kenny Williams be able to talk Pitt. out of Jason Bay ? Isn't he getting too expensive for them ? Anybody knkow anything about what's going on with the Pirates ? I'd like the Sox to take advantage of some of these cash poor teams and get a couple of good players.

I think Bay would be great in LF for the Sox." - WHITESOXRANDY

- Dodger Blues: "Why not trade D.J. Houlton, Eric Stults, and Joe Beimel for Johan Santana? Twins will likely lose Santana to free agency. So they trade him to us and get three great young pitchers in return for him.

We are not losing anything." - Westwood Blues

- Phila Phans: "The Mets are the luckiest team in history. just unreal. Teams literally give them games." - GMAN

- Reds Zone: "Would you trade Adam Dunn and Homer Bailey to the Twins for their top 5 prospects???? Perferrably 3 pitchers and 2 position players." - Redmachine2003

- Marlins Baseball: "The Marlins should trade Dontrelle Willis to Boston, it would be an awesome deal:

Deal Option 1:
Redsox: Dontrelle Willis
Marlins: Hansack and Jon Lester

Deal Option 2:
Redsox: Dontrelle Willis, Andino, Scott Olsen
Marlins: Jon Lester, Jacob Ellsbury, and Mike Lowell" - marlins2219

The best of the Monday sports blogs, including Pam Anderson, because PETA is mentioned somewhere in these links, and she is a member. Good enough excuse?

- Ten naughty ways to describe a hit in a baseball game. (Epic Carnival)

- Even though he generally doesn't know what he's talking about, this idiot blogger gives you the 10 worst NFL fan bases, like he's been to every NFL stadium. Having been to many Rams games in the dome, I know from experience you can't hear yourself think in there if the game is even a little bit competitive. (Pac Man Jonesin')

- A letter from Brady Quinn to the city of Cleveland. (Six Pack Sports Report)

- Those PETA protestors? Well, they're all a bunch of racists, and are clearly trying to bring down a black man with cornrows while allowing white devils the freedom to be animal killing machines. (Nation of Islam Sports Blog)

- If you like college football, you have to check out this easy reference guide to links for every college football program and their season previews. (Pre Pro Sports)

- A blog with principle. After being warned by some Transylvania resident to stop using "Ookie" on shirts they sell, KSK came up with a well thought out, appropriate response. (Kissing Suzy Kolber)

- Brady Quinn is a popular target in the blogosphere, and an easy one, considering he charges out the ass for a lousy autograph. (100% Injury Rate)

- Baseball players are not looked at as tough guys, so here are some suggestions on how the game can grow a pair. (Bugs & Cranks)

- Deuce of Davenport wonders how QB Aaron Brooks doesn't have a job, even as a back up. This is something I can explain: Despite all his obvious physical talents, the guy is a freaking moron. He's an idiot. He makes awful decisions and either stands in the pocket under pressure, throws the ball to the wrong team or literally throws it backwards, as he has done on more than one occasion. (Deuce of Davenport)

Yesterday (July 22) was a sad day in the world of baseball. Sure to be lost amidst stories of point shaving referees, animal torturing quarterbacks and steroid using sluggers, two genuine baseball men lost their lives.

At 100 years old, Rolland Mays "Lena" Stiles was the oldest living former Major League player. He died in his sleep Sunday in St. Louis. Just this past January, he was honored in St. Louis for meritous service to sports, along with a lifetime achievement award. St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball Hall of Fame writer Rick Hummel penned an article about him this morning:

"While with the Browns, Mr. Stiles often was matched against Philadelphia Athletics Hall of Famer Lefty Grove. He also recalled facing the great New York Yankees' teams, including Hall of Famer Babe Ruth.

'I had a great game against him,' Mr. Stiles told the Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold last November. 'I held him to three hits.'

Of his playing career, Mr. Stiles told the Post-Dispatch last year, 'It was good. It was nice. A baseball career — I recommend it.'"

Also passing on, in a far more tragic manner, was 35 year old Tulsa Drillers coach Mike Coolbaugh. He died after being hit in the head with a line drive.

Coolbaugh joined the Colorado Rockies Class AA affiliate only 20 days ago. He played in a total of just 44 games in the Major Leagues, with 82 at-bats for the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals.

However, he was a baseball lifer, and he played 1,632 games in the minor leagues. That covered a span of 16 seasons, where he amassed 1,575 hits, including 389 doubles and 256 homeruns. He also scored 907 runs and drove in an additional 991 runs.

Clearly, Coolbaugh just wanted to be a part of the game. After a long career trying to make it as a player in the Major Leagues, he was once again working his way through the ranks of the minors, this time as a coach.

Neither of these two men contributed significantly in the big leagues, but they were still a part of baseball, in their own unique ways.

As Ronald "Winky" Wright and Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins faced each other at yesterday's weigh-in, something completely unexpected happened: A fight broke out between the Wright and Hopkins entourages. ESPN boxing analyst Dan Rafael saw it like this:

"Things got heated between the two, and after some finger wagging and trash talk, Hopkins stuffed his open fist into Wright's forehead, pushing him back. Wright shoved him back and a mini-melee broke out on stage."

While this move may have generated some hype for the bout, it will cost Hopkins, according to Rafael:

"Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission ... said that 10 percent of Hopkins' $3 million purse ($300,000) would be held by the commission and that a complaint would be filed against him Monday."

This is nothing we haven't seen before. Weigh-ins have historically been a place where two fighters who have been training to beat the hell out of each other will come to blows.

But the question now is: will all this hoopla be worth your $50 for tonight's match? Neither Hopkins nor Wright are sluggers, and though Hopkins will have the height and weight advantage, and is considered the more powerful puncher, Wright is a masterful defensive boxer. You will not see these two standing in the middle of the ring, throwing bombs at each other.

The media types seem to have mixed opinions on this. Some writers are excited about it, while others have coined it a snoozefest.

No doubt boxing needs this to be a good fight, considering all the build up to De La Hoya vs. Mayweather and the mild disappointment it turned out to be.

It will come down to this: if you are a boxing fan, you are probably going to enjoy watching this bout. However, if you are a fighting fan, you may want to save your $50 for a UFC match.

Ultimately, legendary boxing scribe Bert Sugar may have said it best on an interview with Fox Sports Radio yesterday: "De La Hoya/Mayweather promised fans the moon and it delivered two stars. Hopkins/Wright promises two stars and it will give you two stars."

A look at Friday's best sports blogs, including newly silicon-enhanced Jodie Sweetin, former "Full House" kid turned meth junkie.

- Kerry Wood's shoulder underwent a miracle. About seven years too late. (Epic Carnival)

- FTT wants to help you hide your Harry Potter love. Brooms and little boys - a priests wet dream. (Five Tool Tool)

- Cheerleader auditions. With pictures. Need I say more? (Our Book of Scrap)

- Steinbrenner opines on "The Bronx is Burning." (The Sports Hernia)

- Some interesting picks of the most overrated women in the world. There are a couple very good calls in there. (Wasting Company Time)

- The Sporting Orange is expanding their empire. With all this new power, they need to scare up some new pictures of Urban Meyer's daughter, who is jail bait personified. (The Sporting Orange)

- Want to clean up steroid abuse? Here's how. (Josh Q. Public)

I am Chris Carpenter's medial collateral ligament. I must be replaced soon, by a ligament elsewhere in his body.

Maybe you are familiar with my distant relatives, such as Jack's raging bile duct, Jack's complete lack of surprise, or Jack's colon, which killed Jack. Now, I am killing any slim chance the St. Louis Cardinals had of even getting to .500.

My close friend, Tommy John's medial collateral ligament, was also replaced at one time. So was Mariano Rivera's, Eric Gagne's, John Smoltz's, Billy Wagner's, Jason Isringhausen's, Matt Morris's and Francisco Liriano's.

Even though I am being replaced, I hope I have served Chris well. I was part of a Cy Young award and World Series Championship, so I trust that Cardinals fans will not be too upset with me.

It is just time for me to move on. Thankfully, I am not Chris' heart, liver or kidney. Replacing them is much more difficult.

Though I ultimately failed Chris, the Cardinals and their fans, please remember me fondly. I did the best I could. Ultimately, I was not strong enough to remain a part of Chris. He was a pitcher, though, so I knew this was a possibility.

I am MCL's complete lack of surprise.

Apparently, Mike Vick is a powerful role model. He tortures dogs, and now everybody wants to get into the act. Two 14 year old boys, undoubtedly wearing #7 Falcons jerseys, jumped into a hippo pit at the Kansas City zoo:

"According to a witness, the youths jumped into the hippo enclosure and threw rocks at the huge animals. The witness, who was identified as a 14-year-old girl, said the animals became angry and began to charge the boys."

Unfortunately, the boys weren't hurt. Neither was the hippo. They were arrested, however. And I am beaming with pride because both boys are from St. Louis, which happens to be my hometown.

Already, Michael Vick is influencing young people to act aggressively towards animals. I mean, what's next? Naked people jumping into crocodile pits? Mr. Goodell, Mr. Blank, we are waiting. The QB you are in charge of is blatantly influencing the youth of America into attacking animals. Hurry up and suspend him, or somebody may do something really stupid, like jump into a lion's den.

As we all know, Major League Baseball has no salary cap, leaving teams to bid inordinate amounts of money on sometimes mediocre players. Huge contracts can burn teams, while other squads employ less expensive players who produce more.

Below is a comparitive look at statistics from two players at each position. One of them makes a huge amount of money, while the other does not. Can you guess which contract belongs to each set of statistics? Answers are below.

Catcher
A).315/.389/.495, 11 HR, 63 RBI
B).226/.261/.281, 2 HR, 22 RBI

Salaries: $13,000,000 and $387,500

First Base
A).315/.415/.548, 20 HR, 57 RBI
B).341/.389/.523, 9 HR, 52 RBI

Salaries: $15,000,000 and $500,000

Second Base
A).283/.328/.492, 19 HR, 57 RBI
B).281/.362/.470, 12 HR, 50 RBI

Salaries: $11,500,000 and $407,500

Third Base
A).297/.380/.501, 16 HR, 51 RBI
B).262/.338/.371, 4 HR, 39 RBI

Salaries: $12,000,000 and $1,000,000

Shortstop
A).253/.333/.316, 2 HR, 24 RBI
B).323/.383/.479, 10 HR, 48 RBI

Salaries: $9,000,000 and $405,000

Left Field
A).235/.394/.432, 12 HR, 43 RBI
B).337/.386/.570, 16 HR, 73 RBI

Salaries: $13,000,000 and $4,400,000

Center Field
A).333/.404/.528, 13 HR, 49 RBI
B).259/.343/.415, 7 HR, 38 RBI

Salaries: $4,350,000 and $395,000

Right Field
A).297/.353/.532, 19 HR, 56 RBI
B).256/.366/.385, 6 HR, 33 RBI

Salaries: $14,000,000 and $2,535,000

Starting Pitcher
A) 5-11, 5.32 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, .287 BAA
B) 8-3, 1.97 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, .192 BAA

Salaries: $9,000,000 and $750,000

Answers
Catcher:
A) Russell Martin - $387,500
B) Jason Kendall - $13,000,000

First Base:
A) Albert Pujols - $15,000,000
B) Dmitri Young - $500,000

Second Base:
A) Brandon Phillips - $407,500
B) Jeff Kent - $11,500,000

Third Base:
A) David Wright - $1,000,000
B) Scott Rolen - $12,000,000

Shortstop:
A) Jason Bartlett - $405,000
B) Edgar Renteria - $9,000,000

Left Field:
A) Pat Burrell - $13,000,000
B) Matt Holliday - $4,400,000

Center Field:
A) Aaron Rowand - $4,350,000
B) Ryan Church - $395,000

Right Field:
A) Alex Rios - $2,535,000
B) J.D. Drew - $14,000,000

Starting Pitcher:
A) Chris Young - $750,000
B) Jose Contreras - $9,000,000

(All salaries found at: Cot's Baseball Contracts)

Since everyone else is doing it, I thought I should join in on the announcement train as well and let everyone know that I will be contributing over at Epic Carnival, which promises to be a must-stop on your tour of the sports blogosphere.

Just don't stop reading DotD. If you do, all my AdSense money will go away, and I will no longer be able to buy a pack of gum once every three weeks.

A look at the best of the Tuedsay sports blogs, including Jennifer Love Hewitt wearing leather. Obviously, this is a picture I took from me and Jen's own personal collection.

- Is there a rift between Tim McCarver and Joe Buck? (Awful Announcing)

- The brothers at the Nation of Islam Sports Blog were insulted by a University of Kentucky sports fan site. And they're pissed about it. Kentuckians must not understand that the NOIS Blog is solely "dedicated to education and the proliferation of righteousness." (Nation of Islam Sports Blog)

- China is making up shitty excuses about why they don't want Yi Jianlian to play in Milwaukee. (Winning The Turnover Battle)

- Rejoice, as EA Sports NCAA Football is coming out today. (The Sporting Orange)

- Think you know your Chicago White Sox relievers? Take a quiz and find out. (Bugs and Cranks)

- Midgets as American Gladiators. What's not funny about that? (Deuce of Davenport)

- Lozo thinks fans running out on the field is funny. Couldn't agree more. At your next game, please get wasted and run on the field so I can see you get your ass beat. Thanks. (Epic Carnival)

- The Colts have their own social networking site. Tween Peyton Manning fans just wet themselves. (Lion in Oil)

- Frank DeFord wrote a baseball book. Apparently, there's sex in it. Frank DeFord and sex do not belong in the minds of America's youth. That's much more harmful to their psyche than anything Eminem ever said. (The Big Picture)

It's Tuesday, which means it's time for the weekly look at internet message board shenanigans. On to the douchebaggery.

NYYfans: "How about getting Barry Bonds on the Yanks in 08? He still has power and he still can get on base at an insane rate. It'd be a 1 year deal at best so it'd be low risk. Why not? It wouldn't hurt the lineup. He could DH easily." - Metroidman

MLB.com (Kansas City Royals): "What about Joey Gathright + prospect for Dontrelle WIllis + low A ball 2B prospect?" - royalsfansince1985

Cards Clubhouse: "I can't wait, I will be singing hallalojouh when Tony LaRussa and Dave Duncan leave. I will be partying in the streets of stl. They don't like young players, and Dave Duncan is only good for verterans, who know what they are doing. Anyone else hope we get either Girard or Ocquendo?" - asrabbit91

Brewerfan: "Geoff Jenkins is better than Carl Crawford, let's just stick with him for now if the best we could get is Crawford." - JoeHova

Dodger Blues: "The Cubs need a shortstop/leadoff hitter, a closer, and another bat. So we trade them Rafael Furcal, Takashi Saito, and Luis Gonzalez, and in return we get Carlos Zambrano and two prospects. We trade Chicago's prospects, along with two of our own, to Texas for Eric Gagne and Akinori Otsuka." - UCLA

Reds Zone: "Ken Griffey, Jr to NYM for Lastings Milledge, Mike Pelfrey and Philip Humber.

Adam Dunn to ANA for Brandon Wood, Jeff Mathis and Steve Shell

Adam Dunn to ARI for Carlos Quentin, Scott Hairston and Micah Owings.

David Weathers and Scott Hatteberg to NYY for Joba Chamberlain and another prospect." - buckeyenut

Orioles Hangout: "Do you make this trade?:

Jeff Weaver, Richie Sexson, Adam Jones, Yuniesky Betancourt, Brandon Morrow for Miguel Tejada and Daniel Cabrera?" - Sports Guy

I think we're all familiar with the fact that softball player Jennie Finch is a babe. She also seems like a pretty cool person judging from her stint on "This Week in Baseball" a couple years ago, and the fact that she and husband Casey Daigle (of the Diamondbacks AAA team), named their son Ace. Let's face it, that would be a cool name to have.

However, this year, Jennnie took a gig at espn.com writing a column once a week called The Finch Files, in which readers write in and ask her questions. It's not that she's been bad at it. From time to time, she offers interesting perspectives (aside from the weekly updates about her life). It's just that she's kinda ... obvious. To wit:

- "At this point, if you can trade Zito, then trade him. His fastball is topping out in the mid-80s and he just doesn't look like the same pitcher who won the Cy Young a few years ago."

- "It wouldn't surprise me to see (Barry Bonds) finish the year strong once the pressure of chasing Hank Aaron is off."

- "Cole Hamels is one of the best young pitchers in the game."

(Reader question: Do you think that trading Josh Beckett for Roy Halladay and Joe Mauer is good?) - "Yes, trade Beckett for Halladay and Mauer."

- "I still think Cordero will have 25-plus saves this year because the Nationals are definitely going to win 40 games."

So, to recap: Barry Zito isn't the same, Barry Bonds is under pressure, Cole Hamels is good and the Nationals won't be the worst team in history. Got it. Thanks.

DotD made it's first appearance on the Blog Show yesterday. Check out the video below.

The best from Friday's sports blogs, including Alyssa Milano:

- Some ways to design your own shitty sports blog. Proud to say I've never once done one of those things. Nope. Never. (My Brain Says Rage)

- Would you do...Mia Hamm? The answer is yes. Why not? (The Big Picture)

- Hot chicks in some jerseys, like Alyssa Milano, whom we like. Very much. (Winning The Turnover Battle)

- E.T. and ALF, who are apparently good pals, have something in common with Pacman Jones. (The Sports Hernia)

- Though I posted earlier that I thought David Samson was spot-on, another blog thinks he's the douchebag of the week. (Rumors and Rants)

- Dear lord. I remember when I first got Nirvana's "Nevermind" album. Now that kid on the cover is grown up. (I Dislike Your Favorite Team)

I can see it now. Marlins president David Samson, leader of the downtrodden Greasers, challenging Mariners president Chuck Armstrong, leader of the richer, more powerful Socs, to a rumble in the alley. All because of Cherry Valance, aka Ichiro Suzuki.

Okay, maybe a comparison to The Outsiders is sort of an exaggeration. Still, I can just hear Armstrong nose to nose with Samson, saying, "You guys know what Marlins are? White trash with long, greasy hair." Only to hear Samson retort, "You know what Mariners are? White trash with Mustangs and madras."

After Samson blasted the Mariners for possibly giving Ichiro a $100 million contract by saying the contract is, "a joke, it's inexcusable, it's complete mismanagement. It can't be true." He wasn't done, adding, “It’ll take the sport down, that contract. Right back to the ridiculous contracts."

Armstrong was none too pleased about this slight, and offered up his own rebuttal. "The Seattle Mariners, ownership and management has never criticized another team for whatever they have done, even if we might consider it to be folly. It strikes us as bizarre that Samson would go public and make such a statement. He has no idea what the terms of any contract extension might be for No. 51. So, how can he comment on it when he has no idea? When we haven't done it yet?"

"Folly?" Is that what the kids are saying these days? Either way, Samson has a point. Ichiro is a fine base stealer, a good fielder and he possess a great arm. But $100,000,000? Seems like a bit much. Especially for a player getting into his late 30's.

Ichiro has always gotten a lot of hits, but they are almost all singles. Of his 224 hits last year he had only 38 extra base hits. For comparison, in 2006 Grady Sizemore led the league with 92 extra base hits, and this year, three players (Chase Utley, Alex Rodriguez and Curtis Granderson) already have 52 extra base hits.

Those numbers are not a one year trend. Over his career, 83% of his 1,482 hits have been singles. His on-base percentage is another problem. Iciro has a career .333 batting average, but a .379 OBP. That's not good enough for a $100,000,000 player. He has struck out more than he has walked every year except one.

Ichiro aside, the Mariners are becoming the poster children for bad contracts. Everybody give the Yankees heat, but most of the time, when they overpay for a guy, they have legitimate reasons. Some of the contracts the Mariners have doled out were head-scratchers at the time, and look worse now.

For example: Richie Sexson, 4 years, $50 million. He is hitting .203 with a .298 OBP.
Adrian Beltre, 5 years, $64 million. He hit .255/.303/.413 with 19 HR's and .268/.328/.465 with 25 HR's the first two years of the deal, and so far this year is hitting .278/.329/.486 with 15 HR's. Those are not bad numbers, and he is a productive third baseman, but is he worth $12.8 million a year? Of course not.

Oh, but there's more. Jeff Weaver was signed in the offseason for $8.25 million and though he's pitched better lately, is 2-6 with a 6.34 ERA and 1.64 WHIP. What about Miguel Batista, he of the 3 year, $25 million contract? His record isn't bad, at 8-7, but his ERA is 4.54 and his WHIP is not much better than Weaver's, at 1.57.

They also signed Chris Reitsma last year for more than $2 million per. Their return on the investment? 20 innings, 5.31 ERA, 1.57 WHIP. Yuniesky Betancourt got a contract extension of 4 years for a total of $13.75 million, or about $3.5 million a year. Apparently, .268/.293/.361 are numbers that cannot be ignored.

Come to think of it, maybe a rumble isn't a bad idea.

Links from around this Thursday of sports blogging, including Sooze from Babes Love Baseball, who I'm hoping will arrest and frisk me soon.

- Pac-Man Jones and Sebastian Telfair are going in different directions in their careers. Color me sketpical about Telfair. Make it through a season without pulling a Glock, then we can talk (please excuse my unintended rhyme). (Six Pack Sports Report)

- Baseball's 20 most impressive records. (Baseball Crank)

- The Oklahoma Sooners of 2005? Worst...Football Team...Ever (The Musings of G-Money)

- If you suck too much for the X-Games and are missing a limb, you can always win $250 at the eXtremity Games! (Deuce of Davenport)

- More evidence that Eli Manning is not only an average QB, but not very smart, either. (Winning the Turnover Battle)

- Some good ideas on ways to improve sports video games. (Ghosts of Wayne Fontes)

- The Nation of Islam Sports Blog looked to join Kissing Suzy Kolber's fantasy football league. They were subsequently rejected. The injustices never cease in blogfrica. (Nation of Islam Sports Blog)

- MBSR reached 10,000 unique visitors and promises "exciting" changes soon. Oh, and should you be offended at their witticisms, the always eloquent, soft-spoken duo of Rae Carruth's Trunk and StegoSaurus have this to say: "If you don’t like us or our style, just go the fuck away." (My Brain Says Rage)

With the 2007 World Series of Poker upon us, thousands of people have headed to Vegas. Their goal? To try and claim the coveted bracelet given to the winnners, not to mention the $8.7 million that goes along with it.

The WSOP didn't have much of a mainstream audience until ESPN started showing it. All of a sudden, poker exploded onto the scene, and anybody with an internet connection could learn how to play. Still, poker has always been part of American culture, romanticized in film as a game played by outlaws. It was often used as a metaphor of good vs. evil, with the good coming away victorious, even if it meant cheating.

With that in mind, a look at the best of poker in the cinema. Please remember there are many, many films which could be included that I left out in the interest of time. But feel free to add your own in the comments section.

Rounders

One of the films that really helped to jump-start Texas Hold 'Em as a game people wanted to play. The film is entirely about poker, and has John Malkovich in a classic role as Russian mobster Teddy KGB. Though made in 1998, it seems dated today only because of the increased popularity of poker. Two lines that exemplify this are spoken by Mike McDermott (Matt Damon): "Why do you think the same five guys make it to the final table of the World Series of Poker EVERY YEAR? What, are they the luckiest guys in Las Vegas?" and "First prize at the World Series of Poker is a million bucks. Does it have my name on it? I don't know. But, I'm gonna find out." Still, this film is full of great poker lines:

- Mike McDermott: "Listen, here's the thing. If you can't spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you ARE the sucker."

- Mike McDermott: "It's immoral to let a sucker keep his money."

- Worm: "Hey! If you want to see this seventh card you're gonna stop speakin' fuckin' Sputnik."

- Teddy KGB: "Mr. Son of a bitch, let's play some cards!"

- Teddy KGB: "Pay him ... Pay that man his money."

Tombstone

In one of the best westerns ever made, Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) is a cheating, drunk, ill gambler, and an ace poker player. Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) is his friend and owner of a saloon where he is a card dealer. Gambling is a central theme in the film, in ways other than just a card game. Great lines include:

- Ike Clanton: "What is that, Holliday? Twelve hands in a row? Ain't nobody that lucky."
- Doc Holliday: "Why Ike, whatever do you mean? Maybe poker's just not your game. I know! Let's have a spelling contest!"

- Johnny Ringo: "Isn't anyone here man enough to play for blood?"
- Doc Holliday: "I'm your huckleberry."

Casino Royale

You can argue which version is better, but for these purposes, we'll use the 2006 version. Bond (Daniel Craig) is doing his thing, capturing and killing terrorists with aplomb, and at the center of it all is a high-stakes poker game, which Bond competes in because, well, what isn't 007 good at? Casino Royale quotes:

- Felix Leiter: Listen, I'm bleeding chips. I'm not going to last much longer. You have a better chance. I'll stake you. I'm saying I'll give you the money to keep going. Just one thing: you pull it off, the CIA bring him in.
- James Bond: What about the winnings?
- Felix Leiter: Does it look like we need the money?

- James Bond: I'm sorry. That last hand... it nearly killed me

Maverick

A goofy, entertaining comedy that is all about one huge poker game to take place on a Mississippi River boat. Maverick (Mel Gibson) is supposedly the greatest gambler there is, and he figures he can beat the game to claim the huge cash prize. Among the best lines:

- Maverick: It's just a pair of sixes. If you can beat that you got me licked, and that's not a totally unpleasant prospect.

- Maverick: Well, now, I bring all sorts of plusses to the table. I hardly ever bluff and I never ever cheat.

- Annabelle: How'd you know I was bluffing? I didn't do any of my tells. I didn't shuffle my cards, I didn't pull my hair, I didn't even flick my teeth.
- Maverick: You held your breath. If you'd been excited, you would have started breathing harder.

The Sting

Arguably one of the best films ever made, it won 7 Oscars in 1974, including Best Picture, and was nominated for 3 others. It would not be right to give too much away for those who have not seen it, but it centers on an elaborate con job involving many angles, including a poker scene in the payoff. A fantastic script included some memorable lines:

- Luther: How much did you lose?
- Johnny Hooker: All of it.
- Luther: In one damn night? What are you spraying money around like that for, you could've been nailed.
- Johnny Hooker: I checked the place first. There were no dicks in there.
- Luther: But you're a con man! And you blew it like a pimp!

- Floyd: Doyle, I KNOW I gave him four THREES. He had to make a SWITCH. We can't let him get away with that.
- Doyle Lonnegan: What was I supposed to do - call him for cheating better than me, in front of the others?

- Henry Gondorff: Tough luck, Lonnehan. But that's what you get for playing with your head up your ass!

- Doyle Lonnegan: Your boss is quite a card player, Mr. Kelly; how does he do it?
- Johnny Hooker: He cheats.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

An extraordinary film that didn't get near the publicity it's sequel, Snatch did, the film is about four guys in London who pooled their money to let one guy in their crew play a high stakes poker game. The game turns out to be crooked, and they owe a lot of money in a short period of time to a guy named "Hatchet Harry." Needlesss to say, they must figure out a way to pay it back, or risk losing limbs. Quotes from Lock Stock:

- Bacon: Harry didn't think that he did a very good job, so he grabbed the nearest thing to hand, which just so happened to be a 15 inch black rubber cock, and proceeded to beat poor old Smithy to death with. And that was seen as a nice way to go. Now, that, is why you pay Hatchet Harry, when you owe.

- Barry the Baptist: When you dance with the devil, you wait for the song to stop.

- Don: I'll fold.
- Phil: Fold? Is that the only word you learnt at school?
- Don: No, I also learned the word cunt!

- Eddie: That's quite a raise. That's 150 on my 100.
- Hatchet Harry: Yeah. And is there anything else you want to say?

If there's one thing any avid fisherman will tell you, it's that when the urge to go and catch a few hits you, there is no time to stop for some silly equipment. You just have to go.

Which is why a revolutionary new product will blow you away. Forget that stupid iphone. This product is much handier, and you won't even have to wait in line for it. Yep, you got it. It's the Fishpen!

If you don't believe me about how wonderfully useful it is, apparently you haven't seen the commercial.

Just like the good old days when you and Grandpa Jedebiah would grab your pens and head out to the lake. A rod and reel? Please. That's for people who don't really appreciate that every second is precious.

There is no doubt you will be able to catch anything with your pen. Even a Giant Catfish! But best of all, when you're done fishing, just close that puppy and put it right in your pocket. Let's do a comparison:

With Fishpen
1. Finish fishing
2. Close Fishpen
3. Open car door
4. Sit down, start car and drive away

Without Fishpen
1. Finish fishing
2. Walk all the way to back of car
3. Open trunk of car
4. Put rod and reel inside
5. Walk all the way back to the front of the car
6. Open car door
7. Sit down, start car and drive away

Clearly, this demonstration has proven this product is worth every penny of the $40 it costs. So don't waste spend your money on anything else. It's a Fishpen, and it's the hottest accessory since friendship bracelets. Everybody is buying them. You don't want to be the only loser without one, do you? Didn't think so.

By the way, they are very interested in any questions you may have. They truly appreciate your "patients."

The best from the Tuesday sports blogs, including Anna Benson, in a picture I took at our secret rendevous spot. The leash was very useful. On to the blogs:

- Bloggers interviewing other bloggers, in this case, Big Daddy Drew from KSK. (Pyle of List)

- Scrap continues his Hottest Wife/Girlfriend in Sports poll. This time, the entrants are Elin Nordgren and Anna Benson. Obviously, my vote goes to Benson. I don't like classy chicks, I prefer dirty ex-strippers, thankyouverymuch. (Our Book of Scrap)

- The Cubs, desperate to win, were fucking cheaters in 2003. (Foul Balls)

- If Derek Jeter bangs Oprah, will the Yankees win more? (Bugs and Cranks)

- One of new Golden State Warrior Brandan Wright's strengths as a player? Orthodontia. (The Blowtorch)

- A preview of the Arizona Cardinals, including Edge James and crack heads, which goes together like peanut butter and jelly. (Kissing Suzy Kolber)

- By way of court order, Allen Iverson has to make it rain a lot of ca$h. (The 700 Level)

- One of my two favorite large breasted temptresses (who blog about sports) have put their baseball allegiance up for sale. So I made her an offer she can't refuse. (Girls Gone Sports)

- Finding The Smittblog is easy. Just type "Grady Sizemore cock" into Google, and it will lead you right to it. (The Smittblog)

- The Nation of Islam Sports Blog had another righteousness meeting today. And they're pissed. Just another example of institutionalized white America "proliferating the practice of placing young Negro athletes above normal expectations." (Nation of Islam Sports Blog)

- The order of importance of each professional sport in America. Frankly, I think soccer is too high on this list. (My Brain Says Rage)

It is Tuesday, which means that it is time for the weekly look around the world of message boards, and the douchebaggery that exists within.

NYYFans.com (New York Yankees): "Why is the media so in love with this years Tigers? Because they were overated last year too. what am i supposed to think when a team plays over its head and then we kill them all season and they go into the playoffs limping and didnt even win their division after leading the whole year ?? am i supposed to think thats a great team ??

As for this season well nobody couldve predicted their offense being this good. they simply werent this good last year. but again we will see what happens. i remember the 04 marlins and the 06 white sox starting off like gangbusters too and then both missing the playoffs." - donniesrecordholdsup

Blue Jay Way: "Cito Gaston was all business, as were the players. They expected to win. They had T-shirts saying 3 for 3 in '92. They knew from day 1 what they wanted to do, and when that happens, by all means, let them be. This is different, and that's why the manager needs to go. He can't change this now - someone else has to. Mike Hargrove??" - patientlywaiting

Ranger Fans: "Any thoughts on a trade with detroit for texeira and gagne centered on a prospects package centering around andrew miller....hes pitched well in 4 starts this year." - Teixeira Fan

Oakball (Oakland A's): "The offical bobby crosby sucks ass thread
If you hate bobby crosby and think he is horrible this is the thread for you!
Post your hate here!
I'll start......
Bobby crosby is a pussy bitch who cant hit above .235 to save his life." - linusalf

BallParkGuys.com (Washington Nationals): "I feel our future is bright and predict w/in 5 years the Nats will be competing for 1st in the NL East every year and (judging by our avid fan base) will be considered one of the top BB towns in the league." - Bay Nats

North Side Baseball (Chicago Cubs): "It would be just like the Cards to continue playing better for the rest of the season in spite of the obvious problems they have. St. Louis, the city of magic pixie dust." - Soul

(DOTD Editor's Note: As an StL resident and Cards fan, I would like to address this rumor - we do not have pixie dust in the air. Thank you for your attention. Now back to the douchebags.)

Giants Talk: "It seems to me that to have success, Zito needs to do two things:
(a) Not walk batters.
(b) Not throw hanging curveballs." - LondonStatto

Sox Talk (Chicago White Sox): "My first trade would be Dye and Garland to the Dodgers for Billingsley, Broxton and Kemp. My next trade would be Contreras and Iguchi to the Mets for Pelfrey, Heilman, and Milledge. My last trade is Brian Anderson to Arizona for Orlando Hudson." - Lemon 44

ESPN.com (Kansas City Royals): "No way I trade Zack Greinke at this point. There is too much upside and this kid is still young enough to unload him for someone like Lastings Milledge. I don't think I'd even do it for Teixeira." - desertfan

The best of Monday sports blogs around the internet, along with this picture of Christina Aguilera, which is one of my all-time favorites. I post this because she just announced she is pregnant, and will soon be a mom with a kid, which means she loses some of her hotness - until she gets old enough to be crowned a MILF. Anyway, enjoy...

- Hilarious video/audio of a woman freaking out when her kid gets into a fight at a hockey game. Language is NSFW, so be warned. (100% Injury Rate)

- The Homerun Derby is lame this year. Apparently, Alex Rios doesn't inspire confidence. (Winning the Turnover Battle)

- Will LSU head coach Les Miles be the next coach at Michigan? (The Wizard of Odds)

- The Dodgers sent PMS to the All-Star Game, literally. (Bugs and Cranks)

- Broadcasters who have been in trouble with the law. Kirk Herbstreit really should have stayed away from that truck filled with button down shirts. (The Sports Hernia)

- Eric Byrnes has a misshaped head, and he dives too much, but his on-air personality is fun. (The Smittblog)

- The All Big 10 true freshman team. (Pre Pro Sports)

- What the hell happened to all the names we were supposed to hear from Mets batboy turned steroids rat Kirk Radomski? (Our Book of Scrap)

- Attend the Smashing Pumpkins concert with one of the crew from My Brain Says Rage. Oh yeah, and it's free. (My Brain Says Rage)

- While nearly every male is uninterested in the Home Run Derby this year, the other gender will enjoy watching for other reasons. (Ladies...)

- Nascar is not exactly full of fans of the Democratic Party. (Ghosts of Wayne Fontes)

- Israel is pissed. Munich, Germany wants to host the Olympics in 2018. (Deuce of Davenport)

While the San Francisco Giants were in St. Louis this weekend, Barry Bonds got the typical boos and jeers he experiences on every road trip. However, one particular heckler got his attention on Sunday. This is how the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold writes it:

"During San Francisco's batting practice Barry Bonds and teammate Dave Roberts shared a chuckle at the oversized Giants hat worn by Marty Prather, who is known as 'Sign Man' around Busch Stadium. Prather had a Giants hat approximately 20 sizes too big balanced on his head, and he carried a sign that told Bonds that Prather had found his hat. Bonds took the jab with a grin, pointing from the batting cage and asked: 'How much for the hat?' Bonds, who has been showered with boos this year and was thrown a syringe last year, later yelled: 'That's the best one I've seen.'"

This incident let to the thought - which signs and antics aimed at Bonds have been the best? We'll take a look:

The Syringe



Last year in San Diego, a fan threw an empty syringe at Bonds. While throwing stuff on the field is usually pretty stupid, this was an exception and a harmless way to make a point. It certainly did, as it was all over the news that same night. However, Bonds was none too pleased, saying, "If that's what they want to do, embarrass themselves, then that's on them."
(Photo: MSNBC)

Ruth / Aaron



This sign is one of the best out there. It was not particularly clever or witty but it really speaks to how the fans feel about Bonds. The sign is huge, going maybe 30-40 seats across, and everybody is involved in holding it up. Usually, people at a game don't want to do any work, and would prefer to hold a beer in one hand a hot dog in the other. This sign is clear in it's purpose and is unique because of it's required group participation.
(Photo: CNN)

Juicy Juice



Cleverly, this fan decided to show everybody his disdain for Bonds by wearing his sign. I think we've all had Juicy Juice when we were kids. Though, I somehow don't recall drinking that particular flavor.



Barroid



None too original, this "Barroid" sign is seen at every game. And how about taking care of your heckling sign? It was clearly folded in half, the edges are bent, and the lettering is not even, as the bottom letters are larger than the top letters. This fan obviously does not take his heckling seriously enough.
(Photo: MSNBC)

Where's Greg Anderson



Taken in Pittsburgh, this photo shows two fans who are obviously knowledgable about Bonds' steroids case, as the "Where's Greg Anderson" sign points out. Anderson is, of course, Bonds' former trainer who would rather sit in prison than tell what he knows about Bonds' steroid use. Bonus points to these two for color-coordinating their signs to match the colors of the Pirates.
(Photo: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Those aren't fingers



An outstanding idea here. We've all seem the lame foam fingers that they sell at games everywhere, proclaiming your favorite team is number one. Well, this young man took that to a different level, showing us that foam hands can still be cool.
(Photo: NY Daily News)


Release us



These signs seem a bit too serious. These people are obviously angry, and maybe a bit too much so. Having the signs done professionally takes away from them. Isn't making a sign part of the fun? And the sign on the bottom makes little sense. Is somebody pitching Barry Bonds?


Barry's rookie card



Technically, this isn't heckling if Bonds can't see it. But it's too good not to share. This is Bonds' rookie year, when he was a bit skinnier.

Best of the Friday sports blogs:

- The British have banned Homer Simpson from the All England Club at Wimbledon. Well, posters of him anyway. Why do you hate cartoons, English people? (Our Book of Scrap)

- Some suggestions for Playboy on women in the sports world who need to strip and let us see their goodies. (You Been Blinded)

- Interesting entry about the the bigotry surrounding the Cleveland Indians logo. I didn't used to care about this issue until a Native American came and spoke to one of my classes when I was in college about how hurtful this was. It was a powerful speech, and it changed my view. (Bugs and Cranks)

- Some players who may have gone unappreciated in the steroid era. (Joe Sports Fan)

- Barry Bonds is a cheater, and so are his fans. (Larry Brown Sports)

- ESPN has competition. A look at the real "Who's Now." I particularly enjoy the Caveman Region. (Loser With Socks)

- Hard to argue with this point. America prefers terrorists to Negro QB's. (Nation of Islam Sports Blog)

Boxing is undoubtedly a violent sport. It is simply two men in a ring trying to hit each other and evade being hit. Injuries are common, hence the need for "cut men" in each fighter's corner. Blood is a common sight, as are huge welts and bruises.

Some people have a problem with companies such as HBO making money off of a violent form of entertainment. But you rarely hear such things about other sports, even though there is ample evidence that injury and death is common outside of the boxing ring.

If I told you that in America, deaths were more common in football than in boxing, most of you would probably laugh.

However, the Journal of Combative Sport reports that there have been 686 deaths in the United States from boxing. However, there are a few things to keep in mind.

First of all, these reports cover more than boxing as we know it today. The Journal specifically states that they record deaths "in bare-knuckle pugilism, amateur and professional boxing, and Original Toughman."

Secondly, boxing is one of the oldest sports in the world, and the data collected ranges from 1741 to 2006, a period of 265 years. That translates to 2.6 deaths per year.

Conversely, American football has been around a much shorter period of time, with far deadlier consequences. According to the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research conducted at the University of North Carolina, there have been 1002 deaths directly due to playing football. This includes players from pick-up games through high school, college, semi-pro and professional.

The data was collected in a much shorter period of time, ranging from 1931 to 2006. It also reports deaths indirectly due to football, which means players died of heat stroke and heart problems, and not by an incident in the game. There were 674 of those type of deaths.

So, in 75 years, there has been an average of 13.4 deaths per year directly caused by playing football. If you add up the deaths indirectly due to football, the average jumps to 22.3 deaths each year.

There are a lot of problems in boxing. Shady promoters, gambling issues and no uniform boxing commission, just to name a few. It needs better direction, and a certain amount of reform, but radicals suggesting boxing should be banned are off the mark. The sport is dangerous, but not as lethal as many would have you believe.

Football on the other hand? Well, it seems to be much more violent. But, hey, most injuries are hidden under all their protective gear. You rarely see blood. Concussions and exploding spleens are invisible to anybody but doctors. Apparently, it's out of sight, out of mind.

Major League Baseball's first half was filled with players struggling with injuries. Should these players get healthy, they will provide significant contributions during the second half of the season.

- C/DH Mike Piazza: Piazza has not played since injuring his shoulder in late April. Up to that point, he was playing well, hitting .282, though he had hit only 1 homerun in 103 at-bats. Oakland will need his production, as they rank 13th in the American League in runs scored.

- 1B Mark Teixeira: Hurt in the beginning of June, Teixeira was having a great season at the plate, hitting .302 with 12 HR and 41 RBI. Due to their embarrassing pitching staff, Texas is too far out for him to make any real difference in the standings, but he would be the premiere player on the trading block if he came back healthy.

- 2B B.J. Upton: The Devil Ray finally was breaking out this year, hitting .320 with 9 HR, 31 RBI and 13 stolen bases. He still can't field, as evidenced by his .952 fielding percentage at second base, but Devil Rays fans should enjoy watching him turn into a superstar.

- SS Miguel Tejada: Miggy was his usual solid self for the Orioles this year, hitting over .300 and driving in runs. Unfortunately, he was hit in the wrist and his consecutive games streak ended at 1,152. He won't help the consistently bad Orioles excel, but a strong second half could build his trade value if he decides he wants to play for a winner and Baltimore wants to get his salary off the books.

- 3B Hank Blalock: Put on the 60-day D.L. in May, Blalock was initially thought to be done for the year. He was having a nice season, going .285/.335/.493 with 5 HR. Blalock is still just 26 years old, and relatively cheap at $4.75 million this year, with one more season and an option year left on his contract. He won't be back until August at the earliest, but if he can prove to be healthy, he is another interesting trading chip the Rangers could dangle out there to try and obtain pitching.

- LF Scott Podsednik: Podsednik spent two months on the D.L., came off it in late June, only to go right back on it again. He has played in just 19 games, hitting .267. The White Sox have little chance to gain ground in the standings, but having him back would be a positive offensively, as his speed might put some spark into the offense. The White Sox rank 12th in the A.L. in stolen bases, and last in at-bats, triples, doubles, hits, runs, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Adding Podsednik to the top of the line-up certainly can't make things worse.

- CF Jim Edmonds: The Cardinals centerfielder is no longer the power threat he once was, but he was starting to heat up when he was disabled for a pinched nerve in his back. For a team that ranks 14th out of 16 teams in the N.L. in runs and 13th in HR, Jimmy Ballgames' presence would give the team a lift. Not to mention he still plays a very good centerfield, though he's lost a step and his range is no longer what it was.

- RF Jermaine Dye: Like many of his White Sox teammates, Dye has had a miserable year. He is hitting just .220 and sports a horrid .277 on-base percentage. Dye has not been disabled this year, but he has been fighting a quadriceps problem, and recently missed 9 games because of it. If he can get healthy and improve his numbers, he might be a nice piece to trade at the deadline.

- SP Chris Carpenter: With the Cardinals having won 5 of their last 7 and just 7 1/2 games back in the pathetic N.L. Central, Carpenter's return could be exactly what the team needs to make a run at the division. He will be back in mid to late July, and for a team 14th in the N.L. in both ERA and strikeouts, it will mean a lot to gain a former Cy Young winner to stabilize a rotation that has juggled nine different starters.

- SP Pedro Martinez: Expected to be back in August, the Mets righty will give a big boost to rotation that recently lost the surprising Oliver Perez and even more surprising Jorge Sosa to injury. He'll never be what he once was, but with the Mets nursing a 3 game lead over Atlanta in the N.L. East, they need him for the stretch run.

- SP/RP Brett Myers: As either a starter or a reliever, Myers is an outstanding pitcher. The Phillies are only 4 1/2 games back of the Mets, and Myers was starting to excel in his new role as closer. In his last 5 appearances before getting hurt, Myers had 3 saves, gave up just 1 earned run and struck out 8 in 5 2/3 innings.

- Fernando Rodney/Joel Zumaya: The hard-throwing Detroit duo would be welcomed back with open arms to the Tigers 'pen. Just a game out of first place in the A.L. Central, Detroit has put together a patchwork bullpen in their absence. Though neither Rodney nor Zumaya had been lights out this year, each is a better option that what the Tigers are currently using, such as Jose Mesa and his 12.34 ERA, or Jason Grilli's 6.10 ERA.

- CL Huston Street: Oakland's closer has been out since mid-May with an ulnar nerve problem. Alan Embree has done a fine job in his place, but with the A's 8 games back of the Angels in the A.L. West, the team needs it's full compliment of relievers to make a run. Street was having another great year, with 9 saves, a 2.50 ERA, and 20 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched.

The best stuff from sports blogs around the web, including Cheryl Tweedy:

- Couldn't agree with this more. Centerfield in Minute Maid Park is an absurd place to put a hill. (The 700 Level)

- When I was younger, Lex Luger was one of my favorite wrestlers. Unfortunately, he took a pretty hard fall from grace. (Railbird Central)

- A good battle between Ashley Judd and Cheryl Tweedy in Scrap's ongoing "Hottest Wife or Girlfriend in Sports" contest. (Our Book of Scrap)

- With Jeremy Roenick retiring, this blogger has said good-bye to hockey for good. (Six Pack Sports Report)

- The best tribute to Dice-K you'll read, including a good Lizzy Borden reference. (Josh Q. Public)

- These bloggers are not buying Floyd Landis' claim that he didn't cheat. For that matter, they're not buying that Lance Armstrong didn't, either. (Sons of Sam Malone)

- The Righteous Reasoners have a little something to say about Blogfrica and the large breasted white devils at Girls Gone Sports. (Nation of Islam Sports Blog)

Back in 2002, the baseball world was aghast at the introduction of the QuesTec "Umpire Information System." There was not a journalist, umpire or pitcher who thought it was a good idea. Frustration with the system was evident.

Supreme blowhard Curt Schilling acted like his typical self, throwing a temper tantrum and smashing a QuesTec system with a bat after a bad performance while with the Diamondbacks.

The MLB umpires union filed a grievance against the commissioner's office that went nowhere. First, they withdrew the unfair labor practice charge, then they reached a "settlement" that changed nothing, only stating that baseball would use more than QuesTec to evaluate umpires.

Dan Patrick got into the act as well, stating in 2003 that the Umpire Information System could "decide the outcome of the World Series" if a team from a QuesTec ballpark played a team that did not use QuesTec at their home field. Safe to say that did not happen, as in 2003, the Florida Marlins (non-QuesTec) beat the New York Yankees (QuesTec) and in 2004 the Boston Red Sox (QuesTec) beat the St. Louis Cardinals (non-QuesTec).

After all the initial outrage about what a disaster it would be, the controversy seemingly disappeared overnight. It is rarely brought up anymore, and many people were not even sure it was currently being used. In fact, it is still in play, and opinions have changed dramatically. Umpires have seen it's usefulness and journalists as well.

In an article earlier this year with the Cincinnati Post, umpire Charlie Reliford had this to say about the technology:

"Years ago we feared instant replay, but instant replay was our friend. It proved that we are the major league umpires we are. QuesTec has done that too. Nobody in my uniform wanted it. But technology has given us a different way to grade ourselves. It's a tool to make ourselves better by making adjustments."

In an article with the Hardball Times this February, David Gassko took a look at the worthiness of the system and detailed his own results:

"So the easy question to ask is, does it work? If QuesTec has forced umpires to call a more uniform strike zone, then the differences between umpires will be smaller than before QuesTec was installed. And in fact, there has been a greater than 25% reduction in the true spread (percentage of pitches each umpire has called a strike, compared to the spread in the data we would expect from random chance alone) between umpires since the MLB first installed QuesTec in selected major league parks, which indeed supports the usefulness of the technology."

So, after all that huffing and puffing, it turns out QuesTec is a good thing? Who'd of thought that actually giving something a chance instead of coming to an immediate conclusion would be so beneficial?

Is there anything funnier or, depending on your perspective, more annoying than an internet message board know-it-all who always has the answers to what ails your team (I mean besides bloggers who know it all)?

You know the type. They continually bring up asinine trade scenarios they think are realistic, like Anthony Reyes and John Rodriguez for Dontrelle Willis or Doug Mientkiewicz and Melky Cabrera for Mark Teixeira. If not discussing trade possibilities, they overreact to every possible misstep that goes along with a 162 game season, screaming to get rid of guys who have endured a slump or bad game.

There are many other offenses that can lead to someone being an internet message board jackoff. In what will hopefully become a weekly feature, we scoured team and fan message boards to bring you the very finest in douchebaggery.

Cards Talk (St. Louis Cardinals): "Tony LaRussa has lost the support of his players and (G.M.) Walt Jocketty has lost the support of the ownership contrary to published reports. It is time for the Jose Oquendo era in the dugout and Ted Simmons return as a GM." - Wtxcardsfan

MLB.com - N.Y. Yankees: "Trade Bobby Abreu for Torii Hunter. This is a good line-up with out Abreu." - Yanks1996

Orioles Hangout: "What about a Daniel Cabrera for A.J. Burnett and Alex Rios deal? Cabrera for Rios is something the BJ's probably wouldn't do, but if we throw in taking all of Burnett's contract, maybe its a possibility.

Burnett would be overpaid, but treat him as essentially the 5th starter, skipping his starts and pushing them back often to help avoid injury and he could put up some pretty good numbers."
- Mackus

Sox Talk (Chicago White Sox): "If I were Kenny Williams, I would trade Konerko, Thome, Mackowiack, Uribe, Pods, Erstad, A.J., Iguchi, Dye, Crede, Buehrle, Contreras, Garland, Vazquez, Jenks, Thornton and MacDougal between now and next season for as many top prospects as I could possibly get.

What could they bring? Maybe 3 top prospects each for Konerko, Garland and Vazquez. 2 each for Mark, Jenks, Thome, Contreras and A.J. One each for the rest. That's 25-30 top prospects."
- WhiteSoxRandy

ESPN.com - Texas Rangers: "If the Rangers continue to win and some of the other teams we need to lose do, then we could be within striking distance in the wild card. We are 13.5 games out as of right now however." - Texasfanatic 10

AOL.com - San Francisco Giants: "Bonds has yet to fail a single roids exam. If you have proof that he has been using the past few seasons, please share it." - ZDoodlsBack

InsideTheIvy.com (Chicago Cubs): "Griffey to Chicago. How about Jacque Jones and either Bob Howry or Scott Eyre."
- Broncosoldier

Dodger Blues: "This fucking San Deigo team has run 20 out of 29 against our sorry asses over the past 15 months. No, this isn't the '27 Yankees. I'm talking Jose Cruz Jr, kevin Kouzmanoff, and Mike Cameron. This Dodger team pretty much urinates on themselves everytime they set sights on those fucking beaners from down south." - JuanPierreIsGay

With the firing of Jerry Narron in Cincinnati and the resignation of Mike Hargrove in Seattle, managers have come to the forefront of baseball discussions. While the firing of Narron was justified, the exit of Hargrove raised some eyebrows.

Still, while some fans of the Mariners and Reds are assuredly happy to see these two go, they were not monumental failures. Hargrove had a career winning percentage of .503, while Narron's was .460. Those numbers are relatively fantastic compared to some of the records compiled previously in baseball history. In fact, there are sixty-eight managers in baseball history who have career winning percentages under .300. Needless to say, most didn't stay around very long. A look at some of them, with a few very interesting stories along the way, including the use of monkey testosterone:

(In parenthesis: career record, winning %)

- Bob Addy (8-23, .258): A player/manager who was credited with the first slide in the game, he managed parts of two seasons for Philly and Cincinnati in the 1870's.

- Doug Allison (2-21, .087): Though he had an abysmal record for the Elizabeth Resolutes of the National Association, Allison was a catcher and is credited with being the first person to use a glove, when he donned some buckskin mittens behind the plate.

- Sunny Jim Bottomley (21-56, .273): A Hall of Fame player for the St. Louis Browns, he stunk up the joint as a manager for them in 1937. Still, he did set a precedent of some sort as he was the first player sued for hitting a fan with a ball from a homerun. Hence, the warning you hear before every game that "you are welcome to keep all balls or bats hit or thrown into the stands", but reminding you it is dangerous.

- Frank Bowerman (22-54, .289): A player/manager for the Boston Doves in 1909, Bowerman was a hothead, repeatedly fighting with anybody he could find, ultimately ending up in his arrest for punching a heckler in the face.

- Roger Connor (8-37, .178): Playing and managing for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1896, Connor was the first person to hit a grand slam in a game, and led baseball in homeruns until Babe Ruth ultimately passed him.

- George Creamer (0-8, .000): Manager of the Pittsburgh Alleghenys in 1884, he is one of a few managers never to win a single game.

- Lave Cross (8-30, .211): Cleveland Spiders manager in 1899 for a while, until he returned to St. Louis to play. The Spiders actually got worse when he left, and finished the season 12-104 to wind up 20-134 on the season. They dissolved after that.

- Dude Esterbrook (2-8, .200): Managing for the Louisville Colonels in 1889, Esterbrook was replaced early in the season due to his hot-temperedness. Twelve years later, he would die when he jumped out of a train on it's way to transport him to a mental hospital.

- Pud Galvin (7-17, .292): The head man for the Buffalo Bisons in 1885, Galvin wasn't a good manager, but he was quite a durable pitcher, which you would notice with his 646 career complete games. His most notable achievement may be the fact he is credited with being the first player to use performance-enhancing drugs when he injected monkey testosterone before he pitched.

- Scott Hastings (10-35, .222): Bad luck followed Hastings around, as he was player manager in 1871 for the Rockford Forest Citys when they disbanded after the seasons. In 1872, he was manager of the Cleveland Forest Citys, and they didn't even wait until the season ended to fold, as they did so in August of that year. He never managed again.

- Hans Lobert (42-109, .278): Lasting just one season with the Phillies in 1942, Lobert is known as one of the oldest rookie managers in baseball, as he was 60 years old in his first season. It was also his last.

- Alex McKinnon (6-32, .158): 1884 and 1885 were not good years for McKinnon. In '84, he committed 53 errors in 116 games for the New York Gothams, resulting in the lowest fielding percentage for a first baseman in history, at .955. Then in '85, he was manager for the St. Louis Cardinals for a brief period until being replaced. Apparently he couldn't live without baseball, as he died less than two years later.

- Charlie Pabor (13-64, .169): Credited with playing the first true professional game ever, in 1871, Pabor had a much better playing career then managing career. His highlights include three seasons at the helm of teams, and skippering the 1875 Brookly Atlantics to a 2-40 record.

- Al Pedrique (22-61, .265): Managing the Diamondbacks in 2004, Pedrique is really known for intentionally walking Barry Bonds over and over again to prevent him from hitting his 700th homerun in Arizona. He was not retained after the season.-

- Ted Turner (0-1, .000): The Braves owner and media mogul managed one game in 1977, which he promptly lost. It was his first and last experience on the field.


(Manger records: Baseball-Reference.com)