EVIL~! alkeiper

Diet Mountain Dew is the one diet drink where I can almost feel the caffeine afterwards. It's too much.

I don't think Thigpen's record is in serious danger. Managers have backed off from the strict "save only" usage of the reliever, and they are more flexible. It's an odd record in that you can not really dictate the chase like you can with a home run race. Sometimes you go a week or two without a save opportunity.

A commercial aired during the Devil Rays/Red Sox game on ESPN2. Eric Gagne stands on the mound but even his fastball can't break through some heavy duty trash bag propped up at home plate.

No wonder Gagne blew out his arm. He threw too hard trying to throw through garbage bags.

Heilman the starter might be a false hope. People forget that as a starter (25 career starts), he's 5-13 with a 5.93 ERA.

I just discovered that Broxton's League, the Can-Am League, added a team just 40 miles from my home.

The Tigers now lead the Royals 10-8 in the ninth inning thanks to back-to-back home runs. This after the Royals scored six runs in the first.

Does anyone know of a site that has classic baseball video clips?

The Royals trail Detroit 5-0 in the 6th. A loss would be their 12th straight, and would drop their record to 10-34. The Royals are doing their best to establish themselves among the worst teams of all time.

Hernandez has a 6.11 ERA this season and a 5.12 ERA last season, and he's 40. A pitcher like that is waiver fodder, resume or not.

Let's see if Alay Soler goes for the Rick Vaughan start.

Holy hell. D-Backs get fleeced. I'll take a questionable Hernandez over a healthy Julio. So the D-Backs have essentially traded Vazquez for Julio? Not really. Center fielder Chris Young was the real prize of the trade.

Rob names two contentions about that. 1. The Yankees should've gotten more in return (namely, anything) for a guy who would go on to hit 493 career home runs. 2. The American League has the Designated Hitter. It's an excellent book and I give it a full recommendation. Rob discusses a couple of blunders where he gives the principles a fair shake.

ESPNNews reports the Mets have acquired Orlando Hernandez.

1. Not really. They do not have many options unless they get creative and make Abreu the leadoff hitter, and he has indicated he wants to bat in the middle of the order. I would not sweat it because most studies indicate the batting order does not matter. Rollins still has to hit somewhere. 2. He becomes the fourth outfielder. It's too bad that he doesn't have a regular job somewhere, but he's young yet.

That was fun while it lasted. Some day I'll be a crotchety old man, telling my grandchildren stories about how I saw the rarest sight ever produced in baseball, a Cole Hamels start!

Before I take off, let me note that Sean Burnett pitched extremely well in Indianapolis tonight, pitching five shutout innings and only needing 55 pitches to do it.

Well so much for that. Hard luck for Madson, who throws over 100 pitches, goes 7+ innings with one earned run, and takes the loss. Chris Coste somehow doesn't make his way into the game.

Figuring that no one's been able to string more than one hit at a time, and trying to get into a situation where a single scores a run. Of course, if he's safe the Mets can pitch around Abreu to get to Roberson, who's not MLB ready.

Nice classy chant from the Mets' fans.

Is it possible to get a quality start in relief?

Good lord, now Darren Oliver's hitting for himself!

Sing along with Al time. This is the game that never ends! Yes it goes on and on my friends! Some people, started playing it not knowing how to pitch. And they'll continue playing it forever just because this is the game that never ends! (repeat)

What are you talking about? Beltran clearly overslid the bag. Rollins tagged him while he was on the bag, let go when he overslid, and Beltran got back in before Rollins reapplied the tag. There were only 4 camera shots that showed he was safe. Comcast Philly's showed replays that showed Beltran was out. I don't know what SNY is showing.

What are you talking about? Beltran clearly overslid the bag.