Urine test for HGH

A urine test is on the way for detecting Human Growth Hormone.

MLB spokesman Rich Levin said in an e-mail to the newspaper that MLB could move to include a urine HGH test as soon as scientists validate the test. Greg Bouris, spokesman for the MLB Players Association, told the paper the union had no comment.

NFL Spokesman Brian McCarthy told USA Today, "We are always open to reviewing any test but have yet to see a test that is available on a commercial basis." NFL players union officials couldn't be reached for comment. Use of an HGH test would have to be collectively bargained between the NFL and the union, USA Today notes

Scientists explained to the Washington Business Journal how the test works. It uses "nanoparticles, which work much like a crab net, filtering bodily fluids and using chemical bait to snare, isolate, compile and preserve some of the world's smallest matter to help detect diseases or toxins earlier, faster and cheaper."

At least they're trying, but as long as chemists can make new designer steroids they're capable of getting their way around or remaining one step ahead of the new technology.

Dominican Dandy

Johnny Cueto looked like a prodigy against San Diego striking out 10 in six innings. Cueto threw 78 of his 120 pitches for strikes, but failed to pick up his eighth win thanks to a shaky third inning. Cueto walked the leadoff man, then got the next two batters before allowing three straight hits that scored three runs. He earned a no-decision when the Reds forced extra innings.

Cincinnati wins the game 4-3 in the 11th on a Jeff Keppinger double that scored Jay Bruce. Bruce extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

Fantasy Impact: Cuteo continues to mix good and bad outings in his rookie season. He's a little big better at home, so take your chances when he's at the Great American Ballpark more often than when he's on the road.

Not even 17-thousand

Despite starting the night in first place, the Rays drew just 16,800 for a Tuesday night tilt with Oakland. Those not in attendance didn't miss much. Dallas Braden made his debut for the A's, giving up one earned run in five innings, and Jack Hannahan drove in four in an 8-1 Oakland win.

Andy Sonnanstine falls to 10-5 as he picks up the loss. Tampa's got both Boston and New York breathing down its neck.

Closing in on Tampa

The Yankees explode for seven runs in the sixth and seventh innings against Minnesota's Kevin Slowy and company en route to a comfortable 8-2 win. With first-place Tampa losing to Oakland, the Yankees are very much in the race in the AL East, standing just 3 1/2 games back.

Most encouraging for the Yankees tonight might have been the pitching of Darrell Rasner, who worked into the sixth before yielding two runs. He picks up his sixth win, though he couldn't pick up a quality start.

Fantasy Impact: Rasner tossed three quality starts in his first four outings of the season, but then lost his ability to get past the fifth. He almost broke the spell tonight. Keep an eye on him as a potent Yankees lineup can work wonders for any pitcher.

Six apiece, four each

Some similar numbers from the players that mattered most in Baltimore. Both starting pitchers, Shaun Marcum and Garrett Olson, worked 4 2/3 innings and yielded six earned runs. Neither figured in the decision.

Both players of the game, Adam Lind and Nick Markakis, went 4-5 with a home run. Despite Markakis knocking in five runs to Lind's three, the Blue Jays win the game, 10-8.

Fantasy Impact: Marcum, just off the DL after sitting out sine June 19th with an elbow strain, looked terrible in his return. He allowed eight hits and walked three. You may want to sit him until he's comfortable again. Olson is looking more and more like he needs a return to the minors. His ERA is an ugly 6.11.

Lind is intriguing at this time. Cito Gaston has handed him the reigns in left field, and Lind is hitting .289 with six home runs. Start both him and Markakis in all formats.

Blanton blasted

Joe Blanton's first start for the Phillies is not pretty: five earned runs, six innings, two home runs allowed against the Mets. This one wasn't even played in Philadelphia, where the experts believe Blanton's deep Oakland flyouts will turn into home runs. Mets beat the Phils, 8-6.

Fantasy Impact: If you own Blanton, bench him. He doesn't offer much unless his National League anonimity helps him get by. It didn't tonight. Carlos Delgado and Ramon Castro connected for the Mets' longballs. Neither of them inspire fear, although Delgado's been swinging a hot stick.

Ninth heaven

Down a run in the visitor's half of the ninth in Houston, the Pittsburgh Pirates grabbed the lead and then some. After Jose Valverde retired Ryan Doumit to begin the inning, Jason Bay blasted his 20th home run, a solo shot to knot things at three. The Pirates continued to pound away. After a Xavier Nady single, Adam LaRoche ripped his 12th home run for a 5-3 Pirates advantage. After Valverde exited the game, but before Pittsburgh batted around in the inning, Freddie Sanchez tallied a three-run inside-the-park home run.

Pittsburgh scored seven in the inning with Valverde posting six earned runs in 1/3 an inning of work. The Pirates prevail, 9-3.

Longoria goes long

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria went long for the 19th time this season in Tampa's 4-0 win over Oakland. Longoria finished the night 2-5 with a run scored and two RBI.

Fantasy Impact: Longoria is this year's Ryan Braun. His average dropped to .272 around the All-Star break -- and rookies are often slump-prone -- but he's certainly the one to have this year.

Kazmir rolls

No All-Star hangover for Scott Kazmir. The Rays starter, who wasn't supposed to pitch in the midsummer classic but ended up winning the game in the end, went seven innings against Oakland, striking out nine to pick up his eighth win.

Fantasy Impact: Kazmir's fought off arm troubles in recent seasons to become the dominant lefty in baseball. As his ERA drops to 2.80, his stock rises. Finally on a winning team, he's become a fantasy ace.

Pounce on Ponson?

Somehow Sidney Ponson is 6-1. For a guy who allows a high number of base runners (1.58 WHIP entering tonight), Ponson continues to get run support. First he got it in Texas. Now it's coming in New York, as the Yankees scored eight runs in the first three innings against Minnesota in a 12-4 victory in the Bronx. Ponson gave up three runs over 5 2/3 innings, pushing his ERA up to 4.02.

Fantasy Impact: It's hard to endorse Ponson. Since 2005 his WHIP is over 1.50, a tell-tale sign of a guy who is in over his head. Wins, however, may continue to drop in his owners' laps if the Yankees score runs like this. More often than not they will keep Ponson in the game, so if you can afford a guy who won't help you in any other category but victories, why not try Ponson?

Weeks welcomes challenge

Rickie Weeks reacted well to his club's trade for a second baseman. Milwaukee acquired Ray Durham for two minor leaguers on Sunday. Monday night Weeks got the start at second, going 2-5 with a home run (9) and three RBI. The Brewers beat the Cardinals, 6-3.

Fantasy Impact: Weeks is only hitting .219, but speculation has it that Milwaukee brought Durham in for depth rather than to replace their light-hitting second baseman. Keep Weeks active until Durham starts getting more at bats.

Harden vs. Johnson

Quite the pitchers duel in Arizona with the Cubs' Rich Harden and Diamondbacks' Randy Johnson combining for just one earned run and three hits over 14 innings. Harden carried a no-hitter into the sixth, where Alex Romero met him with a solo home run.

The D'backs beat the Cubs, 2-0.

Fantasy Impact: Harden is unlucky not to win after two dominant starts for Chicago. Johnson improves to 7-7 and lowers his ERA to 4.98. The 44-year-old right hander has 99 strikeouts in 105 innings, just the third time he's on pace for less strikeouts than innings pitched since 1990. He's certainly not the power pitcher he once was, but he's good enough to be a part of most rotations in fantasy.

We want a pitcher II

Royals reliever Jimmy Gobble had a bad night (90.00 ERA), but that was nothing compared to Kip Wells, who pulled a Kip Wells Monday night. Wells is notorious for exasperating melt downs, and it doesn't get much crazier than this. The Dodgers tagged him for seven hits and eight runs in just 1/3 of an inning. Seven of the runs were earned, giving him an ERA of 189.00 after 40 pitches.

Fantasy Impact: Wells owned a solid 2.29 ERA but a WHIP of 1.54 in 19.2 innings heading in. This outing raises his ERA to 5.40, which is about right for a 1.54 WHIP.

We want a pitcher

The Kansas City Royals got no pitching tonight. The first three KC pitchers gave up more runs than innings pitched. Starter Luke Hochevar gave up seven runs in five innings, but that was nothing compared to Jimmy Gobble, who gave up 10 runs in one inning of work.

Fantasy Impact: Gobble's ERA soars from 7.99 to 11.31 while Hochevar's climbs to 5.47. The young Hochevar showed some promise earlier in the year, but after this outing it's time to drop him. He offers nothing but an occasional win.

Kershaw returns

The Dodgers have recalled Clayton Kershaw from Double-A Jacksonville. He will stay with the staff for the rest of the year, according to Dodger manager Joe Tore.

"He didn't wallow in his misery [after being demoted]," said Manager Joe Torre. "From our reports, his off-stuff has improved."

Kershaw's strikeout numbers have decreased. They were down once he reached the majors and remained down once he was sent back to Jacksonville. He still dominated his opponents.

Fantasy Impact: If Los Angeles asked Kershaw to go down and work on his offspeed stuff, it looks like he's succeeded. Kershaw can be the type of shot in the arm LA needs to make a run at the postseason.

High tech memorabilia

Not sure this is an article as much as it seems to be a press release, and a poorly written one at that. The last graph, however, strikes me as quiet funny.

Here's how it works: When a fan catches a home run ball, a security guard will link up with the fan and place a unique hologram on the ball. This information will be wirelessly up-loaded to MLB's IBM DB2 9 data server. This way, if the fan decides to sell the ball to a retailer, potential buyers can verify its authenticity immediately online.

Like the guy who catches Barry Bonds' 715th home run is going to stop and get a hologram on his ball when there are 200 lunatics trying to mug him for possession of the spheroid. Ha!

Wood might hit DL

Kerry Wood is expected to hit the DL with his blister issue. That means Carlos Marmol is the Cubs' closer for the immediate future.

Answers on Rios & Hill

Jordan Bastien, who writes for the Blue Jays' site took a couple of questions today regarding Alex Rios' power outage and Aaron Hill's status. I've been waiting for both of these subjects to come up. On Rios and the idea that last year's home run derby ruined his power stroke:

It's hard for me to believe that professional hitters can have their swings forever altered by one night of swinging for the fences. Statistics can be skewed to back up most arguments and this is no exception.

Consider that Philadelphia's Ryan Howard won the Home Run Derby in 2006 and finished with 58 homers that season. The big lefty then went on to launch 47 long balls the following year and Howard currently leads the Major Leagues with 29 home runs. Apparently, he was immune to the problem.

I agree with him that last year's home run derby likely could not alter a professional player's swing enough to stop him from hitting the long ball. Rios might only have a handful of home runs this year, but how could the derby ruin his power ability?

On Hill:

I can tell you that Hill's situation is one that the Blue Jays are definitely worried about. The second baseman was struck on the side of the head during a collision with shortstop David Eckstein on May 29 and Hill has been battling post-concussion syndrome ever since.

Hill is currently rehabbing in Florida, though he's still only able to take part in very light activities. On Saturday, Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said no one has told him anything to believe that Hill's career could be in jeopardy, but the team isn't dismissing the thought that the second baseman might be done for the year.

Hill's injury recovery is very slow and has to raise a few red flags.

It's time for Congress to investigate ticket brokers

Enough with steroids and all the ills associated with the scourge that's plaguing professional and even amateur sports. Well, not enough with steroids, it's good there's at least an attempt to mete out this and other instances of cheating from baseball and other high-end athletics. It is, however, time to turn part of our attention to ticket brokers and the evil deals between professional sports and the middle men who exist for the sole reason of profit-mongering.

I recently paid over $300 to obtain two tickets for bleacher seats at Wrigley Field. If I remember correctly, I paid $12 a pop for those same seats back in the early 90's. That's an 80% mark up over 16 years? Insane. I haven't read much about ticket brokers and organizations such as Stub Hub, but in doing business with said organization recently things seem a little too corporate for this to be ad hoc capitalism designed to help fans sell to fellow fans. Why do tickets that cost $38 face value go close to $160 on the internet? How is this legal, and why isn't anyone looking into this? Something stinks.

This article in the Chicago Tribune is worth reading, and it provides a glimpse into what would seem in my mind to be very shady business. MLB's contract/relationship with Stub Hub should be investigated. Hard.

Damon-less Yankees

Maybe the Yankees are wise to not rush Johnny Damon back. Damon stayed on the DL today with a bad shoulder (he says he's ready to play today) and still mananged to sneak out a 2-1 win over Oakland. The Yankees sweep the first three games to begin the second half and now stand just five games out of first in the AL East.

8-point Font

Mike Fontenot just ripped his eighth home run off Astros starter Brandon Backe. That brings Fontenot's slugging average over .500 for the season. He's a little guy - 5'8, 170 - but you have to think he can earn some at bats down the stretch if he continues to hit balls out of the park.

Update: Fontenot singles and scores in the seventh when college teammate Ryan Theriot knocks him in from second with a base hit. Cubs lead Houston, 4-0.

Fantasy Impact: Fontenot is hot enough to earn some starts right now, but once Alfonso Soriano gets back, Mark DeRosa will slide back into his starting spot at second base. Fontenot is a good add for about a week, then he's a bench player again unless he somehow outperforms DeRosa for the long haul.

Jose going away

Jose Contreras hits the DL and lands in Ozzie Guillen's doghouse.

"I wasn't too pleased the way he handled the situation because he didn't let [team trainer] Herm [Schneider] know, he didn't let myself or [pitching coach Don] Cooper know about it and he was continuing to pitch that way," said Guillen. "I don't want any of my players go out there with any kind of pain and try to be a hero. I don't want to say I was upset, but I was a little disappointed when one of my players is hiding stuff from us for no reason."

Shades of Scott Rolen and Tony La Russa, anyone? Here's wondering if Contreras is wearing out his welcome on Chicago's south side.

Johnny on the DL (still)

Johnny Damon did not come off the DL today as originally expected.

"There's nothing more I need to do," said Damon, who is batting .319 with 50 runs and a .387 on-base percentage. "I'm going to feel it, probably, until the offseason, but it's not a situation where it's going to get worse. Some days I'll wake up and it'll be a little tight, but I'll come in here, jump in that hot tub and go."

With such significant players as starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang and designated hitter Hideki Matsui also out with injuries, Damon recognizes why the team is waiting.

"I think they want to be extra cautious," he said.

Actually, you'd think they'd be rushing these guys back to play considering they're in third place in the AL East and it is decision-making time in terms of making trades.

Pujols sits

No worries, Albert Pujols is not injured. He's just getting a rare day off in the Cardinals' series finale with San Diego. Those thinking he wasn't in the lineup because he was hurt will be relieved to know that Tony La Russa was merely giving his slugger a break since he didn't get one for the All-Star game.

All Quadruple-A Team

Clay Buchholz' debacle in Anaheim has us looking at the first half All-Quadruple-A team: guys who are too good for the minors, but terrible thus far in MLB. We've got a starting five and our starting lineup follwed by honorable mention at each position.

P - Clay Buchholz, BOS (Angels burried him Friday night)
P - Ian Kennedy, NYY (Strong down the stretch on '07. Not strong anymore)
P - Phil Hughes, NYY (Adding injury to insult)
P - Rich Hill, CHC (Can't figure himself out at any level)
P - Franklin Morales, COL (Now he's struggling in MiLB, too)
C - Jeff Clement, SEA (Rakes in the minors, .165 in Seattle)
1B - Daric Barton, OAK (Approached .300 in minors, hitting in the .220s now)
2B - Asdrubal Cabrera, CLE (.341 in his last 10 minor league games)
3B - Dallas McPherson, FLA (Tearing up Triple-A, but he's already 28)
SS - Jason Bartlett, TB (.300-plus before reaching the bigs. Nothins special in TB)
OF - Travis Buck, OAK (The Buck stops every time he gets a shot with the A's)
OF - Felix Pie, CHC (Jim Edmonds/Reed Johnson duo means he might not return)
OF - Wily Mo Pena, WAS (Can't stop striking out, now he's out for the year)

Honorable Mention: P - Andrew Miller, FLA; P - Jeremy Sowers, CLE; P - Boof Bonser, MIN; P - Anthony Reyes, STL; P - John Van Benschoten, PIT; C - J.R. Towles, HOU; 1B/C - Jarrod Saltalamacchia, TEX; 2B - Rickie Weeks, MIL; 3B - Brandon Wood, LAA; SS - Troy Tulowitzki, COL; OF - Adam Jones, BAL; OF - Elijah Dukes, WAS; OF - Ben Francisco, CLE

Oakland envy in Seattle

Frustration of a lost season in Seattle produces this column from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer asking why the Mariners can't be more like division rival Oakland.

The Mariners will spend $117 million on payroll this year against Oakland's $48 million. The A's are in second place in the AL West with a 51-44 record produced by a roster full of little-known players. By contrast, Seattle's 21-games-under-.500 record is the product of some huge free-agent signings (third baseman Adrian Beltre and first baseman Richie Season in the fall of 2004, starter Jarrod Washburn and catcher Kenji Johjima a year later, and starter Carlos Silva this past offseason) and a headline-making deal (getting starter Erik Bedard for top outfield prospect Adam Jones, All-Star reliever George Sherrill and three minor leaguers in February).

While Seattle did overpay for players in terms of the overall outcome, there's no reason for the Mariners to build a business model based on the A's. It's not like Oakland's put itself in a place to win championships. The A's have played in the postseason during the Billy Beane era, but they've never been close to reaching the World Series. Ultimately that's the goal, not just being competitive. Oakland is playing its game of sell high and buy low because that's what they're forced to do with a ballpark that is outdated and a lukewarm fan base. The fact that the A's are good at it means little in the way of what Seattle should do. Yes, the Mariners need to be smarter with their acquisitions and sales, but going Oakland is not a problem-solver for everyone.

Giant mistake going for it

Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle wonders aloud if the Giants should play their youth or make a run at the playoffs.

Statistically, the Giants have hit to expectations. They rank 10th in the National League in batting average (.255), 14th in runs (382) and last in home runs (57). In fact, the Phillies' Chase Utley and Ryan Howard alone have combined for 53 homers. The Giants are one of three teams in the majors, along with Toronto and Washington, to have nobody with at least 10.

The pitching has performed below expectations, with an ERA of 4.29 that ranks 10th in the league. The rotation is full of young flame-throwers, which is why the Giants lead the league with 741 strikeouts. But they also are tied for the league lead with 388 walks.

With the Giants at or near the bottom in so many stat categories both offensively and defensively, the answer should be clear: play the youngsters. The Giants may be within striking distance in a weak NL West, but they're 15 games under .500 and just a game better than lowly Colorado. They're also behind not one but two teams in the division, meaning they'll have to play about 15 games over .500 the rest of the way if the Dodgers or the Diamondbacks split their games the rest of the way. Wait 'til next year, San Francisco. Get the kids ready for a legit chance when everyone starts as equals.

Selig swatting Nats ratings

With Washington Nationals television ratings so low, Bud Selig is exploring whether there is a mistake in the Nielsen ratings. The Nats are last in ratings of all 30 major league teams, far below the next franchise on the list.

"The ratings were so . . . abysmal, we're having our people look into it, and it's ongoing," Selig said during his annual lunch meeting with members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

However, Selig said the overall health of the Nationals' franchise is fine. "They're doing well at the gate and I think [their rebuilding plan is] on schedule. I know they'd like to win more games, but they have a plan."

No misprint, I'm guessing. Who wants to watch that team?

Blanton still bland

It seems like most people who cover this sort of thing believe the Joe Blanton trade doesn't do very much for either team. It gives the Phillies a different look at the back of the rotation, and the A's get another set of youngsters to try to turn into major leaguers. Bill Conlin of the Philadelphia Enquirer takes a pretty sane approach in analyzing the Phillies side of the deal.

I think Blanton will get rocked in Philadelphia, but have more success away from home.

Far from Favre, but just like him

Brett Favre has the strangest of company in his saga of "I'm good, you know I'm good, but you're holding me back" with the Packers. Francisco Liriano of the Minnesota Twins is peeved with his team, and it's hard to argue with him. His agent is taking the complaint to players' union.

Greg Genske has asked the players' union to investigate why Liriano remains in Rochester despite going 7-0 with a 2.73 ERA in his past nine starts.

"I think that Francisco is dominating down there," Genske said Thursday. "The club concedes that as well. We're a little frustrated he hasn't been called up."

Here's wondering how far Favre will take his beef with Green Bay.

Blanton is bland

I guess the Phillies improved by dealing with Oakland for Joe Blanton, but sometimes the best deal is the one that isn't made. I'm convinced that trading for Blanton is not a terrible move, but it doesn't offer much in the way of putting Philadelphia closer to a championship.

Blanton's numbers don't jump off the page in any way other than posting a 5-12 record for a winning team. It's hard to do that. For his career Blanton is closer to striking out a batter every other inning than he is every inning, and he owns a fairly ordinary career ERA of 4.25 and WHIP of 1.33. There's no reason to expect him to improve. This is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get starter who is capable of going six to seven innings but nothing more. Blanton is bland, and if he's better than Adam Eaton, well, that's not saying much. Almost every pitcher in MLB is better than Eaton. Blanton's also a flyball pitcher, which isn't good in a bandbox like Philadelphia.

Blanton owns a 9.00 ERA in the 5th inning this year, and a 6.23 mark in the 6th. He's considered an innings eater, but he's not very good the more innings he goes. He sounds more like a fifth starter than a difference maker, and that doesn't do much for the Phillies in October.

Oakland got a three-player haul, all of them minor leaguers in the deal. The fact that A's general manager Billy Beane acquired Adrian Cardenas, a very good second base prospect, plus two more players is enough to make this deal a positive for Oakland. It's not easy to find left-handed hitting second basemen, and Cardenas is a talented offensive player who is hitting .309 with a little pop (4 homers). Blanton is a number four starter at best, and the A's have the likes of Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill waiting for an opportunity in the minors. After a modest haul in the Haren trade Beane is getting a little extra value here.

One last note, with Harden, Blanton and Gaudin already traded and a rumor or two floating around regarding Justin Duchscherer's potential trade, the A's could end up with just one of their original five starters.

Roberts still on trade block

The Baltimore Sun lists the Orioles trade candidates for the rest of the season today, and Brian Roberts' name is still there. Roberts candidacy is attached to several teams from both leagues, including the Brewers, Cardinals, Dodgers, Indians, Mets, Twins, White Sox.

After looking at the list, I think the only team unlikely to make an effort for Roberts is Chicago. Alexei Ramirez has blossomed into an every-day player, and he's holding down second pretty well of late. The only way the White Sox go after Roberts is if they get desperate over their need for a true leadoff man.

The Indians are potentially the most intriguing team in the Roberts sweepstakes. If Cleveland decides this year was a fluke and does not rebuild in the wake of trading CC Sabathia, they've got the prospects to lure Roberts. Cleveland's needed a serviceable second baseman for years, and if they can reacquire Sabathia in the offseason that's a pretty formidable team for 2009. If the Tribe can nab Roberts without giving up Matt LaPorta, things get very interesting for next year.

No more Nomo

Congratulations to Hideo Nomo on his career. Nomo announced his retirement from professional baseball today, which makes sense considering he was no longer effective. Nomo had a pretty good career which included two no-hitters, but his greatest contribution might have come as one of the earliest Japanese players give it a try in MLB. Nomo arrived for the 1995 season and won Rookie of the Year with the Dodgers.

Sexson on Saturday?

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees are close to signing Richie Sexson. Sexson will play first base against lefties, and the Yankees will hope his abilities against southpaws is enough to help them down the stretch. It sounds like his relationship with the Mariners was either strained or odd.

The Mariners released him after he spent time during a game in the bullpen with the team's relievers instead of sitting on the bench.

"Having him sitting in the bullpen didn't help his case any," manager Jim Riggleman told reporters. "The question is, 'Why did he go down there?' It's happened before with other guys, and usually it's just a playful thing. But you have to wonder, didn't he want to be on the bench with us?"

Nonetheless, Sexson is going to have pressure to perform in the Bronx. Sexson hit .344 against lefties this season compared to .178 against righties. The Yankees will face lefty Greg Smith and the Oakland A's on Satuday, so that might be Sexson's first shot with New York.

Playing their own cards

The St. Louis Cardinals continue to alter their approach from the Walt Jocketty days into a new Moneyball-ish era. "Building assets" will be the primary goal of the ballclub in the years that lay ahead.

Olympics might alter MLB season

I thought this news was a few days old when I stumbled on it earlier today, but now I've come across it again from a British source. MLB is considering releasing players from their teams mid-season in future years, hoping it makes the sport relevant again for future Olympic games. The game is going to be left out of the 2012 games due to MLB's previous reluctance to allow players to participate.

MLB vice-president Bob Watson, who also serves as the general manager of the American national team, revealed as part of the American squad announcement on Wednesday that talks are ongoing between MLB, the IOC and International Baseball Federation.

"I believe they are trying to work up something, you have a few years to get a plan. There are a lot of moving parts but don't rule it out," Watson said in a conference call.

The previous article I referred to, however, says baseball is considering an overall work stoppage for future Olympics.

Major League Baseball opened the door to allowing top players to take part in future Olympics on Wednesday and said the league would consider shutting down mid-season if Chicago or Tokyo were selected as host of the 2016 Summer Games.

Hopefully the IOC asks MLB to drop the All-Star game winner decides home-field advantage in the World Series debacle, too.

In all seriousness, though, a work-stoppage would be a better way of going about business than removing the top players in season, and asking their teams to play on without them. If baseball needs to start two weeks earlier in an Olympic year, so be it. Play the early-season games in warm-weather cities or domes, and return the two weeks of road games to the cold weather cities once things warm up.

The new Frontier

The Frontier League gets it. They've gotten it for years, and just like MLB it happened again Wednesday for the independent baseball league; they couldn't complete an All-Star game in nine innings. For the fourth time in seven years, the Frontier League All-Star game was decided by a home run derby. Imagine that. No extra innings, no stretching pitchers beyond their reasonable limits. No squirming from the commissioner's seat.

The Frontier League came up with the concept of a Home Run Derby to decide the All-Star Game after the 2002 MLB game was declared a tie. It also helped to avoid a long extra-inning affair, like Tuesday's version of the midsummer classic ended in 15 innings.

"In a lot of ways, the way it ended was better than winning 2-0 in nine innings," said Kalamazoo's Fran Riordan, manager of the East squad. "The crowd was into it. I've never seen two teams more into a Home Run Derby to decide an All-Star Game.

"It was real exciting and fun to be a part of." The extra swings -- with three hitters representing each side -- were necessary after the West team scored two in the top of the ninth inning off Kalamazoo closer Brandon Parillo.

If the World Cup of soccer can be decided on penalty kicks, then an All-Star exhibition can certainly be decided on a home run derby.

I do, however, want to say that I'm not in any way for the All-Star game determining home-field advantage for the World Series. That is a total farce. The league that wins interleague play should have home-field in the World Series.

Relief, no relief

White Sox closer Bobby Jenks is on the mend with a rehab stint in the minors.

Takashi Saito's out for up to six weeks with an elbow problem, and the Dodgers' only true replacement is Johnathan Broxton.

Fantasy Impact: The Sox bullpen has done a decent job since Jenks left, but Scott Linebrink is no closer, and Octavio Dotel is not overly impressive but still servicable.

Saito's situation sounds fairly serious, and there's a chance he won't come back this year. For having such a good pitching staff, the Dodgers also have a shaky staff. Brad Penny, Jason Schmidt and Saito are the walking wounded. The rest of them combine an outstanding start or two with spontaneous combustion. Pick up Broxton for immediate saves, but he's never held the role and might break your heart a few times until he can settle in.

Ranking the ballparks

Last night's All-Star game signaled the beginning of the end for Yankee Stadium, arguably baseball's most historic park. It's listed as number one in terms of historical importance ahead of Wrigley Field and Fenway Park by The Bleacher Report. As a sign of the times, Oriole Park at Camden Yards comes in fourth in historical importance.

That makes the top four in baseball:

1. Yankee Stadium
2. Wrigley Field
3. Fenway Park
4. Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Next year, I think the top four will be:

1. The New Yankee Stadium
2. Wrigley Field
3. Fenway Park
4. Oriole Park at Camden Yards

While Wrigley and Fenway are classics, and Camden sets the standard for "new" parks, Yankee Stadium will be the reincarnation of a classic, something that's never been done before. Its importance will be understood in what it becomes known for. The Yankees need the stadium to be received as a retro masterpiece that plays baseball cathedral and forwarding-thinking colossus at once. I rarely listen to anything Joe Buck says, but last night when he mentioned that Yankee Stadium is the United States' Coliseum, he might've been correct. It's as important a stadium as any in the history of this country. It is probably the most important, and it probably will remain the most important.

Stadiums that would earn votes outside of the top four: AT&T Park, San Francisco; Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles; Petco Park, San Diego

I include Petco because it is the one park with a big outfield that hasn't had it's fences brought in since the park's inception. Comerica Park brought deep fences in, as did U.S. Cellular Field. Petco is as much a pitcher's park as any ballpark in baseball right now. AT&T Park is similar in this respect, but has very normal dimensions in left field.

Getting frank about Francisco

Twins starting pitcher Francisco Liriano's return to MLB is imminent, but don't get too excited. The Twins are talking about changing his role.

Antony said Twins general manager Bill Smith will speak with manager Ron Gardenhire about Liriano's role. Gardenhire has been adamant that when Liriano returns to Minnesota it will be as a starter, but Antony said the ballclub would discuss the possibility of Liriano pitching from the bullpen.

Given that Joe Nathan is one of the top two or three closers in baseball, Liriano's fantasy value would plummet if he goes to the 'pen.

LaPorta leaving port

Cleveland Indians prospect Matt LaPorta, who was acquired in the CC Sabathia trade from Milwaukee's farm system, will not be playing in the MLB until probably September. The U.S. Olympic team added LaPorta to the Beijing squad, meaning his July/August is going to be a little bit tied up.

"Just the chance to represent my country and bring back a gold medal, it would mean so much," LaPorta said after that game. As for this stretch of developments in his baseball life, he added: "It's been crazy, a roller-coaster ride up and down. The last two weeks just haven't stopped. One day you think you can catch your breath, then something else happens."

Fantasy Impact: LaPorta has the talent to contribue immediately, but he won't be playing imminently. You should stash him in a keeper league, as he'll probably be a starting candidate for Cleveland in Spring '09.

All-Star supernova

The New York Times says position players were ready to pitch just in case the All-Star game went beyond the point that the last remaining pitchers were capable of throwing.

Not Amused

I've been reading David Pinto's Baseball Musings long enough to know he doesn't get ruffled very often. Today is a bit different. I appreciate his passion. He even used the 'p' word!

Willing Webb

Brandon Webb's unwanted All-Star appearance (he had pitched on Sunday) was not met with reluctance. When the game went late, Webb approached NL manager Clint Hurdle and asked if he was needed. When he was, Webb just treated the appearance like a between-starts side session.

"I felt fine," he said. "There was a lot of adrenaline going, pumping through me. I went out there and got loose and felt comfortable and stuff."

Webb said he threw maybe 15 pitches in the bullpen warming up.

He threw 13 pitches in the 14th inning, keeping the score tied at 3 in a game that eventually was won by the American League 4-3 in the 15th inning.

"It was a normal day for a side session," he said. "Obviously, a little more intensity than in a side, but I think it all went very well."

He threw a perfect inning.

All-Star insanity

That was officially the best All-Star game I've witnessed in my life. The AL prevails on a Michael Young sacrafice fly off Brad Lidge in the 15th, scoring Justin Morneau for a 4-3 victory. Home-field is theirs in the fall classic.

I must admit I was rooting for more innings. I wanted to see what Terry Francona would do with both his bench and his bullpen used up and last pitcher Scott Kazmir almost out of bullets. I thought they might have to rotate Kazmir to another position and throw a position player. If both teams ended up throwing position players for home-field advantage in the World Series, the invalidation of "this one counts" would be complete.

A couple of oddities: Ryan Ludwick must've forgotten his "road" batting helmet. He was wearing a red one instead of the Cardinals' away navy helmet.

Kevin Youkilis was sipping a Red Bull at 1:34 a.m. EST. He was out of the game, so was Youkilis swigging the energy drink so he could stay up until daybreak?

Just Joshin'

Here's hoping Josh Hamilton stays on the wagon. He's every bit as gifted as his 1st overall draft selection indicated in 1999. Hamilton hit 28 home runs in the first round of tonight's home run derby, a new record, before succumbing to Justin Morneau in the final round, 5-3. Hamilton put on one of the great All-Star showings in recent memory.

Spitting Seeds midseason awards

AL MVP - Josh Hamilton, TEX: .310 AVG/60 R/21 HR/95 RBI/7 SB
NL MVP - Lance Berkman, HOU: .347 AVG/79 R/22 HR/73 RBI/15 SB
*Hamilton's 95 RBI make him the AL MVP by a longshot. Berkman's the most well-rounded.

AL CY - Cliff Lee, CLE: 12-2/2.31 ERA/124.2 IP/20 BB/106 K
NL CY - Edinson Volquez, CIN: 12-3/2.29 ERA/117.2 ERA/56 BB/126 K
*Lee's hot start earned him the CY over Halladay. Volquez over Lincecum and Webb.

AL ROY - Evan Longoria, TB: .275 AVG/45 R/16 HR/53 RBI/6 SB
NL ROY - Geovany Soto, CHC: .288 AVG/37 R/16 HR/56 RBI/0 SB
(tie) Jair Jurrjens, ATL: 9-4/3.00 ERA/111 IP/41 BB/81 K
*Ellsbury is still chasing Longoria. Flip a coin on Soto vs. Jurrjens.

Deny the DH

I stumbled upon this week-old Wall Street Journal article on the state of the two leagues in Major League Baseball. The assumption is the American League is superior to the National League, and that's proved with all sorts of statistical models. The argument turns to the designated hitter, and while I thought I didn't have a position on the DH and what should be done with it, I do now. Thank you Wall Street Journal.



I have, for a long time, believed the DH helps American League teams in the World Series. The DH typically means American League teams have more pop in their lineup. If they play in a National League park, they have a bigger bat to bring off their bench. This is an inherent advantage that an NL team cannot counter, because a player that can hit but can't field is more likely to take a starting spot as a DH than he is a bench spot on an NL roster.

If this is not cyclical, if the National League doesn't come around and show competitiveness, if the American League continues to dominate interleague play, the post season and the All-Star game, then the DH rule and what to do with it is eventually going to come up. A lack of competitive balance between the leagues is not a good thing, so baseball will eventually have to tackle the issue.

My guess is baseball will analyze all the statistical data, interview a bunch of players, managers, owners and front office types, and decide to install the DH in both leagues. They'll argue that pitchers are not good hitters, and to make them hit would be to take a step backward in baseball evolution. Most pitchers do not hit as they climb through the minor leagues, and none make it to MLB because of their stick. The argument will be fairly tidy and smack of lowest-common-denominator appeasement.

That said, I'm going to cast my vote against the DH. I think it needs to go. If it hurts competitive balance for one league over the other, it must die. Pitchers can't hit, but that doesn't mean allowing them to try takes away from the game. It actually adds to baseball, forcing managers to use more strategy to work around the pitcher slot late in games. If the DH is a step into the future, and pitchers hitting is de-evolution, then why are designated hitters a bunch of 35 year-old Neanderthals posing as baseball players. We watch these hangers-on do nothing but swing for the fences, padding their careers with gaudy numbers that help them reach he Hall of Fame.

It's time for the DH issue to be put to rest.

Is baseball insane?

Bud Poliquin, a columnist with the Syracuse Post-Standard sums up my feelings exactly on the midsummer classic's attachment to the World Series. Bud laments the follies of baseball, wishing the sport could do better than give meaning to an exhibition.

But Major League Baseball is the sport with different rules for different teams (i.e., the continuing DH lunacy) . . . legislated, integrity-compromising scheduling imbalances (brought on by inter-league play) . . . "competition" that includes clubs with $207-million payrolls (Yankees) vying for the same title as those with $23-million payrolls (Marlins) . . . and various and sundry other sins.
Associated Press/Chad RachmanThis is Madonna, who may or may not be dating Alex Rodriguez, who will play in Tuesday's All-Star Game when not possibly partying with Madonna, who could help to determine the World Series winner in October. Savvy?

So anointing a rompish nine innings, squeezed around parties where scoring takes on a meaning beyond what Abner Doubleday had likely considered, is ridiculous. Which suggest that MLB is consistent, if nothing else.

Thanks, Bud.

Somethin' Brewin'

Ben Sheets is about to be named the NL starter for the All-Star game. Some special season Milwaukee is having. They haven't made the postseason in 26 years, now they're buying last year's Cy Young winner on the trade market and landing their first-ever starter in the All-Star game. Expect the Cubs to counter immediately, trying to get Carlos Zambrano or Ryan Dempster on the hill for the American League.

Like putting a shoe on

Che-Hsuan Lin won the Futures Game MVP for his two-run homer, pushing his World team past the USA team, 3-0. Lin is a Red Sox farmhand.

In case you're wondering, his name is pronounced Chee shoo-ahn Lin. Start practicing.

Bad column alert

I just can't understand this point of view. The All-Star game deciding home-field advantage in the World Series is asinine. What's more, MLB shouldn't receive "props" or any other outdated congratulatory slang for such a terrible idea. If giving the winning side of an All-Star game home-field advantage for the championship series is such a good idea, why hasn't any other major sport in this country or any other country picked up on it?

Take your time, hurry up - the choice is yours

My post on Reds radio delaying broadcasts to match up with TV caused a bit of a stir. A number of blog communities picked up on it and commented on which is better: letting fans at home match TV and radio for their enjoyment, or leaving the radio signal as is to allow fans at the game a chance to listen live. Delaying the signal means less enjoyment for fans who like to listen from their ballpark seats.

Well, the original article picked up on this problem yet failed to offer a solution. The Reds say delaying broadcasts is currently just an experiment, and they welcome feedback from their fans on what to do with it in the future.

The solution fans should ask for, I'm fairly certain, is quite simple: simulcast the game on two radio stations. The Reds, just like any team in baseball, could simulcast the game with an immediate feed of the play by play via one station while a second station delays the feed for fans watching TV at home. This shouldn't be too expensive, because I know there are at least a few college football teams that put their games on both AM and FM stations in order to reach a wider audience. It makes so much sense that I wouldn't be surprised if we start to see this in the coming seasons with a number of teams.

Tell the Reds Spitting Seeds suggestion here: breinberger@reds.com

Kurt Cobain once sang, "take your time, hurry up, the choice is yours" in "Come as you are." Who knew he was singing about radio broadcasts? The choice is easy in this case: choose both immediate and delayed feeds on two different stations!

Harden makes it look easy

Not much posting here this weekend due to a younger brother's bachelor party. The party happened to be held at Wrigley Field, however, which was a very interesting place to be on Saturday. Rich Harden made his Cubs debut, striking out 10 in 5.1 innings, but he was denied the win when Carlos Marmol blew the lead with a five-run Giants ninth. The Cubs did prevail in 11, 8-7.

Most striking in this impressive debut performance was Harden's pregame. Pregame, you ask? Yes. Harden's first jog as a Cub, a 40-yard trot across left field before warm up tosses, was met by a standing ovation from the bleachers. His second cantor was met by half of the stadium (half of what had arrived in time to see Harden prepare to pitch a half hour before the game) rising for another ovation. Without a tip of his cap or even a slight acknowledgment of this overwhelming welcome, Harden went about his business with straightforward workman-like determination, looking totally unaffected.

What followed was a pitcher dominating his opposition, striking out 10 of the 24 batters he faced. It was such a smooth performance, I turned to my father at one point in the fifth amazed at having learned Harden had fanned nine batters already. Harden looked almost too comfortable out there. He looked in complete control. Only later did I read that he felt like this was his first start in the majors.

"That was a pretty cool feeling," Harden said. "I've never really had anything like that pitching in Oakland."

Pitching in Wrigley is not pitching in Oakland, and it looks like Rich Harden will fit in around the Friendly Confines just fine. He does, however, need to go a little deeper into games unless he wants to continue leaving things up to the bullpen.

Marmol makes N.L. squad

Carlos Marmol is replacing Kerry Wood on the National League All-Star team. Marmol started the year strong, but he's also struggled badly in the last month of the season. Just yesterday he blew a 7-2 lead in the ninth with four earned runs, raising his ERA to 4.13.

There are many better choices than Marmol, but he was the highest voted pitcher left from the player balloting, so he makes the team. My guess is he never sees the field.

Benito been bad

Bob Brenly says on CSN Chicago that Benito Santiago used to lean into batters at home plate when base runners got a good jump from first. The interference call would get would-be base stealers even if they had the bag stolen. That's brilliant, but is there anything Santiago didn't cheat at? First steroids, then obscure rules; Santiago played the angles.

Bay on banks of Mississippi?

Here's one that hasn't been ballyhooed enough in recent weeks: The Cardinals going after Pittsburgh's Jason Bay. While it looks like this might take a while, it could prove the Cardinals' feel the same as most critics of their own OF corps, which includes Rick Ankiel, Joe Mather, Brian Barton, Skip Schumaker and and All-Star Ryan Ludwick.

One executive with a National League team said he thought "it would go down to the wire'' whether Bay would be dealt.

"We're looking for what we deem appropriate value. We're not going to limit ourselves to guys who are close (to the big leagues),'' Huntington said. "Our goal is to maximize our return and find a good match.''

Bay in St. Louis could add some extra pop to the Cardinals lineup. He's having a good year: .291/62/17/46/6

Fantasy Impact: Can't see how this would do anything but improve Bay's fantasy value. You never know how a player is going to react to being traded, but entering a more potent Cardinals lineup should would only increase his offensive output. The only way his numbers would flatten out is if the Cardinals continue to platoon their corner OFs, including Bay, but he's a superior talent to anyone they're trotting out there.

Best record to wild card

Tampa's ugly 13-2 loss to last-place Cleveland leaves them just 1.5 games ahead of Boston in the AL East. The Red Sox won their last game, 18-5 against Minnesota.

We're just a couple of weekend sweeps away from having the team with the best record in baseball when the week began (Tampa) falling into second place in their own division by week's end.

Clark could move

The San Diego Padres will listen to offers for Tony Clark, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. It makes sense to deal the 36-year-old switch-hitter, as the Padres need to upgrade several positions (I don't think they'll get anything more than a mid-level prospect), but if they're actually clearing space for 31-year-old career minor leaguer Brian Myrow, that's odd. Myrow has a .188 average in 33 at bats in MLB. There's a reason he hasn't gotten much of a chance at this point in his career.

Analyzing Hart & Longoria selections

Fans voted Evan Longoria and Corey Hart to their respective All-Star teams with this year's final vote. I'm a bit surprised. Longoria is in his first season with the Tampa Bay Rays while Hart is in just his second season with Milwaukee. Neither is putting up Albert Pujols-type numbers, and they're not playing in the biggest of the big in terms of media markets. I guess word on good young players gets out faster these days with fantasy baseball and the internet. Here's a look at their ranking in the five most common fantasy stat categories (AVG/R/HR/RBI/SB) vs. the players they were up against:

NL:
Corey Hart (.292/47/15/57/13) - (3/3/4/3/1) Total: 14
David Wright (.288/59/17/70/10) - (4/1/3/2/2) Total: 12
Pat Burrell (.279/48/22/54/0) - (5/2/1/4/5) Total: 17
Aaron Rowand (.296/40/8/47/1) - (1/5/5/5/4) Total: 20
Carlos Lee (.293/46/21/72/4) - (2/4/2/1/3) Total: 12

AL:
Evan Longoria (.281/44/16/53/6) - (3/4/3/T3/2) Total: 15
Jermaine Dye (.301/52/20/53/3) - (1/2/1/T3/3) Total: 10
Jason Giambi (.256/45/18/54/2) - (5/3/2/2/4) Total: 16
Brian Roberts (.291/59/7/32/25) - (2/1/5/5/1) Total: 14
Jose Guillen (.274/41/13/65/1) - (5/5/4/1/5) Total: 20

(Players are listed in order they finished in the voting)

Low score wins in the "Total" column, so Hart finishes 3rd among NL final vote candidates. Longoria finishes 3rd among AL final vote candidates.

A quick note on the NL "Total" rankings - batting average was very tight between the NL players, so Hart could actually be the top-ranked player with a single day of good hitting vs. a bad day for the other guys. He's a solid choice, but I like David Wright better. Wright is fourth in average, and still ties Carlos Lee with 12 points. Wright doesn't hit as many homers as Lee, but his numbers across the board are very good in every category. I think Wright should've been the All-Star here, while Lee and Hart finish a close second. Fans gave Lee absolutely no credit for an outstanding first half.

As far as Longoria's selection, I think the fans did the right thing in voting him on to the AL roster. He only finishes 3rd in these rankings, but he also missed a large chunk of the season in the minors. Given that, he's still competitive in the R/HR/RBI categories, which is very impressive. Unless he wears out, Longoria is poised to have monster numbers at season's end. Maybe he is Pujols-like, afterall. I like Dye and Roberts second and third, respectively, but Giambi and Guillen had no chance.

Huston, not Houston

Huston Street, in an interview with Yahoo! Sports tells us why his first name is spelled with out the 'O' like the city of Houston.

My parents, like all people from Texas, are very proud of their state and wanted me to have a name that resembled it; they wanted me to have a "Texas" name but didn't want people to think I was named after the city, so they took the "O" out.

They could have named him Cody or something and that would've sufficed. I actually like Huston better.

How much of their time did they waste talking about third grade? Ridiculous.

Sid the Mechanic

Sidney Ponson has an explanation for his one bad start sandwiched in between two solid outings for the Yankees. His mechanics were off. In between his second and third starts, Ponson worked on not allowing his left shoulder to fly open, and it led to success.

"My mechanics were way better than it was last start," he said. "My sinker was sinking downward instead of side to side and I got myself in a couple of jams. But I was lucky enough to get out of them."

Fantasy Impact: Ponson falls into the Jose Contreras category for fantasy play: good enough to consider, but make sure he's hot when you pick him up. If Ponson can keep his shoulder in for another outing, however, there's no harm in giving him a try over other options.

Moustache to stay

Jason Giambi says he has no choice. He's keeping the moustache. Apparently he thinks growing it during his long early-season slump helped him get back to hitting the ball.

I think Giambi needs a new gimmick. He's hit no home runs in his last six games, and his average dropped 12 points to .256. Full beard time, perhaps.

No Bonds offer

Even after the Diamondbacks expressed general interest in Barry Bonds, no contract is coming from Phoenix or any other Major League city. I don't expect Bonds to play baseball again.

Was it Peter Gammons who said, "Bonds has more baggage than O'Hare airport" recently? For anyone that's visited Chicago, Midway airport has a lot of baggage. O'Hare is insane.

Mariners replace Sexson quickly

After jettisoning Richie Sexson earlier in the day, the Mariners move quickly, acquiring Crag Wilson from the Pirates. Wilson was at Triple-A this year, but you'd have to imagine he'll be up with the M's.

Wilson was hitting .230 with 10 HR for Triple-A Indianapolis.

Update: Wilson was acquired for a player to be named, but the Pirates continued to make moves. None of them are major, especially if you're from the fantasy baseball crowd. Wilson is the most intriguing as he could provide the Mariners some pop.

Update: More info on the deals thanks to Bucs Dugout.

I'll have to agree that I'm not sure that Wilson does much for Seattle. They moved Ichiro back to RF, so it's not like Wilson has anywhere to play but first or DH, and he's not that great of a hitter. I expect Wilson to be up, though, and to contribute a some home runs.

Lilly leaves early, but OK

Ted Lilly is not injured. He left today's Cubs-Reds game in the third after throwing just 39 pitches. Lou Piniella just said in his postgame press conference that Lilly didn't have good stuff today. Piniella says Lilly will now get a nice, long layoff over the All-Star break and come back "fresher and stronger."

The Reds tagged Lilly for four runs on six hits in 2.2 innings. He walked two and picks up his ninth loss.

Fantasy Impact: Lilly finishes the first half with pretty mediocre numbers, although he is 9-6. His 4.68 ERA is not impressive, but if he improves at all after this layoff, he has an outside shot at 20 wins. I'll peg him for something closer to 15 or 16, however, as 15 is his career high. He's gone over 200 innings just once in his career, and he's now thrown 115.1 this season.

Romero picks up first save

Phillies reliever J.C. Romero picked up his first save of the season and just the fourth of his career in Philadelphia's 4-1 win over St. Louis. With two on in the ninth, Romero came in and retired both batters he faced, including a Brendan Ryan popout to end it.

Fantasy Impact: Don't get excited. You didn't scoop everyone in your league and pick up the latest new closer. Romero only worked in place of Brad Lidge due to Lidge's unavailability after working two nights in a row. Romero's numbers are good, but Lidge's numbers are scary (2-0, 20 S, 0.95 ERA).

Howard's beginning to rip

Ryan Howard mashed two home runs off Cardinals pitching today, giving him 27 on the season. He's two ahead of teammate Chase Utley for the MLB lead. The Phillies will have to do some serious damage in the eighth if he's going to get another at bat today, so we'll say Howard should finish the day with 27 homers and a .234 average.

Fantasy Impact: After a slow start that saw him hit mostly below .200 until May 21, Howard is having another incredible power season. He's on pace for 162 RBI and 53 HR. With his 125th strikeout today, Howard is on pace now for 244, which is 45 more than his single-season record of 199.

Phillips figures out Lilly

The Reds Brandon Phillips, 0-14 lifetime against Ted Lilly including a deep flyout to right in his first at bat today, homers in his second at bat. Phillips' two-run shot gives Cincinnati the lead, 4-3 in the third. With a gentle breeze out to center, this game will see more scoring.

Update: Maybe it wasn't Phillips. Lilly is done after 2.2 innings. He threw just 39 pitches, giving up four runs.

Fantasy Impact: Phillips has scuffled at times this season, but now he's got 15 home runs, and he's on pace to approach 100 runs and RBI. This was Lilly's shortest outing all season per WGN.

Mulder to DL

Mark Mulder is back on the disabled list after just 16 pitches as a starter this season. He has a shoulder strain.

Update: It sounds like the Cardinals and GM John Mozeliak have given up on Mulder.

He's just not getting over the hump," Mozeliak said. "Typically, I have a very optimistic tone. But in this case, it's hard to envision this getting to a point where it's going to work for us or for him."

I wonder if anyone will give him a chance.

Cards deal: for the birds?

Some interesting points made by St. Louis Post Dispatch writer Bernie Miklasz on the state of the Cardinals after NL Central rivals Milwaukee and Chicago respectively acquired CC Sabathia and Rich Harden. It sounds like St. Louis is not likely to make a major deal, especially with John Mozeliak as the general manager. He has Cardinals chairman Bill Dewitt strongly backing him.

After last season, DeWitt, vice president of player development Jeff Luhnow and Mozeliak made it clear they were in accord on the new organizational initiative to improve on the team's drafts and player development. The refusal to go along cost former GM Walt Jocketty his job. And no matter what the spin is publicly, DeWitt and Luhnow aren't about to sign off on the plundering of prospects to remedy short-term concerns.

...

"I don't think there's one Band-Aid or one player (available in trade), who changes the dynamic of our club," Mozeliak said. "And I surely don't think it's to the extent of where you're willing to sacrifice a lot of your future to just do that. Given that you don't have any certainty of success that (acquired players) may bring you."

Interesting that the Cardinals may have attempted to make more of a splash if current Reds GM Walt Jocketty was still around.

No Super Bowl

The All-Star game ad sales are out, and thanks to the midsummer classic being in New York, the money is pretty big. Some spots are going for more than $500,000.

This article says NBC, which is carrying the 2009 Super Bowl, expects to earn about $3 million per add for next year's big game. That means an All-Star game spot is worth about one-sixth of a Super Bowl ad. That's not half bad. Not even close.

Not Sori

In the biggest non-story of the day, Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano will not play in the all-star game. No kidding.

Pitching the pits in Pittsburgh

The Pirates miss on an opportunity to sweep the Astros Wednesday, meaning they haven't won three straight games since winning six straight from May 6-12. That's not exactly surprising considering how horrendously their pitching staff has performed.

Pittsburgh's got the worst team ERA in MLB at 5.13. They've given up 926 hits in 816.1 innings -- also worst in the majors. Even with all those hits against them, Pirates pitchers simultaneously give up the most walks in baseball. No pitching equals no consistency.

John Van Benschoten becomes the latest Pittsburgh pitching victim, giving up four runs to Houston in 4.2 innings. Houston knocked out seven hits and drew six walks. He was optioned to Triple-A after the game.

Berkman steals two

Lance Berkman's two stolen bases not only helped the Astros sprint past the Pirates, 6-4, but they also ran his career high in steals to 14 for the year. Not only is that a career best, it's five more than Berkman's stolen in any full season in the majors. Four more and he doubles his career best of nine set back in 2004. He never stole more than seven bases over parts of five seasons in the minors.

Fantasy Impact: Berkman's not likely getting faster with age. He's just running more. Take this while it lasts, because it's unlikely that you drafted the Astros' slugger for his wheels. Who knows if Berkman can sustain the production for a complete season? He's looking like an MVP candidate, and if he can get to 20 steals that might put him over the top.

Eight is enough, somehow so is zero

Washington starter John Lannan finally ends his string of eight straight team losses (five of which he earned) with a 5-0 win over Arizona. Lannan worked six innings, and without recording a single strikeout he managed to not allow a single run. Zero strikeouts, one win. I'm assuming Lannan will take it. He beats Micah Owings, who pitched OK, giving up three runs in 5.2 innings.

Fantasy Impact: I don't like Lannan, but I do, if that makes sense. I wouldn't touch him as a fantasy option, only because I don't think he's capable of dominating any one stat category, but I think he's a pretty decent pitcher who has the bad luck of being on a bad team. I wouldn't touch Owings, either. He might be a better hitter than a pitcher, and he's not doing that very well lately, either.

Weather man

Along with the weather, Miguel Cabrera is warming up in Detroit. After hitting two homers Tuesday night, Cabrera hits a two-run walkoff bomb in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Tigers to an 8-6 win over Cleveland.

Fantasy Impact: Cabrera is just getting started. His .292 average is 18 points below his career mark. His 16 home runs have him on pace for a few short of the 34 he hit last year. There's a lot more to come.

Saving Octavio

After going 1-4 in save opportunities, Scott Linebrink appears to be out as the emergency closer for the White Sox. Linebrink blew his third save Tuesday night. Ozzie Guillen turned to Octavio Dotel Wednesday, and the veteran right hander does not disappoint. Dotel strikes out all three batters he faces, picking up his first save of the season and the 83rd of his career in a 7-6 win over Kansas City.

Update: CSN Chicago reports that Dotel will be closing games until Jenks returns after the All-Star break. Jenks is on the 15-day DL with bursitis near his non-throwing shoulder.

Lowe on a high

Derek Lowe is perfect through six innings against the Atlanta Braves. His counterpart, Tim Hudson, has only allowed a double to Dodgers' first baseman James Loney. The two pitchers have combined for 22 ground balls in 36 outs.

Update: Lowe gave up a single to Gregor Blanco to lead off the seventh inning but got out of the inning with a shutout in tact.

Early brilliance

"We've grown accustomed to early brilliance," Vin Scully just uttered to open the fourth of the Dodgers-Braves FSN Prime Ticket telecast from Los Angeles. For the past three nights, these two teams have been unable to put a run on the board against each other's starting pitcher for at least the first four innings.

Monday, Hiroki Kuroda lost a perfect game in the eighth, and Jorge Campillo kept the Dodgers off the board until the fifth. Tuesday, Chad Billingsley finally gave up three in the fifth while it took the Dodgers an inning longer to get to Jair Jurrjens. Tonight, Derek Lowe's established his sinker, getting eight groundball outs in through four innings. The Braves are scoreless through four again, with Tim Hudson sailing along with six groundouts now with one down in the bottom of the fourth.

Update: Hudson just got James Loney to ground out and Russell Martin to pop out to catcher Brian McCann. It's a double perfect game through four!

Update: After Lowe breezed through the top of the fifth with two more groundouts and a pop out, Hudson served up a leadoff double to Loney in the bottom half. We're down to one perfect game tonight.

MLB on the cheap

Perhaps in response to previous articles and posts addressing the downturn in attendance at MLB games, teams are taking a proactive approach to get fans back to the ballpark.

The Giants promotion of $25 gas cards for anyone who buys $75 tickets seems silly to me, but I like the Sox and A's giving tickets away for a buck or two -- especially when the Sox are giving them to kids. That could really help a family of four or five afford more than a few games a season.

The Cardinals sell a bunch of tickets to the first fans to show up at the ballpark on the day of a game at a very reasonable rate. They're called First-Pitch Tickets, and I think it's really a nice touch. Good business by the St. Louis National League ballclub.

Mulder leaves early

Mark Mulder faced three batters tonight in his first start since last September. Strike out, walk, walk, inning over -- for Mulder. The Associated Press says it was a left arm injury.

There will be those that say this is a classic case of a pitcher getting rushed back when he's not ready. I'd like to see some comments from Mulder before drawing any conclusions. It's hard to say he was rushed back when he was given two relief outings and pitched 34 innings in the minors before getting his first MLB start. He hadn't started a game for the Cardinals in almost 10 months.

Before Tuesday's game, Tony La Russa expressed a good deal of confidence in Mulder, at least more than he had in his other options.

"There's a spot open, and it's an opportunity for him to go out there and throw extended pitches," La Russa said. "I think it would be a really difficult assignment. But there isn't anybody he's bumping that gives us a better chance to win, even though it's really difficult for him."

If you take a hard look at the state of the Cardinals staff, however, you understand it is an overachieving unit held together at the back end with Scotch Tape and Band-Aids. The Cards needed Mulder before this start, but they held off. He could've climbed the hill weeks ago, but they were not going to push the limit.

Losing Harang

Reds pitcher Aaron Harang was sent back to Cincinnati after an abysmal start against the Cubs the night before. He'll have an MRI on his forearm.

Fantasy Impact: By now this doesn't mean so much. Harang's been a bust, with just three wins in 19 starts and a 4.76 ERA. If you drafted him high, you payed too big a price. Harang had a career-high seven walks on Tuesday in just 4.1 innings.

Fish school San Diego

Cody Ross extended his hitting streak to 13 games, Hanley Ramirez homered, and the Florida Marlins got past the Padres in San Diego, 5-2. The real story in this one is pitcher Scott Olsen, who gave up just one earned run over eight innings to pick up just his second win since June 7th.

Fantasy Impact: Olsen only has five wins against four losses. His ERA is a solid 3.77, but he's hardly more than a 5th starter in fantasy play.

Ross scuffled below .200 for almost two months, but has his average at .268 now. He's at the magic age of 27, a breakout year for many hitters. Ross actually hit .335 last year in limited at bats, so don't expect him to climb toward batting champion-type numbers, but he's got potential to be a solid to good contributor the rest of the way.

Ponson, Yanks handle Tampa again

Is this the beginning of Tampa's fall from first? The Rays fall to the Yankees in 10 innings, 2-1, as Bobby Abreu doubled home Derek Jeter for the walkoff win. The Rays drop back-to-back games to the Yankees, and now stand just two games ahead of the Red Sox in the A.L. East.

Sidney Ponson, in just his third start as a Yankee, has sandwiched two strong starts around a meltdown against Texas. Ponson went six innings, giving up five hits and one earned run. He earns a no-decision.

Fantasy Impact: If you can wait, it's probably too early to pick up Ponson. He's often sloppy, even when he wins, giving up too many base runners to feel comfortable about his effort. Then again, he is with the Yankees now, so if you're looking for wins, he's a decent option.

Beantown is boomtown

The Red Sox got eight in the seventh and four more in the eighth, running away from Minnesota, 18-5. Eight Red Sox had multi-hit games, led by leadoff man Jacoby Ellsbury with four. Ellsbury went 4-6 with two runs scored and an RBI, raising his batting average nine points to .278. Kevin Youkilis went 3-5 with a home runs, three runs and four RBI.

Fantasy Impact: You can safely assume Ellbury is back on his game after a late June slump. Youkilis is showing steady improvement each and every year at the plate. He is blossoming into a an elite corner infielder with 14 home runs and is on pace for close to 100 runs and RBI.

Yo, Yovani

Brewers pitcher Yovani Gallardo is attempting to do the improbable - pitch again this season. Tom Haudricourt has that in the second half of this piece.

“I would like to pitch before the end of the year,” Gallardo said. “That’s what I’m shooting for. If I’m not ready, it’s not worth taking the risk. But everything’s going good.

“I’m going to do everything possible to stay on the right track. I’m not counting on it but hopefully I can come back (in September). That’s my goal.”

That would be a remarkable turnaround. Considering ACL tears used to take a one-year recovery, Gallardo would be back in one-third of the time. Typical recovery time these days is six months.

Fantasy Impact: If Gallardo is back in September it likely only helps you for the final week or two of your season and the postseason. Playing him will be a risky move, considering he wouldn't have pitched in four months. Gallardo has displayed dominant stuff, however, so he could provide more than CC Sabathia does in terms of fantasy numbers. Stash him on your bench and hope for a shot in the arm for your staff come playoff time.

20-thousand moustaches

Don't be surprised if you see 20-thousand Don Mattinglys at Yankee Stadium tonight. The Yanks are attempting to earn moustachioed first baseman Jason Giambi some extra publicity in the MLB.com final vote, which allows fans to pick the last member of both the American League and National League All-Star rosters. Check out http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/07/yanks_try_hairbrained_scheme_t.html.

If you think the Yankees are unfairly pushing their player, they're not the only ones. The White Sox are sending out press releases on Jermaine Dye, who is also a final vote candidate. I've received at least two of them myself.

Seeing Giambi in a moustache makes me think of Don Mattingly every single time.

Off the Snyder

By now, I'm sure you've heard about the injury to Diamondbacks catcher Chris Snyder. Well, apparently it's not as bad as first diagnosed. The Arizona Republic is all over the story (bottom of page).

Catcher Chris Snyder also visited a specialist Monday and was told that his injury is healing properly. Snyder initially was diagnosed with a left testicular fracture, but he said tests showed it was not a fracture but rather "badly bruised." He hopes to return from the disabled list immediately after the All-Star break.

I'd feel funny being the reporter asking these questions, but he did his job. That said, I don't want either of those injuries.

For more on the "meat" of that link -- the Barry Bonds part -- here you go.

Bonds in the desert?

The Arizona Republic reports that the Diamondbacks are at least considering Barry Bonds as a potential addition to their outfield. Here's a couple of quotes from GM Josh Byrnes:

"He and maybe a couple of others are sort of sitting out there," Byrnes said. "I think it's a bit of assessing any player's readiness, then knocking somebody out of the lineup, dollars, etc.

"I don't want to talk about him specifically but, believe me, we've considered a lot of options. There is sort of no one obvious option right now, but there are a lot of considerations."

Adding Bonds is obviously a publicity risk, but with the way the D-backs have come back to earth, it makes sense for them to explore him as an option. Outfielder Eric Byrnes' season may be over due to his chronic hamstring problems, which has the D-Backs in need of doing something creative with their outfield.

Ellsbury sparks Boston past Twinkies

Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury appears to be bouncing back from his recent mini-slump. Tonight against Minnesota Ellsbury led off the eighth inning with a double and eventually scored as part of a four-run Red Sox rally in a 6-5 comeback win.

With the Yankees toppling Tampa, Boston picks up a game on the first-place Rays. They're now just three away from first place.

Fantasy Impact: Ellsbury went 2-4 with two runs scored, upping his average to .271. After a string of zero multiple-hit games over the second half of June dropped his average from .289 to .266, Ellsbury's produced three mult-hit games in just eight days in July. More concerning is his lack of steals. Since June 17th Ellsbury's run just four times, and he's been caught in three of those attempts.

Pettitte, Pinstripes dominate Rays

The Yankees took a bite out of the best record in baseball thanks to a stellar performance from Andy Pettitte. The 36-year-old left hander worked eight innings of shutout baseball, allowing the Tampa Bay Rays just four hits. Melky Cabrera's eighth home run highlighted the Pinstripes' scoring, as they push across five runs to win 5-0.

Tampa falls to 55-34, a game-and-a-half better than both the Angles, who lost, and the Cubs, who won, for best record in baseball. The Yanks stand 7.5 games back in the A.L. East.

I have a feeling Tampa will not have the best record in baseball at the All-Star break.

Breaking down the Harden deal - Oakland's haul

After taking a few minutes to digest the Oakland-Chicago deal that sends Rich Harden to Wrigley, it appears the A's could've gotten more. Harden was an American League Cy Young candidate, and the addition of 25-year-old middle reliever Chad Gaudin (who could end up a starter in the future) makes this a nice haul for the Cubs.

Chicago gives up three players who were good enough to get opportunities in the big leagues but unable to hold down spots on the 25-man Cubs roster. They also receive a catching prospect who was hitting .217 in Single-A.

Here are the key components Oakland took away:

Eric Patterson (OF) - Corey's little brother hasn't received nearly as much fanfare as big bro, but he also hasn't been rushed to the majors (he's already 25). That might help him down the road as he has the chance to ease into playing time at the highest level. His Triple-A stats this year: .320 avg., 6 HR, 28 RBI, 11 SB in 203 AB.

Sean Gallagher (P) - Likely the key to the deal on the Oakland side. Gallagher showed flahes of promise with the Cubs, but Chicago is erring on the experience side for the postseason in trading him away for Harden. They're also erring on the talent side, as Gallagher is no Harden, not yet anyway. In 10 starts with the Cubs he won three games, striking out 49 batters in 58.2 innings with an ERA of 4.45. Gallagher is not yet 23.

Matt Murton (OF) - Murton initially came to Chicago via Boston's farm system, and he's been nothing less than a productive hitter through the Chicago system. He couldn't, however, make the Cubs 25-man roster this year. It 870 MLB at bats, Murton's hit 28 home runs and posted a .294 average. He turns 27 in October.

There's some definite talent there, but you have to wonder if Oakland could've gotten top Cubs prospects Tyler Colvin or Donny Veal instead of Donaldson.

Harden to Chicago

The Cubs pulled off a six-player deal with Oakland that sends Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin to Chicago's north side in exchange for three major-league ready prospects and a minor league catcher.

Eric Patterson (OF), Matt Murton (OF), and Sean Gallagher (P) are all headed to Oakland along with catching prospect Josh Donaldson.

Update: MLB Trade Rumors is all over the story as well.

Update: Cubs gerneral manager Jim Hendry is discussing the deal now on CSN Chicago in a press conference. Hendry says this is not a direct response to Milwaukee's deal for CC Sabathia but merely coincidental timing-wise. He says the pitchers will be at Wrigley tomorrow.

And you thought MLB was top heavy

One of the best articles written on The Bleacher Report summarizes how Billy Beane, the Oakland Athletics general manager, is attempting to help English soccer teams play their own version of "Moneyball" -- using statistical anaylysis to get the most value on the field.

Tottenham Hotspur are one of the first clubs to look into the possibility of adapting the approach of the Oakland A's to the boundaries of professional football, working with Beane himself, who admits to "falling in love" with the game during a couple of months he spent in England in 2006.

Beane is exploring the possibility of adapting the model to football with professor Bill Gerrard of the University of Leeds. It is hoped that such a model will expose similar imperfections in the labour market for professional footballers to those identified in baseball.

All of which will be of benefit to professional football clubs, allowing them to sign suitable players for a lower cost, and could have the impact of breaking the dominance of the Premier League by the "Big Four."

There are many difficulties associated with the development of such a statistical model for football though, namely, the choice of the key performance indicators that will be used.

Because soccer is not as statistically driven as baseball (it's not even close), The Bleacher Report points out that the accurate analysis of soccer is much more difficult. Good read, nonetheless.

Here's presumably where they got the story in the first place.

Fantasy Analysis: If Tottenham win the Premiership any time soon it will be a shock. Chelsea and Man U have enjoyed a stranglehold on the top in recent seasons. Martin Jol is gone, though, so who knows.

Cubs sale progresses

Reuters says the Cubs sale is picking up steam.

Ten potential owner groups were approved to bid on the Cubs by Major League Baseball (MLB), said the sources, who asked not to be identified because the sale process was ongoing.

"It's cooking," one source said. "It's happening. There's 10 approved bidders right now."

That's the first time I've ever quoted Reuters. Just wanted to mention that.

Radio delay in Cincy a good thing

Here's an interesting article on the Cincinnati Reds intentionally delaying their radio broadcasts to synchronize with their TV telecasts (sorry about the subscription necessary to read the article).

I wish more MLB teams did this, as I really enjoy listening to radio while watching the telecasts. It seems to add another element to the experience.

One-hit wonder

Padres LF/3B rookie Chase Headley had his 10-game, one-hit streak stopped Sunday. Then he picked back up with the one-hit approach Monday in a 3-1 San Diego loss to Florida.

Headley homered for his only hit in three at bats, providing the Padres their only run.

Fantasy Impact: Headley's hit five home runs, but carries a batting average of just .243 in 74 at bats. He strikes out too much (22 Ks) to expect a robust batting average, but he will provide San Diego some much-needed pop.

Dual duel

Nice pitchers duel in Boston Monday night. The Red Sox' Daisuke Matsuzaka and Twins' Scott Baker got into a staring contest, and neither blinked. Matsuzaka went 7.1 innings without giving up a run. Baker went seven without a Boston runner ever crossing home.

The BoSox end up winning, 1-0 on a Manny Ramirez RBI single off of Minnesota relief -- or lack of relief.

Fantasy Impact: Remember Daisuke's return from the DL? Forget about it. He's at worst a solid number two in fantasy play. Baker is emerging into something quite nice himself with five straight quality starts to get his ERA down to 3.32. Start him in most leagues.

CC you in Milwaukee

I watched CC Sabathia's introductory press conference and wasn't overly impressed with the proceedings. Sabathia shrugged off most questions with the typical refrain, "I just want to fit in." The most animated moment came when he was asked about Milwaukee first baseman Prince Fielder being the second biggest player on the team now that Sabathia is in town. CC smiled and said Fielder offered him a pair of pants when he first entered the Brewers clubhouse.

I don't think the pants would fit. Sabathia is 6'7, 290 lbs. while Fielder weighs 270 lbs. but stands eight inches shorter. Sabathia certainly seems to "fit" in Milwaukee. Brewers fans gave him a standing ovation when his name appeared on the scoreboard, and Tuesday's game (his first start) was nearly sold out as of the seventh inning of Monday's game.

That brings us to the Milwaukee mess that was Monday, in which the Brewers had two players picked off first, and an error by Russell Branyan at third on Rockies pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez's ground ball scored a run in a 4-3 loss. Mental mistakes like those will cost any pitcher, even last year's Cy Young award winner.

One more note: Maybe the repeat "I just want to fit in" line was exactly how CC felt. Apparently the Brewers gave him all the time he wanted to get to Milwaukee, according to the Brewers telecast, but he decided to get to Miller Park in time for his first start on Tuesday. It's basically his normal turn in the rotation whether he's pitching in Cleveland or not, and CC wanted to maximize his opportunities with his new team, per the FSN announcers.