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.