Homers aren't always enough
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David Ortiz led the American League in home runs with 54 but didn't receive a single first-place vote from those writers charged with choosing the American League's Most Valuable Player. That is not as unusual as it sounds.
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The news on East and West Coasts this week reflected the fragility of hope based on an aging pitcherÂs arm and a young pitcherÂs value.
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The Cleveland Indians have been inconsistent during the first two months of the season. It got them to .500.
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The Cubs&#39; glass had to be half empty because these were two games they should have swept. The Marlins&#39; wound up half full because these were two games they had every excuse to surrender.
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When it comes to landmark winning streaks, the same rules apparently apply in volleyball as they do with a possible no-hitter in baseball. Until the achievement is realized, there can be no speaking of it.
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It is really not much of a stretch to wonder if Omar Minayaâs Mets have been built to last.
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Some mistakes are not always mistakes.
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It demands a look. And a second look. And perhaps even a third. When 1.364 pops up in the on-base plus slugging category for the American League Championship Series, it brings to mind a true middle-of-the-order hitter. It brings to mind Manny Ram&#xED;rez (a gaudy 1.491), or David Ortiz (1.225). But, no, that number belongs to Kevin Youkilis, ...
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In a game in which hits beyond the infield were hard to come by, the New Bedford Whalers prevailed by a matter of inches yesterday.
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With a few more starts, Pedro MartÃ­nez could tinker with his control and recapture his sharpness. Unfortunately for the Mets, he is out of time.
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It's a relatively recent story, and a familiar one. The Red Sox had two big sluggers in the middle of their lineup -- one a lefthanded hitter, the other a righty, both .300 hitters, one a former MVP, one who would soon be named one. They were the linchpins of a Sox team that had high hopes of playing deep ...
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When Clay Buchholz was asked about coming out of the bullpen in Double A, back before he made his major league debut, back before he threw his no-hitter, he made a face. Not his first choice, clearly.
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There should be a limit on how much frustration one team, one franchise, should have to bear. As the National League Division Series in Dixie moves to Game 2, the Atlanta Braves appear destined to push the envelope.
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Theoretically, Jake Peavy pitched well enough to win. Realistically, though, the San Diego Padres simply couldn't score enough runs for their All-Star ace.
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It often seems as if Ron Artest cannot help being at the center of a storm.
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Few situations in baseball are as awkward as the legendary player whose skills have diminished greatly in the twilight of his career. Double the awkward quotient when he has spent his entire career in one city, and triple it when he is on the verge of a career-defining milestone.
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If anything, there will be a little more sizzle around the ballpark. There won't be so much focus on Julio Lugo's slump, or J.D. Drew's batting average, or Curt Schilling's injury, or the fact that there's not much of a race in the American League East right now.