Does anyone else agree with me??  6 passed balls in ONE game by Josh Bard??  Tim Wakefield is losing confidence.  I mean, wouldn't you if you knew each time you went out to pitch, your assigned catcher couldn't catch your cold let alone your knuckleball.  I want to start a petition to get Doug Mirabelli back on the Red Sox!!!!  Anybody with me???
202621
The passed balls just kill me!  I mean Wake is solid, but the knuckle ball is bound to generate some walks by its very nature.  So when we give up a lead off walk, and the guy steals second, which anyone can clearly do with ease off of the Wake/Bard battery combo (not that it's their faults), we end up with no outs and a guy on second.  Throw in the inevitable passed ball and now there is a guy on third and no outs.  From there it just takes a fly ball, a ground ball, a passed ball, any number of things can drive in a cheap run for the other team.  If this scenario happens twice in a game, we need to score 2 runs just to even it up, let alone if the other team scored a "real" run or two.  With Bard behind the plate, it just seems like we're always playing catch-up.
586658
Albert Pujols, who's eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list early next week, was optimistic Friday that he'd return from a strained side muscle much sooner than St. Louis officials had originally predicted. \n\nThe Cardinals slugger was on the field for drills at first base several hours before Friday night's game against the Rockies, contorting his body to get to balls bounced his way by third base coach Jose Oquendo. After the workout, last year's NL MVP said he felt surprisingly good. \n\n\n \n \n"I'm pretty excited," Pujols said. And he said team medical personnel were "real excited, but I don't want to talk too quick until I get out there in the field and hopefully play for a week and I don't feel it at all." \n\nPujols was hoping to get clearance to take some batting practice on Saturday, the next step in the process. \n\n"I still need to hit and I still need to do some things, and we'll see how I feel," Pujols said. "I can't wait until I start to get some hacks, and we'll go from there. \n\n"I'm pretty sure I'll be OK. I've been working my butt off this last week." \n\nThe encouraging development with Pujols came on a day when the Cardinals had to make do without another starter. Shortstop David Eckstein, the leadoff man, was scratched from the lineup with a minor concussion sustained breaking up a double play on Thursday. \n\n"Something hit my head and it jarred me," Eckstein said. "I just haven't been able to shake the headache." \n\nPujols, who remains the major league leader with 25 homers and 65 RBIs, was hurt chasing a foul popup on June 3 and placed on the DL the following day. At that time the team estimated he would need four to six weeks to recover. \n\nPujols did not accompany the team on a six-game trip that ended on Thursday, but has been running, lifting and doing cardio work daily for the last week. \n\nManager Tony La Russa remained cautious, and he was pessimistic about Pujols making a partial comeback as the DH when the Cardinals begin a stretch of six interleague games on Tuesday, starting with a three-game series at Chicago. \n\nBut he expects his star to be back before the All-Star break rather than afterward. \n\n"You sit around and you stiffen up unless you ride the bike forever," La Russa said. "If he had a sore leg it would be different, but that's not what's sore. Based on how he's looking, I think he'll play before the break." \n\nLa Russa added that he didn't want Pujols back in the lineup until he was ready to finish the season with no repercussions. \n\n"That should be our test: Don't play him until you expect that you're going to get him back for the rest of the season," La Russa said. "If there's any doubt about that, just keep resting him, don't push it."
490583
Pitching is the only thing we really need,I hope they made a really good bid on this Matsuzaka!! I heard Andy Pettite Had dinner with Joe Torre Last night,And i read in todays paper,he said if he pitches next yr he wants to come back to the yankees,Roger Clemens if he plays next yr,WILL FINISH HIS CAREER IN BOSTON!! From what i read in todays paper If we don't get Matsuzaka,We'll go after Zito,And i belive Pettite is going to come back.Don't forget we have this Kid Phil Huges,Whos also going to be a GREAT PITCHER! And We'll get something for Sheffield\n4 clubs called about him,But Cashman wants to trade him to an NL Team,,Because he's pissed,and he can hurt us in the long run if we trade him to an AL Team,
69174
myself I think the deal about juicing has NEVER been proved. I mean come on people we are talking about a man that has played 20 years and has compiled some of the best stats EVER, and people want to trash everything he has done on whispers. Damn he started out on a crap team and lead it to be a contender. I think he has every god given right to be in the HOF. Look at some of the old timers in the hall... drunks, wife beaters, gamblers, I need not go on. I by far don't hate Barry and if most of the baseball public would get their heads out of their a$$es and get off the holier than thou seat they wouldn't either. Last I know he played in America ... ya know innocent until PROVEN guilty, and I don't mean people trying to make a quick buck with "tell all" books. Just my thoughts.....
617250
This travesty is one of the few that still remain in sports today.  The league has cracked down on the changing strike zone and I know this will be worked on next year.  You are right on, though, it is a joke and a pity that they won't start making the call as it should be made as they do in all other levels of the sport!  Great question!
243579
A. Francouer is not having a fluke season. He is having a sophmore slump.\nB. Neither is Swisher.  This is a sign of things to come.  Billy Beane has always believed that he would be great player and now he is.\n \nShelton is a fluke\nMaddux isn't\nWe'll have to see about Arroyo. I wish the Bosox hadn't traded him!
123819
I think one of the only things Leyland is going to accomplish this season is inflating Pudge's ego even further than it already is. How many "managers" are we going to rely on to try to turn this horrid losing season streak around??? I think we need to start focusing that question to Dombrowski and Ilitch. My one hope for this season is that Leyland really stresses the "basics of baseball" and focuses the ENTIRE team on playing "small ball"
262628
AMEN to that FTBLCHIK.  Joe Crede is one of the most underrated players in all of baseball.  Look at what he did in last year's World Series at third base.  If he doesn't make some of those plays that he did, us White Sox fans may be waiting another year for a title.  I totally agree with you on that question.
23243
Dear fellow Met fan: I hate the Yankees because the BOSS spends oodles of money on players who don't bring him a championship. Back in the day before Steinbrenner got Giambi, ARod, etc; Jeter, Tino Martinez and Paul O'Neill helped bring the Yanks to multiple titles. I guess I don't hate the Yankees all that much, but I seriously dislike them. When the BOSS is out, then I'll give them a little more respect. The same respect I have for guys like Joe Torre.
357422
I am NOT a Yankee Fan nor am I a Randy Johnson fan BUT.... You can not judge someones future by one game.  He looked AWFUL and due in part to the AWFUL pitching, my Red Sox blew the Yankees away last night.  But to say he is washed up is pre-mature.  We may be seeing the beginning of a decline but I am sure he has plenty more winning games left in him (Much to he dismay of this Red Sox fan) LOL
274236
Last night the Yankees couldn't sniff a hit off Billy Wagner and Mario Rivera gave up two bombs.  Today Wagner couldn't find home plate and Rivera blew the Mets away.  That is why baseball is so superior to any other team sport. \n\nWhat you should be asking is why did Willie Randolph pitch Wagner in the first place with a 4 run lead?
194585
i just want to say you are a good person for liking the tribe! They are gonne be the 06 champs. the martinez you are thiking of is dennis martinez (el presidente) im not sure where he is. but thome is on the rival white sox who arent doing so well this year so far, hershieser is an espn baseball analysis. sandy plays for the rangers i believe and is like 2nd sting. julio franco is with the braves i think and is like the oldest player in the mlb. omar is short stop for the giants and last i saw of mesa he was pitching for phili. hope that helps alittle and GO TRIBE!
433734
It's hard to tell right now as the numbers, to my knowledge, have yet to be released.\n\nNo, eh, eh, and yes.\n\nKip Wells has pitched a total of 44.1 innings over the past two seasons. Cardinals fans better hope management has a contingency plan, and that he's not getting a big chunk of cash that could go toward paying the salary of another starting pitcher out there.\n\nAdam Kennedy was asking 4 years and $20 million; no way to know yet if that's what the Cardinals gave him. Kennedy is overrated on defense and marginal offensively. But the alternatives just aren't appealing enough to offer protest. I would have recommended signing Ray Durham, even though he's asking for 2 years and is looking for more than Kennedy's $5 million per year. The pop he adds to a lineup is worth it. If I'm a Cards fan I'm happy the Marcus Giles trade talk came to naught, as his numbers have declined in each of the last three seasons. Ron Belliard is likely past his prime and getting fatter all the time. He's got more upside with the bat than Kennedy, but the possibility of his body and defense continuing to decline makes him a risk. He probably will get about $4 million a year from someone. In short, Kennedy's signing is okay, not great.\n\nMarrero...I'm assuming they aren't going to pay him much. If that's the case, it's worth taking a flyer on him, as long as you aren't relying on him to produce. Put him in Memphis and give him the call if he's looking good and the need is there. Cardinals fans should hope management has plans to add a legit bat to a corner OF spot.\n\nBennett...he's a backup catcher, a veteran, had his moments with the bat. Assuming they aren't paying him more than an aging backup should make, its a nice move, though it won't make a lot of difference to the team's success.
594099
I live just outside Boston and I'm a huge Red Sox fan. Ever since Pedro left Boston, I have been "secretly" routing for him. I hoped for a Boston win, but with Pedro pitching well. And yes, he is a grade-A pitcher. As Peter Gammons has said many times before, "if he (Pedro) retired tommorow, he would be in the hall of fame with no doubt"
402881
There Was'nt one.. Zambrano looked like he might be it in Chicago, but he tailed off, and Carpenter in St.louis wasnt really as impressive as the year he won the Cy Young, as for Trevor Hoffman, that game he gave up 2 or 3 back to back HRs to the Dodgers as a closer disqualifies him from conversation, then thru in that he blew saves that spectaculary 3 or so times on the year means i dont care what his numbers said, he cant win...i wouldve rather seen Billy wagner get a Cy Young off last year than Hoffman, Rivera hasnt won one, theres no way in H*ll Hoffman should... so Webb was the best of what was available.
524304
I am shocked, dismayed, diappointed, and above all I have to say also that the baseball writers suck. \nThe amazing year that Jeter had, only to be robbed because he wears pinstripes. He won a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, came in second for the batting title.. the list of this man's accolades goes on and on....not to mention... captain, rookie of the year (back when), World Series MVP(back when)\n\nJeter exemplifies everything that baseball is all about... leadership, teamwork, strategy, effort, and true love of the game.\n\nHe was robbed, there is no doubt about it. Just like Robbie Cano was robbed last year for Rookie of the year.\n\nThe Baseball Writers...... SUCK
147465
Well I'm a huge redsex fanand Johnny was like a hero to all of us and then going to another team, and of all, THE YANKEES!  because of money. tisk. now all of boston will be wearing their "Johnny is no longer my homeboy" shirts. Im going to the first Redsox yankees game may 1 and i will def. be booing. And be cheering for coco( if hes not injured)