Friday's first pitch

Leading Off
This story should be in our batter's eye, but it's about all that's good with baseball. Father's taking their sons to the ballpark. So what if chaos, utter chaos, ensued.
Regional Roundup
Brett Myers' impending hip surgery is not good news.

• The Phillies wouldn't have won last season without the temperamental Brett Myers. It looks like they'll have to find a way this year.


• Chris Ray was sent down
  The Orioles' newest faces - Nolan Reimold and David Hernandez - sparked another win.They got some help from Luke Scott.


• Manny Acta's not worried.


• Ryan Doumit is hoping for a quick return.

Best of Rest
Pitching is the key to many of these updates. Plus another team thinks it's cursed.

• The always unappreciated Randy Wolf () was dominant for the Dodgers.


• Dontrelle Willis is having fun again.


• The Cardinals expect a big return from Ryan Ludwick, who's back in the lineup.


• The Giants have their own M&M boys. Sure, they're not slugging outfielders, but they're solid members of the Giants' effective 'pen.


• The New York Daily News looks at the man who was arrested for steroids.


• Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane is asking for patience with his team.


• Are the Rays cursed? It would seem so when they play at Progressive Field.

Batter's Eye

• Todd Tichenor tossed more people than a strip club bouncer Thursday. Jason Veritek. Gone. Terry Francona. Gone. Mike Redmond. Gone. Ron Gardenhire. Gone. Peter Gammons went so far as to say the umpire "belonged in Double-A" on ESPN Radio. The Boston Globe looks into the issue. So is the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Today in history
1922 -- The U.S. Supreme Court ruled organized baseball was primarily a sport and not a business, and therefore not subject to antitrust laws and interstate commerce regulations.

1965 -- Philadelphia's Richie Allen hit a 529-foot home run over the roof of Connie Mack Stadium off Chicago's Larry Jackson in the Phillies' 4-2 victory.

1990 -- Oakland's Rickey Henderson broke Ty Cobb's 62-year-old American League stolen base record, but the Toronto Blue Jays still beat the Athletics 2-1. Henderson's 893rd steal came in the sixth inning.

2000 -- Oakland second baseman Randy Velarde turned the 10th unassisted triple play in regular-season history during a 4-1 loss to the New York Yankees.

The Closer
By the time you read this, Clint Hurdle could be the former Rockies manager. And that's atrocious. Two years ago, he guided his team to the World Series.
Since that time he has lost his team's best player, the ace from that team has spent more time on the disabled list than the mound and the bullpen is in tatters.
Yeah, that's the manager's fault. Definitely not the general managers' and of course it isn't the owners.
If Hurdle gets fired, that's basically the first step Major League Baseball has taken toward NHL-like management.