Brad Bergesen was pitching well. Then he got drilled.
And what does Doyle Lonnegan have to do with David Ortiz?
Why we're sick of Barry Bonds' defenders.
Leading Off
Of course, we lead off with the David Ortiz news.
It's kind of funny how no one's paying attention to repeat offender Manny Ramirez.
Dan Shaughnessy has a great take on Ortiz and the team's issues.
Howard Bryant's column is just as good.
Joe Posnanski says there are no surprises left.
I disagree. There are tons of players - a notable and heralded four-time World Champion, a man who broke a time-honored streak, and an aging pitcher who continues to master his craft - who would shock many, many people.
Regional Roundup
The Orioles make a deal
- Baltimore sent closer George Sherrill to Los Angeles for a handful of prospects. We're big Sherrill fans here at The Southpaw. But this should be a good move. It's interesting that the Orioles got a third baseman. Does that mean Melvin Mora is on his way out of town? On the field, Brad Bergesen had a scary moment. But he led the O's to victory.
- Ben Francisco is already making an impression. Jimmy Watch: 1-for-4, double, strike out.
- Breaking News: The Nats lost.
- The Pirates try to spin the gutting. Speaking of, the Pirates sent Tom Gorzelanny and Scott Grabow to the Cubs.
Best of Rest
- Flame thrower Joel Zumaya is out for the season.
- Giants fans are angry. But at what, exactly?
- The Diamondbacks and Rangers are talking about swapping John Garland and Doug Davis.
- Are the Marlins going after Heath Bell? That would be big for them.
- The Mariners have an identity crisis. First, they pick up Jack Wilson. Now they look toward shipping Jarrod Washburn to the Yankees. We're not buying that one.
- They're getting DeWayne Wiser in Chicago.
- Brian McNamee is set to file his own defemation suit against Roger Clemens. Someone should lock these two in a room and see how long it takes for the walls to freeze.
Today in history
1930 -- Lou Gehrig drove in eight runs with a grand slam and two doubles as the New York Yankees outlasted the Boston Red Sox 14-13.
1932 -- Cleveland's Municipal Stadium opened and Lefty Grove and the Philadelphia A's beat the Indians 1-0 before 76,979 fans.
The Closer
We've had enough of the Bonds defenders. Yeah, we get it. He was a Hall of Famer before he ever took a drug.
Be people haven't piled on him any more than they have Roger Clemens.
Both of those players come off as thinking they're above everyone else. And we're not just talking about the media. They have repeatedly treated fans as if they're imbeciles.
Manny and Ortiz were cartoon figures who played with the fans and, for Big Papi at least, were very active in the community.
Rocket and Barry never did that.
If there's a perception that both players are being treated better than Bonds, that is the reason why.
But Big Barry's defenders should also look at Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Raphael Palmeiro also became persona non grata inside Major League Baseball circles.
Interesting point on Mora. He is probably finished in Baltimore. I wouldn't mind seeing him sign a two year deal with Baltimore as a stopgap 3B, or Super Utility man. With Wigginton on board, Melvin is expendable, but why not let him finish his career in Baltimore if there is room on the roster? Bell will not be ready until late 2010, or early 2011.