Wednesday's first pitch

Leading Off
The glare would have scared Chuck Norris.
Charlie Manuel strode to the mound and bore holes into Brad Lidge before yanking the closer. If Lidge hadn't gotten Charlie's message - Last year was last year. We play for this year - during a rant on Monday, he certainly got it Tuesday.
The man who was perfect last year, but has 10 blown saves this season, walked off the mound angry.
We liked seeing that.
But he also looked beaten.
We didn't like seeing that at all.

Regional Roundup

• The Phillies pitching staff is not too healthy.Jimmy Watch:Another 0-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout. About describes his season.


• The O's could have cried "Mercy." The Orioles have acquired Sean Henn. Big move.


• The Pirates brought up some minor leaguers. Like they need more minor leaguers on their big league roster.


• The case for a Gold Glove.

Best of Rest

• The Captain and the Catcher.


• Matt Holliday has come through big time. Since joining the Redbirds, he's batting .378. That's better than even Albert the Great.


• The Angels took two steps in the right direction.


• The Dodgers got 10 outs on five swings. And they still pulled out the 'W.'


• The Giants are falling fast.


• The Giant's fall is the Rockies glory.


• The White Sox lead is slim.

Batter's Eye

• Tom Verducci looks at the top 10 stories of September.

Today in history
1936 -- The New York Yankees clinched their eighth American League pennant with a doubleheader sweep of the Cleveland Indians, 11-3 and 12-9. The Yankees finished 19½ games ahead of the Detroit Tigers for the largest margin in team history.

1965 -- Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers tossed his fourth no-hitter, a perfect game, against the Chicago Cubs. Koufax fanned 14 in the 1-0 victory while Cubs pitcher Bob Hendley allowed one hit -- a double by Lou Johnson.

1987 -- Nolan Ryan struck out 16 to pass 4,500 for his career as the Houston Astros beat the San Francisco Giants 4-2. Ryan struck out 12 of the final 13 batters and fanned Mike Aldrete to complete the seventh for his 4,500th strikeout.

The Closer

Chris Carpenter is not going to make the Hall of Fame. At least based on the statistical standards we have for pitchers right now. You know, the ones that argue for at least 220 wins, an ERA under 3.75 and a handful of playoff wins.
That said, considering that a starting pitcher who's career started after 1968 has yet to be elected to Cooperstown, some of those standards could change.
Consider Carpenter's case.
He's a guy with, as it stands right now, 116 wins, during a 12-year career.
That's no where near Hall of Fame standards.
However, he could have his second 20-win season and has a very good shot at a second Cy Young award.
If he pulls that off, his resume improves drastically.
Not only would he have more Cy Youngs than Ferguson Jenkins, Curt Schilling and Don Sutton combined, but he would also be the ace of a staff that has made the playoffs in four of five seasons.
While those would reach, even surpass, the Hall of Fame standards of most, Carpenter would probably not win 200 games for his career.
But in an era in which the three best pitchers - Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez, Mike Mussina - who started their careers after 1988 have 216, 217 and 270 wins respectively, maybe the standards of old just don't fit today's statistics.