Mike Scioscia can calm down now. He's manager of the year. But you know he'd trade that award for the pennant or the Commissioner's trophy.
Bud Selig is making the right call. And no, that wasn't a misprint.
The voters got the manager of the year awards right.
An underdog Yankee. Yep.
And guess who might be heading to Cuba?
From the AP:
NEW YORK -- That travel team back in Virginia a decade ago must have played great defense on the left side of the infield.
Ryan Zimmerman succeeded boyhood friend David Wright as the National League's Gold Glove third baseman on Wednesday. In high school, when Zimmerman was a shortstop, the two played together on a youth team.
The best news so far this offseason: Tim Wakefield will be back in 2010.
The hot stove league is heating up.
The Red Sox are making moves. The Yankees are planning theirs.
There's a hole at third in Philly.
And, because we can: Yo, Adrian.
The biggest baseball news this weekend was the Twins acquiring JJ Hardy from Milwaukee.
But there was a lot of big news.
Check inside to find out why one New York columnist thinks the Yankees are about to cut payroll; why Joe Torre might really love L.A. enough to stay; who might be a good fit for the Orioles and why the Phillies serenaded a World Series hero with a Sting song.
The Indians have hired former Washington Nationals manager Manny Acta.
Basically, the Indians ate their vegatables and pushed the desert tray away by not choosing Bobby Valentine.
Terry Pluto, the Cleveland Plain Dealer's columnist, thinks the Tribe needs to see results soon.
Acta has enough respect in the game that he was, according to reports, offered the Astros managerial job as well.
The reason Acta is the right man for the Indians' job is his ability to get a young, talented team fired up and playing above expectations.
In Washington, Acta just had a young squad.
In Cleveland, he'll have some talent too.
Who would have ever thought they'd see Pedro Martinez in a Phillies jersey? Or that he'd be helping the Phillies win their third straight division title?
The Phillies clinch.
Streaks continue.
Promises for October.
No, Scott Feldman is not doing his Curt Schilling impersonation. However, he's had a long season. But when he reflects on his 3.90 ERA and 17 wins, he'll feel much better.
This doubleheader was tighter than John Madden in a London phone booth.
The Great Fold of 09 continues in Baltimore.
Two teams are one win away.
Roma Downey and Clarence are headed to the playoffs.
It's time to hit the panic button.
We don't know what happened here. We just know it was bad. But that's been the case all season long for the Kansas City Royals who are not named Zack Greinke.
The Nats can get better. Really they can.
Who's going to close for the Phillies?
Bobby Cox makes an announcement.
Are teams going to find out they payed too much?
A quick rundown of the playoff races.
The Onion makes us laugh at the Yankees.
Zack Grienke is really good and finishing strongly.
Oh and aren't the Phillies glad they didn't sign Soriano?
On this date in 1914 the New York Yankees hired Roger Peckinpaugh as their new manager.
What's destinctive about that, you ask.
Mr. Peckinpaugh was 23 years old. Yep, he was younger than Cole Hamels.
Also on that date in history, Joe Paterno had his runningback go straight up the middle.
That's right, the MLB schedule for the 2010 season has been set.
Check the jump for the highlights.
Tim Lincecum looks like he belongs in a pre-teen boy band. Don't tell that to the 11 batters he whiffed Monday.
The National League Cy Young race moves in The Freak's direction.
Mariano Rivera has 40 saves in a season for the first time since 2005. Amazingly, 11 pitchers have reached the 40 save barrier at least once in a season since then. Who are they?
You want magic numbers. We've got magic numbers.
No. 23 could be returning to helm Chicago's ball club. No, not that No. 23. We're talking about the one with class.
The playoff races are coming to a close.
The Florida Marlins could real in a big catch - The Philadelphia Phillies.
The Fish are biting.
The Angels are primed and ready.
And The Southpaw doesn't lie
Chuck Norris is scared.
Ten stories to watch.
The trouble with Chris Carpenter's career.
A six man rotation. You've got to be kidding? Or stupid.
Seriously, somebody better buy me this shirt for Christmas.
Eighty-two years ago today, Grover Cleveland Alexander pitched two complete game shutouts in a double-header. If there are two complete games tonight, The Southpaw will wear a Mets shirt over the weekend.
The Braves and Twins playoff hopes just dimmed. No, actually, the lights were turned off.
Tim Hudson had perfect form in his return to The Bigs. It would be good for baseball if the proud owner of 147 wins could return to his old self.
The Phillies have aces wild, which is better than Wild Aces.
Rereading the Scott Kazmir trade.
Of the region's four teams - Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington - two have winning records when playing at home.
The World Champions have a 34-30 record at Citizens Bank Park.
Which other Mid-Atlantic team has a winning home record.
The Dodgers make some moves.
The Braves make a move.
Ryan Howard's in a groove.
We have proof that there is a god, that god loves us and that god loves baseball.
Need we tell you anything else?
The Building Block, Andrew McCutchen, is flying high.
Brad Lidge has angered the Gods.
Two area teams suffer stinging losses. The Pirates, however, had their best win of the season.
Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Jay Marshall throws from way down low.
Why baseball shouldn't even come close to contracting.
We admit we were wrong.
And a late-summer reading list.
It was a night of grand slams for Russell Martin, Brian Roberts and Brendan Ryan.
For once, Brett Myers didn't get slammed.
And Derek Jeter is not the MVP.
Rizzo the Nat: Mike Rizzo has been given what he rightfully deserves.
The Nationals have named Mike Rizzo their new general manager.
This is a good move. He's done a more than admirable job filling in as the interim. He's fixed a lot of Jim Bowden issues.
Here's the AP Story:
WASHINGTON (AP) -- What a week for Mike Rizzo.
What a week for the Washington Nationals.
After 5½ months of doing the work of Washington's general manager -- including signing No. 1 overall draft pick Stephen Strasburg to a record deal just a few days ago -- Rizzo is getting the big title, too.
Rizzo, the acting general manager since spring training, was still technically an assistant GM. Now he will be the team's GM and senior vice president of baseball operations, a promotion the Nationals were set to announce at a news conference Thursday.
The Dodgers didn't dodge the Padilla bullet.
The Phillies are in love with Cliff Lee.
Today's most shocking news, Christian Slater is 40.
Which makes Jamie Moyer seem not so old. Speaking of the veteran Southpaw, he dominated Monday.
Cole Hamels had better watch out. His rotation spot might be in jeopardy.
Stephen Strasburg has a ton of talent. But he's never faced anything close to major league competition. And no one knows how durable he is. But the Nationals are a desperate franchise. So they gave him a record deal.
Stephen Strasburg signed on the dotted line. The future Ben McDonald/Mark Prior is getting a $15 million deal.
And good for him and his super agent/mercenary of death Scott Boras.
But, again, that's a lot of money for a player who just hasn't done anything.
Look, we never mind when actual big leaguers make oodles and oodles of money. You'll never hear us complain about Alex Rodriguez or Vernon Wells. We won't even complain about Adam Eaton. And we have no problem with teams paying prospects enough money to lure them away from college.
That said, these players who have no track record are a crap shoot. Especially pitchers. Picking which future star is going to make it is little more than an educated guess. And that's after they've pitched 150 minor league innings.
Consider this:
In fact, Strasburg's deal will set the Nats back further than they were yesterday when he wasn't signed. That's especially true when you consider they are trying to bring in free agents and other draft picks and had to put so much cash into one player. WHO HASN'T GOTTEN A PROFESSIONAL HITTER OUT.
But that's the risk they're willing to take.
Colby Rasmus tosses his helmet as he races home after walking off a win for the St. Louis Cardinals.
We've got a more believable story about Brett Myers' black eye.
Ryan Howard's heating up.
We hope David Wright is healing.
How a bout them pitchers?
Cliff Lee was dominant, Bronson Arroyo pitched the game of his life and Justin Verlander couldn't be stopped.
The strike, 15 years later.
Kevin Youkilis strikes back.
The Phillies strike late.
The last time Ryan Howard manhandled teammates was when the Phillies became World Champs. On Sunday, he and Paul Bako had to get control of Shane Victorino, who went insane Sunday.
The Yankees are dominating the Red Sox again.
Shane goes insane.
And what's up with David Ortiz?
Sure the Nationals are irrelevant and the Phillies have a big lead, plus Cliff Lee.
However, if history repeats itself, big leads don't matter in the NL East.
Andre Ethier is clutch. Three walk-off home runs this season. Five walk-off hits. Word on the street has it he single-handedly saved Cash for Clunkers.
Break up the Yankees.
And while you're at it, the Nats too.
It can't be true. But it is. The Nationals have a four game winning streak.
And a New York scribe says the Yanks broadcasters had better watch what they say about David Ortiz.
A
Tampa Bay Rays players are about to pounce on Evan Longoria, who's about to bounce on home plate. Did the rays just win a game that could kickstart a late season push for the wild card?
Apologies all around about Tuesday's first pitch. It was a very busy day in the newsroom and by 12 p.m. I realize, "Hey, I never got to The First Pitch."
So here's a doubly good effort today.
Hank Aaron wants names. And Pete Rose to be reinstated.
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.
Delwyn Young makes an unbelievable catch.
The Keystone State squads made some trades. The Philadelphia Phillies looked to add an ace, the Pittsburgh Pirates continues to be a disgrace.
Heralded Baltimore Orioles rookie Chris Tillman made an erratic but promising debut.
Chris Woodward lays down a sacrifice bunt Tuesday. Who says the American League doesn't play small ball?
This time, Omar gets a public spanking.
Mark Buehrle continues to impress, even in a loss.
The regional teams get set for the trade deadline.
The Southpaw is sorry he was too lazy to put up a first pitch yesterday. Forgive him, it was his first day of vacation.
Now, if you don't mind a quick ode to his favorite fan, check out the rest of today's First Pitch, which includes:
The Phillies going for a 10th win.
Mets officials tried to fight minor leaguers.
The first pitch returns after an enjoyable All-Star break.
Why can't people stop putting Dave Trembley on the hot seat?
Holy cow, Jamie Moyer looked like Randy Johnson. Minus the fastball.
So, Joel Hanrahan was the winning pitcher for the Nationals yesterday. Thing is, he pitches for the Pirates. Go figure.
Andruw Jones, how are ya?
Shane Victorino is pushing to make the All-Star team.
Thinking about a Roy Halladay trade, one that would send him to the Phillies, is like thinking about Santa the night before Christmas.
Trust me, it is.
And how awesome is it that Alan Embree didn't even throw a pitch and he got the win.
Randy Johnson doesn't look so dominant with the stick.
We've got All-Star news.
Is Mets-Phillies still a rivalry?
The champs play like chumps. The chumps play like champs.
Is someone about to hit .400?
It's certainly not Jimmy Rollins, who might need to take some batting tips from the Arizona pitching staff.
The Nationals continue to make moves.
Today they optioned Elijah Dukes to Triple-A.
Yesterday they acquired Nyjer Morgan from the Pirates. Sure, Morgan is 28 and doesn't have much "upside" but he brings a lot to the Nationals. He gives Washington an influx of speed.
But we think there's going to be a domino effect.
With Morgan in center, the Nats will then be able to move Willie Harris to left. Then they can move Adam Dunn to first.
That means the Nationals can trade Nick Johnson for a plus pitching prospect.
Plus this has the added benefit of ridding the team of not one, but two, outfielders with attitude issues.
He sold so many records, yet sadly became a tabloid joke at the end of his career and life.
So The Southpaw has his own take.
Michael Jackson has died. That leaves four men left who wear a glove on one hand for no reason whatsoever. They are the Washington Nationals infield.
Thank you. Thank you.
We're here all week.
Another tragedy in Anaheim.
How is it possible a night in front of 4 TVs with 4 games could be bad for The Southpaw's health? They had the Nationals, Pirates, Orioles, and Orioles again on.
How is Jose Canseco helping Barry Bonds?
Troy Tulowitzki likes the high ones. Here he blasts a two-run homer on a pitch that's well above the letters.
CC Sabathia has a big test today.
Is David Ortiz cured?
Watch where you walk. You could trip over a Phillies pitcher. They're dropping like flies.
Somebody's about to lose an eye in the Yankees broadcast booth.
It's the anniversary of the Ryne Sandburg Game.
The Orioles completed a sweep of the Phillies.
John Gonzalez takes on The Herd.
And CC says Seeya in the second.
The Yanks are eyeing Pedro Martinez.
Patience is big right now in the Mid-Atlantic region.
And Trey Hillman says, "Be a man." And no, he's not talking to Chastity Bono.
John Lackey got a season-high 10 whiffs.
Bill James and Joe Posnanski take a ride on the Ryan Express to attack pitch counts.
Tom Gordon's best pitch for the World Champs didn't come from the mound. But Ryan Madson took it.
The Rockies are dominating.
Who was fighting in the outfield?
Yorvit Torrealba speaks out about his son's kidnapping.
And how come no one cares about Ivan Rodriguez anymore?
Say it with me folks: RAAUUUL. IBANEZ.
Games were tight Thursday. Real tight. Tighter than the Orlando Magic.
And happy birthday to the Hall of Fame.
Oh yeah, there's no way you'll believe how the Indians won.
Oh God. We can't believe we're saying this, but Jimmy Rollins needs to collect some walks.
And Harrisburg Senators fans have Stephen Strasburg in their sights.
Man was it a busy day in the Big Leagues.
Did David Ortiz right him self?
Manny Spoke to teammates.
Oh and there was the little thing of the draft.
Another stadium that should have been saved.
The draft seems to be on everybody's mind.
Who was the first player to get 3,000 hits?
Oh yeah, Ozzie Guillen went crazy again. That's always fun.
BREAKING: Mo won't go against the Bo Sox tonight.
The Phillies and Yankees bounced back from blown saves on Saturday.
Shea Stadium has a musical legacy.
And we're still mad about the Nate McLouth trade.
Of course, we have to talk about Randy Johnson even if he once was called Rando Grando.
Cole Hamels was on. He owns L.A. more than Brangelina does.
And don't forget to drink your Melk. It does a Yankee good.
Is Carlos Beltran beginning to hate his teammates?
We can't figure out what should we be more irate about. That the Pirates are officially striving for ineptitude? Or is it worse that the Braves released one of the biggest names in franchise history?
Yer out! Casey Blake nips Ryan Roberts to get an out in Tuesday's Dodgers-Diamondbacks game. Joe Torre's squad rallied with a 5-run eighth to win.
Can a saint get demoted? In Washington they can.
Was it really six years ago that Sammy Sosa's bat shattered and cork flew out.
Happy birthday, Raul.
The Mariners had a tough Hill to climb.
The Nationals have some good news.
Several pitchers have put up good numbers, but no one has been nearly as good as Zack Greinke.
At the end of April, the Royals, Mariners, Pirates and Marlins were some of the top performing teams.
That's nowhere near the case any longer.
So let's take a look at the Power Alley now that May has come to an end.
The Wolf is on the hunt.
And what happens when a pack of T-ballers spend four hours at the ballpark? The go more crazy than Carlos Zamrbano. Minus the anger issues.
And how did an umpire toss so many people for so few issues?
For one day, young Orioles fans know what it feels like to win a World Series game. To be down as much as they were and come back is a glorious feeling.
The Orioles had their most exciting win of the season.
The Nats react to a steroid story.
We're seeing less of Charlie Manuel.
And why is Carlos Zambrano going absolutely batcrap crazy?
A man busted for selling drugs has apparently told police he sold steroids to members of the Nationals.
The Associated Press story is on the jump.
Pirate Jack Wilson gets brushed back Wednesday.
Eric the Wreck returns, and was anything but a wreck.
David Ortiz was dropped.
And streaks, streaks and more streaks.
It's Weiters time.
Vlad is back.
The Pads are on fire.
And Jerry's in trouble.
We here at The Southpaw hope you don't mind us sleeping in on Memorial Day.
Now, let's begin the weekend's roundup.
Which of course included Bobby Abreu taking your favorite southpaw deep.
Inside, we have a video about baseball and World War II
Spent a wonderful day in and around the nation's capital with my wife, my father-in-law and his girlfriend. Well, it was wonderful until Bobby Abreu took me deep to left.
It started out in Manassas, where we took in the battlefield and did the audio car-tour thing.
It ended with a walk through downtown D.C. that culminated in an 11 p.m. visit to the Supreme Court. I thought of many cases and the importance of the decisions that have come out of those chambers. Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kans., Bush v. Gore, Tyson v Spinks.
It wasn't until now that Curt Flood's case popped into my mind. Of course, Flood lost his case against baseball's reserve clause, but the Players' Union eventually won. All the evidence you need is to know a ticket to a Nationals' (14 wins) game costs $20 bucks.
The evening was spent taking in a ballgame at Nationals Park.
So, I bet you're wondering what the whole Bobby Abreu thing is.
The World Champs are in The Bronx.
All is right with the world. There's going to be a Gwynn in San Diego.
And a Peavy too. For now.
Our prayers are with Scott Schoeneweis and his family.
Is the future of the Nats injured?
What's going on in Manny's mind?
Is Nick Johnson returning to New York?
It's not April anymore. In fact, it's almost June, but all of these facts are true.
And they're shocking.
Zack Greinki is 7-1 with a 0.60 ERA.
The American League division leaders are: Toronto, Detroit and Texas.
The National League batting leader is Christian Guzman, who's batting .373.Milwaukee leads the NL Central.
Chad Billingsley is 6-1 with a 2.51 ERA.
Could Barry be the Mets' answer?
Chan Ho got the Heave Ho.
Seven wasn't the O's lucky number.
And you'd better get off the tracks. The D-Train is rolling, rolling rolling.
The Bronx Bombers can do no wrong.
Baltimore has warmed up to Aubrey Huff.
And Carlos Delgado is going under the knife.
Why is the pitcher batting third?
Everyone should be afraid of Prince Fielder.
And David Wills is throwing heat.
We have an update on the ump who bumped.
And who the hell is Nestor Chylak
Should the Mets ditch Jose Reyes?
The Giambino struck again. He does have some pop left in his bat, after banging a double for Oakland.
Ryan Zimmerman's streak is over and that's too bad. Things could have gotten very interesting.
We haven't heard much from Lance Berkman this season. He had a loud day Wednesday.
And why are we willing to listen to Peter Edward Rose?
Man, was it a good day to be an Orioles fan.
Roy Halladay emasculated the Yankees. That's the only way to describe it.
Oh, you'll want to stick around for The Closer, where a former Red Sox player talks about being taught to use steroids.
The Rocket is going to be on Mike & Mike at 8:25 this morning. It will be his first interview since the "60 Minutes" waste-of-our-time chat with Mike Wallace.
Check inside to find out why Johan Santana can only shake his head.
Oh, and the Yankees are having a yard sale.
The streak continues.
And is Manny bigger than the Dodgers?
Rivera gets rocked.
The Mets manhandled the Phillies.
The Yanks are on their way to Baltimore.
Oh and, Johnny Bench had Lefty's number.
No, this packed house isn't because of the Orioles' play thus far this season. It's because of a torrential downpour.
Right now, Johan Santana could do anything he wants with a baseball. We're serious. He could split an atom, knock a fly off a dime, throw it through Fort Knox without it being seen.
The Orioles played a Little League game.
Arizona Diamondbacks' Justin Upton bunts and is eventually tagged out at first during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers
A tie. A tie. In baseball. Well, not quite.
Happy Birthday, Willie Mays.
And the Dodgers are still undefeated at home.
The Phillies-Mets series was a dud, but the Red Sox-Rays was very entertaining.
Joe Maddon's team appears to have life. And, if you didn't know, Carl Crawford is quick as a sneeze.
And don't forget, a daily dose of The Southpaw keeps the swine flu away.
The Pirates still can't beat the Brewers.
Oh yeah, we have more A-Rod juicing stories. We're so unbelievably excited.
And are the Nats about to draft a cornerstone prospect.
Manny Ramirez smacked three doubles Tuesday.
Alright everybody, give the Yankees a round of applause. The Bronx Bombers finally caught on that there's this little problem of a supply and demand. They slashed ticket prices.
Oh yeah, the big, fat toad is returning.
Raul Ibanez parks the Phillies' second of two grand slams Monday night. The World Champs have won four straight. Boston, however, has 11 consecutive wins.
Adrian Gonzalez, Carlos Pena and Albert Pujols are doing something that hasn't been accomplished since Babe Ruth patrolled the outfield in the first Yankee Stadium.
Oh and, the Phillies had a grand night.
It's a tough task to scout Randy Johnson.
The Mid-Atlantic sweeps.
Carlos Zambrano takes some short hops at third.
And in the "Today in history" section we notice a trend. No-hitters. There have been five of them on this date.
Bud Selig might be about to do something that makes sense. Of course that's news. Of course you want to read what's inside.
And how Selig's comments have anything do with a naked Hal Steinbrenner and Fred Wilpon?
That, my friends, is a tease.
A day after the Mid-Atlantic's clubs won all of their games, they going 1-3.
What's up with all the walk-offs?
Remember when Colin Cowherd used to brag about Lenny Dykstra's ability to make money? Well, like all things Cowherd, he appears to be wrong.
ESPN's Jerry Crasnick has his weekly Starting 9 up.
This week it's nine players who don't have a job.
It's still amazing that Pedro Martinez hasn't signed with somebody. Sure, he's more fragile than a graham cracker, but when he's healthy he's still an effective 5-inning pitcher. Couldn't the Orioles use him? Or the Nationals?
So why are Little Leaguers breaking their piggy banks for Nats' supposed hothead Elijah Dukes?
The Mid-Atlantic is heating up.
And why is Dontrelle Willis so important?
"Meat!" The Cincinnati Reds' Jerry Hairston Jr. is tagged out by Ivan Rodriguez.
As REM sang, "Everybody hurts." It would seem all the time.
Also, Cole Hamels blames himself.
And how's the attendance been?
We left early. We left early. Will we ever forgive ourselves.
Raul Ibanez blasted a come-from-behind, walk-off home run to cap a 4-run rally.
But we didn't see it. We left early from the Phillies 5-4 win over the Padres. And for what? Pizza and a Cheesesteak at the other end of town.
Well, we had a good time anyway. We did see Jimmy Rollins' pinch hit home run. And we also saw Ryan Howard play some spectacular defense.
With the rest of the first pitch, we revamp our daily updates.
This is what batters feel like when they face Roy Halladay.
The Yankees opened the new Yankee Stadium Thursday with a bang. Two actually. Mystique and Aura just imploded.
Plus, what's wrong with Brad Lidge?
The Orioles had a rough day in Arlington. It was a banner day in Seattle. And congrats are in order to Johan Santana. He and his wife had their third baby, Johan Jr.
And there's this little thing about a new stadium in The Bronx.
Lastings Milledge has been sent down to the minors.
Milledge, who came to the Nats as a hot New York Mets prospect, was 4-for-24 and had played lackluster defense.
He had bothered the team with some off-field actions.
In 138 games during the 2008 season, Milledge batted .258 with 14 home runs, 24 doubles and 24 runs batted in. His on-base percentage was .330 and he collected 98 strikeouts.
Milledge, 24, is probably too young and talented to stay in the minors for long.
The Angels and Red Sox have some recent history. Of course, Bobby Abreu brings his own Bronx-tinged past into the equation. It all added up to some fun shoving in Disneyland.
After the first week, we now know several things.
The Washington Nationals still haven't won a game. The Braves and Marlins are tied for the best record in baseball with 5-1 marks. The Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres and and St. Louis Cardinals are 5-2. Last year's World Series participants are both 3-3.
And individually, Evan Longoria has five big flies, Ryan Theroit is batting .550, Adam Lind has 12 RBI, Johan Santana has struck out 20 batters.
And Joba Chamberlain raided Marcel Marceau's wardrobe.
The Los Angeles Times' Bill Shaikin has a very touching piece on how Nick Adenhart's father is coping with a horrible tragedy. His death is felt beyond the team's city, writes Lisa Dillman. Rob Neyer looks at how often death has touched the Angels.
Mike Lupica says Joba Chamberlian has something to learn from Adenhart's death.
It's hard to talk about what went on in major league baseball after reading about Adenhart, but some pretty interesting things happened Thursday in the Big Leagues, including a great game in the south side of Chicago. And what's wrong with Obama?
The Orioles torched the Yankees for a second straight game. The Phillies proved they're still World Champs and what favor is the Nationals' president asking from Phillies fans.
Houston Astros' Jeff Keppinger gets a broken-bat, game-winning single as the Astros beat the Chicago Cubs 3-2 in 10 innings in a baseball game Tuesday.
Jim Thome homered and the Red Sox won. Of course, that's happened a lot this decade.
No booze in Toronto.
Happy anniversary, Hank.
Oh, and we have some words from Joba the Drunk.
Cesar Izturis rocked Camden Yards Monday when his eighth inning blast broke open the game.
Monday's slate of games brought a great pitching match-up, a rare home run trot and big wins for the participants of the 1979 World Series.
Our very own Mike Argento writes about local fans braving the weather in Baltimore.
Oh, and who's the idiot in the league office that scheduled openers in Chicago and Boston?
Well, this wouldn't be a reputable baseball site if we here at The Southpaw didn't have some preseason predictions.
So here goes:
There's a new rivalry in the Wild, Wild West.
Gary Sheffield got cut, Chipper signed, and Mike Gallego, yes Mike Gallego, is looking for his glove.
Oh an, how long before the boos rain in Philadelphia?
One of the most popular players here at The Southpaw is current San Diego Padres second baseman David Eckstein makes a catch against the Cleveland Indians in the third inning of a Spring Training game Monday.
Spring Training is almost over. It's a bittersweet feeling, kind of like riding the school bus for the last time. You're moving on to better things, but you had a lot of fun while it lasted.
In today's first pitch, find out what is causing ardent Phillies fan and YDR reporter Jeff Frantz to hope the team loses on Opening Night. And why is he asking, "What, are we Notre Dame now?"
What's so crazy about pitchers batting ninth?
Oh, and we have more on the Pirate player's wife being charged in kidnapping.
Japan's Ichiro Suzuki hits a line drive single past South Korea's Lim Chang Yong driving in two runs in the tenth inning of Japan's 5-3 victory.
Ichiro. Ichiro. Ichiro.
Ichiro Suzuki hits a single during the eighth inning of Japan's 9-4 win over Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
Japan dropped the United States with ease Sunday, during a 9-4 win. Of course, the big problem for the United States, other than Davey Johnson doing his best impersonation of Tony Muser, is pitching. The Major League Clubs have completely tied the hands of Team USA, when it comes to pitching.
That said, the game would have been much more entertaining if Joe Morgan had locked Steve Phillips out of the broadcast booth. The former Mets General Manager had one of his worst days behind the mike. The normally astute Phillips, was bungling trivia questions about Japanese professional baseball.
The Nats sign a solid free agent and release someone who was expected to contribute to the rotation.
Besides that, a bunch of odd things.
Forget about representing your country. Your employer wants you back. Dodger dogs going kosher. And who's Honey Bear? Or was that Sugar Bear?
The World Baseball Classic dominates today's story lines.
A Met got a clutch hit. Now that's news.
Thanks to David Wright, Team USA moved on to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic.
Oh, and Sidney Ponson has resurfaced.
Happy St. Patrick's Day. In honor of the Roman former slave, who never really chased snakes out of Ireland but did help unite the country while baptizing thousands, we look at some of the best "Irish" names in baseball history.
3. Born in Belfast,and a graduate of Penn State, we have Irish McIlveen.
2. Paddy Green batted .185 for his career, but the Villanova product did swipe two bases in his cup of coffee with the bigs.
1. Troy O'Leary, hit 127 homers in his career, including 28 in 1999.
Well, back to the first pitch report.
There's no truth to the rumor Adam Dunn wants to keep Brian Roberts as a pet. The Orioles' diminutive second baseman teamed with Dunn and Jimmy Rollins to propel Team USA to a win.
After a couple days of rest in the bullpen, The Southpaw is ready to fire some bullets.
Who's the better shortstop right now: Derek Jeter or Jimmy Rollins?
An Orioles' bullpen stalwart is being shut down.
Oh yeah, and are some Phillies' officials concerned about Cole Hamels?
The Los Angeles Dodgers need pitcher Randy Wolf to have a strong season if they are going to make the playoffs. Wolf is an underrated player with a 90-78 record and 1,227 strikeouts against 547 walks in 1,468 innings.
ESPN's Eric Young tells Jonathan Papelbon to zip it.
Plus, there's an addition to the Orioles' family.
Oh, and we have a happy Fidel.
Might the World Champs move on from one of their biggest postseason stars? Are the Orioles going to sign a future Hall of Famer? And how does Hugo Chavez' happiness pertain to baseball?
We look at all those questions and more in today's edition of First Pitch.
Dominican Republic's catcher Miguel Olivo, center right, is surrounded by Netherlands' players celebrating their 2-1 victory in the eleventh inning of a World Baseball Classic game in San Juan, Tuesday.
Roger Clemens has ties to the Obama administration. No, he didn't forget to pay taxes.
At least that we know of.
With All Star talent such as Corey Koskie, left, Jayson Bay, head down, and Russell Martin, far right, Team Canada should have had a stronger showing in the World Baseball Classic.
Can a man making $25 million be a loser? Jayson Stark says it's possible.
And, A-Rod's doctor says there's no surprises.
After a brief time away from the computer, we're back with some news:
A-Rod's having surgery, Lou Marsen is catching on and Ken Griffey Jr. is up to his old tricks.
Alex Rodriguez's season from hell continues.
And the skids have been greased to put a new stadium in the Marlins' future.
Japanese third baseman Shuichi Murata blasts a home run against China during the first game of the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
The World Baseball Classic has begun.
Mike Rizzo will run the day-to-day operations of The Washington Nationals. However, the general manager's post remains open.
Finally, it looks as if the Manny Saga is over.
In today's first pitch we take an in-depth look at some issues for the area's squads, the Philadelphia Philles, Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals.
We also look at the underrated Orlando Hernandez and what he brings to his new team.
Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus makes a valiant attempt Sunday at a base hit by the Seattle Mariners' Matt Tuiasosopo. Seattle outslugged the Ranges, 13-6.
We've got A-Rod. We've got Manny. And a member of the Phillies World Championship team has joined the Orioles. But before O's fans get excited, they should know they didn't get Cole Hamels.
Scandals in Washington D.C. are so contagious they've even caught a high-profile baseball official.
With a supposed federal investigation under way, Nationals general manager Jim Bowden has resigned.
He admits he's a distraction, blames the press and claims innocence.
But that's not the only big news Sunday.
Manny did what?
Plus we have a roundup of Thursday's games and highlight some of the best stories on the Web.
It was good to see some action on the diamond Wednesday.
But there was also some interesting off-field news. Including some reports on Manny Ramirez's contract status.
And a couple players might already be out for the year.
New York Mets' Daniel Murphy scores on a single Wednesday by teammate Ryan Church as Baltimore Orioles catcher Gregg Zaun waits for the throw. In Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Mets won 9-3.
The World Champion Phillies got thumped by the Pittsburgh Pirates, 8-2. But the good news is Jamie Moyer looked strong. Joe Blanton gave up a run but wasn't too bad.
As for the Orioles, well not much to talk about.
Yes. It's here. The first day of spring training games.
Here's a look at today's schedule. MLB.TV gets into the act with two games: The San Francisco Giants travel to the Cleveland Indians at 3:05 p.m. ET in Goodyear, Ariz., and then the Boston Red Sox split-squad game against the Twins at 7:05 p.m. in Lee County, Fla.
Unlike Clint Barnes, the Southpaw doesn't let anything get through. Except, maybe, a dangling participle or split infinitive.
Don Fehr in O's camp. That can't be good.
The Southpaw apologizes for the delay. No rain. Just technical difficulties.
But even when there's a late start there's still tons of news.
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Koji Uehara, of Japan, throws a live batting practice during spring training baseball Saturday.
Things continue to be busy in Baltimore Orioles camp. The rest of the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues are just as interesting, however.
Two Hall of Famers return to their roots, Brian Roberts reflects and Chase Utley has something to prove.
News about The Kid overshadows all.
Seattle Mariners pitcher David Aardsma pitches Monday under the watchful eye of a coach.In Phillies camp, Raul is ready, while Rich Hill looks to Impress his Baltimore teammates. Oh, and Odalis Perez is holding out.
The Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues continue to buzz. The Phillies signed a free agent, Manny Acta says, "Ya gotta believe," and the Orioles have some questions to answer.
And Milton Bradley's back in the news. But Cubs fans can actually be happy about it.
Here at The Southpaw, we love the weekend because we can sleep in.
But that also means a later start on the first pitch.
Today's news includes a look at Larry Bigbie, the Yankees pitching staff, the Mets are talking about talking and Jamie Moyer has harsh words about A-Rod.
