Trading Aces: Halladay for Lee

Chone "Gone" Figgins to Seattle

THIS ONE WAS TOUGH to stomach as an Angels fan, Chone Figgins as a Seattle Mariner, wreaking havoc alongside Ichiro throughout the American League. In this day and age when true leadoff hitters are so hard to find, the Angels weren't all that interested in the end. Yes, the up-and-coming Brandon Wood was out of options and needed to be given a chance to truly prove himself, but sheesh...I can't help but feel like Reagins let a good, no, a great one get away.

In Progress: Albert Pujols N.L. MVP '09

OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS I've been working on an Albert Pujols painting, and thought what better time to post my progress with The Machine claiming his third N.L. MVP award. And if not for Barry Bond's tainted legacy, this might have been Pujols' fifth MVP award. I'll be posting the finished version eventually.

Vintage Joe Mauer: A.L. MVP '09

A MUCH DESERVED AWARD for Minnesota Twins backstop and hitter extraordinaire Joe Mauer. Whenever I think about Mauer, the first thing that comes to mind is the vintage Twins catcher's helmet he wears. So in honor of his MVP award, I've chosen this view for this sketch.

Funny Things Happen: Timmy Lincecum, 2009 N.L. Cy Young Winner

OK, SO I COULDN'T RESIST A LITTLE POKE at Tim Lincecum for his youthful indiscretions with pot earlier this month, but winning consecutive Cy Young Awards is some serious stuff. Nobody can call 2008 a fluke because little Timmy dominated National League hitters once again. Oh, and his 15 wins is one less than Zack Greinke's total in '09. Hmm, maybe voters are finally starting to look beyond win totals.

Zack Greinke A.L. Cy Young 2009: The Last Shall Be First

GREAT FEEL GOOD STORY TODAY with the announcement of this year's A.L. Cy Young Award going to Zack Greinke. Considering the fact that the Kansas City Royals finished in last place again this year (though no fault of Greinke's), it's quite an accomplishment to nab the award. An instance of when the last shall be first.

Yankees World Champions of 2009

Halos Sweep Away Wally and the Sox

HISTORY WAS MADE last Sunday when the Angels finally defeated the Red Sox for the first time in their playoff history after having previously lost all four series. So while I'm super late on this sketch, it's better late than never!

#2722: Derek Jeter Surpasses Gehrig

Earth to Pittsburgh!

AFTER YESTERDAY'S LOSS to the Cubs, I'm not sure what's worse: 17 straight losing seasons or over 100 years without a World Championship? I mean, the Cubs have had some pretty exciting seasons that, yes, ultimately ended up short, but the Bucs just haven't given their fans much of anything to hold on to these past 17 years.

Adam Lind the Monster

EIGHT RIBBIES FROM A NO-NAMER? That is on monday night when Adam Lind became a monster at the plate, hitting his first career slam enroute to defeating the Texas Rangers, 18-10. Well, no-namer no longer as Adam Lind is one of the fastest rising stars in baseball.

The 2009 New York Mets: Putting a Fork In It

FORGET THE PEN as MLB's 2009 reality show. If there was a storyline that qualified as true dramedy, it would have to be the 2009 New York Mets. From the adventures of Oliver Perez to the loss of Reyes & Delgado to K-Rod's tussle with Brian Bruney to Luis Castillo's error to David Wright's beaning to Eric Bruntlett's game-ending triple play to Johan Santana's bone chips, this was the ultimate train wreck of a season. Just about everyone expected this team to be duking it out with the Phils at the top of the NL East, but now it's high time to just stick a fork in it, let the September callups play and look to next year.

Eric Bruntlett's Game-Ending Triple Play

A Fenway Bash

Trevor Bell and the .300 Hitters

THAT'S GOTTA BE AN AWESOME FEELING for Trevor Bell, notching his first career win last night while being backed up by a full lineup of .300 hitters. The Halos have been absolutely scorching the ball over the past month and it definitely conjures up images of that magical 2002 season.

Stephen Strasburg Nats $15 Million Bonus

IT MAY NOT SEEM LIKE A LOT OF MONEY compared to what CC Sabathia got last winter, but $15.1 million is a boatload for a phenom who has only pitched competitively at the college level. Yes Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jose Contreras landed at least twice that amount, but for all competitive purposes they were much more seasoned than Strasburg and were either entering or in their prime, even if never having pitched at the big-league level.

John Smoltz Looking for a Ride

Derek Jeter: Hit King Among All Shortstops

IT'S OFFICIAL, DEREK JETER SURPASSED LUIS APARICIO yesterday to become the all-time hits leader among major league shortstops. Of course that record may wind up being north of 3000 when Jeter finally hangs up his spikes.

A Pictorial Memo to Adrian Beltre

IT CAUGHT UP WITH ADRIAN BELTRE in his twelfth big league season—a torn testicle as a result of shunning the cup all those years. Beltre swears that he'd rather give up a year's salary rather than wear a jock strap, but was it worth it? There's a reason why infielders wear a cup, but you never really think of the ball hitting them in the groin mainly because it rarely ever happens. That may be Beltre's argument, just that he paid the ultimate price the other week.

Luis Tiant: A True Baseball Legend

MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF LUIS TIANT was when I was a youngster collecting baseball cards. I thought he was just one of those ballplayers with scraggily facial hair, overweight and an average pitcher. Oh, and he had that funny windup. I just didn't know enough about life at that age to have had a decent perspective.

After having watched The Lost Son of Havana the other day, I came away with as great a respect as one could have for a big-league pitcher. Tiant has aged quite a bit over the years, but the mustache remains, albeit much more white. I never realized how good a pitcher he was when he first started out in the big leagues. But even more impressive was the way he reinvented himself as a pitcher after suffering a career-threatening injury midway thru his career. The slow motion film of him slinging the ball sidearm and finishing the delivery with a punch is etched in my mind. The Lost Son of Havana is easily one of the best baseball documentaries I've ever seen.

Salary Dumped: Alex Rios

WITH SO MANY TEAMS LOOKING TO SHED pricey contracts, the Toronto Blue Jays made a straight salary dump after the White Sox claimed Alex Rios' contract off waivers. That's still roughly $60 million over the next five years. If not for gloomy economics, a year ago we might have seen this parlayed into some kind of return for the Jays in the form of prospects.

Texeira and the Yanks Sweep Up Boston

HE HELD THE BAT UP FOR A LONG TIME on his way to first base like a torch, or perhaps a broom, something you don't see too often. But the message was loud and clear. Texeira and the Yanks were on their way to sweeping the stumbling Red Sox at new Yankee Stadium after going back-to-back with Johnny Damon in the eighth inning last night. It must feel good for the Yankee brass to see Texeira launching a bomb against their archrival, who failed miserably to land #25 during the offseason.

Big Papi Squashes the Doubts

BIG PAPI SQUASHED A LOT OF DOUBTS YESTERDAY, when he came across convincingly to many as not only NOT having used steroids, but also as the victim of reckless media allegations. Furthermore, both the Players Union and the Boston Red Sox defended his case, if not to limit damage to the public perception of their own organizations. And I've got to admit, I tend to believe him with his open and honest approach with the media. The irony is incredible.

Cliff Lee Joins the Phanatic

Daisuke Matsuzaka Dialing It Down?

DAISUKE'S RECENT FACE OFF with Red Sox management might be one of the pivotal baseball stories of the year, particularly how it potentially impacts future pitchers from Japan. With Matsuzaka's firm belief that MLB's dialed down approach to pitcher workouts on off days is the reason for the quick decline of Japanese pitchers in the league and the Red Sox firmly entrenched in the belief that such training is a recipe for injury, this debate extends beyond the realm of mere selfishness as a player. Conventional wisdom says that Matsuzaka ought to fall in line with his employer's decision at the risk of continued poor performance. But what if Matsuzaka is in fact right? Would MLB be doing a disservice to Japanese pitchers?

Matsuzaka's argument holds some weight if you examine the records of Hideo Nomo (whose ERA inflated also in his third MLB season) and Shingo Takatsu (whose ERA doubled in his second season).

Josh Willingham's Grande Double Latte

COFFEE IS MY CHOICE OF PICK ME UP, but the other evening when I ordered a medium (or grande or whatever you want to call it) cup of coffee at the local bookstore the cashier asked me if I wanted the large for 10 cents more. I declined by telling her that I didn't want to drink that much coffee. Now I don't know what Josh Willingham drank prior to hitting those two grand slams last night, but if he drank coffee, it must have been a customized Grande Double Latte. And if I were the marketing department for the Nats, I'd immediately rename the largest drink The Josh Willingham.

Happy Holliday!

THIS YEAR CHRISTMAS IS IN JULY for Matt Holliday, soon-to-be free agent outfielder who just went from the cellar in Oakland to the top of the arch in St. Louis. It has to be a strange feeling for guys like Holliday to spend three months with a rebuilding franchise, being unsure about their future, and trying to perform at a high-level. Christmas couldn't have come quicker for Matt Holliday.

PERFECT #56: Mark Buehrle

Rural Baseball

WHAT DO YOU GET when you combine the innocence of youth with baseball? Flickr member lanier67 captured the answer perfectly with this charming photo. There is no real baseball bat, nor is there a real baseball. All these two kids needed was part of a tree branch and a pine cone, and it doesn't get any more natural than that.

(Photo credit: flickr/lanier67)

Insta-Gro Erick Aybar

WATCHING A YOUNG AND TALENTED PLAYER grow and mature into his full potential is one of the many ways that baseball charms us. It's hard enough to hit a round ball with a round bat, let alone hit it where they ain't. So when a guy like Los Angeles Angels shortstop Erick Aybar puts on a 7-for-9 performance, scoring six runs while driving in four in a doubleheader yesterday against the Royals, you can't help but applaud. He's small, lean, fast, acrobatic, effective. Just add water and watch him grow!

Roy Halladay Ready for Lift Off

HE'S CONSIDERED BY HIS PEERS to be the best pitcher in the game today, and Roy Halladay will likely see lift off from Toronto in the coming weeks. If and when it happens, this will be THE trade of the season.

Atlanta Retires Maddux's #31

#13 Carl Crawford Helps A.L. Make It 13 Straight

SO KING FIELDER HAD HIS DAY and Albert Pujols had his standing ovation, but Carl Crawford and the American League left their mark again at the 80th All-Star Game with a tidy 4-3 victory. That's 13 straight All-Star Games without a defeat. Crawford's grab of what would have appeared to be a home run by Brad Hawpe tops the highlight reel of this year's game, earning him MVP honors. How about that? No. 13 helping to clinch 13 straight for the Junior Circuit.

Pedro in Philly

Prince Fielder: King for a Day

Survivor Washington...and the Winner Is...

IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME before Nationals manager Manny Acta got the boot. The original sketch was posted back in March and it looks like team president Stan Kasten is THE WINNER...well, okay, not really. With the Nationals on pace for a paltry 48 wins this year, the dog days of summer will be long and hot in D.C.

The Broken Record: Angels Come Back to Beat the Yanks

LIKE A BROKEN RECORD the Angels defeated the Yankees in comeback fashion for the second straight day. But really, this is just an extension of what the Angels have dished out to the Yanks the past several years. From the 2002 and 2005 ALDS's to today, let's face it, the Halos own the Bronx Bombers.

The Stars Align: Jonathan Sanchez Tosses a No Hitter

WHAT ARE THE ODDS that with a rotation boasting three Cy Young Award winners and a Cy Young Candidate in Matt Cain that Jonathan Sanchez would throw a no-no tonight? 500 to 1, 1000 to 1, or maybe 10,000 to 1? Some may call it a fluke, but you can't help but be happy for a guy who has been working and searching for the stuff that extends a career another ten years. Could this be the beginning?

Magglio Ordonez Platooned and the End of an Era

USUALLY IT'S THE YOUNG MEN who get platooned in the U.S. Army, but in the baseball world it's a sure sign that your better days are behind you. Just two years removed from winnning the A.L. Batting Title, Magglio Ordonez is finding himself platooned in the outfield with rookie Clete Thomas. But it's not just Ordonez who has been fighting to keep his spot in the lineup. With guys like Frank Thomas, Mike Piazza and Luis Gonzalez now retired and David Ortiz, Vladimir Guerrero and Ken Griffey Jr. becoming human again, this is the beginning of the end of an era. So long to the hey days of the 2000's as we welcome the new guard in hitters like Ryan Howard, Justin Upton, Evan Longoria, Prince Fielder, Nick Markakis and Ryan Braun.

Frank McCourt's Nightmare: Andruw Jones Goes Deep Thrice

A FEW PLAYERS HAVE HIT THREE HOMERS in a game this year, Andre Ethier, Torii Hunter and Paul Konerko to name a few, but did anybody expect Andruw Jones' to make the list? Certainly not Dodgers owner Frank McCourt. A closer looks at Jones' numbers: 14 HR/34 RBI in 160 AB, a .581 slugging percentage and a .929 OPS.

Marty Foster's Brain Freeze

UMPIRE MARTY FOSTER IS PROOF that umpires are in fact human and sometimes too proud to admit mistakes. Earlier this week Foster called Derek Jeter out on a stolen base attempt, giving a no-tag-was-necessary explanation because the ball beat him to the bag despite Scott Rolen never having applied the tag. For a 10-year veteran, you expect more, but who knows, maybe Foster was suffering from a serious case of brain freeze.

Phillies Bury Reds

GOOD THING THE REDS BOUNCED BACK today with a win over the Phillies because they were absolutely buried after yesterday's 10-run first inning. Poor Johnny Cueto sucked up nine earned runs.

Brett Tomko the Painter

I'VE ALWAYS ENJOYED HEARING ABOUT BALLPLAYERS who enjoy painting and Brett Tomko is the latest to show his craft in this video.

Hanley Ramirez Drives 'Em In

HANLEY RAMIREZ PUT UP A FINE STREAK of 10 straight games with an RBI came to an end this past week, and there's a good chance he'll put up another such streak or two before his career is through. During his streak which ran from June 21st to July 1st, Ramirez drove in a total of 24 runs, roughly half of his RBIs on the season.

Albert Pujols: Halfway Up Mt. Maris

IT'S BEEN OVER A DECADE since Big Mac and Sammy both broke Roger Maris' single-season homerun record, but all we've been left with is all the steroid garbage that has littered the baseball landscape since then. Yet just over halfway through the 2009 season, Albert Pujols has rekindled thoughts of ascending Mt. Maris having launched 31 big flies in 82 games. We used to marvel at the greatness of recent right-handed hitters like Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Vladimir Guerrero and Edgar Martinez, but Pujols surpasses them all. Somehow the ESPN SportsCenter Pujols commercial doesn't seem too far from the truth.

Andre "the Giant" Ethier

NO, L.A. FANS HE DIDN'T JOIN THE DARK SIDE, but Andre Ethier has been absolutely HUGE this year. What is it, four walk-off hits this year and counting? Nine homeruns in June? Other than Brad Hawpe, there is no better rightfielder fit to make the N.L. All-Star team this year.

Pirates Still Repairing: Nyjer Morgan Traded

EARLIER THIS MONTH THE PIRATES traded outfielder Nate McLouth, prompting this post. So I've updated the original sketch here. Who would have expected them to trade yet another outfielder in Nyjer Morgan, this time to the Washington Nationals. Granted they did get a power-hitting prospect in Lastings Milledge, but time will tell if this trade pays handsome dividends.

Mariano Rivera at #500

MARIANO RIVERA NAILED DOWN HIS 500th save, but it just didn't seem as big a deal as, say, Randy Johnson's 300th victory. These milestone saves for Rivera don't mean much because most fans believe that he is the greatest closer the game has ever seen with sincere apologies to Trevor Hoffman, the current all-time saves leader. Adjectives like 'dominant', 'consistent' and 'automatic' are all appropriate Rivera. Ideally it would be nice if Rivera ended his career as the all-time saves leader, so for now #500 is just another milestone that Rivera should tuck away in his back pocket.

The Return of Joey Votto

JOEY VOTTO IS BACK after coping with his father's passing, and he came back with a bang, driving in three runs with a home run and a double on his third day back from the DL. Votto expressed finding comfort in the daily rituals of baseball to help him focus on moving forward after losing his hero, his father. Reds fans must be thrilled because Votto is having an incredible season thus far at the plate: a 1.101 OPS with 9 HR and 88 total bases in only 138 at bats.

LSU Tigers: College World Series Champs '09