Now Available: DON'T BLAME US

J.C. ROMERO MADE THE UNFORTUNATE MISTAKE of using banned supplements that he purchased from a GNC store that led to a positive drug test and ultimately a 50-day suspension that he's currently serving. But he also made the mistake of filing a lawsuit against the makers of 6-OXO, the supplement he took, and frankly, some of his accusations are quite ridiculous including blaming GNC store personnel for wrongly approving the product for MLB use. That would be like me asking the RiteAid ice cream scooper for professional advice on medication and accepting it as truth. But with that said, it really makes me wonder why GNC and other nutrition stores stock so much stuff that is otherwise illegal in MLB. It means that we have a lot of people walking around who are artificially enhanced, and not just cosmetically. There are some awkardly-shaped people walking in and out of GNCs across the nation.

Jacoby Ellsbury's Bullseye

SO AFTER GETTING SHIN'S COMMENTS about the Ellsbury steal, I thought, what the heck. I mean, it was a clean steal, not a back end of a double steal. It pumped up Fenway and ultimately led to more scoring and a win. It came off pick-off artist extraordinaire Andy Petitte. Plus, Ellsbury is extremely talented and worth watching. In fact, you can bet on all opposing catchers having him as a marked man for the rest of the season. I probably won't be doing a sketch everytime someone steals home, just that this one was a pretty good one all things considered. Shin, this one's for you and thanks for being a faithful reader.

A Little Philadelphia R&R — Ryan & Raul, That Is

SOME TEAMS LIVE AND DIE by the 3-run homer, but yesterday Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez took the grand slam route as the Phillies outslugged the floundering Nationals, 13-11. Howard's slam tied the score at 6-6, while Ibanez's capped the scoring. Last winter there were a lot of naysayers about the Phils giving 36-year old Ibanez a $31.5 million 3-year contract, but he looks like he's still in great shape, shows excellent bat speed, and keeps delivering the goods.

Mike Lowell's Six New York Cut Steaks

IT'S HARD TO DETERMINE whether the legend of Mike Lowell began as a result of what he brought to the plate in Boston or what the media did to create that image. Either way, playing hard, playing hurt, playing great defense and slugging well at Fenway is what wins over the fans of Beantown, or anywhere for that matter. And then this past saturday in a power-packed 16-11 win over the New York Yankees, Lowell gets six steaks, a 3-run bomb over the Green Monster as well as a 3-run double. Speaking of legends, ESPN reported it to be the most RBIs against the Yanks by a BoSox player since Carlton Fisk in '73.

Touchdown Toronto!

NOBODY LIKES TO GET SHUTOUT let alone getting thumped by a football-like score of 14-0, but that's what the Toronto Blue Jays handed the Chicago White Sox on friday. Granted it's a long season, but the Jays (13-6) have been mighty impressive in what may be the toughest division in baseball.

NOTE: The Jays were thumped by the Sox, 10-2 today, which could theoretically be a football score.

Statues at Nationals Park

IT FEELS LIKE THIS IS TURNING INTO a Washington Nationals blog, just that you really ought to see these recently unveiled statues of Walter Johnson, Frank Howard and Josh Gibson outside of Nationals Park created by sculptor Omri Amrany. Make your own judgments about them. Love, dislike or apathy? Yes, those are multiple limbs, balls and bats.







(Photo credits: flickr/Shelley935)

Little League Lemonade

SOME DAYS BASEBALL IS JUST WEIRD like when Washington Nationals GM Mike Rizzo and manager Manny Acta, seeking to change the team culture, fined Elijah Dukes $500 for being five minutes late to the clubhouse, only to find out later that his tardiness was a result of attending Great Falls Little League's season opening event. So the Little League organizers decided they would pay the fine for what was deemed as community involvement by Dukes. But now I'm reading that Dukes was actually paid $500 to attend the event. Throw sympathy out the window. The real loser here is Great Falls Little League, voluntarily forking over $1001 total (that extra $1 for administrative fees) for this mess. So much for changing the team culture.

Final Payday
Washington Nationals: $501
Elijah Dukes: $500
Great Falls Little League: -$1,001

Zack Greinke's Domin-O-s

YES, THERE IS GOOD NEWS COMING OUT OF KANSAS CITY these days, and a lot of it is pitching. While Joakim Soria is on his way to quickly becoming one of the game's premiere closers, there's also highly-talented Zack Greinke, whose scoreless streak dating back to last season now stands at 34 innings. Greinke is 3-0 this season, leads the league in strikeouts and continues to mow thru hitters, inning after inning in pursuit of Orel Hershiser's record 59 consecutive scoreless innings.

New York Inaugura-L

SO MUCH FOR THE HYPE about opening Citi Field and new Yankee Stadium this year. All the talk about premium-priced seating, the Citi "taxpayer" Field controversy, and exhorbitant spending by the Yankees, and the end result: two losses. At least the Mets made a game out of it, losing marginally, 6-5 to the Padres on Monday, but the Bronx Bombers were the ones who ended up getting bombed, 10-2, including a 9-spot put up by the Tribe in the 7th inning. Ten games into the season, the Yanks have already had four games in which their opponents have scored 10 or more runs. Both teams should be glad Opening Day in New York is over so they can begin to focus on some serious pitching issues.

Ian Kinsler, Ride On!

HITTING FOR THE CYCLE IS ALWAYS COOL and sometimes they come in pairs like they did this week with Orlando Hudson and Ian Kinsler. I considered doing a sketch to celebrate Hudson's cycle, but Dye & Konerko going back-to-back for #300 was a no brainer. And then Kinsler goes out and pulls off a 6-for-6 while hitting for the cycle, making Hudson's look like, well, a tricycle. Albert Pujols had a 7 RBI game last week, and I hate to say it, but it's what we expect out of him, right? But 6-for-6 with a cycle?! Crazy.

Jackie Robinson Day 2009

BASEBALL HAS COME A LONG WAYS since Jackie Robinson broke it's color barrier. Tributes to baseball's most influential player have also evolved over the years, starting with all teams retiring #42, then Ken Griffey Jr. wearing his number the past few years, then more players wearing his number in subsequent years, and now all players yesterday wearing #42. A bit of a bummer that Dodger outfielder Juan Pierre, a player who intentionally sports high socks and baggy pants as a tribute to Jackie and other Negro League legends, did not take the field on this occasion.

Mark "the Bird" Fidrych: 1954-2009

Dye & Konerko: Back-to-Back to 300

THE SAYING WILL ALWAYS REMAIN TRUE: go to the ballpark and chances are you'll see something you've never seen before. No, not just back-to-back homeruns, but back-to-back 300 milestone homeruns by Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko for the Chicago White Sox yesterday. What are the chances of seeing that?! Needless to say, Zach Minor, the victim of both milestones just became a trivia answer. And, yes, the Sox did wind up beating the Tigers, 10-6.

There were some other big headlines in MLB yesterday and not all were fun. The great Harry Kalas left us as well as Mark Fidrych. There's just been way too much death in baseball lately. Orlando Hudson, the 92% discount, hit for the first cycle ever at Dodger Stadium.

How to Close Games the Angels Way

BONAFIDE CLOSERS ARE REALLY HARD TO COME BY. Despite that, the Angels have had good success in the past with guys like Troy Percival, Francisco Rodriguez (aka, K-Rod) and now Brian Fuentes, but the journey to each save has seemingly been anything but lights out. In fact, K-Rod's tightrope acts may have been the reason why the Angels let him walk. 62 saves is phenomenal, but 50-something of his saves were like heart attacks served up on a plate to Halo fans. In his arsenal were bouncing balls in the dirt, passed balls that advanced runners, and walks galore. Percival also had a knack for teasing the fans by regularly putting multiple runners on base before closing it out. And now they have Fuentes, who loves pitching to contact. Problem is that sometimes it doesn't work very well against great hitters, like yesterday when he hit the first batter, gave up an RBI single to Big Papi, and a sharp single to Kevin Youkilis before finally getting JD Drew on a called third strike to end the game. One thing's for sure: an Angels lead going into the ninth inning is nail-biting, heart-pounding entertainment, but it doesn't have to be does it?

A Washington Protest: Bring Our Boys Home!

THE WASHINGTON NATIONALS SCORED FIVE RUNS on friday, losing 6-5 to Atlanta in extra-innings, but they should have scored a lot more. Having loaded the bases four times, the Nats just could not manage to break open the game. It's only one of many issues the team needs to address as they begin a long season.

Good Friday in Detroit

DIEHARD CATHOLIC TIGER FANS are up in arms about the Opening Day game at 1:05 pm coinciding with Good Friday services. Either way, the Lord's blessing on you.

Nick Adenhart: 1986-2009

Yovani Goes Yardo!

IT NEVER GETS OLD when a pitcher contributes from both sides of the plate, like Yovani Gallardo's 3-run bomb off Randy Johnson yesterday. Turns out it was the first homerun ever given up to a pitcher by The Big Unit—not a good sign. I always wonder if homeruns like this are the result of lucky swings. Bengie Molina called for the high heat, and Johnson located it, but at a mere 91 mph, a far cry from the heat he threw in his glory years. Gallardo jumped all over it, pulling the pitch into the leftfield stands. Oh, and Gallardo's pitching...2 runs in 6 2/3 innings. Not too shabby.

A Day without Beer at the Rogers Centre

THE BLUE JAYS WON their home opener on Monday, and their fans celebrated by pelting the field with baseballs, beer cups and paper airplanes. Although determined in advance, beer and alcoholic beverages were banned from the stadium the next day due to $4 ticket prices for Messin' with the Recession promotion night. Too much beer makes people do silly and stupid things at the ballpark, like running out onto the field and sliding into second base or intentionally trying to hit a ballplayer with a baseball, although pitchers occasionally do the latter while sober. Stadium officials believe $4 tickets and beer are a bad combination, but they might want to add Opening Day in Canada and beer to that list.

WINNER: New York Mets Bullpen 2009

THE BIGGEST NEWS OF YESTERDAY was probably the Orioles trouncing CC Sabathia and the Yanks, 10-5 on Opening Day, but the key news was the performance of the New York Mets bullpen, in my opinion. After Johan Santana handed the ball over, it was Green to Putz to Rodriguez for lights out. It worked like a charm unlike last year. There'll be a lot more of this.

Opening Night 2009: Braves 4, Phillies 1

I'VE BEEN WAITING WEEKS for this night, and now that it's here I'm thinking "I can't believe the season's started!" It's a great feeling, but perhaps not so great for the Fightin' Phils tonight coming off their World Championship season. The Braves came out swinging tonight and connected for three long balls in the first two innings, none more dramatic than Brian McCann turning on Brett Myers' hanging changeup. Congrats to Jordan Schafer for homering in his first at-bat—it's all downhill from here. Also a first was long-time Angel turned Brave Garret Anderson getting his first hit, a single off of Myers' glove.

Twins Battery Mates Still Recharging

BOOF BONSER'S TRIP TO THE DL might not be as big a blow to the Twins as losing Joe Mauer, not to mention Scott Baker as well. Not only is Mauer (the Twins best hitter outside of Justin Morneau) out to start the season, but nobody knows when he'll be back. And with all that bending over, I've gotta think that the back is the last kind of place you want your catcher to be injured. Hopefully it won't be for too long because Mauer is a special hitter.

Sheffield Sitting on 499

GARY SHEFFIELD IS AMONG THE UNEMPLOYED after being released by the Detroit Tigers yesterday, but it's likely shortly lived. He still has that intimidating look at the plate but at age 40 the tools are in obvious decline. Stuck on 499 career homeruns, he's itching to join the 500 club. A few years ago I started thinking Sheff deserved to be in the Hall of Fame despite all his verbal antics, and let's not forget his intentional errors with Milwaukee coming up. But like the McGwire, Sosa and Palmeiro, he'll be on the outside looking in for quite a while until writers gain more clarity and insight on the the issue of performance-enhancing drugs.

Spring Training Cuts

THE JOYS OF SPRING TRAINING inevitably come to an end each year. Most ballplayers head back to their respective cities for Opening Day while others are sent down to the minors or simply released, cut, dumped, dropped, axed or whatever you want to call it. It's a little depressing, but some will get promoted in time, some will get picked up by another team, and some will hang up their spikes and call it a career. Some of the names this year: Gary Sheffield, Geoff Jenkins, Brad Wilkerson, Eric Gagne, Ron Villone, Mike Lamb, Marcus Giles, Luke Hochevar, David Price, Jose Valentin, Wily Mo Pena, David Newhan, Jerry Owens and Adam Melhuse.