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.