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.