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

Vladimir Guerrero Gets Un-Locked

SUPER VLAD. BIG DADDY VLADDY. VLAD THE IMPALER. Those are names that Angels fans love to spout. Personally, I always thought his hair resembled the look of that alien warrior Predator. Attempting to change his fortunes at the plate, Vlad clipped off each and every dreadlock, opting for a shiny new beginning. And it worked. Two days after getting un-locked, Guerrero drove in three runs with a home run and a double.

Donald Fehr: A Players Union's Winner

HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN one of the most hated men in baseball, but not in the eyes of the Major League Baseball Players Association. They should be thanking him immensely for helping them secure the financial future of their grandkids' grandkids. While Marvin Miller established free agency with as shrewd a move as you'll ever see in baseball, to borrow a football phrase, Donald Fehr took the ball and ran with it into the end zone. As a result, players are exponentially richer than they were 26 years ago when he first began leading the players' union. Everything bargained for was about securing player salaries, even at the expense of player reputations as a result of the steroids scandal.