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!