Baseball

I shave with one of those three blade disposable razors that are popular with the masses. They work pretty well, but they’re expensive to replace. Like girlfriends. So I end up using them more than is recommended to prolong their life. And if you use them this much, they don’t shave as well as they should.  
 
Why am I telling you this? I’ll get to that.
 

Kris Burmen has always known that Whitey Ford is a terribly overrated pitcher. He has some facts to support his contention.

Whitey Ford was the Chairman of the Board. He was the pitching ace that New York Yankees' manager Casey Stengel saved to face the other contenders.

Every sports franchise has certain trades that linger with the team. To use basketball as an example, the Lakers' acquisition of Pau Gasol for peanuts in 2008 constitutes a good trade which sticks with the team. Conversely, the Vancouver Grizzlies trading a future draft pick (which could have been Carmelo Anthony) to Detroit in exchange for Otis Thorpe (yes, THE Otis Thorpe) is widely remembered as a bad trade.

Baseball is no different in this respect.

Yesterday I made my guess at which hitters will be named to the Tiger's opening day roster -- I'll finish up with the pitchers today.

The locks:
Justin Verlander (R)
Rick Porcello (R)
Ryan Perry (R)
Jose Valverde (L)

Some already have given the Reds center field job to Drew Stubbs . Caesar Cliffius is not a part of that crowd.

No sir, as I write this article, Stubbs has done very little to fortify his claim to that piece of land.

In games through Sunday (March 14), Stubbs has struck out seven times in 20 AB. That, friends is a 35 percent rate, and if he would do that through a full season, he would break Mark Reynolds MLB strikeout record. 

With slugging first baseman Lance Berkman sidelined until at least Opening Day, the Houston Astros are in serious danger of a second straight anemic season at the plate.

In 2009, the Astros finished 14th in the National League in runs scored, 12th in home runs, and 15th in walks.

Much of the problem stemmed from Berkman's inability to stay healthy. In 136 games (his fewest since 2005), Berkman had only 562 plate appearances (his fewest since 2000).

All right, it's only grapefruit league. These games don't "count." Even so, there are a couple of former cellar dwellers that were touted as turnaround prospects, that don't look like such in spring training. One of them is the Washington Nationals. Another is the Pittsburgh Pirates.

As a consolation, the World Series champion Yankees are 5-7, with their formerly vaunted starters, CC Sabathia and Joba Chamberlain, struggling mightily. The Pirates are 2-2 against them.

After 28 long seasons spent cooped up inside a big Teflon bubble the Minnesota Twins will be moving to an exquisite new ballpark for the 2010 season.

Target Field figures to provide the Twins with not only a much better playing environment, but also much larger revenue streams.

The club has already made the most of the revenue increase by bumping the payroll nearly $40 million over last year’s Opening Day payroll.

Robinson Cano has a way of making things look easy on a baseball field.

This is his greatest blessing and biggest curse.

New York sports fans don't like when things look easy. We appreciate effort. Effort means you're taking the game as seriously as we are.

Paul O'Neill chasing down Luis Polonia's drive up the gap in Game Five of the '96 Series, that was hard work .

Mickey Mantle barely able to drag his shot legs around the bases after hitting his 500th homer off Stu Miller...that took effort.

After 28 long seasons spent cooped up inside a big Teflon bubble the Minnesota Twins will be moving to an exquisite new ballpark for the 2010 season.

Target Field figures to provide the Twins with not only a much better playing environment, but also much larger revenue streams.

The club has already made the most of the revenue increase by bumping the payroll nearly $40 million over last year’s Opening Day payroll.