Baseball

This year, I set out on a goal to better learn the minor leagues. I am a Phillies fan but I realized that other than the Phillies, I didn't really know anyone else's system too well. I thought it would be a good idea to start ranking teams' top 10 prospects.

Do you guys remember what baseball was like 40 years ago?

Before the average baseball fan knew what a pitch count was.

Before six innings was considered an outstanding start.

Before stadiums were named after buisnesses' rather than individuals who achieved outstanding success in our game.

Before steroids came about and numbers actually mattered.

Before players played for the love of the game and not the love of $100 million contracts.

Those were the days.

Jose Reyes’ thyroid problem throws a huge wrench into fantasy owners’ plans for their upcoming draft.  Not only does he have a known problem, but the time frame for his potential return is wide open. 

According to Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News (click here for the article), “Reyes cannot have any physical exertion for the next two to eight weeks."

The Oakland A's would like nothing more than to see Eric Chavez make a miraculous recovery from yet another season-ending surgery. 

However, like Chavez, the A's are being 100 percent realistic about the Gold Glover's chances at making a significant return in 2010.

Chavez, who is in the last year of that six-year, $66 million contract he signed in 2004, is at least making some strides towards a healthy return. 

As I read the news, watch bits of ESPN ,and look at videos on the Internet, I see some parallels between Houston Astros pitching this spring training and one particular scene from the 1988 movie Tucker: the Man and His Dream .

Bleacherreport.com tasked me with ranking the top 10 pitchers in Athletics history. Considering the Athletics' considerable history, it was quite daunting. Who are my top 10? What order do I rank them? There's the obvious inclusions of Hall-of Famers Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers and Dennis Eckersley. Everyone else had success with the A's more recently or required research.
You're not a diehard fan unless you know ALL of your team's history. As an A's fan, you must culture yourself if you've never heard of Eddie Plank.

SP: Clayton Kershaw

Kershaw should be dominating, one day; In fact, I believe he will be as early as the second half of this season. Look for him to post around the same ERA (2.79-2.90) as last year, but with about 30 to 35 more innings pitched (200-205). Joe Torre is respected as being a very baseball-intelligent man, and he compared Kershaw to Sandy Koufax. That is a high praise for someone who respects Sandy as much as anyone who has seen him play.

C: Russell Martin

Two weeks ago, Hall of Fame great Sandy Koufax worked with a few of the Mets' pitchers.

Koufax, a longtime friend of Mets owner Fred Wilpon, often makes this annual trip to Port St. Lucie to pass on his wisdom.

This year, it felt as if this visit by Koufax was the only hope Oliver Perez had left.

Perez, coming off a disastrous, injury-plagued year, is healthy and confident. Mets ownership is counting on Perez to win 15 games, but few in the game or the stands believe it.

At the end of 2007, the Detroit Tigers needed a new shortstop. The Pirates had one, Jack Wilson, that they were willing to trade.

Detroit was willing to part with an advanced pitching prospect, Jair Jurrjens, who almost came to Pittsburgh, but the Tigers finally took the Atlanta Braves' Edgar Renteria instead.

This choice was made through the rearview mirror. Renteria did have a better 2007 than Wilson.

This article was originally published at TheDailyCub.com , my blog covering all things Chicago Cubs.

Let’s take a look at an alternate universe, one where nobody ever has to take accountability, then gets to do an interview on a major network without being asked about your play.

It’s a world where, if you screw up, the world is just against you. It’s not your fault. Why should you take the blame when people are trying to hold you down?