Baseball

Last week we checked out the National League closers (click here to view), so this week we turn to the American League (all stats given are through Wednesday):

Baltimore Orioles—George Sherrill

Welcome to Tribe Talk, where Bleacher Report's Tribe fans weigh in on the ups and downs of the Indians each week throughout the season.

This week we debate how to divvy up the blame for the season between Mark Shapiro and Eric Wedge, how Shapiro’s strategy of cobbling together a team from spare parts has backfired, and what players should and shouldn’t say to the media.

I would like to thank this week's participants Dale Thomas, Scott Miles, and Jeff Smirnoff for their contributions.

Don't get me wrong, I like the direction the Giants are taking.

I like the fact that GM Brian Sabean has finally wised up and has stayed away from his usual dumb tactics.

Overspending on players and filling position needs with aging veterans past their prime seems to be a thing of the past.

Now, Sabean is giving shots to the young guys, the up-and-comers who were bred in the Giants farm system. It's a nice thing to see. It's nice to see players succeed for the Giants that come from our own organization, and not from some other team in the league.

Today the Blue Jays will enjoy a much-needed day off before they have to play four straight afternoon games at the Wind Tunnel, officially know as the new Yankee Stadium.

The bronze baseballs that adorn Camden Yards' Eutaw Street walkway provide four pieces of information—the batter, his team, the date, and the distance—but that's only half the story. Who were the pitchers?

Presumably, no organization would create a monument to shame pitchers, although if that option ever came in vogue I have some candidates in mind for the first statue—2007 bullpen, I'm looking in your general direction.

It's July 2. Currently, the Philadelphia Phillies sit in first place in NL east.

Read the last sentence alone, and it's exactly what you would want as the GM.

Now let's add in some more facts. The Florida Marlins are only a half game back, the New York Mets are hanging around at two games back, and the surprising Atlanta Braves are only three games back. One bad weekend and the Phils might be fighting for the wild card.

Sprinkle in some misfortune; Brett Myers unexpected injury has affected the entire pitching staff, and not in a good way.

I’m about to embark on a 10-day trip back home to Virginia, which means keeping up with the Seattle Mariners will be as difficult as if they were playing on Mars. No ESPN highlights, no box scores in the paper, no asking anyone about last night’s game, no nothing.

Sure, there’s the Internet for all that information, but I truly believe my parents’ computer is powered by a small rodent, making easy access to late-game action almost impossible, and me mostly out of the loop for one of the most important stretches of the season.

After watching his club trade away three more players on Tuesday, Jack Wilson questioned when the continued practice of trading proven players for "good prospects" was finally going to pay off.

"The biggest question is, when do things start turning around? It's hard for guys who have seen these exact kinds of trades happen before and seen it do absolutely nothing," Wilson told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.  "For nine years, I've seen these trades two or three times a year, every year, and we still haven't had a winning season."