Baseball

There is a certain amount of luck in Major League Baseball, those aspects of the game that are really very much out of the players’ hands.

Some people believe that batting average per balls in play is one of such statistics. With that said, I will examine the top and bottom five batters in terms of their BABIP, recap how they got to where they are, point out the things that will bring them up or down to normal, and show you that luck has very little to do with it.

1. David Wright, New York Mets

I have been reading a lot of articles over the past few weeks that have been throwing Jim Hendry under the bus.

In turn, over the same time period, I have put a lot of thought in to who is really to blame for the Chicago Cubs struggles.

While many didn't like his moves this past offseason, is it really his fault?  Or, is it possible that the personnel isn't holding up their end of the bargain?

To say this loss was a tough one is a huge understatement, this picture says it all.

The day started off with such promise, I got to the ballpark in the Bronx almost three and a half hours before the game, was the first one into the stadium at Gate 6, and was able to sit in the most comfortable seats in right field (for batting practice at least).

My friend (although a Yankees fan), caught one of two balls thrown up by the Ryan Church before security kicked everyone out who didn't have seats on field level.

Umpires always have the option of confirming a call with their crew, they also have the option of reviewing a home run call with instant replay, but they sometimes don’t.

That’s why I should be an umpire.

The 2009 Major League Baseball Season is full of surprises, lost expectations, new heroes and fallen goats. The Los Angeles Dodgers have the best record in the Major Leagues with a 40-22 mark, a .645 winning percentage. All this is accomplished without the player some claim is the best in baseball - Manny Ramirez, out on a 50-game substance abuse suspension. Veteran Juan Pierre's play, taking full advantage of Ramirez's absence, is a big reason why the Dodger's are baseball's best team to date.

With top prospect Matt Wieters finally in Baltimore, there is finally excitement around Camden Yards. Before we analyze why this kid will be a superstar, let's go on a journey to see how he got to Baltimore.

It started on May 21, 1986, where Matthew Richard Wieters was born in Goose Creek, SC. Because he was so big, it would be difficult to determine what position he would play, but at Stratford High School, he played catcher.

Clearly, it's time for Jimmy Breslin to update his wonderful book about the 1962 Mets, Can Anybody Here Play This Game?

It’s time for a sequel about the 2009 version of New York’s National League baseball team—the team whose second baseman, Luis Castillo, gift-wrapped Game One of the Subway Series and handed it to the Yankees, 9-8.

Either you watched Castillo’s comedy act on television or in person Friday night at Yankee Stadium or you’ve seen the video:

It wasn't really a pretty game for the Philadelphia Phillies.

They looked to hand down the Red Sox at home in Citizen's Bank Park. After a successful road trip and being the No. 1 team in the MLB on the road, the Phillies weren't the team for home. They fell to 12-15 at home while Boston improved to 16-16 on the road as the BoSox slaughtered the Phillies, 5-2, in a 13-inning matchup.

I wouldn't particularly call it a "slaughter" but I just like to put things in my own "fancy" way. But as you can see right here, it's a slaughter:

Filed: June 12, 2009

Milton Bradley reacts to his eighth-inning blooper Friday (Cubbie Nation/file)

Click here for the photo gallery of Friday's game.