Baseball

Besides the ring ceremony, nail-biting finish, and return of Godzilla, there was one other noteworthy occurrence at Yankee Stadium yesterday afternoon: the emergence of Nick Johnson.

When the Yankees embraced Hideki Matsui in a goosebump-inducing moment for Yankee fans, it finally set in—Matsui is no longer the Yankees DH.

No, instead of Matsui, the Yankees penciled the oft-injured Nick Johnson to fill Matsui's void of designated hitter this past offseason.

  I’ll admit it, Javier Vazquez is not pitching well. Obviously that is not a huge revelation, but this 0-2 start is not what I expected. Still, a lot of Yankee fans are turning on him and some never forgave him for the grand slam he gave up to Johnny Damon in 2004 and it’s already tired.

For the second time in his professional career, right-handed pitcher Santo Luis has been claimed by a team named Sox.

During the Minor League portion of the 2007 Rule Five Draft, the White Sox claimed the Dominican Luis from the Houston Astros.

He's only two starts into the 2010 season, but Javier Vazquez is not providing the depth promised when the Yankees acquired him via a trade in December.

After a 5 2/3-inning debut in which he surrendered eight runs against the Rays, the right-hander once again failed to escape the sixth frame on Wednesday, when he yielded four runs in a 5-3 loss to the Angels.

Vazquez is now 0-2 with a 9.82 ERA.

Los Angeles pitcher Joel Pineiro (1-1) limited New York to one run over seven innings, as the Angels earned a 5-3 victory Wednesday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. Pineiro only allowed five hits while striking out seven and walking none. Javier Vazquez (0-2) suffered the loss after allowing four runs in 5.1 innings.

Seven games into the season is a mere second in terms of the marathon that is the baseball season. There are still a number of things that remain to be seen about the 2010 New York Mets.

That being said, I can't remember the last time I have seen a pitcher so broken in every aspect of the word. Especially after only two starts. 

Plenty of Mets haters and fans alike are quick to point out the fact that Maine's propensity to deal up gopher balls has no end in sight.

It would be easy to look at Monday’s ugly 17-2 loss to the Padres and panic.

But, I won’t.

Every team over the course of a long 162-game season endures an embarrassing and lopsided loss.

It just happens.

There is often no rhyme or reason as to why, but on any given night a pitcher’s poor misfortune is an offense’s playground.  For Jair Jurrjens and the Atlanta Braves, that night was Monday.  They were such victims of the Padres shelling at Petco Park for San Diego’s home opener.

Seven games into the 2010 MLB season, we already know a few things about the Philadelphia Phillies.

Roy Halladay is good.

Chase Utley is the man (as Harry Kalas so eloquently and correctly stated, may he rest in peace).

Cole Hamels is...well scratch that, I don't think even Cole himself could tell you what is up with him at this point.

And we also know that no season ever goes on without a hitch.

Only seven games into the 2010 MLB season and the Phillies have already been bitten by the dreaded injury bug.

At the early stages of the fantasy baseball season, the owner must not just notice when a player is struggling, which can easily be achieved by looking at box scores, hit less at-bats (for hitters) and inflated run totals (for pitchers).

Brandon Wood will always remember his first Opening Day in the big leagues.

He might wish he could forget the week that followed.

The highly touted third base prospect for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim went 2-for-22 with seven strikeouts and just one walk in six of the club's first eight games.

His performance was so poor, manager Mike Scioscia had to start backup infielder Maicer Izturis in his place—twice.