MLB

Now that the decade of the 2000s has just ended, I thought it would be a good time to make a list of the best starting pitchers from this era.

Now keep in mind, this list is a list of the best careers, so far. Pedro Martinez is certainly and obviously the best starting pitcher from this era. However, he's NOT the best right now, as he's past his prime. This needs to be kept in mind while reading this list.

And the 2009 Cy Young Award goes to...Tim Lincecum.

For the second year in a row Tim "The Freak" Lincecum, took home the hardware, earning the Cy Young Award for the National League, given to the finest pitcher in the league.

But was Lincecum truly deserving of the award in 2009?

In '08 he seemed the most dominant pitcher far and away and rightfully so he was voted the award winner. This year, Cardinal pitchers Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright had good arguments in favor of, well, themselves. 

The strangest thing just happened to me.

A few minutes ago, I received a call from Nationals’ team President Stan Kasten. He said that Mike Rizzo was fired by the Lerner family, after being found walking aimlessly along the Beltway, wearing nothing but a Mets’ cap.

Kasten told me Rizzo could have survived the “naked” part, but wearing the oppositions’ colors was a deal breaker.

Whenever performance-enhancing drugs rear their head, you often see the phrase "innocent until proven guilty" thrown around the discussion. It's a fine idea and one that deserves respect, but there's a significant snag to borrowing legal phrases for generic debate—it sounds very authoritative and conclusive, but the reality is much messier.

There are very few universals in law. Like many legal rules, the aforementioned presumption of innocence is defined by its context.

When compared to Lou Gehrig, Jimmy Foxx, George Sisler, Hank Greenberg, and Bill Terry, Fred McGriff is not a Hall of Famer. But when compared to Tony Perez, Orlando Cepeda, Eddie Murray, and Harmon Killebrew, Fred McGriff is a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Fred McGriff Compared to the Greatest First Basemen

Fred McGriff's offensive production pales in comparison to the first group's offensive production, but it holds its own against that of the second group.

Also featured on Rotoprofessor.com !

What does a player do after he finishes his first full season in the major leagues with the fifth highest batting average, finish sixth in the NL in slugging, and seventh in the NL in OPS? Oh yeah, and you constitute your team’s offense and only fantasy-worthy hitter in the lineup.

The Chicago White Sox have signed 32-year-old outfielder Andruw Jones.

If this was 2006, one could consider this a blockbuster signing.  But three years is a long time in Major League Baseball and in those three years, the 10-time Gold-Glover has seen his stock plummet.

A five-tool player once destined for the hallowed halls is no longer.  Currently, Jones is relegated to sharing outfield duty on an aging White Sox team.

In 2006, Jones led the Atlanta Braves with 41 home runs and 129 RBI.  In the four years since, he has combined to hit 46 homers to go with 147 RBI.