MLB

Welcome to Bizarro, Arizona. 

Population: Four Professional Sports Teams

Established: 2009

Ok, can I see a show of hands of everyone that believed this is how the Arizona sports scene would look like half way through 2009?  Anyone?  No, no one.

Well at least you are not alone.

To think that the Arizona Cardinals are not only the best team, but have the best running organization, is a sight I would have never believed.

Magglio Ordonez provided easily the best baseball experience in the past 24 years for Detroit Tigers' fans. The walk-off home run he hit to win the 2006 ALCS and propel the Tigers into the World Series set off a love fest in Comerica Park. It brought tears to the eyes of any fan that saw it.

In 2005, he signed a mega-deal to play for the Tigers, when no one wanted to play here, and when no one wanted to pay him.

Tim Wakefield has been good, if not great, for the Boston Red Sox. He has stepped up big when it matters the most and I give him all the props in the world.

He is an excellent pitcher with an excellent story. However, he is no All Star.

The All-Star Game is reserved for the 33 best players in the American League. Tim Wakefield is not one of them. However, we will likely get voted in by the managers/players for his feel good story.

If there's one thing Met fans know about their fandom, it's this: it takes some thick skin to root for this team.

We have to contend with the constant noise from Yankee fans who revel in tearing down our "little brother" of a team, while also crowing about championships they won in the 20's and 30's. 

It was in a fit of boosterism, some two years ago, when I took leave of my senses and banged out some tripe on this very blog about the bourgeoning third baseman of the Tigers, Brandon Inge.

I all but called him Mr. Tiger, declaring that he would never play for another big league team. Since his career would extend a dozen or so years in Detroit, why not go ahead and erect a statue of him in left center field at Comerica Park to join the other Tigers' greats in bronze?

Well, guess what? I stand by that boisterous tripe.

After the emotional roller-coaster ride of the last two games against Boston, it is hard to tell just what state of mind the Baltimore Orioles will be in as they hit the road for a seven-game West Coast swing.

One thing for sure is that they can’t have a repeat of the performance displayed the last time they trekked out west a month ago.

On that trip, which followed a home stand in which the Orioles had won five of seven games, Baltimore won the first game in Seattle 1-0 on the best outing of the season for starting pitcher Rich Hill.

Those of us that were busy composing the official obituary for the postseason prospects of the St. Louis Cardinals have spent the last two games scratching our heads and eating our words. It seems pretty clear that we have severely underestimated the possible effectiveness of this baseball team.

With a chance to take three out of four games against one of the best teams in baseball, it would make sense to keep your team's hottest hitters in the lineup.

But with Giants manager Bruce Bochy throwing out his 45,699th lineup of the season on Thursday, both right-fielder Nate Schierholtz and shortstop Edgar Renteria were absent from the lineup.

To be fair, after picking up 14 hits in a six-game stretch, Schierholtz went 0-for-4 in back-to-back games heading into Thursday's series finale.

Rain delays are frequent in baseball:  it rains, the game is delayed, the rain eventually stops, and baseball resumes.

However, in the series finale between the Astros and Padres at PETCO Park, Thursday, there was a different sort of delay.

Bees were the result of the 52 minute delay.  Yes, bees...those pesky insects that sting you when they're mad.

The delay came in the top of the ninth, when bees got out of control in left field.

Play was halted, and a few sections of fans were cleared out.

July 2 has been a busy day in baseball rumors, and with the trade deadline fast approaching, more and more rumors seem to be popping up. This columnn hopes to make known a few of them.