MLB

Let's call a spade a spade. It isn't ineptitude that A's manager Bob Geren displays—it is a total lack of competence. Geren should have been fired long ago, and general manager Billy Beane is allowing the most incompetent manager in baseball to still have a job.

If Geren was a rookie manager then maybe some of the mistakes being made could be considered as a rookie mistake and in time he'd learn from them. Yet, not only has Geren made mistakes, he keeps making the same mistake.

There's a saying that goes, "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me."

For a rebuilding team like the Baltimore Orioles, minor league success is crucial to the team's future in the major league standings. The O's have gotten great contributions from various pitching prospects like Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Troy Patton, Chris Tillman, and others.

Going into the season, O's fans took a look at the minor league starting pitchers for each team. Let's analyze how those minor leaguers did.

The Aces

Norfolk Tides: Chris Tillman, RHP

With the trade deadline a little over a month away, teams are now deciding if they need to make any moves in order to make a run in the playoffs. Some teams may also be trying to make room on their rosters in order to make moves towards the future. Either way, you need to know if your fantasy players will be on the move in the near future.

Players that may be traded before the trade deadline:

• Date: June 17, 2009
• Time: 8:15pm
• Teams: Detroit Tigers at St. Louis Cardinals
• Park: Busch Stadium
• Weather: 88 and mostly sunny.  Chance of rain later.
• Starting Pitchers: Edwin Jackson (6-3, 2.24)  Todd Wellemeyer (5-6, 5.50)
• Records: Detroit (34-30)  St. Louis (35-30)
• Last 10 Games: Detroit (5-5)  St. Louis (4-6)

Sammy Sosa is the latest name to be dropped in baseball's steroid era. With so many of these people being linked to steroids, it's really no longer news when another name is dropped.

But it gets some people, like myself, thinking that these guys are not the idols and role models we thought they were. Plus, any records guys like Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, A-Rod, Clemens, and any others should not be given credit for any of the records they broke.

Ron Harper announced earlier this week that his prodigious son, Bryce, will forgo his final two years of high school eligibility to pursue a professional baseball career.

Bryce, 16, who was the first high school sophomore to be named a first team All-American by Baseball America and has been called “the LeBron James of baseball” by Sports Illustrated, will take classes at the College of Southern Nevada over the summer and receive his GED in the fall.

There is a noticeable mood difference in the Denver area as the Rockies showed they are still actually playing baseball and not hosting summer social gatherings at Coors Field. After tying a franchise record 11 game win streak the town is buzzing a bit!

This piece was originally published on June 4, 2009 when Sammy Sosa announced he would retire.

In a move that was typical of the strange ending of his baseball career, Sammy Sosa announced Wednesday that he'll announce his retirement sometime soon.

That's right, an announcement that he's going to make an announcement.

Sosa has seen an incredibly awkward fall from grace on Chicago's North Side, where he became one of the greatest power hitters in the history of the game.

This weekend will see a renewal of a rivalry in Anaheim, as the first place Dodgers (by eight-and-a-half games as of this writing) take on the surging Angels.

It's been a bit one-sided this year, as the Angels took two-of-three at Dodger Stadium in May.

In fact, the Angels have always played their Chavez Ravine neighbors tough. I remember going to a Dodger-Angel game two years ago today where the Angels walloped the Dodgers 10-4, and it wasn't even that close.

Francisco Liriano has served many roles in the eyes of Twins fans.

In 2006, he was the second-coming of Johan Santana and part of a vicious one-two punch that would lead the Twins to the Promised Land.

In 2007, he was the missing piece on a team that failed to meet expectations.