MLB

Typing "former Texas Ranger" in an article about Pudge Rodriguez continues to be painful for this fan.

I remember well the first time he threw a runner out trying to steal second. It was one of those moments when everyone watching knew a special player had just announced his presence with authority.

In one fluid motion, his quick feet making an instantaneous transition from crouch to throwing motion while he transferred the ball from his mitt to his hand without taking his eye off the target, Pudge threw a laser- beam strike to second well ahead of a shocked runner.

After a week or so of below-average baseball, the Cardinals still find themselves in second place in the NL Central.

The A.L. Central, like its Western-division brethren and the entire National League, is full of bad teams. The division’s first-place Detroit Tigers enter Tuesday’s games with a run differential that would rank fifth in the A.L. East.

The Minnesota Twins, meanwhile, have ridden Joe Mauer’s Ted Williams impression and a pitching staff that has decided against issuing walks this season into second place, a mere three games out, and are the only other team in the division to have outscored its opponents thus far.

There are so many areas of this Atlanta Braves team that needs to be addressed that this story might just be an exercise in futility. But then again, aren't they all if you're not getting paid to write them?

Anyhow, I digress.

I feel like every Braves story I write has the same overwhelming theme—get rid of Francoeur and get some power in that lineup!

One of these days, maybe the Braves brass will listen, provided they care what some random fan actually thinks.

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The (32-29) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim come into town to start a three-game series against the (34-28) San Francisco Giants today. 

These two teams are quite different from each other as the Giants depend on their pitching and the Angels depend on their hitting. Giants' pitching has only given up 233 runs where the Angels hitting have scored 296 runs. 

Jeremy Hermida is probably one of the better-hitting outfielders in the league; while Jeff Francouer is a Gold Glove caliber outfielder, his offense has never been as good as it was in 2006. Francouer has been rumored to go the the Phillies, Mets, Red Sox, Royals and now the Marlins. Maybe Francoer can turn around his hitting with Florida, but I doubt it. Hermida is a better hitter than Francouer and is very good defender in right field.

Mired in a huge four out of 45 at-bats to hit ratio is Mr.Vernon Wells, or as most of us Torontonians call him, V-dub.

Still currently hitting out of that four spot, the slugger position, Wells has earned it with his on and off talented bat and defensive seasons. He currently hits .238, with a measly five home runs, and a high left on base total. Comparing our slugger to our small ball second basemen, Aaron Hill, who has 14 home runs tells you something.

Since Michael Lewis' 2003 bestseller, everyday there are new web sites, blogs, and bar room napkins dedicated to the discussion of "win shares" or "similarity score".  Rather than being one of these people, I would prefer to take residence inside of Bill James' colon.

Don't get me wrong, I very much enjoyed Moneyball.   In fact, while watching Jay Bruce, it has been on my mind a lot lately.