MLB

Wise Guides was in San Diego recently and took in a game at Petco Park, a beautiful stadium right downtown in the famous Gaslamp Quarter. Yes, the name is goofy and the Padres suck, but it's worth the trip. A nice crowd was on hand for a Thursday afternoon game, we caught our first foul ball ever, the home team came from behind to win and right outside the gates are many bars and restaurants to sample. So we did, and had a great time along the way.

What are the prerequisites needed to be a major league closer?

Imposing on-the-field demeanor. Check.

Uniquely wild-looking haircut. Check.

Tattoo sleeves. Check.

Personal introduction music. Check.

Blindingly fast heater. Check.

Ability to consistently mow down the opposing team's lineup and preserve the victory.

Fail.

Coming off yet another game that has blown up in his face, Giants closer Brian Wilson has again seemingly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

After the cookie cutter era of baseball stadiums built in the 1960's and 1970's, Major League Baseball owners started to decide in the late 1980's and 1990's to build new retro styled stadiums stadiums to replace the old cookie cutter stadiums, and older stadiums from the first half of the 20th century with these brand new models, and to this day, owners are trying to get new stadiums to replace these older stadiums. Here is my list of the ten best baseball stadiums (with their original names) built during this era.

I’m a woman and I'm a lover.  By design one makes me do the other. So after yesterday’s 5-3 loss to the Dodgers, I left all the hating to the man I married, whom we’ll now call “Husband Vader.”

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Manny Ramirez was recently suspended 50 games for testing positive for a banned drug known as "hCG" (human chorionic gonadotropin), a drug often used to soften the effects of ending a cycle of steroids. Ramirez said the drugs were prescribed by a physician for a "personal health issue." Should we buy Ramirez' explanation?

Doctor-prescribed? Personal health issue? Let me respond to those claims with a phrase that I'm sure Manny, and many other cheating baseball players, have uttered to direct a syringe full of steroids ... "my ass."

2006 – Trey Hillman leads the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters to their first Pacific League Championship in 25 years.

2010 – Try Hillman leads the Kansas City Royals to their first World Series Championship in 25 years.

…it could happen.

New York Daily News writer John Harper claims in his latest piece, that it may be time for the New York Mets to consider trading shortstop Jose Reyes.

I say, "No Way, Jose"

Can Reyes be erratic with the glove at times? Sure. Does he make base running blunders from time to time? Yes he does.

I’m obsessed with baseball. I mean, really obsessed.

If I didn’t have a girlfriend, I would still be living in my mother’s house collecting baseball cards, playing fantasy baseball, and Tivo’ing every game I could. It’s really good that Katlyn’s here to keep that in check.

Trust me, I know I’m a weirdo. And I’m okay with it.

Each and every player in the top 10 is an A + offensively and overall. But, I will also list a defensive letter grade with each player so you know where they stand in that category, the way I see it.

Here it is. Unblurring history. The way it really was.

10. Arky Vaughan (1940s) defensive rating: C +

He finished his career with a .318 BA and a .406 OB%. The guy could flat out hit and he was certainly one of the best pure hitting Shortstops in history.

Over the last two nights, I was fortunate enough to make it to consecutive baseball games in Arlington. It’s rare for me to get the chance to go on consecutive days these days, but the games did not disappoint in the slightest bit.

For those that don’t know the Texas Rangers won the last two games with walk offs. Those were come-from-behind victories as well. It’s always exciting to see the Rangers win, but with two come from behind walk-offs?

That’s something special.