MLB

I was one of the cynics when the Toronto Blue Jays called up Brett Cecil from Triple-A Las Vegas.

But two starts in, Cecil has looked really good.

On Sunday afternoon, the rookie left-hander shut down the Oakland A's to pick up his first big-league win, and the Blue Jays won, 5-0.

Cecil gave up just five hits in his eight scoreless innings. He walked two and struck out six.

October 19th, 2003.

It’s the bottom of the 11th.  The New York Yankees vs. the Boston Red Sox, game seven in the American League Championship Series. Aaron Boone steps to the plate and hits a walk off home run to left field, sending the Yankees to yet another World Series appearance.

And that’s just one recent memory. The list goes on and on. For every Yankee fan, there is a group of defining moments that occurred at the old Yankee stadium that blur the lines between sports and miracles, routine and impossibility.

I don't know of any other general manager other than Billy Beane to allow for their team to play with no sense of direction or purpose.

It doesn't matter that the pitching is their for the Oakland A's.What matters is the lack of runs and hitting the A's have shown the past two-plus seasons under the leadership of manager Bob Geren. A's fans get the same exact excuse over and over again: The season is still early and the team will start hitting.

Coming from behind on Sunday afternoon, the New York Yankees defeated the Baltimore Orioles by a score of 5-3, and took the weekend series two games to one.

Down 2-3 in the top of the seventh inning, Johnny Damon clobbered his ninth homer of the year, a three-run blast to propel the Yankees ahead of the O’s.

The Voice Of Baseball: A Generation Of Quotes and Soundbites, Volume 1

Baseball generally is a silent sport. Unless you are a fan in the stands, the game is usually silent.

But the players do talk; sometimes during a game, sometimes after the game, and sometimes before the game.

It does not matter.

Baseball players have come up some of the best quotes and sound bites out there. So here is volume one of my favorite funny/somewhat serious baseball quotes.

Section Ten: Bob Uecker

In the past few days, there have been some great performances from some undervalued pitchers. So I put together a tribute to some of those guys. All of the percent owned information was found using ESPN's fantasy baseball system. 

Joe Saunders

You're probably thinking, "Roy Oswalt, I get, but PINK?!"

No, I'm not talking about the sometimes-blond, sometimes-pink-haired pop star, but rather the pink bats for Mother's Day.

Roy O got his first win of the season while the Astros' offense exploded, as Houston completed a three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres 12-5.

Twelve runs! Maybe Houston should use the pink bats full-time. Maybe they should change their team colors from black, brick-reddish-orange, and sand to pink.

It remains a heated debate. If Billy Wagner had stayed healthy in 2008, are the Mets the team winning the division, winning the World Series, and spending the next four months bashing their division rivals?

While it is all speculation and hypothetical, there is valid evidence to support that had Billy Wagner kept his arm intact, the Mets would have proceeded to win the NL East. That aspect of the question remains plausible.