MLB

Huh? What? Really? According to David Lennon of New York Newsday (click here for the post) the Mets have pulled Oliver Perez from the rotation. There really shouldn’t be a surprise there, despite the amount of money he’s being paid. He’s currently sporting a rotund 9.97 ERA and 2.26 WHIP over his first five starts, numbers that are simply unacceptable.

Some say happiness is a state of mind. As a rabid sports fan, I have to disagree. To me, happiness is your team's place in the standings.

Now that the Phillies and Red Sox have won the last two World Series, the title for most tortured fan base is up for grabs!

While fans in Cincinnati, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and Washington can all make compelling arguments, the lack of expectations, poorly attended games and the "football first" mentality of these cities disqualifies them from the race for most miserable.

SAN DIEGO - The Padres had a promising start to the season, however slowly but surely the team's 40th campaign will become another losing proposition. Fans may complain about the club's on-field performance, but in the broadcast booth, the Padres have a solid lineup.

San Diego Padres TV

With child-like enthusiasm, he greets his listeners.

“Halo, Angels fans!”

His infectious excitement bubbling over, color commentator Rex Hudler weaves together a pleasant salutation with the nickname for his beloved Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

But he is not one to fancy himself a clever linguist.

I've read a lot of articles lately calling for Omar Minaya's head. Why not? The Mets are off to a slow start after two of the most agonizing September swoons in baseball history. Somebody must take the blame for this.

As a Met fan, I'm as disgusted as anybody else by what's gone on in Flushing. But I don't direct my ire at Omar. Before I go into why I think Minaya is a good (not great) GM, I'd like to address the reasons people are calling for his head in the first place.

The Oliver Perez Signing

Is Ollie erratic? Yes.

Let's see here...

Pitching, check.

Defense, get back to me in two weeks.

Offense, ehhh.

There you go—the first month report card for the Atlanta Braves.

We all know what's happened, B-Mac and Garret Anderson are hurt, and we are relying on utility guys to spell out upper-mid-tier guys (*ahem* Kelly Johnson) when the others should be playing

What to do, what to do?

Well, the biggest question mark is with the bats, so that should be the focus as the July 31 trade deadline draws closer.

What if your wildest dream came true?

Do you dream of winning the lottery, being president, or just finally having that hot chick at work talk to you?

Well my dream would be to coach the Minnesota Twins.

As it seemed on Friday, the planets have finally aligned. With one mighty swing from Joe, the Twins still have much room for improvement.

Although college sports prospects are typically young, they must be mature. Today’s society is much different than it was 30 years ago, when I was a prospect. 

Today, student athletes are forced to develop personal management skills to balance their hectic schedules.

Beyond the high school playing experience, now, there are a multitude of private club options. 

Yesterday, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced that Jeff Weaver would be replacing James McDonald in the starting rotation Tuesday versus the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

Considering McDonald's struggles so far this season, the decision is a smart one.

However, the decision did not go far enough.  James McDonald needs to be sent to Albuquerque. 

In this great game of baseball we have nearly every imaginable stat at the tip of our finger so we can best determine a player’s worth. However, there are certain intangibles you could never measure statistically that go a long way from separating the mediocre players from the great.

Heart. Passion. Intensity.