MLB

Tough loss for Houston. They battled but just couldn't mount an attack against the duo of Billingsley and Broxton.

Wandy Rodriguez pitched another great game and is one of three pitchers in the majors with four quality starts. The offense couldn't string any hits together.

Hitting line:
Matsui 0-3, Sac bunt
Tejada 2-4, 2B
Berkman 0-4, GIDP, K
Lee 0-4, 2 K
Blum 0-3, BB, K
Erstad 1-4, K
Rodriguez 0-2, BB, GIDP
Bourn 1-2, BB, SB
Wandy Sac Bunt
Michaels 0-0 HBP
Pence 0-1, (lined out on a hard hit ball to short)

The Yankees have many traditions in their organization. One of the most well-known traditions is the great men that have graced the outfield in center field.

Joe DiMaggio. Mickey Mantle. Tom Tresch. Bobby Murcer. Mickey Rivers. Bernie Williams.

Each of those players had their own set of special skills. Some won gold gloves. Others won MVPs. Some were All-Stars. All were Yankees.

All of them won World Series Championships and all of them represented the position of center field with a type of grace that not all players possess.

The best I've ever seen," says a longtime scout. "And it's not even close." These are the words of a longtime scout to Buster Olney, ESPN’s Acclaimed MLB senior writer, after watching the game’s future star. With the velocity of strikeout king Nolan Ryan and the pinpoint control of future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux, Steven Strasburg is being touted by many in baseball as the greatest pitching prospect ever.

(For the record: this photo was chosen so illustrate the empty seats. Ironic, isn't it? Mark Teixeira, the big off-season acquisition who cost more money than half of baseball's payrolls is overshadowed by the lack of people willing to spend the money to see him.)

Nothing the Brewers do to the Phillies this, or any other year, could quite make up for the four-game beat down last September or the ousting from the playoffs in four games. But seeing Braden Looper and Dave Bush pitch gems while Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder finally get a clue at the plate sure does leave a warm feeling in the heart. 

The Brewers finally won a series and put together back-to-back wins for the first time this season. Dave Bush flirted with a no-hitter and continued to look rock solid in the Brewers rotation.

"In the past, I haven't tried to be outspoken, I didn't try to be friendly. I was just in there trying to play baseball, and that's all I want to do. I found that if you rub people the wrong way, they get the wrong impression. If you don't talk a whole lot, they assume things."

Really Milton?

"If we can get away from all the negativity and going back four, five years and the stuff I did—I'm just focused on what I'm doing now. I can be a positive influence, and I think I'm a good guy."

C'mon... seriously?

4/23/09 - Felix Hernandez pitched seven shutout innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. Despite the Mariners netting three errors on defense, having a catcher playing 1st base, and Yuni Betancourt still shading 3rd base instead of playing short stop, the Mariners won the April afternoon game, 1-0.

In the first inning, Hernandez pitched through the order in three outs, striking out BJ Upton looking and Evan Longoria swinging. The bottom of the first was led off by Ichiro hitting a lead-off homer to give the Mariners a one run lead.

I know, I know. That is not a picture of Jackie Robinson (It's Andruw Jones).

But, in a late tribute to the trail blazer that was Jackie Robinson, I have decided to dedicate my 42nd article to No. 42.

This is a story that we have all heard a billion-and-a-half times before; but every time I hear it, I get chills up and down my spine.