MLB

The Detroit Tigers are a much different team than they were this time last year; obviously they have a better record, but there are some fundamental differences between the two squads.

Notably gone are the heavy-hitters without much range, and in their place are smaller, faster players who emphasize defense over the long ball.

Last season, the Tigers were picked by almost every single baseball analyst to not only make the playoffs, but to win the World Series. They not only failed to make the World Series but failed to keep themselves out of last place in their division.

When the Mets drafted Phil Humber back in 2004, I was thrilled. Even though my baseball knowledge was still in a prehistoric state, I had read enough about Humber to get excited about the prospects of the Mets drafting him.

This is why I love baseball.

I love baseball because it signifies the end of a long cold winter in the North, and the start of the springtime.

I love baseball because of its rebirth; a new beginning where hope is abundant and all sins from the last year are forgiven.

I love baseball because of its sounds—the crack of the bat, the thump of the ball in the catcher's mitt, the roar of the crowd.

I love baseball because of its smells—the grill at the concessions; the freshly cut grass.

In a pinch hit at-bat in the seventh inning of Sunday’s game, Jorge Posada crushed a two-run homerun into the short porch in right field of the new Yankee Stadium to push the New York Yankees in front of the Cleveland Indians to lead the Yankees' to a 7-3 win.

A couple of fans sitting behind the wall got involved with the play, reaching over the gate to snatch the ball.

New Stadium Playing Much Differently Than Planned

Three games have been played at the new Yankee Stadium thus far and 17 HRs have been hit. Add the eight hit in the exhibition games against the Cubs and that's 25 HRs in five games, or for you shellshocked Yankee fans, five HR per game.

Many around baseball have been abuzz with the fast start of the Florida Marlins (11-1). But don't anoint them playoff bound just yet.

Not only is it a mere two weeks into the very long baseball season, but the Marlins have been blessed with an extremely easy schedule out of the gate.

A string of bad luck and unfortunate breaks for the Yankees finally subsided on Sunday afternoon. Ironically, it occurred during the team’s 13^th game of the season.

While Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett struggled with his curveball all start long, he was able to perform his best Houdini impersonation. Two home runs and seven walks later, the Yankees still only trailed 3-1.

This is an I told you so that I wish I wasn't right on but to start the season, offensively this team is absolutely pathetic in pressure situations. For those who say it's early, that's true and they will have chances to turn things around.

I thought Bobby Kielty was robbed out of spring training, of course, I'm bias I always pick an underdog to root for in spring training and Kielty had the potential to be my first correct pick. But the Mets with a lefty heavy line-up chose to go with left handed hitting Marlon Anderson who was hitting a mere .220 instead of Kielty a righty hitting around .280. Of course, that became a moot point when the team signed Sheffield and after just over a week in AAA Keilty is on the shelf. So far I can't find the nature of the injury or the severity.....

My good friend Joe at River Ave Blues was kind enough to post my list of worst free agent contracts on