MLB

Tommy Landry's work is brought to you courtesy of RotoExperts.com, the premier location on the web to find fantasy sports analysis with an attitude. Mr. Landry was a finalist for the 2008 Fantasy Sports Writers' Association Fantasy Baseball Series of the year.

Early Monday evening, my father informed me of the passing of possibly my biggest, and possibly only, hero in sports, Mark Fidrych.

Since hearing of the news, many of my thoughts have gone back to my years growing up and the way sports became a big part of my life. It all started with "The Bird."

I have hailed from Connecticut my whole life, born to a Yankees fan (my father) and a Red Sox fan (my mother). My maternal grandparents were, and in my grandmother's case still are, die hard Sox fans.

Scott Podsednik agreed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox Tuesday, insurance for a team stretched thin in center field after Dewayne Wise was placed on the 15 day DL with a separated right shoulder.

Podsednik played with the White Sox from 2005 to 2007, helping the team to its first World Series since 1917.

Mark Fidrych put the Joy in Baseball

Baseball fans all over the country, including myself, immediately fell in love with "The Bird" in 1976. He was playful and goofy, without any hint of pretension. Fidrych put the fun in baseball; he was a big kid in a kid's game. One of the game's genuine characters, he simply captured our imaginations.

On the heels of Fred Lynn, Fidrych almost pulled off his own awards double-play; he was named Rookie of the Year and finished second to Jim Palmer in the Cy Young balloting.

Well Heath Bell got his wish. After publicly admitting that he wanted to be the first pitcher to close a game at Citi Field, Bell came through.

Unfortunately, the ex-Met did so while sporting a San Diego jersey. To make matters worse, he was set up by another ex-Met, Duaner Sanchez, who was released this spring.

Amazin' Avenue posted this from Joel Sherman:

It seems to me strange that so many would come to games to be so miserable so quickly and easily. There is a Legion of Gloom atmosphere that now pervades Met home games, as if near everyone in the place is just waiting for something bad to happen.

The emergence of the MLB Network over the past few months has been outstanding.  Truth be told, any network that provides a reasonable alternative to John Kruk bumbling and stumbling is probably going to get a fair chance, even if said network contains a healthy dosage of Harold Reynolds.

The Yankees will open up their home schedule with a four game series against the Cleveland Indians. The Sunday game will be the biggest game, not the home opener, not friday or Saturday, the series finale, why you ask?

Carl "American Idle" Pavano will be facing the Yankees.

What a way to open a new stadium. Actually when you think about it, it was opened in typical Mets fashion.