Opinion

Ever since former Giants manager Dusty Baker made the preemptive move of taking out starter Russ Ortiz in Game Six of the 2002 World Series, Giants' fans have had plenty to complain about when it comes to the manager.

Although it is a sore subject to bring up among Giants' fans, it is worth revisiting for the knowledge of those who follow the other 29 MLB clubs.

In Game Six of the 2002 World Series, the Giants and starter Ortiz had a 5-0 lead into the seventh inning when Baker elected to make a move to the bullpen.

Met SS Suddenly Has Loads of Downside

Jose Reyes used to play the game with such tenacity and joy that he angered opponents with his boyish enthusiasm. Emphasis on "used to."

These days, Reyes is wallowing on the disabled list with a calf strain that is mysteriously taking a long time to heal.

That's right—I said it. I don't think this kid is hurt at all. I think his attitude and his performance have declined to the point where the Mets have decided to shelve Reyes for awhile.

Despite beating the Rays and Matt Garza on Sunday, the Twins probably wish he had been their starter.

While both Garza and the man he was traded for, Delmon Young, have been less than their teams may have hoped for, it is clear who got the best end of this deal.

A big part of the reason that the Twins wish they had never made the deal is their need for a solid middle infielder and the performance of Jason Bartlett(1.3 UZR, 31.2 VORP good for third best in baseball).

Still, there is time for the Twins to recoup their losses, right?

May is gone and we're into June.

Before we get into the third month of the season, let's take a look back at May and hand out some awards. There were plenty of great performances in the past month when taking a look back. Several teams made bold moves to the top in the past month and are looking to continue their strong play in June.

AL Pitcher of the Month: Justin Verlander, SP, Detroit Tigers

A couple of weeks ago, Kenny Williams put together a package of four players that was acceptable to the San Diego Padres in exchange for ace starter Jake Peavy.

Peavy used his no-trade clause. The old, "I'm flattered, but not coming," routine.

Now in the last few days, reports out of Houston are that the Sox have had a scout following the Astros and watching their ace, Roy Oswalt, because of an interest in him joining Chicago's South Siders.

Two weeks into the young MLB season I was predicting a World Series Championship for my hometown Florida Marlins.

1997, 2003, 2009—that's every six years! It made sense that 2009 would be the Marlins' year.

Even if you did not want to believe the Marlins were World Series contenders, they sure looked like a playoff team. They were five games ahead of everybody in the NL East, they had a pitching staff that looked incredible, and they had a productive lineup.

The Big Unit May Be the Tallest, But He's Not the Last

Barring some truly unexpected development, Randy Johnson will become baseball's newest 300-game winner within the next couple of weeks. With no obvious candidates left to join the elite club, it's reasonable to ask if the Big Unit will be the last guy ever to win 300 games. 

The biggest topic of debate for Milwaukee Brewer fans lately has been whether or not the team should trade for Jake Peavy.

While the majority of fans seem to be against the trade, there are many that would love nothing more to see Peavy suit up for the Brewers. I fall on the side of staying away from Peavy, but I do have a thought on which pitcher the Brewers should bring in.

George Sisler set the record for most hits in a season in 1920 when he hit safely 257 times over a 154-game schedule. In 2004, Ichiro Suzuki set a new mark by getting 262 hits over the modern 162-game schedule.

George Sisler was one of the greatest players in the history of the game, a fact that some modern fans refuse to accept.

One of the Two Greatest Defensive First Basemen

Sisler, who started his career as a pitcher, is considered, with Hal Chase, one of the two greatest defensive first basemen ever.

In my opinion, Curtis Granderson is the best center fielder in the American League and also the best player on the Detroit Tigers.  Yes, it's true that he is only hitting .258 right now, and it's also true that he's received a lot more help this year from his corner outfielders than he has in his three previous seasons, but he has had one of the most exciting first three seasons a player could have without making the all-star team.