Opinion

It is never good to be on a team that wants to deal you to another city. Despite this, San Diego Padres starting pitcher Jake Peavy decided to stay with his team after a deal was made between the Padres and White Sox on Thursday, making use of his no-trade clause.

Peavy signed an extension with San Diego in 2007, and will be a Padre through 2012 barring a successful trade. The extension also came with a $22 million team option for 2013. Peavy turns 28 next Sunday, and will be 31 years old in May 2012.

Today, Felix Hernandez toed the rubber at Safeco Field with some of the best stuff we’ve seen from him since his 17 shutout innings that began the 2007 season. Felix’s stat line may not reflect it completely, giving up seven hits and four runs (though only one was earned).

Hernandez’ two-seamer was running hard to the third-base side, and looked like it had a weight tied to the bottom of it. His change-up, with essentially the same action, had perhaps the best command I’ve seen him have with that pitch, and his breaking ball was adequate.

I love the Seattle Mariners.

In 2005, I moved to Los Angeles and began doing some work as a script consultant and worked for an independent production company in Hollywood.

I was sad to leave because I could no longer watch the Sonics and Mariners on a regular basis. I was going to miss Kevin Colabro and Dave Niehaus.

And I did.

ST LOUIS—It should come as no surprise that the St. Louis Cardinals are contending for first place in the NL Central; after all, they’ve been a powerhouse for years. What may surprise most, is that the Cardinals are winning ballgames with so many different lineup combinations. 

David Wright has been the only Met regular to take the field every game these past two weeks, mainly due to injuries to the other regular position players.

Last season, Wright was not rested a full game until June 24, although he did have one game as DH in Anaheim, CA on the first day under Jerry Manuel's management.

Even though it was obvious to everyone that Wright was exhausted and more than a little banged up, he desperately needed a day off, but Willie Randolph continued putting him in the lineup.

The Cubs offense misses Aramis Ramirez. He's clearly their best hitter and one of the best hitters in the National League. That said, his loss has nothing to do with Chicago scoring 4 runs in 45 innings.

That's right 4 runs in 45 innings against medicore pitching. Cubs hitters need to make adjustments and they need to make them quickley.

I've focussed this slide show on Geovany Soto, Mike Fontenot, Ryan Theriot, and Milton Bradley. About two weeks ago, Lee would have been on this but he appears to have found is stroke.

It's time for these guys to get back to the basics.

I have always been a fan of the New York Yankees. I loved them through the dynasty, through the early 2000s, and I still love them today. But sometimes you just get frustrated with an organization, especially one that is inarguably the greatest franchise in all of sports.

Yesterday's win against the Phillies epitomizes everything that is right with the Yankees and yet everything that is wrong with them. This is a star-powered offense that can't hit for eight innings, but breaks out against none other than Brad Lidge.

No one really expected to Brad Lidge to be perfect again in 2009. In fact, I heard some fans say they hope he blows his first save opportunity to put the streak behind him and concentrate more on helping the team repeat as World Champions.

Lidge broke the streak and now has blown three saves. What is more concerning is that he seems to have no command on his pitches and the question of his knee keeps arising.

To say I’m a big Cincinnati Reds fan would be the understatement of the century, albeit this century is still relatively young. Cut me, and I’ll bleed Cincy Red.

My love affair with the boys in red started around the same time when many around the country also became enamored with them.

In the early ‘70s, I jumped on the bandwagon powered by the Big Red Machine. The Reds of that era were a high-octane juggernaut, sparked by household names like Bench, Rose, Morgan, Perez, and Foster.