Opinion

Tony Gwynn Jr. will begin yet another season in the minor leagues for the Milwaukee Brewers, as he was sent down to AAA-Nashville earlier this week.

Gwynn was drafted by Milwaukee in the second round of the 2003 MLB Draft, and made his MLB debut three years later. It was almost 24 years to the day, since his father made his jump to the majors.

Tony Gwynn Sr. was one of the greatest hitters in the game, but somehow that skill was not passed on to little Anthony.

Even Gwynn Jr.'s uncle Chris had a decent MLB career.

So much has been made about Alfonso Soriano batting leadoff, but not nearly enough has been made about Derrek Lee holding onto his spot as the Cubs number three hitter. 

In 2004, former Cubs manager Dusty Baker took a lot of heat for not moving former Cubs right fielder Sammy Sosa down in the order.  The former Cubs slugger batted third for the first 60 games before being moved down in the order.  Sosa finished the year with 35-home runs and was rightfully traded at the end of the 2004 season. 

A couple summers ago, I thought I'd score some big points with my step son, Dakota. I promised him I'd build him and the neighborhood kids a fort in our back yard. I slaved for literally hours. I sat down and drew out plans. I used a T square and a triangle and designed a mansion that looked like it came from Newport, RI.

Those looking for this year's Josh Hamilton—a breakout slugger—look no further than teammate Nelson Cruz. Nelson, who will turn 29 this season, has made a career in the minor leagues.

He capped off his minor career last season with a bang; a bang which included blasting 37 home runs and batting in 99 runs, not to mention a .342 batting average. Last year's spectacular performance in triple-A earned him the Pacific Coast League MVP award.

Nelson's triple-A contract with Oklahoma was bought out on Aug. 25, 2008.

“Gary Sheffield had no demands for the Mets and did not specifically discuss his number of at bats with us.” -- Omar Minaya (April 3, 2009)

And if you believe that, I have beachfront property in Montana for all of you.

With Ichiro out for 15 days with a bleeding ulcer, this change can't be effective immediately, but it might be a good idea.

Ichiro is not none for power; many analysts have said "he could hit for power if he wanted."

Well, from the M's three spot, they don't need too much power.

Yet, Ichiro seems to have the perfect amount of power.

Today it was reported that the Seattle Mariner's all-star lead off man, Ichiro Suzuki would be out for 15 days with a bleeding ulcer.  Mariners fans are all hoping he gets better soon, because he is the club's lead-off man.

Now, while a bleeding ulcer sounds painful, and can be deadly if not treated, there are other things to discus, other than the injury.

Who will be the first man to step into the batter's box on Monday?

In the major leagues, there seem only four options:

Franklin Gutierrez

The steroid era is finally over. It leaves with an Alex Rodriguez whimper after a Jose Canseco roar. 

Now we can get back to b-a-s-e-b-a-l-l. 

The teams that do that the best will be the best. 

No more artificially enhanced Giants bashing baseballs for game ending home runs.

No more curiously powerful shortstops gaining 50 lbs in two years and becoming number three hitters. 

The new game will be remarkably like the old game. The game we grew up playing. A game of skill and strategy and speed and defense and beauty. 

The fountains throughout Kansas City are just days away from water flowing through them again. The weather is beginning to warm, and hot, humid days that Kansas City summers are known for are right around the corner.

Opening Day in Kansas City is also known as "Greater Kansas City Day," and there's nothing quite like it.

The New York Mets have reached an agreement with free agent DH Gary Sheffield. The 40-year-old was released by the Detroit Tigers last week.

Yes, you read that right, Sheffield is a DH.

But wait, aren't the Mets in the National League?

Yes, they are, but apparently Sheffield was a bargain they "couldn't pass up," despite the fact that they seem to not have a place for him.

New York will only have to pay $400,000 (the Major-League minimum) of Sheffield's $14 million salary. The Tigers will cover the rest.