Opinion

I know what you must be thinking after reading that headline.

How can Jonathan Sanchez, a starting pitcher who was just placed on the disabled list and was leading the league in walks, be the key to the success of the defending world champion San Francisco Giants in the second half?

If you had told me at the beginning of the season that the Rockies were going to be in third place in the NL West with a record of 40-42, 6.5 games behind the first place Giants, I would have called you crazy.

The Rockies have a lineup that can strike fear into any pitcher in the league, and they have a rotation that rivals any (save for the Phillies).

The risk of any trade is that the player leaving your team will wind up having the more productive future than the player that you received.

Major League Baseball is full of these stories.

Remember when the San Francisco Giants traded Francisco Liriano, Joe Nathan and Boof Bonser for A.J. Pierzynski? I'm sure the Giants regretted moving those three.

Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers leads the way in our group of award winner from the first half of the 2011 Major League Baseball Season.

Baseball has suddenly become dominated by pitching as there are only seven players in the entire league with at least 20 home runs.  

The Boston Red Sox season is officially half over and with a 47-34 record (third best in all of baseball) the club is second in the AL East behind the New York Yankees.

It's been an up-and-down season for the Red Sox, but after a disastrous start this group of 25 has emerged to be just as good as everyone thought they would be.

Let's take a look at which 10 Boston players are most responsible for carrying the team the team through the first 81 games.

Brewing Trouble: Identifying 5 Things the Milwaukee Brewers Must Improve If a Playoff Run Is in Store

Less than a week ago, the scorching-hot Milwaukee Brewers were coming off a sweep of their interleague rival Minnesota Twins, and had Brewers nation (including myself) clamoring for some well-deserved respect.

Who could blame us?

The MLB All-Star game also known as The Mid-Summer Classic is designed for the fans, right?

I mean, we are the ones who ultimately pay at the gate, buy the drinks and dogs, which pays the wages of the men we come to see.

You may call Cincinnati a small market city, but let’s call Mr. Peabody and have him fire up the Wayback Machine to 1957.

The National League was replete with major stars, some established and some still in the making. Stan Musial, who would go on to set a record for All-Star appearances, was 15 years into his illustrious career.

Ever since the 2002 MLB All-Star Game debacle, rules have been put in place that make no sense, like linking the outcome of the game to the ever-important home field advantage in the World Series.

Additional rules have been added years later like bumping the roster size up to 34, using a DH in every single game, and pitchers who started on Sunday cannot be used during the All-Star Game. 

While the MLB All-Star Game has lost a lot of credibility, it's still an incredible event recognizing those have had a brilliant (first half of the) season.

The Washington Nationals have frequently been the worse team in baseball. In their short existence, they have never won a World Series or even made it to the playoffs.

Constantly, the Nats have been plagued by inconsistency and failure to deliver the finishing touch.

This year, however, the Nationals are going to make the playoffs.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster allowed seven earned runs for the second consecutive start on Thursday, recording just one out before being yanked. Along the way he walked four, hit a batter and yielded four hits, including a grand slam to Stephen Drew.