Opinion

Everyone has a bad day at the office.

Ian Stewart is no exception. 

The Rockies third baseman was optioned to AAA Colorado Springs on Tuesday in a move that was, unfortunately, a long time coming.

Rockies brass is steadfast in saying that this is not a demotion for Stewart. Instead, they encourage him to view it as an opportunity to improve. 

Is the thrill of the Majors already gone for the Cincinnati Reds’ young phenomenon Mike Leake?  Coming up, I’ll discuss this question and the ramifications for the Reds rotation.

The start of the 2011 season has been filled with surprises, particularly in terms of blown saves. The Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals’ bullpens have been especially unpredictable recently. Here’s the latest:

White Sox

The White Sox’s bullpen is a mess. Matt Thornton has blown all four of his save opportunities thus far, and has allowed 11 runs (five earned) on 12 hits in 5.2 innings.

So the San Francisco Giants made a mistake.

I saw this today on ESPN.com and just couldn’t help but comment on it: 

"There's nothing the Mets would love more this spring than to have Carlos Beltran play well enough to make himself tradable in July. So scouts are already bearing down on him just in case.

The New York Mets do not have the best farm system in the world. It's not the best in the National League, or even the best in the NL East, but there is talent there if you dig deep enough.

Courtesy of Yankees 'n More

Caught this New York Post story Tuesday morning about New York Yankees setup man Rafael Soriano and his aversion to cold weather, which makes him just like every other baseball player in the history of the sport.

Despite his status as a Rule-5 pick and J.P. Ricciardi's voice trumpeting his name, Brad Emaus' stay with the New York Mets was short and uneventful.

Today, the Mets designated Emaus for assignment and called up Justin Turner from Triple-A Buffalo.

Emaus hit just .162 with one RBI in 14 games this season. Initially, the Mets loved his power and his ability to get on base. But he showed none of those skills during his time in the majors.

The sky was falling in the offseason in St. Petersburg.

Carl Crawford? Gone. Carlos Pena? Adios. Rafael Soriano? See Ya. Jason Bartlett? Bye. Matt Garza? Later. Joaquin Benoit? Hit the road.

"Holy fire sale, Batman! Who does that leave us with?"

It did not look good.

Sam Fuld? A washed up Johnny Damon? A roided up Manny? Eek.

And it started out looking pretty awful. Not only were the Rays 0-6, but they would've given anything for a two-run scoring outburst. Not a two-run inning, a two-run GAME!

Do you remember Kevin Costner's famous line from the 1989 film Field of Dreams: "Build it and he will come"?

Well, Pepsi Max took this sentiment to heart when they turned an old warehouse into a cornfield for a new series of soft drink commercials that spoofed the classic baseball flick.

While Shoeless Joe Jackson doesn't appear in any of the three short television spots, the résumés of those who did are long enough to satisfy even the most enthusiastic baseball fanatic.