Opinion

The more we learn about Phil Coke, the more Detroiters are going to love this guy.

But the more we learn about Phil Coke, the more Detroiters are going to worry about him.

If Coke, the lefty lifetime reliever who will be in the Tigers rotation this season, was a product, he'd be juice concentrate—and he needs to be diluted with realism.

Ted Simmons ranks among the better offensive catchers in baseball history. Simmons appeared in 1,770 games as a catcher and in 40 games as an outfielder. He was the designated hitter 276 times and pinch-hit 216 times.

Over 21 seasons, Simmons hit .285, with a .348 on-base average and a .437 slugging average. If Simmons had been a solid defensive catcher, he would be in the Hall of Fame.

Gary Carter (lifetime .262/.335/.439) had some solid offensive seasons, but he also had some poor ones.

The New York Yankees are often accused of buying success. In fact, when other teams spend big money on star players, the Yankees' name will often be invoked.

However, the late George Steinbrenner and his New York Yankees don't get enough credit for the players who have come up through the farm system.

For 15 years, Giants managers were blessed with one of the easiest lineup decisions in history—putting Barry Bonds in left field. And for 15 years, it was a position that didn't need to concern fans or coaches—if you had a five-year-old making the lineups for the San Francisco Giants, they would, without fail, know who to put in left field. 

Then they had Fred Lewis, Randy Winn, Eugenio Velez, John Bowker, and Brian Horwitz. That's right, those guys.

Despite a strong showing from New York Mets lefty Oliver Perez on Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals in Port St. Lucie, Perez may be on the fast track to the bullpen come Opening Day.

"It's only spring training."

Say it over and over to yourself, Cubs fans.

"It's only spring training."

Yes, it's only been four games—four games that don't count for anything, to be exact—but it's hard for a team to look any worse than the Chicago Cubs have so far.

In just four spring training games, the Cubs have committed 14 errors, including three in the first inning of a 12-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.

Heading into spring training, the Washington Nationals appeared to have four players who were capable of being quality every-day major league catchers.

And three games into the Grapefruit League schedule, nothing has changed.

To a veteran brain surgeon, cutting open a skull and messing with an amygdala or a few ganglia isn’t as intimidating as it may be for everyone else. A rocket scientist could tell you, in his sleep, that perchlorate has nothing to do with your morning cup of coffee. And for Martha Stewart, whipping up the perfect pecan pie is about as challenging as preparing a pack of Ramen Noodles.

Typical Mark Teixeira.

He wants everyone to congraulate him for dumping Scott Boras. He approached as a newsworthy moment. He acted like this was a noble thing to do.

It never ends with Teixeira. He acts like he invented the game of baseball, and he wants people to marvel every move he makes. It gets annoying.

There is nothing worse than a guy acting self-important, and Teixeira does this all the time.

The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the most storied franchises in American sports history. They've won 10 World Series—second only to the Yankees. Their uniforms are perhaps the best-looking in all of sports.

But hungry fans want more. They want the Cardinals to compete harder against the Yankees' (Jankees') legacy. By spending the cheddar, the Cards can stay competitive.