Opinion

Right about now, it’s not easy being Lance Berkman or Roy Oswalt.

Talk about a lost puppy in a big city.

Both former Houston Astros icons are in new cities and with new teams, and both appear to be having a difficult time adjusting to their new surroundings.

Oswalt was rocked in his first start with the Phillies, while Berkman has notched a mere two hits and one RBI since donning pinstripes with the Yankees.

Rays manager Joe Maddon has been called unorthodox, outspoken, diligent, eccentric, eclectic, sociable, optimistic, passionate and wise. No one thought of him as a spokesman for a new stadium, but he changed that thinking after the Rays' 8-6 loss to the Twins Thursday afternoon.

Right after the game, Maddon talked about the catwalk's affect on the game as to why the Rays need a new stadium. Jason Kubel's popup fell on the A-Ring catwalk of the stadium, which meant it was a hit, and it led the Twins to score the go-ahead run in the ninth inning.

The Reds and Cards are in one of the longest running one and two pennant races in history. Neither team can really put substantial distance between themselves and the other.

Both squads have strong talent and deep rosters.

Let's take a look at the way the teams stack up against each other, position by position.

CATCHER

A few weeks ago, Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports wrote an article that had a lot of the San Diego Padre fans up in arms. The day that article was released, I had one San Diego media member tell me, "I'd be upset if I actually knew who he was." Ouch.

Catwalk calamities like the Rays experienced in a loss to the Twins aren't new to them.

Jason Kubel smacked a ball into the catwalk below the roof of Tropicana Field on Thursday. The Rays infield had an eye on the ball until it hit above and landed several feet from any fielder near the pitcher's mound.

Mind you, incidents like these happen a handful of times a season and the more and more they happen, the more frustrating it is for the Rays who have abandoned their old uniforms and losing tradition.

Thus far, the 2010 season has been a ride of misfortune for the Philadelphia Phillies. It has been the baseball equivalent of getting out on the wrong side of bed in the morning.  

With a seemingly unending stream of injuries that have depleted the team from opening day, this season surely has not played out as the team's brain trust intended or baseball pundits projected.