Opinion

People like to take the high ground whenever it is convenient for them. If you've never been put into an opportunity that could cause you to make a questionable moral decision, than it's easy to condemn it.

But let's face it, when it comes down to it, if you say that to save your job, you wouldn't have at the very least tried PHDs, then I'm calling you a liar.

Growing up, a lot of kids wanted to be like Mike.

Not me, I wanted to be like Ken.

George Kenneth Griffey Jr. had it all.

He had the skill at the plate and in the field that only others could dream of having, giving him that superstar label rather early in his career.

Unlike most other superstars though, Griffey also had the personality and charisma that created a likeable clubhouse atmosphere.

He was the perfect guy to look up to, and that's why so many little kids did, including myself.

Call it Christmas in June for the usual suspects in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Given the warm yuletide season around here and the scorching hot couple of days the City's seen recently, the analogy works splendidly. The only real difference is that baseball is being played at the Oakland Coliseum and AT&T Park.

And it's in the outfield of the jewel formerly known as Pac Bell where the anti-Brian Sabean ogres will (soon) find their unexpected present.

Last year, Major League Baseball stepped up to the technology plate and adapted instant replay. However, these implementations were very minor.

"Grow the arms and buy the bats."

That's the philosophy Andy MacPhail said he was going to try to rebuild the once great Baltimore franchise with.

So here we are, three years later. The arms have been grown: Brian Matusz, the fourth overall pick in the 2008 draft; Chris Tillman, stolen from the Seattle Mariners in the one-sided Erik Bedard trade; Jake Arrieta, Triple-A superstar, and on the verge of joining the big league rotation any week now; and, Zach Britton, one of the more promising, underrated arms in the minors.

Now, how 'bout those bats?

Lets face it, this season, Mark Teixeira has clearly not been the same hitter he was last season.

With his staggering batting average now down to .215, and his on base percentage at a lowly .328, he might be best suited for a couple of days on the bench.

His struggles were brought back into the spotlight today after an atrocious game against the Blue Jays, where he put up a goose egg in six at bats, which included five strikeouts and four men left on base.

I think we can all agree when I say that adding depth to your lineup is a key factor to a winning team. Actually, several people overlook the fact that having a good bench is almost mandatory in a sports team where injuries frequently occur, and players go through slumps from time to time. Finally, a team that is in the National League, where pinch hitting is almost automatic and the double switch is seen a lot more often, needs to rely on someone with a good bat (and maybe some decent speed from time to time).

Remember the days when you rounded up as many kids in the neighborhood as possible in order to play a baseball game at the park?

Tennis balls, wooden bats, and short orange cones were usually the equipment of choice, as you didn’t need a glove to play outfield and even the kid with Velcro tightened sneakers, tube socks, and a smothering mom could hit a tennis ball 400 feet.

Of course, the act of organizing and playing out a full game was rarely possible.

Armando Galarraga could have been made an immortal Wednesday night.

But instead he becomes just another pitcher who flirted with a perfect game.

While it was clear to anyone who understands the game of baseball that Galarraga beat the Indians' Jason Donald to the first best bag; the man in blue didn't see it that way.

Yes Jim Joyce clearly blew the call. You can look at the play from any angle you wish and you still wouldn't convince myself and several others that Donald was safe.