Opinion

Before Jose Reyes' thyroid problem, it looked like he was going to be the No. 3 hitter on Opening Day.  His thyroid set him back, but when he returned, the question came up again. 

The only reason the Mets even considered batting Reyes third is because Carlos Beltran is injured.  With Beltran gone, the Mets lineup could use some more depth.

Manager Jerry Manuel decided to stretch out the lineup, and put Reyes at the three-spot.  He had played 591 straight games in the leadoff spot. 

Mets fans were split on the decision to bat Reyes third.

Did you know that J.D. Drew is 34 years old?

The former uber-prospect/perennial tease has been tantalizing major league GMs and fantasy owners alike for 12 season now, and only once has he seemingly performed up to the level that was expected of him (a .305, 31 HR, 93 RBI campaign for the Braves in 2004).  

Luckily for Atlanta, they got out while the going was good. 

12 seasons of MLB service, one season of potential attained. 

There's a saying that goes you should "strike while the iron is hot." Well right now, Alfonso Soriano is incendiary, and I say this is the best time to explore trade options for the Cubs mercurial left fielder.

In his last three games, Soriano has slammed four homers and driven in 10 runs.

On the season, he's batting .325 with 6 HR, 17 RBI, and (for you stats geeks out there) an incredible .1057 OPS.

Anytime sports and politics mix, things get a little sticky. We want sports to be pure and offer a sanctimonious escape in the form of entertainment. We also want sports to use its national platform to encourage positive change in our country and countries beyond our borders. Both are achievable, presumably, but we can rarely have it both ways.

Asking Bud Selig, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, to single-handedly change the new immigration law in Arizona is asking too much.

Here’s a look at some unheralded players who played well yesterday.

Brett Cecil, Toronto Blue Jays

Cecil, my pick for a streaming option yesterday, chewed up the Indians, going eight innings and allowing one run on one hit with 10 Ks. He improved to 2-1 with a 2.61 ERA.

David Freese, St. Louis Cardinals (pictured with Albert Pujols)

When the action on the field grows tiresome, too many fans decide to create their own entertainment.

That was the case last night in Philadelphia where a 17-year-old Phillies fan hopped the fence and ran onto the field during the eighth inning.

Dusty, does this Cairo guy have an incriminating video of you smoking crack à la Marion Barry?  A Dusty Baker sex tape à la Paris Hilton?

We're fans.  We will understand and forgive your past indiscretions.

Seriously, why is this guy on the team?  And why do you keep using his weak stick to pinch hit?

Take Monday night for example: men on the corners, and you pinch hit Cairo for Mike Leake in the Reds half of the sixth?

Is April gone already?  Last year, it couldn't end soon enough.  The Rays 2008 World Series hangover left them 9-14 at April's end, leaving Rays fans searching for the aspirin.  The Rays would never recover.

Lesson Learned.

The Rays capped off the first month of the season with their best start in team history.  The offense pummelled other pitchers into frequent early showers.  The starting pitching led the AL in ERA.  And for the most part, the bullpen shut the door.

But have the Rays finally started to cool off?

Game number 20 of 162 in the Fantasy Baseball Insiders Tonight summer-long journey featured a game that provided a whopping 25 runs on 32 hits between two struggling A.L. powerhouses.

Game No. 20 — Anaheim Angels vs. Boston Red Sox

Whether it is conditioning, better use in the earlier part of careers, or simply positional evolution, any fan can recognize the trend of older pitchers lasting longer than ever.

While we will likely never see a post-40 year old run like Nolan Ryan had to close his career, the likelihood of being an effective pitcher, from the rotation or the pen, is higher than ever. Who, however, are the best?