Preview/Prediction

Outfielder/DH Pat Burrell has been released by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Burrell, 33, signed with the Rays in the offseason to a 2 year $16 million contract, after their run at their first World Series Championship.

The Rays thought they were for real in 2009, with key additions such as "Pat the Bat." 

But the Rays finished 3rd in their tough AL East division, and Burrell was not that productive, hitting only .221 with 14 home runs in 122 games, and was injured for a while in the disappointing season.

Roy Oswalt reportedly requested to the owner of the Houston Astros, Drayton McLane Junior, to be traded this season, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Oswalt, 32, is currently and has been the ace of the struggling Astros this season.

You can see why he wants to get out of Houston: a 14-27 record.

The closest the Astros ever were to winning a World Series Championship was back in 2005, when the young right handed pitcher named Roy Oswalt won 20 games in back to back seasons with a 2.94 ERA.

With Brooks Conrad’s walk-off grand slam, the Braves have won three games in a row (all by walk-offs) and completed a sweep (even if it was only two games) over the previously surging Cincinnati Reds.

I know momentum doesn’t play as big of a role in baseball as it does other sports (specifically football), but I can’t see how the Braves aren’t flying high after this past win.

Ahh, it's that time of year again. It must mean we're a quarter of the way through the season, and that it's almost Memorial Day, as rivalry weekend is upon us.

Although I personally am not a fan of it, it's still the Subway Series, where Mets and Yankees fans come together for three days. They watch a ballgame from the same ballpark and they have a chance to finally root against one another.

This weekend, the New York area will once again be enthralled with a yearly spectacle. That spectacle is the Subway Series. That is the name given to the series of games between the now defending champion New York Yankees and the lovable amazin's , the New York Mets .

This modern day version of the series first started in 1997. The first two years were just a three game series per season.

New York’s two franchises had remarkably different 2009 seasons. The Yankees, with their shiny new free agent additions in Mark Teixeira, C.C. Sabathia, and A.J. Burnett, ran away with the American League East and came away with their 27th World Series championship, beating the Phillies in six games.

For Mets fans, the 2009 season was a nightmare, as Mets players, including eight former All-Stars, spent more than 1,480 days on the disabled list as the team limped to a 72-90 record.

The Rockies are in Houston to play the Astros. After the first game of the series, on Wednesday, the Houston Astros placed second baseman Kaz Matsui on waivers.

With the Rockies struggles at second, specifically Clint Barmes, and his line of .214/.273/.339/.612 plus his four errors already on the short season, many fans are wondering and dreaming about the glory days of 2007 and wondering if Kaz is an answer.

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Maybe.

Did anyone wonder why the Astros waited until after their first game to release Matsui?

If nothing else, the 2010 edition of the Toronto Blue Jays may be the most exciting team in Baseball.

Off to their second best start in 15 years, this year the team isn't using smoke and mirrors or benefiting from mediocre play from the Yankees and Red Sox.

They are literally HAMMERING their way to a 25-17 record—good enough for third in the AL East and a mere one game behind the Yankees for the AL Wild Card.

With power arms and even more powerful bats, this team is starting to make the rest of the league take notice.

Can the Blue Jays maintain this torrid pace?

The Red Sox have the Phillies’ number.

That first became evident when Boston ousted Philly in the 1915 World Series, and little changed once interleague play began over 80 years later.

The Phillies are just 15-22 against the Red Sox since their interleague dates began in 1997. Philly and Boston have met in interleague play every season except 2002 and 2007.

Back to the present…

The New York Yankees have the second best record in baseball as of today. The only team with a better one is the Tampa Bay Rays.

The two American League East teams start a big two-game series tonight at Yankee Stadium.

How can a two-game series be such a big deal? Well, maybe not so much for the Rays, but it is a big series for the Yankees. Entering the series tonight, the Yankees sit three games behind the Rays in the division.