Fan News

The New York Mets announced that relief pitcher J.J. Putz will undergo surgery for a bone spur in his elbow. He will most likely miss the next eight to 12 weeks.

Putz started the season off strong, but began to lose consistency on his pitches through the last few weeks.

In 29 games, Putz has pitched himself to a 5.22 ERA with a record of 1-4. This is not what the Mets were expecting when they acquired Putz from the Seattle Mariners in a three-team deal in Dec. 2008.

With Jose Reyes, J.J. Putz, and Carlos Delgado out until August, it seems like the Mets will need a miracle in order to get ahead of the Phillies in the standings anytime soon.

But who says we need that miracle?

In my mind, the only day being in first really matters is the last day of the season, as us Mets fans have learned quite often the past couple seasons.  The key is to keep ground, and not let the Phillies get too far ahead. 

The Kansas City Royals are struggling big time. The pitching has been inconsistent, and the hitting has been horrible.

The Royals need help, but they're running out of answers. It's time for the team to make a move. Could it be to bring up a player from Triple-A? Or possibly make a trade to get a hitter?

My guess, at least for the short term, is they will call up first baseman Kila Ka'aihue.

Derek Jeter is a nine-time all-star, a four-time World champion, and a three-time gold glove winner.

Yet with of all his on-the-field accomplishments, his biggest claims to greatness can be found off-the-field.

Derek Jeter has dated a barrage of stunning women since entering the league. He even hit the coveted double-Jessica mark that men would literally kill for.

The Yankees' captain never won an MVP award, but when it comes to the ladies, he is definitely the Most Valuable Playah.

He burst onto the Major League Baseball scene in 2003, crushing a grand slam home run in his first home game with the New York Yankees.

So far this season, Hideki Matsui has eight homers, 22 RBI, and is batting .256. But he is certainly not the durable player he once was, and the Yankees should consider trading him.

It's no longer exactly breaking news that Randy Johnson won his 300th game yesterday.  Such are the perils of living on the Coast—I'm asleep while half the country is having its coffee and reading the morning's headlines.

The warm, sunny days in January and February make that little snag easier to take.

As does the excitement of a mild little earthquake, but that's neither here nor there.

One of the main reasons the Pirates traded CF Nate McLouth was to make room for super prospect and fellow CF Andrew McCutchen. Why the Pirates didn’t just move McLouth to RF so they could have an outfield with Morgan, McCutchen, and McLouth is beyond me. But I guess that is for a different post. Back to the matter at hand.

Here's something that the Pittsburgh Pirates' management don't seem to understand about prospects; they are much like fighter pilots.

If you take each year of major league baseball as the equivalent of one combat mission, the attrition statistics are strikingly similar.

About one in five won't make it past the first year/mission; barely more than half last beyond the fifth one. The ones that make it to double digits unhurt are dubbed "aces," and become legends in their own time. 

So the merry-go-round continues for the Mets, who seem to have had every ailment and injury known to man, as Ken Rosenthal broke the news that J.J. Putz will likely be sidelined eight to ten weeks after undergoing surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow.

The news comes shortly after an MRI showed that Jose Reyes had a slight tear in his hamstring tendon that may keep him out a month.

With the Mets clubhouse looking more like an infirmary, officials might be starting to believe that Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has various Mets player voodoo dolls.