Fan News

Originally published 5/19/09 at www.jelletlambie.wordpress.com

Dontrelle Willis needed this.

He needed to step onto that mound at Comerica Park and feel the evening sun shine upon him, the clouds in retreat, the swirling winds at bay. He needed to kick his right leg high into the air and bring his left arm across his body in perfect plane as the baseball left his fingertips with a sizzle. He needed this, and so did we.

What happened?

Mere months after providing a final flourish to a World Series victory and capping off a fantastic year for himself, Phillies closer Brad Lidge is enduring a miserable 2009 thus far.

The Toronto Blue Jays have been one of the best stories in the young MLB season, riding hot bats and surprisingly-good young pitching. The Jays were in first place in the AL East until Sunday, where after a now seven-game losing streak, are in third place in the toughest division in baseball.

If you didn't see this fall coming, you must be a die-hard Jays Fan.  Here are five reasons the Jays have cooled off.

5. Overpaid, Underachievers

This can't be the same San Diego Padres team that lost 18 of 22 games through the first few weeks of May, it just can't be.

Well, you can keep telling yourself that, but the San Diego Padres came from six runs behind to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-7, capped by a big two run home run from left fielder Chase Headley in the top half of the tenth inning off Arizona reliever Tony Pena.

The Hall of Fame and baseball writers have become a touchy subject as of late for Bert Blyleven.

During a May 25th broadcast, Blyleven (a color commentator for the Minnesota Twins since 1996) and play-by-play announcer Dick Bremer got on the topic of baseball writers.

"It's a load of crap. Even at 58, I'd like to meet some of those writers on the field. Give them a bat. On second thought, don't give them a bat."

And, of course, the topic soon changed from baseball writers to Hall of Fame voting.

Oh, the drama!

I'm sure I was one of scores of Orioles fans absolutely convinced that Chris Tillman's shortened start the other night was a sign that he was on his way up to Baltimore to take Adam Eaton's spot in the rotation, especially after the O's came out and said his departure had nothing to do with an injury.

Boy, what a difference a day makes.

When John Smoltz came to Boston, my first thought "Another Schilling?"

Yes, at first I was wondering if John could be what Curt Schilling was in 2004, when he led the Sox into the World Series even though he was an aging veteran who had already had his glory years.

Well, I might be off. My heart started sinking a little when I saw he still wasn't ready in late May.

Its hard to believe that we paid 5.5 million dollars for John Smoltz, the 20 year veteran who spent his glory days with the 1990’s Atlanta Braves.