Fan News

"Oh [expletive]."

That's what I'd be thinking if I were a sports agent right now—more specifically, an agent representing one of Major League Baseball's forthcoming crop of free agents.

The problem might be just the same in the other major American sports, but it's baseball season, so I'm talking small ball.

Last season, the Washington Nationals lost 102 games, and their accompanying statistics bore that out. They were 13th in runs per game, 15th in home runs, and dead last in slugging percentage.

This year, the Nationals are on track to lose 108 games, but this time, their statistics seem to make their bad start an aberration.

After 20 games, the team is scoring a league-average 4.5 runs per game, is sixth in the league with 22 home runs and a .270 team batting average, and tied for second with 87 walks.

After loading the bases in the fourth inning, Joba Chamberlain appeared one pitch away from a disastrous outing.

Chamberlain had already walked three batters, thrown just 43 percent of his pitches for strikes, and trailed 1-0.

Let's face it, San Diego is baseball's official doormat. The average fan might be able to name two or three players on their roster.

However, among this baseball graveyard is the best player nobody talks about.

Padres first baseman, Adrian Gonzalez.

Call it some strange obsession, but when I see a team like the Nationals or the Padres that are clearly a bad team, I become intrigued and look into who makes up that roster. That's why for all his off-the-field issues, I love Elijah Dukes.

With things being a bit in flux in Queens, there are plenty of people that think some sort of roster shakeup may be on the cards.

Jerry Manuel has been quoted as saying he would like to see another reliever in his bullpen, but that would probably be at the expense of somebody on the bench.

With Alex Cora and Fernando Tatis being the virtual locks to stay, one would think that the two men who would have the highest likelihood to go in favor of a pitcher would be Jeremy Reed or Gary Sheffield.

You sit on your couch, looking at the clock, waiting in limbo for the hand to hit the number that signals the start of the professional game you have been waiting for all day. You would give anything to be there, but because the ticket price is out of your range, you settle onto the couch with your girlfriend.

After a long day of work, you are tired and want to relax by watching your game. You really enjoy that your girlfriend is making the effort to watch with you, but you could really go without the questions about the game.

Amid the myriad of problems the Colorado Rockies have encountered so far in this young season, the inconsistency of a supposedly strong bullpen has to grace the top spot on the list.

Coming into the season with the additions of former closer Huston Street and veteran lefty Alan Embree to fortify a bullpen already boasting Manny Corpas, Jason Grilli, and Taylor Buchholz, the bullpen was seen to be the least of the Rockies' worries.

But the problems began before the first pitch was even thrown.

The Chicago Cubs came into this season with the expectation of at least contending for a World Series title.

However, they have struggled mightily this season, and they have been unable to live up to the high expectations that accompanied a seemingly unstoppable pitching rotation and batting order.

As of late, the Cubs have been even worse, as they have gone 3-5 in the month of May.  What the problem has been for the Cubs is an inability to be consistently strong.

Aaron Cook has been an interesting case so far this season. In four starts coming into Wednesday's day game against the Padres, Cook has looked terrible.

It's time for the Mets to take very drastic measures in fixing their bullpen.  Get rid of it!  Keep JJ Putz and Fransisco Rodriguez and dump the rest.  Forget the righty, lefty match-ups and dump them all. 

Think I am crazy don't you? Just wait, it gets better.

Instead of five starters, the two backups in the minors that usually are called up, just have nine to ten starters on the team.  That way, you have eleven pitchers, nine of them starters and two of them closers. 

Just follow.