Every time I watch a baseball game I always have the same question: What is that thing on the hitter's thumbs? After being told, "I don't know" and, "Move your face off the screen" for the hundredth time, I took it upon myself to investigate.

As you watch some of your favorite hitters, check out their thumb on the hand closest to the end of the bat. Some of them are sporting a little tab of plastic that sits between the bat and the space between the thumb and the rest of your fingers.

Since it seems like Reds all-time player lists are all the rage these days, I thought it be best to hop the band-waggon before it fills.

Forget those other guys. They aren't even Reds' fans. My list is the one, the only, and the best.

For starters my catcher...wait, how do I make this list stuff? 

Since I don't know how to create a slide show I'll just list them by name and reason. 

Catcher:  Bo Diaz

Why? 

The dude died for his family. 

For those of you who haven't heard, the 2009 San Francisco Giants are built on pitching and for the most part, their pitching has been nothing but dominant.

Both the starting rotation and bullpen have been rock-solid all season long, but not without their fare share of weak spots.

One of those weak spots was recently replaced when rookie pitcher Ryan Sadowski took over the fifth spot in the rotation from a struggling Jonathan Sanchez.

"Manny was of a mind, 'Just let me take batting practice.'  I encouraged him to play games.  If he's going to miss 50 games, then he's going to have to do something."  Joe Torre stated this in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated's Dan Patrick.

Yes, Manny should continue to play and practice baseball.  With him missing 50 games, that is a lot of time to get out of shape.

Why should Manny get to return before his 50-game suspension?

As is the case every season, the official announcement of the rosters for the All-Star game has created some controversy.

The fans and players votes have been tallied and some glaring omissions need to be mentioned.

So without further adieu, let's take a look at the five biggest All-Star game snubs of 2009.

Amidst their current losing ways, a star burns bright in Camden Yards.

Seventy years ago today on July 4, 1939, New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig made one of the most famous speeches in sport's history with his "Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth" speech.

In this speech, Gehrig told fans at Yankee Stadium he was grateful for the great career he had, and for all of the support he got from everyone around him during his life.

Bobby Cox is a smart manager, but his old-school approach to managing a bullpen cost Tommy Hanson a win on Saturday.

A big reason why the Boston Red Sox have won two World Series in the last five years is because a bunch of arms in the bullpen are rested after they've pitched two or three days in a row.

The Braves do have that luxury—as Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez are closers. Both have been very good this year, but Cox has for years depended too heavily on his most reliable relievers.

Saturday afternoon's game in Washington was a prime example.

Today's game versus the Nats is one that just makes you sick to your stomach.

Seven innings of one-run ball from your starter, a solid performance from your offense, and your normally shut-down eighth and ninth inning guys are coming in to finish the job.

Just the recipe that had won the Braves five straight before today.

Accredit it to arm fatigue, lack of focus, the Nationals' offense, or whatever you want. It's still a heartbreaker to blow a lead late, especially when your team's 30-1 (I believe that's right), when leading after seven.

Jason Giambi apologized when he returned to the Yankees after testifying before a grand jury to admit he had used steroids. Friday night, at a postgame conference, it was Manny Ramirez doing the exact same thing, just in a slight difference.