The wait is over. In an interview with Gary Thorne and Buck Martinez during Tuesday night’s game between the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays, Orioles President Andy MacPhail announced that top prospect Matt Wieters will be making his major league debut on Friday, May 29, when the Detroit Tigers visit Baltimore to face the Orioles.

“We are planning on Friday to introduce him [Wieters] to Major League Baseball right here at Camden Yards against the Tigers,” MacPhail coyly announced to a stunned pair of broadcasters.

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.

I think the time has come to realize that Homer Bailey is not going to be the money pitcher that the Reds management hoped he would become.

In his major league career, all with the Reds, Bailey is 4-8 with a 7.01 ERA.  This includes 18 appearances, each one as a starter.  He has not yet seen the eighth inning of a game from the mound.

I am not out to denigrate Bailey or to maximize his shortcomings.  Perhaps he is not doing what he would be best suited for. 

Rockies 3, Tigers 1 (box)
Record: 24-18 (first place)

Dontrelle Willis was not sharp, but he didn’t have to be sharp. He just had to keep putting zeroes on the board at the end of innings.

He did that five times through six innings, allowing just one run and picking up the second quality start in as many chances.

You know that a baseball series is squat when a total novice to the sport believes that it will be a great series based on the premise that someone has to win.

That was my wife’s perspective on Friday night as we headed to the drive-in movie theater after abandoning all cares for the Baltimore Orioles-Washington Nationals weekend series.

But as it turns out, the “something’s gotta give theory” actually worked out to the Orioles’ advantage.

It is never good to be on a team that wants to deal you to another city. Despite this, San Diego Padres starting pitcher Jake Peavy decided to stay with his team after a deal was made between the Padres and White Sox on Thursday, making use of his no-trade clause.

Peavy signed an extension with San Diego in 2007, and will be a Padre through 2012 barring a successful trade. The extension also came with a $22 million team option for 2013. Peavy turns 28 next Sunday, and will be 31 years old in May 2012.