Rickey Henderson, the greatest leadoff hitter ever, and quite clearly one of baseball's all-time greats, was appropriately elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  The only question is, why did 28 of the 539 voters NOT vote for him?  What more are they looking for in a candidate?  It's likely the fact that his cockiness rubbed a few writers the wrong way, because it sure can't be his career numbers that they deemed less than acceptable. 

It will be interesting to see if Greg Maddux, as clean and professional as any ball player, gets a full 100% of the vote.  Probably not, and when the time comes, those that pass him over should be made to justify his absence from their ballots.

MLB baseball, hall of fame, cooperstown, rickey henderson, greg maddux

The 100-year drought continues for at least another year.  After compiling the best record in the National League by a solid margin, the Chicago Cubs find themselves bounced from the playoffs in a three-game sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Being outscored 20-6 and committing six errors clearly show the Cubbies were overmatched in the NLDS. 

While the Dodgers now await the fate of the Phillies and Brewers in their NLDS showdown, the Cubs head home disappointed once again.  My best friend is a Cubs fan, so I feel a bit for him.  At the same time, being a part of Cubdom is a choice, so you have to know the misery you're accepting by making that choice.

Maybe next year, Cubs fans.  For quite literally the one hundredth time, maybe next year.

MLB cubs, 100 years, dodgers

Jason Giambi certainly earned his gigantic paycheck on Thursday.  Entering the game in the seventh inning as a pinch hitter, he drove an 0-1 pitch over the fence to tie the final New York-Boston regular-season game in Yankee Stadium history at 2-2.  Two innings later, Giambi was at the dish again, this time with the sacks packed and facing Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon.  Down 0-2, Giambi stroked a game-winning single to center, sending the Yankee faithful home happy.

Now, even those heroics still leave New York six games behind Boston in the American League wild card race, with Minnesota wedged in, trailing the Sox by 2.5 games.  It would take something close to a 2007-Rockies type of streak for the Bombers to reach the playoffs in their final season in The House That Ruth Built.  And while there will be few outside the Bronx disappointed to see the latest Yankees dynasty officially die, it is a momentous ocassion.

Say what you will about George Steinbrenner and the team's $200 million payroll, but King George never settled for anything less than a championship.  Unlike many owners who are content to pocket hefty profits while their teams wallow in mediocrity, Steinbrenner willingly opened up his admittedly-huge pocketbook when the time came to assemble a wrecking crew of a team.  Sometimes he got exactly what he paid for, sometimes not, but he always gave it his utmost.  There's no questioning that.

MLB yankees, red sox, new york, boston, jason giambi, george steinbrenner

What is Houston thinking?  The Astros are 13-1/2 games out of first and in a dogfight with the Reds and Pirates for last place.  Sounds like a scenario for selling off players, not buying, right?  Wrong, apparently.

GM Ed Wade, following the orders of owner Drayon McLane, is actually adding salary and "talent," first dealing for starting pitcher Randy Wolf, then trading for reliever LaTroy Hawkins.  And he actually gave up players, albeit probably insignificant prospects, to acquire these two while taking on their salaries.

Can someone please inform the Astros brass that they don't have a prayer of contending this year or, at this rate, any year in the near future?  Some teams get it, some don't.  It's pretty obvious which camp Houston falls into.

MLB astros, randy wolf, latroy hawkins, ed wade, drayton mclane

Tampa Bay is in a spot it's never been before - playing games that matter in July and beyond - and it will be very intriguing to see how they hold up over the next couple of months of baseball.

Having endured a seven-game losing streak heading into the All-Star Break that cost them their division lead - which had grown to five full games before their skid - they've rebounded to surge back to the top of the American League East.  However, another lost Tuesday night leaves the Rays just a half game ahead of Boston and a mere three-and-a-half games in front of the suddenly-surging Yankees.

Every win beyond 70 will set a new single-single victory total for the Tampa Bay franchise, but those repeated record-setting performances will feel a bit empty if they don't lead to an unexpected playoff birth.  And unless you're a Yankee fan, you've got to be rooting for the Rays to bring post-season baseball to the Tampa area.

MLB tampa bay, rays, playoffs, new york, yankees, boston, red sox, american league east

Far more credit will go to Jerry Manuel than he actually deserves, but, whatever the spark, the New York Mets are charging hard.  The Amazins have won eight straight games and set a modern-day record by allowing three or fewer hits in each of their last five victories.  New York was the pick of many prognosticators to be the class of the National League, and while that has not come to pass - at least not yet - they sit only a half-game out of first place in the NL East.  It just may be that the Mets rule the roost in the senior circuit before the season is over.

MLB mets, new york, jerry manuel, nl east

The Sabathia-to-Milwaukee deal made perfect sense.  The Brewers are in the playoff hunt, while the Indians are already looking toward 2009.  Sabathia was the best pitcher on the market, while Matt LaPorta is a top-notch hitting prospect.  (Not to dismiss them entirely, but the other three minor leaguers are a significant step down from LaPorta.)

It was a classic win-now vs. win-later deal, and both teams appear to have made out well.What I don't get is the Harden-to-Chicago trade.  Yes, the Cubbies are in the playoff hunt and want to upgrade their starting pitching, but the A's are also very much alive for the post-season.

Oakland sits 3.5 games out of the wild card and six back in the division, though their run differential is much better than the division-leading Angels.Sure, Rich Harden is prone to injury, but's he's pitching regularly and quite well right now.  And Chad Gaudin isn't shabby, either.  What A's GM Billy Beane received in return is nothing more than a menagerie of mediocrity.  Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton and Eric Patterson are merely adequate major leaguers.  John Donaldson is a single-A catcher hitting .217 - 'nuff said there.

Now, maybe this is Beane getting the best he can for a pitcher always one pitch away from the DL.  Maybe he sees some thing in Gallagher or Murton (an Oakland-type hitter) that others don't.  Maybe he doesn't think his squad can make another great second-half run.  But Harden isn't a free agent until after next season, so he's not a three-month rental, and you'd think a hurler with his potential could garner better quality in return than this.

Billy Beane is more often right than wrong, and this deal will take time to fully evaluate, but right now this move appears to signficantly favor the Cubs. 

MLB cubs, a's, billy beane, rich harden, sean gallagher, chad gaudin, matt murton, eric patterson

Fernando Tatis is not a baseball legend.  In fact, most fans probably don't realize he's still in the majors, having recently been called up by the Mets.

Tatis had one great year, though, in 1999, when he hit. .298 with 34 homers, 107 RBI, 104 runs scored and 21 stolen bases.  Unless you're a baseball immortal, you'd happily take numbers like those.

However, it's one particular game in which Tatis shone brighter than ever before or ever again.  Actually, it was one particular inning, and there's a particular reason I remember it so vividly, and that's aside from the accomplishment itself.

Back in the olden days of 1999, KMOX broadcast St. Louis Cardinals games, and you could listen to them online for free.  (What a concept!)  They even had an online scorecard that filled itself in as the game went alone as if someone was scrawling the details down in pencil at the ballpark.  April 23 happened to be the first time I got the audio running at KMOX's web site, so I was thrilled to listen to my Redbirds while living in Cincinnati.  Before that, I could of course catch the Reds broacast when the two teams squared off, or on particularly clear nights I could pick up a scratchy AM signal emanating from the Gateway City a few hundred miles away.

So imagine my surprise when in this first game I hear Tatis crack a grand slam off Chan Ho Park in the third inning.  And it got better a while later when Park was unable to finish things off.  Nine batters later, Tatis came to the plate again, and again the sacks were packed.  I remember calling down the hall to my wife, telling her there was no way it could happen again.  But then the pitch came in, the ball went out, and history was made.  Never before and never since has a player cranked two grand slams in a single inning.  Two long balls and eight ribbies - a pretty good week in a single frame.

So even though Tatis' career quickly careened into near-oblivion, he'll always have a special place in my baseball memories for doing something no one had ever done before.  Thanks, Fernando.  Thanks for the memories.

MLB fernando tatis, grand slam, st. louis, cardinals, chan ho park

The vast majority of the working population had the day off.  The weather this time of year is gorgeous all over the country.  People were searching for some entertainment.  But MLB decided that eight of its 30 franchises should have the day off???

It's amazing the amount of anti-marketing Bud Selig and his buddies are capable of.  No, actually, it's pathetic.

MLB memorial day, schedule

As of today, May 26, the two teams with the best record in baseball have one additional feature in common.  The Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays joined the league together in 1998.  Ten years later, they're the only two teams presently posting .600 winning percentages.

Now, this isn't too surprising for the D'backs.  After all, they've won a World Series, reached 100 victories in only their second season of existence, and generally have been competitive throughout their brief history, with a .508 winning percentage overall.

The Rays, on the other hand, have - to put it bluntly - sucked.  They've won just 40.5% of their games, have lost 100 contests in a campaign three times, and have just managed to eke out 70 victories one single time.  So to see them leading the same division they share with the Yankees and Red Sox is quite a shocker.  However, it appears that the team's long- (LOONNGG) term plan is finally paying off.  Of course, having the first pick in the draft year after year should greatly assist that effort.

So kudos to the Rays for actually having a strong plan and executing it to the point that they're finally able to stand toe-to-toe with the Beasts of the AL East.  After all, is there anyone outside of New York or Boston who doesn't want someone other than the Yanks or Sox to win that division for a change?  Go, Rays!

I'm all for the free market setting prices, but this is just stupid! 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3305979

Tickets that were $25 a dozen years ago now go for $250, and in the New Yankee Stadium they'll be 2-10 times that much.  And there already have been thousands of commitments to purchase these tickets for the next three-to-ten years.  Insane!

MLB yankees, baseball, ticket, price

I wrote recently that there's a dearth of good baseball nicknames these days.  Now here's a nickname for you:

MLB nicknames, kershaw, vin scully, public, enemy

Regardless of whether you’ve played fantasy baseball for years or if this will be your first season, there are numerous topics, strategies, and details that must be addressed before and during the season. This is the first of a three-part overview of what you need to organize a fantasy baseball league, construct your rosters, and - most importantly - win! Let’s get to it.

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If you’re creating a league from scratch, there are several key decisions that you should be making RIGHT NOW.

First, how many owners will your league have? And will you stock your rosters from all the major leagues or just the American or National League?

Too few owners and too many players to choose from will give everyone an All-Star squad, which can take strategy, research and skill out of the equation. Too many owners drafting too few players can leave you picking from a bunch of backups, which no one wants to do.

If the number of owners is eight or less, you should stick to either the AL or NL. If you’re over eight, opening up the pool of players to all of MLB is fine.

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Roster size plays an important role in the previous section, so this needs to be settled early. The typical roto roster has 23 players - two catchers, a first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, corner infielder (1B/3B), middle infielder (2B/SS), five outfielders, nine pitchers, and a utility player (most often an additional hitter). You can trim down or add to this standard, but don’t go overboard in either direction.

Many leagues also have reserve squads in case of injury or ineffectiveness. The number of reserves usually ranges from five to 15. In general, the more owners you have playing, the fewer reserves you should have, since there will be less talent to choose from.

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You’ll also need to determine what categories to use. Standard Rotisserie uses 4x4 - batting average, home runs, RBI, and steals for hitters; wins, ERA, saves, and WHIP (Walks plus Hits divided by Innings Pitched) for pitchers. The popularity of 5x5 leagues (adding runs scored for hitters and strikeouts for pitchers) has increased greatly over the last few years.

Other leagues assign positive or negative points for numerous categories - doubles, triples, steals, caught stealing, shutouts, hits allowed, etc. Some leagues go overboard by using too many categories. This approach makes putting together a good strategy almost impossible because there are too many factors to consider.

Besides, you’re more likely to get a good idea of player values from web sites (like GetSportsInfo.com) and magazines if you stick with 4x4 or 5x5 scoring. However, if you’re looking to be creative and unique, come up with a scoring system all your own. Just make sure you and your fellow owners understand and agree to it in advance.

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To fill out your rosters, choose either a draft or an auction. If you draft, determine the order of selection randomly - picking names from a hat, for instance. And to be fair to the poor schmuck who picks last, you MUST use a snake draft, where the order of selection reverses every other round. For example, if you have a 10-team league, the owner who picks tenth also picks eleventh, and the person who picked first will make the 20th and 21st selections, etc.

If you go with an auction, make sure everyone can set aside plenty of time, because this could take several hours, especially if you’re starting a brand-new league.

You also must decide whether owners can keep players for subsequent years. If so, let everyone know how many players can be kept, for how many years, and at what price - the same as their draft price, or is their a premium added each season?

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You also need to determine how much money (pretend or real) owners will have to fill out their rosters. The standard Rotisserie amount is $260, although this is very flexible. (Why $260? My best guess is that they chipped in $10 a week for a 26-week regular season.).

The money, of course, is crucial. Does the entry fee equal the amount you have available for the auction, or is it some other amount? Are there transaction fees for trades? Will teams have a free agent budget to acquire undrafted talent?

All these questions need to be answered so potential owners know how much it will cost to play. You have to find a financial level that’s comfortable for everyone, but also enough to make it worth playing for. Only you and your friends can make that decision.

And of course everyone wants to know what the payouts will be. How many places in the overall standings will get money at the end of the year? Usually the top third or so get prizes. Also, will you pay out for category or weekly leaders? This is a nice option since it gives everyone a chance to win some cash. And how will ties be broken? You can go with whoever wins the most categories, simply share the money equally, do “Rock, Paper, Scissors” - whatever you like. Just be sure to decide in advance. No one wants to being surprised to find out they’re getting less money that they thought.

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Finally, you’ll have to determine how the stats will be tracked. In the old days one of the owners, usually the commissioner, kept track. It can be a difficult, time-consuming responsibility, which is why stat services have become so popular. Some services are free, while others charge a (sometimes hefty) fee. Yahoo! or somewhere else can do the job for no cost, but you may have to pay to get specific features you’re looking for.

Fantasy Baseball fantasy advice, fantasy baseball 101, fantasy strategy

In our GSI mock draft, Orlando Hudson was selected recently.  Through some odd chain of brain synapses, this brought to mind the horrible nickname I heard a couple years ago for Orlando Cabrera, "O-Cab."  This followed A-Rod, I-Rod, K-Rod, and dozens of other lame nicknames created using a player's first name and the first syllable of his last name.  My goodness, even Chris Berman does better than that - well, sometimes.  Apparently over the past 20 years or so the best we can come up with is "The Big Hurt," which isn't bad but doesn't compare with some of the great baseball nicknames of the past.

 There are the Hall of Famers who don't even need their real names for someone to know who they are - The Sultan of Swat, The Splendid Splinter, The Iron Horse and The Wizard of Oz, to name just a few.  John Martin not only was better known as "Pepper," but he was also called "The Wild Horse of the Osage."  Luke Appling was "Old Aches and Pains,"  brothers Paul and Lloyd Waner were "Big Poison" and "Little Poison," respectively.  In more recent times, we've had Mike "The Human Rain Delay" Hargrove and Vince Colmean, a.k.a. "Vincent Van Go."  And my personal all-time favorite is Bob "Death To Flying Things" Ferguson.

Surely we can come up with some good nicknames for current players.  Otherwise, we'll be stuck for the next 15 years with A-Gord, M-Cab, T-Lin and B-Phil.  Lord help us!

Just For Fun nicknames

And Tom Davis while we're at it.  Listening to these pompous, self-serving imbeciles ramble on about "protecting the children" is intolerable.  It's not about the children, it's about wasting everyone's time and money on a relatively insignificant issue while subjects of far greater importance are placed on the back burner.  How about clearing neighborhoods of drugs like crack?  How about finding Osama Bin Laden?  How about reducing the national deficit?  How about anything that really makes a difference?  No, that would be hard, and this is easy.

After all, what's the point of all these Congressional hearings?  To find out if Clemens ever took PEDs?  We may never get the full truth on that.  Or is it so the politicians can get face time on numerous TV channels, looking good by scolding baseball for its misdeeds?  Now we're on to something.  This is about politicians being politicians, working for themselves instead of for us.

End this joke, please, Mr. Waxman, and go do some real work.

MLB roger clemens, congress, steroids