Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd is the sort of fellow who has the ability to make a brutally honest assessment of his team. "We stink,'' O'Dowd said in a recent interview, an interview conducted even before the Rockies were throttled 20-5 by the Phillies on Monday, lost four straight and fell to 20-34, which is tied for the worst record in baseball.
Baseball's surprising new juggernaut, the Tampa Bay Rays (yes, those Tampa Bay Rays), who seem to have a lot more sunshine in their lives now that they have removed the "Devil'' from their name, is in the unusual position of having the No. 1 pick in the upcoming amateur draft at a time it also has the chance to have baseball's best record.
Lately, the overwhelming trend for young stars has been to sign early in their careers, to take the money and stay, so to speak.
Thank goodness for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who continually restore faith in the belief that yes, indeed, there is a ballclub out there doing just about everything right.
Entering spring training, Indians left hander Cliff Lee was a forgotten man, a former 18-game winner forced to battle for the No. 5 spot in the rotation with the un-established duo of Aaron Laffey and Jeremy Sowers. A month and a half into this season, however, Lee has blown past both of them, and everyone else in the game, to become the best pitcher in baseball.
Not all free-agent contracts are as bad as Mike Hampton's or Barry Zito's. Some actually work out. So now, a few weeks after I listed the 13 worst free-agent contracts of all time (and, as I was reminded, omitted some real doozies), I will pay homage to history's big signings that paid off.
According to a person familiar with what's going on in the upper reaches of the New York Yankees' hierarchy, new boss Hank Steinbrenner currently "blames Brian Cashman for everything.''
The newly-released documentary The Zen of Bobby V is a fascinating look at the culture of baseball in Japan, the last major country where pro baseball is the No. 1 sport, as Chiba Lotte Marine manager Bobby Valentine reminds us in the film about him.
The first-place Florida Marlins are simultaneously confounding the scouts and contradicting their stats. Their batters are first in the league in strikeouts, with 359. Their fielders are second in errors, with 40.
The winter of 2007-08 brought us some honest-to-goodness blockbuster trades. Hitting prodigy Miguel Cabrera, star starters Johan Santana, Dan Haren, Erik Bedard and Dontrelle Willis plus standout shortstops Miguel Tejada and Orlando Cabrera all changed teams in the busiest winter trading season in years.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons and Rangers manager Ron Washington have jumped off their managerial hot seats thanks to recent hot streaks. But Gibbons and Washington have now been replaced by John McLaren of the Mariners and Willie Randolph of the Mets.
Mets manager Willie Randolph is not going to be enjoying himself at Monday's meeting with the team's top brass. He's not going to feel very comfortable at the confab.
Mets manager Willie Randolph is not going to be enjoying himself at Monday's meeting with the team's top brass. He's not going to feel very comfortable at the confab.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons and Rangers manager Ron Washington have jumped off their managerial hot seats thanks to recent hot streaks. But Gibbons and Washington have now been replaced by John McLaren of the Mariners and Willie Randolph of the Mets.
The winter of 2007-08 brought us some real honest-to-goodness blockbuster trades. Hitting prodigy Miguel Cabrera, star starters Johan Santana, Dan Haren, Erik Bedard and Dontrelle Willis plus standout shortstops Miguel Tejada and Orlando Cabrera all changed teams in the busiest winter trading season in years.
MIAMI -- The first-place Marlins are simultaneously confounding the scouts and contradicting their stats. Their batters are first in the league in strikeouts, with 359. Their fielders are second in errors, with 40.
The newly-released documentary The Zen of Bobby V is a fascinating look at the culture of baseball in Japan, the last major country where pro baseball is the No. 1 sport, as Chiba Lotte Marine manager Bobby Valentine reminds us in the film about him.
According to a person familiar with what's going on in the upper reaches of the New York Yankees' hierarchy, new boss Hank Steinbrenner currently "blames Brian Cashman for everything.''
Not all free-agent contracts are as bad as Mike Hampton's or Barry Zito's. Some actually work out. So now, a few weeks after I listed the 13 worst free-agent contracts of alltime (and, as I was reminded, omitted some real doozies), I will pay homage to history's big signings that paid off.
Entering spring training, Indians left hander Cliff Lee was a forgotten man, a former 18-game winner forced to battle for the No. 5 spot in the rotation with the un-established duo of Aaron Laffey and Jeremy Sowers. A month and a half into this season, however, Lee has blown past both of them, and everyone else in the game, to become the best pitcher in baseball.
Thank goodness for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who continually restore faith in the belief that yes, indeed, there is a ballclub out there doing just about everything right.
Lately, the overwhelming trend for young stars has been to sign early in their careers, to take the money and stay, so to speak.
Prospective Cubs owner Mark Cuban got as far as the front row last week in Wrigley. But although it would be a treat to see the Dallas Mavericks' outspoken owner also own baseball's beloved 99-year loser, he still may never get any closer to the owners bow than he was the other day.
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