May 21, 2012; Worcester, MA, USA; Worcester Tornadoes infielder Jose Canseco (33) prior to a game against the Quebec Capitales at Fitton Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Jose Canseco is one of the most interesting men in the world and today he found his way back in headlines. On a quiet sports day, Canseco decided to tweet out to all of his followers that he is being charged with rape by a Las Vegas woman. The police apparently showed up at his door today after a woman alleges that he drugged her and then raped her.

Here is the tweet:

Breaking news this is a first folks las vegas police was just at my house i have been charged with rape by a susie bell from las vegas

— Jose Canseco (@JoseCanseco) May 22, 2013

He didn’t stop there:

All media welcome to this drama filled event. Did i rape susie bell or is she lieing. Stay tuned to another day in the life of jose canseco

— Jose Canseco (@JoseCanseco) May 22, 2013

I just double-checked the date. It is not April 1, so I have no idea what Jose Canseco is thinking. He is certainly a unique individual that we will probably never be able to understand.

Hopefully this is not true and it’s just Canseco being Canseco, but I have a hunch that this is not the last we will be hearing about this story. This could get interesting.

Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sport

Miguel Cabrera has quietly become the best player in baseball today — well quietly if you’re watching him from afar. For those watching the brilliance Cabrera is showing every night with the Detroit Tigers, you’ll know that he’s violently become the best in baseball thanks to his ability to hammer the ball all over the field and drive in runs for Detroit.

But while he’s the best in the game at the moment, one player has come out of the wood-work to tell everyone to calm down before rushing to shower Cabrera with acclaim so quickly. Barry Bonds has surfaced in Howard Hughes-like fashion to wave is curled fingernails at the notion that Cabrera is the best of all-time — because everyone was totally saying that.

“He’s definitely the best,” Bonds said of Cabrera, via USA TODAY Sports. “It’s not rocket science here. He’s the best. By far. Without a doubt. The absolute best.”

But….

Bonds gave Cabrera his props for what he’s done, as it would be wildly hypocritical of the guy who was out for constant pats on the back to withhold accolades for a guy clearly rising above the rest. But he extended his compliment and firmly reversed it into a back-handed one, by saying Cabrera isn’t comparable to him because Bonds was better.

“I don’t try to compare me to anybody,” Bonds said. “I was the best on the field. I did more things than he did. My game was different than his game. So comparing him, to me, there’s no comparison. He doesn’t have my MVPs. He doesn’t have my numbers. Well, not yet, anyways.”

What Bonds isn’t mentioning is that every time a player like Cabrera heats up, there is hope around baseball that he will indeed one day have Bonds’ numbers– but he’ll have done it the legit way.

When Barry Bonds is mentioned, a cloud suddenly forms in the sky and is cast over whatever is said about him. This has everything to do his is too close for comfort existence with steroids. He’s largely labeled as the poster child of that era, the worst of the worst. It’s truly a Shakespearean tragedy as Bonds was well on his way to being the best there ever was in the late 80s and early 90s but his constant need to be the biggest headline drove him allegedly into steroid use.

When Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire were racing towards Roger Mantle’s 61 home runs record in 1998, Bonds was breaking records as well but he was always bumped to the back page thanks to the thrill of the home run chase. So, he thought that if people wanted a show, he’d give them one and he ended up breaking McGwire’s record as well as Hank Aaron’s career record as well.

But the cloud of doubt around Bonds has taken all the juice out of his accomplishments because is widely believed he was injecting the stuff into his body. That means when a guy like Cabrera is becoming the best player in the game, Bonds has very little authority when it comes to judgment.

Former WWF/WWE Superstar (that’s what they call them), Jake “The Snake” Roberts, sang “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” to thousands of horrified fans at the Dodgers-Braves game on Friday night.

Terrifying people is what Jake “The Snake” does. It’s his MO.

His character, back in his wrestling glory days, used to carry a giant sack to the ring with him. Inside that giant sack, was a giant python named “Damien.” ‘Cause what else would you name your snake?

Anyway, Roberts would usually use his snake to intimidate his opponents. Sometimes the poor bastard (the snake, not Roberts) would get out of the sack and slither around the ring, giving everyone at home the heebeegeebees.

Is that how you spell heebeegeebees? Is it even a word? Someone consult a dictionary.

Where was I?

Oh, yeah, so “The Snake” knows all about scaring the crap out of people.

But nothing he did while wrestling, save perhaps this promo, was as terrifying as his performance on Friday night.

Jake "The Snake" Roberts/Macho Man Randy Savage… by TSteck160

Creepy, right? Kind of like serial killer meets porn star. Serial killer porn star. Interestingly enough, Jake sure is looking an awful like Ron Jeremy these days.

I won’t even comment on the Randy Savage section. Dear Lord.

All right, here it is. Jake ‘The Snake” sings Take Me Out To The Ball Game.

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Ichiro Suzuki has had a Hall of Fame worthy career and he’s essentially a lock at this point to get a bust in Cooperstown. But while his production throughout his career is well known and widely recognized as some of the best stats baseball has ever seen, the New York Yankees are starting to wonder if those numbers are all behind Ichiro and if the end is finally here.

Derek Albin of Pinstripe Bible crunched Ichiro’s numbers as of late and came to the conclusion of lot of fans might not want to hear – Ichiro Suzuki is on his way out of baseball.

Ichiro’s certainly done as a regular, and truthfully has been finished since 2011 with the exception of one month. The other outfield candidates are simply better: Brett Gardner gets on base more frequently and is an elite defender, there’s reason to be cautiously optimistic about Vernon Wells for the rest of the season, and Curtis Granderson needs no rationalization.

The Yankees acquired Ichiro last year before the July trade deadline in a deal with the Seattle Mariners. The Japanese outfielder burst onto the scene back in 2000 and has since dominated hitting stats, amassing close to 3,000 hits in his MLB career and almost 4,000 hits if you lump in the 1,278 hits he picked up while playing with the Orix BlueWave of the Japanese League.

He’s probably not going to retire short of getting 3,000 hits, as he’s one of the best hitters to ever play the game. Had Ichiro come directly into Major League Baseball when he started his professional career in 1992, he very well could have finished his career with the most hits ever, topping Pete Rose’s current record of 4,256.

But the legend is on his way out, and as he sinks further and further back on the depth chart, picking up those 361 hits needed to make it into the 3,000 hit club. 

April 10, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes (7) dives back to first safe in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Toronto Blue Jays fans thought they were going to have to wait until the All-Star break to get shortstop Jose Reyes back into the lineup, but according to Gregor Chrisholm from MLB.com, that timetable appears to have gotten pushed up and Reyes could return a few weeks earlier than expected and play at the end of June.

Reyes was expected to be out until the All-Star break, but Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos said it’s possible that timeline could be pushed up to the end of June. The biggest test will come when he starts running, something which likely will happen within the next couple of weeks.

When the Toronto Blue Jays robbed the Miami Marlins of their best remaining players this offseason, they looked poised to finally be competitive and make a run at winning a wide open AL East. But before the fun could start, shortstop Jose Reyes suffered a significant ankle injury during the second week of the season and the prognosis was not good.

News that Reyes could be back ahead of schedule will excite Jays fans and could mean the team gets competitive heading into the All-Star break. Chrisholm states that Reyes current injury is not unlike one he suffered in 2003 while with the New York Mets, an injury that only caused him to miss 26 games.

Toronto could certainly use Reyes back in the lineup as not only would it help ticket sales, it could help the Jays get out of the cellar in the East. 

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Some of the toughest warriors in the Army are those left behind at home by fathers who go off to serve their country. One of those warriors was nine-year old Alayna Adams who’s father, Army Lieutenant Colonel Will Adams, was deployed to Afghanistan for the past year. What little Alayna knew was that she would be throwing out the first pitch of the Tampa Bay Rays game on Thursday. What she didn’t know was crouched behind the plate, ready to catch the ball she was throwing, was her father.

No matter your stance on the military, try watching this heartwarming reunion of a father and his daughter and not get choked up a little bit.

Words honestly don’t describe what that feeling must have been like for both Will and his daughter, but it’s safe to say there wasn’t a dry eye in the house after they shared their moment in front of thousands of Rays faithful.

The outcome of the game really didn’t matter to two fans in attendance last night as they had already won something more valuable than a baseball game in mid-May. For Will and Alayna, nothing can match the emotion of that magic moment they spent and nothing will top the feeling in that girl’s heart than the moment the mask was lifted off and she was reunited with her father once again.

July 31, 2011; Spartanburg, SC, USA; Carolina Panthers line backer Jon Beason (52) signs autographs during training camp at Gibbs Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Lardner is a writer for FanSided partner BroJackson.com. For more great content, head on over to Bro Jackson and check out Matt’s work.

I was toiling in line when I had my epiphany. WWE wrestler Batista was signing autographs at a massive car show, and by signing autographs, I mean doing everything he could not to sign autographs. He showed up about an hour late, as the line snaked around a massive hangar. It would take forever to make it to the front. He uncomfortably grasped hands and spewed platitudes, before doing that thing so synonymous with fame and fandom: putting pen to paper (or shirt or action figure or breast). He was miserable, and, from a range that would take binoculars to see him up close, so was I.

Why did I want this lumbering oaf to sign something for me? Did I need a talisman, proof that I met somebody famous in an inauthentic and controlled environment? I decided then that autographs were just about the worst way to commemorate meeting a celebrity, awkward and trite for both us and them. There are a number of reasons why valuing stunted sloppy penmanship as a grail is silly:

You’re essentially asking for a receipt.
If you’re so untrustworthy that your friends and family doubt you when you say you brushed paths with success, there’s character issues deeper than a squiggly-lined marker. And showing people your autograph is only slightly more interesting than baby pictures and Instagrammed desserts.

Stars don’t care about you.
At a staged autograph signing, celebrities are endorsing a product or company, or promoting themselves as a brand. Those who flock to lines are herded sheep, corporate targets for brand extension. If they seem affable or in any way grateful to write their name for you, it’s a charade. They’re actors, acting interested (though not surprisingly, Batista couldn’t act enthused, he can’t act at all http://youtu.be/yw6REYlvQx0).

Autographs are easily forgable.
You can buy pretty good looking fake autographs online, that are only discernible from the real versions by collectors. When you show your cousin Devon, chances are he can’t call you out on your fake Tom Hanks playbill from memory. If the line between forgery and authentic is so slim, it renders a true autograph pretty much meaningless.

There’s little to no resale value.
In my wrestling phase, I bought a signed 8×10 of WWE superstar Christian, certified authentic, for eight bucks. Look on eBay; unless it’s a megastar or some kind of weird card misprint, most autographs sell for dirt cheap. One of my favorite time-wasters is to go into the autographs section and search for the lowest-priced ones, where I see forgotten athletes and entertainers be assigned a value for their name. Sorry, former MLBer Marty Cordoba, your signature is worth $1.51. Shipped.

It devalues the personal experience.
Why would we want to make meeting someone famous transactional? That’s what it is; you say your stupid sentence that’s been brewing in your mind for hours, famous person gives a courteous but unconvincing chuckle or parse-lipped smile, you hand him your thing, he drools Sharpie on to the surface, then it gets buried in your closet or at the bottom of the shelf. It would be so much better if you came out of it with a picture or a memorable story. If you run into Gerard Butler on the subway, tell him about that time you watched “300″ and then questioned your heterosexuality. Ruin Mariah Carey’s breakfast by reminding her she’s going home to Nick Cannon. That’s a much better story to tell people than saying some jock wrote a word for me. Yeah, a whole one, spelled his name right and everything.

Autographs are selfish.
Selfishness is looking out for self-interest at the expense of others. We’ve all seen the autograph hounds, greasy adults who outmuscle kids to get to the hot rookie at training camp, who make sure the signature isn’t made out to anyone specific. It’s detestable and petty; kids who have an inherent star-struck glee getting dejected over missing out on a grail because some guy in a 3XL jersey stepped in front of little Jimmy to make chump change. Additionally, you’re leeching the livelihood out of celebrities, one interrupted dinner at a time. There’s no symbiosis to attracting an aggressive horde everywhere you go, especially when it isn’t true fans but slimy dirtballs.

With hours to go, in the midst of a revelation that would change my fandom forever, I decided to do it. I ducked out of line, walked out of the hangar and into the sunshine, a transcendent moment, bathing in the warmth of incandescent rays. I was finally free. Batista left right after I did; his “hand was sore,” said the promoter. I never would have made it to the front. Thousands left unhappy; I wasn’t one of them. Autographs suck.

May 9, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; Atlanta Braves left fielder Justin Upton (8) hits a triple during the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants at AT

Greetings! As MLB teams approach the “quarter pole” of their long, 162-game slate, it is time to take a look at what has transpired in the opening weeks of the 2013 season. There have been positive surprises, early-season letdowns (cough, Los Angeles Angels), and breakout performances in the early going, and we’ll take a look at each division combined with some way, way too early award picks. If you missed it, check out the American League version, but it’s on to part 2 with the National League. Let’s go!

NL EAST

If you had told me that there would be exactly one NL East team with a positive run differential, I wouldn’t have believed you, but that’s the case through the first quarter.

The Braves are the current class of the NL East at 22-16 and at a +30, they’re currently 3rd in the NL in run differential. It’s been an incredibly interesting experiment in Atlanta, as they’ve put together an extremely strikeout-prone lineup while also leading the NL in home runs with 52. Justin Upton has been a world-beater, but the strength of the lineup is in their depth, and with Brian McCann’s hot streak after coming off of injury, they may even be better than their record. The pitching lacks a “true” number 1 starter, but Mike Minor has done a good impression of one (2.75 ERA this season after a crazy-good 2nd half of 2012) and the bullpen is among the best in baseball.

Washington was the consensus NL favorite coming into the year, and while their record hasn’t quite matched that pace, they are still a good club. Bryce Harper has been everything he was cracked up to be (1.022 OPS, 10 home runs) and Ian Desmond has followed up his breakout year with another fine start. After that, however, the lineup has faltered a bit as Adam Laroche (.602 OPS) and Ryan Zimmerman struggle to get things going. Their vaunted starting rotation has taken a bit of a hit as well, as Stephen Strasburg has been good but not great (3.10 ERA) and Gio Gonzalez has fallen off in a big way (4.20 ERA). Jordan Zimmermann has been a world-beater, but they’ll need more from their other top options, and the “old” Dan Haren would be a plus as well. 

This isn’t your older brother’s Philadelphia team. Chase Utley has found his old form (.856 OPS with 7 HR and 4 SB), but outside of his throwback performance, the Philly offense has been a mess. They’ve managed a woeful 138 runs through 39 games (18-21 record) and the Michael Young (.395 slugging) and Ben Revere acquisitions have fallen short thus far. Ryan Howard is also a major concern as an all-bat, no-glove guy who can’t hit lefties (still), and I’m not sure that’s going to improve. On the pitching side, the Roy Halladay conundrum has been covered in detail, but it looks as if he may be “done” after a dreadful start. In his absence, they desperately need top from from Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee, and while Lee has been lights-out (2.86 ERA), Hamels is still sporting a 4.18 ERA as the calendar turns to mid-May. Philly is a solid club, but I don’t see them contending without some vast improvements.

The Mets will likely be only covered once every 5 days this season. Matt Harvey has been incredible for New York this year, but outside of his dominance (we’ll come back to him), it’s been pretty uneventful. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th starters for New York (Niese, Gee, and Hefner) all have ERA’s above 4.60 and with Shaun Marcum looking washed-up, it may be a rough summer. In the lineup, David Wright is a monster (.928 OPS, 5 HR, 7 SB), but the supporting cast (namely Ike Davis) has been woeful, and they simply can’t generate the production needed to compete in this division.

Will the Marlins ever score a run!? Through 38 games, Miami has 108 runs scored. The next-lowest run total for any MLB team is 123 by the White Sox… in two less games. Translation? The Miami offense is dreadful. Their bellcow, Giancarlo Stanton, has only 88 plate appearances due to injury, and outside of him, the only Major-League level hitter is Justin Ruggiano (who has 7 HR and 5 SB). There isn’t a remedy for bad offense, and it’s not going anywhere. Their pitching is semi-respectable between rookie Jose Fernandez and re-emergences from Kevin Slowey and Ricky Nolasco, but I can stop typing now.

NL CENTRAL

There will be a battle in the NL Central all season, and the fact that Cincinnati and St. Louis are rivals makes the tension even larger.

The Cardinals are a blazing 24-13 out of the gate, and that 37-game mark is good for the best in the National League. It seems that every time the calendar turns to April, the Cardinals just re-load and do it again, and this is no different. Carlos Beltran (9 HR), Matt Carpenter (.373 OBP) and Matt Holliday key a solid offense, but the pitching is where St. Louis is making waves. They’ve allowed a league-low 125 runs and the five-some of Adam Wainwright, Shelby Miller, Lancy Lynn, Jake Westbrook, and Jaime Garcia has been incredible. None of the 5 has an ERA over 2.88, and Wainwright has been a top-5 pitcher in the National League. It’s probably unsustainable (especially for Westbrook and Garcia), but the Cards are here to stay.

Cincinnati owns the best home record in baseball at 16-6, and the Great American Ballpark has been the definition of “friendly confines” this year. Even with only 17 innings from Johnny Cueto, the Reds have patched together a solid rotation, and Mat Latos leads the way with a 3.04 ERA over 50.1 innings. Tony Cingrani has been a revelation after arriving from the minors, and while there’s speculation of an imminent demotion, his deceptive delivery has kept the opposition on their heels (2.89 ERA, 11.89 K/9). Offensively, the Reds have one of the best hitters alive in Joey Votto, and both he and Shin-Soo Choo have OBP numbers of over .440 on the young season. They’ll need to get Jay Bruce (3 HR) going, but it’s a deep offense that will keep them in contention.

Can the Pirates do it? Can they finish over .500 for the first time since 1992? A 21-17 start is a good sign for their ability to do so, and the pitching just needs to hold up over 162 games. AJ Burnett (yes, THAT AJ Burnett) has an amazing season going with a 2.73 ERA and 11.57 K/9 (insane for a starter) in his 56 innings. Behind him, things haven’t always been pretty with guys like James McDonald (who has fallen apart since the 1st-half of 2012), but Jeff Locke and Wandy Rodriguez have picked up the slack a bit. With the bats, they’ve been able to produce big-time run totals despite a so-so start from their leader, OF Andrew McCutchen. McCutchen has an OPS of only .753 (4 HR, 7 SB), but Starling Marte has been red-hot all season (5 HR, 10 SB, .389 OBP) and they’ve gotten power across the board.

Milwaukee is the definition of a “meh” team on paper. With that said, they’ve had 3 of the best players in the entire National League this season. Ryan Braun (their resident star) has almost taken a back seat (despite a .975 OPS) to both Jean Segura and Carlos Gomez so far, and with good reason. Segura is currently sporting a 1.000 OPS (exactly) with 6 home runs and 13 steals from the shortstop position, and while those video-game numbers stick out, Carlos Gomez has nearly matched them with a 1.042 OPS (!!), 6 home runs, and 8 steals of his own. Now, you ask yourself… how are the Brewers 16-20?! The answer is in the pitching. Outside of a solid Kyle Lohse debut (3.53 ERA), the rotation is a mess with Yovani Gallardo, Wily Peralta, and Marco Estrada having ERA’s over 4.70. The truth is somewhere in the middle, as both Segura and Gomez are sure to cool off while the pitchers emerge, but they are likely no better than a .500 club.

Go ahead and add another year of “wait” to the Cubs. At 16-22, they’re 8.5 games back of the Cardinals and they’re  heading the other direction. On the bright side for Chicago, they just locked up young stud Anthony Rizzo to a 7-year extension, but other than a nice year from him (9 HR, .875 OPS), the offense has sputtered. The pitching is in good hands with former Notre Dame football player Jeff Samardzija (3.70 ERA, 10.54 K/9), but hot starts from Travis Wood and Carlos Villanueva will cool down shortly, and they’ll be left with a middling (at best) roster.

NL WEST

$200 million doesn’t buy what it used to. Just ask the Dodgers.

The defending champion San Francisco Giants own the NL West lead with a 23-15 record. Every year, we examine their roster and think, “how do they do this?”, but they always come through. In 2013, San Francisco has relied on lights-out work from Madison Bumgarner and Barry Zito (not the names you’d expect) in the pitching staff as Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum work through issues, and with the bats, they seem to get production from almost everywhere. Buster Posey is an absolute stud (.920 OPS, 5 HR), but they have 4+ homers from Brandon Belt, Pablo Sandoval, Brandon Crawford, and Hunter Pence, and that pretty much sums things up.

Arizona has a new “gritty” (copyright, Kirk Gibson) approach, and it seems to be working. Aside from the wretched trade that shipped Justin Upton to Atlanta (yikes), Kevin Towers has pushed the right buttons. Even with a struggling Martin Prado, the D-Backs have managed to score runs, thanks to a breakout from Paul Goldschmidt (10 h0me runs, .993 OPS) and fringe production from guys like AJ Pollock and Eric Chavez. The pitching doesn’t scare anyone, but Patrick Corbin has been dealing to the tune of a 1.75 ERA, and Trevor Cahill is beginning to deliver on his prospect promise.

The Rockies are back to their old, mashing ways. Colorado is 2nd in the NL in runs scored, and their “big five” is the reason. Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez, Michael Cuddyer, Dexter Fowler, and Wilin Rosario each sport OPS’s of over .800, and at least 7 home runs on the season, single-handedly carrying a top-heavy lineup. Tulo is a pure injury risk, but it’s easy to forget his greatness when he’s on the field, and he’s been tremendous. The rotation is where things fall apart in Colorado, but Jhoulys Chacin (2.70 ERA) and Jorge De la Rosa (2.98 ERA) have been both solid after long-term injuries, and if they can sustain that success, Colorado will be competitive.

San Diego is following their usual protocol. They have trouble scoring, they can win games in their spacious ballpark, and they’re falling out of contention at a rapid rate. Without the benefit of a single, top-flight pitcher, their patchwork rotation (led by Clayton Richard) fails away from Petco Park, and the bats aren’t good enough to sustain success. Chase Headley is a player to watch, but the Padres don’t have the talent level to challenge San Francisco and company.

The two biggest messes in MLB are both in Los Angeles, and the Dodgers are 1-A to the Angels. They lost Zack Greinke after just 11.1 innings, Chad Billingsley after 12 innings, and Chris Capuano after 15 (dreadful) innings. Before the season, they had a pitching “surplus”, but now, they are left with the always-dominant Clayton Kershaw (1.62 ERA in 55.2 innings) and not a lot else outside of rookie Hyun-Jin Ryu. Offensively, the injury bug also hit the Dodgers, as Hanley Ramirez has missed much of the season, but the bigger issue is the production of Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. Kemp, once an MVP player, has scuffled in a big way, with only 1 home run in 156 PA’s, and Ethier hasn’t been much better as his failure to hit left-handed pitching shines through. It is too early to turn out the lights on a very, very talented roster, but LA has dug a deep hole (7.5 games back of San Fran) and it’s time to climb out.

—–

To the awards! Yes, it’s incredibly early to start handing out hardware, but there have been some stellar early-season performances, and they deserve a tip of the cap.

NL Rookie of the Year - Shelby Miller, SP St. Louis

The NL rookie class is much, much better than the AL version this season. Shelby Miller gets my nod on the strength of a 1.58 ERA in his first 45.2 innings this season, and frankly, he’d be a top-10 Cy Young candidate if the season ended today. He’s been almost unhittable (10.05 Ks per 9), and at the tender age of 22, he’s going to be a monster. Hyun-Jin Ryu and Evan Gattis both have claims more worthy than those of anyone in the American League, but Miller is the runaway winner.

NL Cy Young - Matt Harvey, SP New York

Matt Harvey has taken the National League (and really, all of the Majors) by storm in his first 8 starts this year. In 56.1 innings, he’s posted a 1.44 ERA (!!) with a strikeout rate of 9.91 per 9 innings and recently fell just short of a no-hitter. He’s been the lone bright spot on an otherwise wretched Mets season, but Harvey has been the best pitcher in the league thus far. Adam Wainwright (2.2 WAR, 0.61 walks per 9) would certainly be a worthy and deserving choice (as would Clayton Kershaw and Jordan Zimmermann), but it’s been the year of Matt Harvey thus far.

NL MVP - Justin Upton

Atlanta GM Frank Wren must have a good chuckle when he thinks back to his conversations with Arizona GM Kevin Towers this off-season. “What’s that? Justin Upton is available?… For that?!” Upton has been the best player in the NL this year, slugging .644 in knocking 13 home runs in only 162 plate appearances, and in doing so, he’s led Atlanta to the NL East lead. There are certainly deserving candidates (Carlos Gomez, Bryce Harper, Jean Segura), but Upton stands above the rest, and Kevin Towers is to thank for every Braves fan.

—–

In the end, it’s been a highly eventful and entertaining quarter of the MLB season. As the summer heats up, it’ll be interesting to see how the landscape changes, but at the very least, it’ll be must-see TV.

May 12, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria (3) doubles during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay Rays defeated the San Diego Padres 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Greetings! As MLB teams approach the “quarter pole” of their long, 162-game slate, it is time to take a look at what has transpired in the opening weeks of the 2013 season. There have been positive surprises, early-season letdowns (cough, Los Angeles Angels), and breakout performances in the early going, and we’ll take a look at each division combined with some way, way too early award picks. First up? The American League. Let’s go!

AL EAST

In a season where many expected the AL East to be turned upside-down from the norm, things look very similar to the status quo thus far.

The Yankees are currently in 1st-place on the strength of a 24-14 record, and they’ve done it without the services of Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez. How is that possible? Well, Vernon Wells (!!!) has 9 home runs (.875 OPS) and 4 steals on the season and they’ve even gotten positive contributions from Travis Hafner (6 home runs in 115 PA’s) and Lyle Overbay. Team that with a great bullpen led by the full-on return of Mariano Rivera and a great start from Hiroki Kuroda (2.31 ERA in 50.2 innings) and you have an unlikely division leader. 

Baltimore is right on the heels of the Yankees with a 23-15 record, and any thought of their close-game “magic” running out after 2012 seems to be unfounded. They’ve done it offensively on the back of young stud Manny Machado (.891 OPS, gold glove defense) and 11 home runs from Chris Davis, but it has really been the pitching (read: bullpen) that has kept them winning close games. Jim Johnson has been one of the best closers in all of baseball thus far, sporting a sparking 0.95 with 14 saves, and it seems like deja vu all over again in Baltimore. 

The Red Sox have lost 8 of 10 games as I write this… and they are still 22-16 after a red-shot start. Clay Buchholz (6-0, 1.69 ERA) and Jon Lester (5-0, 2.73 ERA) have re-emerged as “studs” in the early going, and Boston has even gotten 22.1 quality innings from John Lackey. Offensively, David Ortiz came back from the DL with a torrid stretch, and even after a small swoon, still has a .973 OPS in 81 plate appearances. Boston doesn’t seem to be going anywhere as long as they are getting top-level pitching from their new “big two”, but the bullpen is something to watch for as Joel Hanrahan was placed on the 60-day DL and the oft-injured Andrew Bailey is already banged up.

Tampa Bay is Tampa Bay. They are hanging around at 19-18 despite a woeful 6-12 road record, and as usual, their pitching and Evan Longoria are carrying the majority of the weight. Matt Moore (2.20 ERA, 9.21 K/9) and Alex Cobb (3.09 ERA) are picking up the slack from a slow-starting David Price (4.78 ERA thus far), but on the whole, the Rays’ pitching has been strong yet again. The bullpen has become a concern, however, as last year’s breakout stud Fernando Rodney has scuffled to a walk-rate of 7.24 per 9 (which is almost impossible), and back-up plan Jake McGee has been even worse (9.64 ERA). Their offense will always be the concern as they wait for help from Wil Myers, but Longoria has been a revelation so far (1.013 OPS, 9 home runs) and if they can keep him on the field, there’s a high floor there.

Finally, the basement is occupied by the seemingly over-hyped Toronto Blue Jays. Admittedly, I tabbed the Jays for 1st place in the preseason, and things couldn’t have gone more wrong in the first 39 games. Toronto has given up 201 runs (2nd-worst in MLB) and their new/expensive pitching staff is a mess. RA Dickey is looking like the old RA Dickey thus far, as the NL Cy Young winner has a 5.06 ERA and a walk-rate over 4.00, and the other “prize” acquisition, Josh Johnson, posted a 6.86 ERA before giving way to yet another injury. Offensively, it hasn’t been all roses either, as Jose Reyes exited to the 60-day DL and Melky Cabrera is reminding people of his Atlanta Braves days (not a positive thing). There’s still hope for Toronto as they get healthy, but a 9.5-game hole looms, and they’ll need some production from unlikely sources.

AL CENTRAL

Coming into the year, this was the one division in baseball with a “consensus” leader, and that team has managed to ascend to the top.

Detroit is in pole position after beginning the season 21-15. In fact, they’ve probably been a bit unlucky in amassing that record, as the Tigers currently lead all of MLB in run differential at +58. Miguel Cabrera (1.025 OPS, 7 HR, 40 RBI) has been the best player in the American League, and Prince Fielder (.969 OPS, 9 HR) hasn’t been much worse to carry the AL’s best offense. On the pitching side, they’ve gotten exactly what they expected from Justin Verlander (1.93 ERA), Max Scherzer (11.60 K/9), and Doug Fister (3.14 ERA, 3.03 FIP), but the revelation has been a lights-out performance from Anibal Sanchez. Sanchez has a stunning K-rate of 11.28 and an ERA of just 2.05 to become one of the early Cy Young candidates. The bullpen is an issue (Bruce Rondon? Jose Valverde? Anybody?), but the Tigers are good.

The Indians are semi-surprisingly nipping at the heels of Detroit with a 21-16 mark. They’ve used quality seasons from Justin Masterson (3.14 ERA in 63 innings) and Zach McAllister (2.68 ERA) to get just enough pitching, and the breakout is finally here from stud catcher Carlos Santana. Santana has an OPS over 1.000 with 7 home runs, and he’s been joined in the power department with 11 bombs from previous laughingstock Mark Reynolds. It’s a patch-work roster in Cleveland, but if they get anything from Ubaldo Jimenez or Trevor Bauer, they’ll hang around.

Kansas City has been on the “edge” of a breakout for years, and they’ve played quality baseball through 35 games. Shockingly, they’ve done it with pitching, as the Royals have allowed just 138 runs (2nd in the AL) thanks to some quality imports in their rotation. James Shields has been as good as advertised, eating up innings (58 in only 8 starts) and posting quality results (2.48 ERA), while Ervin Santana has been a revelation (2.79 ERA) in his KC debut. The bats (namely Hosmer and Moustakas) will need to wake up for the Royals to hang around, but it’s nice to see them competitive.

Hello, Minnesota. The Twins are over .500! Most people (myself included) had the Twins in the cellar to start the season, but they’ve impressed thus far. Joe Mauer (.926 OPS, 47 hits) anchors a pedestrian offense, and frankly, it’s a wonder that they’ve been able to score 166 runs with some of the production they’ve received from their young guys (I’m looking at you, Aaron Hicks). The pitching has been better, however, and Kevin Correia has managed to put up one of the weirdest stat lines in all of baseball. The soft-tossing Correia has just 3.86 K/9 on the season (hilariously low), but somehow has been able to post a 3.09 ERA in the early going. I don’t believe in the Twins at all, but they’re still here.

The White Sox bring up the rear after a 15-21 start, and they simply have been unable to score. They have an AL-low 123 runs through 36 games (3.4 per game) and only the duo of Alejandro de Aza (7 HR, 5 SB) and Alex Rios (8 HR, 6 SB) have kept them afloat. Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn both have signs of being “done” (neither has an OPS over .625), and the lineup wasn’t particularly deep at the outset. On the mound, Chris Sale is lights-out (2.88 ERA), but they have some injury issues, and the offense isn’t allowing Addison Reed many opportunities at the back-end. It’s too early to bail on the White Sox if you were a believer, but they have to hit.

AL WEST

The good, the bad, and the ugly certainly applies to this year’s version of the AL West.

Texas currently occupies their “usual” position atop the division with a sparkling 24-14 record. It hasn’t been the easiest road for the Rangers, as they’ve had to rely on guys like Justin Grimm and Nick Tepesch (who!?!) in the absence of opening-day starter Matt Harrison, but nonetheless, they’ve played very well. Yu Darvish has been downright scary, posting a K-rate of 13.67 per 9 and an ERA of 2.73, while the Derek Holland breakout tour is gathering steam with his 2.54 early-season ERA. Offensively, there is room for improvement as Adrian Beltre and David Murphy (.256 OBP) have gotten off to slow starts, but the Lance Berkman acquisition has proved to be a good one, and they’ve certainly got power.

Remember when Oakland was a pitching team? They aren’t anymore. The A’s have scored the 2nd-most runs in the AL and allowed the 4th-most runs in the league in route to a 20-20 record. Coco Crisp (.944 OPS, 5 HR, 8 SB) may have been the leading MVP candidate before he went down with injury, and they’ve gotten big-time production from guys like Adam Rosales and Josh Donaldson. If Josh Reddick (.250 slugging percentage) can wake up from his slumber, the Oakland offense could be formidable. On the bump, their “ace” Jarrod Parker has wildly struggled (6.86 ERA), but with the help of AJ Griffin and Tommy Milone, they’ve kept things afloat. The ballpark always helps, but they’ll need better from Parker and Brett Anderson.

Seattle is one of the more under-the-radar teams in all of baseball. At 18-20, they don’t do anything particularly well, and as a result, no one talks about the Mariners. Felix Hernandez has been FELIX HERNANDEZ this year, putting up a 1.53 ERA over 58.2 innings, but outside of him and Hisashi Iwakuma (1.74 ERA), the starters have been a mess. Offensively, Kyle Seager and Michael Saunders are mashing while Jesus Montero, Justin Smoak, and Dustin Ackley are scuffling. The M’s have had serious issues with developing young hitters, and if that trio can’t get on track, they have a low ceiling for 2013.

The biggest “surprise” of the entire 2013 season thus far has been the less-than-stellar play of the LA Angels. At 14-24, they’ve been an abject disaster in comparison to their lofty expectations, and everything that can go wrong has done so. Albert Pujols has a negative WAR after hitting .234 thus far, Josh Hamilton’s OPS hasn’t reached .700 yet (and he’s looked even worse), and the Joe Blanton experience (6.46 ERA) hasn’t worked in Los Angeles. On top of that, stud pitcher Jered Weaver has been on the shelf for a month, and there’s no defined timetable for his return. Should they be 14-24 with a -41 run differential? Probably not, but they’ll need a big-time push from Pujols and Hamilton combined with better performance from mid-tier pitchers like Jason Vargas in order to right the ship.

Lastly, the lowly Houston Astros have no chance. It seems harsh to say that, but at 10-29 and with a -86 run differential already (yikes), it’s a predictably lost season in Houston. The big “story” (outside of their massive rebuild) will be Houston’s quest to avoid historical futility in the loss column, and they’ll need to improve to do so. Houston doesn’t have a single starting pitcher with a sub-4.00 ERA (Bud Norris leads them at 4.32), and they only have one “regular” (Jose Altuve) with an OBP north of .340. It’s a Triple-A team masquerading as an MLB team in a gauntlet division, and there’s not a lot else to say about that.

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To the awards! Yes, it’s incredibly early to start handing out hardware, but there have been some stellar early-season performances, and they deserve a tip of the cap.

AL Rookie of the Year - Nick Tepesch, SP Texas

It’s been a rough year for rookie candidates in the American League, so Tepesch gets the nod. His ERA/FIP numbers are nothing to write home about (4.03/4.01), but Tepesch has some nice peripherals (2.37 walks per 9) and has thrown quality innings for the best team in the AL West. With front-runners like Aaron Hicks (.542 OPS) struggling wildly, Tepesch is the only “contender” who hasn’t hurt his club in the early stages. It would shock me if Tepesch won the award at the end of the year, but he’s been the best rookie thus far.

AL Cy Young – Felix Hernandez, SP Seattle

Honestly, this isn’t an easy decision. Felix leads a big group of candidates (Anibal Sanchez, Justin Verlander, Yu Darvish to be specific), but his sparkling 1.53 ERA gives him the nod. Hernandez doesn’t have the same strikeout power (thus far) as the other 3, but his 8.59 K/9 is more than acceptable, and he’s thrown the 2nd-most innings in the AL (behind Justin Masterson) this season. You can’t go wrong with any of the four guys I’ve mentioned, but in a bind, give me King Felix.

AL MVP – Evan Longoria, 3B Tampa Bay

Here’s another close call. Longoria is 4th in the AL in OPS (1.012), 4th in batting average, 9th in OBP, and 5th in home runs. If this was the “offensive player of the year” award, it would probably go to Miguel Cabrera (higher OPS, higher batting WAR, etc.), but with the significant edge that Longoria has on Cabrera defensively, he gets the nod. He’s been the pillar of the entire Tampa Bay offense this season, and since he hasn’t been injured (yet), his value is immense. Other candidates (outside of Cabrera) include Mike Trout and Manny Machado (who leads the AL in Baseball-Reference WAR), but give me the guy who leads the AL in Fangraphs WAR (2.5) and the guy who is absolutely carrying an offense on his back.

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There you have it! Stay tuned for the National League version to come.

May 10, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; New York Yankees first basemen Lyle Overbay (55) celebrates with shortstop Jayson Nix (17) after hitting a two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

1. New York Yankees

This Yankees team surprised just about everyone, Yankees fans included. Despite an injury list that just goes on and on, the Yankees currently sit at the top of the league. They are 24-14 and are currently first in the AL East. They had an impressive week going 6-2, and good news finally came. Curtis Granderson…is back.

2. St Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals have silently been proving themselves as worthy of the top spot.  And they have definitely started moving up. Currently sitting at 24-13, they have the lead of the NL Central. The Cardinals have the best pitching in the league, with a 3.03 ERA. With the Mets and Brewers at home this week, this Cardinals team can definitely reach the top.

3.Texas Rangers

While the Rangers are also 24-14 and leading the AL West, I have them behind the Yankees for the overall second spot. While, no doubt, they are a great team, this past week has just been mediocre. They went 4-2, including a sweep of the league’s worst team Houston Astros.

4. Baltimore Orioles

This Baltimore Orioles club is impressing more and more. They are 23-15, and one game back in the AL East. In their last 17 games, 14 of them have been on the road. The Orioles finally return home to enter an eight game home stand, against the Padres, Rays, and a crucial series against the Yankees. I can’t wait to see what this Orioles do this upcoming week.

5. San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants are proving they can make another postseason run. With a 23-15 record, they are sitting at the top of the NL West and had a great last week. When the Braves came to AT&T Park, the Giants showed they are no team to mess with going 3-1 in the series. This team won’t back down anytime soon.

6. Atlanta Braves

I think it’s fair to say this is not the same Braves team we saw at the beginning of the season. The Braves are 22-16, and are only one game ahead of the Nationals for the NL East. This past week has also been pretty rough for the Braves, including almost getting swept by the Giants. They need to step it up or Washington is going to surprise them and take the NL East lead.

7. Cincinnati Reds

The Reds have made a jump from 13^th to 7^th this week. Their record of 22-16 and past week have reflected that.  Although they went 1-2 against the Braves, they are still 2.5 games behind St Louis for the NL Central. A nine game road trip to Miami Philadelphia and New York Mets will definitely have the Reds moving up even more.

8. Detroit Tigers

The Tigers have made a slight fall from third to seventh this week. A primary factor that has to do with this is their unimpressive 2-4 week. This included a two game by the Nationals and a series loss to the Indians. Verlander is still strong with an 1.93 ERA and 57 strike outs. Miguel Cabrera is also leading the Tigers with his .369 batting average, 7 home runs and 40 RBI.

9. Cleveland Indians

This week has been impressive for the Indians. After going 6-1, the Indians are now 21-16. Their week included a sweep over the Athletics, and a series win over the Tigers. Former Orioles Mark Reynolds has been dominant, with 11 home runs, and has driven in over 17 runs.

10. Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates are slowly making their way up the ranks. They are 21-17 and had an impressive week going 4-3 including almost sweeping the Mets. Marte and McCutchen are still hot and leading their team in batting average. The Pirates also have two pitchers in their starting rotation with ERAs under 3.00. I predict the Pirates will continue to make their silent rise through the ranks.

11. Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals have started to cool down, but the race for the NL East is still heating up. The Nationals are one game behind the Braves and aren’t giving up soon. This past week they struggled against the Cubs, and I see more struggles in the upcoming week now that Bryce Harper is sitting the bench after running into the outfield wall. The lineup needs to step it up now that Harper can’t contribute until his return.

12. Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays are 19-18 and almost at the bottom of the AL East. They did have an impressive week going 5-1, including series wins over the Padres and divisional rival Blue Jays. If the Rays want any chance to move up in their division, this week would be the time to improve. They play the Red Sox at home and then the Orioles on the road, so now is the time to jump or just move more towards the bottom.

13. Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks have started their jump. This included a sweep over the Dodgers and a split against the Phillies. Playing the Braves at home won’t be easy, but Arizona will get a chance to move up again while on the road against Miami and Colorado.

14. Oakland Athletics

With a 20-20 record the Athletics are well, average. They are second in the AL West, yet they are five games behind the Rangers. This past week for the Athletics was slightly less than average, going 2-5 including series losses to the Blue Jays and Twins. Playing the Rangers twice within a week will be tough, but crucial if they want to move up in their division.

15. Minnesota Twins

The Twins have a barely over .500 record, but this past week they have been on the rise. They went 5-2 including going 3-1 over the Boston Red Sox. With both White and Red Sox teams coming into town, this could be Minnesota’s chance to prove themselves.

16. Colorado Rockies

The Rockies are just over .500, and this past week proves that. They went 1-2 against the Yankees and Cardinals. Hopefully playing the Cubs on the road will get their momentum going, but the first game of the series was a loss 9-1. The Rockies have some work to do if they want to move up in the ranks.

17. Boston Red Sox

This Red Sox team is not the same as earlier in the season. They are currently third in the AL East, but still in the hunt only two games back. If they want to move up, they need to do better than they did the last week. The Sox lost their series’ to the Blue Jays and Twins. The Sox begin a nine game road trip that will be key to improve the Red Sox record.

18.  Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners keep on slipping, and after going 3-2 this past week they are currently sitting at an 18-20 record. They did, however go 2-1 in their series against the Athletics, a positive note. Unfortunately I think this will be overlooked as the Mariners get ready to begin a nine game road trip in which they play the Yankees, Indians, and Angels. I think this will be very tough for Seattle.

19. Philadelphia Phillies

Currently sitting at an 18-21 record, I don’t think this was the season Phillies fans were expecting. This past week has been an improvement for the Phillies. They went 3-3, including winning their series against the Giants and splitting their series against the Diamondbacks. With the Indians and Reds coming into town I don’t see the Phillies record getting better.

20. Kansas City Royals

The Royals are another team just over .500, but this week included a slight beating from two AL East teams. The Royals went 1-2 in their series against the Orioles and were then swept by the Yankees. Pitching hasn’t been their problem, their top three pitchers have ERAs under 2.80. They have all the tools, they just need to make them sync.

21. Chicago Cubs

The Cubs may be at the bottom of the list, but I see them making a move up. Although they are 16-22, this past week was a glimmer of hope for the Cubs. They went 4-2 and even won their series against the Nationals.

22. Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays are sitting at the bottom of a tough AL East. They also have an unimpressive 15-24 record. While this past week was just average for Toronto going 3-3, they did win their series against division rival Red Sox 2-1.

23. Milwaukee Brewers

This past week has been rough for the Brewers. They went 2-4 including getting swept by the Reds. They have the power in their lineup; their top three hitters have batting averages over 3.00. A four game series against the Pirates may just be the motivation this Brewers team needs.

24. San Diego Padres

The Padres are consistently falling to the bottom of the pack. They now have a 17-21 record and are fourth in the NL West. This past week included sweeping Miami and then getting swept by the Rays. They enter Baltimore for a two game series and then return home for games against the Nationals and Cardinals. Unfortunately I see the Padres continuing to fall.

25. Chicago White Sox

While the White Sox are by no means in a good place, this past week wasn’t hateful for them. They went 1-2 against the Angels, and split their series against the Mets. With the Twins and Angels this week on the road, this could be Chicago’s chance to fight back. I guess we will see.

26. Los Angeles Dodgers

Like I have said before, this isn’t the Dodgers team fans and expert’s expected. They are sitting at the bottom of their division and have a 15-22 record. This past week they also got swept by the Diamondbacks and beat the Marlins 2-1. This next week won’t go any better, as the Dodgers are set to play the Nationals and Braves.

27. Los Angeles Angels

The Angels just can’t seem to get anything going, and this week we find them again at the bottom. They lost their series to the Astros but turned it around to win their series against the White Sox. Trout continues to shine despite a losing record, with a .283 batting average, six home runs, 25 RBI, and six stolen bases.

28. New York Mets

There is not much you can say about this Mets team. They are 14-21, and 6.5 games back in the NL East. They just got swept by the Pirates, and playing the Cardinals on the road will not help their record.

29. Miami Marlins

It might be only by a hair, but the Marlins are not the worst team in baseball. They have only one more win than the Astros, and this week hasn’t been the best for them. They went 0-3 vs the Padres and 1-2 vs the Dodgers.  It’s a tight race for the bottom spot.

30. Houston Astros

The Houston Astros still have the worst record in baseball at 10-29. This week wasn’t a complete bust for the Astros, as they went 2-1 against the Angels. Not a necessarily impressive feat, but hey, it’s something.

(H/T: USA Today Sports)

Baseball didn’t just create legends, it created Gods among mere mortals but some mortals are attempting to storm the gates and take a God down. Earlier this month Mickey Mantle made headlines when a bat supposedly belonging to him went up for auction — only this bat was unique in that it was reportedly corked.

Corking your bat, to those who don’t know, means cork is inserted into the barrel of the bat to give the ball more pop and bounce when it’s hit on the sweet spot. It essentially makes the baseball into a rubber ball that soars when hit, and it’s very illegal. Some may remember the last shreds of Sammy Sosa’a dignity were scattered all over Wrigley Field when his corked bat shattered, thus busting him as a corker among other things.

But the revelation that Mantle corked his bat would be devastating to not only Yankees fans but baseball fans everywhere as it would reveal one of the greatest players ever to be a cheat. So, understandably, Mantle’s surviving family is outraged at the claim this bat belonged to their father and are seeking legal action to get it off the market.

Mantle’s family issued a statement on Monday condemning the item and defending their father’s legendary status.

“Let us be clear: Dad didn’t need and never used a corked bat. Mickey Mantle was honest about the way he played the game that he loved and to which he devoted his professional life. He was one of the best who ever played the game because of his natural talents and abilities – and his heart. Our Dad’s legacy must be protected and the injury to his reputation must be corrected – he does not deserve to be the subject of these outrageous fabrications.”

The Mantle’s sought legal action and the bat has since been taken off the auction block, although the site apparently did so very quietly and haven’t responded to claims of it’s authenticity or requests for forensic testing.

Mantle’s bat becoming the center of an auction controversy comes on the heels of Kobe Bryant’s auction controversy where he is trying to block his mother from selling items from his childhood and is also using legal action to do so.

(H/T: Marc Tompkin, @TBTimes_Rays)

The pink balls and the pink clothing items are an obvious nod to the cause of Breast Cancer Awareness and while Breast Cancer Awareness month is typically celebrated in October when the NFL is in full swing and can bring the cause to the front of everyone’s minds, baseball typically celebrates awareness during it season as well.

We are closely moving towards more and more pink on Mother’s Day in baseball and that’s a beautiful thing. We can never have enough awareness for the disease that kills tens of thousands of women and mothers every year. Pink has never been a traditionally “manly” color, but it’s becoming more than something Paris Hilton and other immature teenage girls likes to splatter all over her walls. It’s becoming the symbol for awareness and that has everything to do with it’s incorporation into sports for the purpose of awareness.

Every time you see pink in public, out first thought goes to Breast Cancer Awareness and that’s a powerful thing. Baseballs will be pink on Sunday, but while it will only last one day, the awareness it raises will go on long after that.

US PRESSWIRE

Major League Baseball is under some serious scrutiny after a blown home run call in the Oakland Athletics game earlier this week, but the travesty has apparently continued and it’s plaguing the AL West it seems. Last night umpires made another controversial call when they allowed a double switch at pitcher for the Houston Astros despite the fact that one of the pitchers had yet to face a batter.

In case you didn’t know, a pitcher has throw at least one pitch to a batter before being replaced unless it’s medically necessary for him to be removed from the game before facing a batter. That wasn’t the case last night when rookie skipper Bo Porter brought in lefty Wesley Wright to face Angels outfielder J.B. Shuck. However before Shuck was delivered an official pitch, Angels manager Mike Scioscia brought in a pinch hitter to offset the pitching matchup which brought the Astros skipper back out to make a pitching change.

Long story short, you can’t do that.

No surprise – MLB confirms that rule covering pitching changes was not applied correctly in last night’s #Angels-#Astros game.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 10, 2013

The worst part of the story isn’t that Porter switched pitchers the way he did, that’s just embarrassing for him. The travesty is that the umpires allowed this, despite getting a firm talking to from Scioscia.

The timing of this error couldn’t be any worse for baseball as it comes on the heels of an equally terrible and obvious call in the A’s game. This isn’t some AL West conspiracy, rather it seems it’s a systematic breakdown of the governing of baseball. Fresh off the steroids era, baseball is needing to get back to the way it was, and while human error is part of the game, stupidity is not.

May 1, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (23) follows through on a two-run home run in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Currently riding a seven-game losing streak and firmly planted at the bottom of the National League West standings, it’s been a rough ride for fans of the Los Angels Dodgers.

That ride continues to grow worse.

There were hopes that slugger Adrian Gonzalez would return tomorrow as the Dodgers get set to host the Miami Marlins, but that unfortunately wont be the case – at least, so says the Skipper.

While Adrian himself expected to play tomorrow evening, manager Don Mattingly isn’t so sure.

Per the Los Angeles Times:

Gonzalez said he would be ready to play when the Dodgers return to Dodger Stadium from a day off and open a three-game series against the Miami Marlins on Friday. Manager Don Mattingly sounded less certain. “Not sure it’s going to be good,” Mattingly said.

Whatever cryptic message Mattingly was attempting to send there, we’re unsure of, but what we are sure of is Gonzalez’s importance to the Dodgers. The 31-year-old first baseman has had an impressive start the season, hitting .343 with 3 home runs and 23 RBI.

Gonzalez’s status will remain day-to-day and the Dodgers are hopeful that the four time All-Star will return sooner than later, hopefully during this weekends series.

The Dodgers currently sit 6.5 games back of the NL West leading San Francisco Giants.

The play in question happened last night in the top of the 9th inning as the Athletics were down one. With two outs, A’s infielder Adam Rosales hit a deep fly ball into left center that hit well above the yellow line on the left field wall, a clear sign that the ball should be ruled a home run. But it wasn’t.

No worries though – Major League Baseball has instant replay, so they’d get the call correct.

Except they didn’t. The ball, although clearly a home run, was ruled a double and the A’s lost the game moments later. So what did MLB do about it? Apologize, in the most half-assed way they could.

Major League Baseball Executive Vice President for Baseball Operations Joe Torre issued the following statement this morning, stating that while he was sorry, umpires are human and mistakes like this happen:

“By rule, the decision to reverse a call by use of instant replay is at the sole discretion of the crew chief. In the opinion of Angel Hernandez, who was last night’s crew chief, there was not clear and convincing evidence to overturn the decision on the field. It was a judgment call, and as such, it stands as final.Home and away broadcast feeds are available for all uses of instant replay, and they were available to the crew last night. Given what we saw, we recognize that an improper call was made. Perfection is an impossible standard in any endeavor, but our goal is always to get the calls right. Earlier this morning, we began the process of speaking with the crew to thoroughly review all the circumstances surrounding last night’s decision.”

While Torre does have a point, the inclusion of instant replay was supposed to halt poor calls like we saw last evening.

What happens if this took place during the MLB Playoffs or a World Series game? Is a simple apology sufficient then?

The answer isn’t easy, but thankfully, a more expanded version of instant replay is expected next season.

Which means I guess they didn’t like my “glowing ball” idea. Bastards.

May 7, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson (23) meets with relief pitcher J.J. Putz (40) and his infielders in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Fans of the Arizona Diamondbacks and reliever J.J. Putz can breath a small sigh of relief today as the veteran arm will avoid major elbow surgery after tests showed that Putz wont need a complete elbow reconstruction.

The oft-injured closer was diagnosed with a sprained ligament, strained flexor pronator and an irritated nerve – certainly nothing to be excited about if you root for the Sedona red, but anything is better than what Putz was facing.

The Arizona Diamondbacks closer left this past Tuesday’s game in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers after expiring numbness in his pitching arm along with stiffness in his throwing elbow, two conditions that a pitcher never wants to feel.

Immediate reaction was that Putz, who’s no stranger to the disabled list, would need Tommy John surgery, but that wont apparently be the case – despite reports yesterday that said differently. Putz is expected to deal with the injury through rehabilitation and if all goes well, is hopeful that he’ll be able to return to the Diamondback bullpen before season end, though that may be wishful thinking.

Putz, who had his struggles this year, hits the disabled list with a 4.26 ERA in 14 appearances, which includes five saves, four blown saves and a 1.58 WHIP.

Heath Bell will take over the majority of closing duties.

May 7, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher J.A. Happ (48) falls to the ground and grabs his head after he was hit by a line drive during the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Blue Jays endured a frightening moment in Tuesday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays when starter J.A. Happ took a line drive off the bat of Desmond Jennings directly off of his head. Happ went down hard and needed to be carried off on a stretcher, but fans around baseball got encouraging news when word came down that Happ was in “stable condition” and starting to slowly recover.

Bautista: “From what it sounds like so far, he’s in stable condition, he’s conscious and that’s all we know so far.”

— John Lott (@LottOnBaseball) May 8, 2013

It was a terrifying moment for anyone who saw it, but it’s not the first time we’ve seen a pitcher take a line drive off of his head. Last year Oakland A’s starter Brandon McCarthy fractured his skull when a ball came back at him and he failed to get out of the way in time.

There currently is no timetable for Happ’s recovery, but one has to think that he’s going to be out for quite some time. Beyond the act of recovering from the injury, there’s the question about how quickly the Jays starter will get his confidence back. It’s not everyday that screaming line drive plunks off the side of your skull, so there’s no telling when Happ will feel comfortable stepping back onto the mound.

For now, everyone around baseball is concerned only with Happ recovering from the gruesome injury, as that’s the most important step to the pitcher returning to a normal life.

June 15, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; A general view of the Houston Astros during batting practice before the game against Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

1. Texas Rangers

After an impressive sweep over the Boston Red Sox, the Rangers move up into the number one spot. All three starters in that series were commanding, which eases the burden on their bullpen. They also currently have an ERA of 3.08 and lower. This keeps the bats from doing all the work, especially when you only have two players hitting above .300.

2. Boston Red Sox

Don’t worry Red Sox fans, your team didn’t drop far. The Sox are sitting comfortably with the best record in baseball (shared with the Cardinals). It certainly doesn’t help your case when you drop a sweep to an impressive Texas Rangers. They are also only leading the AL East by 2 games, with the Yankees and Orioles hot on their tails.

3. Detroit Tigers

The Tigers outscored the Astros 37-8 in their series over the weekend. But honestly, it’s the Astros. Not that impressive. What is impressive is their 19-11 record, and their lead of the AL Central. Miguel Cabrera has also gotten very hot, hitting .385 with 6 home runs and 36 RBI.

4. St. Louis Cardinals

With a 20-11 record, the Cardinals are tied with the Red Sox for best record in baseball. This is to help from a six game winning streak they have going, including a sweep over the Brewers and series win over the Reds. With the Cubs on the road I can see this streak continuing.

5. Atlanta Braves

The Braves have definitely cooled down since their 13-2 start. They split their series with divisional rival Nationals, who they swept the last time they met up. A 10 game road trip poses a slight threat, playing the Reds, Giants, and Diamondbacks.

6. San Francisco Giants

With a 19-13 record, the Giants are only .5 games ahead of the Rockies for the lead of the NL West. With a sweep over the rival Dodgers, the Giants hope to lead that momentum into series’ against the Phillies and Braves. Pablo Sandoval looks to be a leader in hitting, with a .323 average and 24 RBI.

7. Baltimore Orioles

A series win over the Angels was a major confidence booster for the Orioles. They welcome a hot Kansas City Royals team into Camden Yards; and after a little scare that had a lot of O’s fans worried, Chris Davis is back in the lineup. Davis is a definite leader in their lineup, with a .327 average, 9 home runs and 30 RBI.

8. Washington Nationals

I read a stat today that I was a little surprised to read. When Bryce Harper homers, the Nats are 6-1. And when he doesn’t  They’re 11-14. Harper is leading his team in multiples areas: batting average, runs, home runs, and RBI. All in his sophomore season.

9. Colorado Rockies

Divisional rival San Francisco Giants might have won the World Series last season, but the Rockies are going to fight them for the West title this year. At 18-13, the Rockies are only .5 games behind the Giants. This past week, SS Troy Tulowitzki is hitting .636 with 1 home run and 6 RBI. On the season, Tulowitzki is hitting .348 with 7 home runs and 28 RBI.

10.  Kansas City Royals

With series wins over the Rays and White Sox, they Royals are now 17-11 and one game behind the Detroit Tigers for the lead of the AL Central.  Their starting pitching has been consistent with Santana’s 2.00 ERA, Guthrie’s 2.40 ERA, and Shields’ 2.52 ERA.

11. New York Yankees

This past week wasn’t the best for the Yankees, as they lost their series to the Athletics. They have a tough week ahead of them, playing the Rockies and Royals on the road. Robinson Cano is still leading the team in batting, with a .325 ERA, 8 home runs, and 19 RBI. Pitching from Kuroda has been consistent, 2.25 ERA and only one loss of the season.

12. Oakland Athletics

After winning their series over the Yankees, the A’s should have it easy with the Indians and Mariners on the road. However, the A’s have recently been plagued with injuries. Outfielder Chris Young has been placed on the DL, when his left quadriceps strain hindered his ability to run. Another outfielder, Josh Reddick has also been sidelined due to a sore right wrist. We have to wonder if they can push past these injuries and keep the drive to the AL West Title alive.

13. Cincinnati Reds

Although the Reds are in the middle of the NL Central, Shin-Soo Choo has been outstanding. In the lead off spot, he is hitting .331, has 5 home runs  and 13 RBI  The Reds will give the start against the Braves to Homer Bailey, whose 4.02 ERA isn’t bad, he is 0-3.

14. Pittsburgh Pirates

It’s been a tough week for the Pirates, losing their series to the Brewers and Nationals. Marte leads the Pirates in batting average, at .325, has 5 home runs  16 RBI and 10 stolen bases. After a short road trip to play the Mets, the Pirates should get some help when the Brewers and Astros come into town.

15. Arizona Diamondbacks

Pitcher Patrick Corbin has been pretty close to perfect for the Diamondbacks. He is 4-0, has a 1.80 ERA and 32 strikeouts. The other pitchers in Arizona’s rotation are being consistent as well. For example, Trevor Cahill has a 2.80 ERA, 34 strikeouts, but is 2-3. Pitching can be key for the Diamondbacks, if they can get the wins behind their pitchers.

16. Cleveland Indians

Another fun fact I read today: only the Rockies and Braves have more home runs than the Indians. Bet you didn’t expect that huh? Carlos Santana has a .367 ERA, 6 home runs and 14 RBI  Pitching has been inconsistent, however. The team’s third in ERA is 6.37 from Jimenez. Need to keep that down especially when the Athletics and Tigers are coming up this week.

17. Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers looked great when they played the Pirates, but collapsed when the dominant Cardinals came into town, getting swept in four games. Could be a fluke, but the Cardinals seem to play best against the Brewers, only losing one game to them this season. Pitching has been hurting, top three ERAs of the team are 3.16, 4.50 and 6.00.

18. Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays were tested when they played the Royals and Rockies on the road. They lost the series to the Royals (one game was postponed) and was then able to win the series against the Rockies. With the Blue Jays and Red Sox coming up these next two weeks, to move up in the AL East winning those games will be crucial.

19. Seattle Mariners

At a slightly under .500 record and 4.5 games back, the Mariners can get back into the hunt. It won’t be easy, seeing that the two teams ahead of them are the Rangers and Athletics, and they will be able to put that to the test this week. Saunders has returned from the DL, and in this past week is hitting .286 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI. It won’t be easy, but it’s possible.

20. San Diego Padres

The Padres last week split their series against the Cubs, won against the D-backs, and now welcomes Miami to town. Pitching ERAs have been high, with an ERA of 4.25 and higher. Alonso could be a key to their lineup, with a .270 average, and a team leading 4 home runs and 20 RBI. That won’t be good enough when the Orioles and Nationals are on their schedule next week.

21. Philadelphia Phillies

This week could be considered a disaster in the minds of Phillies fans. Roy Halladay had two awful outings, which leads to the “where’s the old Halladay questions. Halladay has the worst ERA on the Phillies at 8.65, the worst record at 2-4, yet has 34.1 innings pitched. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him taken off the starting rotation.

22. Chicago White Sox

A 13-17 record isn’t something to be proud of, but going 2-1 against the Texas Rangers last week certainly is. Until you lose the series against the Royals. Hitting needs to step it up, as no player is hitting above .300. On the road against the Mets and at home against the Angels should help the White Sox get to a .500 record.

23. Minnesota Twins

It has been a tough past week for the Twins and it is only going to get worse. Going 1-2 against the Indians, starting a four game series in Boston with a loss, and then playing the Orioles at home. Pitching has not been on for the Twins; two of the top three pitchers have ERA over 6.35. And like Chicago, they do not have a player currently hitting over .300.

24. Los Angeles Dodgers

Getting swept by any team is bad, but it only stings even worse when it comes from the San Francisco Giants; and that’s exactly what happened this past weekend. Clayton Kershaw looked dominant, throwing a no-hitter into the sixth, until Scutaro tripled to the right-centerfield gap. Posey then brought in the one lone run against Kershaw, who also won the game thanks to a walk off home run, his first in his career.  Needless to say, it’s been a difficult start to the season after all the talent brought in over the offseason.

25. Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays are currently stuck at the bottom of the AL East. And with all the competition in this division, I don’t see them moving up any time soon. However, they are currently in a series against the Rays and then play Boston on the road right after that. If they want to turn it around I would start now.

26. Chicago Cubs

After getting swept by the Reds, the Cubs won a makeup game against the Rangers. Now, they welcome the Cardinals into town, then hit the road to play the Nationals, and then back home for the Rockies. Although their four game losing streak was ended over a win to the Rangers, playing three difficult teams in one week will not be easy. I see that streak coming back.

27. New York Mets

Pitcher Matt Harvey has been great for the Mets starting rotation. He is 4-0, has an ERA of 1.56, and has 46 strikeouts. The Mets also were able to hit off Braves closer Kimbrel, who is usually very dominant, and blew the saves in the Mets 7-5 win.

28. Los Angeles Angels

After sweeping the Tigers in late April, the Angels have lost four straight series. Pitching is lacking, hitting is lacking, and base running is lacking. The Angels play the Astros and White Sox this week, two teams that are also not doing well. It should be interesting to see if they can pull it together.

29. Miami Marlins

Hey, you’re no longer the worst team in baseball! The Padres and Dodgers on the road will not be easy, but thanks to Jose Fernandez’s last win over the Phillies should be a confidence booster.

30. Houston Astros

Sorry Astros, you’re back on the bottom. At 8-24, 11 games back in the AL West, things are not looking great right now. Especially when the Rangers and Tigers are on the schedule for next week.

May 5, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp (27) heads towards the dugout before the start of the game against the San Francisco Giants at AT

Matt Kemp may be just an outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he demonstrated how much a class act he was while in San Francisco for a series against the Giants. Before last week’s game, a Dodger fan — a father who was attending the game with his son who is battling cancer– asked Dodgers third base coach Tim Wallach if he could have Matt Kemp come over and say a quick hello to his son. Wallach didn’t say no, but also didn’t say he could promise anything.

After watching the Dodgers battle the Giants, Wallach strode back over to the father and son sitting in the first row, and brought along a friend: Matt Kemp. As baseball players usually do, Kemp signed some balls and shook some hands but that’s where Kemp stopped being a normal baseball player and became an amazing human being.

Kemp signed the boy’s ball and handed it back to him. Then he handed the kid his hat. Then he unbuttoned his game-worn jersey and handed it to him as well. Just when you thought he was done, Kemp kicked off his cleats and handed those to the fan as well.

Baseball is a funny game, it plays with your emotions and it’s deep with tradition. One of those traditions is enjoying the game as a father and then passing that down to your son. This just about tops any father-son baseball story that has ever existed and likely won’t be topped ever. This was more than a kid battling cancer getting showered with gifts from an outstanding human being. This was a father and a son sharing a memory more valuable than any of the items handed away from Kemp.

What Matt Kemp did in San Francisco goes above and beyond what most of us do in our everyday life. There was nothing forcing him to go over to the fan, in fact it was clear across the diamond. But he did, and he gave a father and a son an invaluable memory they’ll both cherish for a long time.

“I didn’t plan on taking my jersey off. It was just something I felt would have probably cheered him up a little bit, helped him out a little bit. I just did it,” Kemp said. “I think life is so much bigger than baseball. We just got swept by the Giants, but that’s something I felt I needed to do and I’m glad I got to do that. Hopefully, that made the kid’s day.”

Try to not get goosebumps or a lump in your throat from watching that video, because it’s more than a cool viral clip — it was a moment of genuine human decency being displayed and we can all take a page out of Matt Kemp’s book.

Apr 17, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher J.A. Happ (48) throws agains the Chicago White Sox at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

There has been a lot of blood spilled in the Canadian leg of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the violence has crossed over to baseball. Toronto Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ had to be taken off the field on a stretcher after he was drilled in the skull by a line drive off the bat os Desmond Jennings. After being his on the head, Happ lay motionless in his own blood, as the scene was one of fear and panic in Tampa.

Thankfully, Happ was moving his arms and waved to the crowd while being taken away, but it’s still unknown if he suffered any fractures or if how severe the concussion he endured is.

Happ’s injury isn’t an unheard of one in baseball, although it’s uncommon. Line drives coming back at pitchers are nothing new but every so often a guy fails to get out of the way in time and get struck. More often than not it’s a deflection off a shoulder, hip or foot but the head isn’t spared and it’s a dangerous thing when that’s the target of the line drive.

Worse for Happ is the fact that after the ball bounced off his skull, it’s flew and rolled all the way to the first base foul line and up to along the barrier.

Last season Oakland A’s pitcher Brandon McCarthy took a line drive right off his head much like Happ had happen to him, and he ended up suffering a skull fracture and bleeding in the brain. Hopefully that’s not the case with Happ, but regardless we still have a nasty situation unfolding in Tampa Bay and it’s something we’ll be watching moving forward.

Jan 26, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers new player Prince Fielder (middle) poses for a photo with agent Scott Boras (left) , Tigers general manager David Dombrowski , owner Mike Illich and manager Jim Leyland (right) at a press conference in the Tiger Club at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Here’s a not-so-outrageous prediction: the Detroit Tigers will win their division. Yes, they’re the class of the slop that is the American League Central, and probably stand a good chance to represent the Junior Circuit in the World Series for a second consecutive year. They certainly aren’t perfect, and that’s okay. Clubs are rarely, if ever, “perfect”. But let’s stop patting the Tigers on the back like they’re the Yankees of 1927 or 1998, and take a look at some clear shortcomings in the organization.

There have absolutely been an impressive run of personnel decisions by general manager David Dombrowski and the Tigers front office, from the Miguel Cabrera trade back in 2007 to the Prince Fielder free agent signing prior to the 2012 season. But there have also been some glaring weaknesses that carry through to 2013, and a Tigers team that is attempting to make a return to the World Series.

Let’s look at the corner outfield spots. In 2011, sophomore Brennan Boesch improved upon his impressive but streaky rookie campaign by putting up a .283/.341/.458 line, mostly holding down left field while Magglio Ordonez rode off into the sunset with a horrid .255/.303/.331 line and played his traditionally putrid defense in right field.

Ordonez’ struggles caused the Tigers to trade for Twins’ left fielder Delmon Young to, in theory, shore up the corner outfield spots and allow Boesch to move to right field. A couple of weeks after the trade, however, Boesch was lost for the season with a thumb injury, leaving the Tigers without much of a choice but to put Ordonez in the field again.

The Tigers had already wasted 1059 plate appearances of sub-.300 on-base percentage performance on utility players Don Kelly and Ryan Raburn and outfielders Casper Wells and Andy Dirks, and the chance of Ordonez catching lightning in a bottle was decent enough to warrant some more playing time. Delmon Young hit .274/.298/.458 in 40 games at the end of 2011, but with Boesch’s injury, the Tigers essentially replaced him with a similar player and were still forced to continue playing their weakest outfielder, Magglio Ordonez.

Heading into 2012, the Tigers sent Dirks back to Triple-A Toledo and decided that it was a good idea to start Young, arguably the worst defensive outfielder in major league baseball, in left field from the get-go. This would be borderline defensible if Young was a true masher, but a .267/.296/.411 line is…not mashing.

By the end of April, Detroit had seen enough of Young’s grizzly-bear-on-ice-skates-over-a-minefield routine, and called up Dirks from Triple-A to man left field, moving Young to the designated hitter spot. Dirks is passable defensively, and put up a somewhat surprising .322/.370/.487 over the rest of the 2012 campaign. At the start of 2013, manager Jim Leyland penciled Dirks into that left field spot, but he has been entirely disappointing, batting just .196/.311/.275 so far, albeit in the opening month of the season.

If you’re scoring at home, here’s the damage (not the right word, I don’t think), from 2011 through April 2013 by players that have primarily played left field (Yes, Kelly played a number of positions, but he’s generally a terrible hitter so I included him for perverse kicks.):

Of course, pretty much every playoff team and many World Series Champions has a couple of weak links on offense or on defense, but having an entirely useless player in the lineup at all times can be crippling. If any of the players that have held down a corner outfield spot for the Tigers over the past 2+ years had been an exceptional defender, their offense could have been excused to some extent. If their offense had been outstanding, some butchering in the field may have been ignored. But the Tigers continued to trot out what were simply subpar players for the better part of the past two calendar years. An interesting choice for an alleged contender, indeed.

Moving on to….Don Kelly. Enough said. I’m not sure that anyone but Jim Leyland knows the answer to this one. Continually letting go of better players and making organizational decisions based on a poor utility player is baffling, and no amount of “clubhouse glue guy” talk can make sense of this unhealthy obsession. The man is hitting an unsightly .230/.283/.343 in his career through the first month of his sixth season. And yet he still holds an MLB roster spot, only briefly heading to Triple-A in 2012, but otherwise being a big leaguer for the past few years.

Yes, he plays a number of positions, but he doesn’t play any of them much better than average, so the Tigers’ love for Kelly is more than agitating. There are no shortage of valuable utility-men, and the Tigers have somehow refused to lend Kelly’s spot to a real, quality major league baseball player. Sure, it’s probably not something that will keep the Tigers from winning a ring, but it is certainly a disturbing loyalty that could prove to be a microcosm of poor personnel decisions that are not based on on-field results and production.

The Tigers have shored up right field in 2013 by picking up an aging Torii Hunter, who still plays what is probably the best defensive right field in all of baseball. While no longer a middle-of-the-order bat, he certainly continues to hold his own at the plate, helping to provide some additional punch for Cabrera and Fielder. This still leaves the problem of left field, and the Tigers continue to attempt a patchwork job, rotating Dirks, Kelly, and the abysmal Matt Tuiasosopo (career .195/.257/.326 hitter that hasn’t played in the big leagues since 2010).

Of course, the Tigers will go as far as their pitching (read: Verlander) takes them, and the offense should be just fine with Cabrera and Fielder holding down the middle of the lineup. The defense is bad, and left field is still a question mark, but the division is weak enough that the Tigers should retain their crown in relatively easy fashion. Let’s be honest: if we’re nitpicking about organizational depth and one lineup spot, their sitting pretty. For their fans sake, however, let’s hope that they find a better way to fill out the last couple of spots on that lineup card, not to mention their organizational depth.

April 28, 2013; Boston, MA USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (2) and left fielder Jonny Gomes (5) and left fielder Daniel Nava (29) celebrate after defeating the Houston Astros at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

We have a new team at number one, and the same team at number thirty. Even though we are only about 25 games in, I’m already excited to see how this playoff hunt is going to unfold. Hope you’re strapped in, because this season is going to be a roller coaster ride.

1. Boston Red Sox

And we have a new leader! Boston has been showing their dominance this past week, with series wins over the Athletics and a sweep over the Astros. David Ortiz has dominated the lineup, with two home runs and nine RBI this past week. C David Ross has also been helping; in eight at bats he has two home runs and a .500 batting average this week.

2. Detroit Tigers

The Tigers have made a hell of a jump this week. They have taken command of the NL Central, and shut down the Braves in a three game sweep, scoring at least 7 runs in each game. P Anibal Sanchez showed off his arm when he struck out 17 over eight shutout innings. Now this is the reigning AL champions we know.

3. Texas Rangers

The Rangers just keep proving themselves. They hold one of the best records in baseball at 16-9, and although they went 2-2 against the Twins, their pitching remains strong. Their team’s 3.02 ERA is the best in all of baseball. Even with injury they can still succeed.

4. Atlanta Braves

The Braves no longer hold the top spot, but they didn’t fall far. They still have one of the best records at 16-9, but they got swept by the Tigers this past week. They still won’t give up their NL East top spot, by dominating the Nationals in D.C.

5. Pittsburgh Pirates

This past week has been very good to the Pirates, going 5-2, bringing their overall record to 15-11. They won their series against the Phillies and Cardinals, both on the road. They can end their road trip strong, with the last stop being the Brewers.

6. Baltimore Orioles

The playoff caliber Orioles team looks to be back. Beating divisional rival Blue Jays and then while on the road almost sweeping the Athletics in a four game series. Baltimore’s offense is second in baseball with 129 runs scored, as Chris Davis (9 home runs, 28 RBIs) and Adam Jones (4 home runs, 20 RBI) are simply on fire.

7. New York Yankees

Unfortunately for the Yankees the injury list just keeps growing. This hasn’t been stopping them though, as they are finding ways to win games. Their offense ranks fifth in the AL in runs scored with 112. The Yankees need people to step up behind Robinson Cano.

8. Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona has slowly risen through the rankings, and at 15-11 after going 5-2 last week they definitely deserve this spot. This is a team with no superstars, just a well-rounded team who knows how to win. They have the pitching tools: Pat Corbin has an ERA of 1.91 and is 3-0; yet Wade Miley is 0-3 with a 7.48 ERA. Their bullpen isn’t lacking though, they have the third-best ERA in baseball at 2.44.

9. Colorado Rockies

While the Rockies are still on top of the NL West, they’ve cooled down quite a bit. They took a little bit of a blow this week losing their series to the Braves and the Diamondbacks. Their offense is hitting .279 as a team and has 32 home runs. They also have an NL high 127 runs scored, so far.

10. St. Louis Cardinals

This past week looked promising for the Cardinals, when they swept the Nationals on the road. It took a bad turn when they could only amount to 1-2 against the Pirates, making their week 3-3. Pitching has been huge for the Cardinals’ success. The lead baseball in ERA, 2.18 for the rotation. Another plus is that no starter has an ERA over 3.10.

11. Cincinnati Reds

Not the best week for the Reds, hence their drop. They won their series against the Cubs (not impressive) and nearly get swept in four games by the Nationals. Choo and Votto remain the leaders in the lineup, but the rest of the lineup needs to step it up if they want to be successful.

12. Oakland Athletics

After a great start to the season, the A’s have fallen to 15-12. They had a rough week though, losing their series to the Red Sox and Orioles. A key to their lineup is that Yoenis Cespedes back healthy, and didn’t miss a beat, homering his first game back. Their big issue is pitching, their two best starters Anderson (1-4, 7.23 ERA) and Parker (0-4, 8.10ERA) have not been on top of their game. While the bullpen picks up the slack, the starters need to work to get those ERAs down.

13. San Francisco Giants

The Giants are another team to drop drastically, and a lot to do with that is their disappointing past week. They lost their series against the Diamondbacks, and then turned around to be swept by the Padres on the road. At 14-12 and third in the NL West, they have some catching up to do. Their pitching has been an issue, Matt Can and Ryan Vogelsong both have ERAs over 6.

14. Washington Nationals

While I guess a 13-13 record isn’t bad, it certainly is not what you need if you want to win your division. Getting swept by the Cardinals was rough, but they turned it around winning three of the four game series against the Reds. Bryce Harper has been incredible in his sophomore season so far with 9 home runs and 18 RBI.

15. Kansas City Royals

The Royals have all the tools they need to be successful, yet they’ve only managed average. 13-10 isn’t bad, and neither is being on top of your division. The Royals also have a great bullpen, with a team ERA of 3.10. While they are good, there is always room for improvement, and they have the skill to do it.

16. Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers have definitely improved, beating the Mets and Brewers this past week. But at 12-13 they can do better. Their offense is struggling, with 80 runs through 24 games, that is the second lowest in the NL. Injury has a lot to do with the pitching struggle, going through nine starters so far.

17. Seattle Mariners

The Mariners have struggled this past week, and a 12-16 record reflects that. They went 1-2 against the Astros, and then almost swept and almost equally as bad Angels team. They can be powerful; they’re ranked sixth in the AL in home runs with 27. Their problem, however, is scoring runs. They’ve only managed 87 runs in their first 27 games.

18. Tampa Bay Rays

Tampa Bay has surprised a lot this week, sweeping the Athletics and then going 2-1 against the Yankees. However, going 2-2 against a weak White Sox team is not something to brag about. The Rays are still fourth in the AL East, six games behind the Red Sox. They will be tested by the Royals and Rockies next week.

19. Milwaukee Brewers

I was hoping their winning streak would continue, but unfortunately after nine games the Padres snapped it. Their bullpen is slowly improving, thanks to closer Jim Henderson majorly stepping up. With the Pirates and Cardinals coming in to town, the Brewers have a lot to prove. Hopefully they can show that this nine game winning streak was not just a fluke, and that they are a force to be reckoned with.

20. Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia’s week started off rough, dropping their series to the Pirates; but ended up strong by sweeping the Mets. As they fight to get over .500, series against the Indians and Marlins should definitely get them there. Michael Young will be a key factor in this as well, but only if the rest of the lineup can back him up.

21. Minnesota Twins

It must be tough playing one of the worst teams in baseball and one of the best in the same week. The Twins managed to split both of those series, making their overall record 11-11. It won’t be easy playing the red hot Tigers, but a road trip to Cleveland should be more in their grasp.

22. Chicago Cubs

It was a positive week for the Cubs, well if you consider going 3-1 against the Marlins is positive. They also beat the Reds to avoid the sweep on the road. Their struggles begin on base, for the Cubs are hitting .151 with runners in scoring position. Chicago has also only scored 80 runs in their first 24 games.

23. San Diego Padres

A surprising moment came for the Padres this week. After dropping their series to the Brewers, San Diego came back and swept the San Francisco Giants. While they only went 1-2 against the Brewers, that one win happened to snap a five game losing streak. Their lineup is still struggling, only amounting to 15 home runs and 85 runs scored. Their starting rotation’s ERA of 5.33 is also the worst in the NL.

24. Chicago White Sox

The White Sox just aren’t hitting well. Their overall batting average as a team is a weak .229, and they have the lowest runs scored in the AL with 83. Their pitching has been the opposite, doing well with an overall ERA of 3.60. Chicago’s closer, Addison Reed continues to excel at 8-8 in saves with a 1.64 ERA.

25. Cleveland Indians

While the Indians’ offense has been improving, their pitching has taken a toll. During their first 22 games, the Indians have used eight different starting pitchers. These pitchers all combined for an ERA of 5.53. The only positive spot in their rotation comes from Justin Masterson, whose 3.12 ERA helps the team as a whole. Without Masterson’s ERA, that 5.53 number jumps to 6.75. Masterson needs to stay dominant for the sake of the rotation.

26. New York Mets

This week has shown the Mets only one win. It came from the Dodgers, a series in which the Mets lost. New York then went on to be swept by the Phillies. While they land third in the NL with 115 runs scored, they are only hitting .239 as a team. They have two set starters in their rotation in Matt Harvey and Jon Niese, but after that it’s up in the air. Their bullpen (with their 5.35 ERA) also needs work.

27. Toronto Blue Jays

This past week was grim for the Blue Jays, and next week looks to be equally as grim. Like the Mets, the Blue Jays only saw one win last week, which stopped the sweep from the Baltimore Orioles. They are currently sitting in last of the AL East, 8.5 games behind Boston, a team they welcome into town next week.

28. Houston Astros

It looked to be a good week for the Astros, going 2-1 against the Mariners. That was until they traveled to Boston and got swept in a four game series. Their pitching is struggling, with a 5.51 ERA, 6.34 coming from their starters. The Astros have three pitchers, Bedard, Humber, and Peacock all with ERAs over 7.98. Their upcoming week looks to be even worse than this one, visiting the Yankees in New York and then welcoming the Tigers into town.

29. Los Angeles Angels

After going 1-2 against the Rangers and 1-3 against the Mariners, the Angels land themselves as the second worst team in baseball. A lineup filled with superstars like Trout, Hamilton, and Pujols have not lived up to the hype. Angels fans are awaiting the day P Jared Weaver returns from the DL, so Joe Blanton and his ERA of 7.09 will take to the bench.

30. Miami Marlins

The Marlins had a chance to get themselves out of last place, put they could only manage to go 1-3 against the Cubs. The good news: Giancarlo Stanton can finally say he joined the home run club! The bad news: he is now on the DL. Their pitching is average, holding onto a team 4.26 ERA.

Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

David Price won his start on Sunday, but striking out Chicago White Sox batters wasn’t the most intense part of his night. Price got himself involved in a bitter war of words with home plate umpire Tom Hallion which ended up being a feud that didn’t end after the final pitch. Both the Rays pitcher and Hallion continued to bicker at each other as they left the field, after the game in post game press conferences and eventually on social media.

According to Price, Hallion told him to the the ball over the plate, and he used a much more colorful way of saying it to get his point across. Price didn’t appreciate this and began barking at Hallion, but no ejections were issued. Randomly, Rays pitcher Jeremy Hellickson was the one eventually ejected for barking at Hallion from the Tampa Bay dugout, and needless to say this didn’t sit well with Price.

“If my own dad doesn’t speak to me that way,” Price said, via the Tampa Bay Times, “some frickin’ umpire’s not going to speak to me that way.”

Hallion was asked after the game about the incident and said he had no idea what Price was talking about. When it came to Price blaming Hallion as the instigator of the verbal fight, the umpire put up his dukes and decided to continue the oral brawl.

“I’ll come right out bluntly and say he’s a liar,” Hallion told a pool reporter after the game. “I said, ‘Just throw the ball.’ That’s all I said to him.”

So while Hallion admits to making a comment to Price, he denies the colorful way Price paints the picture. But being this is the age of social media, once Price got wind that Hallion called him a liar, Price’s thumbs were very busy the rest of the night firing off tweets responding to and addressing the situation.

1. I am not a liar 2. I would not make that stuff up 3. My own dad doesn’t speak to me that way 4. Again I am not a liar #accountability

— David Price (@DAVIDprice14) April 28, 2013

Think our entire dugout would ERUPT cause an ump told me to throw the ball over the plate? No, I’m sorry that wouldnt happen #accountability

— David Price (@DAVIDprice14) April 28, 2013

As for Hellickson’s ejection, Hallion simply said that was his way of controlling a situation that could have boiled over.

“(Hellickson) was told to knock it off, him and (starter Matt Moore) were at the dugout rail and I told them to knock it off,” Hallion said, via USA Today. “And he thought it was OK for him to have his final comment, at which time he was ejected.”

This is a situation that Major League Baseball will no doubt be looking into, as fans reported hearing an explicative used by Hallion. A suspension for the umpire is possible, but Bud Selig will consider all evidence before making a decision on that.

Aug 7, 2012; Flushing, NY,USA; Mr. Met unveils the 2013 All Star Game logo before the game between the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Voting for the 2013 MLB All-Star teams began today after a press conference in New York early Wednesday afternoon. As always, fans have the ability to vote on the rosters for the game, along with the ability to choose participants for this year’s home run derby thanks to the Home Run Derby Fan Poll.

You can vote for the all-star roster and home run derby participants by checking out the ballot here.

The All-Star teams will be announced on Sunday, July 7 during the 2013 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show. Major League Baseball will nationally televise the announcement live on TBS.  This year’s All-Star Game will be held on Tuesday, July 16 at Citi Field.

Here is the complete schedule for the All-Star Weekend events:

Friday, July 12 – Tuesday, July 16
Major League Baseball T-Mobile All-Star FanFest at the Javits Center

Sunday, July 14
Taco Bell All-Star Sunday at Citi Field featuring: SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and
Taco Bell All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game

Monday, July 15
All-Star Workout Day at Citi Field fea

turing: The Home Run Derby

Tuesday, July 16
84th MLB All-Star Game at Citi Field

Apr 14, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Bryce Harper (34) during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

The Nationals and Braves have kicked off what should be a year-long battle at the top of the National League East this season, with the Braves currently sitting atop the division with a sparkling 14-5 record while the banged-up Nationals are tied with the Mets at four games back.

But let’s focus on the Washington Nationals and Mike Rizzo, their general manager of nearly four years. Rizzo took the job with a necessary air of confidence, and the track record of a hard-working baseball man who started as an area scout in 1986 and did not become a scouting director until the Diamondbacks promoted him in 2000. When Arizona passed over Rizzo in 2006 for the general manager vacancy, he left to become the assistant GM in Washington. After Jim Bowden’s resignation in March of 2009, Rizzo was named interim GM and claimed the job on a permanent basis only months later.

The timing of Bowden’s resignation was unexpected and rather curious. The 2009 MLB Amateur draft was just three months away, and the Nationals held the number one overall pick with a consensus top pick on the board in flame-throwing San Diego State starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg, in addition to the tenth overall pick in the draft (compensation for not signing Aaron Crow in 2008).

With the Nationals in the midst of a horrendous season, ultimately finishing with a 59-103 record, Rizzo displayed the patience that his predecessor appeared to not possess. Even in being a rookie GM with what one might assume is a short leash, Rizzo did not rush into a flurry of trades or transactions in his first summer, or even his first off-season, only completing one trade in his first 15 months on the job.

We’ll take a look at three categories of player acquisition: the amateur draft, trades, and free agency. Sit back, relax, and enjoy an overview of the genius that is Mike Rizzo, and the patient diligence that built a potential dynasty up from the ground in less than three calendar years.

Trades

July 2010: Nationals trade closer Matt Capps to the Minnesota Twins for catcher Wilson Ramos and minor-league pitcher Joe Testa.

As a Twins fan, this trade was tough to wrap my mind around. Capps had been released by the Pittsburgh Pirates over the winter, and Rizzo pounced. Despite a poor 2009 campaign, Capps had been largely reliable in posting a 3.04 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP in 210 games over the previous three seasons in Pittsburgh. The Nationals made Capps their closer, and after being named Washington’s representative in the 2010 All-Star game, Rizzo saw the perfect opportunity to flip an “All-Star closer” for a valuable building block.

Rizzo did just that in convincing the Twins to give up Ramos, Baseball America’s #58 prospect. With Ramos blocked by Joe Mauer (yes, the DH is a thing, but the Twins forgot that for a moment, I think), GM Bill Smith was persuaded into moving one of his top minor-leaguers for a decent relief pitcher. And the Nationals had their catcher of the future, all while giving up an expendable reliever….

December  2011: Nationals trade pitchers A.J. Cole, Brad Peacock, and Tommy Milone and catcher Derek Norris to the Oakland Athletics for pitcher Gio Gonzalez.

After nearly giving up an even larger haul of prospects for Zach Greinke in a trade that was nixed by Greinke and his no-trade clause, Rizzo out-bid a number of other teams to land the services of Gio Gonzalez. The key to the deal, other than Gonzalez’ all around good-ness, was the fact that he is under team control until 2015. Greinke, on the other hand, would have required an immediate contract extension.

Peacock (#3 Nationals prospect at the time, according to Baseball America), Cole (#4), and Norris (#9), made up a good chunk of Washington’s up-and-comers in the farm system, but further stacking an already-stacked rotation (and cheaply, at that) was certainly worth the cost.

(Side note: Somehow, the Nationals were able to re-acquire Cole in December of 2012 in a three-way trade with Oakland and the Seattle Mariners. The Nationals gave up Michael Morse in the trade, but came away as the clear winners yet again.)

August 2012: Nationals trade catcher David Freitas to the Oakland Athletics for catcher Kurt Suzuki and cash.

After the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, the Nationals got a solid all-around catcher from the Oakland Athletics for a marginal catching prospect that hadn’t played above Hi-A at the time of the trade. It will be interesting to see what the Nationals do with a Suzuki/Ramos time share moving forward, but it is likely already one of the better catching duos in the game.

December 2012: Nationals trade pitcher Alex Meyer to the Minnesota Twins for center fielder Denard Span.

This trade was a finishing touch, and almost a luxury, to complete the best all-around lineup in the league. The talent level swap here may lean slightly in the Twins’ favor, as Meyer has ace/superstar potential, though he had never pitched a game above A-ball at the time of the trade. Span will never be a superstar, per se, but he is one of the top leadoff men in the game. He is an above average fielder with a good arm in center field, very good speed on the bases, and has always had a very good on-base percentage from the lead-off spot.

Apr 19, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (37) throws a pitch against the New York Mets during the second inning of an MLB game at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Draft

2009: Stephen Strasburg (#1), Drew Storen (#10)

2010: Bryce Harper (#1)

Yes, drafting is a pretty simple thing if you have the number one overall pick with a consensus number one prospect. Imagine having that scenario play out two years in a row. That happened to Rizzo and the Nationals, and having two consecutive 100-loss seasons certainly paid off in a big way.

Other Nationals players that were drafted by the organization pre-Rizzo include Danny Espinosa, Ian Desmond, Ryan Zimmerman, Jordan Zimmermann, and Ross Detwiler. That’s a pretty good home-grown track record, and Rizzo has hit on his high picks and traded middling-to-topish-tier prospects for legitimate major-league-ready talent.

Free Agency

Rizzo has done a great job filling in the Nationals roster over the past few seasons with one to two-year stop-gaps that are easily tradable or are low-risk, high-reward players that become expendable, but in general, free agency has been somewhat of a mixed bag for the club.

In a highly criticized move coming after a 69-93 season, Rizzo signed former Phillies’ outfielder Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $126 million contract in December of 2010, running through Werth’s age-38 season. In 2011, Werth hit just .232/.330/.389 and looked very much like a rapidly declining player that had just cashed in on a big contract. In 2012, Werth’s batting average bounced back to .300, but he hit just 5 home runs in 344 plate appearances due to a wrist injury that sapped much of his power.

Tossing the first three weeks of this season into the equation, Werth is hitting .257/.348./409 for the Nationals over the past two-plus seasons. Not very good (and certainly not worth the ridiculous contract), but given the amount of money that Rizzo has managed to save in other areas, it appears to be an over-pay that shouldn’t cripple them too much moving forward.

Last year, Rizzo struck gold with Adam LaRoche’s best year since 2006. This year, Rizzo took what could turn out to be a fantastic gamble on a one-year, $13 million contract for Dan Haren, in addition to a more substantial gamble on closer Rafael Soriano (2 years, $18m with a $14 m team option for 2015). Now that the Nationals are a bonafide contender and a potential dynasty, look for Rizzo to spend money if he sees an opportunity that fits his vision for the Nationals.

The Future

How great can the Nationals be? Sky’s the limit, really. It sounds crazy, but the lineup is well-rounded with speed and on-base percentage at the top with Span, Werth, and Harper, pop in the middle with Harper, Zimmerman, and LaRoche, and a good mix of power, potential, and some speed towards the bottom with Espinosa, Desmond, and whoever starts at catcher.

The lineup is solid defensively, with Harper and Span covering for Werth’s declining range in right field, and a young double-play combination up the middle. Both Ramos and Suzuki are solid catchers, and Zimmerman has always been one of the best-fielding third baseman in the game.

The rotation has the potential to be the best in the game, if it isn’t already. Strasburg/Gonzalez/Zimmermann is likely the best 1-2-3 punch in the league, and Haren and Detwiler as 4-5 starters is almost ridiculous. The bullpen is solid and has the potential to be spectacular with Clippard and Storen setting up for Soriano.

The farm system has been drained somewhat in landing some of the key cogs on the big league roster, but if they stay relatively healthy, the Nationals have a shot at an early-to-mid-1990s Atlanta Braves run, or potentially a late 1990s New York Yankees run if they have better luck in the playoffs. Our collective hats should be off to the job that Mike Rizzo has done in his four short years at the helm of the Nats. The current ability and overwhelming potential of D.C.’s squad will be a treat to watch, both this season and beyond.