I hope you're sitting down for this, because I'm going to share a notion that might shock you right out of your Snuggie.

No, it's not that Jose Canseco is suing MLB. Or that Congress is now setting its sights on Sammy Sosa. Those two nuggets wouldn't even surprise this guy.

No, what I'm going to point out is so shocking, you might question everything you thought you knew about baseball:

DEREK JETER IS NOT SUCH A BAD DEFENDER ANYMORE.

That's right, he's not. In fact, at the age of 34 (35 in 9 days, don't forget to send a card), Jeter is putting together his finest defensive season since they've been keeping advanced defensive metrics.

Looking at two fielding stats, range runs and UZR, Jeter has improved immensely since 2005, when he contributed to one of the worst defensive teams to ever make the playoffs.

Here is how Jeter's numbers stack up since that season:

Range runs (Number of runs above or below average a fielder is, determined by how the fielder is able to get to balls in his vicinity)

2005: -17.1
2006: -7.1
2007: -16.0
2008: -3.2
2009 (through 60 games): 0.6

Ultimate zone rating (Number of runs above or below average a fielder is in both range runs, outfield arm runs, double play runs and error runs combined)

2005: -14.3
2006: -6.8
2007: -15.3
2008: -0.5
2009 (through 60 games): 1.6

The improvement clearly started last season, when Jeter rededicated himself to defense, employing "exercises designed to improve his lateral quickness and first-step explosiveness."

So how has Jeter gone from being among the worst defensive shortstops in baseball to a slightly above-average one?

Is it something simple like these exercises he's doing? His diet? The fact that no one wants to hit the ball on the ground at the new Yankee Stadium?

I wonder what Jerod Morris thinks? That last one was a joke, folks.

Continue reading this entry ...

Judging by reaction around baseball, Sammy Sosa testing positive for steroids (just a report at this point, mind you) is akin to saying the Yankees have a big payroll. Is anyone surprised? Ummm … that would be a big fat no.

In fact, surprise was the word of the day. A sampling …

Lance Berkman is not at all surprised: "That's not that surprising at all. There are just certain guys that you pretty much know without coming out and making an out and out accusation, but it does not surprise me, not even a little bit."

Don't even try to throw a surprise party for Aramis Ramirez: "Nothing surprises me anymore. Everybody talked about it, but I played with him for two years here and I never saw him do anything wrong."

Joe Torre is surprised when his own player gets caught, but not by anyone else: "As far as being surprised, I was surprised with Manny. And after that, I mean, how can you be surprised anymore? After Manny, how can you be surprised?"

Lou Piniella is surprised you would even ask him about it: "I don't know that much about it. Maybe if managers had been trained a little more in these areas, I could answer better, but I don't know. I wouldn't know a steroid from a reefer."

After dealing with A-Rod and now Sosa, Rangers GM Jon Daniels seems to wish he could be surprised: "But it's the same reaction as I had with Alex [Rodriguez]. You hope it's not true. But, unfortunately, nothing would surprise all of us at this point."

Don Mattingly hopes these non-surprise surprises are going to soon come to an end: "I don't think it surprises anybody any more. I think it's good that we've got a policy in place. … "Obviously, there's a lot of guys. I'd just go ahead -- if there's 103 guys, let's get 'em all out. We'll know who's who and go from there. We'll get it over with."

White Sox broadcaster Steve Stone is surprised that Sosa drew attention to himself: "I'm kind of surprised that he came out for an official retirement, because sometimes when you do that and make a comment as he made, it has ramifications that you can't foresee and in this case, these are some of the ramifications."

And perhaps most surprising is the reaction of Angels reliever Darren Oliver: "Better him than me. He's the one who has to deal with it. It seems like if you are caught with this, you can kiss the Hall of Fame goodbye."

You want a surprise? Oliver might now have a better chance than Sosa at the Hall of Fame. I don't think anyone would have expected something like that.

I've got good news and bad news for Royals fans.

First the good news: Reliever Kyle Farnsworth had his finger bandaged on Tuesday after being bitten by his bulldog.

The bad news? The wound was on his non-pitching hand.

Rim shot!

The pitcher all (insert whatever team he's pitched for) love to hate received four stitches from the bite. He was trying to break up a fight between two of his bulldogs on Tuesday morning.

(Royals manager Trey) Hillman said Farnsworth should not miss any time with the injury.

"I'm planning on him wrapping it up and having him available,'' Hillman said.

But as easy as it is to poke fun at Farnsworth, you have to appreciate his smarts. As Crash Davis might say: "When you're breaking up a fight between two bulldogs, you don't use your pitching hand. God, I can't keep giving you these free lessons."

Also, he'll always have this great moment, which is perhaps the best takedown by a pitcher in a brawl EVER. (With apologies to Nolan Ryan).

Hmmm. Maybe he took up the wrong sport?

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It's a wonderful problem to have when you're blessed with too much pitching. In fact, you could argue that it's no problem at all. That it's impossible to be blessed with too many competent hurlers. The Boston Red Sox are testing that theory.

The Red Sox already have a rotation consisting of Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Brad Penny and Tim Wakefield.

And on top of that, John Smoltz is set to come off the disabled list soon. Smoltz reportedly offered to take a bullpen role, but management is having none of that. They certainly don't need a closer, and view Smoltz as a valuable postseason asset as a starter.

So what should Boston do? Tony Massarotti does a great job breaking down the likeliest possibilities, ranging from putting Dice-K on the DL (seems like a good idea), to moving to a six-man rotation (unlikely).

While Theo Epstein and Terry Francona decide what to do, they might be interested to hear what Clay Buchholz has to say about the matter.

Buchholz apparently is getting tired of dominating Triple-A hitters at Pawtucket, and while he stopped short of demanding a trade, he's starting to sound a little restless.

"Whenever they come to a problem they seem like they find a way to fix it without me being in the picture. It is what it is. It's frustrating at times but I'm going out every fifth day here, trying to help this team win and trying to get better every day I go out. …

"I want to be in the big leagues and I do want to go somewhere where I'll be able to play and pitch every fifth day."

Buchholz has a case, as does his teammate Michael Bowden. If not 100 percent major-league ready, the pair are certainly running out of things to accomplish in the minors. Their numbers at Pawtucket:

Bowden: 3-3, 2.48 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 22 walks and 42 strikeouts in 65 1/3 innings.

In contrast to Buchholz, Bowden sounds content for now to remain lost in the logjam.

"I'd rather stay in the minors an extra year or so to play for Boston, to play in Boston at Fenway with that group of guys."

I wonder how long Bowden will keep singing that tune.

We know that the Washington Nationals are going to fire Manny Acta, probably sooner rather than later. And we also know that the Nationals are done. Finished. Cooked. Kaput.

The only thing they have left to play for is a second straight shot to draft a young, talented Scott Boras client No. 1 in the draft.

So who will lead this plucky band of players? How about Bobby Valentine?

According to SI's Jon Heyman the Nats are considering Valentine in their early discussions.

Valentine, who took the Mets to the World Series in 2000, is known for his high-energy, attention-grabbing style, which seems to have turned off MLB teams. (Remember this?) But he is loved in Japan, where he has coached the Chiba Lotte Marines for seven seasons. And as Heyman writes, Valentine …

... is known for turning losers into winners. He has always liked a challenge. This definitely is a challenge. The Nationals are 29 games under .500 at a time no other team is more than 10 games under .500.

Stay tuned …

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Let the Bryce Harper countdown begin.

Harper, the 16-year-old Las Vegas high school star who was christened as the "Chosen One" by Sports Illustrated, is planning to skip his final two seasons of high school in an attempt to be eligible for the 2010 draft.

According to Harper's father Ron, the phenom has registered at College of Southern Nevada and will play for the junior college next season in what would have been his junior year of high school.

Harper plans to earn his GED (high school equivalency) in the fall.

Harper, a 6-foot-3-inch catcher, hit .626 with 14 home runs and 55 RBIs for the Wildcats this season. He also had 36 stolen bases.

With his combination of power and speed, Harper is projected to be the top pick in the major league draft when he's eligible. That should be next June.

The No. 1 pick a 17-year-old from Vegas? It's possible. In the SI story, an NL scouting director said Harper would have challenged Stephen Strasburg for the No. 1 pick this year, at only age 16.

"Top two," he says. "And that's taking nothing away from the guys in the draft this year. He's honestly that good. He is a once-in-a-generation talent."

So let the race for Bryce Harper begin. Leading the way, once again, are your Washington Nationals. At 16-45, the Nats have a healthy 8½ game lead over the next-worst team, the Arizona Diamondbacks (27-37).

FIVE SERIES TO WATCH

Dodgers at Angels, June 19-21: It's the Freeway Series, which is sort of a laid-back, West Coast version of the Subway Series. Don't expect to hear Ramon Troncoso complaining about Brian Fuentes' "tired act."

ON THE TUBE

Monday, 7:05 p.m. ET: Brewers at Indians (ESPN)
Wednesday, 7:05 p.m.: Blue Jays at Phillies (ESPN)
*Saturday, 4:10 p.m.: Brewers at Tigers (FOX)
*Saturday, 4:10 p.m.: Cardinals at Royals (FOX)
*Saturday, 4:10 p.m.: Rays at Mets (FOX)
Sunday, 1:30 p.m.: Braves at Red Sox (TBS)
Sunday, 8:05 p.m.: Dodgers at Angels (ESPN) *Check local listings

And finally, for some fantasy tips for this week, click here.

Continue reading this entry ...

All the talk of the Kansas City Royals being the Tampa Bay Rays of 2009 had already subsided long before Thursday night's game. Losing eight of 10 and plummeting to the bottom of the AL Central took care of that.

But now the whole idea is officially dead.

The Royals have some nice pitching, including The Great Greinke, and some young talent. But they're not the Rays. They're just the same old Royals, finding new and interesting ways to lose.

On Thursday, it was a flock of seagulls that gummed up the works, and neither Alfred Hitchcock nor the musical wonder from the 80s had anything to do with it.

No, it was an actual flock of gulls that got in the way of Shin-Soo Choo's line drive in the 10th inning, deflecting the ball away from Royals center fielder Coco Crisp and allowing Cleveland's Mark DeRosa to score without a throw.

"It was hit so sharply, I felt like I had a chance," Crisp said. "You never know what the heck is going to happen."

You can watch the video here.

Let's face it, the noodle-armed Crisp probably wasn't throwing out DeRosa. The Royals also made two errors, Greinke was merely mortal, and Kyle Farnsworth was – well – Kyle Farnsworth. But in the end, it was a wayward bird that ended it.

It was bizarre and crazy, and prompted writer Joe Posnanski to serve up an amazingly comprehensive and amusing list of past Royals miseries.

Lost in all of this is the homefield advantage the Indians have built up for themselves. Thursday night it was birds. Two years ago in the playoffs against the Yankees, it was a swarm of bugs that rattled Joba Chamberlain.

And for you conspiracy theorists, the bugs and birds are not unrelated.

The bugs, common near the lakefront in late spring, returned a few weeks ago, and for the past few weeks, flocks of gulls have flown around feeding off them, as well as scraps of food tossed by fans.

"I guess the bugs brought the birds with that whole nature thing," Crisp said. "I'd rather have the birds, to be honest."

So what's next in Cleveland? What eats sea gulls? Sharks? Or maybe this guy.

Continue reading this entry ...

Where's Pedro? Perhaps back in the big leagues at some point soon.

Pedro Martinez, the biggest-name free agent pitcher still on the table -- with apologies to Tom Glavine – is finally starting to draw some interest.

On Thursday, reports out of Tampa Bay and the Dominican Republic said that a representative of the Tampa Bay Rays watched Martinez throw.

Later, the Boston Globe added that the Cubs were also at the workout, and that both teams had "begun to at least explore how much money it would take to lure Martinez back to the mound."

Money will be the key, of course. Martinez pitched well in the World Baseball Classic, and hoped for at least $5 million. No one bit, so Martinez waited.

Thursday's Globe report claimed that Martinez threw his fastball at around 94 mph in his workout, which seems remarkable even if he only threw a few pitches. This makes me wonder though: are the Rays and Cubs looking at Pedro as a reliever? That might be a way to save his arm and keep him healthy throughout the season.

Continue reading this entry ...

Whenever you hear someone's curveball described as "dropping off the table" take it with a grain of salt.

According to one professor anyway, the curveball's action is part-physics, part-illusion, the movement aided by a trick of the eye.

Criss Angel would be proud.

"There's something physical about it and something illusory about it," said Bucknell University professor Arthur Shapiro. … "They look like they jump or break or do all these funky things, but they don't. The idea that the bottom falls out isn't so. I'm not saying curveballs don't curve. I emphasize that, yes, they curve. They just do so at a more gradual rate. Instead of making a sudden hook, they would form a really big circle."

Shapiro explains that the eye exaggerates the break because peripheral vision is processed differently than straight on vision by the brain. So as the ball approaches and the viewpoint changes, the eye makes the ball's break look stronger than it is.

Shapiro made a very cool graphic to explain his idea, which he insists is only a hypothesis.

So what do players think? Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt offered his opinion for the story, and he had a thoughtful take, saying he agreed that the curveball presents an illusion to the hitter, but not due to peripheral vision.

"Hitters are seeing the ball with both eyes, not out of the side of front eye as suggested," said Schmidt. "I believe the illusion is a result of the speed with which the action takes place, not a peripheral view. Then again, I'm not a scientist, just a hitter."

Well, not just a hitter. Thanks to SPORTSbyBROOKS for this story.

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Chase Utley hit two home runs on Wednesday, including what proved the game-winner in the top of the 11th, as the Phillies beat the Mets.

But before Utley could go yard, Jayson Werth saved the day in the bottom of the 10th, snaring David Wright's smoking liner with a diving/falling down catch to end the inning. Fernando Martinez was on first base and likely would've scored if the ball had gotten past Werth.

You can view video of the catch here.

Werth is proving to be quite a versatile player, giving the Phillies a fine outfield with Shane Victorino and the suddenly -- and perhaps unfairly -- embattled Raul Ibanez.

In the meantime, the injury-plagued Mets must try to stay afloat during a brutal stretch of games.

Continue reading this entry ...

Milwaukee Brewers slugger Ryan Braun says he has been contacted by "The Bachelor" and asked to be on the show.

Apparently not worried about needing help finding love, or simply eager to maintain some self-respect, Braun said thanks, but no thanks to the show.

The conversation with ABC executives probably didn't go like this, but I sure wish it had.

Maybe Braun is holding out for a better show, like "Survivor." Or maybe he wants some name branding: "Ryan of Love?" "The Hills of Milwaukee?"

This whole story got me to thinking about some shows I might watch if they featured baseball players. And no, I didn't catch Jose Canseco in "The Surreal Life." Here are a few ...

"The Biggest Loser", featuring CC Sabathia, Carlos Silva and David Wells.

"My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss," with Joe Girardi.

And "Fear Factor," starring this Japanese pitcher.

What do you think?

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So it turns out that there is nothing wrong with David Ortiz's vision.

Big Papi, at a loss for why he is hitting less than .200 with only two home runs this season, is turning over every stone to try to find the source of his woes. That included a trip to the eye doctor on Monday.

His vision checked out "very well" during an examination Monday, and the Boston Red Sox designated hitter was given drops for dry eyes, team spokesperson Pam Ganley said.

Well at least they gave him some eye drops to make him feel better.

But while some are having fun with Papi's trip to the eye doctor, even creating a humorous eye chart for the big slugger, others are pointing to statistics that suggest there might not be anything wrong at all.

In fact, as Craig pointed out earlier today, Oritz -- eye drops or not -- might be just on the receiving end of some terrible luck, and could be due to break out soon.

As for the Red Sox, they seem far more concerned with finding shortstop help.

Continue reading this entry ...

Finally, it's Stephen Strasburg time.

On Tuesday, the man with the million-dollar arm (or $50 million, if Scott Boras gets his way) will be the first player selected in the First-Year Player Draft.

After months of hype and wonder over Strasburg, he of the 100-mph fastball and ridiculous control, he'll finally be a pro. Well not exactly. He'll have to sign first, and don't expect that to happen quickly. But you get the point.

The MLB draft obviously doesn't compare to the NFL or the NBA when it comes to hype and excitement, but the presence of Strasburg, the greatest pitching prospect since -- well maybe, ever? – should make Tuesday fun.

After the Nats make him the top pick, things will get a little more complicated, as teams stock up on more mortal talents like Dustin Ackley and Aaron Crow.

You can see a nice mock draft here, and a good list of the top 33 prospects here.

There's yet another list here.

On Tuesday, return to Circling the Bases for a recap of the draft. You'll be able to find bios of the top players on Rotoworld.com.

Now, on to a great week of baseball action …

FIVE SERIES TO WATCH

Dodgers at Rangers, June 12-14: Heck, maybe THIS matchup is a World Series preview. The Dodgers are dominating the NL, and the Rangers just keep on making fools out of everyone who expects them to start losing.

ON THE TUBE

Monday, 7:05 p.m. ET: Rays at Yankees (ESPN)
Wednesday, 7:10 p.m.: Yankees at Red Sox (ESPN)
*Saturday, 4:10 p.m.: Cardinals at Indians (FOX)
*Saturday, 4:10 p.m.: White Sox at Brewers (FOX)
*Saturday, 4:10 p.m.: Mets at Yankees (FOX)
Sunday, 1 p.m.: Mets at Yankees (TBS)
Sunday, 8:05 p.m.: Cardinals at Indians (ESPN)

*Check local listings

And finally, for some fantasy tips for this week, click here.

After spending the last six months or so sitting around waiting for his phone to ring, Sammy Sosa is finally ready to call it quits.

He'll walk away with quite a resume: 609 home runs (sixth all-time), three seasons with more than 60 home runs, seven All-Star appearances, one MVP award. Clearly, Hall of Fame numbers.

He'll also carry with him, however, the stigma of steroid abuse. None of it concrete or proven, mind you, but a large enough pile of circumstantial evidence to raise plenty of suspicions.

In comments made Wednesday to ESPN, Sosa was already engaged in a preemptive attack on anyone who would doubt his candidacy for Cooperstown.

"Everything I achieved, I did it thanks to my perseverance, which is why I never had any long, difficult moments [as a baseball player]. If you have a bad day in baseball, and start thinking about it, you will have ten more.

"I will calmly wait for my induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Don't I have the numbers to be inducted?"

It's an odd turn of phrase, and likely little more than bluster. Anyone who would "calmly" wait out such an honor would not feel the need to announce it to the world. Sammy Sosa is going on the offensive, while sounding quite defensive about it.

In a thoughtful column for the Chicago Sun-Times, Chris De Luca takes Sosa to task. He has some questions for Sosa that he'd like answered.

Why, De Luca asks, didn't Sosa meet with Sen. George Mitchell?

Why would Jose Canseco – who has been proven correct on a number of steroid issues – say that the physical changes in Sosa's body clearly point to use of performance-enhancers?

Why, given the chance to confront the allegations, would Sosa take a pass?

While Sosa is calmly waiting for his induction to the Hall of Fame -- he can expect some anxious moments -- he better either keep his mouth shut on the subject of steroids or be willing to take the allegations against him head-on.

So is Sosa a Hall of Famer? If it were solely up to the numbers, the question would be ridiculous. First ballot, no problem.

But as Mark McGwire has found out, it's not going to be that easy. When Sosa's name comes up on the ballot in five years, voters will be faced with these two questions:

1. Do you believe Sammy Sosa took performance-enhancing drugs?
2. Does it matter?

In the next five years, more information could come forth either damning or absolving Sosa on the first question. It's unlikely, but possible.

So it will probably come down to the second question. Does it matter? Keep in mind, voters are asked to consider character.

Voting — Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.

So far, based on the actions of Hall of Famer voters, it does indeed matter. Unless Sosa comes up with a good explanation, he would be advised to not sit and wait so calmly.

Continue reading this entry ...

St. Louis Cardinals fans must be nervous. It seems like the baseball gods are trying to hurt Albert Pujols.

On Monday night, Pujols appeared to tweak his ankle while hustling into second base, getting his spikes caught in the dirt just before beginning his slide.

Turns out he was fine -- even shrugging it off, saying he'd be in the lineup Tuesday -- but it was scary enough for the trainers to come out to check him out.

If that wasn't enough, turns out even some media members are after him. Do I smell a conspiracy?

Jack Curry of the New York Times wrote on Monday of an encounter last week with Pujols in which ...

Our ankles got tangled for a moment and both of us nearly tripped.

"You all right?," Pujols said. "I don't want you to get hurt."

It's not like Pujols needs more All-Star votes so we'll assume his concern for Curry was genuine.

To his credit, Curry found the question hilarious, and responded correctly, saying "We'd be in a lot worse shape if anything happened to you."

So true. Had Pujols taken out Curry with their accidental game of Twister, it's just another reporter down and out. (Click here for a great list)

But can you imagine the furor if a reporter had put the planet's best hitter on the disabled list? That would be a true test of the power of the press.

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We've just rolled out a new section on NBCSports.com called The Five Spot.

We throw out a topic, rank the top five, and let the readers have their turn. Sort of like our own little place for bar arguments, only hopefully a little more coherent.

Anyway, the debut topic for "The Spot" is baseball's top five pitchers. The list?

1. Johan Santana
2. Roy Halladay
3. Tim Lincecum
4. CC Sabathia
5. Cole Hamels

So who got left off? Should the order be changed? For the record, I'd put Zack Greinke on there. But that's just me.

Continue reading this entry ...

The Texas Rangers continue to be baseball's biggest surprise (at least at the moment), tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for the second-best record at 30-20 (trailing only the 35-17 Dodgers).

They're doing it with decent -- if not exactly astounding -- pitching, and drastically improved defense, as Tony DeMarco pointed out in his column last week.

"Everybody always says that when the Rangers get some pitching and play better defense, they can be a contender,'' broadcaster and former Rangers GM Tom Grieve said. "That's exactly what they're doing.''

Can the Rangers, who hold a 4½-game lead in the AL West entering the week, hang on? The common line of thinking is that the pitching staff will wilt as the oppressive Texas summer descends, and that the talented and experienced Angels will eventually put a run together.

But Texas, its pitching staff in particular, is facing a much more pressing problem this week – a road trip to face AL East powers New York and Boston.

The Rangers take on the Yankees on Tuesday-Thursday in a ballpark that is already proving to be launching pad. Then they go to Fenway Park, another hitter's paradise, to take on the Red Sox's potent offense.

It doesn't get much bigger for the Rangers at this point in the season. They already allowed 23 runs in dropping two of three to the Yankees at home last week. If they want to prove they're for real, a nice run this week will open some eyes.

FIVE SERIES TO WATCH (NON-RANGERS EDITION)

Phillies at Dodgers, June 4-7: A four-game set between last year's NLCS opponents. No Manny Ramirez, but this will still be a fun one to watch.

ON THE TUBE

Monday, 7:05 p.m. ET: Yankees at Indians (ESPN)
Wednesday, 7:05 p.m.: Red Sox at Tigers (ESPN)
*Saturday, 4:10 p.m.: Indians at White Sox (FOX)
*Saturday, 4:10 p.m.: Twins at Mariners (FOX)
*Saturday, 4:10 p.m.: Phillies at Dodgers (FOX)
Sunday, 1:30 p.m.: Rangers at Red Sox (TBS)
Sunday, 8:05 p.m.: Phillies at Dodgers (ESPN)

*Check local listings

And finally, for some fantasy tips for this week, click here.

Carlos Zambrano did his best Mount Piniella impression on Wednesday, going on a ball-throwing, bat-swinging rampage after a disputed play at the plate led to his ejection.

As Zambrano argued a close play at the plate – in which Pirates runner Nyjer Morgan was called safe by home plate umpire Mark Carlson – the 6-foot-5 Cubs pitcher bumped Carlson. Carlson immediate tossed Zambrano, as manager Lou Piniella watched from behind with a look that almost looked like fatherly pride.

You can watch video of the incident here.

Zambrano was contrite after the game, saying of Carlson "I apologize to him."

In a twist of irony, Piniella said Zambrano has to learn to control himself.

"He's got to tone it down a little," Piniella said. "He cares, but gosh you can argue a little bit, get your point across to the umpire that he thought the runner was out and just get back and go out and pitch."

Right.

This from a guy that once got into a wrestling match with his own player in the clubhouse. A guy who used to be an Olympic-caliber base-thrower and cap kicker.

(Although at least he never did any of these things.)

But really, Zambrano should calm down. After all, experts say these temper tantrums just aren't healthy.

It's enough to make you want to shout but most psychologists say throwing a tantrum to deal with stress is not a good idea.

"If you vent anger what happens is you're rehearsing, reinforcing in your own mind that that anger is legitimate," Dr. Pamela Foley said.

Foley recommends taking time outs and "exercise has shown to have tremendous effects on dealing with anxiety stress and depression."

There you go Carlos, exercise is the key. Take a bike ride. Maybe walk to the park and feed the ducks.

Just go easy on the drink dispenser.

Continue reading this entry ...

One is nearing the end of the road, aiming for one last impressive milestone to pad a Cooperstown resume in no need of padding.

The other is just getting started on a promising career, having given the fans a brief glimpse of dazzling potential last October.

Two left-handers. A tale of greatness achieved, and potential to be had. All eyes should be on Randy Johnson and David Price this week.

Price, the 23-year-old phenom, was called up from the minors by the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, replacing the injured Scott Kazmir. He'll make his first start of the season on Monday against the Cleveland Indians. It will be a much-anticipated outing for Rays fans and fantasy players alike.

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The MLB could use a lesson in sensitivity.

Nick Adenhart, the promising young Angels pitcher who was killed in a car accident, is still listed as the 35th best prospect in baseball on MLB.com's Web site.

What makes this even worse is that it wasn't simply an oversight. They're very aware he's on the list, but instead of just removing Adenhart, they've added a disclaimer:

Editor's note: On Thursday, Apr. 9, just hours after pitching six shutout innings in his 2009 season debut, Nick Adenhart was involved in a car accident and died from his injuries.

Deadspin.com has been all over this, and points out that MLB.com has been clumsy in handling Adenhart's death from the start.

Memorialize Adenhart with a special page if you like. But don't continue to have him listed among the top 50 prospects in baseball months after his death.

Find a 51st and move him up, or just make it the top 49. To do otherwise is an insult to his family, and from a more callous angle, to the other players on the list as well.

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It's that time of year again.

AL pitchers rush to retrieve odd wooden sticks from dusty closets, inspecting them with perplexed looks. NL bench-warmers salivate at the chance to get a little extra playing time, and AL DHs look for a little vacation.

Yes, Interleague play is upon us, and while not everyone is as excited for it as Joe Maddon and Andy Sonnanstine apparently are, there are a few things to look forward to when the first wave of games come on Friday.

The Matchups: The first weekend of action does not include Yankees-Mets or White Sox-Cubs, but there are some good ones on tap, including Yankees-Phillies, Mets-Red Sox and Angels-Dodgers.

In addition, you'll get the battles of Florida (Marlins-Rays), Texas (Astros-Rangers), Ohio (Reds-Indians), D.C. (Nats-Orioles), Missouri (Cardinals-Royals) and of course, Peavy (Cubs-Padres).

Remember me?: It was a bit puzzling when the Mets signed Gary Sheffield, given his reduction to essentially being a DH over the last two seasons. And this season, Sheff has only averaged 2.6 plate appearances in his 30 games, although to be fair he has been playing more -- and well -- of late. But now, he gets to DH for a few days. So he has that going for him, which is nice.

The March to 299: Randy Johnson was all set to go for his 300th career victory in Seattle, where he first learned to harness his control issues and become the greatest lefty of his time.

Alas, the Mets had other ideas, roughing up the Big Unit on Saturday. So he'll be going for his 299th win instead.

Come out and get your whuppin': While the NL has held its own when it comes to World Series wins in recent years, the AL has dominated Interleague play. There are a whole host of possible reasons, from the DH giving the AL an edge, to the AL simply being more talented top to bottom.

Will the trend continue? It will be one of the storylines to watch.

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Slowly but surely, things seem to be turning around for the Los Angeles Angels.

The heavy favorite to win the AL West entering the season, the Halos were beset by a series of injuries, misfortune, and of course, the tragic death of promising pitcher Nick Adenhart.

The avalanche of problems was initially too much to handle, leading to a 6-11 start. The Angels lost four of six to the fast-starting Mariners, and two of three to Oakland in April.

But quietly, the Angels are coming around, having climbed within a ½-game of the first-place Texas Rangers. They completed a sweep of the Royals over the weekend -- thanks in part to an insane grab by Torii Hunter -- and a Zack Greinke imitation put on by Joe Saunders -- and enter the week on a four-game winning streak.

And more good news is on the way.

Vladimir Guerrero is swinging a bat again, and could be less than two weeks away from returning to the lineup.

More immediately, the rotation could be getting a huge boost this week, with Ervin Santana and John Lackey both potentially finishing rehab assignments and returning to the majors.

Manager Mike Scioscia would not commit to a starter for Wednesday or Thursday. That's because the Angels are in the process of evaluating whether Ervin Santana, who gave up three hits and two runs in five innings of a triple-A game on Saturday, will be ready to be activated for Thursday's game, and whether John Lackey, who will start for Salt Lake today, will be ready to pitch Friday.

Scioscia said he didn't want Santana to "waste bullets in the minor leagues, but we also want to make sure he's ready for the challenge."

Look out AL West. Here come the Angels.

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