And in other news, somebody forgot to tell the Giants that they're not in Spring Training anymore. :rolleyes:

I'm also pretty sure the pitching staff is collectively drunk.

Plus they can't even spell their own name! :eek:

Updated: April 19, 2009, 7:01 PM ET
Nationals mistake



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<!-- end mod-article-title --> <!-- begin story body --> <!-- isa photo -->http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/0419...merman_200.jpg<cite>AP Photo/Charles Dharapak</cite>Ryan Zimmerman sports a "Natinals" jersey on Friday against the Marlins.




Many people have wondered for years where the hapless Washington Nationals' "O" went, but on Friday it was completely missing from the jerseys of Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn. Early into the game the Nationals discovered the "Natinals" mistake and by the fourth inning Zimmerman and Dunn had changed into correctly spelled jerseys, according to The Associated Press. As editors and writers we understand that typographical errors can happen to anyone. But it's hard to resist poking fun at an amusing target such as the Nationals. Maybe they should have stuck with Expos ... and stayed in Montreal for that matter.

And yesterday, for the first time in major league history, a Micah hit a home run off of a Micah. Micah Hoffpauir, Cubs right-fielder, hit his 1st home run of the season off Micah Owings, the Cincinnati pitcher better known for his hitting than pitching.

This happens all the time in Amish League games, though.

Hey, did you guys know that there's an MLB franchise called the 'Pirates'? Yeah, really, they're in Pittsburgh. I saw it on the news....

If the MLB championship ever really does involve teams from around the world, will Pittsburgh allow Somalia to use the nickname Pirates as well? :eek:

...where Fan Appreciation Days consist of a free small quilt, or a pocket Bible.

...and, of course, always during day games.

I hate to tell you, but it's a myth. I'm sorry to see the news report you saw didn't check their sources.

A Banner Day in Your Nation's Capital!
 

Nationals (with an O), WIN - 4th time this month!!!!!! (Young pitcher has half the team's victories....).
Orioles, WIN
Capitals, WIN
DC United, WIN

(For the sake of consistency, let's leave the Wizards and Redskins out of this....although the Wiz got a new coach and Skins had a good draft!) ;)

You gotta love a straight steal of home, especially when it's on "Mr. Pickoff" himself.

Video of Ellsbury stealing home.

Yet another no-hit bid tonight.

Matt Garza has completed six PERFECT innings so far against Boston.

Update: It's over.

Infield single to the pitcher by Ellsbury leading off the 7th ruins it.

Manny being Manny - suspended for 50 games

Manny suspended 50 games for violating anti-drug policy - MLB - CBSSports.com Baseball

Awe, poor misunderstood Manny.

All I have to say is:

http://startswithabang.com/wp-conten...lson_haha3.jpg

A rare feet indeed.....
 

Only done 49 times in MLB history.

For one night, Jayson Werth goes klepto on the basepaths - Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

And so it begins......
 

MLB - LaRoche, Gload lose homers after video replays - FOX Sports on MSN

Both players had already rounded the bases when umps changed the original call......

I get bored with MLB in, oh, around June. The season is WAAAYYY too long. However, it is interesting to note that the Rangers, a term synonymous with "17 games out in June," are not only in first place of a traditionally good division, but who's lead is surpassed only by the Dodgers (in terms of games ahead).

I know, I know: you can't win it in May. But you can sure as hell lose it, and the Rangers ALWAYS do that. I'm cautiously optimistic for a fall pennant race, and that's about all we can ask for around here.

Maybe I don't have to start rooting for the Cardinals earlier than necessary!

I went to the Giants - Mets games on both Thursday and Friday night. They were good games until the later innings when the Giants decided to stop playing baseball and gave up their lead both nights. :rolleyes:

WS games to start 40 minutes earlier
 

More of pro sports catering to the bigger population on the East coast. They don't really care that most people out West aren't even off work by the scheduled first pitch, let alone have time to travel home.
:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(

I hope that two teams from the West end up in the WS. :p





NEW YORK -- For those dozing off by the fifth inning come October, help is on the way.
Following record-low ratings for last year's World Series between Philadelphia and Tampa Bay, Major League Baseball and Fox are moving up the start times this year.
Weeknight games in the World Series and AL Championship Series will begin at 7:57 p.m. ET, more than a half-hour before last year's first-pitch times, Fox said Monday.
The moves figures to give kids a chance watch more on school nights, and should benefit adults who need to set the alarm clock for work.
The start of Saturday night games could be even earlier, and Sunday games will continue to begin following the conclusion of the network's NFL coverage.
"Over the last few years, games have been ending a bit later than we'd like," Fox Sports president Ed Goren said in a statement. "This new schedule, made possible through the cooperation of our stations, affiliates and Major League Baseball, should help fans of all ages see weeknight games from start to finish."
Last year's World Series had scheduled starts from 8:29 p.m. to 8:35 p.m. ET, and times ranged from 3 hours, 5 minutes for Game 2 to 3:41 for rain-delayed Game 3 in Philadelphia, which began at 10:06 p.m. and didn't end until 1:47 a.m.
Philadelphia's five-game victory averaged an 8.4 rating, down 17 percent from the previous low, a 10.1 for the five-game St. Louis-Detroit series in 2006.
"Our goal is to schedule games to allow the largest number of people to watch, and this change puts our games in the window we believe will work the best for our fans," baseball commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "I expect that fans of all ages will respond favorably to this adjustment."
This year's Series will have the earliest start time since Game 6 between the Florida Marlins and New York Yankees in 2003 began at 7:57 p.m., according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
MLB said it will be the earliest start for a regularly scheduled Monday-to-Friday Series game since Game 5 between Baltimore and Pittsburgh in 1971, which was a day game.
Fox games will have a network air time of 7:30 p.m.
Selig had said since last October's World Series that he hoped for earlier game times.
No announcement was made about the NL Championship Series or the division series, which are televised by TBS. The earlier start does not apply to the All-Star Game on Fox, Fox spokesman Lou D'Ermilio said.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

I remember back in my youth (read, the good old days) listening to playoff games in elementary school by sneaking my transistor radio into class, hiding it in my desk, and using an ear piece to listen to the games! :eek:

Cry me a river, westie. :p

I suppose your solution would be to do what China does, and put the entire country on one time zone (Beijing time). The sun rises in Xinjiang province at 2:00 am. ;)

Or maybe you'd say that on TV it's like that now. :D

Or they could cater their schedule to which teams are in, knowing the regions involved will drive their ratings.

Church misses 3rd.

Morning Juice: Impossible to spell 'Mets' without the 'e' - Big League Stew... - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

Baseball Video Highlights & Clips | NYM@LAD: Dodgers' appeal bears fruit, keeps it tied - Video | mets.com: Multimedia

Well despite the fact the Giants are 9 games back behind the Dodgers (ugh), there is a bright spot in today's game. Tim Lincecum threw another gem, going 8 innings, striking out 8 batters and giving up no runs. He's 4-1 now, and I expect he will be nudging close to 20 wins this season.

This is assuming that Brian Wilson quits blowing save opportunities!:eek:

Just saw on SC that Zambrano tossed the PU. :D

Great, does that mean I'm going to receive a few Ts this year from players?

Only if you stink the joint up. :D

Alleged dealer boasts of pro sales
 

<cite class="source">By T.J. Quinn
ESPN.com</cite>

A Lakeland, Fla., steroid bust brought national interest Wednesday as federal law enforcement officials and Major League Baseball investigators turned their attention to the case.

Richard Thomas of Lakeland, arrested Tuesday with his wife Sandra on 21 state charges of importing and possessing steroids and other controlled drugs, told police that he had provided drugs to numerous professional athletes, although he hasn't named them, Polk Co. Sheriff Grady Judd said.

"We asked him if he'd sold to major professional athletes, and his quote was, 'You name the sport, we've sold to them,'" Grady said in a telephone interview Wednesday. "He didn't name specifics, but he said he had dealt with [players for] the Washington Nationals and the Capitals."

However, two sources indicated that the steroids seized at the Thomas house aren't the variety typically used by athletes who are subject to regular drug testing. The steroids itemized in the arrest affidavits generally stay in the system for a relatively long period of time.

The raid was a joint effort between the Polk County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, after ICE officials in Philadelphia told Judd's department that a steroid shipment was expected at the Thomas' home.

Judd said MLB officials called his office Wednesday morning and offered their cooperation, but his office said they had not heard from the NHL or other leagues.

Judd said a cooperative Thomas proudly admitted that he was "the biggest steroid dealer in central Florida," and had received steroids from all over the world.

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Tampa said no federal charges have been filed, but a law enforcement source said either that office or the U.S. Attorney's office in Philadelphia is expected take over the investigation.

Sandra Thomas was released on $215,000 bond on Wednesday afternoon, while Richard Thomas remained in jail. An employee at Rico Bail Bonds in Lakeland said that Sandra Thomas quickly left the county jail after being released to avoid a crush of reporters and had not yet been to their office to fill out her required paperwork. Messages left at the Thomas' home had not been returned as of Wednesday evening.

A spokeswoman for Judd's office said ICE and sheriff's office detectives were combing through the Thomas' records and were compiling information that could include the names of any athletes to whom they might have provided steroids.

"The Washington Capitals have no knowledge of any aspect of this allegation," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement. "Capitals players were subjected to no-notice testing three times in each of the past two seasons pursuant to the terms of the collective bargaining agreement and there was no indication of any improper conduct or wrongdoing. Even though there are no specifics provided in the story and we have no reason, at this point, to believe the allegations are true, the National Hockey League takes all matters of this nature very seriously and will conduct a prompt investigation."

Judd said that investigators were expecting to find a small shipment when they raided the Thomas' home, but that detectives called him Tuesday night to say this was no ordinary bust.

"They said you need to come down here tonight," Grady said. "I went down there and there was every kind of steroid you could imagine."

Judd said he was stopped by a fellow member of the Rotary Club during lunch Wednesday, who told him that he had purchased steroids from Thomas 10 years earlier while in high school.

T. J. Quinn is an investigative reporter for ESPN. He can be reached at [email protected]. Mike Fish, an investigative reporter for ESPN.com, and Pierre LeBrun, who covers hockey for ESPN.com, also contributed to this report.

Well that part's a given....

Home runs at Yankee Stadium
 

From the USATODAY:

Although the new Yankee Stadium has the identical dimensions as its predecessor, it has yielded 87 home runs, the most ever in a ballpark's first 23 games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. There were 46 home runs hit through the same number of games last year at the old Yankee Stadium located across the street.

There have been nine games in which at least five home runs were hit. In three other games, teams have combined to hit seven or more. All told, the new stadium is on pace for 306 home runs, which would surpass the record 303 hit in 1999 at Coors Field in Denver. Last year, 160 home runs were hit at the old stadium.

Home run inflation at new Yankee Stadium pumps debate - USATODAY.com

Curious why that is with the homeruns at Yankee Stadium.

1. Worse pitching

2. Despite what the experts claim and what is posted on the outfield wall, the players continue to state that the dimensions aren't the same. Right field in particular is said to be about eight or nine feet closer.

1 might explain an increase, but not to Coors Field proportions.
2 is likely the issue. I guess we'll need an independent surveryor to go in and determine it for sure, but hasn't the old stadium been torn down? Or we could just realize it doesn't really matter.

Randy Johnson just won #300. :)

Does anyone else think too much emphasis is placed on a pitcher's wins and losses? A guy can throw one pitch and get a win. A guy can throw a complete game and give up 0 earned runs and get a loss. etc.

Johnson, a five-time Cy Young Award winner is the sixth left-hander to reach 300 wins. At 45-years-old he is the second-oldest pitcher to reach the milestone (Knuckleballer Phil Niekro was 46). He is the fourth pitcher to win his 300th with the Giants, joining Christy Mathewson in 1912 and Tim Keefe and Mickey Welch, both in 1890.

Concur. A guy can throw one pitch and get a save too.

Many a good pitcher has played for many a crappy team and not had the numbers to show for it over the long run. That's what makes a season like Steve Carlton' 1972 campaign so great - he lead the league in wins (27), complete games (30), strikeouts (310), and ERA (1.97), despite playing for a team whose final record was 59-97.

Speaking of the Phillies. :D

Case in point: Parra, for the Brewers, gives up 5 runs on 8 hits through 5.2, and leaves the game in line to get the win. Move over, Cy Young.

But, no, he's taken off the hook. O'Flaherty for the Braves throws a perfect 12 pitch inning for the Braves, and Gonzalez throws 16 pitches, seven for strikes, and picks up a save.

A perfect 12 pitch inning includes what?

One runner reaching on a dropped third strike? ;)

no base runners :rolleyes:

Aha !
I understand what you meant.
Thanks.

Brother vs. Brother
 

How's About Them O's?
 

Orioles rally for stunning 11-10 win over Boston - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

Greatest comeback in franchise history.........

Now, we're 1-8 against them in our last nine......

Things are lookin up! ;)

it's about time that Papelbon lost a game.
also it was great to see Mariano Rivera get a RBI in the game in which he recorded his 500 save.:D

Am I communist ?
 

If I change my favorite team from the A's to the Giants does that make me a communist and un-American ? :rolleyes:

We all know the A's are looking to leave town. The economy sucks right now but they'll just run a cheap show till it turns around. And has anybody noticed Biilyball = no World Series Ball.
The Giants got pitching, youth, and a beautiful stadium.:D
The A's have BART and a tarp.....:mad:

So GO Giants...

Did you ever wonder about the conversations that may have occurred between Casey Stengel and Yogi Berra?

As an A's fan I personally think it makes you much worse than a communist; it makes you no longer a baseball fan. At least A's fans actually go to the stadium to watch the game, not sit on their cell phones and check email. But who am I to judge? At least you'll have a lovely trophy case to look at:

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j2...iestrophys.jpg

Did anyone see that Ryan Dempster of the Cubs got put on the disabled list for a broken toe? Considering it was on his right foot, I can see how it would be painful to push off on it to pitch.

<font size=1>(Did anyone see how he broke it? He did it tripping over the dugout railing jumping out to celebrate after a win over the Brewers.)</font size>

...sigh...

It's like the Cubs are cursed or something.

Thanks.

And the goat you rode in on too.

What was that goat's name?

Oh yeah; Bartman.

Nah, wasn't Bartman, it was Gonzalez (Alex), the Cubs shortstop who who let the 3rd out of the inning go through his legs.

Actually, I don't remember if the actual goat had a name; I'll have to do some research. I do know the owner of the Billy Goat Tavern was the one that placed the curse when he and his goat were asked to leave the park.

I never understood why baseball players celebrate so wildly over a regular season win. The game represents approximately 0.6% of the schedule and 1% to 1.2% of their win total.

Never in a hundred years.

Perfect Game on the South Side
 

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Chicago White Sox - Box Score - July 23, 2009 - ESPN

Shuts down TB.

Well, it least it wasn't some schmuck that done it.

The A's must have the worse attendance in baseball or pretty close to it. So there aren't that many people watching the A's....

Good call Chess!

MLB Attendance for 2009 - Rank/Team/# Home Games/Attendance AVG/ % full

23 Washington 49 1,168,420 23,845 56.9
24 Kansas City 51 1,214,877 23,821 62.4
25 Toronto 49 1,157,271 23,617 46.8
26 Tampa Bay 45 1,036,712 23,038 52.6
27 Cleveland 48 1,067,545 22,240 51.3
28 Pittsburgh 45 858,362 19,074 49.7
29 Florida 48 868,377 18,091 49.8
30 Oakland 47 832,711 17,717 40.6

But, here in N VA we're looking at the silver lining..... as soon as Scott Boras blinks, we'll be signing Steven Strasburg (#1 pick) and all the seats at Nats Park will be filled and we'll be on our way to the playoffs, if not the World Series! :rolleyes:

I now return you to your regularly scheduled program......

Anyone see the photo of Wise's catch with the Steve Bartman wannabe in the White Sox hat reaching for the ball?

Well, he does pitch for the White Sox, and he grew up a Cardinal fan, so that still makes him a schmuck in my book. At least he's a good schmuck.

I believe I saw there are only 4 or 5 other pitchers in history that have thrown both a no-hitter and perfect game in their career, and the names are pretty good - Cy Young, Sandy Kofax, etc. I wonder if this makes Buehrle a HOF candidate now?

And the answer is......
 

Buehrle became the sixth pitcher to have thrown at least two career no-hitters, including a perfect game. Randy Johnson, Sandy Koufax, Jim Bunning, Addie Joss and Cy Young are the other five.

By itself this won't get him in. Lots of HOF pitchers don't have either, and lots of guys with no-no's are not HOF material. More of a luck thing, really.

Buehrle has 129 wins in 9 seasons (not counting 2000). He's 30 years old. If he can keep winning 14/season, he'll have to pitch about 5 more seasons to get to 200 wins. That's not impossible.

If he can get to 200 he's got a shot at HOF.

The video was up on youtube within 20 minutes of the end of the game. Buehrle's performance was outstanding. Even the President thought so. And I'm not just saying this because I'm a lifelong White Sox fan.

Well, the Indians just Sabathia'd Cliff Lee to the Phillies. Wahoo. :mad:

Oh whooo is me! Did the Indians GM take lesson in how to trade your best player in return for nothing from Art Model (Paul Warfield to the Dolphins for the draft rights to Mike Phipps)?

MTD, Sr.

Mark, you couldn't come up with a more obscure reference for us?

If you wanted to go with football, you could have gone with Jay Cutler for Kyle Orton.

Snaqs:

Just ask any Browns fan. For many of us, this is refered to as The Trade, and is more devastating than The Drive. The Browns and had won the NFL Championship in 1964 and had lost in the 1965 championship game and then The Trade. The Browns have been in a downward spiral ever since.

MTD, Sr.

The Browns are by far the best team never to have played in the Superbowl.

As for the Indians, I will say only that Shapiro et al. seem to be following the model of the Pirates in turning the club into a developmental program for MLB teams.

The analogy breaks down, unfortunately for the owners, because the Pirates are still selling seats in PNC park.

that's because the fans get to go see future Red Sox and Phillies.

That's why I go to see the Akron Aeros (AA), but it costs me only $5. :cool:

"Slugging stars David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, who helped deliver the Boston Red Sox their first world championship in 86 years in 2004 and a second title in 2007, are among the names on the list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003, according to the New York Times." - David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez tested positive for steroids in 2003 - MLB - SI.com

This is not a problem.
Just another asterisk.

Does that mean we can put an asterisk on the Red Sox championships?
Sadly, not really.

I can, Snaqs.

new here but love the red sox, let them win

Not last night as the Yankees won 13-6. Hope Smoltz pitches again tonight.:D

Break up the Nats!!!
 

Was at the game today as they won their 8th in a row!

They're actually fun to watch these days. A good, young team with a really up and coming top of the lineup. Hope they can stick together and give the team time to grow!

Only 19K+ in the stadium though. Disappointing, even on a hot, sticky, DC day. :(

19K huh, in the canyons of empty seats at Oakland that would be a new country , that many people only happen a couple of times a year in Oakland.

Went to Giants/ Dodgers last night and almost a full house. I saw a little green in the upstair limited view seats.

I forgot what the baseball experience was suppose to be about for me, being an A's fan of late. . Last night was great-rivalry,pennant races, full house, fans into it ,till Dodgers put up a 4 spot .

GO NATS I need Dunn to keep swinging baby , my fantasy team is riding his back hard these last couple of weeks. Swing Adam Swing.

Nats Get Their Man!
 

And for a "bargain basement price."

World Series here we come....... :rolleyes:

Strasburg, Nationals agree to record-setting $15M contract - USATODAY.com

Unassisted Triple Play Ends Phils Game
 

Second time in MLB history, and the first time since 1927, a game ended this way!

What is even more bizarre (to me anyhow) is that both runners were on base because of an error and a "charitable hit" - both plays also going to Bruntlett! IOW - neither runner would have been on base if he had made clean plays on the previous balls hit to him. Crazy!

Unassisted triple play ends Phils' win over Mets - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

Sounds pretty blue for Big Blue
 

Updated: August 30, 2009, 12:57 AM ET
Report: Players allege rules were broken


Comment Email Print Share <script type="text/javascript"> var stobj = SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title:"Report:%20Michigan%20players%20allege%20NCA A%20violations", url:"http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4431717", published: "2009-08-29" }); stobj.attachButton(document.getElementById("espnst link")); </script>
<cite class="source"> ESPN.com news services
</cite>

<!-- end mod-article-title --> <!-- begin story body --> DETROIT -- Several Michigan football players claim the program regularly violates NCAA rules limiting how much time they can spend on training and practice sessions, according to a published report.
Players from the 2008 and 2009 teams told the Detroit Free Press for a story published on the newspaper's Web site on Saturday that the amount of time they spend on football activities during the season and in the offseason greatly exceeds the limits. The players spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity because they feared repercussions from coaches.
[+] Enlargehttp://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/0829...ez1_sw_200.jpg<cite>AP Photo/Tony Ding</cite>Michigan finished 3-9 in Rich Rodriguez's first season as coach.


Coach Rich Rodriguez and the university's compliance director, Judy Van Horn, both denied that the football program was violating NCAA rules.
"We know the practice and offseason rules, and we stay within the guidelines. We follow the rules and have always been completely committed to being compliant with all NCAA rules," Rodriguez said in a written statement to the newspaper.
Van Horn said her department conducts "in-person spot checks of practice during the academic year and summer. We have not had any reason to self-report any violations in this area with any of our sports."
One former player who started for Michigan last season told ESPN Saturday night that the report was accurate.
The player, who asked not to be identified for fear of repercussions from fans, said in-season Sundays at the football facility lasted from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., including a one-hour lunch. That would be an 11-hour day. The NCAA daily limit is four hours, the weekly limit 20.
The same player said required offseason workouts included three-hour lifts on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and two hours of speed and agility on Tuesdays and Thursday. That's a total of 13 hours; the NCAA limit is eight hours of required workouts.
This player said he would tell the Big Ten or NCAA what players were required to do and believes most of his former teammates would, as well.
A current member of the Michigan football team, who has started, also told ESPN his in-season Sundays at the football facility lasted from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., although he acknowledged the first two hours were spent in treatment, which is not counted against the restricted hours.
The player said this season players will be off on Sundays, practicing on Mondays.
The player said he worked out about twice as many hours as the allotted eight per week in the offseason. He asked strength coaches why the workouts seemed excessive and was told that some parts of the exercises, such as core work and injury prevention, were not counted as required.
The player said the strength coach told him that the workout plan had been approved by the NCAA.
Players told the Free Press that quality-control staff often watched seven-on-seven offseason scrimmages that are supposed to be voluntary and that only training staff are allowed to attend.
The Free Press said five of the 10 current or former players it interviewed gave similar accounts of how the program is run and a sixth player confirmed most of the descriptions. Other players gave a general idea of the program. None disputed the allegations, the newspaper said.
The players acknowledged they had signed forms stating NCAA rules had been followed and had not told the university's compliance department about their concerns. One player told the Free Press that athletes would get in trouble if they didn't sign.
ESPN's Joe Schad and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

All the big-time programs are about the same in this regard. But the real quesiton is:

Why is this in the baseball thread of the basketball forum?

Thanks, Nevada. It made me chuckle. :)
A hunert years ago, shortly before a walkout on our football team, we were required to sign-in for our voluntary workouts.

Lord Byron,
I can only guess it's because there is nothing to say about the Indians. :cool:

Mick, there's plenty to say about the Indians. Unfortunately, most of it would show up on the forum like this: **** the ******* ****** ******* **** ******* Indians.

Oh, my!
 

From: Ken Griffey has a wicked sense of humor - Game on - USATODAY.com
Ken Griffey has a wicked sense of humor

<SCRIPT type=text/JavaScript>var yahooBuzzArticleId = 'usatoday:http://blogs.usatoday.com/gameon/2009/09/ken-griffey-has-a-wicked-sense-of-humor.html?csp=34';</SCRIPT><!-- BEGIN YAHOO BUZZ --><SCRIPT src="http://d.yimg.com/ds/badge.js" ____yb="1" badgetype="small" showbranding="0">yahooBuzzArticleId</SCRIPT>Buzz up!
Like this story? Share it with Yahoo! Buzz
<!-- END YAHOO BUZZ -->The best punchlines need no explanation.

And that's the case with the special greeting Ken Griffey Jr. arranged for Adrian Beltre's return to the Mariners lineup.

The Gold Glove winner had been missing for three weeks because of suffering a testicle injury when he was hit by a ground ball. That incident also led to it becoming well known that Beltre disdains wearing a protective cup.

So what did Griffey have the stadium people play as musical accompaniment to Beltre's first trip back to the plate?

Something from The Nutcracker.

Ouch, that hurts.

Tigers' magic number = 18


Big number, ...but it's a number. :)

12 and counting AND hoping
 

The CARDINALS magic number is 12. But as they say, you ain't won nuthin' yet!!

As a Nats Fan.......
 

What's a magic number? :(

I believe we were eliminated sometime in July!

Nostradamus I'm Not!
 

Originally Posted 19 Apr 09

OK, so I got that one wrong!

For my next prediction......Jim Zorn rights the ship. Jason Campbell leads the league in passing. Clinton Portis runs for 1500 yds. Skins finish 11-5 and make it to the Division Championship.

There, I feel better......

and now it's 0.

The Yankees are special again.
 

Derek Jeter homered against Kansas City's Robinson Tejeda leading off the bottom of the first inning Wednesday night, and the $1.5 billion ballpark became the first major league stadium with home runs in all but one regular-season game. [usatoday.com]

In other news, the Tigers, with 4 home games remaining, face the always dangerous Twins once and the White Sox thrice in an attempt to clinch a Division championship for the first time since 1987.

For Cubs fans, that's a 22 year drought.

Are you suggesting that for other fans it's a different length of time, or that Cubs fans can't subtract numbers that small? :D

Ha! Not sayin' that.
The Cubs won their Division in 2007 and in 2008. That's much better than 22 years in Detroit. :)

Twins or Tigers or Tigers or Twins.
If Justin Morneau doesn't have a stress fracture, the Twins are packing for the Big Apple.