Pop goes the tissue

Joel Zumaya was pretty sure his career was finished when he felt a pop Tuesday night, but at least people saw this injury happen and he won't have to endure jeering about his Guitar Hero skills this time around.

According to the Detroit Free Press (via Ballhype user The World of Isaac):

"It felt like my arm exploded, and I thought my career was completely over," he said.

A postgame medical exam disclosed that what Zumaya felt was the breaking loose of scar tissue from his shoulder operation last fall.

While hardly career-threatening, it's a problem that prevents him from pitching effectively and freely -- at least now.

Well, that's better, though not necessarily if you are in affiliated with the Tigers as a fan, teammate or in any other capacity.

Just 9.5 games back in the AL Central, 11 in the Wild Card, Tiger fans!

(Image from: Deadspin.com)

Pudge to fill in for injured Posada

It's the big story at the trading deadline outside of the Manny Ramirez "will he, won't he" saga, but Ivan Rodriguez has been traded for Kyle Farnsworth.

Straight up one for one deal. The same kind of deal that would be questioned if it happened in my fantasy league (/Simmons). Commissioner Frankie is quick on the draw for those types of shenanigans.

From MLB.com:

Farnsworth, 32, was having his best season of his three with the Yankees, pitching to a 3.65 ERA in 45 appearances. He struggled in a setup role his first two seasons after joining the Yankees as a free agent before the 2006 season.

Farnsworth pitched for Detroit in '05, registering six saves before being traded to Atlanta at the July 31 Trade Deadline. He was emotional as he discussed the deal, briefly breaking down in tears as he spoke to reporters.

"Nothing surprises me in this game, but it's one of those things you can't really put your finger on," Farnsworth said, his lower lip trembling.

Girardi said that saying goodbye to Farnsworth -- a former batterymate and a pitcher for who he had lobbied all season long -- was especially difficult.

It strikes me as a little strange that MLB is saying that the Tigers are the ones who initiated this trade. For Farnsworth.

This leaves Brandon Inge as the only one on the Tigers' depth chart as a catcher - and he's listed as a 3B on his bio page, but has 24 games this season under his belt after starting his career behind the plate - which should change tomorrow morning, right?

The bigger question has to be whether or not this is a white flag for the Tigers.

(Image from: Flickr User BostonWolverine - hey I dig that kind of juxtaposition!)

Too little, too late?

First, the bad news.

For a team that was active in the offseason and appeared to be stacked heading into the middle of a less than impressive crowd in the American League Central, the Detroit Tigers have underperformed by anyone's standards.

Injuries to members of the bullpen (Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney), rotation (Dontrelle Willis, Jeremy Bonderman) and lineup (Gary Sheffield at the top of that list) haven't helped matters as the Tigers have been subjected to "What's wrong with Detroit?" pieces in newspapers and every three episodes of Baseball Tonight.

Now, the good news.

Despite a less than impressive start, the Tigers are only six games behind the front-running White Sox (Chicago is second only to Arizona for fewest wins among division leaders with 38).

Detroit is currently on a six-game winning streak and is closing the gap as one of two teams with a winning record in the division.

The best news? Zumaya and Rodney should be back this week and Sheffield thinks he's very close to heading back to the big club. Detroit can come back - simpler if the White Sox continue to streak and fade - by playing consistently as they have of late.

Whether or not those bullpen arms come back in playing shape to help remains to be seen, but it certainly can't be any worse than some of the stopgap solutions Detroit was forced to employ. Sorry, Twins and Indians fans... Get ready to drop a spot.

(Update - 11:30 p.m. - Rodney just served up a three-run homer while trying to protect a one-run lead in San Francisco on what appeared to be a changeup that he hung to the first batter he's seen since returning to the majors. The second batter he's faced tagged him for a double. Welcome back to the bigs, Fernando.)

(Image from: MLB.com)

ESPN debates who sucks worst/most

ESPN.com took time out Tuesday to open the debate on which MLB team has been the biggest disappointment this year with two months in the books.

While perennial basement dwellers like Florida and Tampa have surged out of the gate and proven their worth, some big name clubs - most notably the Mets, Tigers and Indians - have not lived up to their preseason hype.

In all honesty, I think the Tigers still have time to turn things around but they might be lacking the know-how to do so. I see it as the Yankee syndrome, where the team is built of All-Stars who don't know how to play together until mid-June and then finds a way to turn the season around.

The hitch with that is the Tigers don't have the star power New York traditionally has and the two big imports in Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera are injured and struggling.

The Mets are a bigger surprise after bringing back the core of a powerful 2007 team and adding one of the best pitchers in the game. With fans calling for the manager's firing and the usual menu of New York based craziness in the media, this can get out of contrl quickly if the team doesn't start performing soon.

Yet, despite these two front-runners for "Bust of the Year," ESPN came to the conclusion that Seattle is the biggest letdown so far.

Seattle?

Citing the worst record in baseball (OK, that's valid) and the signings of Erik Bedard and Carlos Silva, the Mariners were awarded the dishonor of being the biggest letdown to date.

That just makes no sense, especially compared with the other teams in the mix. While signing Bedard was a coup in the offseason, Silva is hardly a difference maker, despite what some of his career numbers might suggest.

No one expected the Mariners to win their division, much less the pennant, while the same can't be said for Detroit or New York.

Of course, the whole point will be moot in another month or so when another frontrunner falls by the wayside and the baseball world throws up its collective hands and asks, "How could that happen?"

The same way it always does - a lack of timely hitting, pitchers that can't locate their pitches and stupid fielding mistakes. There, I've successfully predicted the future - someone hook me up with my own 900 number so I can compete with Miss Cleo.

(Image from: ESPN.com)

Home cooking > Change of scenery

Leading into the Red Sox home opener today, you had the jet-lagged Sox against the winless Tigers who were swept at home by the Royals and White Sox.

In the midst of the Sunday night shelling at the hands of Chicago, Jon Miller and Joe Morgan were suggesting that all the Tigers needed was a little time away to get back on track.

At the same time, the Red Sox were being pounded by the Blue Jays in Toronto, where much was made of their world tour with stops in Japan, Oakland and Canada. All they needed was to get home, get a little rest and they'd be fine.

Consider it the unstoppable force versus the immovable object, but for chattering announcer types.

As of the eighth inning in Boston - featuring Bill Buckner throwing out the first pitch, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler singing God Bless America and Neil Diamond doing a live version of Sweet Caroline - it appears that clean underwear and some new bling is the real recipe for success.

Well, that and a hit or two from anyone but their 2-3-4 hitters. That would probably be the most helpful improvement of all.

(Image from: Boston.com)

The plot thickens

For those watching the Johan Santana trade with nervous/gleeful/heartbroken anticipation (that would be Red Sox fans/AL Central fans/Twins fans) the Boston Globe is doing a phenomenal job with the updates.

That link is here.

As of a half hour ago, the Angels seem to be making a strong play to close a deal immediately and the Twins are rumored to want the whole thing wrapped up today.

From the site:

From the Globe's Nick Cafardo (3:37 p.m.): "We've said here all along that the Los Angeles Angels have the ability to make any deal they desire because they have the chips to make it happen. If they have jumped into the Johan Santana hunt, they pose a real threat to the Red Sox and Yankees for Santana's services.

The Angels have extra pitching, so they're able to offer a major league-ready starting pitcher like Ervin Santanta or Jered Weaver as well as a host of positional players - anyone from Howie Kendrick to catcher Jeff Mathis, infielder Brandon Wood, outfielder Reggie Willits, and even Gary Mathews Jr."

"I do not believe the Yankees are out of the Santana hunt yet."

Well, OK, then.

Actually that makes perfect sense. The Angels have a recent history of sniping players at the last second, usually with half of America unaware that they were even in the market - this includes their recent signing of Torii Hunter.

No word yet on which fast food restaurant will host the signing if the deal goes through.

Also worth keeping an eye on is this new rumor that sends Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit for pitching and prospects.

Update: That last deal appears to be final with Detroit capturing both Marlins stars in exchange for outfielder Cameron Maybin, pitcher Andrew Miller, catcher Mike Rabelo and three other minor league pitchers.

(Image from Angels in the Outfield)

The Cubs really love outfielders

Like a bad fantasy baseball team manager, the Cubs have dealt for yet another outfielder, landing Craig Monroe today from the Detroit Tigers.

According to the Cubs web site, Monroe will report to the team Friday in Arizona.

This now brings the total number of outfielders to more than they can use in a game and then some. It was bad enough when there was a logjam of outfielders to start the season, but following the injury to Alfonso Soriano, the team has just kept adding more.

There are now eight options, with two on the DL, according to the team's 40-man roster, which just seems silly.

Don't they remember the issues with trying to find playing time for the players they had? Now Soriano will return and they'll have to find time for Monroe as well?

Wow, talk about being snakebitten by the whole Corey Patterson problem. Have one underachieving outfielder and you end up with an organization that compulsively stockpiles replacements.

(Image from: CBC.ca)

Well, that was strange

Much like my constant crowing for a passable DH in Minnesota, I rarely shut up regarding the need for the Cubs to find (or pay for) a front-line closer.

When the dust settled on Ryan Dempster's outing in Atlanta tonight, it was one inning pitched, three runs, all earned with three hits and three walks. (I'm still double checking that line because - while I'm seeing it in two places - it still looks so damn strange.)

It was a weird game and a weird loss, but it wasn't a lot of fun to see things go downhill so quickly. It really doesn't make me feel any better to see the trainer out there after the slider that got away for the go-ahead run, either.

Between the birds at the Tigers game and the Royals (yes, the Royals) blowing the doors off the Phillies 17-5, I think it's best if I go lie down now.

Do you even like baseball, guys?

Last names are tricky.

I had an editor who used to go line by line through every name on the agate we'd crank out on a nightly basis looking for mistakes and jokingly calling himself "The Hawk" when he'd catch one.

"McDougal or MacDuggle?" he'd ask. "There was a MacDuggle a few years ago who played for Southern Door - is this a brother or a sister?" If we really dug in our heels, he'd toss us a phone book and tell us to prove it.

We were wrong more often than not.

We thought he was trying to be a dick. He was really teaching us how to do a better job, make better connections and learn that a solid quarterback from 5 years ago might have an equally talented younger brother or sister in the wings.

I always silently suspected that as a prep athlete, his off-kilter last name (Harty not Hardy) might have played a role in this as well. Nothing sucks like doing a great job, clipping the box score and seeing your name spelled wrong.

Even on the high school level, it became our responsibility to get the names right, and while I will never claim to be perfect here, I do make an effort and will check and re-check names I don't know very well.

I guess that's why I'm frustrated when PA announcers and radio and TV personalities get things wrong so often. The Red Sox broadcast team just referenced Andre "Ether" and not Ethier and catching the post-mortem on the Twins/Tigers series had a walk-off homer from Brandon Inge, which was masacred beyond belief (Inguh? Ingey?).

I'm not asking for much, and the media guides even have phoenetic spellings of the names, but anyone who has in interest in baseball knows those two names of hundreds in the majors. Would it kill guys to watch a few games in their downtime?

* Jonathon Papelbon has blown the save and is struggling to get out of the ninth in Boston tonight. Wow, that's weird.

He's just not locating his pitches well and hung a fastball for a two-run homer to tie the game. I can't imagine the speculation on the Sons of Sam Horn board... no wait, I can.

* Elsewhere in the East, Phil Hughes is no-hitting the Rangers (see a pattern here, anyone?) and will have a huge rush on the fantasy boards starting now and continuing through tomorrow afternoon.

There are worse guys to pick up than Yankee rookies, but I always get frustrated at premature runs made on guys in their first games.

* As much as Frankie likes to joke that the baseball season hasn't really begun until Kerry Wood or Mark Prior have hit the DL or are gone for the year, I argue the season really doesn't warm up until Roger Clemens begins his annual auction.

He's begun his annual auction.

* Watching the Brewers this weekend made me realize that last year it was the Brewers and Tigers off to hot starts and I stupidly called them both out as pretenders. There's something to be said for being half right.

Currently, the Brewers are 16-9 and 7-3 in the past 10 games in the upside-down Central Division (Brewers, Pirates, Reds, Cubs, Astros, Cardinals in order).

They are holding strong in the top third in average, OBP, ERA and earned runs. Not running away with anything, but seeing more pitching than they had before. With the young bats and the emergence of a viable pitching staff, it's been surprising, but justifies the preseason hype the team attracted.

(Photo from MLB.com)

Everyone's a winner on Opening Day

Opening Day - It's like Christmas, only I don't have to put up with my family... I think it's pretty cool that you say "Opening Day" and it's pretty apparent what sport you're talking about. I'm not really sure what the NFL's Week One is known as, other than Week One.

Aside from that, who cares what you call basketball or hockey.It usually takes a few weeks for anyone to really notice those sports have started.

* The big question I have when I see pictures of Pete Rose at Opening Day is whether or not he has to watch his mouth around the ballpark - well, in public, really - when using the word "bet."

Like, let's say Adam Dunn comes up with two homers already and some know-it-all in the section chimes in with, "Dunn is automatic! Here comes the third homer, baby! Woo!"

Can Rose still say, "Wanna bet?" without serious repercussions?

I bet he can't... Damn, I would make a sub-par Pete Rose.

*One of the common refrains that I'm seeing in league previews is that the top two guys in most rotations are solid starters and the three through five guys are where you separate the men from the boys.

This is pretty self-evident as you look at the top-tier teams and work your way down to the Mariners and Royals of the world. Hell, just look at the cash commanded for very average pitchers in the offseason.

The capper might have been on-air speculation tonight about what Dennys Reyes would command on the open market. It was done in all seriousness.

My gut tells me that as we get into the three, four, five guys in every team's rotation, you'll be able to see which teams are in for a long season and which ones are ahead of the pack by virtue of having normal pitching depth.

* All told, from the highlights I'm seeing and the bits of games I caught live, it was a pretty predictable day around the league, with the top-shelf starters performing the way they're paid to and competition being pretty equal for Opening Day. The exception is the fluke blowout by Cleveland over the White Sox, which had more to do with the first game than talent levels.

I refuse to believe that the Sox are that bad or the Indians are that good, but I could be wrong.

* Ben Sheets got off to a hot start and as he goes, so goes Milwaukee - which should have been the case for years now, save for his injuries and under performing from year to year. A two-hitter out of the box certainly bodes well for the Brewers.

* Manny Ramirez apparently has a tough time getting things going every year according to the announced at the Royals/Red Sox game from Kansas City today. I'd never really noticed, I guess, but just add it to the list of Manny's quirks.

One player who has no such problems is Vlad Guerrero who until he just ripped a shot down the left-field line in his first at-bat had hit home runs off the first pitch he saw in 2005 and 2006.

OK, that's pretty cool.

* My new goal for this season is to try and get a more accurate read on which sleeper teams that start hot are for real and which ones will fall back to earth. Last year, I picked the Brewers and panned the Tigers after hot starts by both... yeah, that worked out well.

This year, I don't even need to pick the sleepers, I just want to be able to call it one way or another more quickly than I usually do.

By that, I mean before the second week of October.

(Photo from the Associated Press, via ChicagoTribune.com)

Thanks, Tim - We appreciate the vote

According to Tim Kurkjian's breakdown of the best rotations in baseball, the Red Sox are his winners by default.

It's akin to handicapping the presidential races right now, where we really need to see more from each rotation, not to mention that injuries and other fluke things come up in March to hamstring teams that look pretty strong on paper - remember the ESPN the Mag cover in 2004 that had the Cubs rotation as the prettiest girls at the dance?

In any event, the lineup of Daisuke Matsuzaka, Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling, Jonathan Papelbon, Jon Lester and Tim Wakefield is being seen as the best of a down year in terms of team pitching, with Kurkjian pointing out it's not like the old days of the Braves rotation that was always the prohibitive favorite heading into Grapefruit League play.

When it's a Japanese rookie with no experience in the majors - much less Boston - an injury-plagued young guy coming off a down year, an older power pitcher, a former closer with a season-ending injury last year, a pitcher who just finished chemo (not going for the cheap laugh here, only stating the facts) and an aging knuckleballer as your rotation, I'm not seeing how this is seen as the staff to beat.

I do, however, see the plot to Major League 4 coming along quite nicely.

Rounding out the Top 5 are the Tigers, Angels, Dodgers and Yankees.

On that list, I see at least two rotations I'd bank on ahead of Boston. It's also interesting to note only one National League team in the mix.

I think this only serves to prove two points. First, that picking a top rotation this year is a total crapshoot (can you honestly make a case that Contreras, Garland, Buherle and Vazquez couldn't be substituted into that five?) when pitchers and catchers have yet to report.

Second, it'll be an interesting year again with no big dog in the majors lurking to take everyone's lunch money and walk to a championship.

* Odds were posted the other day on Deadspin.com and I'm seeing things differently after reading The Wisdom of Crowds which pointed out that the Vegas lines aren't really there to pick who will win, but rather to provide an attractive line to get an even 50/50 split among all the bets being placed with the bookmaker.

Seeing the Cubs near the top of the list was jarring in that regard - all sorts of suckers place bets on the Northsiders every year just for the hell of it and the recent additions make the team that much more attractive to stupid gamblers.

I'm pretty sure they Cubs could be listed as triple-digit odds underdogs and still see plenty of action on the Vegas line. No need to fuel the fire with 9-1 odds this early in the process.

* Just as a housekeeping note, I'm still (I know, I know) deciding on how to handle the preseason previews and when. Obviously, working full time puts a dent into the process, so last year's team-by-team breakdown won't happen again.

Be patient and I'll more than likely start rolling these out by division once the spring games begin.

(Image from: SpringTrainingPhotos.com)

World Series Chatter

I know, between the Cubs signing a new manager, the threat of an A-Rod sighting every night on North Halsted and quietly staring at two-year-old pictures of Dave Roberts and Kevin Millar, it's been pretty quiet here at Siberian Baseball.

That doesn't mean I'm not watching, though.

After the rollercoaster ride that has been the 2006 playoffs, it's been a good run and not just because the White Sox highlights will soon be wiped clean from Fox promos. So what are we left with?

Two teams that wouldn't have been odds-on favorites to win if you visited Vegas at the beginning of the season. Know what? It's pretty fun that way.

I found myself taking a while to warm to the playoffs this year once the Twins and Yankees made their quick exits. Without teams to love or hate, it leaves you in a strange position.

As much as it stung to see the Red Sox make a quick exit last year, having the White Sox make their run made things interesting. This year has seen moments where I'm unsure if I should cheer for one side or the other - finally choosing to cheer against the Cardinals and wondering if the Cubs/Sox split back home is coming down on the same lines with Cubs fans wanting the Cards to tank and Sox fans praying for the Tigers to tank.

In all, it's been an entertaining series - though with the Twins long done, I have a hard time finding folks to talk baseball with - with the requisite number of unlikely heroes, Tony LaRussa and Scott Rolen's lovers' quarrel and questions about what is wrong with Albert Pujols (uh, no one wants to pitch to the guy, so he never has a chance to bat with runners on?).

Whle I think the series will be lost to the ages except to Tigers and Cardinals fans, it's almost nice to have a down year. After the Sox of both colors ending decades of futility, this series seems pretty muted.

That's OK, though - we all know the Cubs are saving something special for 2008. Anyone can have an off century.

Hater nation - your team sucks

October baseball jumps off tomorrow at noon at the Metrodome, but my song here has been the same: It's hard to dislike the Twins, but you need pitching to make it anywhere in the playoffs.

This isn't an opinion, it's a simple fact.

Go back a few years and look at what these teams have in common: 2005 White Sox, 2004 Red Sox, 2003 Marlins, 2002 Angels, 2001 Diamondbacks and the 2000, 1999 and 1998 Yankees. Just off the top of your head, most fans can pick out the top guys in those rotations years later.

There's a reason for that.

Fast forward to this morning's drive time here in the Twin Cities where speculation is reaching a boil that the fourth starter will be Silva, Garza or Perkins. Four games out and no one is quite sure who the starter will be.

Actually, the rotation of Santana, Bonser, Radke and Who Knows is the biggest hole in the Twins' post-season hopes.

Not to leave anyone out:

New York Yankees: The odds-on favorites to win it all, the Yankees have been dinged up and Rivera will only be used one inning per day (if that) according to this weekend's stories. Luckily for the Yankees, they'll keep playing long enough this year to make use of the payroll after they were rocked by injuries all season.

Still, when Chien-Ming Wang is your top gun it means things might get sticky... or that you completely disrespect the Tigers. Randy Johnson's back is an issue and the Tigers could go either way here after their top-shelf choke job to end the season.

Speaking of choke jobs, the Yankees are only two years removed from the biggest choke in post-season history... sorry, just had to get that in there. Yes, I know the Red Sox are on vacation this week. It was a cheap shot and I'd take it again...

Detroit Tigers: While we're on the subject, what the hell happened this weekend? My money says Leyland needed a smoke break and wasn't thinking clearly... all weekend. Just a theory, though.

You stumble down the stretch, lose three of three to the Royals... How is this a good thing for a team in the playoffs?

Young players, tired arms and a misplayed rotation (starting Bonderman and spelling him with Rogers?) put them behind the eight-ball against the Yankees. It's never a good idea to spot the Yankees any sort of advantage.

Trust me on this.

Oakland A's: Not even Philly could stand this team - that's saying something...

Also, the Moneyball A's never win in the post-season. Remember the Jeter play where he cut off the throw on the first baseline? That was against the A's.

Remember when the Red Sox had their backs against the wall in the 2003 ALDS? A's again. If they couldn't win with Jason Giambi, what chance do they have with the Big Hurt?

The National League: Go back to the list of World Series winners - the cream of the NL crop was the Fish and the D-backs...

The Cardinals faded down the stretch, the two teams from the West played in a joke of a division (moreso than the basement of the Central), lest you forget the Padres almost earned a berth with a sub-.500 team last year - need I go on?

Finally the Mets ran to a quick lead and are without Pedro for October. May I reference the Cards of the past few seasons? It's enough to make you sick...

Of course, I could also make a less-fun list of why you should feel good about your team, but where the challenge in that?

As a programming note, I'll be at the Dome tomorrow for Santana's start and plan on dropping some knowledge if I get time in the evening. If not, look for something Thursday.

Twins clinch AL Central: By the numbers

As far as I'm concerned, if you have a season ticket package and are asked which seats you'd like to keep and which ones you'd like to dump, sight unseen, the two locks are opening day and the season finale.

Regardless of where you are or how good you think your team will or will not be, strange things can happen at both ends of the season. Just ask the Royals.

With that in mind, we were at the Twins game this afternoon to see a game that on paper in April and May should have been the Twins serving as spoilers to a White Sox title defense run. In practice, it was Kansas City pulling three games from deep in its collective ass to knock the Tigers from the top spot and give the Twins the division title for the fourth time in five years.

Here's today, by the numbers.

2: Number of total douchebag fans there to support the White Sox and piss off the entire section. One was dressed as a nun (mom) and the other as a sorta/kinda Blues Brother (son). As Ozzie Guillen decided to sit his starters today, the son had to scream himself hoarse for Jim Thome, Brian Anderson and the peanut guy.

I'd be lying if I said anything out of his mouth was clever (which I'll give visiting fans credit for) but at least he had to good sense to shut up after his team went in the tank.

Highlight? When Sister Mary Drinks Too Much got loaded, began weeping at the state of the Sox season and had to leave. The section actually clapped when they left.

Lowlight? When the Douche-tastic Duo came back and people scrambled and switched seats with their friends under the threat of leaving early.

5: Rough estimate of how many times over the Royals fan base grew when they went to extras with Detroit. Take a sold out Metrodome full of fans who smell blood in Detroit and we're being conservative here.

There were serious discussions about whether there were more people cheering for the Royals today when compared to cumulative totals for the season. It gave us plenty to think about.

0: Percentage chance I gave Kansas City when it came to sweeping Detroit in their home park.

Three of three on the road? With the division on the line? Worst versus first?

I'd have taken a bet that Anna Nicole would have handled her son's death with a scrap of dignity before betting on the Royals in Detroit. That's not saying much.

100: Percentage chance that Ozzie needed a beer after today's game. Thank goodness Billy Beane isn't in charge or we might have the neighborhood watch on alert for a very angry man rampaging and cursing through the streets of Minneapolis this evening.

50: Percentage chance that the above scenario is still in play as of 7 p.m.

.347: The winning batting average secured by Joe Mauer to become the first AL catcher to win the batting title.

Mauer got the biggest ovation of the afternoon, just edging out Brad Radke who was recognized before the game for his unselfish play (pitching with a fractured shoulder blade among other injuries).

The going rate for playing with a condition that may result in not being able to lift your arm above your head when you're 50?

A Waverunner... a fucking Waverunner.

Thanks for nothing, Twins...

1: Miles per hour that the "wind" was blowing in the Metrodome, according to the ESPN box score. Yeah, I'm confused, too.

45,182: Paid attendance for the day's game. Expect those claiming to have been there to top 75,000 or more tomorrow. Look for my ticket stub on eBay.

6: Runs blown by Detroit to finish second in the division. Coincidentally, this also tanked my fantasy season to the sixth-place finisher.

Life's a bitch, isn't it Tigers? When does our first support group meet?

(Image from minnesota.twins.mlb)

Boys over here - men over there

I have a new way for keeping the good fans apart from the bad ones at Twins games - it's pretty simple, actually.

When the out of town scoreboard throws up the results from other games, the fans who get it are happy to see the Tigers beating the Red Sox. Those who don't are pretty upset that the Tigers are widening the gap in the Central.

Life will start getting better now...

Countdown to the Trade Deadline

Baseball Tonight just wrapped up its Saturday trade deadline special and as I don't have inSider with ESPN, I just jotted notes as Buster Olney gave away the top bullet points.

I'm cheap like that.

Bobby Abreu to the Yankees? Looks kinda sketchy. Would you want to be Philly's GM explaining this the year after letting Jim Thome go and watching him find new life in Chicago?

Yeah, me neither.

Brad Lidge to Rangers? I have no idea why this made the end of the show graphic. They shot this one down as they were talking about it. Get your shit together, ESPN. First Soriano to Chicago, now this?

Just for the sake of arguement, can you imagine his trade value at this time last year? Or if last year's post-season never happened?

Miguel Tejada to Houston? Whoever gets Tejada should be a happy, happy team. After watching him play quite a bit in Baltimore, I'm a believer.

Alfonso Soriano still waiting to be dealt? The Twins are the fashionable team as frontrunners today. They were playing last week's frontrunners, the Tigers. As much as Minnesota makes me nervous (and skeptical) as contenders, add Soriano and they immediately become serious players in the AL Wild Card race.

Immediately.

Phillies looking to move Jon Lieber? Eh. So? I have nothing to say here. Instead, did you see Manny Ramirez make that throw home today? Wow, it's amazing what happens when he gives a damn.

Also, the Neifi Perez out on So Taguchi when Taguchi missed tagging back on second base in the Cubs/Cards game today? Pretty crazy, too.

How sick do you feel if you're a Phillies fan watching Cole Hamels get drilled? Hungover sick or bad clams sick?

Red Sox large 3 or 4 team deal? Mike Lowell and San Diego's favorite stable pony Scott Linebrink are rumored to be pieces of this trade. As always, the more teams and crazy double- and triple-loopbacks between teams for salary reasons and other concerns, the less likely the teams will make the trade.

The so-so Coco Crisp was reportedly offered straight up for the struggling Mark Buehrle and that deal was shot down. The chances of pulling off all the necessary twists and turns in time makes things dicey at best.

And finally, while not technically part of the final rundown, check the power rankings. Anyone who needs more fuel for the "NL teams are slipping aginst the AL" fire needs only to count to 10.

Top four are AL teams and seven of the top 10. Subjective rankings? Sure, but give me a strong arguement of which NL teams should be there that aren't. Exactly.

(Image from the New Number Two - flickr.com)