Astros Come to Town, Bring Giant Field Rat

Tonight the Mets take on Junction Jack and the Astros. Are you a-scared? This guy looks more likely to chew through your powerlines than wreak havok on your pitching staff.

Juust a bit outside

Just how do you make the transition from "Major League" pitcher with the yips to a bash brother-type outfielder? Well it may be that human growth hormone can play a role. No truth to the rumor that, after getting caught redhanded with the substances, Rick Ankiel is considering coming back to the majors as a slick-fielding slap single-hitting shortstop.

Put in perspective, we can see that the curse Carlos Beltran put on the Cards this winter continues:

Contacted by the News, Ankiel's agent, Scott Boras, said he wasn't aware of the allegations. Walt Jocketty, the Cardinals general manager, told the newspaper: "This is the first I've heard of this. If it's true, obviously it would be very tragic, along with everything else we've had happen to us this year."

The Cardinals, who defeated the Tigers in five games to win the World Series this past October, have been beset by off-field problems and injuries since then.
It began with the DUI arrest this past March of manager Tony La Russa and reached its zenith a month later when reliever Josh Hancock was killed in an automobile accident in which he was also driving under the influence. Along the way, former Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter, pitcher Josh Kinney, third baseman Scott Rolen and outfielders Juan Encarnacion and Preston Wilson were all lost to serious injury. Those five players are currently on the 60-day disabled list.

Cry me a (St. Louis) river. I'm pretty sure that drinking and driving or injesting performance enhancing drugs so you can cheat at a game do not qualify as tragedies.


Arr! the Pirates know they blow!



new GM candidate?

After a "thorough review of the organization," Pittsburg Chairman of the Board Bob Nutting and the Pirates have decided to make GM Dave Littlefield walk the plank. I mean I feel for Littlefield as a fellow Umass grad (I think), but what about "suck" requires an eight month analysis?