1.
WHITESOX:
Champs not giving in
to Detroit,
especially with
healthy Contreras.
Last week (3)
2.
TIGERS:
Still not clear how
loss of LHP Mike
Maroth will affect
staff. (1)
3.
YANKEES:
Plug in Triple-A
Columbus' lineup,
they still win. (7)
4.
METS:
Queens is loving
Lastings. (4)
5.
RED SOX:
Kiddie
Corps in bullpen
could be a good
thing at Fenway. (5)
6.
BLUE JAYS:
Could
really use an
established SS. (8)
7.
CARDINALS:
It's already obvious
how much they miss
Albert Pujols. (2)
8.
REDS:
Notice how well
they've done since
signing Esteban Yan.
(10)
9.
DIAMONDBACKS:
The Jason Grimsley
fiasco won't hurt
much in Phoenix. (6)
10.
RANGERS:
Need to build a
bigger lead before
AL West foes get
hot. (14)
11.
PHILLIES:
In the market for
starting pitching.
Join the club. (13)
12.
DODGERS:
Eric Gagne hurt
again? Good thing
they traded for
Danys Baez. (11)
13.
INDIANS:
One step forward,
two steps back won't
get it done in AL
Central. (19)
14.
PADRES:
If these guys figure
out how to score,
they'll run away
with NL West. (9)
15.
GIANTS:
Just kind of
chugging along, with
Jason Schmidt at
engineer. (20)
16.
BRAVES:
Just as they seemed
ready to surge, they
fizzled again. (12)
17.
ATHLETICS:
As long as they're
around .500 by July,
they'll be fine in
August. (18)
18.
ASTROS:
Rocket's coming?
Great. Now they need
Roy Oswalt healthy.
(16)
19.
ANGELS:
Jered Weaver looks
worlds better than
his older brother
already. (23)
20.
ROCKIES:
The early success
was an illusion, but
they're still not
horrible. (15)
21.
NATIONALS:
Alfonso Soriano
should refuse to
play every spring
training. (27)
22.
BREWERS:
Bill Hall has become
the game's best
Super Utility
player. (17)
23.
MARINERS:
Ichiro back on track
for another
potential batting
title. (26)
24. TWINS:
How much longer do
they give Ron
Gardenhire? (22)
25.
ORIOLES:
How much longer do
they give Sam
Perlozzo? (21)
26.
CUBS:
How much longer does
Dusty Baker give
Cubs management?
(25)
27.
DEVIL RAYS:
Hey, Rocco's back!
Now, anybody seen
Aubrey Huff? (24)
28.
MARLINS:
Dan Uggla, Hanley
Ramirez looking good
up the middle for
Fish. (28)
29.
PIRATES:
Anybody notice
Freddy Sanchez is
hitting in the
.340s? (29)
30.
ROYALS:
They still have the
prettiest little
stadium in the big
leagues. (30)
FANTASY CORNER
A.J. BURNETT,
Blue Jays: The
well-paid RHP is
scheduled to make
the first of two
minor-league
rehabilitation
starts this week
with Single-A
Dunedin. If his
elbow responds well,
he'll rejoin the
Jays on June 22
against the Braves.
KENNY
ROGERS, Tigers:
Now is a
good time to grab
the lefty as he
makes his first
start of the season
against the Devil
Rays on Tuesday.
He's 8-3 with a 2.96
ERA in 12 career
starts against Tampa
Bay, and has shut
out the Rays more
often (twice) than
any other team in
his career.
VERNON WELLS,
Blue Jays: The
Gold Glove CF loves
hitting against the
Orioles, and he'll
get four more
chances this week
(Monday-Thursday).
In 86 career games
against Baltimore,
he has a .301
batting average, 19
home runs, 19
doubles, four
triples and 59 RBIs.
AL
Extra Bases
Yankees CF Johnny
Damon had the
broken sesmoid bone
in his right foot
X-rayed on
Wednesday, and it
showed the injury
had not worsened. He
told reporters that
the pain has mostly
subsided, and he'll
play with his big
toe taped and with a
pad under the foot
for the foreseeable
future. ... With CF
Brian Anderson
struggling, the
White Sox reportedly
have turned their
attention to a
potential trade for
Minnesota's Torii
Hunter. ...
Seattle's Ichiro
Suzuki was
batting .177 on
April 18. He's at a
better-than-.400
clip since, and was
batting .362 heading
into the weekend.
... Rangers LHP
Brian Anderson,
who underwent Tommy
John surgery in July
2005, re-injured the
ligament and will
require another
surgery if he
decides, at age 34,
to continue
pitching.
NL
Extra Bases
Phillies 1B
Ryan Howard
has 22 home runs,
putting him on pace
for 58. The
franchise record is
48 by Mike
Schmidt in
1980. ... Dodgers
LHP Odalis
Perez has
replaced former Met
Jae Seo
as the
team's fifth
starter. Seo was 2-3
with a 5.47 ERA in
his first 10 starts
and will now be used
in the bullpen. ...
Mets rookie OF
Lastings
Milledge
caused a bit of a
stir when he
violated one of
baseball's
"unwritten rules" by
high-fiving the Shea
Stadium fans an
inning after hitting
his first
major-league home
run a week ago
today. Veteran
Cliff Floyd
had some
advice for the kid.
"I'll just mention
to him the
consequences that
come along with
that," Floyd said.
"If that's what you
want to do, you do
that. But at the
same time, if you
want guys throwing
at your head
constantly, you
proceed to do it
that way."
