The next Greg Maddux...

Greg Maddux, in spite of his 5-0 brilliant start, is going to have to retire someday. When that day comes, we've found our next candidate to replace him - Scott Mathieson, SP for the Philadelphia Phillies AA squad. The intelligence of Mr. Mathieson is unbelievable and it is only too bad that Maddux couldn't be his protoge...

"The hitters are a little more patient here, and I just have to keep working ahead," Mathieson said. "I think the AFL helped the most, to be honest. It taught me a lot about working ahead and staying ahead, which is huge for me in the way I pitch." (Source: Baseball America)

Wow...the insight that he brings to the mound. Staying ahead in the count being HUGE for the way he pitches. And, watch out all of you NL East fans, but the Phillies look poised for the future when you consider the following comments out of Mathieson's mouth:

"We're all good friends and we pick each other's brains a lot." (ibid)

Wow. Watch out New York. Watch out Atlanta. And, watch out Phillies fans out there, for it appears soon, your price to admission to a game won't be the simple price of a ticket but instead upon your ability to successfully complete a basic Mensa examination.

Now, for those pitchers with slightly lower IQ's who have to rely on lowly mechanics and "stuff," Chad Billingsly is doing his best. In the hitter friendly PCL, his 1.59 ERA is bordering on ridiculous, leading Dodgers GM Ned Colletti to report "One of two things could happen. One, an opening could be created. Or two, Chad Billingsley could create his own opening." (ibid)

In one of my fantasy drafts this year, I kept going back and forth between Scott Elbert and Wade Davis. I picked Scott Elbert. Oops...

Jose Tabata, proving that just because you can't legally smoke, it doesn't mean you can't play baseball...

Interesting note - Cincinatti is barely (about 7,000) outdrawing Pittsburgh in attendance this year, even though Cincy can boast a team currently in the thick of the NL Central hunt. We all know they won't stay there, but it raises the question - who the hell cares about Pittsburgh that much?

What a weekend...

Busy weekend so unable to get out any fascinating baseball talk...

...this is a good thing for the Minnesota Twins. Not that they care what I say, but after being outscored 33-1 over the weekend, I've finally equated them to the Kansas City Royals which equals "Not worth talking about."

...Al Pujols...at 14 HR a month, he'll pass Bonds in early September. For the sake of baseball, GO PRINCE ALBERT! In a related note, the line for Pujols on the 30th - 0-1 with 4 walks, 2 intentional...the Barry Bonds treatment is already starting.

...the Kevin Mench watch stopped at 7 consecutive games with a HR...thankfully, his name didn't need to join that of Ken Griffey and Don Mattingly...

...Jeff Weaver, after his 2.1 IP, 8 ER debacle on Friday, is changing the question from total wins for the Weavers as a family to "Which Weaver will win more games this year?" Jeff is leading 1-0. :) And speaking of Friday's Angels game, J.C. Romero back to reality - 0.2 IP, 3 BB...

...On Saturday, the Yankees completed a rare feat, scoring in every inning they came up to bat this year. Coincidentally, Josh Towers fell to 0-5...and yet, the Jays are committed to turning Dustin McGowan into a reliever...huh...

...Adrian Beltre - welcome back (for a game). Let's see, at one HR a month for the rest of your career, that = ROBBING THE MARINERS BLIND!!!

...Jon Papelbon's April - 13G, 14.1 IP, 7 H, 2 BB, 14K, 10 Sv, 0.00 ERA. How do you make this guy a starter? How do you not try?

...Brad Wilkerson - 37 K's in 89 AB...a 42% K rate...wasn't he the steal of the Soriano deal?

...Byung Hyung Kim - Heck of a first start of the season Sunday - 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 9K's...Over/Under on ER's next start - 5.5.

...Nick Swisher - .314/.403/.738 - Fact or Fiction

...Andy Sisco - now we know why he was a Rule V pick - Season stats: 13 G (0-1), 10 IP, 18 H, 5 BB, 9K's, 9.00 ERA.

...Carlos Zambrano - are the effects of all of those Dusty Baker Innings Pitched finally catching up with him? Through six starts and 34.2 IP, he's allowed 33 hits and 25 walks along with SIX home runs. Coming into the season, he averaged a HR allowed every 13.8 innings. This season, he's averaging one every 5.8 innings pitched.

There is so much more to talk about, but a guy's gotta work a little bit during the day...

Just another day...

...that was how Cole Hamels described his latest outing as he destroyed AAA Norfolk in his first start at baseball's highest minor league level this year. Hamels, who has a history of freakish injuries including hurting his shoulder in a bar fight, managed to strike out 14 in 7.0 innings pitched last night.

Ok, so I really don't know how Cole Hamels described this outing. I just made that up because I was bored. But, in reality, it was just another day for Hamels. All night long his fastball hovered in the 86-91 range, which is just a tick above average for a lefty. Granted, he has what is probably considered the best changeup in the minors, but one wonders if his control suffers even slightly if he will find himself being another one of the talented group of AAAA pitchers never to make a dent in the majors.

Johan Santana - welcome back. Now do it against someone other than baseball's biggest laughingstock.

Rich Hill - wow! It's about time the Cubs call him up, isn't it? I mean, everyone's hurt on the big club anyway. 33K's in 24 IP, with a 0.80 WHIP.

Jered Weaver looking solid, but those 4 HR's allowed in 23 innings have to be a concern...he is looking more and more like his brother by the day...that's not bad, but it's nothing special either...

Is Jonathon Van Every the next Adam Dunn? In 62 AB's, he's posting a 1.021 Slugging percentage at AA Akron, with ELEVEN extra base hits and TWENTY THREE strikeouts. He has only walked eight times. He's also 26 in AA. Dunn is 26 in the majors. Probably not.

Stat line of the day:
Josh Beckett - 3.2 IP, 6 H, 8 ER, 5 BB, 3 HR...and he managed to throw 100 pitches...good decision Terry...

Second Stat Line of the day:
Ben Broussard - 4 for 5, 2 runs scored, 2 HR, 8 RBI...thank you Josh Beckett.

Al Pujols was 0 for 3 yesterday...cut him...

Who is Michael O'Connor and why have I never heard of him? (SP, Nationals)

Apparently when your wife isn't the talk of the town or talking about sleeping with your teammates, Kris Benson can be an effective pitcher...did you see her latest magazine cover - FHM I think...wow...how could you NOT be an Oriole player and be constantly attempting to parade seductresses around Kris every chance you get?

Stupid millionaires...

...play baseball. Latest example, I'm reading the headline:

Devil Rays Prospect Throws Bat at Umpire

Now, I read the headline and think to myself "What the hell has Elijah Dukes done now?" But, I click on the story to read it and I quickly find out that Dukes is turning into a saint while his AAA teammate and #1 PROSPECT IN THE MINORS Delmon Young has gone off the deep end in arguing balls and strikes and done the unthinkable.

I have not yet heard of any repercussions, but I am certain they will be coming. And they should, for this was the bonehead of bonehead moves...

At the beginning of the year, Young was mumbling about how he was disgruntled with the Rays organization for not moving him up to majors yet as he felt he was ready. Well, I think that it's quite obvious that while his bat may be ready, emotionally he has a long way to go. In light of this most recent outburst, Young better be prepared to toil down in AAA a long time this season.

Idiot...be a man and take a swipe at him, don't just throw a bat...

In other news, Jon Rauch completed the ever popular 1.0 IP, 4K inning yesterday. Gotta love that.

My Howie Kendrick watch stands at 4 AB, 0 hits, 0 errors...this seems more exciting than having a Barry Bonds watch.

Justin Morneau is terrible...but I don't know if he needs to shoulder the blame or if Twins coaching needs to shoulder the blame...could SOMEONE teach these guys how to lay off a ball in the dirt? It hasn't happened in years, I guess I don't know why I would start the dream now...

John Lackey...I just don't buy it...there is a blow up coming soon...

Here's a headline you don't expect to see: "Brewers sweep Braves." This just in - Ben Sheets, Good. When Healthy.

What is with these extended consecutive games with homeruns streaks? Morgan Ensberg, now Kevin Mench? What do you think? The dead ball era coming back anytime soon? Geesh...

One month (almost)into the season, Mariano Rivera has as many saves (2) as Shawn Camp.

Of Note...

Let the Howie Kendrick error watch begin today as he was recalled yesterday when Macier Izturis was placed on the DL...knowing Mike Sciossa and his history for rookies, if Kendrick does not maintain a .320 BA with impeccable defense, he will find himself back in the minors in two shakes of a lamb's tail...and yes, I did just say that.

Brandon Phillips has pulled one of the more amazing feats I have seen through the month of April - he has a lower On Base Percentage as of April 25th (.347) than batting average (.354). This is impressive, to say the least...

Best trade in Twins history? Looking like Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano and Boof Bonser (0.75 ERA, 23 K's in 24.0 IP in AAA this season) for A.J. Pierzynski...of course, the irony is A.J. helped the White Sox win it all last year, but this haul beats the hell out of Chuck Knoblauch for Eric Milton, Brian Buchanan and Cristian Guzman...

How about those Millers? Adam and Greg are looking stunningly good after elbow and Tommy John surgery the last year...can they stay healthy now, though?

Luke Hochevar - what an idiot. Just dump Scott Boras, ask the Dodgers for the same offer sheet, sign, and get back into real baseball instead of this independent crap. Players like him, J.D. Drew, Matt Harrington and Travis Lee taint baseball as much as players who took steroids before they were illegal. I drafted him in a fantasy league this year and yet I wouldn't be the least bit sad if he fell flat on his ass.

Phillip Hughes - a ridiculous 24:1 K to walk ratio to start the season - almost as ridiculous as Radhames Liz's 33 K's to 5 walks in ONLY 15 INNINGS...How had I not heard of this kid?

Will Lastings Milledge be better than Delmon Young? He is this April. He's actually better than just about any offensive player in the minors this April.

Got your mock baseball first year player drafts ready yet? Amazingly, the draft is only 42 days away...

The whole Barry Bonds thing...

...is really, really, really getting old.

Now the latest revelations have hit bookshelves and journalists are gooing gah gah goo goo over a fresh chance to rip Barry Bonds for destroying the integrity of the game.

Now, let's be honest, these journalists are just human beings with mere mortal powers and abilities that could never compare to anything ever granted to a professional baseball player, and their jealousy is so blatantly apparent it is maddening and sickening.

Not for one single, little, insignificant moment do I believe Barry Bonds was not using steriods of one sort, nor for one single moment do I believe he was doing it unknowingly.

But, for the love of God, where were these journalists years ago during the great home run race of 1998 and Barry's cruise to 70 in 2001? Mark McGuire devoured andro like it was candy and the majority of journalists DIDN'T have a problem with it - and the proof was IN HIS LOCKER. However, now that a surly, unfriendly man with loads of talent has chosen to get even better, the journalists are savaging him without any concrete proof.

I'm not willing to claim it is racism that is motivating these journalists as some are, however - I think the clear motivation is something simpler - ripping Barry Bonds and steroids in general is currently chic and in 1998, reclaiming baseball as America's Pasttime was currently chic. Back then, the steroids didn't matter because they didn't want them to be a stain on the game.

Today, when there is nothing else to talk about, they can't wait for it to stain the game.

Baseball on TV - it's like manna from heaven...

Oh, what a beautiful thing.

Last night I am flipping through the channels and lo and behold, what do I find but on Fox Sports Midwest, the Twins are playing the Red Sox in both squad's first exhibition game.

From Watching Torii Hunter destroy a Jon Papelbon hanging breaking ball to seeing Joe Mauer turn on an inside fastball that would jam most players (true, it was thrown by Rudy Seanez, who I believe turned 40 in 1952) and knock it out of the park, it was like the last days of October all over again and as if baseball didn't take the great four month slumber called the offseason.

Santana looked great, Silva looked great, and Gabe White...well...he is Gabe White. Some things never change.

All in all, bats were swinging, balls were being caught, umps were yelling out strikes and balls, hot dogs were being ingested and all was right with life again.

Oh, what a beautiful thing.