With all the acquisitions and trades surrounding the Philadelphia Phillies pitching staff, you’ve gotta start wondering what the hell is going on.

Last year it was Cliff Lee joining the Phillies in a mid-season trade, only to send him off packing before the start of the 2010 season. Lee will make around $9 million this year.
Earlier [...]

One of my blogging buddies did a pretty good analysis on the effects of a “perfect game”  in Major League Baseball translating to long-term success and/or if it is an indication of the quality of pitcher.
Granted, anyone who makes it to the big leagues is a quality pitcher – I use that loosely of course.
But [...]

Major League Baseball’s October classic kicks off today in fine fashion, matching up the league’s best for a memorable playoff season.
Yesterday’s 1-game playoff between the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers was an instant (ESPN) Classic.  12-innings, something like 24 hits and 20 stranded base runners in total.  Both teams were hungry, but the Twins executed [...]

Some recent NFL signings have made me look back at how many times a sports franchise has made a dumb move by signing a player to a high-priced, long-term contract.  Whether the player was getting up there in age, hadn’t proved themself (really), or was just being paid on their historical performance, the teams that [...]

Baseball News from L.A. Times
They are the only Angels on the roster now, but Chone Figgins is in the running for a spot in an Internet vote.  Center fielder Torii Hunter and closer Brian Fuentes were the only Angels named to the American League All-Star team today, but third baseman Chone Figgins is one of [...]

Some statistics are deceiving, including the 3-3 record the Dodgers’ Randy Wolf has attained to start the 2009 season.  Wolf is playing very well for LA, but just can’t get the run support needed to entertain achieving actual wins.  Despite the lack of wins he has accrued, Wolf is a solid fantasy baseball starter as [...]

Baseball News from L.A. Times
Andre Ethier hit three home runs and knocked in six against the Mariners. Clayton Kershaw is sharp.  Bad things don’t come in threes for the Dodgers. Good things certainly do.   Continue reading on L.A. Times

Andre Ethier is a stud.  With Manny Ramirez back in the lineup soon, Ethier’s numbers should [...]

Baseball News from L.A. Times
The Dodgers slugger’s scheduled stint this week with the triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes has set off a chain reaction of Manny love in the New Mexico city.  The man in the old Dodgers cap stood with his hands in his pockets.    Continue reading on L.A. Times

Baseball News from L.A. Times
They improve to 25-16 in Manny Ramirez’s absence, having beaten the Phillies, Rangers and Angels recently in road series.
Kobe Bryant took his front-row seat behind the Dodgers dugout before the first pitch, and to his credit he stayed until the ninth inning. The sellout crowd at Angel Stadium serenaded him with [...]

Baseball News from L.A. Times
The left fielder has a more positive outlook these days, and not just because he’s played so well during Manny Ramirez‘s suspension. He says he’s found inner peace.  Several fans e-mailed recently suggesting something probably needs to be written — given Juan Pierre’s tremendous play of late — after [...]

Baseball News from L.A. Times
Dodgers owner says if fans vote him into the lineup, ‘It’d be a great honor.’
Dodgers owner Frank McCourt said he would like to see Manny Ramirez play in the All-Star game if fans vote him into the National League’s starting lineup. Continue reading on L.A. Times

Baseball News from L.A. Times
The first baseman drives in the game’s first run and has a three-run double in the seventh inning. Juan Pierre gets three more hits and Orlando Hudson extends hitting streak to 17. Continue reading on L.A. Times
The Los Angeles Dodgers are hardly missing a beat w/out slugger Manny Ramirez and still [...]

Major League Baseball has gone soft on its interpretation of the rules of the game.  Baseball, for all intents and purposes, has not changed its rules in over 30 years.  This comes as a stark contrast to other sports such as basketball and football that are constantly evolving their rules which inevitably allows the calls [...]

Baseball News from L.A. Times
Dodgers slugger had not obtained a therapeutic-use exemption for HGC, so he dropped his appeal of the 50-game ban. Manny Ramirez abruptly dropped an appeal of his drug suspension within hours of a scheduled hearing last week, cornered not by test results, but by a prescription for a banned substance that [...]

Baseball News from L.A. Times
Manny Ramirez and Andre Ethier homer and Dodgers improve to 11-0 at Chavez Ravine with easy win over Diamondbacks.  What part of this wasn’t expected?   Continue reading on L.A. Times