MLB

With the lack of excitement and appeal that surrounds Major League Baseball every May, draft talk begins to dominate all conversation in baseball realms— and rightfully so. 

In the last two weeks it seems as though the New York Yankees' bats have gone to sleep.  After starting the season on a tear and winning series after series the Yankees have recently found themselves in a late May slump.

Mark Teixeira, who is notorious for have a slow start to his season, has gone back into a slump.  After raising his average from .136 in the end of April to .224 against Boston it has since dropped to .209 and doesn’t seem to be coming back up anytime soon.

The Braves just finished their 44th game, which puts them over a quarter of the way through the season, and you know what that means: that’s right, it’s time to hand out some grades and make some early judgments on how the season is going so far. 

Dave Trembley compiled a 64-98 record in 2009. He had a 68-93 record in 2008. 

This season, Trembley is leading the Orioles to a crisis with a 14-31 record.

How long can the Baltimore Orioles stick with this guy, who is maybe the worst manager in baseball at this time?

Trey Hillman tested the Royals' patience until he was fired. Ned Yost replaced Hillman and has done a decent job so far. 

With the performance he has put up, Trembley is basically begging the O's to fire him. Well, he should be given the door.

Manager Bruce Bochy and the boys have kicked around some ideas that they hope will spark the San Francisco Giants' lifeless attack.

"We keep trying things and see if we can get something clicking here," Bochy said after the Giants were shut out for the second straight game in the process of being swept by the A's in Oakland.

Bochy and the rest actually have come up with what are being called major changes: a big shake up of the lineup and the batting order.

Remember how the Phillies got caught spying on the Rockies catcher with binoculars? Well, that's nothing compared to the apparent "home version" of how they cheat at Citizens Bank Park.

In 2007, it came to the Mets' attention through several former Phillies players then playing with the Mets that the Phillies use a complex form of cheating at Citizens Bank Park involving a center field camera.  The camera is used to steal signs, which are then relayed to the hitter while he's in the batter's box.

I just realized this fact after I saw Emmanuel Burriss get transferred to the 60-day Disabled List on May 22 to make room for Santiago Casilla:

The Giants haven't had one African-American player take the field for them this year.

Ervin "El Magic" Santana was at his best Thursday night against the Chicago White Sox. In seven innings, Santana allowed seven hits and three walks, striking out six and surrendering just one unearned run. His stuff gave AL homer leader Paul Konerko fits all evening (0-for-3 off Ervin with two K's, and 0-for-5 with three K's on the night).

It's been nearly 12.5 years since the Baltimore Orioles have been in a playoff game. It's been 12.5 years since Baltimore has last finished a season with a final record above the .500 mark. It's been nearly 5.5 years since the Orioles have seen any place in the final standings better than fourth (and if you don't count the 2004 season, it's been nearly 12.5 years, as well).