MLB

Baseball is a sport unlike others when it comes to age. If you're 40 and a basketball player, you're done unless you have extreme ability or are just playing a few minutes a game. If you're 40 and a football player, you're either retired, a kicker/punter, or Brett Favre.

Regularly though, ballplayers will play well into their 40s, and play well at that. Julio Franco hung around forever, as did Nolan Ryan.

There are currently ten ballplayers over 40 who have been active this season.

Most teams have played a little over 40 games, and despite my barely passing grades in every single math class I've ever taken, I still managed to figure out that the MLB season is roughly a quarter over.

The good thing about making predictions this early is that if they turn out to be correct, boom. You're a genius. A pundit. A prophet.

If they're wrong. So what? Nobody can read the future, get off my ass will ya?

Stage Set for World Series Repeat, But Which One?

It has been a while since I've written anything in this space. The reason for that is two-fold.

First, I am the proud parent to a new baby boy (he's a month old today, as a matter of fact)! Second, the team hasn't exactly given me much in the way of motivation to sit down and really put forth any concerted effort.

Does everyone remember the EA Sports video game MVP Baseball 2004 ? The reason why I ask, is because when I think back to that game and all the players on opposing teams that used to burn me whenever I played it, the name Morgan Ensberg came to mind.

Roy Oswalt has asked the Houston Astros for a trade. The Yankees are looking for another starter since Javier Vazquez is struggling to keep is spot. What if the Yankees could make a deal for the Houston ace?

The Yankees save several guys on the team that they could move in order to bring Oswalt to New York. The Astros would like to get a pitcher in return from the Yankees, so why not add Vazquez to the deal?

  The way Javier Vazquez was pitching last night it looked like he was going to take care of the Mets all by himself. Six innings, one hit, six strikeouts and only 70 pitches. Unfortunately he bruised his hand while bunting in the top of the 7th inning and needed some help.

According to Tim Bontemps of the NY Post, one of the Yankees top left-handed pitching prospects, Jeremy Bleich, has been put on the DL with a shoulder injury that could require surgery to fix.

Here is more from the Post:

"Mark Newman, the Yankees’ senior vice president of baseball operations, was downcast when asked about the issues with Bleich’s shoulder yesterday.

Thank you ESPN. Thank you Seattle newspapers. Thank you Mariners fans. Thank you radio talk shows. Thank you sports world. Oh yeah, and thank you Kevin Gregg.

I say thank you to all of the above because you have awoken one of the greatest baseball players of all time from his slumber.

Throughout this season, Griffey had been criticized day in and day out on how he should retire. People have said he's too old, doesn't have the same bat anymore, and simply cannot perform at the Major League level.

“You can do a lot with two inches.”

That’s what my son said while pondering his binder preferences at Staples.

Maybe you can.

You can also do a lot with two pitches. Cole Hamels tossed his curve into his limited repertoire but it was his fastball and change-up that ruled the game.

As a result, Ricky Botallico said Cole Hamels has “turned the corner.”

Are you kidding me?

Here’s a look at the unheralded players who played well yesterday.