MLB

If you listened closely enough this past Wednesday, you could hear the collective groan of a city when we were all informed that Brad Lidge would be leaving Denver in the middle of a series with the Rockies to head back to Philadelphia for an MRI on his surgically-repaired elbow.

Ryan Madson is already out for a couple months and the bullpen probably wasn't up to snuff to begin with, so losing Lidge would be an absolute catastrophe.

This is getting ridiculous. If depression from the weather hasn't set in, it never will. For most it has, and won't go away until the temperatures get above 60 degrees.

John Maine, after a very slow start to his Oliver Perez-like season, has turned the corner. He has thrown a quality start in each of his last three outings.

His string of successful starts began in game one of a doubleheader at Citi Field against the Dodgers on April 28 where he threw six innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits.

Then on May 4 at the Reds he went six innings, allowing one earned run on four hits. In his last start on Monday against the Nationals, he also went six innings, allowing two runs but was the hard-luck loser.

Baseball is a 162-game season, but not 40 games in David Ortiz appeared to be a lost cause. Despite hitting near the Mendoza Line, Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona remained confident in his aging slugger, not ready to bench the player that had carried the team for so many years.

The Seattle Mariners have entered a world they may eventually wish they hadn't. In the wake of the Ken Griffey Jr. "sleeping in the clubhouse during a game article," the Mariner players have decided to boycott the newspaper in which the article appeared.

The Mariners are now refusing to talk to or grant any interviews to the Tacoma News Tribune.

Why, exactly? Because apparently, they feel the reporter who wrote the piece, veteran Mariners beat writer Larry LaRue, was irresponsible for publishing it.

In the words of my esteemed colleague, Jim Anchower , "Hola amigos. How's (stuff) shaking out? I know it's been a long time since I rapped at ya, but misery's been flying at me from all directions, and it's been a (dang) full-time job to just duck out of the way of all of it."

Well not really—four days.

But it's been a long time since I've stood on my anti-Dusty Baker soapbox (at least 10 days). 

Dear Mr. Deford,

Last week, you wrote an article for SI.com lamenting what you described as the "stultifying sluggishness" that is presently plaguing Major League Baseball.  The article bemoaned the "dreadful strategy" of hitters allowing themselves to see as many pitches as possible in order to tire out the pitcher. 

Garrett Jones and Andrew McCutchen had an incredible day, perhaps one of the best a pair of teammates have ever had.  Both players had five hits each, while Jones had a double and a homer and drove in five runs, McCutchen also had his fifth home run and also stole two bases. 

It's easy to root for a winning team, but what makes it even easier is when that winning team is made up of a bunch of likable guys.

The Phillies have a roster full of character players who truly enjoy the game. They play hard and they like each other. And as proven by their appearance in the previous two World Series, this team is good.

Here's a look at my 10 favorite Phillies on a squad with a lot of guys to like.

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