MLB

This may seem like a strange idea to think of in the land of the free (and the home of the brave), but the wide world of sports in America could be termed as the land of supporting Communism.

Could a country that is based on free market economics and laissez-faire attitude be equated to be the same as the dreaded “reds under the bed"?

We all know the names of guys like Pujols, Fielder, Howard, Teixeira, and Rodriguez. They've been the league leaders in power numbers for most of this past decade.

But now that 2010 is here and a new decade has dawned, who is poised to step into the limelight? Who among the nameless, faceless masses is ready to become the next HR king?

My criteria is as follows:

Player must be no more than 23 years old.
Player must have no more than 500 MLB at bats.
Player must not be a Buffalo Bills fan.

Prior to Opening Day, a radio host in Dallas called the San Diego Padres "horrible." Of course, he wasn't the only skeptical media member.

Matt Baxendell of MLBCenter.com put the Padres in last place in the NL West, with fewer than 70 wins. To fulfill Baxendell's prediction, San Diego would have to finish 48-80 the rest of the way. Barring injury, I just don't see that happening.

Nothing is better for a struggling Houston Astros team than a trip to St. Louis? That doesn't make any sense. St. Louis is in first place in the NL Central. Houston? They aren't in first place, or second, or third or fourth. Nope, they proudly reside in fifth place, one game back of the powerful Pittsburgh Pirates.

And this is after a three game sweep of the Cardinals.  

Astros baseball! After two eight game losing streaks, a third place finish isn't impossible, just improbable! I think that would be a great slogan for the rest of the season.   

In the midst of their worst offensive slump of the season and having loss four of five, the Yankees return home to open up a seven-game, three-team homestand against the American League Central-leading Minnesota Twins.

The Yanks and Twins enter their three-game set with identical 22-12 records, good for second best in the Majors behind the Rays and tied with the Padres.

Like New York, Minnesota has done it with a mix of good hitting and solid pitching. The Twins lead the AL with a .277 batting average and are second with a 3.51 ERA.

Earlier this week, I asked a question on my twitter account: “Is there a better young pitcher/hitter combination in baseball than Tommy Hanson and Jason Heyward?”

Jordan from OriolesProspects.com, and @oriolesprospects on twitter, responded with Matt Wieters and Brian Matusz. The question and answer sparked both of our interests, so we decided to construct an article in which Jordan would make the argument for his Orioles, and I would make the argument for the Braves.

We both made our arguments a bit differently.

The Mets should have built their new stadium for their "franchise" player. Although they probably laid out the plans for building Citi Field before they drafted David Wright, they should've changed things up a little bit once they got him.

Last season, David Wright's power numbers plummeted in stunning fashion. Although he still managed to bat .307, his home run total went down from a career-high 33 in 2008 to 10 in 2009. That's a 66 percent drop off. His RBI total went down from a career-high 124 in 2008 to 72 in 2009. That's a 42 percent drop off.

Padres’ hurler Mat Latos tossed a one-hit shutout against the Giants Thursday night, picking up his second win in as many starts. In his last 17 innings, the 22-year-old has allowed no runs on just three hits and zero walks.

I’m sure most of you have been in the following situation: You make a decision, it turns out bad, and when you look back at it you realize that you overlooked a major factor which likely led to your bad decision.

Well that’s how I feel about the Atlanta Braves left-field situation right now.

After an offseason of speculating players, platoons, and positions, I realize that I overlooked an obvious solution from the beginning: Eric Hinske.

Welcome to Tribe Talk, where Bleacher Report's Tribe fans weigh in on the ups and downs of the Indians each week throughout the season.

This week, we agree that Kerry Wood rather than Chris Perez belongs in the closer's role, share our thoughts on the now-infamous Bruce Drennan rant, and debate the merits of baseball's unwritten rules.