MLB

The Cleveland Indians' bullpen, usually the source of anguish amongst fans when seasons are going right, is this year at least handling itself well. The Indians' bullpen ERA up to now is 4.03, which is not amazing, but it is definitely an improvement from 4.66 last year, fourth worst in the league.

The biggest news so far today is the Cubs’ decision to call up 20-year-old Dominican shortstop Starlin Castro all the way from AA ball. 

Castro was hitting a robust .376 with a .990 OPS for the Tennessee Smokies in the Southern League, but that’s a long way from the Show.

Castro is one of the more highly regarded prospects in baseball (Baseball America ranked him 16th among all prospects before the start of this season), and players his age sometimes progress very quickly.

Comedian actor Will Ferrell was on hand at Round Rock’s Dell Diamond on Thursday evening, May 6, guest starring for the Express (the Houston Astros’ triple-A affiliate).

After watching a majority of the game from the owner’s suite, Ferrell entertained fans when he emerged from the bullpen as Billy Ray “Rojo” Johnson to start the sixth inning.

The character “Rojo,” an American-born pitcher out of Venezuela, was used as part of a skit during intermission leading up to Ferrell singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” in the seventh inning.

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For the original article check out Baseball Professor .

Cubs GM Jim Hendry called up highly-touted prospect Starlin Castro Friday morning, a move that’s been widely speculated for the past week.

The MLB All-Star Game has been an event of diminishing returns in recent years. The ratings have plummeted and general interest has waned over the years, leaving the Mid-Summer Classic has nothing more than a blip on the radar.

The MLB All-Star Game once had significant meaning to the players and fans who saw the best of the best square off for the only interleague matchup outside of the World Series.

Pete Rose's collision at home plate. Reggie Jackson's moonshot. Cal Ripken's home run. All were memorable moments from a game that is losing those moments and overall attraction.

Things looked pretty bleak across Red Sox Nation just four days ago. The team had just been swept by the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, and arrived in Boston prepared for a 10 game homestand against the Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, and Toronto Blue Jays. The team’s performance over the weekend was hapless and uninspired, and the abyss appeared to have no bottom.

And then the team held a players only meeting.

As if the scrutiny from the media, fans, and upper management weren't enough, Joe Torre and his staff are faced with several important roster decisions in the days and weeks ahead.

As of May 7, the Dodgers find themselves with six players on the disabled list. Of those six players, Brad Ausmus' return will be the simplest to arrange, albeit that won't occur till the end of June.

Rafael Furcal hopes to rejoin the boys in blue in mid-to-late May, and at this point it seems as if shortstop Nick Green will be sent back down to Albuquerque.

On Tuesday, one of the greatest baseball announcers of all time past away. Ernie Harwell, the voice of Tigers baseball, died at the age of 92. 

As a lifelong Tigers fan, I have associated Harwell's voice with baseball since my early childhood. Harwell called games for the Tigers for 42 years. Every time I see a home run, I remember Ernie's "and its loooonnng gone!" or his, "two for the price of one," every time the Tigers would turn a double play.

Ernie was far more than just a great play-by-play announcer.