MLB

Intuition, intelligence, respect, and interpersonal relationship skills make up the character of the game's greatest skippers. What separates a common manager and a winning guru?

Bobby Cox of the Atlanta Braves, Joe Torre of The Los Angeles Dodgers, and Tony La Russa of the St. Louis Cardinals are perfect examples of what differentiates a club-house full of talent, to a unified team, striving to reach a common goal.

Going into spring training, the Yankees were trying to figure out who their fifth starter was going to be.

The two favorites going in were Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, with Chad Gaudin, Sergio Mitre and Alfredo Aceves as the longshots.

It's already the middle of March, halfway through the 2010 spring training season, and I am making a case now as to who the fifth starter should and needs to be starting now and going into the future.

Hughes needs to be made the fifth starter and Joba to be put back into the bullpen for good. It's where he really belongs.

I have been playing fantasy baseball for a long time.  In fact, my first league was run before the internet provided any method of tracking stats, standings, and rosters.  Once a week my friend Nate would sit down with the Sunday paper and our league’s rosters and compile the league standings by hand.  The next day at school we’d pass them around to see where we stood.

So far this spring the Yankees have not had to deal with major injuries to their pitching staff and while that is fantastic, it’s bad for Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre, if they want to stay in the Bronx.

Jason Gentile is like many high school students in the United States. He plays video games, religiously follows the Mets, and enjoys spending time with his family.

But unlike most kids, Jason can launch 500-foot-plus home runs.

The 5’10” shortstop from Stamford, Connecticut is a hidden gem in high school baseball prospects.

I know the few weeks in spring training is insufficient time to make a detailed performance rating, but if not now, when?

Yonder Alonso is not striking fear in the Reds opponents, or his competitors at his prospective position(s).

Just to make things clear, I am not talking about the mediocre lefty for the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox who all of a sudden became unhittable in the postseason for the New York Yankees.

I am talking about the big outfield prospect for the Florida Marlins.

If you are not familiar with the Marlins’ version of Mike Stanton, then you will be very shortly. He is a big man who can hit a baseball very far.

The St. Louis Cardinals are having internal discussions about trading pitcher Rich Hill to the Philadelphia Phillies for Roy Halladay, according to sportswriter extraordinaire, Evan Bruschini .

High-ranking members of the Cardinals’ front office told Bruschini that the team is putting together an offer centering around lefty Hill and right-handed Halladay, but are first making sure that such a deal would truly improve the team.

I never really thought Mark Reynolds strikeouts were an issue and apparently the Arizona Diamondbacks don’t think so either. Yesterday, the Diamondbacks officially signed the slugging third baseman to a new deal.

The Diamondbacks signed Reynolds to a three-year contract worth $14.5 million. The deal also includes an $11 million club option for 2013. Here is the breakdown of the contract:

2010: $500,000

2011: $5 million

2012: $7.5 million