MLB

The New York Mets are really hoping to surprise some people this season after the dismal, injury-riddled 2009, but a portion of that expectation is resting on the rehab from surgery on the right knee of Carlos Beltran.

According to the New York Daily News, Beltran is likely going to be back in the lineup before early May.

I was never a fan of Andy LaRoche's brother Adam, and sharp-eyed readers may have noticed my tepid acceptance of Andy in the past.

But in one respect, the younger LaRoche is already "Jack Wilson," which is high praise coming from yours truly. That is, in terms of "citizenship."

He spent half an hour giving the "grand tour" of PNC Park to a boy in wheelchair. That was above and beyond the call of duty and will generate enormous goodwill for the Pirates, both for the one incident and for the many similar ones that are likely to follow.

If in spring training last season, you had told me the Philadelphia Phillies would be without closer Brad Lidge for the first week or two of the regular season, I would seriously be worried.

Now if you told me Lidge might miss one or two weeks at the start of season, I would say so what, no big deal. Funny what a difference a year makes.

In an interview with MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, the Phillies’ closer doesn’t think he will be ready by Opening Day.

How long have we heard the hype surrounding Howie Kendrick? 

How long have we been hearing about his upside?  How long have we been taking the gamble on him in hopes that this would finally be the year?

He made his MLB debut back in 2006 after originally being drafted in 2002.  Needless to say, now at 26 years old, we all hope that the wait is finally over.

First things first, I need to apologize for my month-long absence here. 

With expectations of superstardom, top MLB prospects Jason Heyward, Stephen Strasburg, and Aroldis Chapman look to make a huge impact for their respective ballclubs in 2010.

Jason Heyward

Heyward, the Atlanta Braves' promising outfield prospect, will be given every chance possible to succeed since it is legendary skipper Bobby Cox's final season.

The USA Today Minor League Player of the Year has already drawn comparisons to Ken Griffey Jr. and is a force to be reckoned with, both physically and mentally.

The issue of parity has come up frequently since the end of last season. Many have argued that MLB has become unfair to certain teams, and several ideas have come of it. However, I believe that I have the perfect solution to the problem.

Who among us hasn't thought after a baseball game, "I'm so jazzed up I want to go clubbing?"  Well, if that's how you feel, and you live in the Tampa Bay area, you must be on cloud nine by the Rays latest announcement. 

If you are still feeling like wanting to get jiggy with it after a Friday night game, you won't have to go far to shake your groove thang.  Just jump, jive, and wail your way to the field for a postgame clubbin' like atmosphere.  Minutes after B.J. Upton finishes patrolling center field, local bands will take his place.

I wish I could write something on Giants baseball today. I wish I could write about prospects, or how lousy the free agents (Huff, Derosa, etc.) will be next year, or some sabermetrics article that proves how good Fred Lewis is, but I just can't.

The NCAA Tournament is blowing me away. I have been glued to my television and computer all day. Even as we speak, I have the March Madness On Demand playing in the background (I'm watching Montana-New Mexico right now...man...I am starting to think that picking Montana wouldn't have been totally crazy).