Opinion

Brett Gardner started in center field and hit sixth in the batting order as the New York Yankees lost a spring training tilt to the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates Sunday.

Neither position is a likely spot to find Gardner after the regular season starts in just 20 days.

Because it is uncertain if Gardner can hold down a regular outfield slot, the Yankees will almost certainly put Curtis Granderson in center because he will be playing every day.

I shave with one of those three blade disposable razors that are popular with the masses. They work pretty well, but they’re expensive to replace. Like girlfriends. So I end up using them more than is recommended to prolong their life. And if you use them this much, they don’t shave as well as they should.  
 
Why am I telling you this? I’ll get to that.
 

Kris Burmen has always known that Whitey Ford is a terribly overrated pitcher. He has some facts to support his contention.

Whitey Ford was the Chairman of the Board. He was the pitching ace that New York Yankees' manager Casey Stengel saved to face the other contenders.

Some already have given the Reds center field job to Drew Stubbs . Caesar Cliffius is not a part of that crowd.

No sir, as I write this article, Stubbs has done very little to fortify his claim to that piece of land.

In games through Sunday (March 14), Stubbs has struck out seven times in 20 AB. That, friends is a 35 percent rate, and if he would do that through a full season, he would break Mark Reynolds MLB strikeout record. 

With slugging first baseman Lance Berkman sidelined until at least Opening Day, the Houston Astros are in serious danger of a second straight anemic season at the plate.

In 2009, the Astros finished 14th in the National League in runs scored, 12th in home runs, and 15th in walks.

Much of the problem stemmed from Berkman's inability to stay healthy. In 136 games (his fewest since 2005), Berkman had only 562 plate appearances (his fewest since 2000).

All right, it's only grapefruit league. These games don't "count." Even so, there are a couple of former cellar dwellers that were touted as turnaround prospects, that don't look like such in spring training. One of them is the Washington Nationals. Another is the Pittsburgh Pirates.

As a consolation, the World Series champion Yankees are 5-7, with their formerly vaunted starters, CC Sabathia and Joba Chamberlain, struggling mightily. The Pirates are 2-2 against them.

After 28 long seasons spent cooped up inside a big Teflon bubble the Minnesota Twins will be moving to an exquisite new ballpark for the 2010 season.

Target Field figures to provide the Twins with not only a much better playing environment, but also much larger revenue streams.

The club has already made the most of the revenue increase by bumping the payroll nearly $40 million over last year’s Opening Day payroll.

Robinson Cano has a way of making things look easy on a baseball field.

This is his greatest blessing and biggest curse.

New York sports fans don't like when things look easy. We appreciate effort. Effort means you're taking the game as seriously as we are.

Paul O'Neill chasing down Luis Polonia's drive up the gap in Game Five of the '96 Series, that was hard work .

Mickey Mantle barely able to drag his shot legs around the bases after hitting his 500th homer off Stu Miller...that took effort.

After 28 long seasons spent cooped up inside a big Teflon bubble the Minnesota Twins will be moving to an exquisite new ballpark for the 2010 season.

Target Field figures to provide the Twins with not only a much better playing environment, but also much larger revenue streams.

The club has already made the most of the revenue increase by bumping the payroll nearly $40 million over last year’s Opening Day payroll.

An ESPN report over the weekend stated that the Philadelphia Phillies talked internally about the possibility of shipping first baseman Ryan Howard to the St. Louis Cardinals for first baseman Albert Pujols.

Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro told espn.com, "I don't know who you're talking to, but that's a lie."

Howard is hugely popular in Philadelphia, but Pujols is a God in St. Louis.

For baseball fans, it is a fun thing to consider. Fans in both cities, however, think the deal would be crazy. Especially in St. Louis.