Opinion

With the news of Travis Ishikawa going down with a freak foot accident, I had to ask myself a question that came out of left field.

What if the Giants No. 1 prospect Buster Posey became the backup catcher as well as the backup first basemen for the Giants? 

Although Travis Ishikawa isn't on the DL, there is a possibility of having to do surgery on the torn ligaments, which would mean that he would be out for a significant amount of time.

I just can't get enough of the Topps Million Card Giveaway.

Today, my travels took me to the Modell's by Grand Central Station where I scooped up 11 packs of "2010 Topps Baseball series 1" in search of Million Card Giveaway redemption cards, hoping to pull that elusive 1952 Mickey Mantle.

Out of the 11 packages, I scored three redemption cards (none of which was the Mantle (sigh)), and was lucky enough to "unlock" this 1958 Enos "Country" Slaughter, then of the New York Yankees.

A long time ago, I remember that when I was going to write my annual column of the Boricuas in spring training, the list used to be a very long one.

It was not only quantity, but also quality.

They used to take a few pages. Most teams had at least one Puerto Rican on their 40-man roster, and most of them at the end of March were ready for the majors.

Jonathan Sanchez strolled into camp looking a bit different this year.

The 6'2" lefty is 12 pounds heavier than in 2009.

Normally that's a reason for face palms, mumbles, and grumbles from an already impatient fanbase.

Now if Sanchez weighed 245 pounds (ahem, Pablo Sandoval), that could prove problematic fatigue-wise down the stretch. The Giants need to stay fit in order to continue producing during September.

But Sanchez’s weight gain is meant to help, not hurt.

It is believed that his velocity and durability will improve thanks to his heavier figure.

Foresight is blind.

David Ortiz is an established veteran. He’s also, suddenly, an unproven rookie. After a tumultuous 2009, the Boston Red Sox DH can’t afford to take anything for granted in 2010—which would be worse news if taking things for granted hadn’t always been the essence of earthly folly.

Clairvoyance means pretending that you can really see the future in a crystal ball.

Candor, on the other hand, means admitting that you can only glimpse the present through a dusty glass.

1. Introduction

I am very tired of hearing about the snap judgment about Derek Lowe; an ace pitcher that Atlanta Braves signed him for a four-year, $60 million deal.

One-time Red Sox ace Josh Beckett enters the 2010 season knowing that he does not have a deal in place for 2011. He arrived in camp yesterday with the knowledge that he’ll need to have an excellent season if he hopes to land the kind of contract that former teammate A J Burnett signed with the NY Yankees last winter (five years, $82.5 million) and current teammate John Lackey signed this winter (five years, $85 million).

On Monday, I gave potential spring training goers a fan’s guide to the Cactus League.

It’s only fitting to give everyone a fan’s guide to the Grapefruit League in Florida as well.

This guide will have the team, address of the ballpark, and a link where you can purchase tickets. Here you go.

Florida Marlins: Roger Dean Stadium

4751 Main Street

Jupiter, FL 33458

Purchase Tickets Here

Johnny Damon has a more than fair offer on the table from Detroit: one year for $7 million.  If that's not enough, he has a second offer from Detroit for an additional year and an additional $7 million.  He's old, he has the arm strength of an eight-year-old girl, and yet he is still not signing on the dotted line.  Detroit just isn't enough. 

After the Joba Chamberlain/Phil Hughes debate, the topic that we have focused on the most this offseason has probably been the state of the Yankees bench.

It seems like it's one spot on the Yankees that is always in flux, and that was no different this offseason after they lost Eric Hinske, Jerry Hairston Jr., and Jose Molina.