Opinion

Donald Fehr did his job, whether you like it or not. 

That is because Fehr's job was to protect players in contract negotiations.

The fact is that the juicers made big money thus that is where many of the big contracts went. Thus, that money and those contract negotiations affected all players.

The reality is that the players aren't solely to blame. You can't call the players greedy without saying the same thing about the owners and Bud Selig. 

Rumors have been swirling around Kansas City Royals infielder Mark Teahen, with most of them seem to have Teahen going to the Boston Red Sox.

Teahen could fill the third base role vacated by the recently injured Mike Lowell. Kevin Youkilis has moved across the diamond to his natural position of third, with Jeff Bailey and Mark Kotsay platooning at first.

If Lowell's laid up for an extended amount of time, Teahen can play both first and third, and provide a decent bat in the lineup. And when Lowell does return from his hip injury, Teahen would be a great bat off the bench.

"Feel the wind and set yourself a bolder course...you'll sail the perfect line...in your time."

—Bob Seger, "In Your Time"

It should have been this year, 2009, but it's coming for Pablo Sandoval.  Sooner or later, he will get his due and the entire baseball world will realize how special this player is.  Until then, I'll do my best to hasten that day's arrival.

With that in mind...

What's the matter, Charlie Manuel?  Couldn't figure a way to get Matt Stairs and Carlos Ruiz on the team?

The All-Star Break looms only three days away.

Teams are assessing their standing for the second half and eagerly awaiting their opportunity for redemption (or, for some teams, more of the same) in the second half.

One team that is probably having difficulties doing the former is the Atlanta Braves.

The Braves are sitting at a decent 43-44, only (used in context here) five games back of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Braves have gotten what they paid for with their off-season money: very consistent starting pitching.

As baseball rolls through the final weekend before the All-Star break, it is easy to see that some changes are necessary if the Twins are serious about winning the division.

Heading into play on Saturday, the Twins’ record is a pedestrian 44-43, one game over .500 and four back of the Tigers in the tough American League Central.

Billy Beane needs to take a play out of the Colorado Rockies playbook. The Rockies were playing uninspired and painfully poor baseball under manager Clint Hurdle. So, what did the Rockies management do?

The Rockies did not subscribe to Beane's theory that firing a manager during the season is a sign of weakness for a team. Instead the Rockies fired Hurdle and offered him a job in the organization, which he turned down and is now an announcer for MLB TV.

Let's just be honest, nobody around baseball figured Jonathan Sanchez would be the first San Francisco Giant to throw a no-hitter since 1976.

If anyone was willing to venture a guess, the most likely Giant would be either Tim Lincecum or perhaps Matt Cain. Even double-A prospects Madison Bumgarner and Tim Alderson were more likely to throw a no-hitter than Jonathan Sanchez.

It can't get worse, can it?

Padre management keeps telling the fans that all is well, and the plan is proceeding, and we should all pony up our cash, to watch this great team take its place in the annals of history. Right, and American Idol will give us the next Led Zeppelin.

My reaction to yesterday's Yuniesky Betancourt trade was pretty similar to the reaction most people had.

"Wow, Dayton Moore is a terrible GM. Thank God I'm not a Royals fan."

There are just so many things wrong with the trade.

The first error in judgment, the one most often pointed out by others, is that Betancourt is a bad player offensively and defensively. He's just another bad shortstop to add to Willie Bloomquist and Tony Pena Jr. While he may be an upgrade, he's certainly not a starter. He may not even be a big-league-caliber player at this point.