Opinion

Juan Pierre will head back to the bench when Manny Ramirez returns from his 50-game suspension, confirmed Joe Torre.

Prior to this season started, the Dodgers gave Pierre and his agent permission to talk to other teams in hopes of working out a trade, since Ramirez's re-signing with the Dodgers pushed Pierre to the backup role in left field.

Yesterday Torre said, "Yeah, I really didn't consider any other option," adding that Pierre will play about twice a week while giving one of the three regular outfielders a rest.

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Most Pirate fans still have nightmarish flashbacks to Sid Bream racing around 3^rd base to meet a diving Mike LaValliere’s tag in the 1992 NLCS.

Questions of “what if” concerning that game have plagued the city of Pittsburgh ever since. What if Barry Bonds makes a half decent throw from left field? What if Jim Leyland doesn’t use Stan Belinda? What if, what if, what if…?

Now Boston has a problem like really no other in baseball which is that they really have too much pitching depth on their roster. This is obviously a good problem for Boston and today I will analyze who really deserves to be in their starting rotation. I will give a short synopsis of each pitcher and see if they deserve a spot in the rotation. I will also see if they deserve to be where they are today.

Josh Beckett and Jon Lester

Forgive my ignorance on the matter, as I'm not well-versed in MLB rules and regulations, but why in the world is a suspended player allowed to play in the minor leagues before making their post-suspension major league debut?

Now obviously I understand it is in the rules that a suspended MLB player can play up to 10 games in the MiLB system, but still do not receive a paycheck of any kind. Paycheck or no paycheck, how can something like this be allowed?

Jacques Demers, as the irrepressible coach of the Detroit Red Wings, wasn’t happy.

In 1987, around the beginning of his tenure in Detroit, Demers had to make changes. His team was slumping and wasn't putting in the effort needed. He could not abide this.

So one blustery winter morning, he called practice at 7:30 a.m.

Desperate for something to change their offensive woes this year, Giants manager Bruce Bochy has made two interesting moves in the lineup within the last month.

First, after platooning him in the outfield the first couple of months of the season, on June 11, Bochy started giving outfielder Nate Schierholtz more consistent playing time in the outfield over Fred Lewis. Lewis was the starting left fielder last season, and in April, May and early June this year.

There are whispers in San Francisco. From the fog banked hills to the sun drenched downtown streets—there are whispers. Barely audible mutterings, a once very familiar phrase coming back.

As you get closer to China Basin and AT&T Park, the whispers get a little louder, and the words begin to form in your ears...playoffs...

Around the league you will not hear these whispers. And for good reason—it's a little early to begin talking about the 2009 Giants reaching the postseason.

“Beer needs baseball, and baseball needs beer–it has always been thus.” –writer Peter Richmond

While beer remains a ballpark staple for many fans, they can also indulge in a wide selection of wines, mixed drinks, and even sake by the plastic cup at the new 

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