Opinion

Those darn Rays.

If it wasn't for the 12-4 loss that the Rockies endured against the team from Tampa, the team from Colorado would be on a 16-game winning streak right now.

But that's a tough thing to complain about; even with the loss, the Rockies have won 15 of their last 16, and no other team can boast such a run this year.

Open up MLB.com and click on batting statistics; one will see that David Wright is the National League leader in batting average with a .344 mark. Seeing such an average, one expects a gaudy power display and RBI numbers, a la Evan Longoria of Tampa Bay, who has 16 homers and 60 RBI in mid-June.

The Wall Street Journal published a story recently about the amount of college education, or lack thereof, in Major League Baseball. 

In 1984 when I was 13-years old, my shoe size finally caught up with my age. To say I was clumsy was an understatement. I could barely drive to the basket for a layup without tripping over my own feet. Even walking on the sidewalk was a challenge as I struggled to adapt to my body that had sprouted up over the summer.

It is hard for a baseball player to get attention playing in South Florida. You have to be good, real good, before the baseball world starts to notice.

Just ask Josh Johnson. He is one of baseball's best pitchers, yet even the local Miami Herald did not include him in a comparison of the league's best.

Last season, he returned to the Marlins after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2007 after beginning the season 0-3 with a 7.47 ERA. Look at what the kid has done since then:

Baseball truly is something special.

It’s more than a simple sport or even a game.

Baseball involves feelings and emotions, and in result, can create a special bond between a father and a son.

With Carlos Beltran headed for an MRI tomorrow and still no sign of Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado, and Oliver Perez, I think now is an appropriate time to discuss trading for someone who could provide some steady offense, especially if Beltran hits the DL.

The problem for the Mets is they have very few trade chips to work with.

Another day, another walk off win for the Chicago Cubs. Earlier in the week when the Cubs' offense struggled mightily, I would never have guessed that these last three games would have ended the way they have. Overcoming huge deficits and coming up in the clutch, it may look like the Cubs have started to turn the offense around.

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Matt Cain is coming into tonight’s start against the Texas Rangers as a rising star. His stock around the league is rising, and fans across the nation are starting to know his name.

Yet Cain should not be looked upon as a new arm. After all, he’s compiled almost four full years of major-league service time, and has been playing professionally for the last eight.

As we are now approaching the half way point of their first full season, I thought it would be a good idea to check up on some of last seasons highly regarded draft picks.  Among the many 2008 Draft picks was a solid core of arms again. 

Dave Dombrowski drafted solid relievers that could be MLB ready soon to put some Neosporin and a band aide on a wounded Tiger bullpen. With that said lets take a look at some of our newest Tigers that are earning their stripes.