Opinion

Baseball, with apologies to Halo enthusiasts, may be the single greatest game ever created. The intricacies and nuances of a baseball game are endless. No matter how many games you see, there is always the possibility of seeing something truly unique. It is so complex in its simplicity that the late George Carlin admitted to having a difficult time finding the right words to describe it.

[Editor's note: For those of you that don't understand that last comment, you don't understand the genius of Carlin and should go back to watching Jay Leno]. 

Even the most optimistic Blue Jay fan couldn't have predicted just how well the boys in blue would start off this season.

After the first month they had a record of 17-9 and stood atop of the American League East, a sport hard to come by in a division that includes the Red Sox and the Yankees. That record has now improved to 20-11 after splitting a pair of games against the Angels of Anaheim.

As we wait for the fallout from the Manny Ramirez fiasco, life still goes on for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ramirez either used poor judgment and was given bad advice by his physician, or he used poor judgment and knew exactly what he was doing.

With the 2009 season in full swing the Colorado Rockies have yet to show they are even a contender for the NL West.

The Rockies have a division worst 11-16 record, going 9-13 in the NL West for April, which is the teams longest stretch of division games.

Two things stood out in the Nationals' come-from-behind, 11-9 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers Thursday night.

Both of them were positive, and both were surprising.

First, the Nationals plated 11 runs and meted out 18 hits against the first-place Dodgers. They now have a .275 team batting average (third in the league), a .363 on-base percentage (second), and have drawn 125 walks (second). They are on pace to score in excess of 150 more runs this season than last.

Through the first 23 games Yankee second baseman, Robinson Cano, was on fire.  After the Yankees 10-9 win over the Angels on May 1, Robbie was hitting .378 and had an incredible number of multiple hit games.

He also had five home runs and 17 RBI to that point.

In the five games since he has one hit in 21 at-bats and no RBI.

Of more concern is what seems to be a change in demeanor and concentration.

Watching Cano hit last night against Tampa Bay, he did not appear into the game.

While it is hardly surprising anymore that stars are testing positive for steroids, the Manny Ramirez positive test left me questioning the situation as a whole, as well as considering where the blame really should be placed.

Ultimately, the responsibility lies with the player to know what is going into his body, and whether he is allowed to take a certain drug. They are all adults—at least in age—and they should have enough sense not to put strange things into their bodies.

One thing is certain after one month of Atlanta Braves baseball; they’re not going to set any offensive records anytime soon.

It has been a comedy of errors for this struggling offense.

The ’09 version of the Braves offense has seen injuries to key contributors, continued streaky hitting at the leadoff spot, terrible base-running mistakes, and a lineup that changes daily.

With that said, here’s my Braves-lineup Report Card:

Claudio: So I guess you heard about Manny?

Dad: Seguro que si (of course I did)…

His voice trailed off...

Get the headline? I know, I'm hilarious.

As for the idea that Alex Rodriguez could turn the Yankees season around, as a Red Sox fan, it's no laughing matter.

I don't care what he's done in the post-season, how many steroids he's taken over the years, or that he just had hip surgery.

He's still Alex Rodriguez.

Unlike Bucky "Bleeping" Dent or Aaron "Bleeping" Boone, A-Rod has done little to earn a swear as a middle name, but that's not to say he doesn't have time.