Opinion

At the end of Spring Training, The A's surprised everyone by designating Cust for assignment, ultimately sending him down to Triple-A Sacramento. The A's had a healthy Eric Chavez and decided it was best to have him as the DH.

If actor John Houseman were alive today, I'm sure he'd modify his Smith Barney commercials to fit the Houston Astros: "The Houston Astros: they win ballgames the old fashioned way...they EARN them!"

A few weeks ago a reader named Clayton Elkins thought I was being far too pessimistic regarding the Astros' slow start and referenced a Jim Rome quote. Being in a sour mood and not having listened to Romey in a while, I became upset right away. Now, in retrospect, it appears Clayton was on to something.

To most he is known as Ron Gardenhire. To his players he is simply, Gardy. He is what is commonly known as “a player’s manager”. However, this is not always a good thing.Most “player’s managers,” or “players coaches” in other sports, are not usually all that successful.

But there are exceptions.

Watching former Pirate Tom Gorzelanny pitch for the Chicago Cubs the other night against the New York Mets was heartbreaking. And that was in spite of the fact that he lost (two of the four runs scored against him in 5.2 innings were unearned).

Gorzelanny is a pitcher in the Ross Ohlendorf-mold: cerebral and skillful, but more prone than the average Pirate to injury. "Overwork" in 2007, his second year, clearly hurt him. So he has to be used judiciously and pitches fewer innings than his teammates.

It was during last night's game at the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim that I realized Joe Girardi does indeed hate New York Yankees relief pitcher David Robertson .

Why do I think that? Because after another game which has Robertson finishing off a tough inning by retiring batters with ease, Girardi pulls him in favor of a new reliever to begin the next inning.

Pure lunacy.  

Right from the start let me say that I love Ken Griffey Jr. Without a doubt, he is one of the all-time greats to play the game (so far).

I had to throw the qualifier in because he seemingly has become one of those greats that tarnish their own legacy by playing years past their expiration date. If he was a carton of milk and you drank him, you'd get food poisoning and maybe die.

He currently ranks fifth on the career home run list, with 630. He is 15th all-time in RBI with 1,833, and his roots are firmly planted in the soil of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Despite their early-season struggles, the Chicago Cubs have plenty of reasons not to be afraid just yet. From the revamped minor league system, to a smarter Jim Hendry, to the twenty-fifth man on the roster (and the fortieth in September), the Cubs organization and their ever-loyal fans have no reason to worry about the 2010 season.

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Cincinnati, whether deserved or undeserved, has long held a reputation of racist city.

And no, that's not a photo of Joe Morgan giving a "black power" fist. He's waving.

But the photo looked silly after trying to crop it down and get the wave into the shot.

Having never lived in Cincinnati, it's tough to properly judge. 

Just a hunch, but most whites would probably deny it, blacks would agree that the city has serious issues regarding racism.

As the 2010 NFL Draft gives way to a young baseball season, it's already clear the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim won't have to address at least one position at the MLB's own upcoming draft: catcher.

Rising star prospects Bobby Wilson and Hank Conger currently support the dual threat of Mike Napoli and Jeff Mathis at the major league level. 

The problem is, although the Angels have an embarrassment of riches in terms of options behind the plate, each is a poor substitute for a legitimate everyday starter.

Is it me or does the game feel different when the Captain is behind the plate?

I will not argue with anyone that says Jason Varitek is near the end of his career.  I will not argue with anyone that says he needs to be the backup catcher. But after the start of this season, I must argue with anyone who doesn't agree that the game has a different tone when the Captain is at the Helm.