Opinion

Let's start today with a little numbers exercise:

Player A: .333 BA    1 HR    5 RBI    .443 OBP    .471 SLG

Player B: .380 BA    3 HR    9 RBI    .404 OBP    .600 SLG

Player A: 3.57 ERA    0-2 W-L    14 K    1.47 WHIP

Player B: 1.35 ERA    2-0 W-L    14 K    1.20 WHIP

The event occurred after my college career was over and I was several seasons into one of the various semi-pro leagues I played in during the summer. Make no mistake about the quality of "summer ball," as these were some of the most competitive seasons we ever played. A regular season was usually a 40-game schedule played over 60 days, then playoffs.

Last Week: 2-4
This Week: at LAA (4/19-22); at Tex (4/23-25)

So what happened?

The Tigers’ first butt-kicking of the season came on Friday night, when the Seattle Mariners had their way with Jeremy Bonderman. The pitching was uneven all week, the defense shaky at times, and it all added up to a 2-4 week that the Tigers deserved; in fact, they were perilously close to going 1-5, if it wasn't for a rousing 6-5 win on Tuesday (coming back from a 5-0 deficit).

THE MEAT OF THE ORDER

Every week there are three things I deem to be really important. It's kind of like the "meat" of my lineup.

1. Ubaldo Jimenez throws first no-hitter in Colorado Rockies’ history.

I’m pretty sure about this, but I believe he’s the first person not only named Ubaldo to throw a no-hitter, but he’s the first person with a U to begin his first name to throw a no-hitter.

That’s some Elias research right there.

In 1947, Ted Williams won the American League's Triple Crown. He led the league in batting with a .343 average, in home runs with 32, and in RBIs with 114.  Williams had a .499 on base average, a .634 slugging percentage, and drew 162 walks.

In 1947, Joe DiMaggio hit .315 with 20 home runs and 97 RBIs. He had a .391 on base average, a .522 slugging percentage and 64 walks.

There is no comparison.

This New Yorker is by no means a Boston Red Sox fan. But if I were, I'd now be thinking in terms of "wait till next year," Yogi Berra fashion.

Many might say, 'but it's just early in the season, there are almost 150 games to go.' But that's just the point: The Red Sox are already five games behind both the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays.

Which is like giving "rook odds" in chess to such talented players.

Lost in the very oddly played, sometimes head-scratching 20-inning marathon on Saturday between the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals was the starting performance turned in by LHP Jaime Garcia.

The Cardinals’ rookie was very good on Saturday.

Garcia matched Mets ace Johan Santana pitch for pitch, giving up just one hit (a blooper by Angel Pagan), walking two, and striking out five in seven innings. He now has an 0.69 ERA in two starts (13 IP) this season.

Brett Gardner did everything he could have possibly done to help the New York Yankees sweep the Texas Rangers in their weekend series.

On Friday night, Gardner did not start the game. He came in as a pinch runner and immediately stole second base and then scored a run.

On Saturday. Gardner started in left field and went 3-4 hitting in the nine hole. He also scored two runs, drove in one run and stole another base.  All of his hits were infield hits where Gardner used his speed to get on base.

Let's get it out there right up front—there is very little one can do to sugar-coat a San Francisco Giants loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers sealed by a Manny Ramirez pinch-hit, two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Especially when you consider Major League Baseball's most tiresome clown conspired with a hanging slider from Sergio Romo (in a 1-2 count no less) to deliver the rubber match and series to his fellow Bums.

Nope, that's one of those moments you simply have to wear as a baseball fan.