Scott Kazmir

Albert Pujols has dominated much of the baseball news in St. Louis this offseason, but he may not hold the key to the Cardinals' success in 2011

One of baseball's brightest and most underrated pitching stars, Adam Wainwright, will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery this spring, leaving a gaping hole in St. Louis' rotation.

Wainwright, the Cardinals' co-ace, has the game's lowest ERA over the last two years and finished second and third in Cy Young voting during that time.

No one said it was easy to get into the Major Leagues.  No one said it was any easier to stay in the Major Leagues.

But it is possible and you are about to see some of the once highly-touted prospects who have made it to the show.  The only problem is that their careers have not exactly blossomed in the fashion that was expected of them when they were first signed.

    Just when you think you've seen it all, almost every season a player on the New York Mets makes headlines for a surprising off-the-field issue.  The multitude of inappropriate actions and embarrassing behavior by the team feels more like a soap opera than a professional baseball organization.

    While the New York Yankees perennially grace the cover of local newspapers for winning championships, the Mets created news over the years with locker-room brawls, drug scandals and throwing fireworks into a crowd of fans.

Over the many years of player comparison and analysis, our understanding of what it means to be a great baseball player has continually evolved.

Along with that, we have also formed a better comprehension of the concept of a "bad" player.

There was a time when we would assess shortstops, catchers, and center fielders based merely on their offensive contributions, a practice we now understand to be shockingly limited. If ballplayers are to be judged, they must be judged for all of their contributions, both their hitting and their defense.

Los Angeles Angels' starting pitcher Scott Kazmir has been a mystery wrapped in an enigma.

Purchased by the Halos last August for two minor-leaguers and a player to be named later, the Angels honestly thought they were receiving a player who, at 25, was looking ahead at several years of continued maturity and dominance.

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kevin Millwood has suffered through a nightmarish season, yet he still takes the ball every fifth day and gives his best effort. On Saturday night, against the Los Angeles Angels, Millwood's best effort turned into into his best start of the season.

Millwood scattered six hits over eight innings, and No. 9 hitter Josh Bell slammed a two-run homer, giving the Orioles a 5-0 victory over the suddenly punchless Angels.

The All-Star Break is just about upon us, which marks the real halfway point for the baseball season. Awards can start to be discussed, playoff pictures can start to be formed, and those who are playing the best and worst can be looked at as well.

There are those who started off strong but have completely disappeared, and those who have had an amazing June for their team.

It was nice while it lasted, Angels fans.

With the stunning acquisition of Cliff Lee by the Texas Rangers from AL West rival Seattle, it is time for the Angels to cut their losses and let the fire sale begin.

Not only should this be the nail in the coffin for the Angels, but maybe for the rest of baseball as well. Texas just assured themselves not only a trip to the playoffs, but a real chance to take it all.

Angels fans, don't feel bad.

The Angels had the second best record in all of baseball for the month of June.

The problem is, the Texas Rangers were the only team better, and they are the team the Angels are trying to catch.

July has not started out with as much promise.

The Angels now find themselves 5.5 games back in the AL West after being swept by the Chicago White Sox during a four-game series in Chicago for the first time in 27 years.

Many are ready to push the panic button and start the fire sale. However, all is not lost with the Angels.

Cliff Lee to the Yankees! Prince Fielder to the Giants! Dan Haren to the Cardinals! Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox!

As the 2010 Trade Deadline approaches—and speculation runs rampant regarding this year’s potential blockbuster deals—we should temper the frenzy by revisiting the decade’s biggest blockbuster busts.