Fan News

Well, it's been a while, hasn't it? Since my last post, I've gone out of town twice, bought a new car, worked nearly every day in between (pulling doubles three days a week), and have begun to prepare for a move to a new apartment.

This has left little time for blogging and little time for the Royals. Under new manager Ned Yost, the Royals are playing roughly .500 ball. This has been more a curse than a blessing, as the perception of success has led to hesitation in getting involved as sellers on the trade market.

Carlos Zambrano has grown up and apologized—a month later—and not face-to-face with anyone he wronged—unless he had done something to Pedro Gomez of ESPN.

On Monday, Zambrano apologized for his dugout tirade a month ago after the first inning versus the Chicago White Sox in which Zambrano felt runs were given up because of shaky defense. Gold Glover Derrek Lee took some of the heat, even though no one had a chance to catch Carlos Quentin's home run in the left field stands.

In the run-up to baseball's non-waiver trade deadline, the focus is almost exclusively on the game's biggest names. We're fascinated by whispers of negotiations and bidding wars over marquee names and pay little mind to the lower-key players who could play similar roles.

But, as teams are quickly finding out, you've got to have a Plan B.

Two of the market's biggest names, Cliff Lee and Dan Haren, are now off the market.

The text message read: “Hollywood is starting to look like Compton.”

I got that text from a high school friend late on Friday night, April 23: the night Cole “Hollywood” Hamels gave up four home runs in a seven-batter span en route to a 7-4 loss in Arizona.

Apparently Cole didn’t realize the Home Run Derby wasn’t supposed to take place in Phoenix until July 2011.

Recent reports have Omar Minaya saying that the Mets are Buyers, but are in "wait and see" mode....What in the world does that mean?

The Mets were on fire in June and were a half game back from first place, apparently that wasn't a good time to make a trade. Now the Mets are in a horrible funk and just finished a 2-9 roadtrip and apparently they are not sure it's a good time to make a deal either.

Well, Dan Haren was finally traded, but not to the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, or St. Louis Cardinals—three teams that really want another top hurler.

Haren was traded to the Los Angeles Angels for left-handed, back-end starter Joe Saunders and three pitching prospects. None of these returning pitchers were top-10 prospects in the Angels organization.

Kudos to Angels GM Tony Reagins for swooping in late and pulling off this coup.

Several factors indicate that acting Arizona GM Jerry DiPoto jumped the gun and reached on this deal.

Not Tanyon Sturtze, Bryan Rekar, Albie Lopez, Esteban Yan, Jorge Sosa, John Halama, nor Paul Abbott were able to do it. Dewon Brazelton, Casey Fossom, Tim Corcoran, and Jim Morris weren’t able to do it either.

The feat I am talking about is throwing a no-hitter for the Tampa Bay Rays. Up until last night, no pitcher was able to throw a no-hitter for the Rays, but then Matt Garza took the mound on Monday night.

Earlier this season, Ubaldo Jimenez threw a No-Hitter which happened to be the first in Rockies history. Tonight against the Tigers, Matt Garza, the former Minnesota Twins player threw the first in Tampa Bay history.

Both were from clubs which I still consider in the new expansion era which encompasses the last twenty years to me (Rockies, Devil Rays, Marlins, Diamondbacks).

Matt Garza faced 27 Detroit Tigers hitters Monday night and rendered them hitless, recording the first no-hitter in Tampa Bay Rays history.

The Rays have been on the wrong side of two no-hitters this season, including Dallas Braden’s perfect game May 9 in Oakland.

Detroit rookie standout Brennan Boesch kept Garza from accomplishing the same feat, working the count full and drawing a walk with one out in the second inning. Garza got Ryan Raburn to ground into a double play three pitches later to get out of the inning unscathed.

We all know by now that the Mets had a road trip to forget, having lost nine of 11 on the West Coast. It may be hard to think of, but that's a thing of the past.

The Mets still think they have a shot at competing, and on July 27, who doesn't think so? Therefore, it's time to move on.

For the Mets, this will be their first home game in over two weeks. The last time they played at Citi Field was on July 11, a huge win over the Braves.