Fan News

Well, I can’t say much. The Mets played terribly tonight, getting one hit over the last eight innings against the D-Backs bullpen. This is against a bullpen known for being the worst bullpen in the majors.

Aaron Heilman even went two perfect innings. Heilman! Oliver Perez almost lost it in the 13th, putting runners on first and second with no outs and second and third with one out.

The Mets ended up getting swept by the D-Backs (going past 2 a.m. to do so).

With only 10 days remaining to the 2010 MLB trade deadline, teams pursuing big bats are starting to scramble.

The Chicago White Sox are reportedly pressuring the Milwaukee Brewers to accelerate a deal for slugging first baseman Prince Fielder.

The San Francisco Giants, hotly pursuing the surprising San Diego Padres, are also seeking an impact bat, and they're casting a wide net stretching from Wisconsin to Texas to Kansas to Florida.

All across the majors teams and their fans are starting to feel the tension.

Can our team acquire the bat we need without selling the farm?

Ricky Nolasco is not an easy pitcher to beat.

In a comment to my recent article article about Josh Lueke , someone commented that the public at large has a short memory when it comes to ballplayers’ past transgressions.  I was reminded of that fact today when I read about how Pirates’ rookie Jose Tabata’s estranged wife pleaded guilty to kidnapping today.

Ralph Houk managed the Tigers when the team was in suspended animation.

The Tigers were between eras when GM Jim Campbell tabbed Houk to replace the fiery but out-of-control Billy Martin.

It was just after the 1973 season.

The Milwaukee Brewers find themselves at a pivotal crossroads as a franchise.

Unlike most mid-market franchises, the Brewers woes aren't the surefire sign of a fire sale and lengthy rebuilding process. Although there are structural issues with this team that point to bolstering their talent pool by trading some major league talent to this year's contenders. 

The Yankees won an exciting one today. The final score was 10-6, but the Yankees had a 6-0 lead at one point. The Angels came back to make it 6-5, then the Yanks jumped ahead to 10-5, and by that point, there wasn’t enough time for another comeback.

Here are some notes:

1)       1B Ryan Howard Phi

The American League Central is the tighest division in baseball. The White Sox, Twins, and Tigers are all withing 3.5 games of each other and none of the teams look to fade away.

However, all teams could use a midseason pickup or two to bolster their roster and create seperation in the division. We have seen players like Cliff Lee and Manny Ramirez push their teams to the next level after a July trade.

Who will be this year's players that will make a difference? Here are 10 trades that could shape the AL Central run.

The Mets need help, in multiple aspects. Today, they made a move that improves one part of their roster, possibly.

Chad Cordero was signed by the Mets today, and will be sent to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, who had their contract as affiliate of the Mets extended today through 2012, for now.

Cordero is most known for closing out games for the Washington Nationals from 2005-07. He also closed for the Montreal Expos in '03 and '04 before the franchise moved to Washington.