'06 Individual Performances

Where do you start? So far this year we have seen Jimmy Rollins scare the all-time hitting streak record. Kevin Mench has just fallen short of the all-time MLB record of consecutive games with a Home Run. Mench clubbed a round tripper in 7 straight. Ken Griffey Jr., Don Mattingly and a fellow named Dale Long (Pittsburgh Pirates - 1956)share the record at 8. Mench, however is the only right handed hitter in that group and holds that distinction. Mench tied another all-time mark back in June when he smashed a homerun in three consecutive innings vs the LA Angels. During his current binge, Mench hit two Grand Slams and drove in 20 RBI's!

Speaking of Griffey, he has surpassed Mickey Mantle and continues to climb the all-time Home Run list. Mike Piazza crushed his 400th Home Run. Barry, yes Barry... he climbed over Babe Ruth. No, not for the Home Runs. Barry has amassed more walks in his career than The Babe. How many more marks will he topple? He sits just 3 Home Runs shy of Ruth for second place all-time. The problem for Barry is... nobody seems to care. MLB plans no celebration, the Ruth family seems distant. A far cry from the moments in 1998 that featured Mammoth Mark eclipsing Roger Maris. Poor Barry. Do you think the trust factor might be missing?

And oh.. mentioning the Babe Ruth records. One more of Babe's records could be tied this year. His pitching prowess is completely forgotten. But, the Babe could chuck the rock! Curt Schilling takes aim at tying Babe Ruth and Pedro Martinez (if he could only hit like the Babe)as the only Red Sox pitchers to chalk up five wins in April.

What else is happening out there? Oh, who could forget.. possibly the most intimidating hitter in the league (yea, even more than Bonds); Albert Pujols is drumming the opposing pitchers. Big Bad Mr. Albert (can't call him Fat) set the MLB record for most Home Runs in the opening month of the season - 14! Should we get a blood test here? Only kidding. I think Albert is as legit as they come... Humble, confident and completely honorable, there doesn't appear to be any "fat" on the man. We could be seeing something special from him this year.

MLB Team CheckUp

What a tremendous start to the 2006 season. As we have already noted, some surprising teams have forged their way to the top of their divisions. The Tigers remain hot holding the MLB best winning percentage on the road and sitting only 1.5 games behind the Chicago White Sox. The Tigers continue to pelt the ball at just about every park they go to. The great pitching of the Angels staff was able to put a small bump in their road.. but the teams that followed have paid dearly. Tigers scoring runs like a Little League team (I wonder if those XLR8 Balls have anything to do with it?).

Speaking of the White Sox.. Not even the great Angels pitching seems to slow them down. The World Series champs keep on pounding out hits, getting timely hitting and playing very solid in the field. If they win today they will sweep the Angels in their own ballpark.. no small feat. The addition of Jim Thome into that lineup has been huge. With Konerko, Dye and Crede swinging solid bats.. throw in the pitching and fielding.. this will be a tough challenge for any team to beat.

Then there's the NY Mets. They are simply running away with the East, beating up on the Braves at every opportunity. Sometimes pounding their teams, often times relying on the pitching. They are a solid team. Tom Glavine having a remarkable year beating the Braves yesterday and pitching like the Hall of Famer he will be. Glavine was contstantly fooling the powerful Braves hitters enroute to a sterline 1-0 win on Saturday. The only hitter that looked like he had a plan against Glavine was LF Diaz who went up to the plate with the right approach, had good at bats and still only managed one hit against Terrific Tom. The solid hitting of the Mets and their rotation that features one of the best of our time; Pedro Martinez.. well, they may just find themselves playing for a ring a little later in the year.

Other notable teams; Houston Astros, Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds. The Astros have set a franchise record for the month of April with great pitching and timely hitting. Thats the great news. The bad news is they are in the same division as the Reds. Yea, the same Reds that have set a franchise record of their own.. reeling off 17 wins to sit atop the NL Central. They hold a single game lead over the Pujols powered Cards (who just keep chalking up wins) and a 1.5 game edge over the Astros. The Rockies, even without their star Todd Helton, have just decided to take over the West. Although a 14-10 record isn't exactly scintillating, they sit atop their division over the Bonds led Giants. Or should I say; The Alou led Giants. Moises has clearly had a great start to his year. I stand by my prediction that this division will eventually be won by the LA Dodgers. They just seem to be blogging along at this point, but up and down that lineup (with exception of the catcher spot.. where is Paul LoDuca when you need him)they look pretty solid.

Here is the standings as of today.

RedSox, Indians, Mets, Rockies RedHOT!

The Red Sox, powered by offseason acquisitions look to be a team to reckon with this year in AL East. Mike Lowell has fit in nicely, thank you very much. Lowell went 4 for 4 yesterday to support the pitching of Josh Beckett. Beckett's day started rather slowly. He struggled mightily in the first inning, but survived to walk off the mound only surrendering one run. The Red Sox bats did the rest. Look for this team to gel as the season moves on.

The Indians have reeled off six wins in a row! After watching the hot start put up by the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland decided to show a little muscle of their own. Hoping their pitching would be the key for them this season, they have relied heavily on the bats instead. Only one of the starting nine is struggling at the plate; Ronnie Belliard at .143. Every other player, with the exception of Ben Broussard (.286), is at .300 or better for the season. I'm not so sure this team can continue to post numbers like that for any length of time. With the exception of Hafner and Boone there is simply not alot of proven talent in the lineup. Time will tell.

The Mets. Wow! The Mets. Their offseason moves look to be complimenting an already star studded team. Unlike the Indians, the Mets have a proven lineup 1-8 that can deliver on any day against any pitcher. David Wright appears poised to establish himself as one of the premier players in the league. His power and leadership skills are making a positive impact on a daily basis. No doubt, with Rick Down there to hone the little things, Wright will blossom this year. I see this team as the cream of the crop. Pitching, Hitting, Fielding, Coaching... that about says it.

The Rockies are definitely a surprise. Packed with a bevy of young talent and sprinkled with just the right veteran (Todd Helton), this team could be a force. Helton is a masterful hitter that rarely gets his kudos because of the Coors Field stigma. Make no mistake, He can hit! Throw in the young talented bats of Hawpe, Holliday and Clint Barmes and the run production shouldn't be a problem. Can they put up the pitching numbers? I think that is the major question for this team. They should be fun to watch, but I think my money rests on the Dodgers in this division. They are loaded with talent and once Grady Little figures out how the pitching breaks down they should be solid all year long.

Yanks stumble out of gate

Poor George. He must be going through a few sleepless nights in New York. The beloved and fabled Yankees, yes the same Yankees with 26 World Championships, are a woeful 1-4 starting the 2006 campaign.

You can point the finger in a few spots, mainly the Murderers Row of the 3-4-5 hitters, but I have my own view on why they sit at 1-4. Hey, it's a long season and these guys are proven winners. They are perennial front runners that know what it's like to grind it out for 6 months.

Will they have their hands full in the division with the improved Blue Jays and rival Red Sox? You bet. Will it make the road tougher starting off slow? You bet. Will they put the off field distractions behind them and get some team unity going? You hope. You see, that's what I see wrong. From a distance mind you.. but you can sense something.

There seems to be no unity. Zip. Zero. Nada.

Nobody is picking up the slack. In the past, one Yank would falter in a crucial point of a game.. no problemo.. next guy.. or the next guy would step up and deliver. The Yankees of today, laden with talent, are simply laying down.

A-Rod looks run down and tired. Jeter is being pitched deep inside on a consistent basis (although he made a nice adjustment in his first at bat last night). Sheffield, well.. Gary's troubles have only just begun if you ask me. With the news about the Grand Jury testimony on the Balco trial... there are some damaging, very damaging, statements coming to light. Has this permeated the Yankee locker room? I think so.

On the field, the players are so immensely talented it is difficult to determine anything in the clubhouse causing a loss on the field. But, if you watch the dugout.. if you watch the interaction on the field. Something is amiss. It is like a rift going through a close knit family. You can see and feel the tension. It comes down to unity. One for all and all for one. It is the unwritten code in baseball. A key to success in every championship team that has ever stepped on the field is team unity. You can't manufacture it. You can't package it. You simply have to be lucky enough to have it. It comes from trust, faith, caring and sharing the same desire. You will hear it described as chemistry or a number of other terms. But, Unity is what is missing from the Yanks. They can physically go out and perform every day, no problem. They just aren't playing for the team yet. Will they? Yea, the season will move on and the Yankee cream will rise to the top. But, without Unity ... will they be able to get number 27? I don't think so.

Rollins Hit Streak ends

Jimmy Rollins, a career .270 hitter, was making news over the past two seasons as he slowly crept up on some all-time great hitters with his hitting streak. Rollins fell just shy of Paul Molitor who hit in 39 straight back in 1987.

Controversy swirled on the talk radio circuit on the validity of a streak that was split between two seasons. Did he have a two game hit streak (2006) or a 38 game hit streak (2005 & 2006).. the debate fueled many a discussion with baseball analysts.
My personal feeling is that had Rollins been able to continue the streak to say.. 44, matching Pete Rose for the longest hitting streak since DiMaggio's incredible run of 56 in 1941, there would have been a lot of chatter about placing an asterisk on the Rollins streak.

Here is the list of the greatest streaks of all time (courtesy of Fox Sports); Click Here

Notes from Opening Day '06

So.. opening day is over and the stories are coming in from around the league. Is Roger Clemens through? Will he return? If so.. with who?

Did the Dodgers, Mets and a few others improve over the off-season? What about the Soriano saga? Or... more so.. The Bonds epic?

It's all here. Take a trip around the league...

CLICK HERE TO SEE A PHOTO GALLERY

ARLINGTON, Texas — Unsigned and not-quite-retired Roger Clemens spent nearly an hour in the Red Sox clubhouse before the game, including closed-door conversations with general manager Theo Epstein, principal owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner, then watched alongside Rangers owner Tom Hicks as Boston won 7-3.
Clemens received a standing ovation when introduced during the first inning. In between, he made it clear he is considering the Red Sox, Rangers, New York Yankees and Houston Astros — if he decides to play this season.

He can't negotiate with Houston until May 1 because the Astros did not offer him salary arbitration, but he plans to attend Tuesday's game to receive his 2005 NL championship ring.

"I don't have any interest in playing right now," said Clemens, 43, emphasizing "right now."

Clemens added he would be watching the four teams' progress. He said he has no timetable for making a decision, but agent Randy Hendricks, who was with him in the Boston clubhouse, said he would advise not waiting past the All-Star break.

Clemens said the teams' championship chances might override the lure of remaining in his hometown Houston, at least at a salary below what he views as his open-market value.

"If I was offered arbitration," he said, "we probably wouldn't be talking about this right now."

By Paul White, USA TODAY

Bonds has them howling in San Diego

SAN DIEGO — The sellout crowd at Petco Park, witnessing perhaps the final opening-day game of Barry Bonds' career, responded by vociferously booing the San Francisco Giants slugger at nearly every opportunity.

Bonds, under investigation by Major League Baseball for allegations he began using steroids after the 1998 season, was booed heavily during pregame ceremonies, in his first at-bat and on the first catch he made. He was greeted by an array of signs, including one that read "Barr-roid."

Bonds, who at 708 career home runs is six shy of Babe Ruth and 47 from Hank Aaron, ignored the "s-t-e-r-o-i-d" taunts and doubled to left-center on the first pitch he saw from San Diego starter Jake Peavy. Bonds finished 1-for-4 as the Padres won 6-1.

Peavy, who gave up Bonds' 700th home run, called him "the best player I've ever played against or will play against."

"You've got to respect the guy," said Atlanta Braves special assistant Jim Fregosi, who like Bonds graduated from Serra High in San Mateo, Calif. "But I just wish everything was cleared up, one way or another."

Matos wakes himself up

BALTIMORE — Outfielder Luis Matos, the player that no team wanted in the offseason, including his own Baltimore Orioles, is learning a valuable lesson this spring.

"I'm not going to take anything for granted anymore," Matos said after hitting his second consecutive Opening Day home run in the Orioles' 9-6 win against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. "The manager told me what I needed to do, and I am going to do it. It was a wake-up call."

Matos, 27, hit .303 in 2003 but slumped last season, leading to a heart-to-heart with Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo, who told Matos he needed to work harder. The Orioles tried to trade Matos but couldn't.

When the Orioles acquired center fielder Corey Patterson, Matos figured he'd move to left. Then the Orioles added Jeff Conine, and Matos realized his job was in trouble.

Patterson had a bad spring while Matos hit .350 and impressed with his hustle. So Monday, Matos batted second and played center.

Matos' first two innings didn't go well. The Devil Rays scored on a short sacrifice fly to center. Matos got a bad grip, and his throw bounced on the mound. He got doubled off second to end the Orioles' half of the first and struck out in the second inning.

In the fifth, he became the first Oriole since Frank Robinson in 1969-70 to hit back-to-back opening-day home runs.

By Mel Antonen, USA TODAY

Injury pains Dodgers again

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers' penchant for acquiring high-mileage veterans in the team's first year under general manager Ned Colletti was the source of much consternation during the offseason.

L.A. players logged the second-most time on the disabled list in the National League in 2005 (1,366 days), and the club's Opening Day lineup Monday averaged 32.6 years.

So word that new first baseman Nomar Garciaparra would sit out the opener and possibly go on the disabled list with a strained rib-cage muscle had a certain here-we-go-again feel to it. Already, new center fielder Kenny Lofton, 38, had been placed on the DL with a calf strain.

As a further omen, scheduled national anthem singer Kristin Chenoweth was sidelined with laryngitis. Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish pinch-sang for her.

Then two three-run homers powered the Atlanta Braves to an 11-10 victory, spoiling the debut of Dodgers manager Grady Little.

Colletti smiled when asked whether the early injuries were a bad sign.

"If it goes from now till the end of the season," he said, "you'd probably be right."

When someone pointed out it was raining, Colletti cracked: "Things are looking up."

By Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY

President uses executive priviledge

CINCINNATI — President Bush became the first sitting president to throw a ceremonial pitch in Cincinnati as the Reds lost to the Chicago Cubs. The ball to catcher Jason LaRue was high and off the plate, but Bush called it "my best pitch, which was kind of a slow ball."

Bush received a loud standing ovation when he took the mound in this Republican-leaning city. He was accompanied by two injured soldiers and a father who lost his son in Afghanistan. Little American flags were distributed to the crowd of 42,591 before the game. Fans waved them excitedly as Bush was introduced and drowned out the few scattered protesters, like the family sitting behind home plate wearing matching red-and-white T-shirts that said "11-04-08" — the date of the next presidential election.

Bush, the former Texas Rangers owner, told Fox Sports Network that he has been a baseball fan since birth. "I've got the dish at home at the White House, and so, when I'm doing my work, I keep a game on."

Bush shook hands with players from both teams before they took the field. In the Reds clubhouse, Griffey gave him a black bat, and pitcher Kent Mercker showed he was a loyal Bush supporter holding up a blue Bush-Cheney hat.

In the Cubs clubhouse, Bush announced, "This is the year." He went straight to manager Dusty Baker, grabbed his hand, and turned him to the cameras. "Smile," Bush said, shaking Baker's hand with a broad grin. Baker did as instructed, saying, "I'll do what I got to do."

By The Associated Press

Soriano in middle of major play

NEW YORK — All eyes were rightly fixed on Washington's Alfonso Soriano in left field when the Nationals played the New York Mets on Monday. Turns out he was being watched for the wrong reasons.

Most in the record Opening Day crowd of 54,371 wanted to see how Soriano would fare after he reluctantly made the transition to the outfield after playing his first five seasons at second base.

Soriano was the central figure in Washington's 3-2 loss to the Mets — but it had nothing to do with positioning. Soriano made four putouts, including a nice running catch by the wall in foul territory.

In the eighth inning, Soriano led off with a single but was thrown out at home as he attempted to score the tying run on Ryan Zimmerman's double to left.

Then again, maybe not.

Replays showed catcher Paul Lo Duca dropped shortstop Jose Reyes' relay throw, then quickly grabbed it in time to fool umpire Tim Tschida.

"Show it, sell it and if you don't get it, you don't get it," Lo Duca said of his sleight of hand. "We were lucky enough to get it."

After the game, Tschida saw the replay and admitted his mistake.

"We've all seen it now. The angle there is pretty conclusive that the ball came out," he said. "From my vantage point, it looked like he made the tag. For the brief second the ball was out of my sight, it came out of his glove."

It happened so quickly that both Soriano and Washington manager Frank Robinson were fooled. Neither argued.

By Tom Pedulla, USA TODAY

Posted 4/4/2006 3:30 AM