:mad::mad::mad:

The Jays complete a sweep of the Royals today, putting their season record for day games at 13-1 (according to yahoo expanded standings) while their night game record is 15-24.

So I'm not sure if this indicates that most games are just past Gibbons bed time or if the players are taking a bit too long of a nap in the afternoon. Just seems like a bit of a bizarre split even relatively early in the season.

Want him? we'll throw in $30M. Please?

Unless he can swing a bat and drive in more than 4 runs in a 4 game series, we have some more urgent issues.

SI

Hard to comprehend but here it is Memorial Day and as of right now, Tampa Bay has the best record in baseball.

And the Yankees after a 5 game winning streak that ended today are last in the AL East.

Yes, they won't finish there, but still.

Figure this is the best place to post this...former Cubs pitcher Geremi Gonzalez died when he was struck by lightning while on a beach in Venezuela yesterday. He also pitched for the Devil Rays, Red Sox, Mets, and Yankees. Terrible, only 33.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...v=ap&type=lgns

What, you're telling me that Dusty didn't still have the starter in through the 18th?

Actually that's close. I believe both teams had Tuesday's starter in. Since they had Monday off, they could adjust the rotation.

Holy Ichiro, talk about a hell of a time to switch to the game.

The Reds ended up using 3 starters in total, and Arroyo as a pinch hitter. I believe the only guy that didn't play was the previous day's starter, Cueto.

Argh! Royals get within 1 game of .500 and then promptly go on the quickest 8 game losing streak I've ever seen, dropping 4 in a row on the road both at Boston and Toronto.

So, they come back home tonight (and I'm at the game). Still punchless lineup (8th game in the last 9 with 3 runs or less). But they get the miracle of miracles, down 3-0 in the 9th, 2 on- Joe Nathan's first pitch is hit by Teahen down the left field line, misplayed by Delmon Young, for a game tying inside-the-park 3 run homer. The place just exploded, with what fans were left. But the Royals just couldn't get across another run and lose in 12 :(

SI

For the love of @#$#@$@

SI

It's any wonder there haven't been any news reports of seppuku among Royals fans... :(

SI

Cubs sweep the Dodgers!

The funny part is that most fans in other towns would likely complain about Jose Guillen's comments after the game where he said the team was full of babies. The reaction I've seen from Royals fans thus far is "It's about time someone called out these players for playing lousy baseball!".

I really like this Cubs team. They aren't overhyped to death like the 1985, 1990, and 2004 teams - expectations have been pretty conservative. They are doing everything that critics and fans alike have been saying for 25 years - take a few pitches, be more selective, move runners over, strengthen the back of the bullpen - and it's working. Who knew?

Take that, Johnny Toothpick.

John Smoltz is done for the year, with shoulder surgery to be announced today.
Could also be a career ender for the 41 year old.

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sp...oltz_0605.html

That sucks.

That sucks. Can Julio Franco pitch?

As much as it pains me to say so as a Cubs hater, I'll agree with this assessment. The Cubs look damn tough so far.

I don't think that they are this good, but I don't think they are bad enough to squander away the division. They've corrected their flaws of the past and have a pretty darn nice team right now.

Thankfully the Brewers are starting to turn it around. I'm not sure what to think of them at this point. I thought they were contenders coming into the season and about two weeks ago I thought they were dead in the water.

Hopefully they can make a run at the wild card, I guess, because the Cubs don't look like they will be conceding anything anytime soon. Although I can point out that 4 of the Cubs' 8 losses at Wrigley have come at the hands of the Brewers :)

Sad ending if so. As a rival Phillies fan, I have nothing but respect for guys like Smoltz, C Jones, Glavine, and Cox. True baseball guys.

Wow. The Pads swept 4 from the Mets and on a come from behind HR in the 8th. Didn't expect any of that.

I did.

You probably haven't seen the Pads play this year then. I think that's pretty surprising. :)

you must not be following the Mets.

I swear to god if they don't fire Willie today...

#600 for Griffey.

It's hard to believe he got 250 of them with the Reds.

:thumbsup:

For Griffey. He didn't get enough talk going for this. I knwo the steroids era has made this sort of achievement less impressive, but I have never heard Griffey mentioned with steroids, and he's always been a good guy from what I have seen. Even when he was with the M's, I liked him.

It's a shame that injuries derailed him the way it did. Perhaps had that not happened, Barry would have been breaking Aaron's record--to get into second place on the all time list.

I was flipping through the channels, noticed ESPN showing coverage of the game and figured I'd stop and watch. He hit it on the next pitch.

Definitely happy for him as well.

Same. Congrats to Griffey. With that sweet swing and non-sulky disposition, he would have been a great face of baseball breaking the home run record :)

SI

It's disappointing he had all those injuries. Great player who should have broke the home run mark. Still though, 600 is not a bad number to get to.

Griffey was one of my first favourite athletes.

I believe the official count is 398 with Seattle, 202 with Cincinnati.

I'm bad at math.

But I did have Griffey's Upper Deck rookie card. That was a big deal in middle school. Hard to believe that was almost 20 years ago. The card was probably worth more then than it is now.

Quietly flying under the radar, the Orioles are still at .500. Coming into the season, 100 losses was almost a given considering they dealt their best pitcher (Bedard) and best hitter (Tejada).

It's a shame how the coverage has been limited compared to that of Bonds and Sosa when they hit 600. I don't know if thats because of the steroids-era, or with Griffeys recent decline due to injuries, but of the recent players to reach 600, nobody is more deserving.

+1

I have grown to really like Jr., esp once he got over his whiny stage that he had the last year at Seattle and first year at Cincy.

I just tuned into the reds-cards game and they said Pujols had to be pretty much carried off the field in the 7th. They said it didn't look good, and that is was something in the lower leg by the looks of it. Anybody watching the game that know of anything?

suck (re: Royals-Rangers; would an easy win be just too much to ask?)

SI

Strained left calf. Cards' GM didn't sound optimistic.

Maybe now's the time to get that surgery he's needed for a season or two.

SI

I thought it was his elbow he needed surgery on?

Yeah, but if he's significantly hurt from this, better to get the rehab time started on the other injury. Then again, that's supposed to take him down for a year so it takes a bit of planning.

SI

So I was watching SportsCentre this morning, and I think it was the D-backs game last night that had an awesome exchange by the commentators and camera crew. The entire highlight package for that game was a part of the game where teh commentators noticed some girl that looked like Kirsten Dunst. And they showed her a couple of times, then a batter, then showed her and kept talking about her... then showed a picture of Kirsten Dunst. Then something about a HR being hit... but then right away they show her cheering and they continue talking about her.

It was so awesome. One of those things you don't see in other sports really. :)

*grumbles something about hating ESPN*

I still don't get how that ESPN Live or whatever that show was called failed. You know, the one where they spent an hour on ESPN talking about pop culture and celebrity but not sports, kindof like the rest of the time.

SI

Second verse, same as the first. Two nights in a row, 5-1 lead going into the 7th, no wins to show for it. Ouch.

SI

I just watched Griffey's 600th since there's another controversy regarding who has the ball. The one thing that I noticed that fans still do not go to Marlins games.

Well, do you blame them? ;)

It's pretty painful to be a Braves fans these days.

It is painful to be a Brave player these days!