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2011 MLB Preview: National League West

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MlbHlSqHome to the reigning World Series champions, the NL West ended up being a two-horse race in 2010, with the Padres just missing out at the last.  The Giants’ subsequent postseason success should be a great incentive to their division rivals, both in terms of showing what is possible and in making the rest just that little more determined to knock the Giants back down.

2010 standings (Team, win-loss record)

1. San Francisco Giants. 92-70 * World Series champions
2. San Diego Padres. 90-72
3. Colorado Rockies. 83-79
4. Los Angeles Dodgers. 80-82
5. Arizona Diamondbacks. 65-97

The 2010/11 Offseason

The Giants inched past the Padres to set them on course to a World Series championship in 2010 and they look well-placed to get back to the postseason again in 2011.  They haven’t done a great deal over the offseason; their main efforts have involved keeping hitters Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell and Cody Ross.  However, their challengers have not taken significant strides forward to chase the Giants down.

In the Padres’ case, they’ve gone the other way by losing their best player.  First baseman Adrian Gonzalez was traded to the Boston Red Sox for a host of prospects, which should be good news for the future but is liable to see the Padres drop back a bit in 2011.  The Rockies invested heavily in signing young stars Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez to multi-year contracts and brought back free-agent starting pitcher Jorge de la Rosa.  These are all good moves that will help to keep the team in contention for the foreseeable future, but they don’t obviously make the 2011 Rockies a tougher proposition compared to the 2010 team.

The Dodgers are still in limbo as a result of their owners’ bitter divorce proceedings and they had a quiet offseason as a result, although they retain enough talented players to potentially get into the division race if things fall right.  In contrast, the D-Backs continued down the rebuilding road by trading third baseman Mark Reynolds to the Baltimore Orioles and allowing Adam LaRoche and one-time ace Brandon Webb to depart as free agents. 

Returning stars

Without wishing to downplay their batting heroes, San Francisco’s World Series triumph lived up to the age-old theory that quality pitching often proves to be the difference-maker.  The Giants’ staff will once again catch the eye, led by two-time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and the extrovert closer Brian Wilson.  Catcher Buster Posey may be coming off his rookie year, but he already looks the type of talent who can lead a team, while the ‘Kung Fu Panda’ Pablo Sandoval has lost some weight over the offseason and will look to bounce back from what was personally a disappointing year in 2010.

The Rockies’ hopes, both now and in the future, revolve around their three young stars: starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez, shortstop Troy Tulowizki and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez.  The exciting young pitching talent in the NL West continues with the Padres’ Mat Latos, who was outstanding in his first full season last year.  Heath Bell is one of the best closers in the business and he plays an important role as a veteran of the Padres’ pitching staff, something that new recruits Jason Bartlett and Orlando Hudson will look to do on the postition-player side too.

In Los Angeles, their crop of young talent has reached the stage where they now need to turn promise and potential into a playoff run.  James Loney, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp all need to produce in 2011, with Kemp in particular coming off what was for him a below-par year.  Clayton Kershaw has established himself as one of the best young starters around alongside Chad Billingsley, while closer Jonathan Broxton needs to restore his confidence (and the Dodgers’ confidence in him) after a nervy second half to 2010.  Hard-throwing reliever Kenley Jansen is one to keep an eye on from a European perspective.  He was the Netherlands’ catcher in the 2009 World Baseball Classic before the Dodgers turned his rocket-arm over to pitching, to stunning immediate effect. 

As for the Diamondbacks, they are hoping that Ian Kennedy and Dan Hudson can build on their promising 2010 seasons in the rotation.  The team was let down badly by a historically terrible bullpen and closer J.J. Putz has been recruited as part of the process of building a group of relievers that provide relief rather than panic and misery.  Right-fielder Justin Upton has all of the tools to be a star and this might just be the year he takes a big step forward, while centre-fielder Chris Young and second baseman Kelly Johnson will provide plenty of power in the lineup

Managers

Kurt Gibson took over in Arizona on an interim basis midway through the 2010 season and he is now in charge on a full-time basis.  In L.A., Don Mattingly steps out from Joe Torre’s shadow following the latter’s retirement.  Bruce Bochy (Giants), Jim Tracy (Rockies) and Bud Black (Padres) all return for another season.

Contenders?

Should be: Giants, Rockies

Could be: Padres, Dodgers,

Won’t be: D-Backs

The Giants will be at the front of the battle. From there it’s a case of whether the Rockies can make up ground from 2010 and if the Padres can cover for the loss of Gonzalez.

2010 Season Review: NL West

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MlbHlSqWe’re going to look back at each of the six Major League divisions one-by-one over the next six weeks.  We start with the home of the 2010 World Series champions.

BaseballGB predictions

Joe Dodgers
Mark Rockies (WC: Dodgers)
Matt Rockies
Russ Rockies (WC: Giants)
Steve Rockies

 

San Francisco Giants (92-70)

The Giants’ World Series triumph was an incredible story.  Their pitching staff was certainly ‘World Series worthy’, yet the offence was patchy at best for much of the season and they were not your typical dominant force defeating all-comers on the road to glory.  They pushed past the Padres midway through September and almost came unstuck in the final series of the season, only securing their playoff place with a win over San Diego on the final day.

It was almost a case of their great pitching going to waste.  Instead, they snuck into the postseason and then rode the crest of a wave all the way to the big prize.  

The question then is can this relatively unfancied World Series-winning team retain their title in 2011?  The pitching staff is likely to be just as good, while Buster Posey is a fantastic young player to build an offence around.  Some would say that if this 2010 Giants team can win a World Series then there are plenty of others good enough to win it all in 2011.  That may be true, but it’s also true that the Giants will be one of those teams in the mix.   Continue reading →

Saturday’s early MLB games: Phillies-Braves and Padres-Giants lead the way

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The last Saturday of the 2010 MLB regular season brings us seven ‘early’ games starting before midnight UK time.  There are four to choose from at 18.10, then three at 21.10.

All times are in BST

18.10. Toronto at Minnesota (Shaun Marcum – Brian Duensing)

The Twins were the first team to clinch a postseason berth, wrapping up the AL Central back on 21 September.  They’ve been able to rest some of their regulars in preparation for a tilt at the World Series; however during that time they’ve also gone on a bad losing sequence, including a 6-3 loss to the Blue Jays last night. 

Clearly the Twins haven’t turned into a lesser team and the ALDS will immediately reignite their competitive spirit, but Ron Gardenhire will surely be hoping that his team can finish the season with two wins to take away the possible distraction of people talking about their poor form heading into the playoffs. 

18.10. Milwaukee at Cincinnati (Chris Capuano – Homer Bailey)

Casey McGehee’s infield single in the eleventh inning sent Milwaukee to a 4-3 victory yesterday and has put Cincinnati on course for an NLDS against either the Philadelphia Phillies or the NL West winner.  The Reds had a 9-1 season record over the Brewers heading into this series, but are now 5-5 over their last ten games.

18.10. Washington at NY Mets (Yunesky Maya – Raul Valdes)

Not a match-up to whet the appetite of non-Nationals or Mets fans, if we’re being honest.  In fact the game may also seem incidental against the backdrop of the continuing rumblings about the futures of the Mets’ General Manager Omar Minaya and Manager Jerry Manuel.

The Mets’ scheduled starter will provide a reminder of one of Minaya’s biggest mistakes. Reliever Raul Valdes is set to make a rare start because their only other option is Oliver Perez, he of the 3 year/$36m panic contract from the 08/09 offseason.  The Nationals will send the Cuban Yunesky Maya out for his fifth Major League start.  He’s 0-3 so far with a 6.43 ERA and he conceded four runs in five innings against the Mets on his debut on 7 September.

18.10. Colorado at St. Louis (Ubaldo Jimenez – Kyle Lohse)

It’s been a disappointing end to the season for these two teams, both of whom hoped to be in the playoff mix and are now playing out the string with nothing but pride and personal achievements on the line.  The main personal achievement in the offing today involves the Rockies’ starter.  Jimenez was landed with a loss against Dodgers last time out, so he’s now trying to get to twenty wins in his final start of what’s been an outstanding season.  

21.10. Philadelphia at Atlanta (Vance Worley – Tommy Hanson)

The Braves still have work to do if they are to send off manager Bobby Cox in style.  The Phillies beat the Braves 11-5 yesterday, ensuring that it will be another nervy day at Turner Field with the team on the verge of clinching the NL Wild Card.  Tommy Hanson is exactly the pitcher they would want on the mound today.  His 10-11 record doesn’t look like much, but every baseball fan knows that win-loss records only give you a very broad idea of how a season has gone.  He is 1-0 over his last four starts, but in the three no-decisions he conceded just three runs in 20.2 innings. 

As for the Phillies, the last piece in their playoff preparation jigsaw was for Jimmy Rollins to return from injury and to start swinging the bat well.  His grand slam yesterday suggests he’s firmly on his way back.  With Ryan Howard and Chase Utley over their mid-season injuries and their triple-headed starting monster of Halladay, Oswalt and Hamels in ominous form, few would be surprised if the Phillies make it all the way back to the World Series for a third straight year.

21.10. San Diego at San Francisco (Tim Stauffer – Barry Zito)

It’s all come down to this final series in the NL West.  The Giants need just one more win to clinch the division, but there’s no such thing as ‘just’ one more win in that situation.  The Padres came out with a do-or-die attitude yesterday and kept their hopes alive with a 6-4 victory, albeit with the Giants rallying from 6-0 down. 

The playoff picture in the National League is a bit complicated (all the permutations are explained on MLB.com here), but for the Padres and Giants today the goal is simple: win the game.  The home fans at AT&T Park will be in full voice, if not perhaps full of confidence with Barry Zito taking the mound.  Indeed the Giants themselves didn’t show great confidence in Zito yesterday as they pushed Matt Cain into Zito’s scheduled starting slot to try and wrap up the division.  Since July 21, Zito has a 5.01 ERA over fourteen appearances (thirteen starts and one extra-inning relief appearance).

21.10. NY Yankees at Boston (Andy Pettitte – Tim Wakefield)

The rain was the winner yesterday at Fenway Park, setting up a double-header today.  Currently the plan is for Andy Pettitte to start the opener and Yankee fans will be watching intently as the team admitted a couple of days ago that Pettitte had pitched through a back problem last time out. 

All the above games can be followed via various resources on MLB.com (Gameday, At Bat with Gameday Audio and MLB.tv).  A complete schedule of MLB games can be found on MLB.com

Saturday’s early MLB games: Rangers try to clinch, other playoff contenders in action as well

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There’s barely more than one week left of the 2010 MLB regular season, hard as it is to believe.  So, best enjoy the wide selection of live games while we can.

There are six MLB games starting before midnight UK time today.

All times are in BST.

18.05. St. Louis at Chicago Cubs (Chris Carpenter – Casey Coleman)

The Cincinnati Reds’ magic number in the NL Central is down to 3, meaning that even if the Cardinals win all of their remaining games, the Reds need only to win 3 of theirs to take the division.  In other words, St. Louis are an extreme long-shot to return to the postseason.  Still, victories over the Cubs are always enjoyed by Cardinals fans regardless of the standings.  Adam Wainwright got his 20th win of the season yesterday and St. Louis will go for their third win in a row with their ace on the mound today.

18.05. Atlanta at Washington (Derek Lowe – Yunesky Maya)

It’s all going horribly wrong for Bobby Cox’s Braves.  Their 8-3 loss to the Nationals last night made it 4 defeats in a row, leaves them 7 games behind the red-hot Phillies in the NL East (that ship has sailed) and half a game back in the Wild Card race.  They need to snap that losing streak today and start clocking up some victories fast, otherwise it’s going to be a very disappointing end to Bobby Cox’s managerial career.

18.07. Baltimore at Toronto (Jeremy Guthrie – Ricky Romero)

These are two teams playing out the string, but there are still plenty of reasons to take an interest in the game.  Not least of which is to follow the latest instalment in Jose Bautista’s incredible 2010 season.  He went deep twice yesterday (as did several other players) to take his Major League-leading home run total to 52.

21.05. Texas at Oakland (Derek Holland – Gio Gonzalez)

The A’s headed into this four-game series against the Rangers needing a sweep to give them a chance of making a very late run for the AL West title.  They won the opener on Thursday thanks to another excellent outing by Dallas Braden, but the Rangers responded last night with a 10-3 victory.  That means Texas can clinch the division, and their first playoff berth since 1999, with a victory today.

21.10. Boston at NY Yankees (Jon Lester – Ivan Nova)

Last night couldn’t have been much fun for Yankee fans.  It’s not often a team hits six home runs and loses, but that’s the trick New York managed to pull off against their bitter rivals.  Of more concern to the Bronx faithful would have been the way in which Andy Pettitte pitched.  The Yanks could just about put up with a loss to Boston owing to their different positions in the standings, but they were pinning their hopes on Pettitte providing a steadying influence in their postseason rotation.  Another poor performance next time out and they will be much less confident of retaining their World Series title.  Jon Lester has won his last five starts, while youngster Ivan Nova has been let down by one bad inning in each of his last four starts.

21.10. Cincinnati at San Diego (Travis Wood – Jon Garland)

This NL West/Wild Card race is going down to the wire: never-jangling for fans of the teams involved, exciting for the rest of us.  The Padres are fighting for everything and that showed last night as deadline pick-up Miguel Tejada came through yet again with a two-run single in the seventh inning that would prove to be the game-winner in a 4-3 victory.  Meanwhile there’s a sense that the Reds have slightly taken the foot off the accelerator with the NL Central all but sealed.  If true, San Diego will be looking to take full advantage today.

All the above games can be followed via various resources on MLB.com (Gameday, At Bat with Gameday Audio and MLB.tv).  A complete schedule of MLB games can be found on MLB.com

Saturday’s early MLB games: Division races continue

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CovHlSqThere are five games beginning before midnight UK time today. 

The A’s and Twins start us off at 18.10 before four games get underway at 21.10.  They include the Twins’ AL Central rivals and battles involving teams from each division in the National League.

All times are in BST.

18.10. Oakland at Minnesota (Dallas Braden – Kevin Slowey)

The A’s beat the Twins 3-1 yesterday, although the Tigers’ win over the White Sox meant that Minnesota maintained their nine game lead in the AL Central.  Braden pitched superbly against the Rangers back on 28 August (a complete game shutout) to level his win-loss record at 9-9 but has suffered three straight losses since then, never making it through six complete innings.  He’ll be looking for a better performance today.  As for Slowey, he’s pitched well, if not going deep into games, in his two starts since coming off the DL.

21.10. Detroit at Chicago White Sox (Justin Verlander – Lucas Harrell)

The always combative Ozzie Guillen will not be prepared to concede the Central to the Twins just yet, but the White Sox’s recent poor form has all but ruled them out of making the postseason.  Chicago has won only two of their last ten games and  their current losing streak was extended to four games last night after Max Scherzer tied them up in knots as the Tigers prevailed 9-2.  Today’s pitching match-up heavily favours Detroit as well.  Harrell makes the start in place of the injured Freddy Garcia.

21.10. Colorado at LA Dodgers (Jhoulys Chacin – John Ely)

Never rule out the Rockies.  They’re on yet another September surge and are now just 1.5 games behind the NL West-leading San Francisco Giants after winning the series-opener against the Dodgers yesterday.  The Rockies host the Giants for three games over 24-26 September, so if they can take some more games from the Dodgers and the D-Backs in the run-up to that series, they could put themselves in pole position: a real turnaround from only a couple of weeks ago. 

Chacin has been a useful addition to the Rockies’ rotation, although he lasted only four innings against the D-Backs last time out.  Ely filled in for Vicente Padilla against the Astros last Saturday and is expected to pitch again today.  This game is presumably one of the FOX offerings, so expect plenty of chatter about Don Mattingly’s transition to being the Dodgers’ manager in 2011 and speculation about Joe Torre’s plans for next year.

21.10. Atlanta at NY Mets (Tim Hudson – Dillon Gee)

With the Phillies riding a five-game winning streak, the Braves are now three games behind in the NL East and have just a 1.5 game lead over San Diego in the Wild Card race.  Time to start winning some games.  Tim Hudson has had a terrific season for the Braves and has become another example of a pitcher returning strongly after Tommy John surgery.  The Mets are having another disappointing season and, frankly, there doesn’t appear to be much fight left in them.  However, a young starter like Gee has every reason to give his all and to make a good impression.  He’s given up just one run in his two starts, although he has walked seven batters over those thirteen innings.

21.10. San Diego at St. Louis (Chris Young – Jeff Suppan)

Yesterday’s game couldn’t have gone much worse for the Padres.  Mat Latos was chased by the Cards after just 1.1 innings having given up eight earned runs.  Not only did that put them in a hole that they couldn’t recover from, they lost 14-4, a short start was the last thing the Padres needed as Chris Young is not expected to work very deep into today’s game.  He has made only one Major League start this season, back on 6 April, and has been working his way back from a shoulder injury.  The Cardinals trail the Reds by six games in the NL Central and might still feel they have an outside chance of causing an upset and winning the division at the last.  Needless to say, both teams will be desperate to win this one to keep their postseason hopes alive.

All the above games can be followed via various resources on MLB.com (Gameday, At Bat with Gameday Audio and MLB.tv).  A complete schedule of MLB games can be found on MLB.com

Weekly Hit Ground Ball: Senior Circuit Superiority

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WhgbHlSq2010 may well be a banner year for the National League.

There’s no doubt that the American League, the so-called Junior Circuit, has been the stronger of the two in recent years.  It’s been fairly even in terms of World Series winners over the last ten years, with the AL shading it 6-4, but if we stretch that out to 1991 then the National League falls back to 6-12 (no World Series was played in 1994). 

Additionally, the AL has been seen as the stronger competition overall, not least in the shape of a team like the Toronto Blue Jays of 2006-07 who were probably good enough to win a National League division in both years, but didn’t even make the postseason due to the AL competition they were up against.

And then there was the All-Star Game.  Prior to this year’s Mid-Summer Classic, the National League hadn’t won the annual get-together since 1996.  A single exhibition game each year doesn’t really tell you anything about the respective strengths of the two leagues, but that didn’t make the run any less annoying to National League fans.

So when the Atlanta Braves’ Brian McCann doubled home three runs for the National League All-Star team on 13 July and led his team to a 3-1 victory, one part of the AL’s dominance was pushed to one side.  Continue reading →

Out of Left Field: Hair!

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MLBLogoHowdy! Looking for your (semi-regular) fix of the weird and wonderful from the fine old sport of baseball? Well, lucky you! You’ve come to the right place. We might be reaching the ‘business end’ of the season, with pennant races and all that on the horizon, but let us not forget that there is more to baseball than that. Take my (virtual) hand, as I guide you through this week’s more interesting stories…

This week’s major story in the Out of Left Field offices has to be legendary broadcaster Vin Scully discovering the mullet. Sadly, this wasn’t in the barber’s chair as he looked at himself in the mirror, but still, this is clearly a major development. During Wednesday’s Rockies/Dodgers game he spent some time discussing Troy Tulowitzki, and in particular, Tulowitzki’s hair.

After ascertaining that Troy’s mullet was not a fish, Scully explored the matter further. He didn’t seem to reach a truly satisfactory conclusion, however, stating, “Ah… alright now… so it’s just a lot of hair, the mullet?” which while factually correct doesn’t really articulate the full majesty of this particular hairdo. Knowing Scully he will soon be conjuring up a wonderful turn of phrase to describe ‘the mullet’.

In all honesty, I’m kind of surprised he hasn’t come across this haircut before. I mean, professional baseball has not been afraid of bad hairstyling decisions in the past, has it? But then again, maybe this just illustrates the timelessness of Vin Scully. Here is a man who commentated on the 1953 World Series, after all. Incredible. I hope there are many, many more hair styles he gets to commentate on.

Has all this hair talk whetted your appetite for more fashion news? I bet it has! And I’ve got just the story for you. The Tampa Bay Rays have introduced the “BRayser”.

In case you hadn’t guessed, it is combination of “Rays” and “Blazer”, and boy is it a sight to behold, with some incredible, big, bold checks. It is also mandatory dress for the team this weekend. This should be some real motivation for all players in professional baseball. If you can put together one of the best records in the whole of Major League Baseball, you can wear a stupid jacket too!

I guess it could be worse. Season’s surprises the San Diego Padres have put in an incredible performance this year. Yet, they are being rewarded (if that’s the word…and frankly it’s not) by their team hosting a football match between Chivas USA and Chivas from Mexico, which means not only will the field get damaged, but the mound will have to be removed and then rebuilt. For a team that relies on its pitching staff, this isn’t the best move, eh? Still, let me make a prediction right here and now. Chivas will win the game.

And now on to this column’s favourite long-haired pitcher, Tim Lincecum – yes, this week’s column is developing into some kind of ‘hair special’. Hence the title. For the slower readers out there. This week Lincecum went that extra yard for the fans, climbing atop a bin to speak to them and sign autographs. Most players just let security guards hand items from fans to them, so thumbs up Tim for yet again being one of the good guys and just seeming like a normal, fun person. I heart him. I really do.

And I leave you with, quite possibly, the best catch ever. The hair, however, is average.

See you soon, folks!

BBC 5 Live Sports Extra – Tonight’s game has changed

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Mlb5XtraHlAs my preview earlier today stated, 5 Live Sports Extra was scheduled to bring us the Yankees-Royals game at 19.00.  However, the channel has now changed its schedule so that they can broadcast the Rogers Cup final between Andy Murray and Roger Federer.

Instead of Yankees-Royals at 19.00, it will now be the San Diego Padres versus the San Francisco Giants at 21.00 (subject to when the tennis finishes, I guees). 

Wade LeBlanc and Tim Lincecum will be on the mound as the top two teams in the National League West go head-to-head at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Nat Coombs and Josh Chetwynd will be providing the coverage.  MLB.com’s game preview can be found here.

Saturday’s early MLB games: Cubs-Cards, Padres-Giants, Orioles-Rays

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As the title suggests, we’ve got three early games to enjoy this evening. All start at 21.10 BST and all involve at least one team in the thick of the playoff race.

21.10. Chicago Cubs at St. Louis (Carlos Zambrano – Chris Carpenter)

Despite the mid-week shenanigans with the Reds, I’m sure Cardinals fans still see the Cubs as the rivals they most like to beat. 

Likewise the Cubs may be out of the postseason race, but they will still take great enjoyment out of ruining the Cardinals’ plans if they can. Add in the always volatile Carlos Zambrano (although he’s trying to tone things down apparently) and the combative Chris Carpenter and this is set up to be a firecracker of a game from Busch Stadium. 

The Cards took the series opener last night 6-3 with recent recruit Jake Westbrook earning the win on his home debut.

21.10.  San Diego at San Francisco (Mat Latos – Madison Bumgarner) * ESPN America

This MLB season has provided an endless stream of wonderful stories, but few can match the unexpected postseason charge by the San Diego Padres.  As weeks have turned to months, the initial impression that their success was just a fleeting triumph has edged away to the belief that they will be strong contenders right to the end.  The Giants, their opponents today, are their closest rivals in the NL West, sitting 3.5 games behind the division leaders after the Padres beat them 3-2 in the series opener last night. 

As with the Cubs-Cardinals game, the excitement caused by having two rivals going head-to-head is increased even further by the pitching match-up as Latos and Bumgarner are two of the most promising pitchers in the National League (ESPN.com published yesterday an excellent feature on Latos by Jorge Arangure Jr. which is well worth a read).

21.10. Baltimore at Tampa Bay (Brian Matusz – Andy Sonnanstine)

No, this isn’t an age-old rivalry or a battle between two postseason contenders, but it should still be a fascinating encounter.  The Rays, of course, are squarely in the AL East/Wild Card race alongside the Yankees and Red Sox; however they’ve lost seven of their last ten and need to get back to winning ways quickly.  They’ve undoubtedly got the talent to do just that, although injuries are starting to bite.  This would have been Jeff Niemann’s slot in the rotation had he not been placed on the Disabled List and Sonnanstine has only just come off the DL himself, pitching 5.1 innings against the Blue Jays last Sunday.

As for the Orioles, it’s another lost year for them,but the recent appointment of Buck Showalter as their new manager should help to move them forward after being out of the running for too long.  The O’s have received a ‘new manager bump’ as they are 9-2 so far under Showalter, including last night’s 5-0 win over the Rays.

All the above games can be followed via various resources on MLB.com (Gameday, At Bat with Gameday Audio and MLB.tv).  ESPN America is showing the Padres-Giants game. A complete schedule of MLB games can be found on MLB.com

Out of Left Field: To Hull and Back (with added squirrels, sickness and snappy dressing)

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MlbHlSqSo, did you miss me? I may have missed last week’s column and been late with this one, but rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. Those rumours are perfectly understandable though, if anyone discovered that last week your fearless correspondent had ventured to the wilds of Hull. You should have seen what I encountered. Oh, the shaved heads! Oh, the tattoos! Oh, the language! Oh, the fights! And that was just the women. Boom-tish.

Ah, not really, Hull was perfectly fine, but your correspondent, after one too many shandies, was not.

However, I’m sure none of you are interested in a rambling booze-addled travelogue, and are rather eager to satisfy your thirst for the absurd and the weird and the wonderful in that great old sport of baseball. Well, drink upon these stories, dear reader (or not as the case may be)…

Our beloved leader, Matt Smith, knows that as a Mets fan I am something of a connoisseur of the delightful behaviour of those lovely fans of the Philadelphia Phillies. So, Matt was kind enough to forward on to me the story of a Phillies fan ending an altercation with a man and his daughters, aged just 15 and 11, by vomiting on them. What an incredibly classy, classy guy. I guess it is a reasonably foolproof way of bringing an argument to end though. Hopefully he was feeling suitably nauseous this week as the Mets shut out the Phillies for 27 innings straight. Of course, Mets success never lasts that long with two losses since (to date), and Phillies failure never lasts that long either, what with the small matter of that perfect game, and pretty soon another Phillies fan will be vomiting on another family.

Wildlife corner folks! How about that squirrel that brought a halt to the Yankees/Twins game this past week? How cute was that? The squirrel went after Twins third baseman Brendan Harris, before seeking shelter from the rain that would eventually halt the game again. As Matt again pointed out, at least the squirrel wasn’t in Philadelphia, or a policeman would have tasered it!

I love writing for this site. The head honcho supplies stories and writes my gags for me! Brilliant! Or is it a sign that he thinks this column needs some work? We’ll gloss over that, eh? But anyway, thanks Matt, really appreciate it. And if any of you out there spot any funny stories or think of great gags, you let me know. Let’s make this a joint effort, and then your intrepid correspondent will have more time for ill-advised trips to the north!

Fashion corner time! And the sartorial elegance award has to go this week to the San Diego Padres, who went all retro on us with their uniforms this week, for ‘Throwback Thursday’. Looking good guys. For a sport so in touch with its history, and so in thrall to merchandise, you’d think (and maybe hope) that MLB roll this out further. We could have the 1970s Astros play the 1940s Cardinals, or the 1920s Yankees against the 1980s Angels. Time-travel baseball – let’s make it happen! It would surely appeal to baseball geek and baseball hipster alike. It’s fun. Plus, it has the potential to make multi-millionaire sportsmen look silly. What is there not to like about this idea? Nothing, nothing, I tell you.

And finally, a word of advice. Should any of you hit a walk-off grand slam this week, please, please be careful. You don’t want to end up like poor Kendry Morales, who broke his leg celebrating following his trip around the bases. He leapt up at home plate, and came down just a little bit funny and SNAP. Ouch. That has to be the worst sporting celebration injury since Arsenal’s Steve Morrow’s broken arm following the 1993 League Cup Final. So, please, take care, and I’ll see you all next week, further trips to Hull permitting…