Now that it’s officially curtains for the NHL and NBA seasons, and although it appears progress is being made with the NFL lockout, we still don’t know when the season will resume.  I invite you to shift your attention toward our only saving grace, Major League Baseball.

Generally, I refer to myself as a NY Yankees fan, not necessarily an MLB fan.  So, it’s not out of the ordinary for me to ignore most of what’s happened in the season thus far.  And with the NBA Playoffs as exciting as it was, I hardly followed the early goings of the Yankees season, so you know my overall knowledge of current MLB news has been pretty limited…until now.

Assuming you’re like me, allow me to catch you up on the latest MLB news.  After all, we must appear to be informed fans as the season continues.  Regardless of whether you root for the American League or National League, there’s enough happening in the MLB to hold your interest until the NFL Lockout is lifted and a flurry of NFL free agency moves dominate the 24/7 sports news cycle and totally consumes our lives.  Let’s drink to that!

But until then, here are the stories dominating the MLB headlines.

Derek Jeter’s Quest for his 3,000th Hit!

If you haven’t heard, Derek Jeter is six hits shy of reaching his 3,000th hit! Sports media sources are referring to the Captain’s latest milestone as Countdown:  DJK3.  Once he receives his 3,000th hit, this feat will place him among an elite class that will make him the 28th major league player and first New York Yankees player to reach 3,000 hits all in Pinstripes.

It appeared that Jeter was on track to accomplish his goal during the Yankees most recent homestand.  But, he suffered a calf injury which has placed him on the 15-day DL.  Now it appears that it will be a couple of more weeks until Jeter is able to chase the record again.  This is unfortunate because Jeter was finally starting to hit the ball well after his season got off to a slow start.

So, not only do we have to patiently await his return, but we also have to cross our fingers and pray that Jeter will immediately relocate his hitting stroke.  If he does, that’s all the more reason to cheer as the Captain adds another major accomplishment to his Hall of Fame career.

 

Jim Thome Approaches 600 Home Runs!

Jim Thome, 40, is seven home runs away from joining the 600 Home Run Club.  Currently 8th among all-time HR hitters, if the vet can slugg it out for another season, he may overtake Sammy Sosa for the 7th spot if he reaches 610 home runs.

Unlike his peers, Thome has never been caught up in steroid rumors.  Instead, Thome took the long, honorable road to reach this milestone in his 20 year career.  Congrats to him!

 

 

NY Mets vs Jose Reyes

Over in Queens, the NY Mets are dealing with new ownership, debt, and the impending free agency of Jose Reyes.

Since the Mets’ owner, Fred Wilpon, is a casualty of Bernie Madoff‘s Ponzi Scheme, the Mets sold 33% of the organization to David Einhorn, founder and president of a hedgefund company, Greenlight Capital, for $200 million.  Selling Einhorn a minority stake will assist the NY Mets in paying off debt and resolving a $1 billion suit by the trustee representing people who also lost money in Madoff’s Ponzi Scheme.

So, how does this impact what’s occurring on the field?  Well, Jose Reyes, 28, is playing out the final year of his contract and producing like we’ve never seen in his nine year career!  Not exactly a surprise because most athletes tend to over deliver when a major payday is on the line, but still.

Reyes currently leads the Majors in batting average, hits, triples, is third in stolen bases, and fourth in runs. Long story short, Reyes is hot and knows it!

He’s publicly said that he wants a larger contract ($100+ million) and after being injured for a good part of the 2009 and 2010 seasons, the shortstop is finally healthy and putting up numbers to support his demands.

Yet, despite Reyes’ hot hitting, the Mets are currently locked into third place of the NL East and 9.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies.  There is still a lot of baseball to be played, giving the Mets a shot at catching the Atlanta Braves and grabbing a Wild Card spot, but one thing is certain, without Reyes, the Mets’ chances diminish significantly.

With the Mets sorting out their financial issues, will this cash strapped team have the means to re-sign Reyes to a fair contract? Or, will they trade him mid-season to avoid a big payoff?  Or, will they allow Reyes to test the market and let him walk?

Oh, and then there’s Carlos Beltran.  Since signing with the Mets in 2005, he’s been a disappointment and plagued by injuries.  During the last offseason, the Mets tried to have him traded, but failed.  And although the 34-year-old is putting up decent numbers this season, they’re not good enough to demand another huge contract.

Overall, it seems like the Mets and their fans could take or leave Beltran.  Stay tuned.

 

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Albert Pujols

Another hot free agent this winter is Albert Pujols.  Unlike Reyes, who’s having an MVP-like season, Pujols is struggling and is currently in the midst of the worst season of his 11 year career.  He’s currently averaging .275 BA, .353 OBP, .491 SLG, and .844 OPS.  Careerwise, his stats look more like this:  .329 BA, .423 OBP, .618 SLG, and 1.041 OPS.

If Pujols, 32, doesn’t turn his season around, it’ll be difficult for him to attract the mammoth (A-rod like) contract he hopes to receive.  It’s highly unlikely that any team, besides the Cardinals, would offer a record contract if he completes the season with below career average numbers.

Last Spring, the Cardinals reportedly offered Pujols a 9-year deal worth approximately $200 Million.  Pujols declined the offer.  Chances that Pujols receives a better offer, based on his current numbers and age, is highly unlikely. This is definitely a story worthy of attention throughout the remainder of the season and upcoming off-season.

I’m not saying that the rest of Pujols’ career is downhill because he’s having one bad year, but it’s a difficult argument to contest if you’re the one doing the negotiating.

 

Do the San Francisco Giants have the goods to repeat this season?

Out west, the World Series Champs, the San Francisco Giants, have a 1.5 game lead over their National League West Division rivals, Arizona Diamondbacks.  Despite a number of injuries to key players including Barry Zito, Pablo Sandoval, and Buster Posey, who’s out for the season, the Giants still hold the lead.

Additionally, the Giants’ 2 time Cy Young Winner, Tim Lincecum (5-5) is struggling big time.  During Lincecum’s last outing, he only pitched 5 innings, his shortest outing of the season. He allowed seven earned runs, matching a career high he reached at Toronto on June 13, 2007, during his rookie season. His ERA climbed from 2.85 to 3.41. In three starts this month, Lincecum is 0-1 with a 9.39 ERA.

However, with the return of Sandoval and Zito, the Giants should get the boost they need.  If players remain healthy and Lincecum is able to make the necessary adjustments to return to the “freak” we’re familiar with, the Giants have a great shot at making another World Series run.

 

LA Dodgers

The Dodgers’ woes continue on and off the field.  Not only are they at the bottom of the NL West division, but they also are in hot water over a fan beating that took place at Dodger Stadium.

And as if that wasn’t enough, the nasty divorce between owners Frank and Jamie McCourt continue to make headlines.  Although Selig has appointed someone to oversee the daily operations of the Dodgers, the team’s issues have not been resolved.

Financially, the organization continues to struggle and it appears that McCourt’s days are numbered.

So, once McCourt is officially ousted as team owner, Selig must find a replacement.

Mark Cuban, perhaps?

Cuban has been lobbying for MLB ownership for a few years now, but it hasn’t been well received by the Commish.  But, with Cuban adding NBA Championship to his resume, maybe Selig will finally welcome Cuban into the fold or at least seriously consider his offer.

Yes, Cuban’s opinionated nature will be a challenge for Selig, someone who’s not great at dealing with controversy or confrontation.  But on the other hand, Cuban is the type of owner that any franchise or commissioner should want running a team. As evidenced by his dealings in Dallas, Cuban’s passionate about winning and is willing to spend the cash to become a legitimate contender each season.  He completely turned the Mavericks around, increased attendance, revenue and built a loyal fanbase.  There’s no doubt that Cuban would be equally successful in a market like LA.  He’ll restore some prestige to the LA Dodgers name as opposed to having them caught up in a media circus.

What’s next?

The Los Angeles City Council has appealed to the United States House of Representatives (Congress) to allow fans to buy the LA Dodgers. I doubt this will happen, but it’ll definitely be interesting to see how it plays out.  Trust me, if the court approves this, I promise that I’m going to head up a team to start a coup to overtake James Dolan as the Knicks owner.

 

The All-Star Game

Yes, I know no one really cares about the MLB All-Star Game.  Bud Selig and his cronies are also aware that fans couldn’t care less about the All-Star Game, that’s why they forced the “winner gets homefield advantage during the World Series” BS rule upon us.  Nonetheless, you should tune in to see who comes away with the win, so you know if your team has an advantage in the playoffs.

The MLB All-Star Games airs July 12th on FOX.

 

The Cleveland Indians

Last season this time, the Cleveland Indians had the third worst record in the American League.

This season?

They trail the first place Detroit Tigers by one game.  So, what changed?  Asdrubal Cabrera, for one.  He’s bulked up, has become a better hitter and has more power.  Overall, he’s just more confident at the plate and it’s translating to his game.

Early on, everyone raved about how exciting the Indians were this season.  But recently, they’ve lost 7 of their last 10 and now have people wondering if their early surge was the real deal or a fluke.

Regardless of how this plays out, they’re still the feel good story of the first half!

 

Are the Phillie’s Beatable?

Their pitching rotation is the best in the game and their lineup isn’t too shabby either.  Their 2010 team was already stacked, but when they swooped in and “stole” Cliff Lee from the Yankees last winter, it seemed as though they already locked up another World Series for the City of Brotherly Love.

They currently have the best record in baseball and are favorites to win another World Series.  If they stay healthy down the stretch, I honestly don’t see any team effing with them.

 

-@sdotrenee