Dodgers Will Try to Cool Off Angels Tonight

The red-hot Angels streak into tonight's Freeway Series opener against the major league-leading Dodgers in Anaheim, looking for a seventh straight win.

You can see the finale of that three game series Sunday Night on ESPN!

MLB highlights from June 15th

Brewers At Indians 6/15/09


Angels At Giants 6/15/09

MLB Highlights 4-8-09

Here Are Your MLB Highlights from last night courtesy of ESPN Video!

Colorado Vs Arizona 4-8-09


Yankees Vs Baltimore 4-8-09


Rays Vs Red Sox 4-8-09


Atlanta vs Philladelphia 4-8-09


San Diego vs Los Angeles Dodgers 4-8-09


Seattle Vs Minnesota 4-8-09


New York Mets Vs Reds 4-8-09


Chicago Cubs Vs Houston 4-8-09


Milwaukee Vs San Francisco 4-8-09


Kansas City vs Chicago White Sox 4-8-09


Cleveland Vs Texas 4-8-09


Detroit vs Toronto 4-8-09


Pittsburgh Vs St. Louis 4-8-09


Oakland Vs Angels 4-9-09

Tim Kurkjian On The Struggling Cubs

Tim Kurkjian talks about the Cubs' playoff woes.


The Cubs are just about dead in this one.

Each Cubbie infielder had a hole in their glove Thursday night, and Manny Ramirez continues to show that the Cubs need to use the intentional walk.

Some Questions:

Why is Derrek Lee still hitting in the three spot? I would have put Aramis in the three spot, and move Derrek down in the order.

Why Is Manny Ramirez still being pitched to?

Why are the Cubs and Angels down 0-2 in their series?

Why is the NL's best offense being outscored tenfold?

Will The Cubs fight back and make this a series, or will their lack of plate discipline and shaky defense lead to another three and out in the postseason?

Watch Game Three tonight on TBS.

My Account Of The Rangers-Angels Game

On Friday, September 19th, I went to Rangers Ballpark In Arlington to watch the Texas Rangers play their division rival Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The first thing that struck me was how close Rangers Ballpark In Arlington was to the new Cowboys Stadium. They are right next to each other! That's no joke!

I went into the ballpark and found out my seats were in Center Field, with both bullpens on my right and left.

Onto the actual game, Torri Hunter hit a three run homerun to make it 3-0 Angels. Two doubles and a homerun later, Mike Napoli crushed a ball out to the left field seats to make the score 7-0 Angels in the third. In the bottom of the third, Texas had a wild and crazy inning, as they scored nine runs. Chris Davis put the exclamation point on the inning as he hit a two run homerun to make the score 9-7 Rangers. After Chris Davis hit that homerun, everyone, including myself, went crazy! And why not? We just saw the Texas Rangers score nine runs in one inning!

In the fourth, The Angels came back to tie the game. In the fifth, they took the lead thanks to a five run inning, making it 13-9 Angels. The Rangers had a three run inning, making the score 13-12.
After two Angel Runs already scored in the eighth inning, Mike Napoli hit a two run triple into right center field, making the score 15-12 Angels.

In the bottom of the ninth, all of us was hoping Texas would be able to tie it up or win the game in the bottom of the ninth. With nobody out, Nelson Cruz hit a solo homerun to deep centerfield, making the score 15-13 Angels. Kevin Gregg would survive, ending the game with a strikeout to end that wild slugfest.

After that game was over, I went over to the groundscrew who was cleaning up the Angels bullpen mound and I asked them for a ball. I begged and pleaded for a ball, and the grounds crew man went and retrieved for me an official Major League Baseball! He flipped it into my glove. I told him thanks and began walking around the ballpark.

I saw the stage where Rangers Live is filmed before and after every Texas Rangers game, and after the game was over, Mark McLemore, a former Ranger and current Rangers Analyst, signed my ball that I had just begged and pleaded to get from the grounds crew!

That ball has smudges on it like somebody in the Angels bullpen used it and then disregarded it. It worked out for me.

The Los Anegles Angels looked impressive in that game. All of us that was there that day were amazed by the offense both clubs scored. The Angels never gave up, they just kept hitting the ball. That's why Los Angeles has a great shot at not only 100 wins, but a shot at the World Series as well. The Angels have been the most consistent team in the American League all season long.

Mike Napoli was a single shy of the cycle! Unreal! They say a single is the easiest one to get, but it somehow eluded Mike Napoli.

There was 40 hits in that game for both teams! That is the definition of a slugfest!

Twenty Questions About The Second Half of Baseball Season

Rich Harden is one of the twenty questions for the second half of 2008.

The Second Half of Major League Baseball Season Is upon us. I have Twenty Questions I will ask and try to answer reguarding the second half of baseball season.

1. Will The Yankees Come Back?

The Yankees are currently 6 games behind the first place Boston Red Sox. The Yankees will no doubt have the veterans, but the lack of pitching with the absence of Chien-Mien Wang will lead to more pressure on Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte, who have pitched well in the first half. Add in Phillip Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, and the question again is: When Will The Yankees Bats Wake Up? To Attempt to jumpstart a lifeless offense, the Yankees took a big risk and signed Richie Sexon. He adds another first baseman to the Yankees, but will he readjust his plate approach now that he's in Pinstripes?

Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi will hit. When will the rest of the offense do the same? The Yankees better wake up this second half, or there will be no postseason for the Yankees and no World Series Coronation for Yankee Stadium.

2.Can The Phillies hold on to the NL East?

The Phillies are currently in First Place, but they do not have a comfortable lead, with both the Florida Marlins and the New York Mets breathing down their neck. They have the offense, with Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell, and Chase Utley will continue to chase Dan Uggla for the NL Home Run Lead.

Jose Reyes, Hanley Ramirez, and Jimmy Rollins will keep being the catalysts for their teams, and all three are poised for a big second half as the battle for the NL East is about to heat up.

3. Can Jason Marquis finally have a good second half?
Jason Marquis for the past two seasons has not had a good second half. He ran into September troubles in 2006, leading to Marquis not pitching in the postseason while his team at the time, the Cardinals, went on to win the World Series.

Marquis again struggled in the second half of 2007 and didn't pitch in the Cubs three game postseason against Arizona.

It is imperative for Marquis to get off on the right foot for him to have a better second half than the last two years.

4. Can the Cubs keep Rich Harden Healthy?

The Cubs traded for Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin in exchange for Matt Murton, Sean Gallagher,Eric Patterson and Josh Donaldson. Some Cubs fans were questioning if the Cubs gave up too much, but if the Cubs keep Harden healthy, he adds another piece for the Cubs in their rotation and is insurance in case a starter gets hurt.


5. Can C.C Sabathia Take Milwaukee to the top of a crowded NL Central?
C.C Sabathia had an even better second game than his debut game, as C.C went all nine innings and even hit his first National League Homerun. Milwaukee now has a great 1-2 punch in the rotation, as they now have Ben Sheets and C.C Sabathia. However, St. Louis is still ahead of Milwaukee in the Wild Card Standings. It will be quite a battle for the NL Central down the stretch. The Cubs had better not get comfortable, or one of these team could leapfrog them in the standings.

6. Can Detroit Get Hot and Stay Hot?

The Tigers, with all of their Spring Training Hype, the Tigers have played Mediocre Baseball, and their record shows it, as they are sitting one game above the .500 mark. Miguel Cabrera is now a First Baseman, Brandon Inge has his Third Base Spot back, and will the Tigers ever get hot and stay hot? If so, expect them and the White Sox to batlle for the AL Central.

7. Can Josh Hamilton continue to try to win the Triple Crown?
If Big Brown has taught us anything, he proved that winning the Triple Crown in Horse Racing is difficult. There hasn't been a Triple Crown Winner in Horse Racing since Affirmed in 1978.Same thing for Baseball. There hasn't been a Triple Crown Winner since Carl Yazstrzemski in 1967. Many have tried but all since then have failed. The last player at Midseason who had a shot at the Triple Crown was Derrek Lee in 2005. Derrek ended up leading Baseball with a .335 batting average. Right now, Hamilton has a huge lead in RBI, ranks third in the AL in homers, and is ninth in the league in batting average. His teammate Ian Kinser,leads the league with a .337 batting average. Josh Hamilton can continue writing the chapters in his storybooks, and he would write a big one if he was to win the baseball Triple Crown.

8.Can Francisco Rodriguez continue to save games at a record setting pace?
Bobby Thigpen set the single season saves record, with 57 saves in 1990. Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez is closing in at a record pace. K-Rod has 38 saves by the break, and that he is on pace for 65saves on the year. He has a shot to break the saves record, but I don't think he will break the record. He will have over 50 and be in the running, but with Texas begining a resurge in the second half and other AL teams getting hot, Francisco Rodriguez will end up just short.

9. Does Anybody Want to win the NL Worst?

That's right. The NL Worst. The 2008 NL West is starting to resemble the 2006 NL West, when San Diego ended up winning the NL West with an 82-80 record. Arizona has the lead, but the Los Angeles Dodgers are breathing down their neck, and if Tim Linsecum and Matt Cain continue to be a dynamic Pitching duo for San Francisco, the NL Worst may not be won until the final week of the season.

10. Can The Tampa Bay Rays Rebound?

The Tampa Bay Rays Stumbled entering the All Star Break, as they lost seven in a row and lost their lead in the AL East to Boston. The Rays will continue to look to Evan Longoria for offense and Scott Kazmir will dominant pitching. If the Rays rebound and make it to October, that spells trouble for either the Red Sox or Yankees, as one of them will not make it to October.

11.Can Both Chicago Teams Play In October?

The Cubs currently are tied with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim with the best record in Baseball. The White Sox currently have the best record in the American League Central. Both teams have played great baseball, and there is a possibility of both teams playing in October. The Cubs strength has been their offense. The White Sox Strength has been their revamped bullpen. If the Cubs can pull away from the Central while both the Cardinals and Brewers are battling each other for the Wild Card, both the Cubs and White Sox look like they can make the playoffs.

This brings up a completely defferent Question:

12.Can There Be A Windy City World Series?

Knowing how the league has been a league of Parity so far this year, Anything is Possible.


13.Will Somebody Make An offer to Barry Bonds in 2008?
Barry's Agent said that he talked to every single Major League Team, but all thirty of them said no to Barry. There was talk of Arizona becomin interested in Bonds, but I don't think Barry Bonds would want to play for a Rival of the San Francisco Giants.

I think Barry still wants to play. I just don't see anyone giving him a chance to comeback.


14.Who will Lead Baseball In Wins at the end of 2008?
Barndon Webb of the Arizona Diamonbacks.

15. At The end of 2008,Who Will Lead the league in Strikeouts?
Tim Linsecum of the San Francisco Giants.

16. Who Will Lead Baseball in ERA at the end of 2008?
Justin Duchsherer of the Oakland Athletics. He's the only man in baseball with an ERA under two at the All Star Break.

17. Who will lead the league in Homeruns?

Ryan Howard and Adam Dunn will slug it out for the league in homeruns. I Still think Prince Fielder can get hot in this second half.

18. Who will lead the league in RBI's?

Josh Hamilton already has 95 RBI's at the All Star Break. He could break the record for RBI's in a season, set in 1930 by Hack Wilson of the Chicago Cubs.

19.Can Chipper Jones hit .400 at the end of the season?
He cooled it down at the break, as he's now hitting .376. I think Chipper Jones will be close, but I don't think he will hit .400.

20. Who Are My Division Champions and Wild Card Winners?
AL West: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
AL East: Boston Red Sox
AL Central: Chicago White Sox
NL East: Philladelphia Phillies
NL West: Arizona Diamondbacks
NL Central: Chicago Cubs
AL Wildcard: Tampa Bay Rays
NL Wildcard: Milwaukee Brewers

Bartolo Colon Looking To Replace Curt Schilling In Rotation

Former AL Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon agreed Monday to a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox and will report to spring training.

The 34-year-old Colon right-hander was 6-8 with a 6.34 ERA in 19 games last season with the Los Angeles Angels.

He has been slowed by injuries, opening last year on the disabled list with a partial tear in his right rotator cuff and later going out with problems in his elbow.

If healthy, Colon could take a spot in the rotation that opened when Curt Schilling got hurt.

MLB Preview: AL West

Can Jarrod Saltalamacchia help Texas win the AL West?

The Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim have the longest team name in The History Of Baseball. Jarrod Saltalamacchia has the longest player name in The History Of Baseball. The Mariners have a Young Ace in Felix Hernandez, and Oakland, in a rebuilding state, has lots of Young Players.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM
The Angels have a Track Record of Success. They won The 2002 World Series against Dusty Baker's San Francisco Giants from the NL West. These Angels had Troy Glaus (2002 World Series MVP Now With The St. Louis Cardinals) and David Eckstein (2006 World Series MVP with The Cardinals, Now With The Toronto Blue Jays) and won the World Series. The 2008 Angels have Garret Anderson, Vladamir Guererro, who will torch the NL West. Add to that the newest Angel In The Outfield,Torii Hunter. The Angels Rotation is also set. They May Not Have Bartolo Colon anymore, but they do have John Lackey, Jared Weaver, and Jon Garland. Garland,acquired from the White Sox for Shortstop Orlando Cabrera, should have more wins and a lower ERA, considering he is no longer in the competitive AL Central.

SEATTLE MARINERS
The Seattle Mariners have a great one, two punch in the rotation in "King Felix" Felix Hernandez and Erik Bedard. Bedard, acquired from the Baltimore Orioles for Outfielder Adam Jones. Offensively, Ichiro Suzuki will carry Seattle from the Lead Off Spot. Richie Sexon, if healthy, will hit a lot of homeruns and provide stability at First Base. If Sexon isn't healthy, expect Brad Wilkerson, Former Expo and Ranger, to see time at First Base. The Loss of Jose Vidro and Adam Jones leaves a hole in the outfield that may be replaced by Wilkerson.

TEXAS RANGERS
You've Heard of a Quarterback Controversy, but have you ever heard of a Catcher Controversy? Both Gerald Laird and Jarrod Saltalamacchia are vying for the starting Catcher position. Texas has never had a catcher like Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Jarrod is a Switch Hitting Catcher Who's Capable Of Hitting 25-30 Homeruns, which is unheard of for a catcher! If The Season Started Today, Jarrod would win the starting job, meaning Gerald Laird would have to play another position (Like First Base, where the Rangers have little depth), he would be traded.

Pitching Wise, Kevin Milwood and Vicente Padilla form an adequate 1-2 punch in the rotation. Brandon McCarthy, the former White Sox Ace of the Future, forms a solid number three. Kason Gabbard, acquired from Boston for Eric Gagne, forms a good number four in his first full season in the rotation. Kameron Loe will vie for the final rotation spot.

Offensively, Texas is hoping Josh Hamilton keeps up with the sucess he had in Cincinatti. Texas was hoping for more offense in Right Field, which is why Sammy Sosa was not re-signed. Hamilton could reach the thirty homer plateau this season.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS
The Athletics are young, trading away Ace Dan Haren to the Diamondbacks in the hope that Rich Harden can be an Ace. Rob Bowen will mature behind the plate, and Ryan Sweeney will play hard out in right field.

Oakland will through growing pains, but General Manager Billy Beane is getting ready for the future.

MY PROJECTED ORDER:
LOS ANGELES
SEATTLE
TEXAS
OAKLAND

That Concludes this MLB Preview. In Our Next MLB Preview, we will head back to the National League, analyzing the National League West. Can Joe Torre bring Chavez Ravine the Same Sucess he had in The Bronx? Can Matt Holliday and Troy Tulowitski carry Colorado to the NL Pennant Again? Will San Francisco Lose 100 Games without Barry Bonds? Find Out in the next MLB Preview.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving Day Everyone! I hope You All Enjoy The Turkey And Stuffing With Your Family!

NBA Fans, Here Are Your NBA highlights from November 21st! There Were Thirteen Games on Last Night, So click on the video to get updated!


Here Are Your Top Ten Plays!


Two Number One Plays Today! Both From The Same game! Dwyane Wade hits the ridiculous shot after the whistle!


The Other Number One! Josh Smith seals the win with a block!


NFL fans, Keep Reading Below!


In The First Game Today, The Detroit Lions take on the Green Bay Packers in this Huge NFC North Rivalry.

In The Second Game, Jullius Jones leads the Dallas Cowboys against his brother Thomas Jones and the New York Jets.

In The Final Game, Peyton Manning leads his Colts into Atlanta to face the Falcons.

Happy Thanksgiving Day Everyone! I hope You All Enjoy The Turkey And Stuffing With Your Family!

Thanksgiving Day NFL Preview!

Lions Vs Packers 12:30 PM EST
Brett Favre leads The Green Bay Packers against Jon Kitna and the struggling Detroit Lions. I am picking the Packers to win today. Detroit fans will start panicking if the Lions lose today.
GREEN BAY PACKERS OVER DETROIT LIONS

Cowboys vs Jets 4:00 PM EST
Thomas Jones faces his brother Jullius Jones. This is the first time Thomas and Jullius played each other since Thanksgiving Day 2005. Tony Romo will lead Dallas to victory again.
DALLAS OVER NEW YORK JETS

Colts Vs Falcons 7:15 PM EST
Peyton Manning leads his Colts into the Georgia Dome to face the Falcons. Atlanta is coming off a loss to Tampa bay on Sunday. Indianapolis is coming off a 13-10 victory over the Chiefs, which was Priest Holmes' final NFL Game. Priest's NFL Career was given last rites after he was found to have another neck injury. Peyton Manning will lead the Colts to victory over Atlanta.
INDY OVER ATLANTA

The Rest of Your Week Twelve NFL Preview Is Coming On Saturday!

MLB Fans, Read Below!

Some Baseball News!

Torii Hunter's Days as a Minnesota Twin Are Over.

Free-agent center fielder Torii Hunter signed a five-year, $90 million contract late Wednesday night with the Los Angeles Angels.
Hunter, considered the top free-agent center fielder on the market, spurned five-year offers from the Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals.

Hunter, 32, who hit .287 with 28 home runs and 107 RBI last season for the Minnesota Twins, is the Angels' second big acquisition this week. The Angels traded for starter Jon Garland of the Chicago White Sox on Monday in exchange for shortstop Orlando Cabrera.

The acquisition of Hunter will move Gary Matthews Jr. from center field to right field and Vladimir Guerrero to the DH spot.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Jon Garland Traded To Angels For Orlando Cabrera

Jon Garland helped lead the White Sox to the World Series in 2005 as they beat the Angels in five games. Now Garland is going to the Angels.
The White Sox traded right-hander Jon Garland to the Los Angeles Angels on Monday for shortstop Orlando Cabrera.

The 28-year-old Garland, an 18-game winner in 2005 and 2006, was 10-13 with a 4.23 ERA in 32 starts last season. He 92-81 with a 4.41 ERA in 246 games, including 223 starts, over eight major league seasons, all with the White Sox.
Garland was acquired by the White Sox from the Cubs on July 29, 1998, for pitcher Matt Karchner.

Cabrera, 33, batted .301 with 35 doubles, eight home runs, 86 RBIs and a career-high 101 runs with the Angels last year. He had a career-high 192 hits.

He won his second Gold Glove and led AL shortstops in fielding percentage (.983). Cabrera, who has also played with Montreal and Boston during his 11-year career, is a career .273 hitter. He was on the 2004 Red Sox team that won the World Series

Chicago also receives cash as part of the trade.

Garret Anderson knocks in 10 RBIS in 18-9 Rout of Yankees

Alex Rodriguez will be the American League MVP, but tonight the MVP Was Garret Anderson. Anderson got his first Curtain Call of His Carreer Last Night, and he certainly deserved it.

Anderson's grand slam in the sixth inning gave him 10 RBIs and kept 44,264 fans on their feet until one of the most reserved players on the team grinned shyly and took his bow.

The 34-year-old Anderson earlier hit a three-run shot, drove in two runs with a double, and doubled home another run in Los Angeles' 18-9 rout of the New York Yankees on Tuesday night.

Although he became only the 12th player in major league history to reach double-digit RBIs in a game, he was surprised when the fans stood and cheered until he stepped out of the dugout.

Anderson became the first player with 10 RBIs in a game since Yankees star Alex Rodriguez also had 10 against the Angels on April 26, 2005.

Rodriguez hit a pair of solo shots Tuesday, with his 42nd homer of the season coming in the ninth inning off Marc Gwyn.

Wow! What a game! When you talk about a "barnburner" of a game, this is the sort of game you talk about. Alex Rodriguez hits two homeruns, but the Yankees lose thanks to the One Man, 10 RBI Show of Garret Anderson.