Braves Beat Phillies

The Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 as Phillies closer Brad Lidge blows another save. The Phillies went into the bottom of the ninth inning up 3-2 when the Braves were able to score two runs from Garrett Anderson scoring from Lidge's error and from Omar Infante's game winning RBI single. This is eight blown saves on the season for Lidge. When the Phillies won the World Series in 2008, Lidge didn't blow a save the entire season. The win is important for the Braves to stay close to the Florida Marlins and the Phillies in the NL East race.

The Phillies will be in trouble if Lidge continues to struggle like this. They have a good offense and they have gone out and gotten quality pitchers such as Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez. Their pitching has been the problem this year, and the bullpen has been a problem as well. I don't necessarily think it's time to find a new closer however. I think the Phillies should rest him and let him clear his head. Then he can close once he's good enough to go.

Vick Signs With Eagles

Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has signed a two-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. The first year of the deal is for $1.6 million and the second year is an option for $5.2 million. Vick has been in prison for his role in a dogfighting ring and he has been in bankruptcy court coming up with ways to get out of debt. This two year contract definitely helps because he's getting NFL millions. The Eagles already have their quarterback in Donovan McNabb but he's been injury prone the past couple of seasons. However, it isn't clear what role Vick would have in the offense.

I think this is a good signing for the Eagles because at least they know they don't lose much if McNabb was to get hurt. However, Vick hasn't played football since the 2006 season so he could be very rusty. This doesn't bode well for McNabb. McNabb has never been secure in his place as the starting quarterback. This past season, he was replaced by Kevin Kolb in the middle of a game against the Baltimore Ravens for poor play and there was speculation as to whether it could be the end of the road for McNabb.

I think McNabb's job is safe but anything can happen. In the 2006 season, McNabb got hurt and Jeff Garcia came in and filled in well. He even played much better than McNabb in leading the Eagles to the divisional round where they lost to the New Orleans Saints by a field goal. After the season, there was rumors that McNabb's mother was bittersweet to see the Eagles succeed without McNabb. McNabb even demanded a reworked contract after his late season success this past season to ensure that he was safe with the team.

Pedro Gets Win In First Start

Pedro Martinez has pitched his first game in the major leagues since September of 2008, and got his first win as well with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies defeated the Chicago Cubs 12-5, mainly from a lot of help from the offense. Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins and Raul Ibanez hit home runs in the win, and they were up 12-1 in the fourth inning. Martinez pitched five innings, giving up three runs and striking out five batters. Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija pitched three and a third innings and gave up seven runs in the loss.

This was Pedro Martinez's first start since last September, when he played the Cubs as a member of the New York Mets. Martinez was decent in his first start, even though he was helped out by the offense of the Phillies. Martinez has room for improvement and he has a month and a half to improve. The Phillies want him to be more than serviceable, especially in the playoffs. Martinez does have a World Series ring with the Boston Red Sox and has three Cy Young Awards.

The Phillies got Cliff Lee in a trade deadline deal to shore up their starting rotation. By starting Martinez, the Phillies demoted Jamie Moyer to the bullpen, who wasn't thrilled about it. If Lee, Martinez, and Cole Hamels can sharpen their games for the playoffs, then the Phillies could be right back in the World Series. However, I don't think Martinez will be effective. He'll be just as good as he was with the Mets the past couple of seasons, and the Phillies will end only relying on Lee for wins.

Tulowitzki Gets Cycle

Troy Tulowitzki of the Colorado Rockies completed the cycle in the Rockies 11-5 win over the Chicago Cubs. Tulowitzki drove in seven runs in the game as well, and got his triple in the seventh inning to complete the cycle, already hitting a home run, single and double. He ended up having five hits in the game. This is the sixth cycle of the Major League season. The other five that have cycles this season is Orlando Hudson of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers, Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer of the Minnesota Twins, and Melky Cabrera of the New York Yankees.

I am surprised at the amount of cycles being hit this year. Six seems like a lot, considering the degree of difficulty it is to get all four kinds of hits in one game. I'm impressed with Tulowitzki's cycle because he also had seven RBIs. He was turning his hits into runs. Four of his hits produced RBIs in the game. The only hit that didn't was his triple in the seventh inning. Once you're able to produce runs with quality at-bats, then you are certainly helping out your team in a big way.

The Rockies win pushes their record to 62-50. They are surprisingly contending for a playoff spot behind the Dodgers, and they're fighting with the San Francisco Giants also for a Wild Card spot along with other teams from other divisions. This is a complete turnaround from the time they fired Clint Hurdle earlier this season. Things like that tend to work sometimes. In the 2003 season, the Florida Marlins fired Jeff Torborg and replaced him with Jack McKeon 38 games into the season. The Marlins went on to win the World Series against the Yankees in the same season. This could work out for the Rockies.

Six Inducted Into Hall of Fame

The Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony took place today, with six people being inducted in Canton as the class of 2009. Receiver Bob Hayes, offensive lineman Randall McDaniel, defensive end Bruce Smith, linebacker Derrick Thomas, defensive back Rod Woodson, and owner Ralph Wilson were the six inducted into the Hall of Fame. Hayes, who used to be a receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, and Thomas, who was a linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs, were posthumously honored. Thomas died in the middle of his career in 2000 and Hayes died in 2002.

Thomas, Smith and Woodson are three players I remember from my young days watching football. I certainly agree with Smith and Woodson being inducted because they had long careers and both of them certainly dominated defensively. Smith has 200 career sacks, which is the all-time career sacks record. Woodson has returned 12 interceptions for touchdowns in his career, the all-time record as well. Woodson helped every team he played on and helped the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens and Oakland Raiders to Super Bowl appearances. He came out victorious with the Ravens while losing with the Steelers and Raiders.

Thomas, on the other hand, did not merit being in the Hall of Fame, in my opinion. Thomas was a very explosive linebacker. Thomas was part of the good Chiefs teams in the 1990s that was always making playoff appearances. However, his career only lasted 11 years, which isn't much for me as a defensive player. He was also a pass-rushing threat at that position. He holds the record for most sacks in a single game with seven, but that's pretty much all he did. I look for being a run stopper and being able to make tackles and pursue offensive players in the open. He didn't necessarily do that to a high degree.

Yankees Stun Sox In Classic

The New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox for the second straight game after losing the first eight. However, this game was not as convincing as the pounding they put on John Smoltz in Thursday's 13-6 win. The Yankees ended this game in the 15th inning, off of a two-run home run that gave the Yankees a 2-0 win. Josh Beckett started for the Red Sox and he was great, just like Yankees starter A.J. Burnett. Burnett and Beckett were teammates with the Florida Marlins 2003 team that won the World Series against the Yankees.

This is a huge win for the Yankees because they get at least a series split and they make the series a little bit better for themselves by being able to win a game in which Beckett pitched. The Red Sox continue to slip in the standings, now falling four and a half behind the Yankees in the AL East division race. The Red Sox need to pull it together soon or they probably won't be in the playoffs altogether. Right now, they're the front runners for the wild card race but the Texas Rangers are close behind.

In the 2006 season, the Yankees played a five game series against the Red Sox in August of that season and ended up winning all five games. That put the Yankees far ahead of the Red Sox in the division race, and the Red Sox never recovered. The Red Sox missed the playoffs altogether that season, and they fell behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the division as well, finishing third in the division. The Red Sox are in danger of this happening again, which they cannot afford at this time. They play the Yankees in Fenway Park in two weeks but by that time, it might be too late if they get swept by the Yankees.

Yankees Get First Win Against Red Sox

The New York Yankees beat the Red Sox 13-6, beating them for the first time in nine tries this season. The Yankees had lost their previous nine, also including their final matchup last season, to the Red Sox. However, the Yankees were able to put some runs on the board against Red Sox pitcher John Smoltz. Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera, Jorge Posada and Mark Teixeira were able to hit home runs for the Yankees in their rout. Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain didn't pitch that well, but Smoltz's horrible day got Chamberlain off the hook.

This is a big win for the Yankees, but it only gets harder the rest of the series. The Red Sox will send Josh Beckett to the mound tomorrow and will also send Jon Lester to the mound later this series. However, the Yankees offense has been clicking and it can continue against the Red Sox staff because there isn't one strong starter who is guaranteed to get a victory for them. Beckett is their closest to it, but he doesn't necessarily possess the control of his pitches to dominate games.

The Yankees will send A.J. Burnett, C.C. Sabathia and Andy Pettitte in this series to the mound. They are all capable of pitching well, but have also had their struggles. Burnett has been good this season, but not against the Red Sox in two meetings against them this season. Sabathia hasn't been strong lately, and Pettitte is a little inconsistent. The rest of the series could go either way, but the Yankees have a three and a half game lead on the Red Sox in the division so three straight wins by the Red Sox will still leave them behind. The Yankees, however, will like to create some distance between themselves and the Red Sox.

Manning Agrees To Extension

Eli Manning, quarterback of the New York Giants, has agreed to a contract extension that pays Manning $97.5 million over six years. Manning and the Giants were in negotiations for quite some time but they were now able to get a deal done. $35 million is guaranteed for Manning, which makes him among the highest paid players in the NFL now. Manning is now being paid more than his older brother Peyton, who some regards as the best quarterback in the NFL. Eli Manning's deal keeps him with the Giants until 2015.

The Giants made a good move by locking up their franchise quarterback for the future. However, I don't think he's worth more than Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, the two best quarterbacks in the NFL. There are going to be some doubters and people are going to try to name other quarterbacks better than him. Manning has been able to do very well managing the offense and making plays as the quarterback, and that's why the Giants want to keep him much longer.

It is clear that Manning isn't better than his brother Peyton or Brady. However, many have said quarterbacks like Drew Brees, Jay Cutler and Ben Roethlisberger are better than Manning. I strongly disagree. Brees has certainly put up better numbers, but Brees can explode for five touchdown passes one week, and then throw four interceptions the next. He is very inconsistent and has only led the New Orleans Saints to the playoffs once in his three seasons. Cutler has only played one good season and he wasn't even that good anyway. He had the Broncos with a 8-5 record and ended up losing the final three to lose the division to the San Diego Chargers. He is also inconsistent. I would have to say Roethlisberger and Manning are evenly matched. Roethlisberger's playoff performances and regular seasons have never really been good, as he has relied heavily on the defense to get the job done. However, he did have an impressive final drive in Super Bowl XLIII against the Arizona Cardinals.

Burress Indicted

NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress was indicted by a grand jury on three weapon counts for the incident in November 2008 where he shot himself in the leg in a Manhattan nightclub. Burress was with the New York Giants from 2005 to 2008, where he had three productive seasons. He made the Super Bowl winning catch in Super Bowl XLII against the New England Patriots in February 2008. He got a five year contract extension before the start of the 2008 season. The season had its rocky times, with him being suspended for two weeks early in the season and with the nightclub incident. He is currently without a team after being released by the Giants in April.

I expected Burress to be indicted, but I think Burress should've been applauded for pleading his case before the grand jury and showing remorse about the situation. He was still indicted because of the aggressiveness that the mayor showed immediately after the incident and the aggressiveness of the district attorney to prosecute Burress to the fullest extent. Now Burress is going to have to try his luck in a trial and his hopes of playing in football is dashed for this upcoming season.

I want Burress to be acquitted of the charges because of one thing. Burress did not shoot anyone in this incident, nor did he have any intent on doing so. The city of New York is trying to make an example of Burress and Bloomberg is doing this in an election year, which is unfair to Burress. Bloomberg needs to focus on his own issues insteading of using this unfortunate incident to be re-elected. I believe anyone who was in Burress situation, with no criminal record and no harm to others, shouldn't be charged, not just Burress.

Cabrera Gets Cycle in Yankees Win

New York Yankees outfielder Melky Cabrera hit for the cycle in the Yankees 8-5 win over the Chicago White Sox to avoid a four-game sweep. It was the first cycle for the Yankees in 14 years, when Tony Fernandez hit for the cycle against the Oakland Athletics in 1995. In the second inning, Cabrera hit a three-run home run. He hit a double in the fourth inning and hit an RBI single in the fifth inning. He needed a triple to complete the cycle, usually the most difficult to get. He did it in the ninth inning when the ball sailed over Jermaine Dye and he raced in for the triple.

This is a big accomplishment for the Yankees and Cabrera. The Yankees haven't seen a cycle in 14 years, and they've gotten four championships and countless division titles since. However, this was a very important win for the Yankees because they were in danger of getting swept by the White Sox in four games. They started the second half of the season on a roll and this series brought them back to reality. They still had a division lead to protect and losing this game would've put the Boston Red Sox back on top of the division.

The Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 18-10, completing the three-game sweep of the Orioles and putting them a half game behind the Yankees in the AL East division. The Yankees and Red Sox play next weekend as well, so that series should go a long way in determining who gains control of the division. The Red Sox have beaten the Yankees all eight times this season, so it's important for the Yankees to get a series victory for their psyche and to potentially keep the division lead.

McCutchen Homers 3 Times In Win

Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates hit three home runs in their game Saturday against the Washington Nationals, propelling them to an 11-6 victory. He drove in a career-high six RBIs, which has been a short career since this is his rookie season. McCutchen only had three home runs on the season coming into the game. After the game, he doubled his home run total to six home runs. This was the first time in Pirates history since 2001 to hit three home runs in a game. Aramis Ramirez did it that year in a game against the Houston Astros.

This is one of the highlights of another disappointing season for the Pirates. Overall, McCutchen has probably been the only highlight and bright spot of this Pirates team so far. McCutchen has shown tremendous speed since taking over for Nate McClouth in center field. McClouth was traded earlier in the season to the Atlanta Braves, clearing the way for McCutchen. The Nationals, the team McCutchen helped the Pirates beat, haven't been better. They own a major league worst 32-72 record and could be break the 1962 Mets record of 120 losses in one season.

The Pirates actually weren't doing that bad earlier in the season, when they had their full compliment of players. However, they've decided to make questionable trades and the Pirates fan haven't seen a commitment from the front office to turn this team into a winning team. They traded Jason Bay, their best player last year, to the Boston Red Sox. This year, they traded McClouth, who was their best player. They also traded Nyjer Morgan to the Nationals, Freddy Sanchez to the San Francisco Giants and Jack Wilson to the Seattle Mariners.

Trade Deadline Deals

The MLB trading deadline was at 4 pm on Friday and a couple of teams made moves before that deadline. The Boston Red Sox were the most active team before the deadline, acquiring Cleveland Indians catcher Victor Martinez and Atlanta Braves first baseman Casey Kotchman. In the trade with the Indians, the Red Sox traded Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone, and Bryan Price for Martinez. Also, Jake Peavy of the San Diego Padres was traded to the Chicago White Sox for four young pitchers. Peavy was traded to the White Sox earlier in the year but Peavy had a no-trade clause in his contract where he controlled his trade destinations and he did not waive the clause to go to them.

In other deals, Jarrod Washburn of the Seattle Mariners was traded to the Detroit Tigers, Scott Rolen of the Toronto Blue Jays was traded to the Cincinnati Reds, and Orlando Cabrera of the Oakland Athletics was traded to the Minnesota Twins. The player that got the biggest attention during the time before the trade deadline was Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay. He ended up staying with the Blue Jays after they didn't find an offer that was suitable for them.

The Red Sox were very aggressive in getting themselves two good hitters in Martinez and Kotchman. However, it will be hard to get playing time for both players, who were quality starters with their previous team. Martinez is a catcher and can also play first base. Jason Varitek is currently their catcher and Kevin Youkilis is their first baseman. Kotchman is a first baseman so he will also be behind Youkilis and Martinez possibly. This wasn't a good deal, logically, because it can make both players unhappy.

The White Sox have put themselves in a position to win the AL Central with their move acquiring Peavy. Mark Buehrle has been the only reliable starter for the White Sox. John Danks, Gavin Floyd and Jose Contreras have been disappointments, but the White Sox have hung around in the division race. The Tigers acquiring Washburn was also good because they now have a quality starter behind Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson to stay atop the AL Central. The New York Mets were probably a team that should've made a move to come back in the NL East race. Now, their season is all but over.

Ortiz and Ramirez On '03 PED List

David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox and Manny Ramirez has been named as two players who were on that list of players who tested positive for peformance-enhancing drugs in 2003. Names that have come out already are Alex Rodriguez and Sammy Sosa. Ramirez was already suspended 50 games for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Both players were on the Red Sox in 2003 and they were the two main parts in the Red Sox winning the 2004 and 2007 World Series. Ortiz told the media he would not hide and he will address the issue once he finds out more information. Ramirez didn't have much of a reaction, according to his statements.

This isn't shocking to me anymore because I now expect all of the good players in today's game to be linked to performance-enhancing drugs. I expect Albert Pujols to be named sometime down the line as well. It seems like this game is at a point where they should just move on and get the full list out. Also, Jose Canseco had comment on it and said he was not surprised. There was a time where no one believed anything Canseco was saying. But most of what he has said has proven to be true sadly.

Canseco suggested that these players can sue Major League Baseball for their names being linked. However, the FBI were the main ones who were a part of the testing for performance-enhancing drugs, not Major League Baseball. There isn't many good ways to sue the government so in all likelihood, their lawsuit wouldn't stand for that long. Ortiz doesn't have any explaining to do. This happened in 2003 and that was six years ago. It doesn't matter at this point.

Indians Trade Lee To Phillies

The Cleveland Indians have traded pitcher Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco to the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies for prospects Carlos Carrasco, Jason Knapp, Lou Marson, and Jason Donald. Lee won the 2008 AL Cy Young award and was posting a 3.14 ERA this season. The Indians haven't been contenders this year, just like last year, and they have traded a Cy Young award winner for the second straight season. Last year before the trade deadline, the Indians traded C.C. Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers. Sabathia won the 2007 AL Cy Young award en route to the Indians taking the Boston Red Sox to Game 7 of the ALCS.

The Phillies decided to make this move because Lee was always their Plan B. Roy Halladay, arguably the best pitcher in the American League and possibly all of baseball, was their original plan and they could still get him. The Phillies didn't give up J.A. Happ or Kyle Drabek, two players the Toronto Blue Jays asked for in exchange for Halladay. If the Phillies are able to get Halladay also, they would clearly be the favorites in my opinion to win another World Series.

I think the move to get Lee was a good one but it doesn't make them much better. I still think the Los Angeles Dodgers are better than them. They have a front line starter as well with Chad Billingsley, who I feel is better than Lee. They also have young Clayton Kershaw who can win games as well. Their offense, led by Manny Ramirez, is definitely solid. The Phillies offense is solid also but their starting pitching isn't that solid. Cole Hamels hasn't been what he has been in the past and Jamie Moyer has been up and down all year. The Dodgers are still the favorites in the National League in my opinion.

Eagles Defensive Coordinator Johnson Dies

Jim Johnson, defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, has died at the age of 68. Johnson was responsible for the tough defenses that the Eagles brought out on the field during his tenure as the defensive coordinator. Eagles head coach Andy Reid hired Johnson to be the defensive coordinator, and the defense looked like the defense of the early 1990s. The Eagles made the playoffs in seven of the ten seasons he was leading the defense and made five appearances in the NFC Championship game and one Super Bowl appearance. Johnson coached the Eagles defense to their 2008 playoff run when they beat the top seeded New York Giants and lost to the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship game. That was his last game.

This is a huge loss for the Eagles football team and for all of football. Johnson has showed that his defensive schemes worked. It helped out the Eagles, who became a very aggressive unit under his command and constantly were among the top in major defensive categories. The Eagles were forces in the NFC East every season and made it hard for the Giants, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins to contend for an NFC East title. The only thing Johnson wasn't able to get in his time there was a Super Bowl ring, as they lost in their only opportunity to the New England Patriots in 2005.

As a fan of the Giants, Johnson and the Eagles defense constantly frustrated me as the Eagles would always get the better of the Giants this decade. Johnson frustrated a lot of teams with their aggressive style of play. Sean McDermott was already announced as the new defensive coordinator and he will not match the legacy Johnson left. The Eagles defense could struggle in his command because he may not be as aggressive as Johnson.

Vick Partially Reinstated

Michael Vick was partially reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday, clearing the way for him to start playing in the NFL again. This partial reinstatement allows Vick to participate in the last two preseason games and take part in all practices and meetings. Once the regular season starts, he can participate in everything except games and Goodell said he is going to consider full reinstatement no later than Week 6, which is October 18-19. Sources close to Vick were shocked that he still could miss that many games, and that he would apply for full reinstatement starting Week 1. Vick isn't on any NFL roster yet and several teams said they wouldn't sign him.

I am glad that Goodell has decided to allow Vick to do some things on the football field. However, I don't feel like he needs to be suspended for any regular season games if he is on an NFL team. If you remember, Vick was indefinitely suspended before he went to prison and that suspension went through his jail time. Vick has gone through a lot, which was mostly caused upon himself. However, he has still gone through a lot and he is ready to get with an NFL team and get back on the field. Why hold him back from doing that? I think Vick has served enough punishment.

I am angry the NFL has reacted this way. Since the NFL has decided to come down on Vick like this, they should do the same thing to Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Vick was indefinitely suspended before he went to jail after he decided to plead guilty to get a lighter prison sentence. The NFL should suspend Roethlisberger indefinitely until this civi suit is resolved. Roethlisberger was accused of rape in a civil suit by a 31-year old woman and I think that is much bigger than dogfighting. I hope the NFL don't play the race card and decide to go easy on Roethlisberger because he is white. That'll be an abuse of power by Goodell and he should be fired for it. The tough guy act is already old.

Former Boxing Champ Forrest Killed

Former boxing champion Vernon Forrest was shot to death Saturday night by two people who were trying to rob him of his Jaguar vehicle while he was putting air in his tires in an Atlanta gas station. Forrest also had a gun on him and proceeded to chase the two suspects with his gun before he was shot dead. It was confirmed that he suffered seven to eight gunshot wounds, with one to the head and others to the torso and thigh. Forrest had his girlfriends' son in the Jaguar when he was killed. Forrest was only 38 years old.

The boxing world has seen three former well-known boxers who have died too soon in the month of July. On July 1, Alexis Arguello was found dead at his home in Nicaragua. He was 57 years old. On July 11, Arturo Gatti was found dead at a Brazilian resort. He was just 37 years old and Brazilian police has his 23 year old wife in custody as a suspect in his death. Combining it with the world of sports, on July 4, former NFL quarterback Steve McNair was found dead alongside his girlfriend in a murder-suicide. He was just 36 years old.

This is getting much crazier everyday. Forrest was a good guy who was doing the right things for his community with his wealth. It's sad that people want to go around and steal cars. It's also sad that those two people decided to take his life in addition to trying to take his car. If they wanted to have the car and wanted to go about it by stealing it, that's all they should've done. If they would've gotten busted, they wouldn't have done that much time. Now, they're looking at doing a long time once they're caught because they took it a step further. Forrest had a good boxing career, only losing three times in 44 matches. He will be missed.

Rays Make Big Comeback

The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-9 in 12 innings. After the fourth inning, the Blue Jays led 8-0 after they scored two runs each in the first four innings. David Price, the Rays starting pitcher, only lasted three innings and gave up six of those runs as his struggles continue. The Rays started making their comeback in the seventh inning down 9-1. They scored four runs to come within four runs. Down two in the ninth inning, Carlos Pena and Willie Aybar both hit solo home runs to tie the game at nine. Jason Bartlett had the game winning RBI double in the 12th inning to complete the comeback for the Rays.

Comebacks of this magnitude are becoming a trend in the American League this year. Earlier this year, the Cleveland Indians came back down 10 to beat the Rays. Also, the Baltimore Orioles beat the Red Sox after being down nine runs earlier in the game and the Oakland Athletics beat the Minnesota Twins earlier this week after being down 10 runs. It is evident that the AL have better hitting lineups but these teams have to learn how to shut the door when they jump out to a huge lead.

The Rays have the distinction of being on both sides of comebacks, winning today against the Rays and losing to the Indians earlier this season. This gives the Rays an important win, however, because the New York Yankees lost. The AL East race is between the Yankees, Rays and Boston Red Sox. The Rays are now five and a half games behind the Yankees and four behind the Red Sox. Any of these three teams have a chance to win the division, based on whoever can finish the season strong.

Holliday Traded To Cardinals

Matt Holliday of the Oakland Athletics has been traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Brett Wallace, Shane Peterson, and Clayton Mortensen, all of which are prospects. Holliday has been involved in trade rumors since the Athletics acquired him in a trade in the offseason from the Colorado Rockies. The Athletics never had intentions of keeping him that long. Also, the Athletics are at the bottom of the AL West, which most likely contributed to them getting rid of their best hitter.

Holliday was an excellent hitter in his career with the Rockies, consistently hitting a lot of home runs and hitting over .300. However, this season with the Athletics was very rocky. He got off to a poor start, and he only hit 11 home runs for the Athletics. His batting average is at .285, which was only that high after he got on a hot streak lately. I think Holliday's numbers this season is proving a little bit that he can't hit consistently out of Coors Field, which is a hitters friendly ballpark.

If Holliday resembles the numbers he put up with the Rockies, it will definitely be good for the Cardinals. This could be the piece they need to make a strong push at a World Series title. They have quality pitchers in Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. They also have the best hitter in the game in Albert Pujols. However, he has been lacking the protection needed in order for them to be a good offensive team. Ryan Ludwick, who batted cleanup behind Pujols, hasn't been the hitter he was last year, when he made an All-Star appearance. Now Holliday can occupy that position and help them out.

Buehrle Pitches Perfect Game

Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox has pitched a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays, beating them 5-0. This is Buehrle's second no-hitter, and both of them have been very similar. Buehrle's first no-hitter was in 2007 against the Texas Rangers, and the home plate umpire for both of those games was Eric Cooper. Also, both of the no-hitters was in Comiskey Park and the time of the game was both two hours and three minutes. Buehrle also almost lost the perfect game in the ninth inning when Gabe Kapler hit a deep drive to center. It appeared to be a home run but Dwayne Wise jumped up and snatched it, preserving the perfect game.

The similarities between his 2007 no-hitter and his perfect game today are very striking. I think Buehrle needs to pray for Cooper being the home plate umpire on as many games as possible when he starts. However, this perfect game was very impressive because of the team it came on. It came against the Rays, who are definitely a very good hitting team, and they're the defending American League champions. In case no one noticed, this is a rematch of the 2008 ALDS. These two teams met and the Rays swept the White Sox on their way to the World Series.

This perfect game has to feel good for Buehrle. His career wasn't all too interesting until their 2005 World Series champion team. He and Jon Garland were very good that year in leading the White Sox to the best regular season record and the championship. Buehrle has continued to be a lot more than serviceable for the White Sox, making the All-Star team numerous times. Also, if it wasn't for Wise, there would be no perfect game. Buehrle said he bought the entire team expensive watches for his 2007 no-hitter. Well it's going to get more expensive, and Wise's gift should be more expensive.

Red Sox Swept While Yankees Sweep O's

The Boston Red Sox have been swept by the Texas Rangers, losing 3-1 on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, the New York Yankees swept the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday also, beating them 6-4. Since the start of the second half, the Red Sox have lost five of six games, while the Yankees have won all of their six games, going ahead of the Red Sox in the AL East division by two games. In this slump, the Red Sox big bats have been slumping. Jason Bay, who is in the top of most batting categories in the AL, is the among the slumping players, along with J.D. Drew.

The start that the Red Sox have had in the second half is not good but they are nowhere close to being out of the division race. The Yankees have been playing great baseball at the start of the second half, but they will come back to normal and start losing some games. The Red Sox have to start hitting and start pitching better because the Tampa Bay Rays are behind them and can catch them as well.

Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield has been put on the disabled list as well. This isn't good news because he has been a very reliable pitcher. Jon Lester hasn't been reliable like they thought he would be this year. Josh Beckett, in my opinion, has been an overrated pitcher and you don't know if you'll get an excellent game from him, or if you'll get a pitcher who doesn't have much control and starts walking people. The Yankees have shown they can get reliable pitching from A.J. Burnett and C.C. Sabathia has come on strong since his terrible April. This will be an interesting AL East race between the Red Sox, Yankees and even the Rays.

Roethlisberger Accused of Rape

Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback of the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers, has been named in a lawsuit that was filed by a woman claiming Roethlisberger raped her last summer. This is shocking allegations made against Roethlisberger, who is one of the biggest faces in the NFL. He has won two Super Bowls in only five seasons in the NFL, and he is getting ready for training camp for the upcoming season. The woman accuses Roethlisberger of raping her in a Las Vegas hotel.

This is shocking, considering it was Roethlisberger out of all the players in the league. I never expected that this would come from a guy like Roethlisberger. However, this lawsuit was filed a year after it happened, so I'm not sure if this lawsuit is credible. This woman may be seeking money because she remembers meeting Roethlisberger and knows that he is a multi-million dollar famous quarterback in the NFL. We'll have to see how things proceed in the future and who's story is believable.

It's going to be very interesting to see what NFL commissioner Roger Goodell does to Roethlisberger. I have seen that Goodell has come down harshly on players who aren't big names. He was hesitant to suspend Michael Vick in 2007 until he plead guilty and had no other choice. I believe the same will happen to Roethlisberger if he decides to try and make the whole thing go away by paying the woman. I don't think it's right at all, and Goodell has received praise for his toughness, but it comes on certain players. I believe Roethlisberger should be suspended a game for this to prove his real toughness.

Richardson Traded Again

Quentin Richardson, who played for the New York Knicks last season, has been traded again, this time to the Minnesota Timberwolves from the Los Angeles Clippers for Sebastian Telfair, Craig Smith, and Mark Madsen. Richardson was traded earlier from the Knicks to the Memphis Grizzlies for Darko Milicic. The Grizzlies then proceeded to trade him to the Clippers for Zach Randolph, who was Richardson's teammate with the Knicks early last season. Richardson is a hot trade commodity because he is in the final year of his contract. The Timberwolves also fill their shooting guard position after trading away Randy Foye and Mike Miller to the Washington Wizards.

I definitely feel sorry for Richardson the way he's been moving around this offseason. He has absolutely no clue which team he will be with at the start of the regular season. One positive thing is that all of these trades are happening in July and not September, where players with new teams look to settle in to the city or state of their team. Richardson now has time to settle in and find a place in Minnesota.

I find two odd things about the trades that have been going on involving Richardson. Not one team that have been involved in the trades were good last season. The Knicks, Grizzlies, Clippers and Timberwolves were all lottery teams after last season, so Richardson didn't go to a better situation in any of the three trades. Also, I believe the Timberwolves gave up too much in getting Richardson. Smith was a good forward who can score and Telfair can score as well, and he can give stability at the point guard position off the bench for Baron Davis. Richardson hasn't been playing good since he left Phoenix, and when he was traded for Zach Randolph, that didn't match up either.

Yankees Sweep Tigers

The New York Yankees have started their second half of the season very nicely, completing a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers by beating them 2-1 on Sunday. It was another nice pitching matchup, this time between Joba Chamberlain of the Yankees and Edwin Jackson of the Tigers. On Saturday, the Yankees' C.C. Sabathia and the Tigers' Justin Verlander pitched a very good game as well, which resulted in a Yankees 2-1 win as well. The two runs for the Yankees came on solo home runs from Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixiera. The Tigers got their lone run on a solo home run from Clete Thomas.

The Yankees sweep of the Tigers, combined with the Red Sox loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday, brings the Yankees to only a game behind the Red Sox in the AL East division. The Red Sox and Yankees own the two best records in the American League altogether, and they're only behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in the majors. The Yankees easily could've been ahead of the Red Sox, however, if they would've just taken a couple of games from the Red Sox this year. They're currently 0-8 against them so far.

Barring a collapse, I expect the Yankees to be back in the playoffs. The Yankees and Red Sox will both be in the playoffs because one of them will win the division and the other will win the Wild Card. The Yankees have to find a way to beat the Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who are currently leading the AL West division. The way they've been playing against both teams, they will not see any success in the playoffs at all.

Yao To Have Surgery

Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets has opted to have his broken foot operated on again. This will almost most certainly guarantee that he will be out for all of the 2009-2010 season. It was revealed last month that Yao's foot didn't heal since having surgery on it in May, when he fractured it for the third time in his career. This happened during the second round of the playoffs, when the Rockets were playing the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers ended up beating the Rockets in seven games en route to their championship.

I think that this surgical procedure can help extend Yao Ming's career. The same thing happened for Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the center for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had the same extensive surgery that Yao is about to have, and that has extended his career for a number of years. Ilgauskas is still active in the NBA, with his surgery being done more than 10 years ago. It didn't look as if Ilgauskas would last in the NBA but he has for a long time.

I am encouraged by what Ilgauskas has overcome and I feel like Yao can overcome it as well. This won't go well for next season. They will probably not be in the playoffs, but it is essential that Yao doesn't break his foot again. He has broken it two other times and his career can end if he breaks it again.

Howard Fastest To 200 HRs

Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies has hit his 23rd home run of the season in the Phillies' 4-0 win over the Florida Marlins in Miami. That home run gave him his 200th home run of his career. Howard has become the fastest player to hit 200 career home runs in baseball history. Howard achieved this record in his 658th game of his career. The player who previously held the record was Ralph Kiner, who played in the 1930s and 1940s. He hit his 200th career home run in his 706th game.

This is a good feat for Howard. Howard has worked hard to get to the major leagues. Howard was very good in the minor leagues after being drafted by the Phillies in 2001. Howard got his first full season was 2005 and they still had first baseman Jim Thome. After the 2005 season, the Phillies traded Thome to the Chicago White Sox, who just won the World Series at the time. This cleared the way for Howard to be the everyday first baseman for the Phillies and he didn't disappoint.

Howard won the National League MVP award in 2006, which some people didn't see him as deserving of the award. The Phillies weren't contenders, and sluggers Albert Pujols was a little critical of it. Pujols won the World Series in 2006 and felt like the winner of the award should be a player on a team that makes the playoffs and contends for a championship. Ironically, two years later, Pujols won the 2008 National League MVP in a year where the St. Louis Cardinals didn't make the playoffs. Also, the Phillies won the World Series behind the bat of Howard, in addition to Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins.

Ravens Sign Suggs To Six-Year Deal

The Baltimore Ravens have given linebacker Terrell Suggs a new contract, signing him to a six-year deal worth $63 million. Suggs has been demanding a new deal, but the Ravens have been reluctant to pay him a lot of money. They gave him the franchise tag, and Suggs has been very patient in negotiating for a new deal, unlike other players in the past. This will be Suggs' seventh season out of Arizona State, and he has been a stabilizing force in the Ravens great defense this decade. In this deal, Suggs will get $38 million guaranteed. They lost Bart Scott via free agency to the New York Jets, so it was essential they make Suggs happy.

I think this is a good day for the Ravens franchise and for Suggs. I am very impressed with the patience Suggs has shown. He has been looking for a long term contract since before the start of last season. The Ravens refused to do that and they gave him the franchise tag instead. They did that again for the second straight offseason and some thought Suggs would demand a trade. He never did. He just continued to negotiate quietly and his patience paid off, as he was honored with a long-term deal.

An example of a player not showing patience with his contract status is Julius Peppers of the Carolina Panthers. He has asked for a new deal and has asked that he not be given the franchise tag. The Panthers did that anyway, and he asked for a trade immediately. I understand why players demand new contracts and long-term deals. Anquan Boldin and Brandon Marshall have publicly demanded a trade because of their unsatisfaction with their current contract status. That is why I'm extremely impressed with Suggs. He never publicly said bad things about the organization. He just continued to work and he eventually got what he wanted.

American League Wins Again

The American League defeated the National League 4-3 in the 2009 All-Star Game for their 12th win in the last thirteen games. The last time the National League won the All-Star Game was in the 1996 All-Star Game in Philadelphia. The American League got two runs in the first inning from Derek Jeter scoring a run off Albert Pujols' error and Josh Hamilton's RBI. The National League bounced back in the second inning with three runs, highlighted by Yadier Molina's RBI hit that eventually drove in two runs from an error. With the game tied at three in the eighth inning, Adam Jones hit a sacrifice fly that proved to be the game-winner.

This All-Star Game happened so fast, I didn't really get a chance to get a feel for the excitement. The pitching was good for the most part, which contributed to the game being quick. This game only took two hours and 31 minutes, which is the shortest time for an All-Star Game since 1988. Combine this game with the fact that the Home Run Derby wasn't exciting, this All-Star festivities was not good at all. Albert Pujols did not provide for the home fans in the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game. He did provide some exceptional defense for the National League however.

With the All-Star festivities being in St. Louis, it figured to be an exciting couple of days in baseball. St. Louis is a great baseball city but it was not appealing. The festivities last year, which happened at legendary Yankee Stadium in its final season, was very exciting. Josh Hamilton gave a great show in the Home Run Derby, and the All-Star Game went 15 innings. It was a long game last year and clutch pitching and hitting was present. This year's game didn't really have that many good pitchers. Also, I would've liked to see Tim Wakefield pitch but that never happened.

Brewers' Fielder Wins Home Run Derby

Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers, and son of former major league slugger Cecil Fielder, has won the 2009 Home Run Derby in St. Louis. Coming into the contest, the hype centered around Albert Pujols, who was in front of the home fans, and Ryan Howard, who is from St. Louis. Fielder beat out Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers in the final round for the Derby title. Fielder's father Cecil participated in three Home Run Derby events, but didn't win anything. Also, Brandon Inge of the Detroit Tigers did not hit a single home run in the event.

This Home Run Derby went down as a very boring competition. Adrian Gonzalez and Inge were very lackluster and boring, and Inge didn't even hit a single home run. Joe Mauer, Carlos Pena and Albert Pujols were all tied with five home runs so they had to do a hit-off to determine who advances. Pujols advanced past both of them to move on but was surpassed in the next round by Howard, Fielder and Cruz. The event just didn't have the excitement as last year's All-Star festivities, when it was in Yankee Stadium.

Angels Sweep Yankees

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have beaten the New York Yankees 5-4 to complete a three-game sweep of the Yankees. C.C. Sabathia, who hasn't been good as of late, wasn't good again, giving up five runs. John Lackey was good enough to get himself out of jams, including a seventh inning jam where the bases were loaded with no out. Mark Teixeira ended up striking out for the first out and Alex Rodriguez hit into a double play. The same situation occurred the next inning, and the Yankees got two runs but could've gotten more. Closer Brian Fuentes, who leads the American League in saves, got the save after striking out Rodriguez.

The Yankees have struggled against the Angels since the Angels 2002 World Series team. The Yankees have not beaten them in the playoffs in the decade, and they struggle against them in the regular season also. The Yankees have been great this season, being one of three teams with at least 50 wins so far. The other two are the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox. However, the Yankees are 0-8 against the Red Sox and 2-4 against the Angels. These two teams are teams the Yankees are going to have to overcome to make the playoffs and advance in the playoffs.

The Yankees have a legitimate shot at getting back to the playoffs by being the division champions or by Wild Card. The Tampa Bay Rays also have a shot at both and the Toronto Blue Jays has a shot at the Wild Card also, but the Yankees are clearly ahead in the Wild Card race. Before their series started with the Angels, the Yankees and Red Sox were tied with 51-34 records. The Red Sox winning three of four against the Royals, combined with the Yankees being swept, have propelled the Red Sox three games above the Yankees for first place.

Sanchez Throws No-Hitter

Jonathan Sanchez of the San Francisco Giants threw the first no-hitter of the season, blanking the San Diego Padres in an 8-0 Giants win. Sanchez was demoted to the bullpen earlier this season and was only pitching because he was taking the spot of Randy Johnson, who was put on the disabled list earlier this week. Sanchez almost had the perfect game. That was messed up in the eighth inning by an error from Juan Uribe. In the ninth inning, Aaron Rowand made a jumping catch at the center field wall to rob Edgar Gonzalez of a hit. Sanchez didn't walk any batters and struck out 11 batters.

This is very impressive for Sanchez and for the pitching staff of the Giants. The Giants have two outstanding pitchers in Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain. Randy Johnson, who is a likely Hall of Famer once he retires, has also been serviceable in their rotation. If Sanchez can pitch close to what he did tonight against the Padres, the Giants will be a legitimate team in the National League and will have a huge shot at winning the NL wild card.

They are far from winning the National League West division, which the Los Angeles Dodgers have controlled all year. That doesn't mean the Giants can't contend in the postseason if they make it as a wild card team. The Dodgers last year swept the Chicago Cubs, who had the best record in the National League. Baseball is unpredictable, and anything can happen. The Giants, just as much as any other team, can be a legit World Series team if they keep up this outstanding starting pitching.

Lots of People Pay Tribute To McNair

Thousands of people showed up at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee to pay tribute to Steve McNair in a memorial. Derrick Mason, current receiver for the Baltimore Ravens, who was McNair's teammate with the Tennessee Titans and Ravens, spoke at the memorial. Jeff Fisher, current head coach of the Titans and McNair's head coach with the Titans for 11 years, also spoke at the memorial. Many of his former teammates, including Eddie George, Frank Wycheck, and Jevon Kearse showed up, in addition to current players on the team like Vince Young.

I think that it is important for people who knew McNair best, such as Mason, Fisher and other former teammates and friends, to remember him for what he was for most of his life. McNair certainly made a mistake misinforming his wife of their relationship, and having a relationship with another woman. However, no one deserves to be killed that way. McNair found himself messing with someone who wasn't mentally stable. It's sad that she wanted to take away someone's life in addition to committing suicide.

People who have suicidal thoughts should seek counseling or should see guidance from family and loved ones. If that doesn't work, they should not be inclined to take away the life of someone else just because they're going to take away their own life. A situation similar to this happened in 1989 when Major League Baseball pitcher Donnie Moore shot his wife three times but wasn't successful at killing her. Shortly after, he ended up committing suicide with his sons in the house. Moore was looking to take himself out and his wife, which is wrong. Don't make another family suffer for something you want to do to yourself.

Marion, Turkoglu Reportedly In Four Team Deal

The Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic are reportedly going to be involved in a four-team trade that would send Raptors' forward Shawn Marion to the Mavericks and Magic's forward Hedo Turkoglu to the Raptors. Since Turkoglu is a free agent, he will sign with the Magic, and the Magic will then trade him to the Raptors. The Grizzlies would get Jerry Stackhouse, Quincy Douby and money. The Raptors, in a addition to getting Turkoglu, would get Devean George and Antoine Wright. Kris Humphries and Greg Buckner will join the Mavericks in the trade.

The major players in this trade are the Mavericks and the Raptors. For the Mavericks, they get a forward who can work with the offense in Marion, who did the same with the Phoenix Suns. They also get rid of Stackhouse, who has been a bench warmer for about two seasons now. For the Raptors, they get a big piece in Turkoglu to work with Chris Bosh, but they also get George and Wright. Wright can fill a void that's going to be left by Anthony Parker, who is expected to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

This is a good trade by the Raptors because they add a piece in Turkoglu that probably makes Bosh think about staying with the team instead of entering the 2010 free agency pool. This deal also makes the Raptors contenders for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Mavericks have not been shy about making moves, re-signing Jason Kidd, agreeing with Marcin Gortat and now trading for Marion. They are looking to make a run in the Western Conference, where they were eliminated in the second round last year by the Denver Nuggets.

Pistons To Hire Kuester

The Detroit Pistons have reportedly found their new head coach. They are reportedly going to hire John Kuester, formerly an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Kuester was an assistant with the Pistons under Larry Brown when they won the 2004 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, and the next season when they lost the 2005 NBA Finals to the San Antonio Spurs. Kuester was an assistant this past season with the Cavaliers, who had a 66-16 record but lost to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pistons other option, former Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson, stopped negotiations with the team.

This has to be a worthless move for the Pistons and Joe Dumars is clearly confused and clearly showing that he should not deserve credit for the success of this Pistons team. When Dumars fired Michael Curry after one season, he said that the Pistons need experienced coaching. He had a chance to get Avery Johnson, but could not come to a deal. He instead gets John Kuester, who, just like Curry, had no previous head coaching experience at the NBA level. The Pistons don't accomplish much by getting him and this may mean, down the line, players like Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince will demand a trade.

The reason the Pistons and Johnson broke off negotiations was because the Pistons still owe Curry for two more years and they had to pay Flip Saunders for terminating him in the middle of his contract. Johnson demanded at least a four year deal, to have a chance to build this team from the bottom up. Dumars wanted a rent-a-coach so the Pistons won't have to pay big money. Dumars needs to stop firing coaches and come up with a plan for his team so they can succeed in the future.

NL Home Run Derby Participants Announced

The participants in the Home Run Derby for the National League will be Albert Pujols of the hometown St. Louis Cardinals, Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers, Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies, and Adrian Gonzalez of the San Diego Padres. All four of these players are first basemen, clearly showing the power in the league is coming from the first basemen. The American League participants will be announced tomorrow. Pujols leads the majors in home runs with 31 home runs and Howard won the 2006 Home Run Derby in Pittsburgh.

I am surprised Gonzalez and Fielder decided to take part in the derby. It looked to me as if the players were beginning to shy away from the event because it was messing up with their swing. Fielder is a player who is needed on the Brewers team who is looking to make the playoffs for the second straight season. Gonzalez is the best hitter on the Padres and he is one of the best hitters, if not the best behind Pujols, in the National League.

Pujols has to be careful that his swing won't be messed up. He was a participant in the event before, so it shouldn't be much of a problem. He clearly partipated because he plays for the Cardinals and the event and the All-Star Game will be in St. Louis. Howard most likely participated because he was born and raised in St. Louis. However, Howard is still not swinging the bat in his career with efficiency, and instead of taking part in this event, he should work on his swing. He strikes out way too much and this could mess up his swing, even though it didn't happen before.

Former NFL Star McNair Killed

Former NFL quarterback Steve McNair was found dead, along with a female who was also found dead, in a condominium in Nashville. McNair was found around 1:30pm central time, after calls that were made to him weren't answered. McNair was just 36 years old. McNair was drafted third overall by the Houston Oilers in the 1995 NFL Draft. He became a starter when the Oilers moved to Tennessee. They became the Tennessee Titans in 1999, and in that season, he led them to their only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, which they famously lost when Kevin Dyson was tackled at the one-yard line as time expired down 23-16. He played his last two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.

McNair made the Pro Bowl three times and was the co-MVP of the NFL in 2003 with Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. McNair spent his career with the Titans franchise from 1995-2006. He moved on and joined the Baltimore Ravens in 2006 via a trade. He led the Ravens to a 13-3 record, but was eliminated by the eventual champion Indianapolis Colts in the second round. He retired following the 2007 NFL season, and recently opened up his own restaurant in Nashville. McNair leaves behind a wife and four kids.

This is shocking news because this is one of a few NFL players who I would've never thought this would happen to. It's sad that someone wanted to take his life. It's sad when anybody decides to kill anybody, not just celebrities and athletes. I don't think McNair would get in the Hall of Fame even after his death. His career was good, but didn't exactly warrant being in the Hall of Fame. However, he did exhibit toughness matched by few NFL players. He repeatedly played through injuries and was always effective enough to lead his team to victory. He brought this franchise from an unknown to being talked about every year, even after he left. He did a lot for that franchise.

Manny Returns

Manny Ramirez of the Los Angeles Dodgers has returned to action after being suspended for 50 games for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. He was suspended on May 7, about two months ago, to the shock and dismay of people and fans all over the country. Ramirez did not provide a big bang in his return game today against the San Diego Padres. He went 0 for 3 with a walk and he was taken out in the sixth inning by manager Joe Torre. Ramirez has been getting ready for big league action by playing minor league games for about a week.

It was incredible the response Ramirez got in his first game back. The Dodgers played in San Diego against the Padres, and there were cheers coming from the crowd when he was announced before his first at-bat. Those cheers came from Dodgers fans, who traveled from Los Angeles to see Ramirez's return. Alex Rodriguez, who admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs, got boos in his return from his hip injury, but got cheers from the home crowd in his first home game.

I think performance-enhancing drugs has taken on a life of its own. This will go down as the steroid era, and a lot of people are disappointed with the famous steroid users and suspected steroid users like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. I don't condone taking these drugs to enhance your performance, but I think their performances has done good to the sport of baseball. The fact that Congress always seem to be jumping at the opportunity to hold congressional meetings on steroid use in sports. They need to worry about the economic state in the country right now, where unemployment has reached over nine percent. This is where Congress goes wrong. They worry about people making millions, but not people who are barely able to survive.

Artest To Lakers, Ariza To Rockets

In what may seem like a trade, Ron Artest will join the Los Angeles Lakers and Trevor Ariza will join the Houston Rockets. It wasn't by trade however. Artest agreed to sign with the Lakers on a three-year deal worth around $18 million. Ariza decided to sign with the Rockets to a five-year deal worth around $33.5 million. Ariza felt disrespected after the Lakers decided to offer him the mid-level exception. He felt he should've been paid more and then turned his interest into other teams. He signed for around the mid-level exception with the Rockets.

The signing of Ron Artest is a great one. Their team was already a championship-contending team going into next season as it stood. Now they put themselves in a great position to repeat. I don't think the Rockets are getting much in Trevor Ariza. He had a good season, especially in the second half of the season and in the playoffs, but Ariza should not be counted on to do many things. He is great at jumping passing lanes, but he is not a great defender. His offense is limited as well, and he has no superstar like Kobe Bryant to feed off of.

The signing of Ariza, in two to three years, will come out to be the most overrated signing in this years free agency period. There's not much that Ariza offers that will help the Rockets. Losing Artest's scoring will hurt the Rockets. If Yao Ming doesn't play next season or for the rest of his career, the Rockets need to start their rebuilding plans, which means getting rid of Shane Battier and Tracy McGrady. They want to trade McGrady now, but they can wait until his contract comes off the books and then let him enter free agency next year. They need to get young players in a deal involving Battier, but he doesn't have much value.

Pistons Reportedly Get Gordon and Villanueva

Ben Gordon, formerly of the Chicago Bulls, and Charlie Villanueva, formerly of the Milwaukee Bucks, have reportedly agreed to five year deals with the Detroit Pistons. Gordon, who threated to leave the Bulls last offseason, had enough of the Bulls. He was clearly looking to leave the team and sign elsewhere, and the Pistons showed great interest in him. Both players met with the Pistons on the first day of free agency, and both were offered contracts they wouldn't deny. Gordon's contract is reportedly worth $55 million over five years and Villanueva's deal is worth $40 million over five years.

I was very interested to see what the Pistons would do because of their bad season this past year, combined with the fact they were losing Allen Iverson and Rasheed Wallace to free agency. This is what they did, and I am impressed with the signing of Gordon. Gordon can become the scorer for the Pistons. Gordon has shown how clutch he is as well in the playoffs and in years past. Gordon could end up averaging at least 20 points a game, along with Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton scoring. Of course, Hamilton or Gordon would have to come off the bench.

They also picked up Villanueva, which is a good move because they get a role player. However, I don't think Villanueva is worth more than the mid-level exception, which is around $5 million per season. The Pistons overspent to get him and they made end up trading him in two to three years, if not closer. Even with these moves, I can't envision the Pistons making the playoffs. They don't have the players necessary to get to the playoffs, even though they got Gordon, who has been to the playoffs numerous times. This team would be a work in progress with the new additions.

Pistons Fire Curry

The Detroit Pistons have fired head coach Michael Curry only after one season. The Pistons were 39-43 this past season, making the playoffs as an eighth seed. They were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round, with all games being a double-digit margin. The Pistons, a year ago, were 59-23 and lost to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals in six games. Earlier this past season, they traded Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson. The trade worked out great for the Nuggets, but it turned out terrible for the Pistons.

I think people who want to be head coaches should be very concerned if they are being pursued by the Pistons. Pistons president Joe Dumars doesn't show any patience with head coaches at all. In 2002 and 2003, the Pistons won 50 games under Rick Carlisle. They lost to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and then lost to the New Jersey Nets in the Eastern Conference Finals the next year. That wasn't enough for Dumars, as he proceeded to fire Carlisle after that. They hired Larry Brown, which was the best choice. Brown led them to an NBA Finals victory in 2004 over the Los Angeles Lakers, and they went to the Finals again, losing to the San Antonio Spurs in 2005 in seven games. However, Brown was fired by the Pistons after the Finals lost for not being committed to the Pistons, apparently talking to the Cleveland Cavaliers about a job.

They then proceeded to hire Flip Saunders. They won 64 games in Saunders' first year in 2006. However, they lost to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals despite lofty expectations. The next year, they had the top seed in the Eastern Conference again. However, they lost again in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Cavaliers. They went on to lose in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Celtics the next year and Dumars had enough. He fired Saunders and hired Curry, who was Saunders assistant. After one season of transition, Dumars showed no patience and fired him immediately. Dumars was once regarded as a great executive for bringing in Richard Hamilton, Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace, guys who failed to live up to expectations before coming to the Pistons. But his impatience with this team isn't helping this team grow at all. If I want to be a coach, I am not going to the Pistons because of Dumars.