Justice: Add Miquel Tejada to Wade’s list of woes

To Ed Wade’s list of mistakes, add the name of Miguel Tejada. Put another $26 million on the general manager’s tab.

Six weeks ago, Tejada looked like Wade’s best acquisition. He was productive and energetic on the field and a delight in the clubhouse. Lance Berkman was among several players effusive in his praise of his new teammate. Snapshot evaluations during a marathon of a season can be wildly inaccurate. Tejada is hitting .220 in the last 40 games and has declined defensively as well. Maybe this is nothing more than an extended slump. Maybe he’ll snap out of it and become the player he was at the beginning of the season.

But he looks like a shadow of the guy he once was. His play declined significantly last season in Baltimore, so the Astros would be justified in wondering what he still has left.

They were warned. Seldom have scouts offered so many different views as they did of Tejada. Some believed he only needed a change of scenery. Others thought he was on his way downhill. Wade apparently had no doubts, telling reporters he’d personally scouted him and was certain of what he was getting.

Acquiring a player, especially an aging player, accused of using steroids is a risk because it’s impossible to know how his body will react. Unless Tejada turns it around, he’ll be a cautionary tale for every other GM.

In the immortal words of Sergio Leone..."Giù la testa!”

Ex-Sox Frank Thomas hopes for retired ‘35’

Just as Dick Kenworthy feels he’s uhh, worthy...ok, guess not.

And that brings us to Frank Thomas, the greatest hitter in White Sox history, who had a running media battle with the Sox when he was dumped after the 2005 season. But Thomas says now he would like to see his No. 35 be painted on the outfield wall near Fisk’s.

“Of course I would,” he said. “All the shenanigans that have gone on, that’s over in my mind. When you played 16 years like I did, saying goodbye is always going to be tough. I realize that now.

“I’m not a kid now; I’m 40 years old. So I respect and understand what went on. But you can’t take away what happened here for 16 years. This town made me, this organization made me. So there’s no disrespect at all.”

Thomas, now with the A’s, leads the Sox all-time in doubles, home runs, runs and walks. He said if he goes into the Hall of Fame, it will be in a White Sox hat. He says he and Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf “are fine and there’s no problem.”

“For me, I was upset that year [I left],” he said. “It’s over. You move on.”

Posnanski:  The Grady Chronicles

Another look at the “Why is this productive player hitting leadoff?” debate, only with Grady Sizemore instead of Soriano, Granderson, or McLouth.

Here’s what I see: Grady Sizemore this year has hit 16 of his 21 homers with nobody on base. He has had only 53 at-bats with runners in scoring position. Heck DAVID DELUCCI in 150 fewer plate appearances has 60 at-bats with runners in scoring position. Casey Blake — hitting sixth, seventh, eighth and even ninth — has had 70 at-bats with runners in scoring position. Ryan Garko, who has been really struggling, has had 75 at-bats with runners in scoring position. Even Ben Francisco has had more at-bats with runners in scoring position.

Just good to see a Cleveland story that doesn’t involve C.C. Sabathia.

Love you, Joe!  And, I agree:  Florida has the worst drivers.

PPG:  Kovacevic:  200 and bust for many starters

The evils of Bakerism…

Nineteen National League pitchers logged 200-plus innings in 2007, with Snell tied for ninth at 208 and Gorzelanny 17th with 201 2/3. The list included most of the league’s top overall performers, with Brandon Webb, Jake Peavy, Aaron Harang, Carlos Zambrano, Roy Oswalt, John Smoltz, Brad Penny, Jeff Francis, Dontrelle Willis ...

Hey, seeing a pattern yet?

By any standard, but especially with a 21-year-old, that is extraordinary handling of a pitcher, and there is a widely held view within the industry that this example and others reflect poorly on Fresno State’s sixth-year coach, Mike Batesole, despite his team having won the NCAA championship two weeks ago.

Gerrymandering…

On its surface, it might appear the Pirates are intent on stocking all their Latin American signings on one minor-league affiliate, that being Bradenton of the rookie-level Gulf Coast League: Bradenton’s 33-man roster includes 20 players in that category, most freshly arrived from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

By contrast, State College, the next level up in the short-season New York-Penn League, has a 31-man roster with eight players in that category.

and conspiracy theory.

The numbers will show the Pirates have been lousy in the first inning, getting outscored, 62-35. But that discrepancy is not so great at home, where they have been outscored, 30-20.

There might be something to that.

Ask the players, and they will attest that, for a standard 7:05 p.m. game at PNC Park, any lingering sunshine during the first inning can create a dazzling glare off certain Downtown buildings that makes life miserable for hitters, especially visitors unaccustomed to it.

Trifecta!

JS Online: Hunt: Brewers: Taking a cue from history

Of course, this was on Doug Melvin’s mind as he continued to balance the merits and demerits of renting the services of one Carsten Charles Sabathia for the final 74 or so games of the season.

Matt LaPorta might not be the latter-day concept of David Green, mostly because the Brewers’ farm system has become that good. But it’s fair to say LaPorta is up there. LaPorta is ahead of Ryan Braun’s minor-league pace, which is saying something.

LaPorta could become the next Willie Mays. He also could become the next Willie Mays Hayes, Wesley Snipes’ erratic character in the baseball movie they filmed in what is now a parking lot out back. Jeff Francoeur was just sent to Double-A ball by the Atlanta Braves. Mike Piazza was drafted in the 62nd round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Point is, you never know.

And then there’s this…

On a wholly different topic, Brewers manager / philosopher Ned Yost said Saturday: “It’s baseball. It’s different every day. It’s the beauty of the game. Nothing that was today will be like tomorrow. That’s why it’s so much fun. It’s not like going to a concert.”

Yes, Ned Christagoof is right! Saw The Feelies cover Wire’s “Outdoor Miner” (mining same stop/start cascading geetar smeglasound) the other day...then found out they had also played it the night before!

LoHud: Abraham: When all the stars come out, Mariano Rivera deserves honorary start

But, but...can Mariano handle the pressure of NOT having a lead? (toy pinstriped Datsun bullpen car whizzes by)

Here’s an idea that would make the game even more special: Name Mariano Rivera the starting pitcher for the American League.

Yes, we know, Rivera is a closer. But he also has been the best pitcher in the American League for more than a decade now. Here is an opportunity for his greatness to be recognized at his home ballpark in front of a worldwide audience.

...But this goes beyond strategy. For all he has done in baseball, Rivera curiously has been left out at awards time. He has not won the MVP Award or Cy Young Award, and he was the World Series MVP only once in the four times the Yankees have won the title during his tenure. He has won a few of those Rolaids Relief Awards, but nobody gets too excited about that. This could be his last chance to get some real recognition. We’re talking about one of the best players in the history of the game, the best relief pitcher ever. Has any professional athlete ever been better at his job?

N.Y. Daily News: Spector: Rounding the bases vs. being on base

Much like LMD’s “The Low Murderer is Out At Night”...Ryan Howard is grinding away to somewhere peculiar.

So what about Howard, who is still two and a half seasons away from free agency? His power is not an out-of-nowhere phenomenon like Batista or Sprague. He’s looking more like a modern-day Kingman or Rob Deer. Howard’s career OPS+ is 142, far above Kingman’s 115, but certainly trending downward. In fact, it’s trending downward enough that I have to wonder at this point in his career whether Howard will join this list - the most homers for a hitter with a career OPS+ mark of 120 or lower:

Dave Kingman:     442 HR, 115 OPS+ 
Andre Dawson:     438 HR, 119 OPS+ 
Cal Ripken:       431 HR, 112 OPS+ 
Darrell Evans:    414 HR, 119 OPS+ 
Andres Galarraga: 399 HR, 118 OPS+

And now that I’ve compiled this list, it’s the first time that I’ve questioned myself for my opinion that Dawson should be in the Hall of Fame.

The next five on that list are Joe Carter, Graig Nettles, Harold Baines, Matt Williams and Carlton Fisk. So of the top 10 on that list, the only Hall of Famers are Ripken and Fisk, each of whom played a premium position in the field - and each of whom, I believe, could be argued against as Hall of Famers on the basis of their impressive career statistical totals being a result of abnormal longevity.

TBO:  Lancaster:  Rays Plotting Move

Friedman, however, dismissed that sort of pre-emptive second-guessing as “outcome-based instead of the process,” saying the Rays need to figure out now how they would fill potential holes in the coming months and move accordingly

That sounds much more business-like than baseball-like.  Somewhere, TLR is frowning.

Postgame audio: The Moose is loose

At one point, a writer asked Mike what he was doing differently this season.

“I changed everything! Everything I do!” Mussina said with a chuckle. “Well not quite everything, I still throw right-handed. But it was suggested that I change.”

SD Union-Tribune: Peavy, Hairston rattle D-backs

Swatting a third-inning pitch into the smaller of two pools beyond the wall in right-center at Chase Field, [Scott] Hairston sent Peavy and the Padres toward a 4-2 victory over the Diamondbacks.
...
Hairston assisted Peavy again leading off the sixth. This time he sent Davis’ fastball into the left-field seats for his 11th home run. Hairston also doubled as part of a barrage that showed he can still be dangerous, despite losing playing time to rookie Chase Headley.
...
The big picture for the Padres (35-53) remains cloudy, but they are painting some sunshine into the clouds. Led by starting pitchers Cha Seung Baek and Peavy, who combined for 13 scoreless innings, they have won the first two games of the series. The last time they won two in a row on the road was May 30-31 at San Francisco.

They also have moved to eight games out of first place. The Diamondbacks (43-45) are still atop the National League West, but they are trending downward. They are in the midst of a third consecutive losing month.

Shortstop Who’s Been There Sees (Jose) Reyes in His Own Image (RR)

Before becoming one of baseball’s best leadoff hitters, Jimmy Rollins had to bat seventh or eighth for the Philadelphia Phillies. Before becoming the clubhouse bedrock, he had to endure criticism from teammates. Before winning the Most Valuable Player award last season, he had to hit .245.

Which is why Rollins said he was not at all concerned about the Mets’ mercurial shortstop, José Reyes.

“Sometimes it takes a year or two, but with me, it took three,” Rollins said in a recent interview. “I was the same way until I figured out who the heck I was. I could run, I could play, I was fast, but it was all raw ability. But now, I’m showing off my raw ability, with learning, with knowledge. I’ve learned the game. I understand the game. You come out of that, you’re a completely different player.”

Since 2006:

Reyes: .291/.354/.459, 112 OPS+, .853 RZR, 171 SB, 78.4 SB%.
Rollins: .284/.338/.494 108 OPS+, .820 RZR, 96 SB, 90.6 SB%.

Rollins is a very fine player but the implication that he is what Jose Reyes should strive to be is silly.

Boston Herald: Streaking Pedroia won’t slow down

“If there’s an audience to be found
He’ll be streakin’ around
Invitin’ public critique”

Red Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan went so far as to put Pedroia in a far more exclusive class, one that includes one of the most accomplished hitters of all time.

“Tony Gwynn,” Magadan said. “They’re actually pretty similar in that way. They have a way of manipulating the bat and getting the bat head to the ball. . . .

“When you watch (Pedroia) take batting practice, he just has a way to get that good part of the bat on the ball almost every time. If he takes 30-35 swings in BP, he probably squares up 30 of ’em. He’s just got tremendous hand-eye coordination.”

All of that leads to an obvious question: How long before Pedroia wins a batting title?

...“He hit .317 last year and there’s no reason why (he can’t win a batting title). He’s got it in him,” Magadan said. “I’d rather let it play out than set lofty goals for him, but he’s got it in him.”

Newsday: Maine injures elbow, Church out but Mets win

The Mets won a game in rousing fashion and lost two players in bizarre fashion Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park.

John Maine walked off the mound in the sixth inning after grabbing his left (non-throwing) elbow three times. The Mets called the odd injury a forearm cramp.

Then there was this ominous announcement in the eighth inning: Ryan Church left the game because of dizziness.
...
The Mets scored three runs in the eighth and three in the ninth to overcome a 4-3 deficit. It could end up being one of their best wins of the season. It also could end up being one of their most costly if they lose their No. 3 starter and rightfielder for any length of time.

Yahoo!:  Fielder drives in game-winner for Brewers

MILWAUKEE (AP)—Prince Fielder singled in Rickie Weeks with one out in the bottom of the ninth and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 on Saturday night for their second straight win.

Hindsight being 20/20 and all, I probably would have walked Fielder to face Hart, who was hitless.

Tyler Yates came in for the ninth.  Yahoo! lists Damaso Marte as the Bucs’ closer, but he doesn’t seem like a great option.  Said it before, say it again:  Joe Borowski fits here, at least for the rest of the season, without Matt Capps.

Maholm, the lefty who has a 2.43 ERA over his past seven starts, allowed only Mike Cameron’s solo homer in the second while giving up four hits and striking out six.

The one recent bright spot from the starting pitching, and it’s being wasted.

And

The Brewers then got caught in a baserunning blunder when Jason Kendall hit a chopper up the middle. Shortstop Jack Wilson threw to third and caught Hall in a rundown. Jose Bautista tagged Hall and alertly fired to first, where Kendall had made the turn and couldn’t avoid being tagged out by Adam LaRoche.

If Brian Schneider had done this, he’d never hear the end of it.

MIL Journal-Sentinel blog: Brewers waiting for Indians’ reply

Doesn’t seem like the C.C. Sweepstakes is going to last too long, however it ends.

I just spoke with general manager Doug Melvin who told me he’s waiting to see if the Cleveland Indians will accept his trade proposal for left-hander C.C. Sabathia.

“Mark said he’d be in touch with me,” said Melvin, referring to Cleveland general manager Mark Shapiro. “I’m sure they’ve got to think through everything.”
...
Sabathia’s next scheduled start for the Indians is Tuesday, and he threw a bullpen session Saturday in preparation for that outing. But No. 5 starter Jeremy Sowers, whose next turn is being skipped, also threw a bullpen, providing a Plan B should Sabathia be traded before Tuesday.
...
Melvin expects to hear soon whether he’s the winner in the Sabathia sweepstakes. “They’re probably going through all the offers from every club,” said Melvin. “Their owner probably has to get involved, too. Only Cleveland has the answers.”

I got the feeling that Melvin expects to hear back by Sunday or Monday, at the latest.

MLB.com: Wood can’t close out Cardinals

Rick Ankiel smacked a walk-off two-run single in the ninth inning off Wood to spark the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-4, come-from-behind victory over the Cubs on Saturday, and close to 2 1/2 games in the National League Central.
...
“He almost got out of it,” Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. “You walk the first two hitters in an inning, you get yourself in trouble right from the get go. We weren’t sure if Kennedy was going to bunt or not bunt, and he hits the ball by the first baseman. Then the two-out hit by Ankiel—tough loss.

“All I know is it didn’t work out today, that’s all.”

Wood had converted 12 straight save opportunities, and entered the game with a road ERA of 1.83. He has now converted 22 of 27 save situations.

KC Star: Guillen and McClure separated after exchanging harsh words in clubhouse before game

Outfielder José Guillen initiated a near-brawl with pitching coach Bob McClure in the Royals’ clubhouse before Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Witnesses said no blows were exchanged, but the two had to be separated after exchanging heated words. Guillen remained in the lineup as the designated hitter.

Guillen is thought to have been upset at what he considered excessive supervision by coaches in the clubhouse. The coaches’ lockers in the visitors’ clubhouse at Tropicana Filed are located alongside the players’ lockers.

Witnesses said Guillen knocked over a chair near his locker and began talking in a loud voice. When McClure told Guillen to be quiet, Guillen responded by knocking over another chair and moving toward McClure.

MLB.com: Crosby hits DL with sore left hamstring

He’s just finally making his way to the DL in JULY?!?!?!  Where is the Bobby Crosby we thought we knew?

Bobby Crosby took a couple of swings in batting practice, felt his strained left hamstring “bite” and figured he was headed for the disabled list. Crosby, the only Athletics player to start the first 84 games of the season, is disappointed about it, too.

“I was loving playing every day,” said Crosby, whose place at shortstop has been taken by Donnie Murphy.
...
Crosby, who is batting .260 with four homers, 26 doubles and 39 RBIs, plans to rehab aggressively and return when the second half of the A’s season begins, against the Yankees in New York on July 18.

Crosby has made six trips to the DL since 2005, a season after he played in 151 games and won the American League Rookie of the Year.

Houston Chronicle: Oswalt returns to Houston, will miss another start

Astros righthander Roy Oswalt flew to Houston this morning to have his ailing left hip examined and will miss his next scheduled start Tuesday. Brandon Backe will start in his place.

Oswalt, who left Monday’s game with a strained left hip abductor, saw back specialist Dr. Mike McCann in Houston and will rejoin the team Sunday in Atlanta. He will throw off flat ground Monday and throw a bullpen session Tuesday before being re-evaluated.
...
Oswalt would only be able to make one start before the All-Star break, but the Astros would put him on the disabled list if they have any doubts about his health. “We’re not going to do anything to put him in jeopardy,” Wade said.
...
Oswalt is 7-8 with a 4.60 ERA in 18 starts this year.

MLB.com: Van Benschoten to fill Gorzelanny’s spot

Tom Gorzelanny’s loss serves to potentially be John Van Benschoten’s gain. With the Pirates’ decision to option Gorzelanny to Triple-A on Saturday, Van Benschoten stands in line to be the immediate replacement in the rotation.
...
Though Gorzelanny had not proven the ability to pitch effectively in the Majors this season, the question was asked of Huntington as to whether putting Van Benschoten into the rotation would give the team a better chance of winning every fifth day.

“We got to a point where we’re not talking about Tom Gorzelanny with 14 wins and 200-plus innings last year,” Huntington answered. “We’re talking about a pitcher that is running out there with, unfortunately, nearly a 6.50 ERA, so that’s what we’re replacing.”

NY Post: Jeter, A-Rod To Start In All-Star Game

The Post has learned the identity of every All-Star Game vote winner from the AL and NL for the July 15 game at Yankee Stadium and the starting pitchers.

Major League Baseball will announce tomorrow that Derek Jeter Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez Alex Rodriguez will start for the AL club at short and third, respectively, and that there are no Mets New York Mets among the NL starters. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera will be named with the other pitchers and reserves. The plan is for Rivera to pitch the final All-Star inning in Yankee Stadium history.
...
Arizona right-hander Brandon Webb will start for the NL and Cleveland lefty Cliff Lee goes for the AL.

N.Y. Times: Glanville: Doubleday and Darwin (RR)

Inherit the Windup...the latest dandy from Doug Glanville.

There are quantifiable skills that can make someone naturally compatible with the rules of the game, but it’s almost more important to be adaptable. Baseball can update pretty dramatically for a National Pastime. It has the ability to stay both classic and current, without contradiction. On the table of baseball rule changes for late this season is the instant replay, intended to help umpires on difficult home run calls. In the end, if it’s added to the rule book, the game will go on; players — and umpires — who don’t adapt won’t.

As the game changes, what is deemed “talent” changes right along with it. A player is discovered only in the shadow of these rules — rules that were invented and that have matured over time.

If I were to make my baseball experience the basis of answering the question about discovery vs. invention posed by my high school math teacher, I’d say that math was discovered . . . through the lens of our invention.

N.Y. Times: Robinson: The Adventures of an Autograph Hunter (RR)

Alex Belth told me recently of his visit with the incomparable Ray Robinson and his amazing autograph collection. My Bill Voss siggy seems kinda weak now.

Every so often, there was an unanticipated contretemps. In another hotel lobby some weeks later, I asked Robert Moses Grove for his autograph. Then pitching for the Red Sox, Lefty Grove was one of the game’s incomparable southpaw pitchers — the Sandy Koufax of his time. He also possessed a volcanic temper.

At the moment I approached him, Grove was decked out in an egg-white Panama suit. Thrusting my autograph book into Grove’s hand, I turned to a page devoted to pictures of him. I asked politely if he would sign for me as I handed him my pen. He took the pen and signed Lefty Grove.

But as he returned the pen and book to me, he gazed down at his pants. A rivulet of dark, blue ink had dribbled down from his fly to his right knee.

Ashen-faced, Grove grabbed me, not so gently, by the back of the neck. In my panic, I thought he was about to fling me across the lobby at 100 miles per hour, a smidgen faster than his fearsome fastball. Instead, thank heaven, he thought better of it.

“I don’t ever want to see you again!” Grove said with a growl.

I made certain he never did.

Man Allegedly Beats Accused Yankees Fan With Bat

America the Beautiful, indeed.

A group of youths allegedly attacked a dad and his family on the Fourth of July after accusing them of being Yankees fans.

Falmouth police said Robert Correia, 20, and several other young men approached a family in their car, which had New York plates, and began to harass them about being Yankees fans.

According to police, the family was unable to move their car away from the group because they were stuck in post-fireworks traffic. The dad asked the group to go away because his kids were in the car, police said, but the alleged attackers would not leave him alone.

Correia and the group allegedly assaulted the dad with a baseball bat. He sustained a head injury and other injuries as a result of the attack. The car was also vandalized, police said.

Correia is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and malicious destruction to a motor vehicle. He will be arraigned in Falmouth District Court on Monday.

Tulowitzki to DL due to shard from bat

Tulowitzki required surgery after slamming a bat that shattered and splintered into a thumb. The emotional reaction came after he was taken out of Friday’s 18-17 win against Florida. He will be out an unspecified time

No word if maple or ash were involved.

Neville Hobson: Baseball for dummies (Video)

Meet the next Commissioner of Baseball...Wolfgang Luenenbuerger!

As you may imagine, an Englishman watching a baseball game in America without understanding it much - and which, to underscore my ignorance, I referred to as a ‘match’ - is a potential setup for some amusement, perhaps akin to the stuff we tend to dish out to visiting Americans about cricket.

Add a German to the mix and the potential for amusement gets quite large.

Luckily, my fellow European Wolfgang Luenenbuerger and I had the benefit of the wisdom of our host, Marshall Manson, who ably explained how the game works.

And I captured it all on video.

Along with Wolfgang’s and Marshall’s fellow Edelman colleagues Rick Murray, Monty Lutz and Erin Caldwell - also stars of the video - I was in Chicago to participate in Edelman’s New Media Academic Summit 2008.

Pirates Sign Colombian prospect Barrios

The Pirates yesterday signed Colombian shortstop Jonathan Barrios, one of the top 25 prospects in Latin America according to two publications.

No financial terms were available for the bonus, but it might rank as the highest in franchise history for an international amateur. That would not take much: In an era where seven-figure bonuses for prospects in this category are becoming common in Major League Baseball, the Pirates are known to have signed only one player—possibly two—to six figures.

Management this year installed a sizable increase in the international budget after years of culling next to nothing from the fertile talent pool in Latin America. It also is building a $5 million academy in the Dominican Republic, set to open next summer.

Joining this century in Latin American scouting?  Drafting Pedro Alvarez and subsequently dealing with Scott Boras?  Be still, my beating heart!  I’m opening accounts in both PNC and Huntington Bank on Monday.

MLBlogs: Newman: Statues on Parade Marathon

I saw a couple of these grotesquetimonials to baseball freedom in NYC yesterday...for a second there I thought Trash and Vaudeville had given their local javachef an artsy gig!

What happens when you combine a training run for the New York City Marathon with the Statues on Parade and its 42 replicas of the Statue of Liberty spread all around NYC for the All-Star Game? Join MLB.com’s Mark Newman as he RAN a route to see them all and blogs about it. Get one yourself!

Here is a slideshow of the Statues on Parade Marathon that I ran by myself on July 4, 2008. I ran roughly 26.2 miles starting at 8 a.m. on the Upper West Side, up to Yankee Stadium, down to Battery Park (boat ride to Liberty and Ellis Islands), and back uptown to finish just after 10 p.m. I stopped along the way to see 42 Statues of Liberty on Parade for our MLB All-Star Game and a 43rd—the real Lady Liberty. I will blog more about the details but here are the pics and timestamps.

Another Johan Santana start is wasted as Mets lose to Phillies

I had no idea Santana had been so unlucky this year.

J.A. Happ—Kyle Kendrick 2.0?

Perhaps Santana should do something really crazy and recalibrate what he needs to do from now on. Knowing that his teammates will score only two runs for him, he must allow no more than one. If only it were that simple. The Mets have, in effect, wasted his last six starts, losing them all since June 6, while he has gone 0-4 and posted a 2.48 earned run average.

Over that 40-inning span, the Mets have scored 11 runs while Santana has been on the mound, and the offense that scored 25 runs the last three nights in St. Louis hardly backed him again. They mustered four hits in nine innings, reaching base once after the fifth, as their Nos. 3-5 hitters — David Wright, Carlos Beltrán and Carlos Delgado — combined to hit 0 for 11 with five strikeouts.

“I mean, for obvious reasons, we need to go out and win these games,” Wright said. “It seems like that’s been a fault of ours all year, these close games, these close one-run games, we just haven’t been able to find a way to come out on top.”

The Mets face a daunting task over their next three games. Unless they win all three, they are assured of leaving here in no better shape than when they arrived. The pitching matchup favored them Friday night, as it usually does when Santana pitches, when the Phillies started a left-hander, J. A. Happ, who had the same number of major league starts as Santana had Cy Young awards (two).

Happ and Chad Durbin sort of split up the start, with Durbin going for 2.1 innings, then leaving after the seventh.  You don’t see “long relief” much anymore, unless the game is a blowout.  Why not?

BTW, the Phillies’ blue hats look terrible with the white jerseys.

NYT: Macur: Teaching baseball as a second language in China (RR)

BEIJING — On a dusty, shoddy baseball field here this spring, Jim Lefebvre, manager of the Chinese national baseball team, gathered his players and demonstrated the Red Sox slugger Manny Ramírez’s philosophy on hitting.

“If you hit it here,” Lefebvre said, acting as if he were hitting a ball after it passed his body, “you drive a Chevy.”

“If you hit it here,” he said, pretending to hit the ball as it crossed the middle of the plate, “you drive a Cadillac.”

“But if you hit it here,” he said, pretending to connect a smidgen earlier, “you’re in a Rolls-Royce with a chauffeur! Get it? That’s how much money they have. They don’t count it, they weigh it!”

The players, who speak little English, stood by, looking puzzled. Yi Sheng, the third-base coach and unofficial team interpreter, struggled to relay the story.

His job is to prepare the Chinese national baseball team for the Beijing Olympics, with the pride of the host country and its team at stake. But this is the Chinese squad with the least expectations. The host country receives an automatic baseball berth, which is the only way Lefebvre’s team could have qualified.

...

“It’s really hard for us to get money for our sport from the government,” said Shen Wei, the team’s liaison to the Chinese sports bureau. “Our government would rather pay attention to sports in the Olympics that give many gold medals, or sports where we have a chance to win. We are a low priority. It’s a kind of mental anguish to see that not many people pay attention to baseball in China.”

Very interesting story about the sport that is getting probably the lowest priority of all from the Olympic-crazed Chinese government.  MLB is paying the coaches, for goodness sake.

Tom Lawless, one of China’s coaches, said his team had only six players who could play in the minor leagues. Major league scouts rated the players mostly 2’s on a scale of 1-8. The former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin, another coach, said the players’ talent rated at about a high school or a college level. “They are knowledgeable about the game, but have no attention to detail,” he said.

Lefebvre, who once played a cannibal on an episode of “Gilligan’s Island,” has used his ample charisma to try to convince his players that they could win a game in the Olympics. But it has been a challenge. When he first addressed his players five years ago, they would not even make eye contact. Most of them came to baseball in their teens after failing to advance in two or three other sports, he said.