Juan Pierre, All-Star?

Let's face it: The longer Juan Pierre bangs the ball like he has been this season -- particularly in the last 10 games -- the more likely it is that he could complete the improbable journey from the bench to the All-Star Game in two months.

Not only is a .476 on-base percentage and .554 slugging percentage -- .531 and .674 in his last 10 games, with seven doubles in his last 37 at-bats -- hard to ignore, but Pierre presents himself as almost the ultimate counterpoint to the performance-enhancement cloud that hovers over baseball. While no one expects Pierre to keep playing like an MVP, if he can keep up a large portion of this output, he could find himself at the heart of both a statistical and sentimental All-Star campaign.

I'm not trying to suggest that being an All-Star is a be-all, end-all milestone, but it would certainly represent quite a turn of events.

If you think I'm unhappy that Juan Pierre has played extraordinary baseball for the Dodgers since Manny Ramirez was suspended, you've got me pegged all wrong.  But that doesn't mean I'm ready to assume that the 31-year-old outfielder has suddenly elevated his game.

Pierre's batting average on balls in play in 2009 is .431, more than 100 points above his career level. So gravity is just waiting to have an effect.  Beyond that, I still don't find the 83 plate appearances significant enough to declare a transformation. In 2007, for example, Pierre posted an .801 OPS over 86 plate appearances from April 16 to May 5. Not only does that essentially represent his peak performance as a Dodger before 2009, but in the aftermath, he went back to being plain old Juan Pierre.

You hear some scuttlebutt about a change in approach, but you basically hear that every time a player goes on a hot streak -- so it's hard not to be skeptical that it really means anything.

With the New York press coming to town for this week's Mets series, I'll be curious to see how much coverage Pierre gets. A big three games could really turn him into a national story. Though I wonder whether it's going to be overblown, make no mistake: Pierre has provided a huge boost since Ramirez's suspension, and I hope he keeps hitting the stitches out of the ball.

* * *

Vin Scully nearly followed his broadcasting mentor Red Barber to the Yankees, Keith Olbermann notes at Baseball Nerd.

... "When the Yankees let Mel Allen go in 1964, I got a phone call from the man who they had brought in to run their broadcasting operation, Craig Smith," Vin began. "He had been in charge of the World Series broadcasts forever, so I'd known him about ten years by then. And he asked me if I'd like to come home to New York and become the lead announcer. He offered a very handsome salary, and a long contract.

"Well, I was amazed, as you can imagine. I'd found a wonderful home here in Los Angeles, but remember, this was only seven years after the Dodgers left Brooklyn. I was still a New Yorker through and through. Plus, here was a chance to work again with Red Barber. And recall, too, that this was just before the Yankee dynasty collapsed. As much as Mr. O'Malley had done here and in Brooklyn, the Yankees were still the marquee name in sports. If it had been 1958 or 1959, when I still missed New York so, I would've said yes before he hung up the phone."

"So, I thought long and hard about that one. But I had a young family, and I think we had all just truly adjusted to living here -- takes just about seven years, I think -- and in the end I turned it down." ...

* * *

Sunday, Jason Schmidt turned in his longest pitching performance since Sept. 25, 2006 in a rehab start for the Inland Empire 66ers. Michelle Gardner has details in the San Bernardino Sun:

... Schmidt, 36, went seven strong innings in a rehab start with Inland Empire to lead the Sixers to a 7-3 win over the visiting Lake Elsinore Storm on Sunday afternoon at Arrowhead Credit Union Park.

A crowd of 3,511 that included Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti looked on as Schmidt threw 101 pitches, 63 for strikes. He gave up five hits, struck out six and walked three.

Neither Schmidt nor Sixers pitching coach Charlie Hough knew what the next step would be for Schmidt, but Hough indicated that the oft-injured pitcher might be back to big-league form soon.

"It wouldn't surprise me if he were back up pitching in a meaningful game before the season is over," Hough said. "He was able to go out there and give us 100 pitches five days after a start, so that's a good sign."

Schmidt (1-1) said he felt much the same as he did after Tuesday's start with the Sixers in which he threw 96 pitches over five innings, allowing one earned run and three hits with six strikeouts and four walks.

"I thought his location was better, but maybe his velocity was a little down. I don't know that he's going to be a guy that's going to throw 93 or 94 again," Hough said. ...

* * * 

This year, World Series games will start before 5 p.m. on the West Coast to try to help more kids and East Coast viewers catch the endings. I've long been in favor of this move, believing that it's far more important that everyone see the final innings of a game than the first innings. 

MLB.com noted that this will be the first time in more than three decades that weeknight World Series games will start before 8 p.m. Eastern.  I definitely think this is a sacrifice West Coast viewers can make -- and no doubt, there will be some West Coast families that welcome the change as well.

Photo: Juan Pierre follows through on his two RBI double during the Dodgers game against the Florida Marlins on Sunday. Credit: Rhona Wise/EPA.

Comments

[Lord Skorpio]

So who is worst? Schmidt, Milton or Mota and who you want in the bullpen considering the 5th starter spot was being skipped over?

[Lord Skorpio]

bad english.
"who WOULD you" is what I meant to say

[berkowit28]

LAT'd, and apposite to this new post:

What's odd is if Manny weren't suspended we'd have a genuine DH plus a LF for all those games next month in AL parks. (Although we wouldn't yet have realized it.) Ah well, something to remember if we make it to the World Series.

[underdog]

Soon I will probably say I'd rather have Schmidt. I think Milton has very little upside, and Mota looks terrible. Truth is, though, it's hard to imagine Schmidt being that much better than Milton even, but I think he has slightly more upside and we're already paying him a ton so he'd be the one I'd be most curious about. Not sure how he'd fare in the 'pen, however. Though who knows? That may be a better fit for him.

So I'll say Schmidt, of those rather mediocre choices.

[Branch Rickey]

Amazing how little things affect so much. If that offer to VIn HAD come a few years earlier and he had taken it, would I be a Dodger fan? Hard to say for sure.

[kinbote]

McDonald pitches tonight in Fresno. If my wife weren't 8+ months pregnant I'd probably go. I still wonder if McDonald even knows his future role. I'm thinking the next time he shows up in L.A. it will be as a reliever.

[D4P]

If my wife weren't 8+ months pregnant I'd probably go

Women.

[Kevin Lewis]

I am going to be in the AYCE Pavilion on Tuesday night. I am now expecting to catch Pierre's first home run of the season.

[jpg]

Juan Pierre all star? That is something that had never even crossed my mind until I read Jon's column. Stranger things have happened in baseball but I expect as great as this streak has been, when gravity grabs hold the fall will be even harder.

If he does keep up a semblance of this output, it will setup blogging fuel for the rest of the year as the debate over who should be playing in the outfield accelerates.

If Vin had left in 64 he would have missed the 65 World Championship and then been the voice for years of terrible Yankee teams. Kids nothing, it was the weather.

[Trolley Dodger]

Vin on the Yankees is one of those things like Ronald Reagan starring in Casablanca or Tom Sellick in Blade Runner that are best left unexplored.

[Phenomenal Smith]

Everybody knows that David Soul was the best Rick Blaine.

[Bleacher Seats]

JP is upping his trade value. Maybe come July, the Ds will have a viable option.

[kinbote]

Or Warren Beatty as Michael Corleone . . .

[D4P]

Or Michael Keaton as Batman.

[VA Blueblood]

In the least scientific sense possible (i.e. no data whatsoever) and with a useless sample size (the PAs I've watched in the last week, which is not every game), it appears to me that Pierre is more patient than he's ever been. I really, really, really want some science to back this up--but have none. He's always been good at making contact and the criticism from most fans has always been that if he could get some selectivity to go with that contact ability, he's boost both his OBP (with more walks) and his BA/SLG (by swinging at better pitches to hit).

I SO want to believe this is what we're seeing, that Pierre has finally--out of some combination of desperation and good coaching--figured out how to be patient at the plate. Because if it is, then voila, we have a MLB-worthy bat. But if it's just statistical anomoly, well... let's hope the dice keep coming up in his favor anyhow.

Either way, I find this to be the most interesting aspect of our very good team right now.

[Humma Kavula]

All-Star Juan Pierre is nothing. Start wrapping your minds around "Hall of Famer Juan Pierre." If he can get himself traded to a team that will start him every day for the next five years, and then can put together a longish decline phase, Our Juan still has an outside shot at 3,000 hits.

[Goblue]

My mother and I cast 50 All-Star votes for JP last week!

[Deuces are Wild]

Just imagine Vin working along Suzyn Waldman... and saying in his mellow voice: "Yankees win! Theeeeeeeeeee Yankees win!"

I'll stick with "It's time for Dodger baseball"

[dalegribel]

Bleacher Seats makes a good point. Time will come (July 3), when Slappy McGroundout has to return to the bench. If he can be part of a package to acquire a front of the rotation starter, that would be great.

How long is management and Torre going to live with Mota? The guy wearing his uniform is a sad remnant of the guy that set up Gagne so well.

[Humma Kavula]

One has to wonder: if Vin Scully had moved to the Yankees, would the Yankees be so insufferable today?

[Deuces are Wild]

All-Star Juan Pierre! We will be able to trade him for sure. It sure worked for Lance Carter!

[D4P]

My mother and I cast 50 All-Star votes for JP last week!

And then sat down for a slice warm slice of apple pie.

[blue22]

"History trumps team loyalty."

From the last post, but just wanted to say that the only time I've actively rooted against the Dodgers was the last two innings of the perfect game spun by El Presidente, Dennis Martinez, some years back. I was at the stadium that day, and when Chris Gwynn's long fly ball was caught at the track (he just missed hitting it out too), I erupted in cheers!

[Eric Stephen]

The best case scenario for an opposition no-hitter against the Dodgers was the Mark Gardner game. The fans got to see a no-hitter for nine innings, then a Dodger win.

[jpg]

Last week the Phillies writer for SBnation was linked by by Jon when he wrote an article in detail about how lucky the Dodgers have been defensively.

That writer is one of the finalist for a contract with BP for a year.

"One of our writers, Matt Swarts ("MattS"), was selected to be a finalist in the new Baseball Prospectus Idol competition. Grand prize is $1,000 and a one year contract to write for BP."

Wishing him luck.

[Jack]

After this post, I'd be completely shocked if Juan Pierre didnt go into a 5-50 slump.

Juan Pierre playing well is like a no-hitter.
Dont mention it.

[Hollywood Joe]

Humma: "One has to wonder: if Vin Scully had moved to the Yankees, would the Yankees be so insufferable today? "

A: Yes. Two factors, Steinbrenner family + loud New Yorkers = insufferable

[jpg]

Humma - George would have fired Vinny long ago.

[blue22]

Eric: History aside, man that was a long frustrating weekend. Those Dodger teams sure couldn't hit a lick.

[Eric Stephen]

Blue, the 1991 Dodgers weren't a great offense (95 OPS+), but they did finish 5th (of 12) in the NL in runs scored.

[Jon Weisman]

JPG 10:21 a.m.

I don't recall linking to him. I linked to Tim Malcolm a couple of times.

[delias man]

I wonder why Orel only went 6 in that game.

[DL]

I wonder if Ned will have the spuds to trade Pierre while he's hot, and face the inevitable backlash from local media.

[Phenomenal Smith]

Hershiser was coming back from rotator cuff surgery in 1991 and he didn't go many innings in most of his starts that year.

[Phenomenal Smith]

There's a local media that would criticize Colletti now?

The local media that would criticize Colletti has been winnowed down to Bill Plaschke.

[GoBears]

I agree that it is terrific to see Juan Pierre on this hot streak. It could not have come at a better time, and he's really playing out of his mind.

The player I'm concerned about is Andre Ethier. He carried the team for a while, but now looks lost. Time for Mattingly to earn his money. If AE is hitting like this in a month, expect to see him relegated to 3.5 status.

If I were a betting man, I'd bet on both Ethier (upward) and Pierre (dowward) to revert to the mean before Ramirez returns. But it doesn't mean I can't worry about it in the interim.

[GoBears]

The local media that would criticize Colletti has been winnowed down to Bill Plaschke.

Talk about being right for all the wrong reasons...

[Hollywood Joe]

Crasnick is giving Juan serious love over at ESPN.COM

I am too lazy to tiny URL right now so you will all have to search for it yourselves

HA!

[jason]

"Yeah, like Bizarro Superman, Superman's exact opposite, who lives in the backwards Bizarro world. Up is down, down is up, he says hello when he leaves, goodbye when he arrives."

[kinbote]

We could use a little Ethier slump. It would help keep down his salary next year. ;)

[VA Blueblood]

kinbote, please wash your mouth with soap immediately.

P-Smith, isn't Dodger Thoughts local media?

[Xeifrank]

I like the way Jon is pumping up Juan Pierre in this most recent post. You never know when a GM from another team might be reading and a post like this could help draw attention to Pierre's hot, albeit unsustainable start, thus raising his trade value for when Manny gets back.
vr, Xei

[delias man]

Bob = Tall Encyclopedia

[VA Blueblood]

Oh, and I wanted to add that as an Easterner who will not give in to necessary sleep during the Serious, I am thrilled to read about the start time change. Good on ya, MLB.

[DL]

This is the first fan-friendly move baseball has taken in regards to the World Series in many years. Now, all they need to do is eliminate all the ridiculous off days in October, give HFA to the team with the best record in baseball, and get Fox to shorten their mid-inning commercial breaks from 23 minutes down to, say, 15 minutes.

[kinbote]

White Sox already down 2-0 today. It's getting ugly on the South Side with not much reason to think it'll get any better. As for the Indians, some are predicting this is the day Wedge gets the ax. Oh, and Luke Hochevar isn't very good.

{This concludes your AL Central Minute}

[DL]

As I'm reading my own comment above, it occurs to me that Fox is responsible for all three of those "problems" with the World Series.

MLB really needs to find a new broadcast partner.

[gus2327]

If you can trade JP...big IF. You can then use that money to lock down Orlando Hudson for a couple more years. That is my plan.

What would you do with that JP cash???

[jpg]

Jon my mistake, I could have sworn you had linked to this article.
http://tinyurl.com/o2u9cj

[jpg]

I'm loving Orlando Hudson but I'm not ready to lock him down. Let us see he if can actually play in Sept for the first time since 2006 before we make any long term commitments.

[jpg]

I blame Kim Ng for Andre's current troubles.

[blue22]

My guess is that the "JP cash" is continued to be spent on JP. This hot streak could make Pierre more desirable (as in, not totally and completely untradeable), but not at his current salary, which is still way out of line with other OFers based on this last free agent market.

If the Dodgers want to trade Pierre, I bet they still have to pay as much as 50% of his salary. I'm not sure LA even has the extra prospects to send in lieu of salary, as in the Casey Blake deal. I certainly wouldn't want Pierre paired with Andrew Lambo just to save some money.

[travis]

Slappy is on the front page of ESPN right now.

Way to be them to it, Jon.

[Jon Weisman]

JPG -

Ah, I remember that now. I think Underdog mentioned it in the comments, and then I commented in the comments about how long it was.

[Positive Pete]

I'd rather they spent that money on the draft. I'm still annoyed that the Dodgers didn't draft Rick Porcello.

[Miguel]

Great post Jon. It was great meeting you at the Blogger's night as I, like many others, have enjoyed your work from afar. And thanks for that update on Schmidt.

Juan making the All Star team would be a fantastic thing! Not just for him but for our loyal fans and the kids. His hard work and patience has finally paid off. It would send a great message to the world to see him on the All Star team!

Stop by and check us out sometime, Tony Jackson is back writing again and we are happy to have him on LADodgerTalk.com.

[Jon Weisman]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=4174432

"The mayor of JuanPierreWood, an idyllic subdivision of Chavez Ravine, believes in giving an honest effort for a day's pay. He's making $10 million this year. If you compute the extra time he logs in the batting cage, the weight room and the outfield shagging flies, it works out to about eight bucks an hour."

This is a bit of what I was afraid of. I know this is intentional hyperbole, but come on.

If Pierre worked every hour of the year on baseball, he'd make $1,141.55 per hour.

Again, don't mean to take Crasnick's lead literally, but I find the fascination with Pierre's work ethic a bit much.

[reddog]

I think trading Pierre for Jake Peavy makes sense.

[jpg]

Rick Monday said Xavier Paul may be working to hard. I wonder how different a daily schedule they have? My wife says that Xavier's name should be pronounced Javier.

[Kevin Lewis]

Blue22,

I was at that game too! I remember feeling weird about clapping for Martinez to get the final out.

Jon, Crasnick's article is one of many to come about Pierre's way being the "right way"...especially in light of Ramierz's suspension

[Phenomenal Smith]

Xavier and Javier are equivalent, but since Mr. Paul is from Louisiana, he's getting his name pronounced the same way as the university in Cincinnati.

It's only a matter of time before Vin brings up Xavier Cugat when Paul bats.

[dodger tony]

No matter what Juan Pierre does, his "q" rating will always be too low to inspire any kind of beloved campaign for the strange LA fans to get off their tuchus and vote him in. Perhaps Manuel will pick him to round out the NL team. No matter what he does, Dodger fans just flat out don't like him. Really, really sad.

[Kevin]

"I think trading Pierre for Jake Peavy makes sense"

Well sure it makes sense for us but there is no fricking way the Pads would ever go for that!

[Stop it!]

You guys know better! I have to agree with Jack, who wrote "After this post, I'd be completely shocked if Juan Pierre didnt go into a 5-50 slump. Juan Pierre playing well is like a no-hitter. Dont mention it."

Same goes for that World Series babble. Shhhhhh.....

[Humma Kavula]

I think signing Scott Erickson and then immediately trading him, in a four-way trade, for Jake Peavy, CC Sabathia, and Johan Santana makes sense.

[Kevin Lewis]

dodger tony,

I don't know if I have ever had the impression that dodger fans don't like Pierre. In fact, Pierre gets plenty of cheering at the games.

I for one like Pierre as a person, and he seems like a nice guy, but I don't like the contract he got for the abilities he has as a major league player. I would never root against him performing well, and I hope he can keep it up.

[Humma Kavula]

By the way, under my trade scenario, the Padres, Yankees and Mets would each get 1/3 of Scott Erickson. I don't really think any of those teams could be expected to give up prospects in addition to Peavy, Sabathia, and Santana, so I'd just split up Erickson three ways.

[68elcamino427]

Ya Gotta Love the O Dog.

Pierre has proven me wrong with his terrific performance.
I am very happy for him and proud for him too.
Juan has delivered beyond my wildest expectations.
He is hitting the ball with authority, getting RBI's and scoring runs.

Congratulations to Juan Pierre ... give the man his due.

[kinbote]

Crasnick's concluding paragraph:

"It's a little too late for anonymity. The circus is on hiatus, and Pierre is making the best of a bittersweet situation, trying to squeeze in as many hits as possible while Dodgers fans count the days until Manny's return."

Block that metaphor?

[Dodger Dude]

Hey people, we need a left fielder (and Xavier as a backup) for the next 40 games more than anyone else right now so any trade talk is a bit premature.

. "but I find the fascination with Pierre's work ethic a bit much"

That's odd to me to a game where we all bring our children to watch. Do you miss Daryl Strawberry or Steve Howe? He put himself into a situation to succeed by showing up every day and trying hard. That's exactly the message I want to get to my kids, instead of "don't worry, you're so smart your natural abilities will let you not have to work hard and you can slack off".

If Vin joined the Yankees they would have fired him by now anyway. He's not going anywhere. Go Blue!

[KoufaxFan]

I wear my Juan Pierre jersey (I actually have one) with pride.

[Humma Kavula]

Jim Thome hits his 548th home run. White Sox 2, Blue Jays 2.

What a fine career Thome has had.

[regfairfield]

The problem with people realizing that they shouldn't have Steve Phillips running their team is that every team in baseball knows that Pierre has a gigantic BABIP and that he's going to come crashing to Earth. His trade value probably isn't all that much better now than it was three weeks ago.

[Humma Kavula]

Blue Jays announcers report Hallady is AL Player of the Week. Who is the NL's? Pierre would be a good candidate, I would think.

[Jon Weisman]

dodger dude, I simply don't believe Pierre's work ethic is that unique among major leaguers. I'm not anti-work ethic.

[Humma Kavula]

Raul Ibanez of the Philadelphia Phillies is your NL Player of the Week.

[D4P]

every team in baseball knows that Pierre has a gigantic BABIP

I doubt Sabean or Colletti knows it.

[Eric Stephen]

The Tilde, Raul Ibañez, won the NL award.

[Humma Kavula]

Among the many nominees for Player of the Week were...

Casey Blake (.368, 2 HR, 5 RBI) and Juan Pierre (.407, 1 3B, 5 RBI) of the Dodgers

[Justin Sarno]

Yes, Juan Pierre is playing good. However, that's about as effusive, or prospectively analytical, as I would get under the circumstances.

[kinbote]

Juan Pierre may roll balls down the line to test the dirt, but Raul Ibanez studies the cut of the grass to determine which way balls will bounce. True story.

[Humma Kavula]

Well, at least it wasn't Carlos Ruiz that won it.

[D4P]

The Belgian bodybuilding championship has been canceled after doping officials showed up and all the competitors fled.

A doping official says bodybuilders just grabbed their gear and ran off when he came into the room.

[fanerman]

Link?

[D4P]

If you're asking for the bodybuilding link, it's on ESPN.com.

[DodgersGal]

blue22, I was at the Dennis Martinez perfecto, as well. It sure was something to see. I cheered for him. How could one be a baseball fan and not cheer something so special and rare?

[Hollywood Joe]

"I think trading Pierre for Jake Peavy makes sense"

I think trading JP for anyone who would take his contract at full value makes sense.

While I am usualy one of the guys on the sunny side of the street around here, it would take something nearly unprecented not to have "Return to the Mean, the JP story" coming soon to a theatre near you.

Yep, I just don't buy the new and improved JP for the long haul (though speedy guys tend to age better than power guys)

BUT, I am more pleased to see him doing great. I enjoy the way he has been playing more than I can write, both for the team and for him - it's fun and feels like found money.

But as Jon points out above @ 11:25, I don't think anyone pulling in $10M per year is ever a labor situation sympathy figure, no matter how hard they work.

I think he deserves a feature right now, he is a story, but the story should be about how out of his mind he is playing and not a repeat of the hardest working guy in baseball junk.

There are people really making the proverbial 8 bucks per hour that I am sure are working just as hard, might be going through similar periods of frustration (being behind a better worker?), and no one writes them tributes...

Baseball would be better (at least for me) if we stopped trying to put the players into the sinners and saints buckets.

You know, I do like buckets, but they should be about how they play. Those can be fair. This sinner / saint stuff usually isn't

Partial list of sinners and saints you might know:
Slap hitter tries hard - Saint
Small player - Saint
Small player who is bad - Saint
Large player who is bad - Sinner
Slugger strikes out often w/ no emotion - Sinner
Slugger with pimples on back - Sinner
Slugger with too much emotion - Sinner
Slugger who wears hat backward - Saint
Slugger who wears hat sideways - Sinner
Eccentric pitcher who succeeds - Saint
Eccentric pitcher who gets DUI - Sinner
Eccentric pitcher who fails - sinner
Eccentric pitcher who succeeds after DUI and hitting his wife - Saint

Ok - this just got boring...you get where I am going

[Hollywood Joe]

dodger dude, I simply don't believe Pierre's work ethic is that unique among major leaguers. I'm not anti-work ethic.

Posted by: Jon Weisman | May 18, 2009 at 12:09 PM

YES!!!!! Perfect! Truth!

[D4P]

I simply don't believe Pierre's work ethic is that unique among major leaguers

And even if it is, outputs (not inputs) are what matter in this context.

[fanerman]

D4P, why do you make me work to get these articles? =/

[Humma Kavula]

Catching up on the Steve Phillips story from last night...

If I wrote the Mets' press releases, here is what I would strongly encourage them to release:

"Steve Phillips used to head up our franchise. We replaced him with a guy who traded Scott Kazmir for Victor Zambrano. That trade alone probably cost us the playoffs two straight years. And still, firing Phillips and replacing him with the guy that made that trade was an improvement."

[sdflash]

It makes sense to start the World Series games at 5pm in the Pacific time zone. By the time everybody is at home watching at 7pm or so, it will only be the second inning anyway, given the glacial pace of these games.

[blue22]

What was the Steve Phillips story from last night?

[cargill06]

Humma,

He just got confused. Thought he was aquiring Carlos.

[regfairfield]

I think my favorite Steve Phillips story is that he literally didn't know how waivers worked. He would acquire a guy, then forget to put him on the 40 man, and he would lose him to waivers a few days later. This happened several times.

[Eric Stephen]

Humma,

That's a great press release. It gets the Eric Stephen Official Seal of Approval­™, only slightly less coveted than the HKSOA :)

[Humma Kavula]

Cargill, yeah, you can see that conversation happening. "Kazmir for Zambrano? Absolutely! Fax over the paperwork, done deal!" (Hangs up.) Hey, everybody, Chuck LaMar just traded me Carlos Zambrano for Kazmir! Haw haw!... What do you mean, the Devil Rays...? What do you mean, VICTOR Zambrano...?

[underdog]

Mets fans are so upset by Steve Phillips that it's making me almost inclined to appreciate him more.

(Notice I said "almost.")

[underdog]

Meanwhile, a new discussion on MLBTR:
The NL's most underrated players?

http://tinyurl.com/q56hoq

[regfairfield]

Aside from Garrett Atkins that's a pretty good list.