Will we ever see Pedro Martinez on the mound, full healthy, and dominating hitters again?

The Injuries That Just Will Not Go Away

There seems to be a few players that are just unwilling to give up and it is starting to take its toll on their franchise. “NO!” I am not talking about Brett Favre, Roger Clemens, or Barry Bonds…

Pedro Martinez’s start against the Colorado Rockies was delayed due to a groin injury and he has not picked a ball up since. Orlando Hernandez’s foot is still bothering him, an injury that he sustained last year, had surgery for, yet cannot seem to recover. Mark Mulder has had another setback regarding his shoulder, and is likely going under the knife to solve his problems. Curt Schilling has been flitting with a return, but that seems to be nowhere in sight. Now Erik Bedard’s return has been pushed back and in my opinion is a sure-fire sign that he is about to hit the knife.

Longoria Slams Rays into First Place

With the Red Sox getting pummeled by the Angels out on the west coast, the Tampa Bay Rays put the whole “seven-game skid is the beginning of the end” talk to bed.

I am confident that when your first big league grand slam is against Blue Jay’s Roy Halladay, you know you have arrived. Did I mention that he also chased the “complete game” pitcher…from the game? I am an Evan Longoria fan. The Rays are now one and a half games ahead of the Sox in the AL East.

The Price of Rumor Talk

David Price of the Tampa Bay Ray’s minor league organization was phenomenal in the first half of the season, with a combined 6-0 record, an impressive 1.74 earned run average, 49 strikeouts, 13 walks, and opponents hitting only .218 against him.

His name has been splattered all over the “second half, impact guys” from the three letter networks to the four. So how is the pressure of all this weighing on the player some experts are calling the Joba Chamberlain of 2008?

Price went just five innings, giving up seven hits, including three solo homeruns, and struck out three. He did not however, walk any batters nor did he factor into the game. Maybe he is not ready to be the next Chamberlain, but based on the four runs the Blue Jays were able to steal back at the end of last nights’ game, I bet John Maddon would love to have a confident, young arm in his bullpen right now!

The Fast and The Furious: League Notes

The Los Angeles Angels fans are breaking out the brooms as they try to rally around SP Jered Weaver, after trouncing the Red Sox 11-2 on Friday, squeaking out a 4-2 win over an eight-inning effort by Josh Beckett and the Sox. Look for the game at 5:35 EDT

Even with their studs back in the bullpen (Fernando Rodney, Joel Zumaya), it appears that the bats are not going to do it every time for the Tigers who gave up a 6-0 lead, being out powered by the Baltimore Orioles?

AL Only fantasy leaguers and even deep, mixed venues, look for the names Luke Scott and Adam Jones who both seem to be heating up around the bats of Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, and even resurgent Melvin Mora and Aubrey Huff should be considered.

Yankees notch a win without swinging the lumber? Catcher Jose Molina beamed from ear to ear, clutching the bat in his hand all the way to first base. A Lenny DiNardo pitch hit him with the bases loaded in the 12th-inning, ending the game under the toiling Saturday sun. Teammates swarmed him as he touched first base. It always feels good for the team when they win, however, in this case, it may still have hurt at least one player.

What?!  Some “closer”-news out of Atlanta that appears to be positive? Say it ain’t so! Yes, it appears that the Braves are set to bring Rafael Soriano back against the Marlins. Now if they could just get everyone else back, they could make a nice run in a weak division.

Apparently, the only one who can show emotion around manager Ozzie Guillen is Ozzie Guillen. In yet another appearance in the news over something that should stay in high school, Guillen has to ridicule Texas Rangers’ closer C.J. Wilson for being excited that he shut the White Sox’ rally by striking out Paul Konerko and Jim Thome. “Hey, Ozzie…stop letting your little ego get bruised with every minute of the day, huh?”

I am not sure who has the bigger ego, ipso-facto, I cannot stand to even see their face on my television…Brett “Cry baby” Favre or Ozzie “No Control” Guillen.

Both of these guys need to realize when to quit.

Last note. I have and always will be a Red Sox fan; however, I have also, always been a Yankee appreciator. I saw something in the news that would ultimately be the proverbial “last straw” with my relationship with the Yankee’s organization. (Not that it would be too hard for me, I.E. Sox Fan) 

In a recent article in the New York Daily News regarding Hideki Matsui’s injury and the prospect of taking on Barry Bonds. If anything, I hope Hank Steinbrenner does what I do with the experience I had with my parents… a long life’s worth of lessons on “what not to do” when I grow up.