Prince Fielder did his talking with his hands instead of his bat, and he did it in the dugout instead of on the field. He has since apologized to Manny Parra.

And so, August has begun, and we have entered the homestretch.  In the two leagues I remain competitive in, I have done my best Mets impression and begun a bit of an August swoon, dropping from first place in both leagues to third in one of them, and 4.5 points behind first in the other.  I remain confident, however, that just like the Mets, my team will stop blowing leads and failing to hit with runners in scoring possession, and shall rise again like a magnificent phoenix...or some other town in Arizona (“Death to Smoochy” reference; try as I might, I cannot take credit for such delightfully cheezy humor).

The start of August also means two very important things:  1) My birthday; and, 2) The beginning of college football is right around the corner.  Now, if you want to get me a birthday present, feel free to contact me, and I will make sure to get you the proper mailing address to send it.  If you are looking for gift ideas, I enjoy all kinds of books, music, and video games. 

As far as the beginning of college football is concerned, that is usually present enough for me.  Although baseball was my first love, the first time I stepped into Michigan Stadium, I was hooked on college football.  My enrollment at the University of Michigan was like an addict scoring some drugs.  And of course, this year begins a new era in Wolverine football, as we move away from the Bo legacy, and on to a spread offense where, heaven forbid, the quarterback may be permitted to scramble.  This year could be a struggle, no doubt, as Rich Rodriguez seeks to implement his offense with what looks like a gaping hole at quarterback.  The defense should be stout, however, and if we can finally get a win over Ohio State, I will be more than content.  Oh, and I would like us to win the opener against Utah, so people don’t start with a “here we go again” attitude, after last year’s debacle against Appalachian State.

Turning to baseball, this past week was the trading deadline, but frankly, that topic has been beaten like the proverbial dead horse, so I will not force you to read about my take on the deadline deals (unless you feel like traveling over to my In Focus column for the week).  The biggest stories in New York are the pitchers dropping like flies, with John Maine and Billy Wagner of the Mets placed on the DL, and Monday night, Joba Chamberlain of the Yankees leaving the game with a potential shoulder injury.  Chamberlain’s status is unclear, but since he has already demonstrated his ability to be an ace (albeit in a limited sample), the Yankees need him back immediately to make that final push towards either the division, or at least the Wild Card.  Chamberlain had an MRI, but the Yankees have steadfastly refused to discuss the findings. Chamberlain is scheduled to meet with Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday, so more information should be forthcoming. Keep obsessively checking the web for more information on these injuries.

In other potentially devastating injury news, David Ortiz supposedly heard a “click” in his wrist.  Now, granted, I am no doctor, but in between thoughts while typing this article, I am moving my wrist around and trying to hear if there are any clicks. The only conclusion I could draw was that a click in the wrist is not entirely normal.  With the trade of Manny Ramirez to Los Angeles, Ortiz’ prolonged absence from the Red Sox lineup could be a serious problem for the Sox playoff hopes.

The news out of Milwaukee is that Prince Fielder and Manny Parra got into a shoving match in the dugout during Monday’s game against the Reds.  Although Parra would have the edge in reach in our tale of the tape, measuring at 6-3 versus Prince’s 5-11, I would have to imagine that this was a pretty big mismatch, with Parra giving up roughly 60 pounds to Prince.  Ladies and gentleman, your winner by a first round knockout...the largest vegetarian in the world (pending Guinness Book of World Records verification), Prince Fielder!

That will do it for me this week.  See you next time.