With all the focus on gambling, dog-fighting, and steroids, the greatest tragedy in sports this week - the passing of Mike Coolbaugh - has largely gone uncovered.

Reality Is Not Always Pretty

The last few weeks have shown the ugly side of sports. The constant bombardment of steroid use discussion fills Barry Bonds’ tortoise like move toward first on the homerun list. Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig keeps wondering “Should I be there or not?” when Bonds finally hits the “magic” homerun. The focus of NFL Football has moved from opening of camps to Michael Vick’s “alleged” dogfights and barbarism of the most sub-human level. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has ordered Vick to remain away from training camp while Goodell tries to determine what to do. Basketball has jumped to the front of the list as the Federal Bureau of Investigation moves toward an indictment of Tim Donaghy, a thirteen year veteran official, which makes all past and future NBA games under the microscope of truth or mob control. Commissioner David Stern said the NBA "would like to assure our fans that no amount of effort, time or personnel is being spared to assist in this investigation, to bring to justice an individual who has betrayed the most sacred trust in professional sports, and to take the necessary steps to protect against this ever happening again.” I am sure he would like to. All three pro sports have placed their commissioners into difficult if not untenable positions.

Yet in comparison, all the above is meaningless to sports. This past week saw death on the playing field. Michael Coolbaugh had but a brief cup of coffee in Major League Baseball. I remember drafting his brother Scott in the early days of my fantasy baseball life over fifteen years ago. The retired 35 year old Coolbaugh had joined the Tulsa Drillers as a first base coach only weeks ago. He returned to baseball so his five and three year old sons could see him on the baseball field. His pregnant wife Amanda said, “He had just started. We were going to be done with it, but his kids wanted to see him." Sunday he was in the first base coaching box when a foul line drive off the bat of Tino Sanchez struck him in the head and knocked him unconscious. He died on the way to the hospital. All of a sudden Bonds, Vick, and Donaghy become less important. My heart goes out to Amanda Coolbaugh and her two children, soon to be three, for whom baseball will always represent heartache…

On the major league field we are getting closer and closer to the trade deadline and, as usual, big names get thrown about but so far Jose Molina of the catching Molina brothers is the most significant trade acquisition by any team. There have been significant moves none the less. For the Boston Red Sox, Jon Lester has taken yet another step in recovering from cancer. He pitched six solid innings for the Sox in defeating the Cleveland Indians on Monday. From what we have seen, if he is not on a roster in your league he should be. 

Oakland’s Huston Street is also almost back in the Bigs. The question is how long will it take for Street to become his old dominant self? Personally, I bet on inconsistency as I sent Street in a fantasy trade that brought me Bob Wickman. Derrek Lee has been reinstated from his suspension and Aaron Harang has returned from his bereavement leave.   

Top Players

Players who seemed to be underperforming during the early part of the year are coming on strong lately. Anyone notice that Albert Pujols is rapidly become himself again? Hitting .239 with a .410 slugging percentage on 5/14, Pujols has brought himself back up to .322/.571 with an on base percentage of .425. Those of you who were thinking of trading him for a bag of peanuts and/or Jack Cust, you should be ashamed.

There were a lot of complaints when Robinson Cano and Hideki Matsui were not producing for the New York Yankees. Well, Cano has 13 hits in 22 at bats with seven runs and seven RBI in the last five days to raise his overall average to .294 as he closes in on his lifetime average of .312. Matsui had brought his average up to .290, close to his career average of .296. He also has 17 homeruns and could push his career best of 31. The Yankees are not dead and Cano and Matsui are two big reasons why.

Poor Chase Utley, struggling with a .292 average as recently as May 28th. Well, he has steadily pushed his numbers up to National League fourth best .337 average and an OPS of .998. Oh, yes, he has 75 runs, 81 RBI (tied for first) and seven stolen bases. Utley is becoming the benchmark for all second basemen. Utley also leads the NL in doubles and extra-base hits.

Surprise Upturn

Ryan Braun has been sent to the minors… No, not THAT Ryan Braun. It is the Kansas City pitcher who was sent down. The rookie Milwaukee hitter has been outrageous. As of Monday he was hitting .343 with 16 home runs and an OPS of 1.061. I grabbed him on the say so of another writer on this site who was pushing him during spring training. Then I watched Milwaukee send him down to the minors for a while. On May 25th, Braun came back up and he has shown why he should have been up the entire time. With Hunter Pence going to the Disabled List, the National League Rookie of the Year is available to Braun if he wants it.

Over Their Head

Pedro Feliz has always been a mystery to me. The 32 year old San Francisco Giant will have these periods where you will swear he is going to become a dominant hitter. Then he fades back to the .251/.288/.436 hitter he has been throughout his career. He is coming off three straight years of 20+ home runs and likely will do it again. This week he is hitting .435 with three home runs, seven RBI and seven runs. Don’t be sucked in as were the Giants who pay his over five million per year to bat .250. 

I guess it is only fair to find the hitting counterpart to Roger Clemens who I put in this category earlier after being signed. To Clemens' credit, he is producing. I just do not think the 44-year-old can maintain consistency. I feel the same about a certain 43-year-old hitter. All the press focuses on Barry Bonds move toward Henry Aaron’s record. Few speak about the truly mediocre year he is having. Since July six, Bonds has four hits in 31 at-bats and three hits came in one game. He has missed three days because of sore legs. Bonds may talk about coming back next year but I believe he will take his Home Run Crown and fade into the night.

A pitcher on a good team is 4-0 with an ERA of 2.97 and 26 strikeouts in 36 innings. And he is left handed. Let the bidding begin. The Boston Red Sox have an embarrassment of riches in that Kason Gabbard, not Jon Lester, has the above numbers. Now both lefties are in the rotation and Curt Schilling is due back. If ever there was a time to trade a good young pitcher for outfield strength, this is it… but what happens next year when Curt Schilling goes elsewhere? Think General Manager Theo Epstein is thinking of Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, knucklerballer Tim Wakefield, and the two lefties mentioned above as his rotation? In addition, 22-year-old Clay Buchholz is waiting in the wings. Only Wakefield would be over 26 and closer Jon Papelbon is 26 as well. Having said that, I do not believe Gabbard is as good as his numbers. I see a slip as the year progresses. I could see a trade where Gabbard brings a good hitter for the balance of the year. Don’t say I did not tell you.

Questions and comments may be sent to David at davidkopacz@sportsgrumblings.com.