Milton Bradley is the kind of player who can change the NL West pennant race.

He also is the kind of player who could become a cancer the San Diego Padres eventually will have to snip out of their clubhouse.

Neither of those statements is particularly a secret, which is why the Padres' quick-strike acquisition of the troubled, tormented and temperamental outfielder is as intriguing a move as we've seen in the NL West this year.

At each stop, Bradley's shelf life has been roughly a year and a half before he turns sour. The gamble the Padres are taking is two-fold: Whether Bradley will keep his simmering anger at bay beneath the surface, and whether he will be able to stay healthy.

He's 29 now, and his body betrayed him in Oakland. Supposedly he had an oblique strain, which is why a proposed trade to Kansas City last week was scotched. On the other hand, the Padres are comfortable enough with this deal that they apparently didn't even demand that Bradley take a physical exam before signing off on the deal. That speaks volumes as to the friendship and level of trust between general managers Kevin Towers of the Padres and Billy Beane of the Athletics.

I think this is a gamble worth taking in San Diego for two reasons.

One, the Padres are only giving up a low-level minor-leaguer in the deal -- it isn't costing them much. They checked on other sluggers such as Adam Dunn in Cincinnati and Jermaine Dye of the White Sox, but the Reds and Sox wanted players closer to the majors in return. The Padres, locked in a three-way race with the Dodgers and Diamondbacks, are in no position to trade major league players. They're not deep enough (though Terrmel Sledge certainly should be expendable).

Two, Bradley should be highly motivated upon arrival. Injuries limited him to only 65 at-bats this season in Oakland, and he's treading toward afterthought territory. He's at a crossroads, and he needs to move now if he is to resurrect his career. Also, two stops ago, Bradley had an ugly end to his stormy tenure with the Dodgers, and in addition to having to prove he can still play, he should be plenty motivated to prove that the Dodgers wronged him as well.

Of course, any chip on his shoulder is dangerous, because Bradley's weakness is that he has never been able to keep himself under control. His list of incidents is lengthy, from storming into the Dodger Stadium stands to confront a fan who had thrown a plastic water bottle at him to having the police called to his Southern California home three times in a span of 33 days in 2005 because of domestic violence complaints to allowing a disagreement with Jeff Kent to become both ugly and public.

There is no doubt that Bradley, a switch-hitter, has the physical skills to tilt the NL West race in the Padres' favor through the summer heat.

But he also has the temperament to tilt the NL West away from the Padres as well.

Can't wait to watch as this one plays out.

Likes: As difficult a time as Craig Biggio has had this season, it was nice to see him compile a memorable 5-for-6 night to reach his 3,000th hit. It was beginning to look as if the guy was going to back into it in a totally anti-climactic manner. ... Harold Reynolds going to work at MLB.com. Don't know the details of Reynolds' ouster at ESPN -- don't wanna know all the details -- but Harold is a good man who is good for baseball. Even if he does get too close to certain players. ... The DVD that accompanies the Traveling Wilburys boxed set that was just released is very entertaining, much more so than I expected. Some great interview footage with the late George Harrison and Roy Orbison, among other things.

Dislikes: Four days after the aborted deal with Florida and Jacque Jones remains chained to the Chicago Cubs bench. Free Jacque Jones!

Rock and Roll Lyric of the Day:

"Hey Andy, did you hear about this one?
"Tell me, are you locked in the punch?
"Hey Andy, are you goofing on Elvis?
"Hey baby, are you having fun?
"If you believed they put a man on the moon
"Man on the moon
"If you believe there's nothing up my sleeve
"Then nothing is cool."

-- REM, Man on the Moon

Frank Thomas' 500th career home run didn't reverberate around the baseball world Thursday as it once might have, just as Sammy Sosa's 600th was awfully quiet the other night in Texas, too.

Home runs, whether hit by old-school types or chemically enhanced sluggers, are up for review in these post-Steroid Era days. They don't mean as much as they once did simply because they're not as rare as they once were. A market correction is under way, and it might not be finished for quite some time.

We're not nearly as sure what to make of some of these milestones as we once were, which is why we read into every action. Thursday in Minnesota, Metrodome fans rewarded Thomas with a standing ovation following No. 500, which was both a nice touch and ... an endorsement of their feelings that Thomas has been one of the honest sluggers over the past two decades?

The feeling here is that he is clean as a newly washed Blue Jays jersey, though the failure of the players union to agree to steroid testing years ago penalizes even the clean players now because we're suspicious of everything and we simply cannot know for sure.

What we do know is, in assessing a player like Thomas' place in history, home run totals no longer carry the impact they once did.

A much larger sample size is needed now because, as we saw with Mark McGwire last winter, astounding home run totals no longer are a guaranteed ticket to Cooperstown.

Thomas never was a one-dimensional player. He won back-to-back AL MVP awards in 1993 and 1994, an AL batting title in 1997, he ranks 11th in career OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage), 16th in career on-base percentage and 19th in career slugging percentage.

Because of the sheer volume of sluggers rushing at what once were unheard of power totals, it is going to become easier over the next few years to de-value some of them. And as such, it is going to become much more difficult to assess which numbers carry the import they once did.

Thomas may have lost too many games to injury in later years and he and the White Sox had an ugly parting of the ways, but to dismiss him as a marginal Hall of Fame candidate is just plain wrong.

Let's see what the next few years bring. But for now, what a joyous day for Thomas and his Blue Jays teammates on Wednesday -- the result of a career's worth of blood, sweat and tears that put the Big Hurt in a special, and rare, category of players.

Likes: Kansas City clinching its first winning month since July 2003. Hoo-ha! Love to see this being the start of a Royals comeback. ... The White Sox attempting -- seriously -- to negotiate a contract extension with lefty Mark Buehrle instead of trading him. He's only 28, he's left-handed and he's worth keeping. If I'm GM Kenny Williams, I trade somebody else. ... Midsummer nights in which daylight hangs around like Julio Franco later into the night. ... All those 40-something pitchers who worked on Wednesday. Do you think they'll pitch into their 50s a generation from now? ... The Library of Congress Award of Song that was recently presented to Paul Simon and broadcast on PBS. Very entertaining. ... Ichiro Suzuki's busy afternoon in Seattle Wednesday: 11 putouts! ... Jack Cust, welcome back.

Dislikes: Jacque Jones still in Chicago after the failed Cubs-Marlins trade the other day. Free Jacque Jones!

Rock and Roll Lyric of the Day:

"Well some say life will beat you down
"Break your heart, steal your crown
"So I started out for God knows where
"But I guess I'll know when I get there"

-- Tom Petty, Learning to Fly

One small glimpse into why some players are thrilled to see Interleague Play in the rear-view mirror for another season: Following San Diego's tough 4-2 loss to Boston and Josh Beckett on Sunday, Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez was replaying his fifth-inning at-bat.

It ended in failure -- Beckett fooled him badly on a full-count, 79 mph changeup. Gonzalez struck out on the pitch with the Padres trailing 3-2, leaving the tying run at third base.

The at-bat sequence: Gonzalez took a fastball for ball one. Then he took another for what he thought was a ball, but plate umpire Dana DeMuth called it a strike. Then came a third fastball for ball two.

Following that, Gonzalez fouled off a changeup, took another change-up for ball three and then fanned on the curve.

"It's tough," Gonzalez said. "I've never faced him before, so you've gotta go up there thinking fastball because you don't know what his other pitches do.

"I think if I faced him again ... you see what he throws, you know what he's trying to do, you get the advantage back a little it.

"Now, it's like, 'Hang with 'em.'"

Now this happens periodically during a season, a hitter seeing a pitcher -- a rookie, new acquisition or whomever -- that he's never seen before.

But when it happens during Interleague play, these guys are so accustomed to routine, it usually ranks as an inconvenience rather than a challenge.

For his part, Beckett wasn't exactly thrilled with his day, either. Playing in a National League park, he had to bat. And he says he hates batting.

The guess here is that he'd gladly take his place in the batter's box during a World Series game in an NL park. Which remains the only time Interleague play should happen.

***

One other thing, regarding Atlanta manager Bobby Cox tying John McGraw for baseball's all-time ejections record at 131 on Saturday.

I asked Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire a few weeks ago whether that was one of those records that should be a goal of any new skipper.

One thing I like about Gardenhire: He's pretty good with sarcasm and humor. He gets it.

"That's very expensive," Gardenhire said, smiling devilishly, referring to the automatic fine that accompanies each ejection. "I go argue to keep my guys out of it more than I do anything else."

When Tom Kelly managed the Twins, he rarely was tossed from a game. Twins fans, meanwhile, have grown to enjoy and look forward to Gardenhire's rants.

"Believe me, I've slowed my pace down a little bit," he said. "I do think the players need to see it -- it wakes them up once in awhile.

"Bobby knows what he can say and what he can do. He's the dean."

Likes: The way, when Boston first baseman David Ortiz tossed his bat practically from the batter's box to the dugout after striking out on Sunday -- clearly angry about a called strike two -- plate ump Dana DeMuth simply turned and walked the other way, toward the third-base dugout. There are a handful of arrogant and hot-headed umps who would have immediately ejected Ortiz. DeMuth handled it beautifully, walking the opposite direction, toward the third-base dugout. Fans pay to watch guys like Ortiz, and he shouldn't be tossed unless it is absolutely necessary. The situation became borderline when Ortiz tossed the bat, and DeMuth remained in control without overreacting.

Dislikes: Whatever happened to shortstop Cristian Guzman? Now he's done for the season with a thumb injury. His career was so promising for a time.

Rock and Roll Lyric of the Day:

"I'm goin' to Chicago, sorry but I can't take you
"Yes I'm goin' to Chicago, sorry but I can't take you
"'Cause there's nothin' on State Street
"That a monkey man can do"

-- Ida Cox, Chicago Monkey Man Blues

What you'll be talking about this week: The early, untimely and sad death of Rod Beck. "The Shooter" was a good guy and a terrific character whom you no doubt recall pitching for San Francisco, the Cubs and Boston. My favorite moment came toward the end of Beck's career, when he stepped in and saved 20 games for San Diego in 2003 after Trevor Hoffman was injured. That was all well and good, but the best part is the story of what he was doing when the Padres found him. He was pitching for Triple-A Iowa in the Cubs' system and he was living in a camper at the ballpark. Now this is a guy who already had 11 seasons in the bigs. He was toward the end, and he could have been bitter or arrogant. Instead, not only was he living in the camper at the Iowa ballpark, he regularly hosted fans after the games for a few late-night drinks. Beck would supply the beer, and they'd just sit around sipping drinks in front of his camper on warm spring nights (or cold spring nights, it didn't matter). Beck was a terrific, though troubled, guy. He returned to the Padres in 2004 but left the team for a stint in a drug rehab center. He was only 38 when he was found dead in Phoenix on Sunday. I'm sure it won't be a pretty picture when the autopsy reports come back -- I can't help but fear a substance issue killed him -- but for now, close your eyes and say a silent prayer for the closer with the bushy hair, bushy mustache and habit of hanging his right arm down limply and rocking it back and forth a couple of times while he peered in for the catcher's signs.

What you should be talking about: The Chicago White Sox preparing to fire the starter's pistol on the July trading action. Mark Buehrle to Boston? Jermaine Dye to the Dodgers? GM Kenny Williams is frustrated and motivated. And being that he's one of the more aggressive GMs in the game even when he's not motivated, look out. The White Sox now have lost 22 of their past 27 games and scored just two runs in three games against the Cubs. The moves are expected to begin very soon.

What else you should be talking about: The Japanese in the Pacific Northwest. Wednesday in Seattle, Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka starts ... which means Matsuzaka vs. Ichiro. Sounds like must-see TV to me.

What I'll be talking about: The Bobby Cox watch. I've spoken with Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and former Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone, among others, about what it will be like when Cox's record-setting ejections arrives. You can read that later this week.

What Bobby Cox is talking about: Not the looming ejection record. Rather, did you see the praise he heaped on the Detroit Tigers? The Braves already have played Boston, Cleveland and Minnesota before facing Detroit this weekend, but here's Cox on the Tigers: "Of all the teams we've faced, those guys might have the best overall team. They're a really solid team and I think their starting rotation will prove to be the best in their league."

What they'll be talking about in the NL East: Philadelphia has closed the gap significantly on the New York Mets, but losing Jon Lieber, probably for the season with a ruptured tendon in his foot, is a blow to the Phillies and means they're going to have to hunt down another starter from somewhere between now and August. It's been an extremely odd year for Lieber, who was barely in the Phillies' plans this spring. Mostly, they were trying to trade him and the most news he made came when it was revealed that he has a huge, customized pickup truck that has four 50-gallon gas tanks. Already, Brett Myers and closer Tom Gordon are on the disabled list, which means roughly 30 percent of the club payroll and three key members of the pitching staff are sidelined.

Likes: Josh Beckett vs. Jake Peavy on Sunday afternoon. We well could see them opposing each other again in two weeks -- in the All-Star Game in San Francisco. And in the category of there's a statistic for everything, here's this: When Peavy and Beckett faced each other Sunday, it was only the third time in baseball history that the two opposing starters in a game each had nine or more wins against one or fewer losses. Last time it happened: 1997, Toronto's Roger Clemens (11-1) vs. Atlanta's Denny Neagle (9-1). ... Roger Clemens in relief. I'm just as worn out by this will-he, won't-he retirement talk as the next guy, but if everybody was as competitive as Clemens, the game would be even better than it is now. ... I'm watching John From Cincinnati, but not sure I'm getting it yet. ... The new CD/DVD from Bruce Springsteen and the Sessions Band, Live in Dublin, is superb.

Dislikes: Aw, our exchange student from Italy went home on Sunday. But she's going home having been introduced to baseball, and she thinks Angels manager Mike Scioscia is just terrific. It helped that he's part-Italian and she met him during spring training (on her own, on one of the back fields, without me even finding out until later) and quizzed him about his Italian heritage.

Rock and Roll Lyric of the Day:

"Once in awhile you get shown the light "In the strangest of places if you look at it right"

-- Grateful Dead, Scarlet Begonias

Miguel Tejada is a gamer and has done a lot of terrific things for Oakland and Baltimore over the years, but I hope that his streak of 1,152 consecutive games comes to an end in the Arizona desert tonight.

Wait, let me re-phrase that: If his cracked left wrist isn't well enough to allow him to actually play in a manner that is going to help the Orioles, I hope it ends.

Tejada continued his streak in San Diego on Thursday after being hit by a pitch late Wednesday. A CAT scan showed a non-displaced fracture, which probably will knock him onto the disabled list and off the list of streakers.

But he was in the lineup on Thursday anyway, bunted in the first inning and then was removed for a pinch-runner. Maybe it was a more noble thing than it appeared. Because it sure had all the trappings of a selfish man just looking to keep his streak alive.

Already, they're debating it in Baltimore. Cal wouldn't have done that! Of all cities, this isn't the one in which Tejada needs to be keeping his streak alive by cheesy means.

As new Orioles chief operating officer Andy MacPhail said, "Generally, you have to make a good-faith evaluation of whether the player can help you or not. The player, for his own good, has to be frank about whether he can go or not."

MacPhail saw Tejada take a Doug Brocail fastball off of his wrist late Wednesday night, but he wasn't with the team on the West Coast and, as such, was reluctant to make any definitive statements.

"It was a day game (Thursday), and I'm not sure the full medical evaluations were in," he said. "Clearly, in general, if a player is not capable of playing, he shouldn't play. That's how I look at it."

The Orioles have enough trouble right now without guys starting to play for themselves. I would hope Tejada and the ballclub recognize that and don't turn this into a charade.

Likes: Jason Giambi agreeing to meet with former Senator George Mitchell. Baseball's duty is to collect as much information on the Steroid Era as it can so we all can put it into perspective. Very simply, it's in the best interests of the game if Giambi tells what he knows. ... Boston and San Diego, owners of the best records in the AL and NL, meeting in Petco Park this weekend. ... And check out those pitching matchups: Daisuke Matsuzaka vs. Greg Maddux on Friday night; Josh Beckett vs. Jake Peavy in what could be a preview of the All-Star starting pitchers on Sunday. ... Kenny Rogers back in Detroit's rotation Friday night in Atlanta in what should be an outstanding matchup against John Smoltz. ... The Mets' Willie Randolph, the Giants' Bruce Bochy, the Twins' Ron Gardenhire and the Rangers' Ron Washington as All-Star coaches. Great choices. ... Interleague play, finished after this weekend.

Dislikes: Tampa Bay should cut ties with the punk Elijah Dukes, now, and the kid should be put on the suspended list until he gets some counseling. Playing in the majors leagues is a privilege to be earned, not a right to be given, and this is a kid headed for disaster. ... The Angels' John Lackey, Arizona's Randy Johnson, the Dodgers' Jason Schmidt and Houston's Brad Lidge, all hurting.

Rock 'n' Roll Lyric of the Day:

"End of the spring and here she comes back
"Hi, hi, hi, hi there
"Them summer days, those summer days
"That's when I had most of my fun, back
"Hi, hi, hi, hi there
"Them summer days, those summer days"

-- Sly and the Family Stone, Hot Fun in the Summertime

Craig Biggio is doggedly pursuing hit No. 3,000, and some moments are nicer than others these days.

He was just 10 hits away heading into Tuesday night's game against the Angels in Southern California, and among the nicer moments: He's close enough to the milestone that his three children -- sons Conor (14) and Cavan (12) and daughter Quinn (8) -- are with him on Houston's current trip. Following the series finale with the Angels on Wednesday, the Astros continue on to Texas and Milwaukee.

It was difficult to watch Biggio playing catch with Conor as the Astros were warming up before batting practice in Angel Stadium on Monday and not get a bit choked up at what that must feel like for Craig.

Among the not-so-nicer moments: He's hitting just .235 overall this season, .214 against right-handers and .194 on the road.

Not quite the way the man might have planned his stretch run at history, but then again, Biggio has been around long enough to know you can't plan anything in this game.

"I didn't envision anything other than going out and playing well as a team," Biggio says. "I started off the season needing 70 hits ... that's a lot of hits.

"I never really put a timetable on it."

The raging debate in Houston, given Biggio's struggles against right-handers and away from home, is whether he's being selfish by not volunteering to sit more than he already does. Is this a case of an individual pursuit taking precedence over team play? Is this a case where the Astros needn't defer to a franchise icon?

"We're committed to getting him to 3,000," manager Phil Garner says. "It will be a lot of fun."

Biggio says he and Garner discuss his status every several days, mapping out when he might need a day off. The feeling around the Astros is that once Biggio gets his 3,000th, his time in the lineup will decline.

Garner won't address the speculation, other than to say owner Drayton McLane, general manager Tim Purpura and Biggio all will be involved in the decision.

"Some days are better than others," Biggio says of life at 41. "When you're younger, you always feel good.

"Day games feel worse because your body is older. Gar has been pretty fair trying to schedule it out, because it's not every day you're feeling great."

Biggio is the only player in baseball history to collect at least 600 doubles, 250 homers, 2,700 hits and 400 steals.

As for the present, some days it looks like he's done. But just when you're ready to write him off, he'll bounce back -- as he did in Houston on both Friday and Saturday against Seattle -- with a four-hit game.

How many more of those are left? Part of the fun -- and the agony -- will be in the watching and waiting.

Likes: Prince Fielder in line to start an All-Star Game. ... The Rally Monkey in Anaheim -- still. ... Houston manager Phil Garner, an old-time baseball guy who is genuinely interested in a wide variety of topics (baseball, books, stocks, you name it, he can talk about it). ... Nick Hornby ruminating on books he's read and books he might read in Housekeeping vs. The Dirt... Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris' This is Us. ... The burritos at Pollos Maria in Carlsbad, Calif.

Dislikes: Bad trade rumors, which pop up like weeds annually at this time of year.

Rock and Roll Lyric of the Day:

"It's a beautiful day
"Don't let it get away"

-- U2, Beautiful Day

What you'll be talking about this week: The Cubs' Derrek Lee and San Diego's Chris Young when the suspensions are handed down. Lee is certain to get several games after slugging the Padres pitcher in Saturday's game to instigate a brawl. Young should get off with just a fine because there is certainly no indication that he was throwing at Lee. Bizarre thing is Lee and Young are two of the nicer guys in the game.

What you'll be talking about this week: Cleveland third baseman Casey Blake, if the kid keeps hitting as he is. Blake extended his hitting streak to 26 consecutive games on Sunday, highest in the majors so far in 2007, and looks to extend it this week against Philadelphia in a three-game series beginning on Monday (Cole Hamels, Kyle Kendrick and Jon Lieber are the scheduled starters) and, if he gets through that, the Washington Nationals (Levale Speigner, Micah Bowie and Matt Chico) await.

What you won't be able to avoid talking about: One more home run and Sammy Sosa joins Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays as the only men to smash 600 or more in his career. Now, here's the kicker: If Texas' Sosa does it in the next three games, guess who it will occur against? Yep, the Cubs come a'calling in Arlington this Tuesday through Thursday.

What you'll be talking about if you're in Canada: Besides how a hockey team from Southern California could win the Stanley Cup, you mean? This: Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Russell Martin, a native of Montreal, playing in his first games in Canada when the Dodgers play in Toronto in a three-game series beginning on Tuesday.

What you'll be attempting to figure out: The secret ingredient of the Nationals, if they defeat Detroit's Jeremy Bonderman (7-0) on Thursday or Cleveland's Fausto Carmona (7-2) on Saturday. Though the Nationals remain ensconced in last place in the NL East, they have compiled an impressive trend of knocking off their opponents' Nos. 1 or 2 starters this season. So far they've dumped Atlanta's John Smoltz twice and San Diego's Jake Peavy, Philadelphia's Cole Hamels and Minnesota's Johan Santana once each.

What city you'll be watching most closely: Chicago on Friday, and not just because the Cubs and White Sox hook up again (this time in The Park Formerly Known as Comiskey). No, what you'll be watching closely is the lineup Cubs manager Lou Piniella posts. After Carlos Zambrano and catcher Michael Barrett kissed and made up, Piniella said Barrett would be behind the plate soon when Zambrano starts. Well, Saturday marked the third consecutive Zambrano start since the fight in which backup Koyie Hill was behind the plate.

Likes: All of the fun, old-fashioned words that still emerge from an old-school dust-up like the one involving the Cubs and Padres on Saturday. Words like "melee", "brouhaha" and "rhubarb." ... Working on Father's Day while seemingly most of the rest of the world isn't.

Dislikes: Long time Boston Globe baseball writer Larry Whiteside passing away over the weekend. Rest peacefully, Sides.

Rock and Roll Lyric of the Day:

"Well we got no class
"And we got no principles
"And we got no innocence
"We can't even think of a word that rhymes"

-- Alice Cooper, School's Out

Right up there with dog bites man and young Hollywood actress in rehab as the most unsurprising stories of the year is ... Los Angeles Dodgers fire Eddie Murray as hitting coach.

Look, the guy is a Hall of Famer and had a great playing career. And if somebody chooses not to talk with reporters, as long as he's not hostile about it, I couldn't care less. His decision and, besides, most of the time, it's mutual -- I don't want to talk to that guy, either.

But one thing nobody has ever been able to fully explain to me is this: How a guy whose communication skills are such a zero that he remains mute to the press for the bulk of his career can be an effective coach. Coaching is all about communicating with all sorts of personalities.

Murray also was a hitting coach in Cleveland from 2002-2005 before the Indians had to fire him. And that, I thought, spoke volumes: When he was a player, Murray's agent was Ron Shapiro. Ron's son, Mark, is the general manager of the Indians and the man who hired Murray as hitting coach.

Now, Murray has always been like family to the Shapiros, and vice versa. Mark has known him since he was a kid. So I can understand that if anybody would give Eddie Murray a chance as a coach, Mark would be the guy.

But for the Indians then to fired Murray ... obviously, it had to have reached a crisis point for that to happen.

Maybe Murray will get another job, and if he does, good for him. I hate to see anybody get fired. But I've also yet to talk to a hitter who spent time raving about Eddie Murray and his skills as a hitting coach.

Likes: Mets Carlos Delgado, Julio Franco, Jose Valentin and Guillermo Mota playing dominoes in the visiting clubhouse before a game the other night. High concentration level, too. ... Talking with former Orioles outfielder Paul Blair on a Baltimore radio show a couple of weeks ago about a play in the first major league game I ever saw in person. It was on July 11, 1970, and it ended in a 6-5 Detroit loss when Blair chased down an Al Kaline drive in deep center field. To my fuzzy memory, Blair leaped over the fence to bring it back, and there was a beat of a second or two before people realized whether the game was finished or whether Kaline had homered to tie it at 6-6. Blair to this day remembers the play. He explained that he didn't go over the fence, but stepped on the padding that was atop a scoreboard in the fence and climbed the wall that way. Said he braced himself against the fence, reached, and wasn't sure, either, whether he had caught it until he came down and looked in his glove.

Dislikes: Fans booing Shawn Green in Dodger Stadium. The guy never wanted to leave in the first place. He was traded, people. Against his wishes, even.

Rock and Roll Lyric of the Day:

"Well shut them books and throw 'em away
"And say goodbye to dull schooldays
"Look alive and change your ways
"Because it's summertime. ...

... Well I'm so happy that I could flip
"Oh how I'd love to take a trip
"I'm sorry teacher but zip your lip
"Because it's summertime. ..."

-- The Jamies, Summertime, Summertime

So I'm looking up dates, facts and figures after Detroit's Justin Verlander no-hit Milwaukee on Tuesday night when it struck me once again that one of the coolest things about baseball is that, like scrapbooks, photo albums and individual songs, the games bring memories -- and long dormant smiles -- back to life.

I look at April 7, 1984, and I can tell you exactly where I was and what I was doing because it was the day Jack Morris no-hit the Chicago White Sox -- the last Tiger to throw a no-hitter until Verlander put his into the books.

It was the spring of my junior year at Hillsdale College in Michigan, and I watched the Morris game start to finish in my dorm room on a black-and-white TV so small that a postage stamp may have dwarfed it. I think the strike zone in today's game is even smaller than that fuzzy old television screen, but that's a different story.

Anyway, as anybody who reads my stuff regularly -- or has read my bio -- knows, I grew up in Michigan watching the Tigers, listening to Ernie Harwell (and Bob Seger) and scavenging coins together for as many trips to Tiger Stadium as a kid could make (by high school, I was up to eight or 10 times a summer. Woo-hoo!). I pretty much can re-trace much of my life during 1983 and 1984 based on who the Tigers were playing and what happened that day.

The night in April of 1984, when Alan Trammell clobbered a home run against Kansas City's Dan Quisenberry in Royals Stadium during the 35-5 start? Was listening on the radio in the office of the Hillsdale Collegian. I was the editor that semester.

The night two months later when Dave Bergman fouled off seven full-count pitches from Toronto's Roy Lee Jackson on a thrilling Monday night baseball national telecast before slamming a three-run homer in an extra-innings Detroit victory? I was home alone, flopped on the couch in our basement glued to the set. To this day, I can almost smell that Michigan summer evening.

The day the Tigers clinched the '84 World Series with a win over San Diego? Watched it after coaching our intramural women's flag football team earlier that afternoon with two buddies of mine (one was offensive coordinator, one was defensive coordinator and I was the head coach -- so next time you're tempted to write and ask "You think you're so smart, you couldn't run a team if your life depended on it," I beg to differ).

Anyway, enough with the trips down memory lane with the Tigers.

How about with ... the Brewers?

I look at April 27, 1994, and I can tell you exactly where I was and what I was doing then, too. It was the last time before Tuesday that Milwaukee was no-hit and, ah, that night still brings back a helpless feeling.

I had just started a new job covering the Twins for the St. Paul Pioneer Press when Minnesota's Scott Erickson hung a no-no on Phil Garner's Brewers.

The catch: My wife and I were living in a temporary apartment in downtown Minneapolis and looking for a permanent place to live. I had taken that day off, we were out with our realtor for most of the afternoon and much of the night and returned tired, confused and depressed.

Then I flipped on the television, literally as the 10 o'clock news (the Central Time Zone's equivalent of the 11 o'clock news) was coming on and they were reporting live from the Metrodome that ... major news had occurred on my beat? And I hadn't even had the radio on and, for one of the few times in my life, was completely oblivious to the baseball world? Aaarrggh!

The hell of it was, while our realtor was one heck of a nice guy, he was one of the slowest human beings ever. Everything he did was in super slo-mo and, worse, he kept getting lost while we were out looking for houses. We'd pile into his car and he'd set out toward the first house, and damned if he wouldn't take a wrong turn somewhere along the way. Then more wrong turns en route to house Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

I can't tell you how many times he'd hand a map to my wife and ask her to double check something, and at that time she had never been to the Midwest before in her life.

We didn't know the area and looking for that house was a laborious (and completely miserable) process. Eventually we found one, moved into it that August and were happy Twin Cities residents for six years.

One final thing, just to note that I'm not a completely twisted baseball dope: I also remember exactly where I was when and what I was doing when Elvis died, Nixon resigned, President Reagan was shot and the space shuttle Challenger exploded.

Bet you've got a whole stash of similar moments and memories.

And if you love baseball, I bet a whole bunch of them involve radios, televisions, distant games and long ago nights.

And I bet you smile as soon as some of those memories begin flooding back to you.

Likes: Critics can snipe and whine, but two things about The Sopranos finale: It definitely was anti-climactic ... and I dug it. People today want everything wrapped up in a nice, tidy bow, and sorry, but life just isn't like that. And especially life with Tony and Co. There never was any black and white in this series, only shades of gray. This was a series written in the margins from Day 1: People liked Tony and were drawn to his good qualities, but he always was a cold-blooded killer. You wanted him rehabilitated and a happy ending? Please. You wanted him rubbed out? Well, fine, but too tidy. He wrestled with his demons throughout the series, and he's still wrestling with them, and we can think about it and wonder about it 10 years from now, and that's what keeps it interesting. ... Pitching in Yankee Stadium mostly has been a four-letter word this season, but this? Tuesday's Yankees-Arizona matchup: Wang vs. Webb.

Dislikes: Los Angeles smog. I can see it off in the distance, and I'm never sure if I'm breathing it (at least, that's what I tell myself. I'm sure I am). Not that there's any place to run in downtown Los Angeles, but when I stay there, I exercise in the hotel workout room.

Rock and Roll Lyric of the Day:

"Some days I feel like my shadow's casting me
"Some days the sun don't shine
"Some days I wonder what tomorrow's gonna bring
"When I think about my dirty life and times."

-- Warren Zevon, Dirty Life and Times

What you'll be talking about this week: Cats sleeping with dogs! OK, not literally, but those strange-bedfellow NL and AL teams continue to have at it this week as interleague play continues. Lots of games in NL parks, meaning lots of rusty pitchers are ready to wobble to the plate. But for an example of how dangerous this can be, oddly enough, we cut to the NL, where you would think pitchers are accustomed to batting. Instead, San Diego starter Justin Germano is expected to miss his next start because he was injured in Friday night's game against Seattle when he was drilled in the knee by a Hiram Bocachica foul ball while standing in the on-deck circle.

What you should be talking about: The serendipitous timing of Arizona's trip east to play the Yankees in New York and the Orioles in Baltimore this week. Too perfect for the Diamondbacks as they challenge in the NL West race because it allows them to procrastinate on a decision that's going to be tough: How to keep Mark Reynolds in the lineup now that Chad Tracy is back from the DL. Reynolds (.321, four homers, 15 RBI in 23 games) has been stellar in replacing the injured Tracy, but Tracy was activated on Sunday and in the lineup against Boston. By playing in AL parks this week, Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin at least will have the option of playing Tracy at third and using Reynolds as the DH. When they dip back into NL play, that's a different story.

What you can't avoid talking about: The Roger Clemens/Yankees Reunion Tour picks up speed Friday night when the Rocket makes start No. 2 against the New York Mets and Oliver Perez.

What you probably won't be talking about: Another Carlos Zambrano-Michael Barrett fistfight, though the two will have another chance to go at it Monday in Houston. Barrett is expected to return to the lineup (Koyie Hill caught Zambrano's last start during the cooling-off period). Zambrano and Barrett had a tearful apology session and now say they love each other. Attention, Minute Maid Park scoreboard operator: If Barrett is in the lineup, putting him and Zambrano on the Kiss-Cam between innings could be very funny. Or not.

What you could be talking about if the buzz comes true: There's some chatter out there about Pat Gillick making a return to Seattle as part of a new Mariners ownership group or as the M's president. Stay tuned.

Likes: Kenny Rogers in a Toledo Mud Hens uniform on Sunday, beginning his way back from arm surgery. Detroit is still expecting him back in its rotation by midsummer. ... Breaking news: The Angels' Ervin Santana actually wins a road game! Happened Saturday in St. Louis. ... Mets-Dodgers this week in rematch of last year's NL divisional playoff series. This time, Dodgers lefty reliever Joe Beimel will be ready to go, too. ... Rare Saturday afternoons at home, flipping XM radio from game to game on the back patio. ... The Traveling Wilbury's work being released on CD. Finally. ... Jesse Specter noting in the New York Daily News that Milwaukee's J.J. Hardy and Houston's Carlos Lee and Roy Oswalt each could be named to the NL All-Star team for next month's game in San Francisco, which could give the NL the Conspiracy Theorists' Dream Team of Lee ... Hardy ... Oswalt.

Dislikes: The friction in Texas between skipper Ron Washington, a good man, and some of the Rangers. ... The Texas lineup without Mark Teixeira for the first time in 508 games. ... Tony La Russa barking last week about how Cincinnati's Aaron Harang should be suspended for two weeks after he hit Gary Bennett in the head with a pitch. Harang obviously wasn't trying to hit Bennett, and the pitcher phoned the catcher later to make sure he was OK. La Russa is having a rough year -- he was completely in the wrong for his feud with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch when the Cubs came to town in late April, and he should have been suspended when he threatened to take a fungo bat to any reporter who asked a question he deemed "insincere" in Milwaukee following the death of Josh Hancock.

Rock and Roll Lyric of the Day:

"Most nights were crystal clear
"But tonight it's like it's stuck between stations
"On the radio"

-- The Hold Steady, Stuck Between Stations

A day in the life on the baseball beat ... specifically, Wednesday, when it was possible to see Minnesota and the Angels in Anaheim (12:35 p.m. PDT start), the NL West showdown between the Dodgers and Padres in San Diego (7:05 p.m. start) and, as it turned out, Trevor Hoffman becoming the first closer to ever record his 500th save. ...

8:15 a.m.: On road to Anaheim, and man, running late already.

8:50 a.m.: You've gotta be kidding -- the Border Patrol checkpoint is open on Interstate 5 North just south of San Clemente. It's never open. Great, traffic is stacked up. Add another five-to-10 minutes to the trip.

9:30 a.m.: Arrival at Angel Stadium. Not too bad after all, time-wise.

10:15 a.m.: On the field near the first base dugout. Recording three videos. You people love your video, I'm told. So I drop my writer's pen and pick up the video microphone.

10:30 a.m.: Twins right-fielder Michael Cuddyer arrives on the field to do a video interview. I tell him you people love your videos. He forgives me for abdicating my writer's role and plays along well with the video interview. He's such an engaging guy. You can see the video here.

11:07 a.m.: On the field for batting practice, AL MVP Justin Morneau, a native of Canada and an out-of-his-mind hockey fan, is telling me that he's received permission to skip the Twins charter flight home and stay back to attend Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals tonight. Not only that, but he went to Game 7 last year, he said, because it was in North Carolina on an off day following a Twins' game in Pittsburgh.

11:15 a.m.: In Angels manager Mike Scioscia's office quizzing him about the World Baseball Classic and its effect on pitchers. Just 75 minutes before game time, and he's poring over the stat sheets when I walk in.

11:30 a.m.: Chatting with Minnesota pitching coach Rick Anderson about the WBC, Johan Santana, Kevin Slowey and assorted other Twins pitching issues. The interview is interrupted by another bad joke from heckler LaVelle E. Neal III, the gregarious Twins beat writer from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, as he walks by. I set him straight. Seriously, LaVelle is one of the best guys in the business.

12:15 p.m.: Breakfast in the press dining room. Powdered eggs. Yum.

12:52 p.m.: You've got to be kidding. Less than 24 hours ago, I finished a column on Luis Castillo's major-league record errorless streak. The column is up right now. So what happens? Vladimir Guerrero grounds to shortstop in what should be an inning-ending force play. Instead, Castillo drops the most basic throw over from shortstop Jason Bartlett that you could have. You know how most fans watch baseball and say, "I could make that play." Well no, they couldn't. But this soft toss? Yes, you or I could have made that play.

12:53 p.m.: Official scorer Ed Munson makes the obvious call: E-4. Mike Herman, crack Minnesota media guy, walks down to the Angels' media relations contingent in the press box and explains to them that if they want to read all about Castillo's 143-game errorless streak -- you know, the one that just ended this second -- they can do so this very minute in my column posted on CBS.SportsLine.com. I see the entire lot of them craning their necks back toward my seat, smiling at me and shaking their heads.

12:54 p.m.: They think I jinxed Castillo? John Lackey, who is 9-3 with a 2.37 ERA, has thrown two hitless innings and has no-hitter stuff. Just wait until I start talking that up in the press box.

12:55 p.m.: On the phone with my editor. Uh, about the fact that the Castillo column is now less than eight minutes from being turned into the cover story on our site? We discuss how to finesse things.

1:10 p.m.: David L. Lander, better known as Squiggy from Laverne and Shirley, is sitting next to me and wonders whether I'm going across the freeway to the Stanley Cup Finals game tonight in Anaheim. Nope, I tell him -- I'm high-tailing it down to San Diego to watch Greg Maddux and Randy Wolf as the Padres and Dodgers battle for first place.

1:12 p.m.: Lander, by the way, is employed as a part-time scout by the Mariners and is a walking encyclopedia of baseball. Penny Marshall (Laverne) hired him to be her baseball consultant when she directed the terrific movie A League of Their Own. He also is one heck of a nice guy.

1:15 p.m.: Lander leans over and asks how the Twins third went, and darned if I haven't fallen behind in my scorecard, too. Lackey is mowing through the Twins' order that quickly. He's retired the first 10 batters, easily.

1:33 p.m.: So much for the no-no. Twins first baseman Jeff Cirillo loops a single into shallow center field.

1:36 p.m.: So much for Lackey's shutout. Cuddyer drills a two-run homer. Must have been the way I pumped him up pre-game in the video session.

1:53 p.m.: Nick Punto belts a three-run homer to vault the Twins into a 5-4 lead. Lackey has gone from no-hit stuff to all-hit stuff.

2:29: Six innings in the books. Minnesota 6, Angels 5. Dustin Moseley has replaced John Lackey. I'm closing the computer and heading toward Interstate 5, San Diego, and tonight's battle.

2:43: Got Terry Smith and Rory Markas on the radio and I-5 is clear sailing -- at least, as clear as it gets in Southern California. Jason Bartlett homers and, like me, the Angels are heading south this afternoon.

2:49: Cuddyer scores an RBI double. A double, homer and a walk after shooting our video interview. He'll be asking for more.

2:53: Twins win, Angels' five-game winning streak is finished.

4:09 p.m.: Pull into the parking lot at Petco Park and rolling into the ballpark.

4:35: Padres manager Bud Black sits in the dugout answering the media's pre-game questions and says that no, he wasn't surprised at all when big, lumbering Russell Branyan set sail to steal second base in Tuesday's series-opener against the Dodgers to set up the run in the Padres' 1-0 win.

4:37: David Wells comes storming off the field, screaming an expletive. He throws his bat in the dugout and screams that he thinks he just broke his hand taking batting practice.

5:35: In the Dodgers' dugout, manager Grady Little attempts to explain, yet again, his club's lack of offense. Yes, the Padres won Tuesday night's game 1-0 despite collecting only two little hits.

6:04 p.m.: In the Padres' clubhouse. So, is Wells' hand broken? Hitting coach Merv Rettenmund looks startled. What? Bernie Wilson, the Associated Press reporter in San Diego (the one with the wicked sense of humor), and I tell Merv that Wells made a big show coming off the field that his hand might be broken. Merv shakes his head. "He hits the ball off the end of the bat, and it stings his hands on the recoil," Rettenmund says. He shakes his head again about Wells' reaction. "It's every day," Rettenmund says, chuckling. Ah, so Wells begging out of b.p. with a stinging hand, that's like the kid who comes home sick from school. I get it.

6:17 p.m.: Sit down at the dinner table with Dodgers broadcasters Charley Steiner and Rick Monday, who regale me with the story of how the Dodgers' charter flight in from Pittsburgh overnight Monday had a problem with the wing flaps, how they flew out over the ocean before landing in San Diego and how, upon landing, there were all sorts of flashing lights -- fire trucks, ambulances -- awaiting the plane on the runway. At, like, 3:30 a.m. Tuesday.

6:30 p.m.: Go get my own dinner. They're serving pulled pork from Randy Jones' barbecue -- yes, the Randy Jones who pitched for the Padres and won a Cy Young award in 1976.

7:07 p.m.: Here we go, game two of the day, Greg Maddux kicks and fires. ...

8 p.m.: What? The Ducks won the Stanley Cup? Wonder if Morneau is sipping from it with the Ducks?

8:32 p.m.: Padres shortstop Khalil Greene is out with a sore arm and right fielder Brian Giles has been out for a couple of weeks with a sore knee, but their replacements -- Geoff Blum at shortstop and Hiram Bocachica in right field -- are doing just fine tonight. Blum cracked a two-run double against Randy Wolf in the second, Bocachica knocked an RBI single in the third and Blum followed with a two-run single later in the inning.

8:49 p.m.: Maddux is finished for the night and departs with a 5-2 lead. He's worked 6 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on five hits. Of 71 pitches, 49 are for strikes.

9:11 p.m.: Hells bells, the Padres are leading 5-2 and here comes Hoffman, with 499 saves and counting.

9:17 p.m.: Two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the fans are standing and several are aiming their cell phone cameras at the mound, and rightfully so.

9:18 p.m.: Called strike three on Dodgers catcher Russell Martin and it's in the books: Hoffman extends his saves record to the magical number of 500. The Padres mob him. Starter David Wells and reliever Heath Bell hoist Hoffman up on their shoulders and carry him off the field. There's bedlam on the field, in the stands, and fireworks beyond the center-field fence. A large, well-lit No. 500 raises from behind the center-field fence as well.

9:30 p.m.: The Padres have a champagne toast to Hoffman in the clubhouse. "People talk about our bullpen and what a great job we do putting it together," Padres general manager Kevin Towers says. "I tell you, my job is easy putting together a pen with No. 51 in it."

9:38 p.m.: Padres manager Bud Black: "When we were looking at the lineup card after the game, it just looked right with Maddux as the starting pitcher and Trevor getting the save." Think that duo will reminisce about this night one future July afternoon in about 20 years while attending another Hall of Fame induction in Cooperstown?

9:45 p.m.: Hoffman on Wells and Bell carrying him off the field on their shoulders: "It's special to be acknowledged by your peers in a way you don't see every day. To have your teammates think enough of you to hoist you up, it validates how you're viewed in the clubhouse and in the game. ... If you respect the game, it will respect you back."

9:51 p.m.: Maddux, who won his fifth game of the season and the 338th of his career, on the night: "You know, it's all about Trevor. Here's a guy doing something in baseball that nobody has ever done. I felt privileged to see it. It was an honor for me to see a guy hit a number that no reliever has ever done."

10:14 p.m.: Better get this thing filed before the good and patient editors awaiting overnight at our home office in Florida come looking for me. ...

Likes: Days like this. Two games, four pennant contenders, watching two Hall of Famers bookend the night for the Padres, the start of the summer ... vacation anyone?

Dislikes: How about somebody investigate the price of gas?

Rock and Roll Lyric of the Day:

"On the road again
"Goin' places that I've never been
"Seein' things that I may never see again
"And I can't wait to get on the road again"

-- Willie Nelson, On the Road Again

Father's Day shopping still ahead? You could do a whole lot worse than this:

XM satellite radio: If you don't know by now, you haven't been paying attention. You can listen to every major league game -- the home team's radio broadcast. The only way this could be better is if, one day, they go with both the home and away broadcasts. But as it is now, if you're, say, a Milwaukee fan, and the Brewers are playing in San Diego, you'll get the Padres' crew instead of Bob Uecker and Jim Powell. But you get Uke and Powell for the 81 Brewers home games. And when the games aren't on, the music channels are phenomenal. Summer nights, satellite radio in the backyard, ribs on the grill ... mmm, mmm.

MLB Extra Innings: The television version of XM, except not all games are televised. Most are -- you can get up to 60 a week. I get this for my father every summer for a combination Father's Day/birthday present, and he likes it well enough that he's yet to suggest I drop it and go tie shopping instead.

Wise Guide Fan Navigator pocket books: The guys who do these, John and Andy Buchanan, have just finished their guides to Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park, which add those already available (Wrigley Field, Notre Dame Stadium and Ohio Stadium). They are exceptionally clever guides that include all sorts of information, from scoring tickets to tips on getting to the stadium to quizzes on the team's history. There are tips on restaurants and bars in the city, guide to the music you're likely to hear at the stadium, information on historical sites in the area. As it says in the back of these handy little guides, "The bulk of this book comes from the personal experiences and observations of the writers. ..." and from what I've read in them, these guys know what they're talking about. Check out the books at www.fansherpa.com.

Ernie Harwell's Audio Scrapbook: A terrific four CD collection narrated by the Hall of Fame broadcaster that essentially is roughly a four-hour trip through the history of the game and down Harwell's memory lane. Disc 1 starts early in Ernie's career and covers recreations of games, his early gigs in the 1930s and 1940s and his memories of luminaries such as Ty Cobb and Ted Williams; Disc 2 includes memories of train rides, Jackie Robinson, the Boys of Summer and "Ernie Brawls with Leo Durocher"; Disc 3 covers his Baltimore and Detroit years (including the Tiger Stadium finale) and Disc 4 includes his signature calls and clips from his final Tigers broadcast. Highly entertaining, and it even includes some clips of Ernie broadcasting Michigan State football. Who knew? You can find it at www.eharwell.com.

Tim Kurkjian's book Is This a Great Game or What? From A-Rod's Head to Zim's Heart, My 25 Years in Baseball: Just finished it, and I'll just say this: If you love baseball, you'll love this book. Tim's got a nice, conversational touch and the pages are filled with entertaining anecdotes, humorous stories and, best of all, pure passion for the game. Added bonus: Tim is one of the nicest guys in the business.

Jayson Stark's book The Stark Truth: The Most Overrated and Underrated Players in Baseball History: OK, OK, I don't want to turn this into an infomercial for the Worldwide Leader in Yankees-Red Sox telecasts, but if there's somebody who knows more about baseball than Stark, I'd sure like to meet him. I haven't read it yet because it was just released, but I've skimmed through it (not to mention discussed a bit of it with Jayson before he finished writing it and I was sworn to secrecy) and I can't wait to sink my teeth into it -- and then leave angry messages with Jayson vehemently disagreeing with his lists. Added bonus: Jayson is every bit the good guy that Kurkjian is.

Joe Posnanski's book The Soul of Baseball: A Journey Through Buck O'Neill's America: I'm not going to belabor this because I already raved about it in Bull Pennings this spring. I'll just say: Go and pick up a couple copies, one for yourself and one for your father. I demand that you do it. It's that good.

Likes: All of the above.

Dislikes: Just not enough hours in the day to get to all the cool stuff out there.

Rock and Roll Lyric of the Day:

"I was so much older then
"I'm younger than that now."

-- Bob Dylan, My Back Pages

And the standings following the New York Yankees' 6-4 drubbing in Chicago tonight:

Yankees, 24 wins.

Tampa Bay, 24 wins.

Washington, 23 wins.

Oh, and so much for the Yankees' early season built-in excuse that they were done in by injuries to their starting rotation (Mike Mussina, Chien-Ming Wang, Phil Hughes, Carl Pavano).

The Nationals that looked so bad this spring lost four-fifths of their rotation in a span of 12 days from May 6-18 -- John Patterson (right elbow), Shawn Hill (left shoulder), Jerome Williams (right shoulder) and Jason Bergmann (right elbow).

The ERA of those four combined as they landed on the disabled list: 4.49.

So at that point, a bad team whose rotation was gutted should have turned from putrid to wretched, no?

Heck no, as it turns out. The one holdover from the opening day rotation was rookie Matt Chico. The replacements for Patterson, Hill, Williams and Bergmann included Micah Bowie (who had bounced from Atlanta to the Cubs to Oakland and hadn't pitched in the majors since 2003), Mike Bacsik (who had pitched for Cleveland, the Mets and Texas and hadn't pitched in the majors since '04) and Jason Simontacchi (who won 11 games for the Cardinals in '02 but hadn't pitched in the majors since '04). Also in the rotation is Rule 5 pick Levale Speigner, who has struggled recently and might be yanked from the rotation.

Nevertheless, since May 18, when the last of the Original Four Nationals starters landed on the DL, Manny Acta's club is 8-8. Until the Padres and Dodgers beat them up last week, the other Nationals' starters had a collective ERA of 3.31 since then. Now, it's 5.77.

Not exactly something to brag about. But they've played .500 ball for two weeks, aren't nearly as awful as many folks figured they'd be and, besides, the Yankees' starting pitching ranks 24th in the majors with a 4.87 ERA. With a $190 million payroll.

Likes: Minnesota first baseman Justin Morneau's plan to leave tickets to Tuesday night's Twins-Angels game in Anaheim for NHL broadcasting legend Don Cherry, who will be arriving to work the NHL Stanley Cup Game 5 in Anaheim in Wednesday evening. Morneau grew up in Canada, played hockey as a kid and can't wait to meet Cherry. ... The Angels' Rally Monkey is still strong. ... Watching AL pitchers get all giddy at the thought of batting as another round of Interleague Play approaches. Following batting practice on Monday night in Anaheim, the Twins' Johan Santana -- who happens to own a couple of Cy Young awards -- and Carlos Silva disappeared into the indoor batting cage to take some hacks. Never too early to start. ... The commercial Sonic Burger is running on Tampa Bay Devil Rays telecasts advertising free root beer floats on Thursday. Anytime a guy spits out a mouthful of a drink in mock shock at something (finding out the floats are free in this case), it's funny in my book. Wish I was in Florida on Thursday to get a free root beer float myself. ... I mean it, the new disc from Fountains of Wayne, Traffic and Weather, is really good. ... The Sopranos episode on Sunday night, setting up this Sunday's series finale. Man, there's going to be a huge void when HBO retires Tony and the gang following Sunday's show.

Dislikes: Night games on getaway day. ... Yankees first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz expected to miss six-to-eight weeks with a fractured wrist and a concussion sustained while getting kneed in the head by Boston's Mike Lowell in an extraordinarily violent play over the weekend. Blame second baseman Robinson Cano, whose bad feed on a potential double play grounder caused Derek Jeter to rush a poor throw to first, which pulled Mientkiewicz low and wide of the bag, and not Lowell, who was simply running hard when his hip smashed into Mientkiewicz's head.

Rock and Roll Lyric of the Day:

"Every night my dream's the same
"Same old city with a different name
"Men are coming to take me away
"I don't know why, but I know I can't stay"

-- Arcade Fire, Keep the Car Running

What you'll be talking about this week: The Cubs and their fighting players, suspended manager and buffoonery on the bases. Click here.

What you should be talking about: How about this video clip of Double-A Mississippi Braves manager Phillip Wellman's ejection, one of the greatest managerial meltdowns you will ever see. The guy is in his first season piloting Atlanta's Double-A affiliate, and with Bobby Cox poised to set a major-league record for ejections at the major-league level, looks like the Braves are grooming a more-than-adequate replacement to follow Cox. Wow!

What you can't believe you're not talking about: You know the Cubs are sitcom-bad when you're not even buzzing about the problems in New York with the Yankees. And now Roger Clemens can't take the ball Monday in Chicago because of a "fatigued" groin. Shows what I know -- I thought that injury was unique to porn stars.

What you really should be talking about: The Byrd Man of Cleveland, the Indians' Paul Byrd, is scheduled to take his amazing accuracy into Wednesday's start in Kansas City. Byrd, one of the prime reasons Cleveland is in first place in the AL Central, has more victories this season (six) than walks (three). Byrd has not walked a batter in 43 consecutive innings -- hey Royals, you may as well go up there hacking -- and overall, he's issued only three walks in 58 innings. In his past two starts, Byrd has thrown 121 of 150 pitches (81 percent) for strikes.

What you'll be talking about in a few years: Who was picked in this year's annual draft, which begins on Thursday. The teams to watch closely: San Francisco has six of the first 51 picks, including three in the first round. Texas has five of the first 54 picks, Toronto has five of the first 56 and San Diego has six of the first 64. The Padres have set aside $10 million for this year's draft. It's considered to be a decent draft overall, and very even. "There's not a lot of separation from the top players to the next tier," Padres scouting director Bill "Chief" Gayton says. "At 40, you might be selecting the same type of guy you'd take at 23. It's strong in terms of high school players, but weak as a college group. And it's unusually slim in pitching. Right-handed pitching dominates the board year-in and year-out, but from a college standpoint, it's pretty thin this year."

What you can't help yourself from talking about: Paris Hilton must report to jail to begin her sentence by Tuesday.

Likes: Kenny Lofton's leaping catch against the center-field wall in Seattle the other night. As good as you'll see. ... I know it might not be the most professional thing to admit, but man, watching a guy like Lou Piniella turn into a raving lunatic, kicking his cap and kicking dirt sure is fun. And it brings back great memories of Earl Weaver. ... The Sunday newspapers, still. ... Famous Dave's barbecue joint. One of them just opened a few miles from the house. So I'll be finishing this up very quickly tonight. Ha. ... The new disc from Fountains of Wayne, Traffic and Weather.

Dislikes: Lyle Overbay out four to six weeks. Is there any Blue Jay who isn't going to get hurt this year? I really enjoy watching that guy hit.

Rock and Roll Lyric of the Day:

"I've got fevered dreams, mighty plans
"I need a black-top road, I need a wheel in my hands."

-- Bob Seger, Face the Promise

While Ichiro Suzuki is off on another hitting streak -- up to 24 games heading into Friday night's contest with Texas -- and again seizing most of the attention, his countryman in the Mariners clubhouse quietly is doing just fine himself.

"It is a lot more comfortable this year after one year is under my belt," Seattle catcher Kenji Johjima told me the other day through his interpreter.

You know the drill -- the second year in a new job almost always goes more smoothly than the first because you know your surroundings so much better. And Johjima's first season in Seattle wasn't bad at all -- he batted .291 with 18 homers and 76 RBI last summer and overcame the language barrier to handle the Mariners' pitchers fairly well.

"I look at these pitchers as my English teachers," Johjima said. "They teach me a lot of words that I need to learn, both on the field and off."

Many more of those words this summer probably are positive because for the first time since 2003, baseball is worth watching again in Seattle. The Mariners enter the weekend second in the AL West, 4½ games behind the Angels, despite the fact that Richie Sexson has been horrible, batting .196, and shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt is heavier this season and, whether it's related or not, has been pulling too many throws to first base.

He's already been charged with 12 errors after committing just 20 all of last season.

As for Johjima, the fact that he's more familiar with opposing pitchers is reflected in his offensive numbers -- .316 batting average and a .344 on-base percentage. And he is a tough out: Johjima is the sixth-toughest hitter to strike out in the AL, fanning an average of just once per 14.55 at-bats.

Defensively, after a slow start, Johjima in May threw out eight of 14 runners attempting to steal. And as a batterymate with Seattle's bullpen, things have been clicking: The Mariners have allowed a major-league low five ninth-inning runs this season, and from the seventh-inning on, Seattle relievers have compiled the fourth-lowest ERA in the AL (3.22).

Johjima doesn't offer any for-instances as to how much more comfortable things have been for him so far this season.

"No specifics," he said. "But what I learned last year about opposing hitters and about opposing pitchers has been very valuable for myself.

"Last year, all I could do was listen and ask. This year, I can go to the young kids and tell them, 'This pitcher likes to wait until this situation and then pitch inside' and things like that. That helps."

The combination of a year under his belt and a much better start has made this year far more enjoyable for Johjima, who is very personable and quick with the smile.

He didn't even hesitate when asked who the funniest pitcher on the Mariners staff is.

"I personally like Miguel Batista," he said. "One reason why is he has a strange atmosphere. That's why I like it. As you know, he writes books.

"The way he looks at things is different than the way other people do."

Likes: Tom Mee as official scorer in Minnesota, a dynasty that came to an end on Wednesday. Tom, the first employee hired by the Twins when the franchise moved from Washington before the 1961 season, worked as the club's publicist for a couple of decades before becoming the official scorer in 1991. I always thought he was fair in a time when far too many of his colleagues don't call nearly enough errors. Plus, he is as nice a man as you'll find, a true gentleman. Always enjoyed seeing him at the Metrodome. ... Armando Benitez to Florida. Granted, the guy could screw up a three-car funeral in the ninth inning, but he's taken such abuse in Baltimore, New York and San Francisco that I'm happy to see him head for a smaller market. Plus, the Marlins need bullpen help. ... Entertainment Weekly. Like M&Ms for the brain on the weekend. ... The rock group Hold Steady's Minnesota-flavored version of Take Me Out to the Ballgame.

Dislikes: On Friday? You kidding me?

Rock and Roll Lyric of the Day:

"Oh I asked her for water, she brought me gasoline
"Oh I asked her for water, she brought me gasoline
"That's the troublingest woman that I ever seen

-- Howlin' Wolf, I Asked For Water