Weekend Buzz: Rocket's signing to have huge ramifications, if ...

Things were so bleak that GM Billy Beane traded for four outfielders in seven days -- including Ryan Langerhans, who lasted a day with the A's before being flipped to Washington for Chris Snelling.

"I enjoyed my time here," Langerhans quipped of his 24-hour stay with the Athletics.

Tough to say which injury hurts Oakland the worst -- the nomination here is either Harden or Piazza -- but it's easy to say which was the ugliest: Beane says he was e-mailing San Diego GM Kevin Towers about acquiring outfielder Jack Cust after Piazza's brutal collision at third with Boston's Mike Lowell before television even showed the replay.

Piazza's shoulder was in such bad shape that the Oakland training staff had to cut his jersey off afterward; he couldn't lift his arm. Among other things, that situation just goes to show you that there are no experts in this game. For years, "experts" have been carping about Piazza being too old to catch, and that he should go to the AL and DH.

Well, after 15 years of catching, Piazza is out at least a month with a strained shoulder after only four weeks of DHing.

Beane's reaction?

"The American League is a far more physically punishing league than the National League," the GM cracked. "It's a much more physical league."

5. Heavenly? Aw, it was nothing: So what was Mike Scioscia's reaction after passing Bill Rigney to become the all-time winningest manager in Angels history Friday night? He gave the ball to set-up man Scot Shields, who had earned the save. So Shields had "646" written on it (it was Scioscia's 646th win) and had it delivered back to Scioscia's office. And Scioscia promised he was going to deliver it back to Shields.

Players win games, said the ultra-modest Scioscia, who added that he planned to keep as a memento from the game ... nothing.

Well, almost.

"Just the memories, the feeling," Scioscia said. "It's been a blast for us as an organization to have the stability to achieve this. It's fun. You want to keep it going."

6. Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi admits lying: Told a radio station that the club covered up closer B.J. Ryan's elbow injury this spring by saying it was a back injury to buy more time. OK, fine. But I'm drawing the line if he tries to tell me Paris Hilton isn't going to jail.

7. Chris Carpenter to undergo surgery: And then there were zero Cardinals starters left from the 2006 World Series champion rotation.

8. Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer to disabled list: And girls all over the Twin Cities are crushed.

9. Sori soars Chicago's Alfonso Soriano raised his average 43 points last week, slugged a couple of homers and now is batting .309. "This is what we envisioned," said Cubs manager Lou Piniella, whose own streak of remembering to zip up his uniform pants has reached five consecutive games.

10. Josh Hancock: There is a lesson here, and it's called don't drink and drive.