Bruce has night to remember in win

CINCINNATI -- Jay Bruce is proving to be every bit as good as advertised, and maybe even a little better.

In the fourth game of his Major League career, the rookie sensation had four hits and scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning in Friday's 3-2 Reds victory over the Braves before 37,015 fans at Great American Ball Park.

The walk-off moment came when Brandon Phillips sharply smoked a ball on the ground through Chipper Jones' legs. Originally ruled a hit, it was later switched to an error on Jones.

"Winning is fun," Bruce said. "That's something I think we'll be doing a lot more of."

Bruce is batting .571 (8-for-14) with three doubles, three RBIs and five runs scored in four games since being called up from Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday.

"This is one of the best times you're going to have in the big leagues," Reds manager Dusty Baker said of Bruce. "It's when you first get here until they kind of figure out a book on you and what your kryptonite is. Right now, he doesn't have any."

Supposedly, a difficulty hitting against left-handed pitchers was Bruce's kryptonite in the Minors, but no more.

The 21-year-old left-handed prodigy handled one of the best southpaws around, future Hall of Famer Tom Glavine, for three hits in three at-bats. In the third inning, Bruce went the other way on a 1-2 outside changeup and nabbed a broken-bat single.

"In that situation, he's a smart young hitter," Baker said. "You don't get the way he does just on natural ability. A lot of it is natural ability, but a lot of it is he has an idea and a plan when he goes up there of what he wants to do against certain pitchers."

In the sixth against Glavine, Bruce laced an RBI double that scored Jerry Hairston for a 2-1 Reds lead.

"I just try to look at him as just a left-handed pitcher," Bruce said. "I try not to worry about the name. I know he's not."

"That was kind of the rap before, that he had to learn how to hit lefties a little better," Baker said. "But now he has a game plan against them. Knock on wood, may it continue."

Bruce's fourth hit came in the 11th when he singled off Atlanta reliever Royce Ring, who was also -- you guessed it -- a left-hander. Ken Griffey Jr. followed with a base hit that shot past Jones and moved Bruce to second to set up Phillips.

"I felt the momentum all night long," Phillips said. "But when Jay Bruce got on, I knew we were going to win the game. I knew that I was going to do something or [Adam] Dunn was going to do something."

Edinson Volquez, who pitched on four days' rest and for the third time in eight days, held the Major League's leading hitter -- Jones -- in check. Volquez worked six-plus innings and gave up just two earned runs on five hits with three walks and seven strikeouts.

"I just threw a lot of fastballs inside and some of my changeups, too," Volquez said about pitching to Jones, who went 0-for-5. "It was my idea. I was watching the video, and the last time he faced me, the fastball away was a base hit and a changeup was a fly ball to center field."

Volquez had worked 1 2/3 innings in emergency relief four days ago in an 18-inning game at San Diego, and he pitched six innings in a start two days before that. It was a similar situation that doomed Aaron Harang in a 7-2 loss to the Pirates the night before.

Even after Volquez's exit, nearly everything went the Reds' way from the eighth inning on. Cincinnati's bullpen group of Bill Bray, Jared Burton, Francisco Cordero and Kent Mercker (1-0) combined to pitch four scoreless innings down the stretch, and at one point, retired nine batters in a row.

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Bruce adjusting to big league life

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Bruce adjusting to big league life

CINCINNATI -- The adrenaline rush from Tuesday night's memorable Major League debut has begun to fade for Jay Bruce, affording the 21-year-old rookie time to adjust to life in the big leagues.

Bruce's sizeable contingent of family and friends has returned home, and he's beginning to settle into a routine.

"I was really glad everyone was here to see the first game," Bruce said. "It's helped some that they're gone. It's beginning to feel like a normal season. I'm just coming in everyday and tending to business."

Reds fans, of course, still are bellowing Bruce's name, and his on-field heroics continue almost daily.

In Friday night's 11-inning victory over the Braves, Bruce went 4-for-5 with a double and two runs scored, including the game-winner. He also made a lunging catch in center field on Mark Teixeira's sacrifice fly in the sixth.

"I'm just happy to contribute," Bruce said. "Everybody's doing their part right now. Everything the past few days has been great. I'm just trying to stay with a consistent approach."

Bruce is batting .571 with three doubles, three RBIs and two stolen bases. He's struck out just once in 14 at-bats.

His double in the sixth inning on Friday hit the base of the right-center-field wall, just missing his first career home run by a few feet.

"He's a smart, young hitter," said Reds manager Dusty Baker. "Hitting home runs isn't his stroke. He can't get out of his game. He has a plan when he goes up there. He swings like a hitter, not a slugger."

Most notably, Bruce has batted .625 (5-for-8) against left-handers, including a three-hit performance Friday against future Hall of Fame left-hander Tom Glavine.

"I tried not to pay attention to the name on the back of his jersey," Bruce said. "Tom Glavine's a sure-fire Hall of Famer. He's one of the most respected pitchers of all time. It felt great."

Bruce will make his fifth consecutive start in Saturday afternoon's game against Atlanta at Great American Ball Park. Day by day, the youngster is feeling more like just one of the guys in the Reds' clubhouse.

"When I got here, I wanted to settle into a routine," Bruce said. "There are still some things I need to figure out. But I'm glad the fans are here and enjoying the games. Winning is fun. It's something I think we're going to start doing more of."

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Bruce has night to remember in win

Chavez rejoins A's lineup

OAKLAND -- Hearing the word "back" hasn't necessarily been music to Eric Chavez's ears during the past few months. After all, it has been back spasms that have kept him out of the A's lineup since he was placed on the disabled list last August.

But on Thursday, the word "back" was the reason behind contagious smiles in the A's clubhouse before their series finale against the Blue Jays -- and for good reason.

Chavez was back in the Oakland lineup in the designated hitter spot. The third baseman was activated for the day's game as the injured Frank Thomas heads to the DL with a strained right quadriceps.

The A's designated outfielder Jeff Fiorentino for assignment to clear a spot for Chavez on the 40-man roster.

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Cabrera's hard work paying off

BALTIMORE -- If you're fortunate enough to be in Camden Yards hours before game time, you just might see Daniel Cabrera sprinting step-by-step up the stadium stairs, slowly snaking his way around the entire lower concourse. It's an old routine, but it's taken on new dimensions as Cabrera winds through the most successful stint of his brief career.

Cabrera, known far and wide throughout Baltimore for his maniacal conditioning habits, is only beginning to see that hard work pay dividends on the field. The hulking right-hander finally has himself under control, which has manifested itself in fewer walks on the mound and a steady diet of hard two-seam fastballs in and under the hands of opposing hitters.

"He's pitching to his strengths. He's been very aggressive," said pitching coach Rick Kranitz. "His sinker's been very good. He's really stayed with the philosophy of attacking the zone down, and that's it in a nutshell, as far as what he's attempted to do. I think we've tried to not have him make the adjustment first, and to try to make the hitter adjust to him."

Those adjustments have mostly ended poorly for the hitters, as Cabrera has achieved more success through 11 starts than he has in many of his other seasons. The youngster has already walked zero batters in a start more times (three) than he did all of last season (two), and he recently worked through a career-best string of eight consecutive quality starts.

For perspective, consider that he logged just 14 quality starts last season, which stood as his career high. Cabrera tossed 10 of those in 2006 and 12 in '05, so he appears to be well on his way to establishing a new personal best.

"I'm not surprised," said veteran catcher Ramon Hernandez. "I know he's always had good stuff, but he hadn't figured the game out. Now, he's figured it out and he knows what he's doing. He has an idea when he's pitching."

He's done it all with a steady brilliance, underlining the potential people have seen in him for years. Cabrera worked deep enough in most of his starts last year to log 200 innings for the first time, but he also lost a league-high 18 games and led the American League in walks for the second straight season. This time, there's no downside.

Cabrera has walked two batters or fewer in six of his first 11 starts this year, and he did it just 12 times in 34 outings last season. There's no magic reason for the transformation, but Kranitz credits it to pitching to contact as opposed to working for the strikeout. Cabrera is down in both rates this year, but his ERA has shown the same exact trend.

"There's no question he is [pitching to contact]," said Kranitz. "He's had a couple tough walk days, but he's battled hard on those days and he's given us a chance to win. Those days are going to happen sometimes, and you will get out of whack from time to time. Like his last start -- he wasn't at his best, but he battled hard. He gave up four runs."

"I think his work ethic is improved," added manager Dave Trembley. "He's a lot more consistent with his effort. I think it's just a matter that he's matured, he's grown up and he's gotten a taste of some success, which he's never had before. I think that benefited him, and I think Kranitz deserves credit for giving him a plan and making sure he sticks with it."

Cabrera, who turned 27 on Wednesday, has said that he's not really doing anything differently. He credits Kranitz for easing his transition, but he points out that he's still largely the same pitcher. Cabrera has had four pitching coaches in his four-plus seasons, and he said he's rarely experienced any areas in which their tutelage contradicts each other.

"Whatever they tell me, I have to deal with that," he said. "I don't know if it's weird, because I've never been anywhere else and worked with any other pitching coaches. This is the only team I know, and what happens here is all I know."

The Orioles have also ironed out one of Cabrera's chief weaknesses, namely his slow time to the plate with runners on base. Kranitz helped streamline his stretch delivery during Spring Training to get him to stand straight and minimize his leg kick, an endeavor that has kept Cabrera comfortable while giving runners far less of a head start to the next base.

And according to Kranitz, that was a priority for many pitchers, not just for Cabrera.

"If they didn't work on it, they heard about it," he said. "It did simplify his delivery to the point that he's quicker. He gets that hand out of his glove and he's on a downhill plane a little more consistently from the stretch."

Now, the pitcher with inimitable stuff has results to match. Kranitz admits he didn't know much about Cabrera when he arrived and isn't the best source to gauge his improvement, but he knows exactly what he's seeing now. Much like his habit of running the stairs, Cabrera is cooling down between starts and ramping back up every five days.

"I just knew he had good stuff," said Kranitz. "I knew he was a 200-inning guy and had struggled somewhat. Anytime you get a guy that has pitched that many innings and has struggled from time to time, you think, 'Wow. If he's going 200 innings and pitching like that, he should pitch even more innings and have more success if he gets on a roll.'"

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Carew leads education workshop

TEMPLE CITY, Calif. -- Hall of Famer Rod Carew felt right at home Wednesday morning speaking to a group of Temple City High School teachers as part of a traveling education workshop put on by the Hall of Fame, right down to receiving a school hat with a "TC" logo much like his old Minnesota Twins cap as a gift. Carew told the enthralled group of Southern California educators the story of his life and career, from growing up in Panama, to not making his high school team, to being discovered by a Twins scout on a sandlot field in New York, to becoming an 18-time All-Star elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Because of his life journey, he often tells kids not to let anybody tell them they can't do something, because anything can happen in life. "It's OK to dream, because dreams do come true," said Carew, whose career proves that point. "No matter what walk of life you take." Carew was asked to speak at the workshop to provide a real-life example of how baseball and education intersect, said Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson. The Hall has brought in a local Hall of Famer for each of its five education workshops, with Wednesday being the final one put on from a $250,000 grant from AT&T. Harmon Killebrew, Billy Williams, Ferguson Jenkins and Tony Perez spoke at the previous engagements. "Everybody has a different story but a similar story, that the value of education is imperative," Idelson said. Added Carew, "I think that whenever we can step in and get involved in things like these to help others, I think that we should take advantage of it." After Carew took some questions from the teachers -- ranging from what's wrong with Dodgers outfielder Andruw Jones to Carew's position on being a role model for kids -- three educators from the Hall of Fame held break out sessions on three topics taught by the Hall: American history, women's history and civil rights. "It's incredibly important because it makes it more real," Idelson said. "It brings it to life, and it's a real-life example of the intersection between baseball and education." The Hall's entire curriculum is online, which makes it useful to students too far away to visit Cooperstown, N.Y. The Hall also offers point-to-point video conferencing in which a teacher in Cooperstown instructs students from across the country. The instructors from the Hall of Fame demonstrated how these modules work and gave the teachers a sample lesson that the educators could use in their own classrooms. "The proof of it is the demand for the program. Kids relate very well to it," Idelson said. "It's using a practical application to get them thinking about other topics, so we believe in the program, it's been well received. More importantly, the teachers believe in it and want to use it as a tool for teaching kids." Herm Card, an instructor for the Hall of Fame who taught English for over 30 years, showed educators how to teach students about the Jim Crow laws and other such issues dealing with segregation while asking them questions they would pose to their own students. The curriculum -- which Card described as "education within a setting of baseball" -- brought the topics to life. One slide showed a picture of a drinking fountain with water coming from the same pipe but with a much nicer spout for white players than colored players. This led to a discussion on the differing accommodations for black and white players during road trips during this country's segregation era. The importance of the curriculum was driven home by what Carew had to say, a talk Card called one of the best he's seen because Carew means what he says. "After you're done with your career, you have to have something to fall back on," Carew said. "If you don't have a good education, where do you go? Get lost in the crowd. This game just goes with you so long, it doesn't go forever. You get hurt, you're in trouble.

"So if you have an education, you have a chance to still make something of your life."

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Pineiro takes second trip of '08 to DL

ST. LOUIS -- In his first seven years at the Major League level, Joel Pineiro went to the disabled list twice. But for the second time this year, Pineiro will head to the DL.

The move, which is retroactive to May 21, allows Mike Parisi to take Pineiro's start in the rotation and brings up Kelvin Jimenez from Triple-A Memphis. Pineiro acknowledged that heading to the DL was right for him and the organization. He will be eligible to come off the DL on June 5.

"Right now I cannot pitch, so they're going off of that," Pineiro said. "They asked me today if I could pitch and I said 'No.' Not that it hurts, but I can't go out there and be 100 percent."

Pineiro injured his right groin on May 21, a day after his last start. Warming up with the rest of the Cardinals, Pineiro was jogging in the outfield when he felt a tweak in his groin.

The injury comes after a start that Pineiro believed was one of his best of the year. He went 5 2/3 innings and gave up three runs, all of which came on one home run.

"It's the worst timing ever," Pineiro said. "With the sharpness and the stuff I had in that start, you feel good about yourself. ... I feel bad because I'm letting the team down. And I'm a guy that I'll pitch if it hurts a little somewhere, but this, I won't be able to pitch at my best level."

When asked if he could pitch off the mound, it did not take long for Pineiro to say that was not a possibility.

"No chance, not today," Pineiro said. "No, I'm not going to lie to you guys. I can play catch nice and easy, but when I go give it that little extra off the mound, you still feel something slight there."

Manager Tony La Russa had options at his disposal when the team sent Pineiro to the DL. He could have left Parisi in the bullpen and brought up Anthony Reyes from Triple-A, but decided to put Parisi in the rotation.

Parisi, who threw two innings of relief on Tuesday night, is a starter by trade but has pitched out of the bullpen since his recall from Triple-A. He has a 2.87 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings with the Cardinals.

After enjoying a good season with Memphis, Jimenez was called up for the second time this year to pitch for the Cardinals. In 20 relief appearances for Memphis, Jimenez has a 1.88 ERA with 14 strikeouts and three walks in 24 innings. However, he has a 7.20 ERA in two years at the Major League level.

"Jimenez has got experience here," La Russa said. "It seemed like a natural fit."

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Marte to get some starts for Indians

CLEVELAND -- Indians manager Eric Wedge has tried everything else. He might as well try Andy Marte.

In discussing his ongoing inability to find a lineup that gels, Wedge told reporters before Tuesday's game against the White Sox, in which Marte made just his ninth start of the season at third base, that Marte will be in the lineup with regularity this week.

"He's the one guy who hasn't had much of a chance to play," Wedge said.

Marte has been on the club since Opening Day, yet has appeared in just 12 games. He entered Tuesday batting .115 (3-for-26) with two walks and six strikeouts.

The Indians have kept the 24-year-old Marte on their big league roster this season because he is out of Minor League options and they haven't wanted to expose him to waivers.

Casey Blake, who is batting .221 with three homers and a team-high 27 RBIs, has received the vast majority of the starts at third base. Blake has also played right field and first base in recent years, and he could see more time at those other positions. The Indians are also currently without the services of designated hitter Travis Hafner, who is hobbled by a sore right shoulder.

"Casey's versatile enough [to move around]," Wedge said. "And now we've got the DH spot to play with."

Wedge wouldn't say how long he intends to experiment with Marte.

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Wilson reinstated from 15-day DL

CINCINNATI -- Forty-seven games and 53 days later, Jack Wilson is back.

As expected, Wilson was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list prior to Tuesday's game. In a corresponding move, the Pirates optioned shortstop Brian Bixler back to Triple-A where he will resume his spot as Indianapolis' everyday shortstop.

"It's going to be weird today, it really is," said Wilson, who has been out since straining his left calf in the team's third game of the season. "I've played about a week and a half of games and that's nice, but the speed of the game is different. I'm sure I will pick it up pretty quickly, so I'm not expecting to be weirded out for too many days."

Wilson played in a total of 11 Minor League rehab games, 10 as the team's shortstop and once as a designated hitter. Most recently, Wilson went 6-for-19 in Double-A Altoona, which included three hits in his final four at-bats for the Curve.

It's been those offensive numbers more than Wilson's defense (he has played pain-free in the field for about two weeks now), that were his main focus after the extended layoff. In addition to finding his timing against Minor League pitching, Wilson did return to Pittsburgh at different points to work with hitting coach Don Long as well. The focus: correcting Wilson's balance at the plate.

"That helped a lot going into the last three to four games," said Wilson, who 1-for-12 before being injured. "It was just an 11-, 12-day Spring Training that I had. Hopefully, that was enough."

Wilson's return marks the end of what was the veteran shortstop's first trip to the DL.

"I really felt like I was retired," Wilson said. "I'd watch the games, but other than that, there was no mental aspect that you are so used to. It was a weird feeling."

The Pirates went a respectable 22-25, though it's no secret that having Wilson back will be a boost both on both ends of the field. In his absence, Pirates shortstops committed 13 errors. In the entire 2007 season, Wilson made 11.

"It was nice to finally be able to write his name in. It's been a long time," manager John Russell said. "I know he's looking forward to it as much as we are. I thought we did a phenomenal job of piecing it together while he was gone, but he can only make our club stronger."

Russell plugged Wilson into the second spot in the order and will continue to do so while the club plays without catcher Ryan Doumit.

"I think it balances our lineup a little better," Russell said. "Plus, I think he'll be able to get a few more at-bats quicker and try to get his swing going again."

Soriano meeting Piniella's expectations

CHICAGO -- One week ago, Cubs left fielder Alfonso Soriano was named the National League Player of the Week. On Sunday, he lost a fly ball in the sun that led to a game-tying run. On Monday, he was struck in the head by an errant throw during batting practice.

It's been a weird few days for the Cubs left fielder.

Soriano wasn't hurt after he was accidentally hit on the head by video coordinator Nao Masamoto's throw. The outfielder was near the batting cage Monday, and Masamoto was relaying balls from first to one of the coaches who was hitting fungos.

On Sunday in the ninth inning of the Cubs' game in Pittsburgh, Soriano lost a fly ball by Nate McLouth in the sun, and it dropped for a game-tying RBI double. The Pirates would eventually win, 6-5, in 11 innings.

"Whatever happened in the game yesterday, stays in the game," Soriano said Monday. "That happened yesterday. After that, there's nothing you can do about it. I didn't want to drop the ball -- it's like a routine ground ball. It happened yesterday, and it stays right there. I can't bring it to today because today is another day."

Soriano wasn't asked to do any extra work with outfield coach Mike Quade on Monday. It was business as usual.

"He works hard every day," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said.

However, Soriano has been tentative near the outfield wall, especially at Wrigley Field.

"Let's hope he's not hiding a deficiency and his legs are bothering him," Piniella said of Soriano, who has already been on the disabled list this year because of a strained right calf. "Outside of that, the guy gets his work in, he plays to win, he's doing the best he can. That's all I can expect as a manager.

"Yes, you're in this thing to win baseball games, and I understand all that," Piniella said, "but he's given me what he's got. [On Sunday] he said the ball got in the sun, and let's leave it at that and go forward."

Fans apparently feel the same way. Seven men spelled out Soriano's name on their bare chests and greeted him with applause as he took the field Monday.

"[The fans] were great -- they're always great," Soriano said after Monday's 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. "I enjoy the fans. They know what's going on in the game."

The Cubs' problem isn't Soriano, who won Player of the Week honors after hitting seven homers in six games May 12-17.

"We need to execute a little better as a team than we did the last two days in Pittsburgh," Piniella said. "If not, it becomes very tough to win with consistency."

If Soriano isn't the trouble, why is he a target? It could be the eight-year, $136 million deal he signed prior to the 2007 season.

"I think it's got to be the money, because everybody makes mistakes," said Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee. "I think they think because you signed a huge deal, you're not human and you're not going to make a mistake. It's not fair. I don't think it bothers him -- he just goes about his business."

Soriano, who hit a two-run homer on Sunday, has been running better the last two days, but Piniella said he has noticed that the quick first step doesn't seem to be there. Dodgers manager Joe Torre, in town for a three-game series, was Soriano's manager in New York.

"We asked him to do a lot of things, things you usually would hesitate to do," Torre said of Soriano. "We played him at third -- he wasn't comfortable, but he played. We played him at second, in the outfield. Whatever you wanted, he did."

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After Santana, Mets drafting to restock

NEW YORK -- Johan Santana didn't come for free. He cost the Mets precious prospects, and left them with empty Minor League pockets.

Now, it's time to restock.

This June's First-Year Player Draft will give the Mets new opportunities to fill in the blanks throughout their farm system, and new chances to replenish the talent that they lost in January's trade for Santana. They're certainly capable -- current Mets Mike Pelfrey, Joe Smith and Aaron Heilman were all Draft products -- so there's reason to believe they can do it again.

"You've just got to keep replenishing what you lost," Mets director of amateur scouting Rudy Terrasas said. "Hopefully we can make some good decisions, and hopefully start to add to the system, since it's been depleted a little bit."

The club's chances have increased thanks to its unique position. The Mets haven't enjoyed a first-round pick since 2005, back when they selected Pelfrey ninth overall. This time, they'll have two of them. Aside from their own pick at 22nd overall, the Mets have the rights to two of Atlanta's picks -- each compensation for free agent Tom Glavine's signing with the Braves last winter. One of those is their top pick, at 18th overall.

"I'm excited about it," Terrasas said. "I think that there's going to be a quality player hopefully looking right at us."

Just who that quality player might be, however, is a new sort of mystery. Terrasas knows his club's propensity to trade away many of its top prospects as well as anyone, so he isn't as likely to draft based upon organizational needs. The Mets, too, remain a veteran team, with many of their core players locked up to long-term contracts. So come June, they'll be looking for trading chips, as much as for the next crop of future Mets.

MLB.com will carry every pick of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, which takes place June 5-6 at The Milk House at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, Fla. Day 1 coverage begins at 2 p.m. ET with a simulcast of ESPN2's broadcast of the first round and compensation picks. The remaining rounds on Day 1 will be shown exclusively at MLB.com, with live analysis on site from MLB.com Draft guru Jonathan Mayo.

Several of the top amateur prospects are expected in attendance in Orlando for Day 1 of the Draft, and each of the 30 Major League Clubs will be represented by front office executives and baseball luminaries -- the Mets chose former players Al Jackson and Tim Teufel. Fans are welcome to attend Day 1 of the Draft, and admission to The Milk House is free with seating limited to a first-come, first-served basis.

Day 2 will get under way at 11:30 am ET and continue through Round 50, if necessary. Every pick on Day 2 can be heard live at MLB.com.

And by that time, the Mets will have already set their Draft strategy in motion.

"We're not really worried about the short-term," assistant general manager John Ricco said. "We're going to look for the best available guys."

Here's a glance at what the Mets have in store as the First-Year Player Draft approaches:

In about 50 words
The Mets have missed more often than they've hit lately, and not since 2003, when they selected Lastings Milledge and Brian Bannister, have they seen multiple players from the same draft class reach the Majors. Both play for other teams now, marking a trend that should cause the Mets to shy away from drafting for organizational needs.

The scoop
Because the farm system has become so depleted over the past year, the Mets are looking to add as much blue chip talent as they can -- regardless of position.

"There are a few college arms, and I think there are more quality relief arms in this Draft than there has been in the past," Terrasas said. "It just depends what's available. There might be something staring you in the face when it's your turn to pick."

First-round buzz
Terrasas knows that by the time his first pick rolls around, many of the top college bats might be gone. That will leave him staring at college pitching. Or high school pitching. Or relief pitching. Or perhaps an offensive player, after all.

"When you pick 18th," he said, "you really don't know what's going to be there."

Shopping list
Certainly, the Mets have talent, but much of it remains lower down in their Minor League system. Look for Terrasas to add more players in the mold of Joe Smith and Eddie Kunz -- older prospects who might help the big club sooner rather than later. Terrasas is plenty aware that the Mets have a history of trading away their Minor Leaguers for established talent, so he'll likely take the best available player regardless of organizational need.

Trend watch
College pitching has been a focus for the Mets in recent Drafts, but don't expect that to dictate their thoughts come June. Since this marks the first time the Mets have had a first-round pick in three years, they're eager to replenish the system with whatever talent they can find. Terrasas emphasized that they won't discriminate based on position.

Recent top picks
The past three years have seen the Mets focus on college pitching, using their top picks on Pelfrey in 2005, Kevin Mulvey in 2006 and Kunz in 2007.

Pelfrey shot through the farm system and only 15 months after the Mets drafted him, he joined the big club. This season, he won a rotation spot out of Spring Training. He's held onto it despite some rough spots as the Mets have struggled with rotation depth.

Mulvey, another highly-touted starter, became a major chip in the trade for Santana, and began this season with the Twins' Triple-A affiliate. He could earn a call to Minneapolis soon.

Kunz was a college closer at Oregon State, and has assumed that same role with Double-A Binghamton. He spent a few weeks in big league Spring Training camp, and could earn a call up to the Mets as soon as this September.

Rising fast
Once blocked behind a host of other talented pitching prospects, lefty Jonathan Niese remained grounded in Class A St. Lucie for two years while Pelfrey, Mulvey, Phil Humber and Deolis Guerra garnered all the hype. Now, Niese, the Mets' seventh-round pick in 2005, ranks among their most valuable starting pitching prospects.

Cinderella story
First baseman Nick Evans floundered in the lowest levels of the Minors for four years, before finally earning a promotion to Binghamton this spring. Two months later, he found himself on the Mets, whacking doubles in each of his first two Major League at-bats, finishing 3-for-4 with three doubles for the day. Evans was the team's fifth-round pick in 2004.

In The Show
Though the Mets haven't seen many of their recent Draft picks reach the big leagues, the two who made it have stuck. Pelfrey is in the rotation, and will likely remain there for the rest of the season. Smith, the team's second-round pick in 2006, has become a cog in the bullpen, serving as the team's primary situational right-hander.

Blues Sign First Round Picks T.J. Oshie And Lars Eller

Chicago Bulls Win No. 1 Pick in NBA Draft Lottery

Error opens door for Mets’ win

Sixth pick has Marlins sitting pretty

Angels give Guerrero night off

CHICAGO -- Continuing his policy of tapping into his depth to rest regulars, Angels manager Mike Scioscia gave Vladimir Guerrero the night off Sunday after his seventh homer of the season had been the offensive elixir in Saturday's 2-0 victory over the White Sox.

"He needs a day to recharge," Scioscia said, adding that Guerrero did not request the break. "He's been grinding it. He'll have a day off to go back home [where the Angels open a three-game series Monday night against the Tigers]. I thought it was a good day to get him recharged a bit."

A .322 career hitter, Guerrero is batting only .211 on the road trip. But three of his four hits have gone the distance, accounting for six RBIs. He drove in all four runs in a 4-3 victory over the Blue Jays on Wednesday night with a pair of homers, and his blast Saturday was all the run support Jered Weaver and Francisco Rodriguez would need.

Guerrero's average is a sub-standard .254, the lowest of his career after 49 games. His 28 RBIs match Casey Kotchman for the club lead. Guerrero has batted at least .300 with a minimum of 25 homers in each of the past 10 seasons. The only player to have done that in more consecutive seasons is Lou Gehrig, who did it 11 times.

Garret Anderson, who had Saturday off, was back in left field and in Guerrero's customary No. 3 spot in the order. Gary Matthews Jr., brilliant in right field on Saturday with a pair of plays that helped preserve the shutout, was back in right with Torii Hunter in center and batting fourth against Jose Contreras.

Juan Rivera made his second consecutive start for the second time this season. He has made nine starts, three in the outfield and six as a DH.

RSL won’t take play-in game lightly

Blues Sign First Round Picks T.J. Oshie And Lars Eller

Dodgers solve Santana, Angels

Atkins, Taveras hoping to avoid DL

DENVER -- On a whiteboard in the Rockies' clubhouse, someone drew a sign saying, "Disabled List Inn: No Vacancy." Might as well have fun with the pain that's afflicted the Rockies.

Third baseman Garrett Atkins and center fielder Willy Taveras are hurting, but they certainly don't want to join the crowded DL. Both sat out Saturday's game and weren't in the lineup on Sunday -- Atkins with a stiff neck and Taveras due to a bruised knee.

Atkins was scratched immediately before Saturday's game. He took muscle-relaxing medication in hopes he'd be ready for Sunday. Atkins received treatment on Sunday and said he feels better if he keeps moving -- a challenge, given that the Rockies will be aboard a plane to Philadelphia for several hours after Sunday's game.

"It seems like everything else feels good, except for my neck," Atkins quipped.

Taveras, who banged his knee into the center-field wall on Friday night and left the game after a subsequent at-bat, took batting practice with the club on Sunday morning.

"It feels real good ... I think I can be in the lineup [on Monday]," Taveras said. "I'm available. I was available yesterday, and I'm available today."

If the two aren't ready soon, the DL becomes an option. But with the club this weekend having placed left fielder Matt Holliday (strained left hamstring), shortstop Clint Barmes (sprained right knee) and Brad Hawpe (strained right hamstring) on the DL in the last two days, they want to remain active, if at all possible.

"Of course I want to be out there, especially with Holliday being out now," Atkins said. "We're going to need as many guys as we can get out there. It's frustrating that it all happened at the same time. But it's something we've got to deal with, and we've got some guys in here to pick up the slack."

Taveras said, "It's frustrating, with the way we're playing -- we aren't playing that great. But we're working hard, and it'll get better."

Devaney hoping for better luck

Fisichella feels young ahead of 200th GP

Kendrick’s return bumped back

Bay lifts Pirates to walk-off win

PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates know firsthand it takes quite an effort to beat the Chicago Cubs. They just didn't think it would take this long. After losing nine of their first 10 against the Cubs this season, the Bucs needed four hours and 21 minutes -- and 14 innings -- to finally beat the Cubs at home. Jason Bay's one-out single in the bottom of the 14th scored Freddy Sanchez from third to give the Pirates a 5-4 win Saturday night in a game in which the Bucs blew a late lead only to tie it in the bottom of the ninth, before improving to 4-3 in extra innings this season. "It's a big win," starter Phil Dumatrait said after a strong outing that was almost long-forgotten by the time the game ended. "They've pretty much owned us the first 10 games. ... But we never gave up tonight ... we just kept fighting, fighting, and finally got that [winning] run." Bay, who earlier in the contest hit his 12th home run, was credited with his first RBI single all season -- although if it wasn't the final play of the game, it almost assuredly would have been at least a double. Sanchez had reached on an error by shortstop Ryan Theriot, advanced to second on a wild pitch by Michael Wuertz (0-1) and to third on a Luis Rivas groundout. The Cubs intentionally walked Nate McLouth. That was a move to set up a double play, however, and not a preference to face Bay. Bay has reached base safely in nine straight games and was 4-for-6 on Saturday. "My plan was to try to get it in the air, but the pitches weren't really conducive to that," Bay said. "And even the pitch I hit was a fastball down and in, but my thought process was just to get underneath something. I wasn't trying to hit a home run. I was just trying to ht it medium in the outfield. I got the bat on the ball and it worked." Bay was the offensive star in a game that had plenty of other heroes for the Pirates, who had lost four of the previous five. Dumatrait had his best outing since his first career victory May 7. He allowed one run on five hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings, striking out two. Dumatrait was struck just above the right knee by a sharp line drive off the bat of Theriot leading off the sixth. Dumatrait limped and was attended to by Pirates training staff but stayed in the game after making a few warmup pitches. He allowed three of the next four batters to reach, however, loading the bases before being replaced by Franquelis Osoria. Osoria, who had struck out only 12 batters in 32 1/3 previous innings this season, caught Mark DeRosa looking to end the threat on three pitches. When Jason Michaels made it 3-1 the following half-inning by singling home Bay, it looked as if the Bucs would finally break their season-long hex against the Cubs. That promising outlook continued after a 1-2-3 seventh by Damaso Marte. "We were up, 3-1, cruising a little bit," Bay said, "and all of a sudden you have your throat ripped out again." The usually reliable Pirates bullpen had another good showing -- both Matt Capps and John Grabow posted three scoreless innings -- but it didn't look that way at one point, after Tyler Yates was charged with a blown save and nearly cost the Bucs their first defeat when leading after seven innings in 17 tries this season. Aramis Ramirez had a two-run double and Kosuke Fukudome a run-scoring single in the eighth off of Yates to turn a 3-1 Pirates lead into a 4-3 Cubs advantage. "You can't say enough about them not quitting," Bucs manager John Russell said about his team. "They continued to put the pressure on, and believing we could win. I think that's a great attribute of the club that they worked themselves into this position by staying together and battling." The Pirates rallied to tie it in the ninth against Cubs closer Kerry Wood, who blew his fourth save in 14 chances. Pinch-hitters Doug Mientkiewicz (hit by pitch) and Xavier Nady (single) reached to lead off the inning and were moved up a base each on a sacrifice bunt by former National League batting champion Sanchez. Rivas lofted a sacrifice fly to right to score Mientkiewicz, but Bay followed with flyout to deep right to end the inning. "The guys were into it," Russell said. "They were into it on the bench. They were picking each other up a lot. It was outstanding." Mientkiewicz wasn't in the starting lineup due to severe flu-like symptoms, and he had to be summoned from the clubhouse for his at-bat. Because the Pirates were out of position players at that point, he was forced to stay in the game, too. "He was about as sick as you can be," Russell said. "I thought he was going to pass out a couple times on the bench. He gutted it out and played. ... He felt terrible, so I can't say enough about him staying in the game. " The Pirates wouldn't score again for another five innings, but that was OK, because Capps would pitch a career-long three innings (allowing only two hits), and Grabow also tossed three (allowing a hit and two walks). Each was forced to hit for the first time this season, with Capps striking out swinging in the 11th and Grabow being robbed of a single in the hole by Chicago second baseman Ronny Cedeno in the 13th. "What are the odds of both of us throwing three innings and both of us getting an at-bat?" Capps said. "I was laughing, I said, 'At least you put wood on the ball.' He had a good at-bat, and he went out and pitched his butt off." The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Geovany Soto doubled in Derrek Lee, and the Pirates answered in the bottom of the inning with Bay's homer, his 12th, to left-center. Bay has five home runs in his past nine games, and nine of his 12 overall this season have come at PNC Park.

P-Bruins Fall To Pirates 3-2

Soriano, seventh lead Cubs over Snakes

Smoltz solid in rehab appearance

The Braves still haven't decided how long John Smoltz's Minor League rehab assignment will last. But they can certainly be encouraged about the way it started.

Smoltz tossed a scoreless eighth inning for Double-A Mississippi in Saturday night's game against the Tennessee Smokies. More importantly, the Braves' 41-year-old right-hander reported no discomfort in the troublesome right shoulder that caused him to go on the disabled list on May 28.

With a record crowd of 7,381 in attendance at Smokies Park, which is located in Kodak, Tenn., approximately 20 miles east of Knoxville, Smoltz entered the game and allowed just one hit in his one inning of work. He threw eight of his 12 pitches for strikes.

The lone hit surrendered by Smoltz was a Matt Camp grounder in front of the mound that didn't result in an out because first baseman Kala Kaaihue was late getting to the first-base bag.

There was some thought that Smoltz might pitch two innings and he had been scheduled to enter the game in the seventh. But because he had a no-hitter going through six innings, the Braves let Jerome Gamble pitch the seventh inning, during which he surrendered three hits and two runs.

Smoltz will return to Atlanta on Sunday and the Braves will then decide whether to schedule another rehab appearance or activate him from the 15-day DL. The right shoulder discomfort the veteran hurler felt during his five starts this season was a product of an inflamed biceps tendon and an inflamed rotator cuff.

When he was placed on the disabled list, Smoltz determined it would be in the best interest of himself and the Braves for him to return to the relief role that he had from 2001-04. Over the past week, he's attempted to minimize stress on his shoulder by throwing with a three-quarter delivery.

Ralston hasn’t missed a beat

Smoltz stumbles in Braves’ loss

Chipper, Escobar look to return

Rain doesn’t spoil Academy opening

Girardi tossed for arguing with ump

NEW YORK -- Shortly after Thursday night's game ended, Joe Girardi's on-field tantrum seemed almost comical -- or so Derek Jeter thought. Watching Girardi toss his hat to the dirt and kick it across the field, Jeter couldn't help but recall an old Yankee friend, Lou Piniella, and his own brand of hat-kicking, anger-laced tirades.

"It was funny," Jeter said. "I was hoping he would kick it all the way to the dugout."

The night's umpiring crew, however, didn't find it quite so funny, and neither might the league. Though Girardi said he did not think his actions warranted a suspension, he acknowledged the issue after the game -- as did umpire crew chief Tim Welke.

"There are not many nights when a manager throws his hat and kicks dirt at us," Welke said.

Girardi's argument stemmed from a third-strike call on Jason Giambi in the bottom of the ninth inning. Umpires ruled that Orioles reliever Jim Johnson's pitch, clearly high and inside, had grazed the knob of Giambi's bat and deflected into catcher Ramon Hernandez's glove -- a foul tip that counted as strike three.

Girardi disagreed, though he was unwilling to discuss the matter after the game. Giambi did, believing that his manager took offense at home-plate umpire Chris Guccione's late call, and at the fact that it was made only after Hernandez offered his own opinion.

"It's just one of those tough calls," Giambi said. "It's bang-bang for an umpire."

Regardless of what was at the root of his opinion, Girardi stormed out onto the field, arguing with Guccione for several moments before he was ejected. He kicked his hat, kicked some dirt, and did everything short of coming into physical contact with the umpires. And that last bit may have saved him a suspension.

"There was no physical contact," Welke said. "He was kicking the hat a couple times. He kicked dirt at the plate umpire. We talked about it. We reviewed it best we could."

Still, Welke said his crew will file a routine incident report to the league.

"I don't have any concern," Girardi said. "I don't think I did anything that warrants a suspension. I got a little upset. That happens from time to time."

The ejection was Girardi's first as manager of the Yankees, and his third as a manager. Girardi was also ejected three times as a player, bringing his career total to six.

"I kicked my hat," he said, laughing. "I wanted to kick something, and I figured that was the best thing. Walls don't work too well."

Grosjean accepts stewards’ penalty

Girardi holds closed-door meeting

Yankees to be cautious with A-Rod

A-Rod to play in St. Pete on Saturday

Price dazzles in professional debut

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- If nothing else, pitcher David Price is learning patience.

Price, the prized prospect in the Tampa Bay organization, weathered a 95-minute rain delay Thursday night but was dazzling in his professional debut for Class A Vero Beach in the Devil Rays' 2-0 win over Clearwater in a Florida State League game at Holman Stadium.

"It's good to get out there, because there was so much anticipation up to this point," Price said after throwing five shutout innings of three-hit ball and earning the win. "It's finally over."

After going nearly a year without pitching in an official game, Price was prepared to take the mound and lead the Devil Rays (23-24) against the Threshers (19-28) in an FSL game at what once was Dodgertown.

Despite the game featuring a pair of teams with losing records and mired deep in the standings -- the Threshers are in last place in the FSL West Division -- fans arrived early in anticipation of watching the highly touted Price, one of a handful of hurlers chosen with the first overall pick in the history of the First-Year Player Draft.

But after weeks of brutal heat, drought conditions and wildfires in the three counties surrounding Vero Beach, heavy rain began to fall in the area in the late afternoon.

The game was slated to start at 7 p.m. ET, but a steady drizzle kept the tarps on the infield. Following a lengthy delay, Price fired his first pitch, a 94-mph fastball, to leadoff hitter Quintin Berry at 8:35 p.m.

"Patience is definitely a virtue. My parents taught me that when I was real young," said Price, who passed the time by playing cards and watching his alma mater, Vanderbilt University, play LSU in the SEC tournament. "I just kind of hung out for a year and had some bumps in the road, but it's all good now."

Price, a 6-foot-6, 225-pound left-hander, was the No. 1 pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft last June by the Rays. But the last year has not been kind to Baseball America's 2007 College Player of the Year.

Price pitched in two Major League games during Spring Training, tossing a pair of scoreless innings and retiring all but one of the seven batters he faced. However, the 22-year-old Nashville native suffered an elbow strain near the end of camp, and the organization took great caution in treating the injury. He also had some shoulder stiffness at the beginning of Spring Training.

Price worked last Saturday in St. Petersburg, Fla., during an extended Spring Training game, striking out 10 in five innings. He allowed a home run to the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez, who was rehabbing a quadriceps pull. The New York third baseman, who Price fanned twice, was complimentary of the young left-hander, saying, "I wish he was on our team."

"I definitely felt better Saturday than I did today," said Price, who struck out Berry to record his first out, then fired a 98-mph fastball to start a 4-6-3 double play two batters later to end the first inning.

"My fastball command [wasn't as good]. My slider felt good, but there was no pain, no soreness. So that's definitely a positive. I had little nagging injuries that just took a little time to heal."

Throwing 73 pitches, including 49 for strikes, Price (1-0) struck out four, three of them looking, and walked one. He faced just 17 batters, two over the minimum.

Price said he grew up a fan of baseball, watching the Atlanta Braves on TBS with his parents.

"Every night, we watched them religiously," Price said.

He also acknowledged the significance of Holman Stadium, where the Dodgers trained for 61 years.

What did pitching in the legendary facility mean to him?

"Sandy Koufax made his first start out here," Price said. "There's a ton of history here. It's fun and a good experience. It's a good feeling."

Price was the second straight pitcher taken with the top pick. Right-hander Luke Hochevar was drafted by the Dodgers with the 40th pick in 2005, but he refused to sign, opting to re-enter the Draft. The former University of Tennessee standout was chosen No. 1 overall by the Royals the next year, and he is 3-3 with a 4.29 ERA in six starts for Kansas City this season.

Chicago Bulls Win No. 1 Pick in NBA Draft Lottery

Trembley mum on Wednesday starter

Rays’ ‘pen enjoying improvement

No news is good news with Sheets’ arm

Sheets tallies complete-game victory

PITTSBURGH -- Ben Sheets made sure the Brewers didn't need a closer on Wednesday night. While Eric Gagne traveled back to Milwaukee for an examination of his ailing shoulder, Sheets shouldered the load for the Brewers, pitching his second complete game of the season for a 4-1 win over the Pirates at PNC Park that guaranteed the team's first series win here in nearly two years. Ryan Braun stayed hot with a go-ahead triple and Rickie Weeks hit a solo home run and scored twice for the Brewers, who won consecutive road games for the first time since April 17-19. They had not won a series in Pittsburgh since taking two of three from the Pirates in August 2006, and on Thursday will try to finish their first-ever sweep at PNC Park. It has been a sudden turnaround for a team that entered the series on a five-game losing streak and a nine-game road skid and was 20-42 at PNC Park since 2001. It has been built mostly around solid starting pitching; Manny Parra worked 5 2/3 scoreless innings in Tuesday's series opener before Sheets twirled his gem on Wednesday. "Huge. Beyond huge," Braun said of the role Parra and Sheets have played. "Coming off that last series [three losses in Boston], we were far from where we wanted to be, and now we have won the series. We want to come out and get the sweep [on Thursday], but this gets us headed in the right direction." The Brewers pulled within two games of .500 at 22-24. But Sheets wants more. "You have to add on," he said. "These two wins are nothing now, because they're done." As encouraging as the Brewers' bounceback has been, it was just as dramatic for Sheets, who worked six shutout innings against the Dodgers in his previous start before surrendering six runs and three home runs in the seventh. He called it the worst inning of his career, and had few answers as to why he suddenly was leaving everything up in the strike zone. "One inning made it look like I was awful in the whole game," Sheets said of his outing against L.A. "I was a little embarrassed by what happened. My main goal today was to get through seven [innings], have that clean seventh and show myself I could do it. Tonight was better than that." Sheets scattered 11 hits in the 15th complete game of his career, including Xavier Nady's fourth-inning solo home run on a hanging changeup. Sheets struck out five, did not walk a batter and threw a season-high 123 pitches. He worked without his dominating fastball, instead relying on low-90s heat for most of the night and throwing a hefty dose of two-seam sinkers. Sheets also was able to throw his signature curveball for strikes. "We've faced him before where he can't get it over the plate and you only have to worry about one pitch," Pirates first baseman Adam LaRoche said. "Tonight, he was dropping the curveball in for strikes and then throwing that fastball at 93-94 [mph]. We still got some hits off of him. We just didn't put them together in the same inning." "Anytime a starter can get you deep into a game, it's great," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "Any time he goes nine, wow." Sheets was the beneficiary of a couple of defensive gems. In the sixth, second baseman Weeks was shielded by the umpire and had to handle a high hop, but snared a Nady grounder and initiated a 4-6-3 double play. Center fielder Mike Cameron, who overran a double in the third inning, atoned with a catch at the warning track before crashing into the outfield wall in the fifth. In the eighth, left fielder Braun slid a bit too far into foul territory, but nonetheless made the inning-ending grab. "Your teammates have a lot with you going the complete game, too," Sheets said. "That's what people overlook. They think it's just the pitcher." Sheets struck out six and didn't walk a batter to improve to 4-0 with a 2.29 ERA on the road this season. His back stiffened up while the Brewers sent seven men to the plate and scored a pair of runs off losing pitcher Ian Snell (2-3) in a long top of the fifth inning, but Sheets retired the side in order in the bottom of the frame, getting help from Cameron's defensive gem for the second out. "I felt good," Sheets said. "My back tightened up in the fifth, but it went away. I went back out there and felt great. My arm felt great the whole time, and I think that's a big plus because I threw a lot of pitches [123, a season high]. I felt the same, and that kind of excites me." Snell allowed four runs, two of them earned, in six innings and lost his third straight decision. The Brewers collected nine hits against Snell and two more against Pirates relievers, giving them 52 hits over their last five games. Nine of those belong to Braun, who made some headlines over the weekend when he said the Brewers "didn't expect to win" during their Interleague matchup against the world champion Red Sox. Since Braun spoke his mind, the team is 2-0. "Everybody has been supportive," Braun said. "We talked about it a little bit and everybody was on the same page. We recognized where we were at and nobody was content with where we were at. I think we all recognized that we needed to make a change, and I think over the last few days we have made a change. It's helped. It's shown."

P-Bruins Fall To Pirates 3-2

P-Bruins Defeat Pirates 4-0

No news is good news with Sheets’ arm

Soriano, seventh lead Cubs over Snakes

Dig In: Experience MLB.com, get free stuff

In the first quarter of this Major League Baseball season, you might have:

• Bought one of those Yankees customized home jerseys that features the commemorative All-Star Game logo patch on one sleeve and Yankee Stadium logo patch on the other -- the hottest-selling item right now at the MLB.com Shop.

• Ordered those increasingly popular "All You Can Eat" tickets specials from the Dodgers' or Pirates' club sites, spent hours on your home computer planning summer trips and clicking around your team's online ticket center, and turned to StubHub when you found that seats for an upcoming game were scarce.

• Showed off your mobile phone to friends just so they would know that Asdrubal Cabrera's unassisted triple play or Kosuke Fukudome's big hit had just showed up as a Video Alert moments after the play happened.

• Watched your favorite team live over your computer with MLB.TV, contributing to the record number of signups for that service.

• Entered this unprecedented early-season array of major contests and sweepstakes for the chance to win unreal prizes like a million bucks or trip giveaways to see the Midsummer Classic or a game at the 2008 World Series.

• Stopped and thought how much fun it is to be a baseball fan in the digital world.

At the quarter mark of this Major League Baseball season, fans are well on their way toward a fifth consecutive overall attendance record and demonstrating again how technology changed the whole experience for the better. You saw the words "Dig In" splashed all over MLB.com around Opening Day, and you did just that. As another certain summer of competitive balance unfolds and Lance Berkman makes an early bid for a Triple Crown, here is what's hot among your peers:

MLB.com Mobile Video Alerts.
Brad Spahr is a lifelong Cardinals fan living in Los Angeles. Originally from Red Bud, Ill., a small town outside of St. Louis, he has gone to Cardinals games for as long as he can remember. "My grandparents have had season tickets since the days of Sportsman's Park," Spahr explained via email, "so Cardinal history goes back a long way in my family."

After moving to L.A., he became an MLB.TV subscriber so he could follow his Redbirds. This year, Spahr added Video Alerts, using his Sprint wireless service. Clips are cut and sent about three minutes after the play occurs. You typically get up to five videos per game, chosen by MLB.com editors, available on select Verizon, AT&T and Sprint handhelds including smart phones. For $3.99, fans like Spahr get text and video alerts if they have a phone capable of streaming video. The iPhone is now supported as well.

"I am a huge fan of the Video Alerts service," he said. "The Cardinals are off to an unexpectedly hot start this year, and now I can watch key plays on my cell phone within minutes of the play happening in the game. My schedule keeps me busy and I often can't be at a computer or television when the Cardinals are playing.

"My favorite mobile moment of the season was last week when I got an alert that said, 'Ankiel shows off his arm' -- with a link to a video clip of Rick Ankiel gunning down a runner at third from center field in a huge inning-ending double play. That play has since become not only the play of the week, but one of the top plays of the year. To have access to that clip on my cell phone, within minutes of it happening, is remarkable."

To get your Video Alerts, just sign up by texting "GET Club name" to 65246. For example, if you are a Mets fan, you send the text "get mets" to 65246. Once you sign up for the text alerts, MLB.com will send eligible fans a second text message offering the Video Alerts service. The price hasn't changed, so this was a throw-in. As always, you can manage your Team Alert selections in the "m-dash" (Mobile Dashboard).

Ten ways to win
There is a definite trend happening around MLB.com and it has to do with you. It seems like every day brings a new major sweepstakes or contest to these pages, usually tied to an important fan-participation element, and the prizes are huge. In past years, these tend to swell up in late summer as the pennant races take shape. It has something to do with more people than ever following Major League Baseball.

Just to help your own chances, here's a top 10 (alphabetically) you should enter:

• Bank of America All-Star Game Sweepstakes. Win a trip to the 2008 All-Star Game.
• Beat the Streak presented by Mitchum. Win $1 million. That's right.
• Chevy MLB World Series Sweepstakes. Win 2008 World Series tickets and All-Star Game Shop prizes.
• Indiana Jones Legends Sweepstakes. Win a trip to see your favorite legend on screen and on the field.
• Monster's All-Star Game Experience. Win a trip to New York for the 2008 All-Star Week, spending cash, on-field press credentials and your own special MLBlog. Vote first.
• Palm Centro Get To The Game Sweepstakes. Win a trip to the 2008 All-Star Game.
• Pepsi Clutch Performer Sweepstakes. Win a trip to the 2009 All-Star Game.
• Rookie of the Month Award presented by Gillette. Vote and win tickets to the 2008 All-Star Game or a 2008 World Series game.
• State Farm Call Your Shot Sweepstakes. Win a trip to the 2008 All-Star Week, then stand at home plate and tell David Ortiz where to hit one out before the State Farm Home Run Derby. You could win a Chevy Tahoe hybrid.
• Take Me Out To The Ball Game Video Contest presented by Baby Ruth. Upload your version now and you could sing that song in the seventh-inning stretch July 15 at Yankee Stadium.

MLB.TV and MLB.TV Premium
MLB.TV has reached unprecedented levels so far this season. During the first two games of this season alone, MLB.TV delivered more than 1.7 million live game video streams and adding nearly 36,000 subscribers. To make it even more irresistible, the price was just lowered this past week. It's now $14.95 a month or $79.95 a year for MLB.TV, and $19.95 a month and $109.95 a year for MLB.TV Premium. Both are great, both come with MLB.com Gameday Audio, and the latter comes with special features including TV-quality picture capability and the MLB.TV Mosaic app that lets you see up to six live games simultaneously. It's become a staple of modern baseball fan life.

Sales and patches
The MLB.com Shop just introduced a Tee and Cap Sale on Tuesday, so you can buy one and get the second half off. This is the perfect time to load up on summer gear to wear to the ballpark, like The Vote T-shirts by Majestic Athletic or On Par Ball Marker Adjustable Caps from New Era.

What's been hot in the first quarter of this season the Shop? Think All-Star Game and patches. After that aforementioned Yankees jersey, the top five is rounded out by: Dodgers Authentic Personalized COOL BASE Jersey with 50th Anniversary Patch; Yankees Authentic Game Performance 59FIFTY On-Field Cap with 2008 All-Star Patch; Yankees Authentic Therma Base Premier Road Jacket; and Mets Authentic Johan Santana Home Jersey with 2008 Shea Stadium Commemorative Patch.

Yes, that's a lot of New York. But both stadiums are on the way out, an All-Star Game is on the way in, and that's representative of what fans have craved most the first quarter. Those same items are available for other clubs, and just take one look at the ballparks and you can see what's in for summer fashion. The Shop is the easiest place to get it.

MLB.com Gameday
Gameday is more addictive so far in 2008, if anything. The 750 players on Major League rosters are the main reason why, of course. Fans worldwide sit there with their app on the desktop and wait to see where that next pitch shows up in the virtual strike zone, and it is surrounded by real-time data such as the live box, the play-by-play, and the Pitch-f/x technology to provide speed and trajectory in the pitch sequence. You've watched it incorporate Real Time Highlights, you've seen it integrate with text like in-depth Game Previews, and it has applied your constructive input via the Gameday blog. Now get ready for more because Cory Schwartz, MLB.com's director of statistics and a familiar face of fantasy analysis on this site, says another key addition is coming soon.

"We tweaked the footprint considerably so Gameday would fit better on the user's screen, but without having any less information," Schwartz said. "We tweaked the pitch type software so the results are much more accurate now. And the treatment of the in-game videos has gotten a lot of love and now looks spectacular, in my humble opinion. 3D pitch displays will be rolled out near the end of the month and are insane."

Registration
Around the clock every day, fans continue to register at their favorite club site for a variety of benefits. It's free and easy, and it is the gateway to many things that happen during the course of the year -- from ticketing and Shop offers to contest prizes to All-Star voting to blogging and posting messages to subscription signups and more.

Scoreboard, Standings, Stats, Schedule
The four S's are still the bread-and-butter for the typical baseball fan. Nothing changed about that in the first quarter of this season. More people than ever wanted to know the score, wanted to shake their head over the standings, wanted to check on stats for their fantasy rosters or to see how long Chipper Jones can stay above .400, or to check that schedule. Life kind of revolves around the four S's much of the time.

Hal Bodley
A lot of people have noticed during the first quarter of this season that the much-read and much-respected baseball writer is on our team now -- along with those 30 team beat writers who have held the attention of the average fan during this first quarter as well.

Blogging for free
On Opening Day, MLB Advanced Media removed the subscription cost for its MLBlogs community, and there have been more blogs created in this first quarter than there were the first three years of MLBlogs. Fans like you are starting up MLBlogs around the clock, and then using them for a wide variety of reasons -- some just to chronicle every game of the season like the pros, some to let you know if the roof is open or closed, and some to present great photography. It's where you can blog alongside people like Mark DeRosa, top draft prospect Brett Wallace of Arizona State, Bengie Molina, Jeff Francoeur, the Phillies Ballgirls, Alyssa Milano, the Tigers front office.

Will that Tigers blog be telling a fan base later this year about how to get playoff tickets? Or is Detroit's tough first quarter a telltale sign? Will fans like Brad Spahr still be loving those daily Video Alerts later this summer in the heat of a pennant race? Will everyone in the crowd at Yankee Stadium on July 15 be wearing one of those customized jerseys with the two logo patches? Will you be the one who wins one of those amazing sweepstakes prizes and perhaps going to the All-Star Game or World Series for free?

There are so many questions still to be answered.

There is such a long summer and fall of baseball ahead.

It's a good thing fans have technology to make it even more fun.

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Leyland fires back on Grilli's remarks

DETROIT -- Tigers manager Jim Leyland has spent the season exercising extreme patience with his struggling club. When it comes to players talking about the team atmosphere and teammates, however, his patience runs out quickly.

After former Tigers pitcher Jason Grilli was among those dissecting what's wrong with the Tigers in a Tuesday piece by Bob Nightengale in USA Today, Leyland fired back, saying Grilli should worry about Colorado. Then he turned his attention to his current players.

Grilli was quoted in the USA Today article calling the clubhouse atmosphere in Detroit "stale and stagnant." He also said that not re-signing Sean Casey had affected them.

"It seems like they kind of broke up our team chemistry when they got rid of Sean Casey and good people like that," said Grilli, who was traded to Colorado at the end of April after two-plus seasons in Detroit. "You wanted guys like that around. You wanted a guy like [Brandon] Inge playing behind you, knowing he would go through a brick wall.

"Talent-wise, on paper, that is one of the greatest teams assembled, but the atmosphere was stale and stagnant. You kept losing, losing and losing, and everybody became distant. I have good friends over there, and I feel badly for them."

Leyland has never been a big believer in clubhouse chemistry affecting a team, and those remarks didn't sit well with him.

"I find that hard to believe that that has anything to do with somebody not getting a run in," Leyland said Tuesday afternoon. "I mean, would I like this to be a little more close-knit? Yes. A lot of people when they start talking about that, and some of it comes from players, I think they ought to look at themselves in the mirror. I think it's diversionary tactics, and I really take offense to Jason Grilli's thing about not having Sean Casey.

"You have to be kidding me. I mean, please. Jason Grilli ought to just worry about Colorado. Jason Grilli's not here any longer because Jason Grilli didn't pitch good under pressure situations and didn't pitch very well in Detroit. You want to tell it like it is? When players want to start talking, I'll start talking. But I'm very reserved about stuff like that. Jason Grilli ought to worry about Colorado, not Detroit.

"Don't misunderstand what I'm saying. I miss Sean Casey. But Sean Casey doesn't have anything to do with the fact that the Tigers are where we're at. Now let's get that straight right now."

That was Leyland's point about Grilli, but he was just getting started.

Leyland also took offense to remarks from current players, especially a quote from third baseman Carlos Guillen.

"We never said we were going to win 100 games," Guillen told USA Today. "All we said was that we have a good team with good players. That was the [sports] media and fans doing the talking. You don't win games looking good on paper. You've got to do it on the field. That wasn't fair to us."

Without mentioning Guillen by name, Leyland scoffed at that notion.

"It isn't fair all of a sudden for people to have expectations?" Leyland asked. "Well, why wasn't it fair? What are you talking about, it wasn't fair? You're supposed to love the expectations. You're saying it wasn't fair to have expectations? What are you talking about? I'm a grown man. I can take my heat, and I deserve some for the performance of this club. But you better be careful when you're a player. If you're hitting .200 and .220 and striking out or hitting .200 and .215, you shouldn't be popping off, in my opinion, about other situations. You ought to be taking care of your own business.

"If they want to play games, I'll play games, and it won't be long [before] I'll put names to it, if they want me to. I'm not quite to that point yet. They want to play games, I'll play games. I'll quit protecting some of these guys night after night after night after night. And I'll put some names to it."

When asked what kind of effect that would have on a club, Leyland went on.

"I don't give a [care] what [effect] it has," he said. "When people start making weak excuses in the newspaper, diversionary tactics and [stuff], that rubs me wrong. I don't give a [care] what effect it has. It can't have a bad effect, because we've been as [bad] as you can be. So it can't hurt. I'm not looking for problems here, but I'm a man. I look in the mirror. When I'm [bad], I'm [bad]. And there's a few [players] in that clubhouse right now that are [bad] too. And they need to look in that mirror. Don't look at mine, look at theirs. And don't look at the guy next to them. Look in the mirror yourself. Don't be pointing fingers over here and why we're not doing well. That's all weak [stuff]. Grilli's [stuff], some of that other [stuff] I read in the paper today, that's weak [stuff]. Weak."

The Tigers began a six-game homestand on Tuesday with the American League's worst record at 17-27, having lost 12 of their last 15 since sweeping the Yankees at the end of April. Their offense struggled to score 12 runs over their just-finished six-game road trip to Kansas City and Arizona, and he has bemoaned the struggles pointedly in recent days, saying he's out of answers for why they've been shut out seven times through 44 games.

"We're stagnant between the lines," Leyland said. "The clubhouse hasn't changed a bit. We come to the clubhouse and do everything we've always done in the clubhouse. They sit in the lunch room and [talk] with each other. They walk around and do whatever ... they do. They look at film. They look at tape. They hit extra. They do the same thing they've always done.

"Grilli should worry about Colorado. I mean, if Jason Grilli had done a better job, he'd still be here. I don't want to hear any weak [stuff] from Jason Grilli. But that's not any concern of mine now either, because he belongs to somebody else. My concern is the guys out there that are talking weak [stuff]. And they'll know about it today."

After talking with the media, Leyland had a closed-door meeting with his players before batting practice.

"Look in the mirror," Leyland continued. "Look at the numbers. And you're worried about the clubhouse? Take care of the clubhouse then. You want me to run out there like a schoolteacher every two minutes, make sure the clubhouse is good? These guys are grown men. That's weak [stuff]."

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Youth of the Nation: Lester follows Clay

BOSTON -- In a clubhouse full of veteran pitchers with years of experience and accomplishments, the only hurler who could put the proper perspective on Jon Lester's no-hitter on Monday night was the only pitcher on the staff younger than the 24-year-old.

"I was trying to think along with him, but I think I was a little more nervous for his than I was for mine," said Clay Buchholz, the 23-year-old right-hander who threw a no-hitter on Sept. 1, 2007, at Fenway Park in his second Major League appearance.

"I had more time to think about [his]. I went out just trying to throw strikes and get guys to swing and get outs. That's what his main thing was, to go out there tonight and get outs, throw pitches in the zone, pound the zone, and get some swings out of it. And he went out there and did his job and got rewarded for it."

At the time of Buchholz's no-no, as a September callup shutting down the Orioles, the rookie was still adjusting to being a big leaguer.

"I was speechless [after the game]," he said. "I didn't know what to say, second game up here and something like that happens. He's been around a little bit longer than I have so he might know how to handle it a little bit better. But I really couldn't tell you what I was thinking, who the first person I talked to was. It was all a blur for me. But he seems to be taking it pretty well."

In Buchholz's no-hitter, it wasn't until the sixth inning when he realized what was going on.

"The pressure for me wasn't the ninth," he said. "It was after they told me I was throwing six innings that day, give them a good six innings and I'd be done. And I sat down on the bench, and nobody came and talked to me after the sixth inning. I looked up on the scoreboard, and that's when I saw it and I went, 'Oh, God, here we go.' So for [Lester], he looked a little nervous going out for the ninth, but after the first batter -- he walked him -- I saw him sort of take a deep breath, and [he] went back to work and did what he had to do."

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For Buchholz, it was easier to be the pitcher than to watch his teammate.

"Being the pitcher, I didn't find myself thinking a whole lot about the game," Buchholz said. "I was thinking about what I was doing. Then being on the bench, you know what's going on and you know everybody around you knows what's going on. It might be a little bit more tough being on the bench and watching, because you know all it takes is one pitch and it could disappear just as quick as it appeared. So, for me sitting on the bench, I was a little nerve-wracked there for a while."

As were several of his teammates. Dugout superstitions were checked and rechecked to ensure the gem for Lester.

"You really don't say too much to him," said Jacoby Ellsbury, whose sterling catch in center in the fourth inning helped to ensure the no-no. "You just kind of let him be. Whatever his routine is, no one really wants to say anything to him, just kind of let him be.

"I remember when Clay had his, we just kind of left him on his own. I don't think anybody was within five or six feet of him. And Jon, he was relaxed. If I was a spectator watching him, I wouldn't have known if I hadn't looked at the scoreboard that he had a no-hitter going. He was pretty relaxed."

"I don't know how [Lester] can be more nervous than I am," said Josh Beckett. "It was like that with [Curt Schilling's one-hitter in Oakland last season] and Buchholz's. I'm sure everybody else on the bench is feeling the same way. It makes me want to puke, how nervous I am. I can't imagine actually going out there.

"I think I had a no-hitter in the first [inning] one time, so I don't really know. I haven't ever really taken one that deep. So I just can't imagine, because he's got to be a little more nervous than we are.

"Me and some of the guys were joking about it. We didn't know what to do. Do we stand up? Do we sit down? What are we supposed to do? If we're eating a candy bar and we figure out he has a no-hitter, do we keep eating candy bars? Who knows?"

Who knows? But on Monday night, whatever they decided, it worked.

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A-Rod set to be activated Tuesday

TAMPA, Fla. -- Although Monday was an off-day, the Yankees got some much-needed good news, as Alex Rodriguez confirmed his rehab stint was a success, and would be activated from the 15-day disabled list for Tuesday's game vs. Baltimore.

The three-time American League MVP was 2-for-6 with a run scored in his final extended spring game at the Yankees' Himes Complex, the Minor League facility where Rodriguez has been testing his strained right quadriceps.

Coming off Sunday's full workout, in which Rodriguez said it was the "best" he's felt since the injury, the third baseman breezed through about five innings on Monday, and overall said he was happy with the work done in Florida.

"I'm excited to get back into Yankee Stadium and play baseball," said Rodriguez. "It's where I belong."

That's good news for the Yankees, who are currently last in the AL East and have dropped five of their past six games.

Rodriguez acknowledged that he had been watching the games, and while he has "no predictions" for what will happen when the club inserts his powerful right-handed bat into the lineup, he did note that it has been "tough to [just] watch."

Prior to the injury, Rodriguez was hitting .286 with a .495 slugging percentage and 11 RBIs in 24 games. During his rehab stint, the slugger not only took swings in the batting cages, but also received an ample amount of both live and simulated at-bats.

After going 5-for-15 with a home run in a Sunday's simulated game, and getting another one over the wall during Saturday's five plate appearances, Rodriguez hopes he is beyond the point where his injury makes him hesitant.

"Yeah I think so," he mused. "[It's] one day at a time, though. You keep building that certainty every day [and] as you get stronger, you move forward."

Moving forward is exactly what the Yankees, currently four games under .500, aim to do. With the addition of Rodriguez, the club will slide him back into the hot corner and create a defensive pillar, coupled with shortstop Derek Jeter, on the left side of the field.

The injury occurred running out a ground ball vs. Baltimore on April 28, and Rodriguez said on Sunday that he had no pain running. He also tested his quadriceps with several slides during Monday's contest. Despite opportunities to advance two bases on a single, Rodriguez said afterward that he was specifically instructed to take it "base-by base."

With concerns about the quadriceps injury limiting his movement, the third baseman said that one of his rehab goals was to be able to field comfortably to his left and right, as well as to come forward for slower ground balls.

Mission accomplished, as Rodriguez answered a resounding "yes" when asked if he had hit his mark, adding, "I think I got every one of [my fielding goals], so I'm happy about that."

So are the Yankees.

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