Play Ball!  It certainly is a busy time of year for those who love the game of baseball.  In our household we have all three children starting their year-end League Tournament play which means multiple games on many nights for Dad, the  College World Series is in full swing as we try to make it to a couple of games,  we have three fantasy teams in our household to monitor (Did I mention that Wells’ teams are fairing better than mine?) which provides us with lots of baseball talk,  and add to that the actual Major League  season and the beauty of XM Radio which broadcasts all the Yankees games and we are definitely getting our overdose of baseball.  Isn’t is great!  If only the Bronx Bombers could show some spark.

I know we all have our own injury problems but let me share with you the status report of my team for Tuesday, June 5th:

Geoff Jenkins -  .282  10hr’s - …was hit by a pitch from Chicago Cubs SP Jason Marquis ( who coincidentally is a Bronx Bomber)….left game with a right ankle contusion…status is day-to-day

Travis Buck- .252   6hr’s -  …was held out of team’s lineup because of a stomach ailment…

Scott Rolen - .258 3 hr’s - …missed last two games with a strained hamstring.  LaRussa says..”We’re not going to push it, He’s a veteran guy who knows what’s going on”…

Andy Pettitte - …left during the bottom of the fifth inning on Sunday night due to back spasms…

Joe Crede - …Crede ( back tightness) was out of  the starting lineup and could go on the disabled list…

Cliff Floyd - …Floyd (ribcage) has been unable to take batting practice the last few days…

Carlos Beltran - .297  8hr’s -  …has been out since Thursday with a bruised right knee and hopes to play Tuesday indicated he is having the most difficulty batting right handed…

So there is the report on seven of my players for one day!  I won’t even mention that I had already lost Posednik, Giambi, Piazza and draftee Mientkiewicz for the year.  Needless to say, there are not enough free agents out there to salvage my team!

Some interesting standings for sure!   Skippers post draft  prognostication is just a little off but I am sure there will be multiple changes before the final pitch is thrown for the year once point caps, shrewd trades and free agent drafts, reversion to means,  lady luck, and lightening-in-a-bottle strike.

I thought I would include a few point value stats that I found interesting at this point in the season:

What’s it all mean?  Probably nothing, but it could give you an idea who to start your trade talks with.

Mouse's Minute

A few random thoughts from an article by Mark Kriegel/Fox Sports.com…A-Rod has 8 homeruns, 29 RBI’s and raised his batting average 22 points since appearing on the front page of the new York Post with the Mystery Blonde…she must be better than steroids!…Justin Verlander threw 102 mph in the ninth inning of his no-hitter…who’s his Mystery Blonde?…Pacman Jones and Michael Barrett are good people…who else would have liked to have seen Prince Fielder leg out his inside the park home run?…or picture Prince and Shamu racing each other around the bases…where would you lay your money?

For those in Omaha who might be tiring of the Refurbish vs. Rebuild discussion of Rosenblatt Stadium, please allow me to give my own ridiculous opinion.  If  I don’t go to a Royals game in South Omaha, why would I go to a Royals game in North Omaha?  The hot bed of drive-by shootings is six blocks away!  I say build it on the   Girls and Boys Town property on 132nd and Pacific.  The infrastructure is there, the facility could be used by all the Millard High School teams, UNO could use it, the Royals would triple their season ticket sales which is what they want anyway, the CWS would like it because of the more pleasant surroundings and also an increase in attendance, and Girls and Boys Town would get two weeks of free national exposure.  A win/win for all except the Fahey administration that wants to leave his legacy at Creighton by giving them a free baseball stadium at the taxpayers expense.

I’m glad I got that off my chest!!  As a closing remark, I would like to invite all of you to the Luis Palau Heartland Festival on July 14-15th at the Qwest Center in Omaha.  It will be two days of free family activities and could be a life changing  event for all of us. 

See you in Detroit! 

Mouse