Guest Columnist - Sooze from BabesLoveBaseball gives her All-Star selections

Today we have a guest columnist....it’s our favorite baseball babe - Sooze - from BabesLoveBaseball......check out her site because she updates it throughout the day with all types of baseball news.....

BabesLoveBaseball

....
so without further adieu, I give you Minnesota's finest - Sooze...

Since I'm a die-hard from Minnesota, it is nearly impossible for me to pick anyone but Twins for every starting AL position and Brewers from top to bottom for the NL in real life, but here goes nothin'.

American League
If Joe Mauer wasn't out with a strained quad right now, you know I'd choose him in a heartbeat. For now, I'm forced to go with Ivan Rodriguez, who is batting .296 with 5 home runs and 29 RBI for the Detroit Tigers. He's Pudge and we love him.

First base could go to the Canadian Crusher, Justin Morneau, who is the reigning AL MVP, but... who is Justin Morneau, again? This corner goes to Big Papi. David Ortiz (photo) is batting .333 with 10 home runs and 41 RBI for the Red Sox.

At second base, Robinson Cano is a shoo-in, but Placido Polanco is quickly gaining my favoritism, driving in 30 runs and batting .335 this season.

Shortstop goes to Derek Jeter, who is miles ahead of even Miguel Tejada in the popularity contest. He has his own cologne, you know.

Third base belongs to Alex Rodriguez. It just does. After the April he had, May left him looking like a rookie. But he's still A-Rod, and Mike Lowell just doesn't interest the paparazzi.

Manny will be Manny in left field, because who doesn't love Manny's antics? He's not even close to batting .300 yet this season and has hit only 8 bombs so far, but he's playing on a Boston team that has a stranglehold on the AL East.

Right field goes to the Angels' Vladimir Guerrero. He's a monster at the plate, already smoking 50 RBI this season with a huge .357 batting average.

Center field is a Gold Glove toss-up between the rolling Ichiro Suzuki and the defensive prowess of Torii Hunter, who has also been swinging a hot bat this season. Ichiro is on a mad streak right now, batting .333 with 76 hits while Hunter has 12 homers and 46 RBI with a .306 average.

National League
It's going to be a heated race between Brian McCann and Paul Lo Duca for the NL catcher's position. McCann has been a cornerstone of the Atlanta Braves' roster while Lo Duca is on the hottest team in the NL.

First Base is all Albert Pujols (photo). Prince Albert is riding the post-World Series season with a .292 batting average, 11 home runs and 31 RBI.

Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley gets the nod for second due to his hot glove and even hotter bat, nailing 10 longballs so far this year to compliment his 40 runs driven in.

New York Mets thieving shortstop, Jose Reyes is the only man for the job to tag team with Utley. With a big league-leading 30 stolen bases, Reyes is batting .315 along with some outstanding defensive skills. He's just awesome.

Third Base will go to Reyes' fellow New Yorker, David Wright. Here's where all the ladies' votes really start to count. Wright shaved his head last month and finally started hitting the ball, accumulating a .272 average.

The obvious choice for left field is The Slugger Himself, Barry Bonds. Chasing Hank Aaron's record this season, Bonds has 12 homers and double the RBI. Plus, the All-Star game is on his home field.

Since Jeff Francoeur is the only actual right-fielder cool enough to top the ballots, I'll let Andruw Jones play this position. Even though Jones has had a slumpy season, everyone wants him to play well and see him in the Mid-Summer Classic in what could possibly be his last season in Atlanta.

Centerfield will go to future Hall of Famer, Ken Griffey, Jr. The man has had more video games named after him than the years spent in the big leagues by all the other candidates combined. Carlos Beltran is great too, however. Kinda' like the 35-21 Mets.

I want to thank Sooze for her time.....and check out her site.....now here some links to Game 1 of The Finals....

The Plain Dealer’s Bud Shaw writes how the Spurs Tony Parker is a match-up problem for the Cavs....

Bud Shaw

Akron Beacon-Journal sports columnist Terry Pluto writes how the Cavs got a wake-up call in game 1 of The Finals....even though the Spurs may be a better team, the Cavs can still come away with a split in the first two games....

Terry Pluto

San Antonio Express-News sports columnist Buck Harvey writes how the “Global Icon” was brought back to reality in game 1.....

Buck Harvey

My thoughts on the NBA Finals

I have spent the last few days reading and analyzing the two teams left in the NBA playoffs....with me living in Northeast Ohio, of course, at times, I am reading some coverage that is naturally pro-Cavs....for instance, in a column which appeared in Tuesday’s Akron Beacon-Journal, columnist Terry Pluto wrote how most of the “experts” were picking against the Cavs.....he continued how the national media is under-estimating LeBron James’ competitiveness: "Here's what those of us who have followed James from early in his St. Vincent-St. Mary days know: He believes he'll win every game he plays.”.....

There is no doubt that is true about James, but Pluto and other Northeast Ohio media people forget that there is a player on San Antonio who is just as competitive - Tim Duncan....Duncan is the forgotten player in this series....most people don’t realize that he already has three NBA titles and is just as competitive as King James.....

James’ 48 point Game 5 performance reminds me of the NFL game last December when the Saints played at the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football....Reggie Bush scored four touchdowns and was the talk of the nation about how that was his "coming out party"....the Saints were solid the rest of the year, but Bush never matched that Sunday Night performance...

James cannot level out, like Bush did, if the Cavs want to win the series....take away the 48 point night, and in the Cavs' three other wins in the Detroit series, James averaged 25.6 points and dished out 9.3 assists per game....is that enough to beat the Spurs??.....I don’t think so....James needs to top at least 30 a game and still maintain that 8-9 assists per game too.....

Another concern is is all the celebration in Cleveland....in yesterday’s San Antonio Express-News, an article was written how the Cavs' Eric Snow is getting nervous how some of his teammates and the city are all giddy after Saturday’s monumental win....the Cavs are ecstatic in just making The Finals while the Spurs are not content unless they win The Finals.....

The Cavs are a heavy underdog....for the series, you would have to place $50 on the Spurs just to win $10 while you can place $10 on the Cavs to win $35.....so that brings me to this question - can the Cavs win this series?....yes!!....but like I wrote earlier, the Cavs will need even more of an effort by James.....in their four wins over Detroit, only in game 5 did James dominate ala Jordan or Bird.....in this series, the Cavs will need at least two or three games like that from James -- and it is quite possible that he can do that....the talent is there....but the fact is, he will have to elevate his game to an even higher level in The Finals....

I always like to put a little money on sporting events, so that is why I took a chance with the Cavs.....for a $10 bet, it is worth a shot....even though I believe the Cavs have a chance to win this series, but I know it will probably not happen....the Spurs are a better all-around team who is not coached by someone named Flip.....Gregg Popovich has more NBA titles than Larry Brown, Lenny Wilkens, Billy Cunningham, and Red Holtzman.....I'm not trying to rain on the city of Cleveland's parade because I do like James and think he is good for the league....even though I am taking a chance by putting some money on the Cavs, I know that more than likely the Spurs will win in 5.....

Here are some links for tonight's Game 1
The Plain Dealer’s Bill Livingston writes that the time has come for LeBron James to etch his name with other NBA greats who put a stamp on their career with defining moments in The Finals....

Bill Livingston

Ohio governor Ted Strickland is jumping on the Nike bandwagon with LeBron James....even the governor is “witnessing” greatness....

Plain Dealer

Akron Beacon-Journal columnist Terry Pluto writes how the Cavs have one of the better defenses in the NBA....just ask Vince Carter.....

Terry Pluto

San Antonio Express-News columnist gives his thoughts on The Finals....if the Spurs can slow down James, don’t be surprised for a sweep....

Buck Harvey

Former Spur Sean Elliott writes that this will not be an easy series for the Spurs....and the Spurs better hope this does not go seven games....

Sean Elliott

Former Spur great George “Iceman” Gervin was at the airport to receive the NBA Trophy.....will it stay in possession of the Spurs when it is all said and done?.....

San Antonio Express-News

USA Today’s Greg Boeck writes about the links between the two teams - starting with Cavs head coach Mike Brown...

Greg Boeck

Washington Post columnist Mike Wilbon gives his thoughts....

Mike Wilbon

Chicago Tribune basketball beat writer Sam Smith gives his thoughts....

Sam Smith

Part 2 - Interview with legendary sports journalist Furman Bisher of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Today is the second part of my interview with legendary sports journalist Furman Bisher of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution....

Q8. How has sports changed over the years?
FB: You want me to write a book (laughing). That is what it will take.

Q9. Well give me a couple of things that has changed the most?
FB: The pay. It has turned what used to be very affable young men. Back then they (athletes) were not making too much more than us writers. Nowadays they (athletes) don't need you. They don't need the writer. They don't want to be bothered by you unless it is somebody with a microphone in their hand or Sports Illustrated calling. There are some who are still good though. Some of them are worthwhile and some of them are jackasses - and I don't do very well with jackasses.

Q10. Who is the biggest jackass that you dealt with?
FB: (chuckling) I don't think I can name just one.

Q11. You are still active in covering golf. What has it been like covering Tiger Woods?
FB: First place I never dealt with him except in mass interviews. He doesn't have time. One of the writers from Sports Illustrated said he did a 6,000 word story on Tiger Woods and he only got to spend 10 minutes with him. He does not give interviews unless there is a price involved unless it is something that goes to his great and glorious benefit. Frankly I don't need to interview him. If I had to, I would try. I don't go around prying or looking under rugs for scandal. I basically get what I want by watching him play golf and through press conferences. I don't need to interview him personally.

Q12. How was Jack Nicklaus to interview?
FB: Oh good grief. We have been good friends for many years. Same with (Arnold) Palmer. Arnold and I have been good friends for a long time. We all sort of came along the same pike except I am considerably older than them.

Q13. Do you think Tiger Woods will pass Jack Nicklaus for the most majors?
FB: Woods has a chance. I don't know how long his body is going to hold up though. I think he is having swing problems right now. I saw him down at the TPC and he just bombed out the first three rounds. He could not break 70 but he came back and shot a 67 but it didn't make any difference. I don't know how long his swing is going to hold up. He puts an awful lot of pressure on that skinny body of his.

Q14. In college basketball, did you ever deal with Adolph Rupp?
FB: (Laughing) Oh yeh. He had a lot of fun with me and I had some enjoyable times with him. He could scare you, but I didn't scare very easily. I went up and did a magazine story on him for Sport magazine. I sat around with him, rode out in the pasture to look at his cattle and all that sort of thing. He was rough, but he was kind.

Once again I would like to thank Mr. Bisher for his time in doing the interview....it was an honor to interview him and was much appreciated...

Rick Vach gives his thoughts as the French Open winds down

One of our tennis experts, Rick Vach, the senior writer at Tennis X.com gives us his thoughts on the last few days of the French Open......Rick has appeared on The Tennis Channel’s 'Tennis Insiders: Super Insiders', and won 'Best Hard News' story for 2005 by the United States Tennis Writers Association....

Tennis X

Q1. What happened to the Williams sisters, American's lone hope at the French Open?
Venus Williams blamed her loss on fatigue due to over-training, which jibes with people from her camp who say it is an effort to get her off the practice court. As she gets older she is going to need to train smarter. Fitness still seems to be a topic for Serena, who is far from her top fighting weight, and in the semifinal loss to Justine Henin was displaying a lot of poor footwork. One trains too much, the other too little.

Q2. How did Svetlana Kuznetsova, some people's pick to win in Paris, lose a 6-0 set in the quarterfinals?
The Russian's US Open title could unfortunately be her lone Slam win unless she checks in with a sports psychologist. Kuzy gets tight rather than playing though sticky situations like a champion, such as this week against Anna Ivanovic in her 6-0, 3-6, 6-1 loss. It certainly didn't help Kuzy's cause when world No. 1 Roger Federer unexpectedly named her as his pick to win the French, turning up the pressure dial to 11.

Q3. Who were the breakout women at the French through the first week?
Not exactly breakout material since they are Top 10, but the Serbs, Jelena Jankovic (photo - left) and Ana Ivanovic (photo - right) continue to push themselves onto the radar of even casual tennis fans with their good looks and better-looking games, moving into the French semifinals. If the WTA Tour is serious about marketing as a "world sport," these two need to be on a poster together. Jankovic will face top-seeded Justine Henin in the semis, while Ivanovic will square off against No. Maria Sharapova, which leads to the question.

Q4. Can Maria Sharapova win the French?
No. Sharapova is far from physically fit, playing on a tendonitis-ridden shoulder, and still moves on the clay like a baby deer who wandered on a frozen lake. Perhaps some year with just the right draw and some grinding practice to improve her mobility, but not this year with the bad wing. Hell of an effort though at a tournament she almost skipped with injury.

Q5. Venus Williams' camp said she played the event on a bad foot, and Serena constantly struggles with injuries. Who are the next Americans on the horizon once the Williams retire?
Lining up behind the Williams sisters currently set to make a Top 10 impact are...no one. In fact the four players currently ranked behind the Williams sisters are Meilen Tu who is approaching 30 years of age, veteran Meghann Shaughnessy who's best years are likely behind her at age 29, Lindsay Davenport who just retired, and tour veteran Laura Granville who struggles to stay in the Top 100. Ranked behind them, not for lack of trying, are the potpourri of players grinding out tournaments at the minor-league level hoping for a breakthrough, with no clear "can't miss" prospect in sight......

I want to thank Rick Vach for taking the time to give his thoughts about what is happening at Roland Garros...we will be hearing back from him in a few weeks as Wimbledon approaches...now here are today’s links about the NBA Finals and other sports news....

Branson Wright, Cavs beat writer for The Plain Dealer, writes about the relationship between the two head coaches....Cavs head coach Mike Brown once served as an assistant coach under Gregg Popovich....

Branson Wright

Express-News reporter Johnny Ludden writes how LeBron James has been getting all the glory and the commercials while Mr. Conservative Tim Duncan has just been winning titles....

Johnny Ludden

Express-News reporter Mike Finger is in Cleveland....and he writes how Cavs reserve Eric Snow is getting a little nervous about all the hoopla taking place in the city of Cleveland....

Mike Finger

CBS Sportsline writer Dennis Dodd writes how Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr spent some of his down time in the spring with actor Russell Crowe.....

Dennis Dodd

Interview with legendary sports journalist Furman Bisher of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

On Thursday, May 31st I had the opportunity to interview one of the true legends in sports journalism - Furman Bisher.....Bisher is a sports columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he once served as sports editor....he was born in 1918 in Denton, North Carolina, and is a 1938 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill....Bisher was president of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association from 1974 to 1976 and president of the Football Writers Association of America in 1959 - 1960....in 1961, Time magazine named him one of the nation's five best columnists...I want to thank Mr. Bisher for his time.....today is the first of a two part interview with the legendary Furman Bisher....

Q1. How long have you been covering sports?
FB: I've covered sports a long time. I've been a journalist since 1938. I didn't start in the sports department until after the war (World War II) after spending three years in the Navy.

Q2. What makes a good journalist?
FB: First place, you need to know a good story when you see one. You got to be able to handle a story, and you got to be able to write. Those are three pretty good requirements right there.

Q3. I did some research about you and came across a reunion that took place in 2004 with your sports staff from the 1960s. It sounded like you were a good sports editor but a tough sports editor. How would you describe yourself?
FB: (Laughing) A lot of people did not like working for me because I was tough. I expected them to do the best job they could do and some reporters didn't - and when they didn't, I got on their ass. That sports staff from the 60s was an outstanding and unusual sports staff considering the pay we used to make. Three of those reporters became novelists, another became a vice-president of a large newspaper chain, and another became the editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Another became a million dollar insurance salesman. I was the sports editor. I put them together. I got them convinced as they came in there they would learn something about the newspaper business. This was probably the greatest collection of sports writers based on their future contributions to society and so on.

Q4. In the early 1960s you wrote a piece about the brutality in college football and some of it was dealing with those Alabama teams led by Bear Bryant. What was it like dealing with Bear Bryant?
FB: Before that article he was very nice. I enjoyed talking to him. I interviewed him when he was at Kentucky and when he came to Alabama. But after that Saturday Evening Post thing, I never interviewed him again. Frankly I was not interested in interviewing him and he wasn't interested in being interviewed by me. He was okay though in dealing with a newspaperman.

Q5. Over the years of covering college sports, what are some of the best college football teams?
FB: Well, the 1980 Georgia team won a national championship and you have to surely consider them an outstanding football team. The 1952 Georgia Tech football team also won a national championship. I guess the best football teams I saw were those produced by (Georgia Tech head coach) Bobby Dodd in the 1950s and later on when Vince Dooley came to the University of Georgia. He restored respectability over there (at Georgia). Auburn in 1957 had a great football team too under Shug Jordan. Duke had some good football teams too but they were never the same after the war.

Q6. Switching gears, with you being from Atlanta with Hank Aaron, what are your views about Barry Bonds and The Record?
FB: (chuckling) Until somebody proves something, it looks like he is going to pass Aaron. Major League Baseball is the worst enforcer of its own so-called rules. It has the weakest pussycat for a commissioner that you could ever imagine. He does nothing. You have (Jason) Giambi here who has basically confessed to using drugs and he is accepted back. Then you have Palmeiro and McGwire who are pariahs. There is no consistency from the commissioner's office where the enforcement should start. It's just a pathetic situation. At times I wonder about Roger Clemens. I suspect Roger Clemens to tell you the truth. The man of his age and bulk – it's sorta questionable in my mind.

Q7. What was it like dealing with Hank Aaron?
FB: Hank is great. I wrote his book with him. We have a very good relationship. I like Hank - he is a very good citizen.

Tomorrow the second part of the interview when Bisher talks about Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Adolph Rupp....

Today's links for the upcoming NBA Finals and about Michigan's upset of #1 ranked Vanderbilt in the College Baseball Regional Tournament....

The Plain Dealer’s Bill Livingston writes about how Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas made it through foot injuries and criticism to be the core of the team....

Bill Livingston

San Antonio Express-News reporter Mike Finger spent a day in Cleveland and writes how much LeBron James means to the city....

Mike Finger

Express-News columnist Richard Oliver gets former Celtic great Bill Russell’s take on San Antonio and Tim Duncan....

Richard Oliver

Express-News columnist Mike Monrow writes how former NBA head coach and current Spurs assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo is waiting for another shot to coach an NBA team....

Mike Monroe

The Michigan Wolverines baseball team upset #1 ranked Vanderbilt in the College Baseball Regional Tournament....the Wolverines now head to the Super Regionals...

Ann Arbor News

French Open thoughts from Erwin Ong of Tennis Served Fresh

Today we get back to the second week of the French Open.....our friend Erwin Ong gave us his thoughts of the first week and who he thinks is going to win...he has been following professional tennis since 1995...Erwin runs the tennis blog Tennis Served Fresh

Tennis Served Fresh

After two stressful days with barely any play (due to rain), the French Open caught up with itself and produced some wonderful match-ups. Sharapova notched a controversial three-set win against the pesky lefty Patty Schnyder (the scandal involved a Sharapova serve that should have been replayed), Federer earned his 3-set win against Youzhny (who might have put up a better fight had he not endured a marathon match against Juan Carlos Ferrero in the previous round), and Safarova took Amelie Mauresmo out of the running.

Speakling of the French, they again buckled this year. Gael Monfils, Richard Gasquet, Paul-Henri Mathieu are all too young and have yet to harness their talent.

In the clothing sponsorship department, Nike did the best job outfitting their players, with Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova getting their own dresses; Serena in a pink and purple number and Maria in an aqua tulle dress. Hantuchova and Safarova looked great in the Sphere tank and skort. Lacoste, the tournament's main clothing sponsor, didn't have much of a chance to show off its clothes on Gasquet and Roddick since both crashed out early. But their standard issue men's uniform (an orange and white outfit that most of the French players wore) could be seen in many early matches. Reebok put Mauresmo in a purple tank, the best we've seen her in a while. And Airness, another French clothier, continues its love affair with Nikolay Davydenko. I suspect they'll have a bigger stake in Roland Garros in the coming years.

For the men, this is how the coming week will play out: To get to the quartefinals, I expect Andreev to beat Bagdhatis, Moya to trump Bjorkman, Hewitt will lose to Nadal (as much as I'm gunning for the Australian), and Djokovic will be well-rested enough to overcome Verdasco. The top half is already set: Federer vs. Robredo and Davydenko vs. Canas. The last 4 will be Federer vs. Canas and Djokovic vs. Nadal. It'll be Nadal vs. Canas in the final, with Nadal taking it all.

The women's quarterfinals are set: Justine plays Serena (Serena will win), Jankovic will beat Vaidisova, Kuznetsova will win over Ivanovic, and Sharapova will win the matchup against fellow Russian Chakvetadze. Sharapova will beat Kuznetsova, and Serena will beat Jankovic. Serena will win the championship.

I want to thank Erwin for this time and we will hear back from him in a couple of weeks with his Wimbledon preview.....Also, there has been a change in the Furman Bisher interview.....originally it was going to run on Wednesday.....however, due to the length of the interview, it is now a two-part series which will begin tomorrow....

Throughout the NBA Finals, I will be providing daily links from the Spurs and Cavs camps....
The Spurs know they are the “bad boys” of this NBA Finals as the nation will be rooting for LeBron James.....

San Antonio Express-News

There are links between the two teams....Cavs coach Mike Brown coached Tony Parker is a summer league....and the Cavs organization followed the Spurs blueprint for success

San Antonio Express-News

Spurs defensive wiz Bruce Bowen is tired of hearing that LeBron James is the next Michael Jordan.....he thinks it is unfair to James.....

San Antonio Express-News

Who is hot shooting guard Daniel Gibson?.....yes he played ball at the University of Texas, but where has he been all season?.....

The Cleveland Plain Dealer

The Cavs are still basking in the glory of making the NBA Finals.....is it real?....

The Cleveland Plain Dealer

According to columnist Terry Pluto, LeBron James is the savior in Cleveland and the new face of the NBA....

Akron Beacon-Journal

The Sunday Baker's Dozen

Get your hot cup of coffee or latte or whatever you drink on a Sunday morning and check out the Sunday Baker's Dozen....13 links that you should check out!!!....

Finally the Cleveland sports fans have something to celebrate after the Cavs knocked out the Detroit Pistons.....The Plain Dealer's Amanda Garrett covers the party scene in downtown C-town....

Amanda Garrett

Akron Beacon Journal sports columnist Terry Pluto has something to be happy for after the Cavs won the Eastern Conference title.....the longtime columnist has been bitter for years about the city of Cleveland always losing....

Terry Pluto

Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom ponders if the window of opportunity has closed for the Detroit Pistons....he writes that the Pistons swagger and poise is gone.....

Mitch Albom

San Antonio Express-News reporter Tom Orsborn writes how the San Antonio Spurs may be one of the most underappreciated NBA teams despite playing for their fourth title....over the last 10 years, the Spurs have a regular season winning percentage of .709....

Tom Orsborn

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti questions Lou Piniella's sanity for wanting to deal with the Cubs and their annual frustrations....

Jay Mariotti

Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla writes about the high intensity of Broncos coach Mike Shanahan....even on an early June day, Shanahan was in the office at 5:00 a.m.....

Mark Kiszla

Get an inside look of what is happening with the Detroit Tigers....ESPN has current Tigers centerfield Curtis Granderson write a blog 3 times a week....

Curtis Granderson

New York Daily News columnist Mike Lupica writes how Yankees manager Joe Torre got a bit miffed about a Daily News headline....

Mike Lupica

Minneapolis Star-Tribune writer Joe Christensen does a feature story about former Twin Tony Oliva and how he has become an ambassador for the franchise....

Joe Christensen

Charlotte Observer reporter Jeff Elder writes how the 19 year old Charlotte Coliseum will be imploded today at 10 a.m.....the arena left some good memories on some people in Charlotte....

Jeff Elder

Fans of Michelle Wie should bookmark this page from the Honolulu Advertiser.....the newspaper has a section dedicated to its native star....the section is updated regularly.....

Michelle Wie

Washington Times reporter Dick Heller previews HBO's upcoming documentary about Barbaro.....

Dick Heller

Memphis Commercial Appeal reporter Jason Smith writes about new Memphis Grizzlies' head coach Marc Iavaroni.....

Jason Smith

The TB guy, Billy Donovan, and A-Rod holding hands

What is up with the dude who has TB?.....I never heard about this until the other day....also, I'm going to be the first to say it, but did you get a look at his wife (photo).....when I first saw this photo I thought it was some hot steamy scene from a future movie.....then I read that this is TB guy's wife.....WO!!!......she's a babe!!!!.....

I was wrong about the Pistons last night.....all the credit should go to Lebron James.....now that is a Jordan-like performance.....but just like last season, the Cavs have a 3-2 lead going back home.....will they stick the knife in Detroit?....

Mitch Albom - Detroit Free Press

Drew Sharp - Detroit Free Press

Bill Livingston - The Plain Dealer

Right now the city of Cleveland owns Detroit.....the Cavs have the Pistons on the ropes and the Indians are 4-0 against the Tigers this season.....

Billy Donovan - Gone!!!.....Billy the Kid turned his back on Gator-Nation for the moolah of the NBA.....financially, you cannot blame him.....he was going to be making $3.5 a year at Florida while the Magic are raking over $5.5 a year.....I think Donovan is going to give the NBA a whirl and use this as his big payday.....I believe he is thinking "if I succeed - great.....if not, I could get a job back in the college ranks in a few years ala former Gator ball coach Steve Spurrier".....Donovan is going to find out that NBA players do not listen to their coaches like NCAA players.....here is what is being written down in Florida about this.....

David Whitley - Orlando Sentinel

Mike Bianchi - Orlando Sentinel

Gainesville Sun

You gotta love the phoney "love" scene by A-Rod and his wife in Boston yesterday.....they were seen walking down the street in Beantown holding hands.....ahhhh, that makes me feel warm and fuzzy....

Coming Wednesday, June 6 - Exclusive Interview with legendary Atlanta Journal-Constitution sports editor Furman Bisher

Quick hits - Is A-Rod hot off the field too? And what is up with Kobe?

Today's New York Post is reporting that Alex Rodriguez has been spotted with a certain blonde woman in five cities....the Post reports that A-Rod and the mystery blond have been spotted going into strip clubs in Dallas and Toronto....here is the link for that story:

N.Y. Post A-Rod Story

The Pistons will win game 5 tonight....take it to the bank.....

Sticking with the NBA, what is up with Kobe Bryant?.....yesterday Kobe was upset and wanted traded because the Laker organization was not getting him any help.....he was also upset about them trading Shaq a few years back......am I missing something here, but wasn't Kobe the reason why Shaq was traded.....wasn't Kobe the one who wanted to show the world that he can lead the Lakers to an NBA title without Shaq......now it has suddenly become the organizations fault??.....Kobe is a dynamic player, but once thing has become clear over the past two seasons - Lebron James is a better player than Kobe.....both players are surrounded with mediocre to average players on each team.....but James has been able to take the Cavs farther into the NBA playoffs each year than Kobe.....Kobe has become the Dominique Wilkins of this era - a great scorer with a lot of flash, but the inability to lead his team to a conference title....check out N.Y. Post's Pete Vecsey's column which appeared on May 29th.....

Pete Vecsey

What the hell is wrong with Andy Roddick?.....I know Americans have a difficult time winning on the red clay at Roland Garros.....but this is ridiculous.....he was ranked third in the French Open and was bounced in the first round last year.....so what does Roddick do this year - he gets bounced once again in round 1......

Tampa Devil Rays’ Elijah Dukes is a great talent but he will always be a screw up off the field....he is too gangsta for baseball.....

Good move by Joe Torre not starting Roger Clemens in Boston.....Clemens would have guaranteed lost in Boston because he would have pumped himself up so much that he would have overthrown and given up at least 3 gopher balls....

Mark Cuban and some other knuckleheads are talking about starting a professional football league to rival the NFL.....when will people learn that these rogue leagues will not succeed.....Cuban was correct when he stated that people love football.....but people love quality professional football, not some half-baked quack league......

Say what you will, but Boston's Dice-K is just an average pitcher as the Indians proved last night by lighting him up for 12 hits and six earned runs in less than six innings pitched.....the great Dice-K with his much talked about "gyroball" is now sitting with an ERA of 4.83.....

Finally, here is some advice to people who wear dark pants - never eat a powdered sugar donut before a meeting.....I was a little early for a meeting yesterday so I stopped at a Dunkin Donuts to kill 20 minutes or so.....I decided to eat my first donut of 2007, so I bought a powdered sugar donut filled with chocolate....as I was eating I did not realize that the powdered sugar was dropping on my blue Dockers....all I know, that sugar is impossible to get off your pants.....trust me on this.....

Five Good Questions with . . . Stan McNeal of The Sporting News about baseball

Today's Five Good Questions is with Stan McNeal of The Sporting News.....Stan has been a managing editor at The Sporting News since 2000, coordinating coverage of major league baseball and the NBA...before coming to The Sporting News, Stan worked at newspapers in San Diego and Florida for more than 20 years......

Q1. Starting in the American League, what is wrong with the New York Yankees? If you were in charge, what would you do to try and revive the team this season?
What's wrong with the Yankees is what everyone thought would be wrong, their pitching. And during a recent stretch when they actually got strong pitching, their offense took a break. They're going to score but the rotation --- yes, there's been a lot of injuries --- isn't strong enough to win the division or a wild card. They did what they wanted in signing Clemens. He won't make them as good as the Red Sox or the second-place team in the Central.

Q2. So far, how would you rate Lou Piniella's job as skipper of the Cubs?
I think Lou's been fine. I thought he handled the Soriano situation right -- gave him a shot in center, let him gracefully move to left when it was clear it wasn't going to work out in center. I think the job has been tougher than Lou expected. But hey, it's the Cubs. Something always happens with the Cubs.

Q3. Do the Cleveland Indians have the staying power to win the A.L. Central? If so, how far can this team go in the playoffs?
Absolutely they can win the Central. So if they're the best team in the best division, they should do OK in October as well. The Red Sox have a big edge in playoff experience, though. Fausto Carmona is becoming a star. Torii Hunter told me recently (after Carmona dominated the Twins) that Carmona is every bit as talented as Francisco Liriano. Put Carmona with C.C., Lee and Westbrook and the Indians have as deep a rotation as the Tigers. Grady Sizemore (photo) is quickly becoming known as one of the game's best young players and the one-two combo of Pronk and Victor Martinez is right there with Sheffield and Ordonez of the Tigers.

Q4. Who are some of the big name players who may get traded during the season and where could they end up?
I think the Rangers would be wise to trade Mark Teixeira for starting pitching. I think the Tigers and Angels have a solid starter to spare. The Rangers have a few others --- Kenny Lofton, Eric Gagne, maybe even Sammy Sosa --- who could be moved when the team decides to start focusing on 2008.

Q5. I have to ask, what is your opinion about Barry Bonds and "The Record"?
I believe the storylines as we near the record are what I expected and frankly, what they should be. The media is not out to get Bonds. Bonds has brought this on himself with his actions over past years. It's not realistic to think his past would be forgotten and there would be nothing but happy stories as he nears the most celebrated record in American sports....

I want to thank Stan for his time....I know he is a busy person working for a national publication like The Sporting News...

Five Good Questions with . . . Al Yellon of BleedCubbieBlue Blog about the Chicago Cubs

Today’s Five Good Questions deals with the Chicago Cubs.....Al Yellon, editor-in-chief of the blog BleedCubbieBlue took some time to respond to our five questions....check out his site

BleedCubbieBlue

Q1. We are at the unofficial quarter point in the season and Alfonso Soriano and Derek Lee have a combined 7 homeruns. Why a power shortage with those two?
That's a very good question. They've blamed the cold weather, but that's an excuse. Honestly, it hasn't been all that cold in Chicago so far this year, and the Cubs have played several games on the West Coast and in domes (Milwaukee). Lee's home runs are way down -- but his power isn't; his SLG is .534, above his career average of .501. He's second in the league with 19 doubles. The homers will come.

Soriano -- well, I'm not quite sure. Part of it may be from being shuttled around to two positions, and also from the hamstring injury that kept him out for a week and has slowed him down. But he is also near the league lead in doubles with 15. If these two do come up to their career norms, watch out.

Q2. Carlos Zambrano (photo) has a 5-4 mark so far. How much have all the off-field activities with his contract distracted him? Do you see him with the Cubs next season?
If you'd asked me the latter question a month ago, I'd have said "absolutely". Now I'm not so sure, although after Saturday's game in LA he seems back on track. If he doesn't have a great "walk year", I imagine he'll probably be wishing he'd signed the extension offered in spring training.

Is all of this a distraction? No, I think not. I think he's got some mechanical problems with his arm angle that are being worked on. He needs to keep throwing strikes the way he did in Los Angeles.

Q3. So far, how would you rate Lou Piniella's job as skipper of the Cubs?
If you want a letter grade, I'll give him a "B". His lineup shuffling reflects an intense desire to win. Unlike the previous occupant of that job, who would have kept sending the same people out there day after day to continue to fail, Lou won't sit still for failure. I like this. One of the Chicago papers today quoted one of his former players as saying "Lou wants to go 162-0 every year", which, of course, is impossible. Lou's got some 'out there' sort of ideas, which might even work, but I think he's playing mind games with both the media and his players when he, for example, says he wants Ryan Dempster to start, then retracts that a day later.

Q4. What areas must the Cubs improve upon during the season? Who are some hot names they may try to acquire during the season?
Bullpen, bullpen, and bullpen. Did I mention the bullpen? This Cub lineup will hit. And the bench is far superior to the one of the last couple of years. And the starting pitching has, in general, been outstanding. The bullpen is terrible, and that's being nice. They are 3-11, have nine blown saves (including two spectacular meltdowns in the last two weeks alone), and are this team's biggest weakness. I haven't heard that many "hot names" as being available -- but I do know I have repeatedly heard the Cubs are interested in Scott Linebrink. It'll cost a lot to get him, but I think they need him, and soon.

Q5. How would you compare this year's Cubs with last season's? What improvements have you seen so far?
There is absolutely no comparison. Last year's Cubs were the worst I have seen in 40+ years of being a fan, and that includes the 103-loss team of 1966 (that team, at least, had three Hall of Famers -- and should have four), and the awful teams of 1980 and 1981. The 2006 Cubs looked disinterested and played like it nearly every day. This year's team has made some baserunning and other mental errors, but they seem to be reducing them, and they do play hard, and when there are mistakes they get addressed immediately. That's the biggest improvement -- that Lou Piniella holds them accountable.

Q5a. One extra question I have to ask, what is your opinion about Barry Bonds and "The Record"?
You *really* don't want to get me started on this one, but I'll try to summarize. If Barry Bonds hits 756 home runs, he will statistically hold the lifetime home run record. In my opinion, that number is tainted. And it's too bad. I read "Game of Shadows", and it appears from what's written there that Bonds, supposedly, started doing steroids after the 1998 season because he was jealous of the attention Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire were getting, when he felt *HE* was the best all-around player in baseball. He was right, but he didn't have to do a single steroid, if indeed he did so (it is my personal opinion that he did, but that is strictly my opinion).

He was a first-ballot Hall of Famer by the time the 1998 season had ended. I suppose it would be easier to forgive him, and maybe even root for him, if:
1. he'd come clean, and
2. he wasn't such a jerk, which is further made clear in "Game of Shadows".
There is a possibility, now that he's been in a HR drought, that he might have a shot at breaking the record at Wrigley Field when the Giants are in Chicago from July 16-19. That could be an ugly scene -- Bonds is generally despised everywhere but San Francisco, and Chicago is no exception. No wonder Bud Selig doesn't want to show up. The only consolation I have in knowing that Bonds is likely to break Hank Aaron's record is the fact that Alex Rodriguez will break it himself about six or seven years from now.

I want to thank Al for his time in responding.....it is very much appreciated....

Five Good Questions with . . . Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune about the Padres

Today's Five Good Questions is with San Diego Union-Tribune sports columnist Nick Canepa....Nick has been with the paper since 1974....on Sept. 25, 1978, a PSA airliner crashed in San Diego, at the time the worst airplane disaster in United States history, and Nick helped put together the story which won the Tribune staff a Pulitzer Prize....Nick was kind enough to respond to five questions about the San Diego Padres.....

Q1. It seems as if the Padres have not missed a beat with Bud Black as the manager. What differences are there in managerial styles between Black and former skipper Bruce Bochy?
Bud Black bunts. Bochy didn't like the bunt. Black also will hit and run, but he has little speed. Other than that, I don't see much difference.

Q2. When it happened, was it a surprise that Bochy left San Diego for the job in San Francisco? Are there still any hard feelings about him leaving to a divisional rival?
I don't think Bochy's move at all surprised. He isn't (Padres general manager) Sandy Alderson's kind of manager. He got more money. He's better off.

Q3. Jake Peavy (photo) may be the best pitcher in baseball that no one on the east coast knows about. Tell us a little about Peavy.
Jake may be the best pitcher in baseball right now. He's a funny guy. He'll talk the day he pitches, which is rare. He's tremendously competitive. Firey. Jake doesn't like to give anything up. I'm expecting a no-hitter from him one of these days. Just great stuff.

Q4. Petco Park is known as a pitcher's park. However, there has been some discussion about moving in the fences. Why would the organization want to do that when the team is built around pitching?
Because they don't have anything else to think about. They should leave the fences be. Alderson says he's tired of watching drives into the alleys die off. But he now says chances are less than 10 percent. Owner John Moores is against it, but says he'll go along with Alderson if that's what he wants. This is a team built around pitching.

Q5. How have the "old men" David Wells and Greg Maddux been so far this year? How effective will they be late in the season during the playoff hunt?
They've been about as expected thus far. I suspect these two guys can pitch until they drop. I know Wells can throw forever. Good clubhouse guys, too.

I want to thank Nick for his time....it is much appreciated....

The Sunday Baker's Dozen

Here is the first edition of the Sunday Baker's Dozen.....13 links to stories from newspapers and bloggers around the country.....we start off in the city of Angels about Kobe Bryant....

The L.A. Times Mike Bresnahan writes about Kobe Bryant's increasing frustration with the Lakers

Mike Bresnahan

As a follow-up to the Kobe saga, L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke writes that the Lakers should consider trading Kobe....

Bill Plaschke

The Boston Globe's Bob Ryan writes about the NBA Draft Lottery.....

Bob Ryan

The Miami Herald's Dan Le Batard writes that the Florida Marlins are not that bad of a baseball team.....

Dan Le Batard

Jim Trotter of the San Diego Union Tribune writes about the Chargers new uniforms and L.T.'s new Nike commercial....

Jim Trotter

The St. Louis News-Dispatch Bill Coats writes about the solid relationship between rams head coach Scott Linehan and qb Marc Bulger......

Bill Coats

Remember former Bronx Little League stud Danny Almonte.....Ian Begley of the N.Y. Daily News writes how Almonte is now pitching in an independent league....

Ian Begley

For our NASCAR fans, the Charlotte Observer's Tom Sorensen writes about the Rick Hendrick racing team.....

Tom Sorensen

The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Jodi Valade writes about the work ethic of Piston forward Tayshaun Prince.....

Jodi Valade

The Detroit Free-Press' Michael Rosenberg writes how the Pistons are winning ugly.....

Michael Rosenberg

The San Antonio Express News' Buck Harvey writes about Gregg Popovich's tough love....

Buck Harvey

The Atlanta Constitution Journal's Mark Bradley writes about Braves potential free agent outfielder Andruw Jones and his not-so-hot season so far....

Mark Bradley

The Las Vega Review-Journal's Ed Graney writes how Ultimate Fighting is getting the best of the boxing world....

Ed Graney

Some quick hits

I thought we lived in a civilized society.....but at times, I don’t think we do....there are still incidents of uncivilized behavior such as Michael Vick being allegedly linked to dogfighting.....then you have knuckleheads like Clinton Portis and Chris Samuel who think it is funny to train dogs to injure and even kill each other....I will say, I am a dog lover because no matter what is going on in your life, a dog is always there for you.....but to these insensitive garbage of human beings they just don’t get it.....the commissioner should run Vick from the league for an entire season if he is found guilty of this abhorrent behavior....

A statue of Mister Rogers is going to be erected in front of Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.....

How could the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cleveland Indians rebuild their teams in only a few years while the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates keep spinning their wheels in mud......

Brooke Shields turns 42 on May 31st.....

Barry Zito signed that $17 million a year contract with the Giants and has a record of 4-5 with a 4.70 ERA....

The Colorado Rockies wanted to unload Todd Helton over the winter.....so far this season, Helton is batting .354....there is no doubt he will be the prized gem at the trading deadline.....

In their series with the Chicago Bulls, the Detroit Pistons jumped out to a 3-0 series lead only to lose the next two games....the Pistons admitted they lost focus after gaining such a big lead....don’t look for Detroit to lose focus against the Cavs....

Just Call Me Juice sports blog reported that Boston general Manager Theo Epstein watched Roger Clemens pitch the other day for Trenton.....

Just Call Me Juice

Wastingcompanytime blog reported that last year’s American Idol contestant Kellie Pickler (photo) used her money from the show to "enhance her breasts"......

Wasting Company Time

The Cavs need to stop crying and get The King some help

The Cleveland fans are upset that Rip Hamilton did not get called for a foul on Lebron James in the closing seconds.....whether it was a foul or not does not matter....the bigger picture is that the Cavs will not win this series or any future series if James scores a combined 29 points in the first two games....

After Monday’s loss when "The Chosen One" scored 10 points, I gave him a break and thought it was just a bad game.....I mean everyone has those days....I expected James to come out for game 2 and dominate.....it didn’t happen....nothing....nada.....but, I don’t put all the blame on The King.....the national media, and especially the local Cleveland media, are comparing James to Michael Jordan.....he is supposed to be the next Michael.....just this past week, a now retired Cleveland sports writer made a comment that at his (James) current age and years in the league, he has gone farther than Jordan did at that age and time in the NBA.....this has to stop!!!....

Jordan won squat with the Bulls until he got help with Scottie Pippen and a true point guard in John Paxson.....what do the Cavs have???.....the Cleveland fans and media are fooling themselves if they truly believe the Cavs are a dominant team....yes I picked them to win the East, but that was because they were fortunate to have an easier route than Detroit or Chicago.....

Who is the second best player on the Cavs???.....come on, name someone - Gooden???...puhleeze......Hughes.....yeah right......you can’t name a true second best player.....plus, the Cavs have Hughes playing out of position as the point guard....let’s face the hard facts, if the Cavs want to win a title, they MUST get James help.....and I mean a true NBA stud, not someone like Flip Murray or some other bum who is masquerading as a star....there is one player who could help the Cavs get to that next level....and that is Jason Kidd....

I don’t know what the Cavs financial situation is with the salary cap, but they need to get Kidd... according to the talk around the league, Kidd is on the trading block.....I know that Kidd has 2 years left on his current contract for $40 million.....so owner Dan Gilbert has to make a decision.....does he want to be the first professional team to win a title in the city of Cleveland since 1964 or does he want to be a very good team that always falls short.....

Kidd is a perfect fit for the Cavs....first off, he is a true point guard who does not have the ego in which he must score at least 25 points per game ala Allen Iverson.....Kidd is more content dishing out 10 plus assists per game.....and what is also nice about Kidd, the guy could rebound with the best of big men in the league.....also, with Kidd on the team, he would be able to score, if James should be in foul trouble or in a funk like he is in this series.....the dominant NBA teams have at least 2 solid players....the Heat have Shaq and Wade; the Spurs have Duncan, Ginobilli, and Parker, the Bulls have Deng and Hinrich, the Suns have Nash and Stoudemire, and the Pistons have Hamilton, Rasheed, and Billups....

The Cavs have just Lebron - a lonely King who is associated with a bunch of court jesters...anyway you look at it, the Cavs must get Jason Kidd.....if not, they will be like every other professional Cleveland sports team.....always a tad short

Mitch Albom - Detroit Free Press

Drew Sharp - Detroit Free Press

Bill Livingston - The Plain Dealer

Terry Pluto - Akron Beacon Journal

Five Good Questions with . . . Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer about the Cleveland Indians

Today's Five Good Questions is with The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes....Paul is the Cleveland Indians beat writer.....today Paul talks about one of the hottest teams in baseball - the Cleveland Indians.....

Q1. The Indians are one of the best teams in baseball even though slugger Travis Hafner has not been hitting well. What is the difference between this year's Indians team compared to last season's?
The big difference is the bullpen and infield defense. The veteran relievers the Indians signed over the winter, Aaron Fultz, Roberto Hernandez and Joe Borowski, have made it very competitive. Holdovers Tom Mastny, Rafael Betancourt and Fernando Cabrera, at least until lately, have pitched well. Edward Mujica is young and has a great arm. Defensively, the Indians were a disaster last year, but they have improved this season. Shortstop Jhonny Peralta has been much steadier, Ryan Garko has been a revelation at first, Josh Barfield has range at second and Casey Blake has played great at third since replacing injured Andy Marte.

Q2. Does the Tribe have the staying power to keep in the hunt throughout the season? What areas must they improve upon?
Their depth in the rotation has already been tested with the injuries to Cliff Lee and Jake Westbrook. Fausto Carmona has done a great job filling in and Adam Miller might soon get a chance as well. They have decent protection at almost every position except shortstop and second base. What they really need, however, is another experienced late-inning reliever. I look for them to try and fill that need in July or August. Offensively, this team is going to hit. They've done it for two years and will score enough runs to keep them competitive.

Q3. At the unofficial quarter mark in the season, briefly assess the other A.L. Central Division teams and how the Tribe stacks up against them.
The Twins, the defending (A.L. Central) champs, are banged up and aren't hitting much. Cy Young winner Johan Santana might be distracted by contract talks and Joe Mauer, last year's batting champ, is hurt. The White Sox's pitching is coming around, but they're still not hitting. Maybe Jim Thome's return will help. The Tigers, to me, are still the team to beat even without Kenny Rogers and Joel Zumaya. As for Kansas City, it seemed the only team they could beat last year was the Indians. The Indians finally get to play the Tigers on this trip (May 25-May 27), so that will be interesting. I think the Indians are as good as any team in the division, and could finish anywhere from first to fourth.

Q4. Fausto Carmona may be the hottest pitcher in the league. Do you think he has the ability to keep this up all year or is this just a short hot streak he is on?
He has a great arm and his confidence is high. The Indians did the right thing by putting him back in the rotation at the end of last season. When a pitcher like Carmona comes out of nowhere - he didn't make the opening day roster and went to Class AAA Buffalo as the No.6 starter - and performs like he has, divisions can be won.

Q5. Last season opponents were running on catcher Victor Martinez (photo) as if it was the Daytona 500. What has Martinez done in order to improve in that area?
Martinez's right shoulder was sore in 2006. He had his spring training interrupted by the World Baseball Classic, so he didn't get as much work in behind the plate as he needed. This offseason, he started throwing well before the start of camp, following a program Joel Skinner, the Tribe's catching coach, gave him at the end of last season. He still doesn't have a rocket for an arm, but he's throwing well enough to make the other teams think. Another thing that has helped is manager Eric Wedge keeping Martinez fresh by playing him at first base. This allows Wedge to use backup catcher Kelly Shoppach. Shoppach has a great arm, so the opposition has to worry about both Tribe catchers now. The Tribe's pitchers have helped as well. They're holding runners much better.

I want to thank Paul for taking the time to respond....it is much appreciated.....

Five Good Questions with . . . Rick Vach of Tennis-X.com about the French Open

Today’s Five Good Questions is with Rick Vach, the senior writer at

Tennis-X

...he has appeared on The Tennis Channel’s 'Tennis Insiders: Super Insiders', and won 'Best Hard News' story for 2005 by the United States Tennis Writers Association....today he writes about the upcoming French Open.....

Q1. The red clay at Roland Garros favors baseline players as it neutralizes a player's power game. What does Roger Federer have to change in his game in order to finally win the French Open?
It certainly hasn't neutralized Rafael Nadal's power game. Roger Federer was in a tailspin this year after back-to-back losses to Guillermo Canas at hardcourt Masters Series events in the U.S., then mentally melting against Nadal in the Monte Carlo final. After an early-round loss at the Masters Series-Rome, Federer canned his long-time part-time coach Tony Roche, and seemed to have mentally shed some baggage in beating a mentally and physically tired Nadal in the Hamburg final, finally. It has been hypothesized that Roche was trying to make technical changes to Federer's game that were causing more problems, and tactical changes that weren't taking root. Roche seemed to be changing Federer's strokes on clay to add more topspin, and while Roche wanted him to be more aggressive, Federer displayed a stubborn need to try and show opponents he could beat them from the baseline rather than ending points at the net. Hopefully both Federer and Nadal can reach the French final so we can really gauge the progress Federer is making on clay without Roche.

Q2. Up until Sunday, Rafael Nadal had a 70 plus winning streak on clay. What will it take for someone to beat him in Paris?
A baseball bat to the knee. Nadal is so strong right now, the only thing that will keep him from winning a third consecutive Roland Garros title is fatigue, like you saw in the Hamburg final when he lost the final set 6-0 to Federer. Consecutive wins at the Masters Series events in Monte Carlo, the final in Hamburg, and the Barcelona win thrown in there was too much.

Q3. Except for a few breakthroughs, such as Chang, Agassi, and Courier, why is it that American men have a such a difficult time winning on clay?
I'm going to say "American men have difficulty on clay" is a misnomer. The current crop of American stars such as Andy Roddick, James Blake, Mardy Fish and Robby Ginepri do have difficulty winning the big European claycourt events, or making an impact at the French, but Roddick has won a handful of smaller clay titles. Name me another country that has had "a few breakthroughs" such as Andre Agassi and Jim Courier, both who won the French and reached No. 1 in the world, and Chang who won the French and reached No. 2.

Pete Sampras also didn't receive the props he deserved on clay during his career. Sampras never won the French, but reached the semis and won the Masters Series-Rome. Many people only remember the Sampras of his latter years where his backhand pretty much broke down and he really struggled on clay. American men have done fine on clay, only recently experiencing what might be called a "drought." Unfortunately the current generation doesn't look like they are particularly interested in getting better on clay as they annually skip many of the large European events leading to the French. Everything is cyclical though, and an American with claycourt skills to pay the bills will surface soon enough.

Q4.Do you think Serena Williams is really back or was that just a one tournament surprise when she won the Australian Open? How do you rate her game on red clay?
Whether Serena is "back" does not depend on her skill-set as people think, but simply on her fitness. Her knee and ankle problems are no doubt aggravated by the fact she is lugging around an extra 30 pounds out there. Serena will dominate if she stays healthy, but if she stubbornly for whatever reason refuses to get in top shape, the injuries will continue to sideline her until she retires.

Q5. Final question, who do you predict to win the men's and women's titles this year and why?
And who are the darkhorses who we should keep an eye on? Nadal will win the French Open men's title and Justine Henin the women's (really going out on a limb, eh?) Richard Gasquet could give the French something to cheer about if he can get his head together, while Novak Djokovic is an exciting player who is not afraid of anyone. Serena has shown she doesn't need to be fit to win Slams, but injury is her biggest obstacle. Amelie Mauresmo will perform her annual choke and Maria Sharapova is injured. Svetlana Kuznetsova is playing good ball but she doesn't know how to close out finals. Always keep an eye on the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus are hard to bet against....

I want to thank Rick for his time and we will hear back from him mid-way through the French Open to get his thoughts as that tournament winds down....

Five Good Questions with . . . Sooze of Babes Love Baseball Blog

Today’s Five Good Questions is with Sooze from Babes Love Baseball blog.....I have read the blog for quite a while and was impressed by her knowledge of the game...she is from Winona, Minnesota and likes Johan Santana’s 98 mph fastball and 76 mph changeup....you have to check out her blog....it's one of the best out there...

Babes Love Baseball

Q1. Baseball is unofficially at the quarter point in the season. What and who has/have been the biggest surprises so far this year?
The biggest shocker to me are the injuries that have plagued the New York Yankees' rotation. They've used 11 starters so far this season, including 5 rookies - and I'm willing to bet Roger Clemens is a little nervous to join the ranks.

Q2. With a sub .500 mark, do you think the Yankees' brass should fire Joe Torre?
Not necessarily. Even though Torre's job is always in danger, he has taken the club to the playoffs in each of his eleven seasons as skipper, not to mention four World Series titles in six appearances. I think they should figure out what's making their pitching staff drop like flies, however.

Q3. Should Bud Selig and Hank Aaron be in attendance when Barry Bonds breaks Aaron's homerun record?
With all the controversy surrounding Barry Bonds' quest for The Record, I'm not surprised that neither of them feel like attending. I doubt Selig wants to follow the Giants around from game to game until Bonds hits the big one. Hank Aaron himself said it best, "I'm 72 years old, and I'm not hopping on a plane and flying all the way to San Francisco for anybody." Besides, Barry's ego will take up plenty of room in the absence of those two.

Q4. What are your thoughts on the World Champion Cardinals with a sub .400 mark (as of Sunday)?
The Cardinals are in a really rough transition right now. They were obviously struck with tragedy early on in the season with the death of Josh Hancock, and they've lost Chris Carpenter now to injury. They just can't seem to get into a groove - but I believe it will pass. They have an outstanding manager and some true talent on the club.

Q5. Do you think Lou Piniella can turn the Cubs around this season and still take the N.L. Central? If so, what do the Cubs have to do in order to improve?
As fired up as he gets, Lou Piniella alone can't rebuild what many men over many years have managed to break. Spending $300 million this offseason on star players like Alfonso Soriano was a step in the right direction, but money doesn't always buy Championships. I think they have a good chance of finishing 2nd in the division behind Milwaukee - as hot as the Brew Crew are this season, they are the best bet to win the NL Central.

I want to thank Sooze for her time and we will hear from her again as we get closer to the All-Star Game.....she has agreed to provide us her All-Star picks and analysis.....

Five Good Questions with . . . Erwin Ong about the French Open

Today’s Five Good Questions is with Erwin Ong who runs the blog tennisservedfresh.com....

Erwin is based in Los Angeles and has been following tennis since 1995.....he has been gracious enough to serve as one of our tennis experts.....today he writes about the upcoming French Open.....

Q1. Rafael Nadal had a 70 plus winning streak on clay until he lost yesterday to Roger Federer. Do you think he is "ripe to get picked off" in the French Open? If so, who are some of the players who can beat him on clay?
The only thing that will get picked off is Nadal's underwear. Someone needs to get him better chonies for his capri pants. But seroiusly, I think Nadal was "ripe to get picked off" when he passed GuillermoVilas' 53 straight wins on clay last year. And he just broke John McEnroe's record with the longest streak on any one surface. I don't think anyone's doubting that the French is pretty much his. Up until yesterday, the only person who has taken a set from him on clay this year is Nikolay Davydenko (and we all know that Davydenko just lives up to his seeding). Perhaps someone can have a great day and a lucky draw, but they'll likely be playing for the runner-up spot.

Q2. As great as Roger Federer is, Nadal owns him when they play on clay. If these two should meet up, what does Federer have to do in order to beat Nadal on the red clay at Roland Garros?
The clay blunts the speed of Roger's balls, and Rafa can get to everything. Nadal hits plenty of heavy topspin to Roger's one-handed backhand. Rafa is the best retriever on the tour, so what Roger would normally considers a winner comes back to him. And now there's this mental factor that Rafa has a winning record. Roger is usually a pretty dynamic player -- we've seen him change histactics mid-match to accomodate his opponent's style. He can attack, come to net, play defense. He's good at everything -- but on clay, Nadal is just better.

Q3. How do you see Andy Roddick doing this year at the French Open? Do you see any other American men who could break through and possibly win this event?
No one's expecting the Americans to make a dent. They don't know how to slide on the clay. As for Andy, he has never made it past the first week at Roland Garros, so I won't expect him to do any better this year. Whatever improvements he has made to his game working with Jimmy Connors has not translated to clay.

Q4. On the women's side, who's game does the red clay favor the most?
Currently, it's less about whose game favors clay and more about who's healthy. Sharapova, Vaidisova, Ivanovic aren't in Rome this week because of injury. Hingis has confirmed pulling out of the French because of her hip. Mauresmo has rebounded from her back problems, but is still rusty. So I'm putting my money on Serena to take it all. Kuznetsova will probably make it deep into the second week, too.

Q5. Final question, who do you predict to win the men's and women's titles this year and why? And who are the darkhorses who we should keep an eye on?
For the men, Rafa Nadal will win. With Davydenko, Federer, Gonzalez, Djokovic, Canas, and maybe Berdych hanging around in Week 2. Gasquet, the #1 Frenchman, will do well if he doesn't get too distracted from all the offcourt buzz around him (being romantically involved with a gentleman). For the women, Serena. Kuznetsova, Jankovic, and Henin will be around for Week 2. Frenchwoman Tatiana Golovin (photo) will likely get a boost from the home crowd......

I want to thank Erwin for his time and we will hear back from him during the second week of the French Open as he will provide an update....

A few quick hits

Before I begin, I want to let my readers know there is a possibility that Stiles Points may not be out on a regular basis for the next week because I just got a new Dell Computer and I have to iron out all the wrinkles in the system…..basically, I hate dealing with new technology….since getting the computer on Friday, I have wasted at least 5 plus hours trying to get my internet to work, hooking up my printer, and trying to transfer my 700 Itunes files…..so in other words, I have been in a pissed off mood the last few days….also, I hate this new keyboard....

Jockey Calvin Borel seems like a pretty nice guy….he seems humble and appreciative after winning the Kentucky Derby on Street Sense two weeks ago….but will someone please tell me how he got a babe of a fiance?....

I wish people would stop whining about San Antonio’s series victory over Phoenix….some are questioning that victory after the league suspended two of the Suns best players for game 5…..Stoudemire and Diaw knew the rules about leaving the bench during a fight on the court….should the rule be reviewed and tinkering with – YES…..but I support commissioner David Stern’s ruling…..plus, the Suns blew a 16 point lead in game 5, so they should not be complaining about the league ruling…..

What about Cleveland Indians pitcher Fausto Carmona (photo)…..some of you are probably saying Fausto what?.....Carmona is the hottest pitcher in the league and as long as he keeps rolling along, the Indians will be the team to beat in the A.L. Central….

The New York Yankees are having a difficult time keeping starting pitchers healthy…..and when they do have a steady pitcher on the mound, like Andy Pettitte, the offense provides no run support…..personally, Roger Clemens is not going to make a difference for this MASH unit of a staff……