OK people, time to shift our attention to baseball for a little bit.

With so much attention focused on the 2008 Beijing Olympics, let us shift our gear to America’s favorite past time for a change, baseball. Teams are already making that push for the playoffs which means it only gets better at this point, especially if you’re a baseball fan.

And as the 2008 MLB baseball season continues, two teams slug it out starting Friday as the three-game season series between the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays unfolds at Fenway Park in Boston.

The Toronto Blue Jays has 61-59 record coming into this one while the Boston Red Sox has an even better 69-51 mark.

The Red Sox - Blue Jays series start at 7pm when Toronto’s Roy Halladay will be matched-up against Boston’s Paul Byrd. Halladay toiled through a career-high 130 pitches in a loss at home to the Indians on Saturday, which makes you wonder how long can his arm hold up against the Boston sluggers.

Paul Byrd on the other hand, who was acquired from Cleveland last Tuesday, will be making his debut for the Boston Red Sox against Toronto. He has been pitching well. He needed just…

Read More » Toronto Blue Jays visit the Boston Red Sox on Friday

The trading deadline has passed and it was no surprise that Manny Ramirez is finally out of Boston.

That was only one of the big trades that have transpired in the ongoing 2008 MLB baseball season. Baseball teams have begun their preparations for a run to the World Series title and we’ll find out soon enough if these teams improved their rosters or just fucked it up even further.

Of course, as I already mentioned, one of the more notable deals that transpired before the end of the trading deadline was the acquisition of the Los Angeles Dodgers to future Hall of Fame slugger Manny Ramirez from the Boston Red Sox in a three-way deal that also moved Pittsburgh’s Jason Bay to Boston.

The Pirates received two prospects from each team, including reliever Craig Hansen and third baseman Andy LaRoche. July 30 was the day when New York Yankees sent Kyle Farnsworth to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for Ivan Rodriguez. The Yankees are in need of a starting catcher since Jorge Posada decided to undergo season-ending surgery on his throwing shoulder, hence the Yankees picked up a 13-time Gold Glover and 14-time All-Star Ivan Rodriguez to work behind the plate the rest of the year.

The Yankees’ setup job had been increasingly filled by Jose Veras, and…

Read More » Trading Places in the 2008 MLB Baseball Season

Just when you thought all is good in Boston…

After a World Series title, dominating American football and winning the NBA championship for the 17th time, it looks like dark days are ahead for Boston after news broke out that the Red Sox are discussing deals to trade the city’s baseball icon, Manny Ramirez, to the Florida Marlins this 2008 MLB baseball season.

You read it, with only a few more hours before Thursday’s trading deadline, the Boston Red Sox are seriously considering a trade that involves Ramirez to the Florida Marlins as well as other MLB baseball teams who would love to have the slugger.

Thursday at 4 p.m. ET is the deadline to trade players without going to waivers. And Manny Ramirez, with 10 years invested playing in the majors and five with the Red Sox, has the right to veto any trade that comes up if he chooses. STILL, I’d be surprised if he chooses to veto any deal that will get him out of Boston. After all, Ramirez and the Red Sox are not in good…

Read More » Will the Boston Red Sox trade Manny Ramirez?

It’s this Friday people, hopefully, another season-series between these two teams will bring some excitement to what has been a boring season.

Yes, you read it, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees will collide once again this 2008 MLB baseball season at Fenway Park in Boston. And although we’ve probably grown tired watching Alex Rodriguez all over the country these days, this is again something to look forward to whether you’re a baseball fan or not.

The second series between these American League East arch rivals starts on Friday from July 25 until July 27. In their previous series, both teams had a split with Boston taking the first two games with a 7-0 and 6-4 win, before the New York Yankees bounced back with 2-1 and 5-4 victories.

The Boston Red Sox, as of press time, have a 58-43 win-loss mark, good for second best behind American League East leader Tampa Bay Rays. The starting pitcher for the Red Sox on Friday will be Josh Beckett, who has a 3.98 ERA, 9-6 win-loss card. The Yankees will put in Joba Chamberlain.

The New York Yankees scheduled Andy Pettitte to be on the mound for game 2. The left handed pitcher has a 3.86 ERA and a 11-7 win-loss mark under his name. He will be match-up against the right handed Tim Wakefield of the Red Sox who has a 3.69 ERA and a 6-7 win-loss record.

In the third and final game between these two teams…

Read More » It’s Yankees - Red Sox in the 2008 MLB Season again

Of course, with baseball still as boring as it is, you just know that title has sarcasm written all over it.

But still, that won’t stop baseball fans from watching the 2008 MLB All-Star Game featuring the best baseball players we have in the world today. Divided by two conferences, the National League and the American League, the best players in each conference will play against each other to determine just which division is better.

Dubbed as the 79th Midsummer Classic, this year’s All-Star game will be played at Yankee Stadium to honor the ballpark before it undergoes renovation. This is the highlight of the MLB All-Star weekend, kick started last Sunday with the XM All Star Futures Game followed by the State Farm Home Derby Monday.

Fans and managers have decided who from each conference are going to play. So who were chosen?

Starting with the National League starters, three were selected from the Chicago Cubs; C Geovany Soto, OF Alfonso Soriano and OF Kosuke Fukudome. 1B Lance Berkman of the Houston Astros will join them while 2B Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies, 3B Chipper Jones of the Atlanta Braves, SS Hanley Ramirez of the Florida Marlins and OF Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers were also selected.

On the other side, the American League starters consist of four players from…

Read More » The 2008 MLB All-Star Game is ON! Yay!

The stage is set for MLB baseball’s midsummer classic.

As boring as baseball has been this 2008 MLB baseball season, their midseason All-Star break will still come at you with full force whether you like it or not. After all, these guys have to do something to take our minds away from all the steroid issues surrounding their stars right?

And when the 2008 MLB All-Star Weekend gets here, those stars will be featured, with or without the use of steroids. Hopefully, stars that get the invite for the midsummer extravaganza won’t have to since this event won’t be as competitive as a regular season game anyway.

So who got the invite?

The 2008 MLB All-Stars were named last Sunday (well some of them anyway…) and it was no surprise that four of the defending champions Boston Red Sox were selected for the American League All-Stars led by team captain Manny Ramirez.

Ramirez will be joined by Red Sox teammates David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis. However, as great as it would be seeing…

Read More » The 2008 MLB All-Star Starters both for the American League and the National League are almost complete

Too bad eh?

The 2008 MLB All-Star Game is fast approaching but unfortunately for one slugger from Boston, he won’t be participating. And considering the success in sports this city had this season, seeing one of their biggest stars slowed down like this is just sad.

I’m referring to David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox. And yes, with him suffering a left wrist injury, he won’t be playing in baseball’s midsummer classic. Unfortunately for baseball fans, that’s one less guy who can bring that ball flying away from the park.

‘’I'm going to go to the All-Star Game. Show respect for the fans. I’m not going to be able to play,'’ David Ortiz said. ‘’I'm still working my way up. I’m feeling better everyday. I’m not going to tell you when I’m going to be 100 percent because I don’t know.'’

Uh oh… You read it right, Ortiz has no idea when will he be able to return to the Red Sox rotation this 2008 MLB baseball season. And with them having a World Series title to defend, him coming back should be big. Yes, bigger than his ass.

Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona is still hoping for the best.

‘’When we get to the All-Star break, it’s hard to know exactly, but…'’

Read More » Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz won’t play in the 2008 MLB All-Star Game because of Left Wrist Injury

The Red Sox and the Yankees have met each other for so many times now that I lost count already.

Nevertheless, one of the most storied rivalry in all of sports will be renewed this 2008 MLB baseball season this Thursday and I reckon New Yorkers won’t be gracious hosts to the visiting Red Sox.

One of the longest, most bitter and most storied rivalries in professional sports will explode once again as the New York Yankees host bitter rivals, Boston Red Sox in a four-game season series at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY.

For over 100 years, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees have been chief rivals, compounded by their geographic proximity. Since the inception of the wild card team and an added Division Series, the rivals have squared off in the American League championship series three times, with the Yankees winning twice in 1999 and 2003 before 2004 saw Boston celebrating.

In addition to that, both teams have met each other in the last regular season series of a season to decide the title in numerous occasions. Boston won one in 1904 before the Yankees…

Read More » Boston Red Sox V New York Yankees part… (XI? XII?)

Baseball, baseball and more baseball. You’ll be seeing a lot of it with football still a few months away.

The 2008 MLB baseball season continues to heat up as a significant piece of the TV audience starts to tune in and see what’s been happening on the diamond lately. Don’t worry, baseball is still the same as it always has been in the past, boring as hell.

And what’s better to kick off this article with the defending MLB World Series champions, Boston Red Sox? The champs have a three-game season series with the Houston Astros for the weekend. Let’s hope that we’ll be seeing a little excitement here and there.

Red Sox starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, a right hand pitcher with a 3.46 ERA, will kick off this three-game series against the Houston Astros. Matsuzaka came off the 15-day disabled list for his last start against the Cardinals, looking nothing like the 8-0 starter that mowed down opposing lineups before suffering a right rotator cuff strain on May 27.

You have to wonder how good will Matsuzaka be against the Astros this Friday.

For the Houston Astros, it will be Runelvys Hernandez taking over Shawn Chacon’s spot in the rotation to face the Red Sox at Minute Maid Park. The 30-year-old right-hander has a 6-3 record with a 3.72 ERA over 15 starts for…

Read More » Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros this weekend

Because with the NBA Finals almost over and with football still a few months away, we won’t have much of a choice but to watch baseball.

He he… Yes, with virtually nothing on TV after the NBA Finals conclude, ya’ll probably won’t have much of a choice but to start watching the ever so exciting, (we use the term ‘exciting’ ever so slightly here…) 2008 MLB baseball season.

On that note, let’s take a quick look on what’s been going on around the diamond lately shall we? Hopefully, we’ll find something else to write about other than Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and a whole lot of steroids syringes.

And of course, like last season, everybody’s still so fixated on the American League compared to the National League. While NBA fans favor the Western conference more than the East, baseball has this one.

Defending champions Boston Red Sox lead the pack from the American League East while the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Angels lead the Central and West divisions respectively.

Boston Red Sox are still coming out strong after winning the MLB World Series last season. They have a 43-28 win-loss record, with a decent 7-3 showing in their last 10 games.

In the Central division, the Chicago White Sox, with a 38-30 win-loss mark…

Read More » American League heats up 2008 MLB Baseball Season