Jose Reyes has finally returned to lead the Mets.

-Can the Mets keep it up? Their 5-1 homestand taking two of three from the Yanks and sweeping the Phils without allowing a run was a statement. Incredibly inspiring baseball from Jerry Manuel’s club led finally by the resurgent Jose Reyes, who is back to being himself in the leadoff spot. He tormented the Mets’ biggest rival by going 8-for-13 with three extra base hits including his first home run, five RBI’s, two stolen bases and five runs scored. That’s the Reyes that’s the team’s MVP. Jason Bay continued to produce following the two-homer game off C.C. Sabathia with three more RBI’s. Angel Pagan is the club’s most improved player, getting five hits and swiping three bases in the series.

As for the staff, what a job by every Met pitcher blanking arguably the best offense for all 27 innings. Miraculous stuff from Hisanori Takahashi, vet knuckler R.A. Dickey and potential All-Star Mike Pelfrey, who bested Cole Hamels yesterday by going seven strong for win No.7. The pen continues to get the job done. At 25-23 following a dreadful road trip, the Amazin’s are in third a half game behind Atlanta and two out. The NL East should be tight all year. Especially with the improved Nats hanging around along with the Marlins. If Carlos Beltran returns healthy, they could give the Mets a leg up on the wild card competition. The Phils couldn’t play any worse but are still the team to beat.

-Meanwhile, across town the Yanks get Curtis Granderson back in center batting second against the Indians in the Bronx tonight. An early two-run Nick Swisher homer has given Phil Hughes a lead. He’s already struckout five in looking to rebound from back-to-back disappointing efforts. The guys in Pinstripes haven’t played well lately. Even if they took two of three from favorite whipping boy Minnesota, Javier Vazquez again got lit up in a blowout loss yesterday. Joe Girardi’s guys really haven’t been the same since a hot start, leaving too many runners on and not getting consistent relief. Even Sabathia has struggled. With Boston finally red hot having swept a two-game set in Tampa, the defending champs need to get revved up. A Memorial Weekend series against lowly Cleveland could be just what the doctor ordered.

-Randy Winn has been so bad that he might want to consider changing his name to Randy Loss. At least it would better explain how Brian Cashman signed him. Not much better on Nick “DL” Johnson. Kevin Russo stays.

-Best move of the offseason is Rod Barajas, whose 10 homers pace the Amazin’s with his 27 RBI’s second to David Wright. Vet backup Henry Blanco has also been instrumental helping improve the pitching staff. Though we’re not sure anyone can aid Olli Perez and John Maine.

-Like most, I thought Big Papi was done. Good news if you own his rookie cards.

-Considering the continued trips to the DL for Jorge Posada, what if the Bronx Bombers didn’t have Francisco Cervelli as insurance? From the time I covered him out here on the ‘06 Penn-League champion Staten Island Baby Bombers, Cervelli’s been a winner. The guy always worked hard and did it with a smile. Nice to see him getting rewarded.

-All things considered, the Yanks actually miss Phil Coke. Wasn’t Ian Kennedy in that trade too? He’s not faring too badly out in The Desert.

-I voted for him because I thought he’d make a good President. Not because I wanted to know what Mr. Obama thought about LeBron going to Chicago. How about focusing on your job which just got a lot harder due to this BP oil spill in Louisiana.

-Didn’t catch it but kudos to Ron Artest on saving Kobe Bryant’s Lakers on what sounded like a very unpredictable conclusion breaking Sun hearts. The kid I saw when he starred for LaSalle Academy could always ball. It’s just a matter of staying focused on the court.

-Love to see the Suns force a seventh in Hollywood and somehow get it done just for my close buddy P. He deserves it.

-I don’t feel sorry for Coach Calhoun or UConn. Unfortunately, they probably won’t get severely punished or miss any postseason play. Nice job NCAA!

-When I wrote that column begging for change at St. John’s, they must’ve heard me. But you know, the way those guys played down the stretch for Norm Roberts, you could tell how much they enjoyed playing for him. Such a heartbreaking ending for a nice guy who at least brought back respect to the program. Now, we’ll see if Steve Lavin can take that next giant step forward with a senior core featuring D.J. Kennedy, Malik Boothe, Sean Evans, Paris Horne, Justin Burrell and Dwight Hardy.

-As an avid hockey fan who did a preview on our Battle Of New York blog, has the Stanley Cup begun yet? More proof that Gary Bettman’s still working for David Stern.

-Should be interesting to see what the Celtics come up with in what amounts to a must win versus the Magic. If they lose, just imagine how Boston will feel after witnessing the wrong kind of history made by their Bruins in that same building. They should’ve put it away already.

-And finally, a salute to The Richburg family who buried their son Thursday. Lyndzay was a wonderful human being who touched everyone he was around making us smile and laugh. We’ll forever miss him but his spirit shines down brightly in our hearts.

It’s been a few days since we’ve updated. Sorry as I’ve been preoccupied with our other hockey blog which is picking up steam. Since I see no reason to talk puck here, if you haven’t already please come visit us over at Battle Of New York. We cover the Devils, Islanders, Rangers, Sabres with a little NHL sprinkled in. Plus we even have a Twitter. I promise it’s fun.

-As per usual, it’s past bedtime. I’ll def have to get up for the latest St. John’s debacle. They’re taking on UConn in Round One of the Big East Tournament at The Mecca. Too bad there’s no good ballin’ around these parts. Word of friendly advice: Follow HS. It’s better!

-Should I care that the Knicks held off the Hawks last night after nearly blowing a 10-point lead the final 2:53? For whatever odd reason, the orange and blue own Hotlanta, making it three wins on what’s otherwise evolved into a disappointing season. Nice to see Coach D’Antoni give rook Toney Douglas (11 Pts, 3 A in 23+) some PT for a change. Anyone who’s remotely followed them has to know how poorly No D’s run his bench. With a banged up T-Mac out, he did it out of necessity.

-I’m not pretending to be an NBA guru but Sergio Rodriguez’ ain’t the answer at PG. It’s been mixed results for the self-proclaimed Spanish Chocolate, whose speed and tempo are noticeable. However, there’s a reason he’s already on his fourth club as he has a tendency to hold onto the ball too much and over dribble, sometimes leading to turnovers. The 23 year-old can get into the lane and dish but isn’t strong enough to take the punishment. In extended minutes, his production hasn’t been much better than what he did with Sacramento. He’s better suited as a backup. It’s wiser for the Knicks to give Douglas more of a role and find a true No.1 either this summer or next.

-I know they don’t play any D but am still at a loss for words over Jazzy Jim’s ballers turning a 16-point first quarter lead into a 20-point blowout home loss to the lowly Nets. How is that possible? Makes one ponder if the players have already tuned out the second-year coach.

-Welcome to New York Antrel Rolle and Antonio Cromartie. Can’t say anything on Rolle but we know that Cromartie ‘gets around’ 2Pac style.

-I’ll never be an Oscars guy because I don’t see the point in celebrities having a gala to celebrate themselves. They’re already in fantasy land. However, big ups to Sandra Bullock and Jeff Bridges. In general, I just can’t get into awards. The last time it was relevant was when MTV stood for music.

-Even if Oliver Perez struggles, the Mets can take solace in what they’ve seen from Ike Davis and Fernando Martinez. Both have impressed with the young first base slugging prospect showing a potent bat and a quick glove. If he continues to play well, why not keep him up? He’s got much more upside than Daniel Murphy. What’s Fernando Tatis doing on the roster anyway?

-The Nick Johnson DL Watch is already on.

-I’ll say it. Zach McAllister has more upside than Joba. Not just cause we share a birthday. While Yankee brass tries to figure out if Joba or Phil Hughes are the No.5 starter, expect McAllister to fly under the radar.

-If they don’t get good news on Jose Reyes, will the Amazin’s still Believe In 2010?!?!?!?!?!

-Maybe Big Ben should try using his head more wisely.

-I hope Jim Sorgi isn’t the Giants’ backup plan with David Carr gone.

-Ninety-six teams in the tournament is lunacy. Why even play the regular season?

-We love ya Joannie Rochette.

-Who would’ve thought we’d miss Olympic curling?

Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn and Jake Taylor are warming up for a new season.

As the exciting, action packed Vancouver 2010 Winter Games draw to a close with Team USA (that’s right!!!!!) battling Canada for Olympic Gold in men’s hockey later today, believe it or not baseball’s around the corner.

February’s gotta be the fastest month ever. Especially with President’s Week and you know. The whole leap year thing. Normally, I don’t mind it but this winter’s been one of the craziest with plenty of white stuff here in Shaolin and all over NYC, the Garden State, CT and the East coast. Just wild. We got hit pretty bad the other night with another foot-plus flying down in the morning hours. Should’ve seen how it looked outside my window. As Crazy Eddie might chime:

“Insane!”

March can’t get here soon enough and is tomorrow! Spring Training will be in full bloom as prognosticators get ready for another season. Can the Yankees do it again minus World Series MVP Godzilla and Johnny Damon? Will Curtis Granderson light it up in center field and Nick Johnson make fans forget Hideki Matsui? Can Jason Bay carry the Mets until Carlos Beltran gets back? Is Jose Reyes batting third a novel concept or just more proof that Jerry Manuel has lost it? What about Oliver Perez, John Maine and Mike Pelfrey? Bounce back or Amazin’ attack? Can Javier Vazquez II work in the Bronx? Will Da Melkman be missed? What of Joba and Phil Hughes?

All are great questions for locals. Getting more to the point, baseball’s already started up in the land of BK. Park Slope to be exact where coach Walter Paller’s Berkeley Carroll Lions take aim at defending their title. Last year was a coming out party for one of the best baseball programs this city has to offer.

The BC Lions dethroned heavy favorite Poly Prep in a classic, hanging on for dear life thanks to a great diving catch by right fielder Theo Guest (Dayton University) and superb closing from Phil Seay (Denison College), who look to help their new schools this Spring as will former ace James McDonagh (Trinity College). Senior backstop Walker Harrison returns looking to lead Paller’s club to the promised land again along with slugger Rob Paller. He’ll be joined by plenty of hoop ‘mates such as Sean Cunningham, Nate Barr, Jesse Chalfin, Joey Martinez, Mike Andria and Adam Kochman.

With the crack of the bat and pounding of the mitt coming before you know it, one of our favorites from Major League to get warmed up and melt away all the snow. Paging Willie Mays Hayes, Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn, Jake Taylor, Roger Dorn and Pedro Cerrano!

Yankee closer Mariano Rivera and teammates had plenty to smile about while Met skipper Jerry Manuel and his team didn't this weekend.

It’s been an interesting week here. So let’s get to it. Shall we?

1.Is Jerry Manuel really wrong about his battered team? I mean they do have to basically be perfect just to win games. Against the Cards, they were and took three of four. But this weekend that wasn’t the case with too many mental mistakes leading to Yankee runs as their crosstown rivals came into Citi Field and swept them. So, they fell short. What does Manuel’s sarcasm in a postgame have to do with that his players aren’t that talented right now? Zilch. He is begging Omar Minaya to wake up from the doldrums and do something. Maybe if the Phillies were eight up, there’d be more urgency…

2.The two games off seems to have done the trick for one Alex Rodriguez and that couldn’t come at a better time for the Yanks.

3.When does Robby Cano, who statistically speaking is having a solid season finally deliver a big hit?

4.Daniel Murphy can’t be the best the Mets can do at first. What happened to Fernando Tatis?

5.Phil Hughes is pretty automatic these days out of that Yankee pen.

6.So wanted to see Team USA hang on over Brazil yesterday but there’s a reason they’re so skilled and unfortunately, it showed in that second half of the Confed Cup championship. Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan and especially Tim Howard have nothing to be ashamed of. Tell ya one thing. That Kaka is some player. What a soccer name!

7.Looking forward to seeing how Roger Federer fares in the French Final rematch later today in the same Round of 16 situation Robin Soderling slayed the dragon on clay in Rafa Nadal. Wimbledon did Roger no favors with either big serving Ivo Karlovic/Fernando Verdasco waiting in the quarters and Novak Djokovic on pace for a semi clash, assuming the five-time All England Club champ gets through.

8.Really want to see that Andy vs Andy semi between Murray and Roddick on the other side. Might Lleyton Hewitt have something to say about it? Yes. He’s playing well. We’ll see.

9.It sure looks like Venus will cruise past Ana Ivanovic and through her section to another final. Can she three-peat? Bigger question is will younger sis Serena make it with a potential tough quarter against emerging power house Victoria Azarenka? Have to figure Serena will take care of looker Daniela Hantuchova today to help set it up.

10.Only Knick fans could boo the first round pick of Jordan Hill which was really a no-brainer once Stephen Curry went to Golden State. Way to be. Speaking of the Draft, loved the Nets’ pick of Terrence Williams. Not just cause we called it either but because he’ll be a good pro. Great move too getting rid of Vince Carter. Now, Orlando can deal with that headache and relive his cousin Tracy McGrady.

11.So much for all that suspense regarding the Islanders’ first overall selection. John Tavares and Isles’ fans breathed a huge sigh of relief. Still found it amusing how they celebrated like they won a Cup.

12.Is trading for Darko Milicic really the best Donnie Walsh can do? Let’s see Mike Lupica defend that one.

13.How the heck does Tim Wakefield have 10 wins? Remarkable.

14.Imagine if the Mets played in the AL East.

15.At least Mark De Rosa was traded for a top 100 prospect.

16.It doesn’t get more bizarre than Francisco Rodriguez walking Mariano Rivera with the bases loaded. Just listening to Howie Rose told ya all you needed to know. Wonder what Brian Bruney thought at that moment? You know. The invaluable setup guy who couldn’t get three outs against Buffalo before Mo bailed him out by getting Omir Santos looking en route to his 500th career save.

17.Does Lori Rubinson realize how bitter she comes off when she asks Yankee fans if they should really be happy that they swept a bad team? The same scrappy bunch that took three of four against the game’s best hitter that’s tied for the NL Central. Word to the wise. You don’t get style points. Like Bill Parcells used to say, beat who’s on your schedule.

18.Okay. I get that Citi Field isn’t a hitter’s paradise but how come the Yanks had no problem hitting a few out including lightweight Brett Gardner?

Besides, doesn’t this fact baffle some?

David Ortiz: 8 HR

David Wright: 4 HR

It doesn’t mean the Met All-Star third baseman’s having a bad season. He’s still hitting for a great average (.342) with 39 RBI’s, 47 runs and 20 steals. But at some point, he has to start going deep. With how battered his team is, they need him to.

19.Fernando Nieve or Oli Perez?

20.Given all the weird injuries and even odder end results, any truth to the rumor Dr. Seuss is employed in Queens?

21.Finally, this just in. The local JCC is run better than the T-wolves. That’s not a ringing endorsement.

With a subpar showing, it was another rough weekend for Mike Pelfrey and the Mets.

-It was another tough weekend for the Mets, who after a good Friday night opening win backed by surprising Fernando Nieve couldn’t follow suit- dropping the final two to the defending AL champion Rays at Citi Field. That included a 3-1 loss the previous day with Johan Santana bouncing back from last week’s dreadful showing against the Yanks. However, he only got one run and allowed a go-ahead solo homer to Carlos Pena in a rain delayed 3-1 defeat. Sunday wasn’t much kinder to Amazin fans, who again had to endure more rain with it swirling around causing another delay in a seesaw game which saw the Met pen unable to protect a 5-4 lead on Brian Schneider’s second dinger of the series. Instead, the Rays teed off on struggling youngster Bobby Parnell, who didn’t retire a batter giving up four straight hits including B.J. Upton’s go-ahead two-run blast into the second deck in left. By the time he was done, he’d been charged with four earned with the Rays going ahead 8-5.

Even when the Mets crept within two on Gary Sheffield’s RBI ground out, they stranded the tying runs in the home seventh with Ryan Church going down swinging on a payoff pitch from one-time Yankee Randy Choate. Jerry Manuel went to resurgent righty Sean Green but for a second consecutive day, he couldn’t stop the bleeding loading the bases before Tampa pushed across a pair of insurance runs against lefty Pedro Feliciano to pad their margin.

And so, Manuel’s club settled for one win this weekend- good enough to actually gain ground on the slumping Phillies, who continued their bewildering play at Citizen’s Bank Park by losing 2-1 to the Orioles, getting swept. Yes. That means they’ve lost their last six and eight of nine on a disastrous homestand to Boston, Toronto and Baltimore. Yikes. That even included first base slugger coming off the hospital bed to hit a go-ahead pinchhit three-run home run putting the Phils up 5-3 in the seventh. But Ryan Madson’s struggled lately since taking over for injured Brad Lidge in the closer role. He couldn’t hold it allowing a tying and go-ahead two-run dinger in a crushing 6-5 loss Saturday. Ace Cole Hamels pitched well going eight while fanning 10 but the Birds were able to push two runs across which was enough because Jeremy Guthrie and two relievers combined to shutdown the Philly offense posting a 2-1 win.

So, the Mets despite dropping yet another series are still just two out of first. They’re a game over (34-33) but very much alive entering two more big series in Queens with first Albert Pujols and the Cards coming in for four before the Yankees pay a visit to Queens next weekend. It won’t get any easier.

-Amazingly enough, with the Phils and Mets scuffling, the Marlins with their 6-5 win over the Yankees pulled within three games- just one behind the Amazin’s. Florida took advantage of C.C. Sabathia departing early with tightness in his left biceps. Though afterwards, the Yankee ace indicated it wasn’t that bad. We’ll have to wait and see.

The Marlins cashed in against the shaky Yankee middle relief with superstar Hanley Ramirez (2-run shot) and Cody Ross (s0lo) going yard off Brett Tomko to go ahead 4-3. Earlier, the Yanks scored three on a Mark Teixeira RBI double and Alex Rodriguez two-run base hit. But things quickly changed with Florida’s Jorge Cantu driving in a pair in the home seventh making it 6-3.

The Yanks mounted a late rally against first-year closer Matt Lindstrom putting together three straight two out hits including rookie Brett Gardner’s two-run three-bagger that cut it to 6-5. But with the tying run 90 feet away following a Johnny Damon walk, Derek Jeter failed to deliver in the clutch a second day in a row grounding into a fielder’s choice. The Captain also couldn’t get down a bunt the day prior eventually killing a rally with a 4-4-3 twin killing in a 2-1 loss. Damon’s outfield misplay turned out to be the difference.

So, it was another banner weekend for Joe Girardi, whose club has only won one series in the last four. And they were handed it. The good news is they still lead the wildcard by a game over the Angels and Blue Jays with the Rays now within two. The bad news is they’re now four behind Boston, who squeaked past the Braves 6-5 on immortal Nick Green’s walkoff blast taking two of three up at Fenway.

Will the panic button be pushed? Why should it? They can still get it righted this week headed to Atlanta for three beginning tomorrow and then across town for three more. Besides. It’s not like the new regime will do anything drastic. They hardly even show a pulse which kind of reminds ya of what the new Golden Palace sounds like.

-So what else is going on? Well, the Cubs finally are showing signs after sweeping Cleveland by scoring off former pitcher Kerry Wood twice to continue their great comebacks that started Thursday over the White Sox. Derrek Lee, who we blasted is proving us wrong swinging a hot bat with four homers and nine RBI’s during a four-game win streak that has them back to three over (34-31) just two and a half behind the Cards and one in back of Milwaukee. The veteran first baseman has hit in 18 straight. Heck. Even Alfonso Soriano got a big hit winning a game with a walkoff. Perhaps things are finally turning at Wrigley.

-The surprising Giants just swept the first place Rangers winning by two runs, a run and a run against good competition at Pac Bell. A day following a wacky conclusion that saw the winning run come in via a wild pitch, San Fran got a great effort from Barry Zito. Yes. The lefty actually took a no-hitter into the seventh before veteran Andruw Jones broke it up with a two-run homer that tied it. However, the pesky Giants cameback with a runscoring single off the bat of veteran right fielder Randy Winn to get Baked Zito his third ‘W’ in the last four outings. Zito went seven fanning eight while walking four to lower his ERA to 4.54. Not bad. At least, they’re finally getting a return on the once failed $126 million investment. Bob Howry worked a scoreless eighth and closer Brian Wilson tossed a 1-2-3 ninth including Brandon Boggs swinging to end it for his 19th save.

Give credit to veteran skipper Bruce Bochy, who despite no big bats has his club playing very well. Yes. The Giants at 37-31 lead the wildcard. Of course, it’s still early with a slew of teams including the Brewers, Cubs, sizzling Rockies who are invoking 2007 memories, Reds, Mets and Marlins all closeby. But you have to tip your cap to the former San Diego manager. His best bats are his catcher Bengie Molina, who hits cleanup, leadoff center fielder Aaron Rowand and heavy third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who swings a good stick. While all have proved to be solid players, none are what you’d deem scary. The Giants are getting zilch from free agent shortstop Edgar Renteria. Yet somehow, with a bunch of no-names and the majors’ deepest staff, they’re finding ways to win. It doesn’t matter how. They all count.

Will the Giants hang around long enough for maybe GM Brian Sabean to do something like perhaps add a bat? It sure would be nice to see.

-As for the Rockies, what can you say. They’ve now won five straight following a weekend sweep of the Pirates. And that’s 16 of 17 suddenly making them wildcard players at 36-33. They’re 16-4 in the month of June and show no signs of letting up. Why the improvement under vet skipper Jim Tracy? Because they’re hitting better with Clint Barmes now their everyday second baseman and former first round pick Ian Stewart showing some pop at the hot corner in place of slumping Garrett Atkins, who for one day cameback and contributed with an RBI playing first to give vet Todd Helton a day off.

They come up with big hits and also are pitching better with Tracy allowing his starters to go deeper into games. Josh Fogg and Joel Peralta have been steady bullpen influences getting the ball to closer Huston Street, who has saved eight in a row following a slow start.

Colorado will get a good test over the next week on a nine-game road trip with stops at the Halo’s, A’s and Dodgers. They’ll have three solid starters in a pair of six-game winners Aaron Cook and Ubaldo Jimenez. Plus nine-game winner Jason Marquis. Yep. That same Marquis who became the odd man out of the Windy City. Remarkable stuff. As a native Staten Islander who grew up in the same village as him we’re awfully proud.

-Ain’t it kinda sad that Andruw Jones has as many homers (8) as Met co-leader Carlos Beltran (8)?

-And how does one explain David Wright pacing the senior circuit with a .344 average but striking out 69 times in 252 at bats? And he only has four long balls. Insane.

-Best wishes to ex-Met left fielder Endy Chavez, who accidentally collided with Seattle teammate shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt and had to be carted off the field after tearing his ACL and MCL. The former Game Seven 2006 NLCS near Amazin hero is done for the rest of the season and could miss part of next Spring. Hope he makes it back.

-Final thought:

1B Adrian Gonzalez- .275-23-45, 46 runs, 57 BB (.418 OBP), .602 SLG

Just imagine if he played on a contender instead of in total obscurity in San Diego.

Despite losing last night, things aren't looking so bad for the Mets.

-The reality is the Mets have dropped three of five since losing a home series to the division leading Phillies. If you factor in that they lost the last two in that series, that’s a 2-5 record. They’re three over .500 or the same record as the Giants after getting swept by the red hot Halo’s. The big difference is the Amazin’s only are three out despite no Jose Reyes or Carlos Delgado while the Giants trail the first place Dodgers by eight and a half. So, it has more to do with how Philly’s played since losing four of five to Boston and Toronto so far. That’s why now a year on the job, Jerry Manuel should feel alright about his team’s chances.

-Hard to believe it’s been a year since the Mets unceremoniously dumped easy target Willie Randolph with the news not coming in until 3 AM here with WFAN’s Tony Paige getting the news with them on a West Coast trip. Of course, it was embarrassing to say the least. But a year has come and gone and now Willie is a bench coach with the first place Brewers. So, can you really feel bad for him these days? Exactly.

-In listening to Mike Francesa go on and on about his ‘centerfielder’ Nate McLouth, you’d think the Braves would be on a tear. Oh. What’s this? They lost yet again 4-3 to the Reds making it four straight losses, dropping them four under. Wake us up when McLouth makes a big impact in the NL East.

-Speaking of which, Andrew McCutchen went yard for his first major league dinger in a Pittsburgh 8-2 win over Minnesota. With a pair of hits, RBI’s and a run scored in the leadoff spot, the 22 year-old centerfield phenom continues to excel. In other words, the Pirates aren’t missing McLouth that much. Tell ya something else. With the improved run production from third baseman Andy LaRoche, who came over from L.A. in the Manny Ramirez/Jason Bay trade, suddenly Pitt’s getting a decent return. Especially with Delwyn Young also contributing. You start to look at that Pirate lineup and suddenly, given some of the kids in it including speedster Nyier Morgan along with a bounceback year for Adam LaRoche, it’s not bad. When they get back starting backstop Ryan Doumit, that should only help. Proven middle infielders like Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson aren’t bad either. Both could be available next month.

The Pirates (31-34) have also gotten good pitching from ace Zach Duke. They possess some strong arms including Ian Snell, who pitched better last night going six frames of two-run ball for only his second win. Paul Maholm ain’t bad either and former Yankee Ross Ohlendorf has given them some solid innings winning half a dozen. John Grabow has been a solid setup man and closer Matt Capps has saved 16 of 18. It’s true that Pittsburgh will likely sell at the trade deadline. However, if they play their cards right and continue developing players, eventually we might see them compete in that NL Central.

-If the Mets are looking for a more affordable first base option, try Seattle where bargain basement vet Russ Branyan is having a great year hitting over .300 with 15 homers, which would easily pace the Queens club. It’s worth exploring instead of overpaying for injury prone Nick Johnson or defenseless Aubrey Huff. Besides, it’s highly unlikely the Padres would give away Adrian Gonzalez. Another possible solution could be proven vet Kevin Millar (Mill-ah) if the Blue Jays fall out of the race. Who wouldn’t want a professional bat like his?

-Kudos to Long Beach, NY native John Lannan on baffling the Yankees- pitching into the ninth allowing just two earned on four hits walking one and fanning four for his fourth victory on the lowly Nats. How do you lose to a team that’s 30 under in your own launching pad? Was it any surprise Robinson Cano didn’t deliver in a big spot, instead bouncing into a 6-4-3 twin killing against retread Mike MacDougal with the tying run 90 feet away? The second baseman’s got good numbers but he’s hardly dependable. A-Rod ain’t the only Yankee that leaves fans scratching their heads.

-How did Joe Girardi’s continued faith in Chien-Ming Wang work out?

5 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 91 pitches

And he took the loss falling to 0-5 with a 12.65 ERA. In the same game, Phil Hughes continued to make a strong case tossing two scoreless while fanning a pair. When does Girardi wake up?

-With a homer and his 28th stolen base, Boston’s Jacoby Ellsbury continues to improve daily.  How about a top of the order of rating AL MVP Dustin Pedroia and Ellsbury before big boppers Kevin Youkilis, Bay and Mike Lowell? And that’s with Papi hitting sixth finally showing signs.

-MVP caliber:

2B Ian Kinsler .271-17-47, 47 Runs, 13 SB

All while batting leadoff for the surprising first place Rangers.

-So Sammy Sosa becomes the latest former slugger to test positive for steroids. And this is news?

-The NY-Penn League kicks off tomorrow night in Coney Island with one of the best rivalries reuniting when the Staten Island Yankees visit the Brooklyn Cyclones. The Baby Bombers will be hosting Media Day later today and will have their home opener at the ballpark by the Ferry terminal Saturday night versus the ‘Clones. Looking forward to a great summer!

The Subway Series had its ups and downs this weekend but that wasn't the main event in the Bronx Palace. Francisco Rodriguez and Brian Bruney nearly got into it over some recent comments the Yankee reliever made.

It’s a laid back Monday awfully quiet here in the Big Apple. Guess that’s what happens when the local baseball teams are idle and the NHL and NBA are now officially done thanks to Finals MVP Kobe Bryant and the Lakers dismantling the Magic 99-86 last night to win the franchise’s 16th NBA title.

Hard to believe all we really got left is baseball. Unless, you’re a huge tennis fan like me who can’t wait for Wimbledon to get going next week. I so want to see Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer meet once more in another epic final. But wonder if the banged up No.1 Spaniard is up to it. Only time shall tell.

There’s also the U.S. Open starting this Thursday with Tiger chasing his 15th major. But that’s if you’re an avid golf fan. I’m sure I’ll flip to it out of curiosity.

So, with the two New York ballclubs off, what better time than to discuss this past weekend’s Subway Series clash in the Bronx Palace?

-The Yankees wound up taking the series by dismantling Met ace Johan Santana for nine earned in an unpredictable 15-0 blowout Sunday.

When I flipped on WFAN yesterday and heard the score, I was wondering what happened. Santana has never been that bad since he put on the Met uniform. And it arguably was his worst career outing. The Yanks pushed four across in the second with former Baby Bomber catcher Francisco Cervelli getting it started with an RBI single- part of a three hit day for the rookie. Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon knocked in the other runs.

Unfortunately for the Amazin’s, the Bronx Bombers were far from done putting up a nine spot in the fourth as they knocked out Santana highlighted by Hideki Matsui’s 10th home run.  Before the inning was through, Brian Stokes had been tattooed with Robby Cano going yard and Melky Cabrera driving in a pair. And so, what began as a chance for Jerry Manuel’s club to continue their momentum from Saturday and win the series turned into a laugher.

Instead, A.J. Burnett lived up to his paycheck for a change escaping an early bases loaded no out jam by fanning two and getting Carlos Beltran to harmlessly lineout to Jeter. While Burnett cruised tossing seven scoreless and fanning eight in maybe his best performance in Pinstripes, his teammates tacked on a couple in garbage time to finish off the rout.

And so, what started out as a debacle for the Yanks turned out alright thanks to Luis Castillo and Santana’s stunning result. Had the Met second baseman not misjudged a routine pop Friday night, Joe Girardi’s club could’ve been looking at a six-game losing streak versus the Red Sox and Mets. Wonder if that might’ve been enough to get him canned? So much for that. Instead, the Yanks picked up a game on Boston, who fell to the Phillies 11-6. The Red Sox lead the division by two games while the Phils remain four ahead of the Mets.

There’s really not much to say in terms of this series because both teams showed flaws with Andy Pettite and the Yankee pigpen continuing to fail while lack of fundamentals killed the Mets along with the continued platoon popgun at first between struggling rookie Daniel Murphy and Fernando Tatis. Since Carlos Delgado went down, the pair have totaled only one home run. Listening to Howie Rose lament that during yesterday’s slaughter made it sound like he was criticizing the Met organization. There was a bitterness to it. Who could blame him?

The bigger news that came out of yesterday was the pregame circus between angered Met closer Francisco Rodriguez and Yankee reliever Brian Bruney. Bruney’s big mouth got him in trouble Friday when he said it couldn’t have happened to a better guy of K-Rod’s first blown save due to his antics. While it’s true that the MLB record holder can go a little overboard when he records that final out for a save, he can do whatever he wants as long as he gets the job done. It’s up to the opposing hitters. So, if he wants to point to the sky thanking God, so be it.

I’m not a big fan of that. But hey. As was pointed out on the Mets radiocast yesterday, you wonder if Bruney feels the same way about Joba Chamberlain. It is what it is. At least before anything happened when Bruney tried to apologize to a furious Rodriguez, teammates separated them. It was really childish and has no place in the game.

There is no right here. Let’s just hope as both indicated that it’s finished.

Some other MLB thoughts:

-With his complete game in a 7-1 win yesterday, Matt Cain improved to 9-1 with a 2.39 ERA. The former Giants No.1 pick is stepping out of Tim Lincecum’s shadow this season dominating hitters. With Cain and Lincecum firing on all cylinders, don’t look now but the Giants are playing some good ball entering tonight 34-28. Unfortunately, Barry Zito got knocked around by the Angels for seven runs and they trail John Lackey 8-0. Still, San Francisco has been a pleasant surprise. Just imagine if they had any kind of hitting. Another slugger could help them contend for a wildcard.

-Also pitching great yesterday was Cleveland lefty ace Cliff Lee, who took a no-hitter into the eighth before Yadier Molina broke it up with a double. Lee needed only 93 pitches to go the distance on a three-hit shutout improving to 4-6 with a 2.88 ERA. Following a sluggish start, last year’s AL Cy Young winner has really picked it up. Might he become available if the Indians continue to struggle? Stay tuned.

-The Cubs fired hitting coach Gerald Perry this weekend. Apparently, it was his fault that Alfonso Soriano doesn’t hit anything but home runs and Derrek Lee can’t get around on a fastball anymore. Was it his fault that Aramis Ramirez got hurt and the Cubs overpaid Milton Bradley? 2008 NL Rookie of The Year Geovany Soto has also struggled. Who told the Cubbies it was a good idea to trade away Mark DeRosa? Sometimes, you gotta look in the mirror first.

-When they fired Clint Hurdle, I figured it was just foolish because the Colorado roster just doesn’t spell contender. However, so far I’ve been proven wrong with the suddenly surging Rockies completing  a three-game sweep of Seattle, winning their 11th in a row to get within a game of .500 (31-32). Amazing turnaround.

-Speaking of sweeps, with an impressive three-game weekend in Toronto, are the Marlins finally ready to turn the corner or is this just another tease?

-Early returns on that Nate McClouth trade to Atlanta:

McLouth: 10 GP, 10 for 41 (.244), HR, 2 RBI, 2 SB, 7 Runs

Atlanta record: 4-6

Andrew McCutchen: 11 GP, 16 for 49 (.327), 0 HR, 7 RBI, 2 triples, 2 SB, 9 Runs

Pittsburgh record: 6-5

Keep in mind they weren’t traded for each other but McCutchen was Pittsburgh’s former 2005 first round pick (11th overall) who was waiting in the wings when McClouth was finally moved for prospects Gorkys Hernandez, Charlie Morton and Jeff Locke.

Though we won’t know the full returns on this deal for quite some time, it’s always nice to know that that self-proclaimed Baseball Tonight genius Steve Phillips is once again right on top of things just as he was with the Mets. Some things never change.

-And finally, I’m just going to echo WFAN’s Mike Francesa that the Twins will win the AL Central. They’re young but well managed by Ron Gardenhire and boast a very underrated middle of the order in Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Jason Kubel. Nobody really pays attention to how good those three are. When you boast the best hitting catcher, a former MVP who will seriously challenge again and a former No.1 pick who’s finally healthy fulfilling expectations, you always got a shot. Toss in young hurlers Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn and Francisco Liriano and there’s plenty to like. Plus Joe Nathan’s one of the best closers in baseball. This is a team worth tracking.

Well, yeah. I am back. Of course, I have plenty of thoughts on what’s been going on the past month. Been real preoccupied with Battle covering the NHL playoffs which thankfully are almost over. The first rematch in 24 years will get started later tonight when Sidney Crosby and the Pens visit Nick Lidstrom and the defending champion Red Wings.

Maybe it’s just me but I’m a little sick of it already. Who wants to watch the same two teams do battle? Sure. It will be a ratings bonanza for NBC yet they are so fearful of hockey that they forced the first two games to be back-to-back this weekend which is the first time in 54 years (seriously Ranger fans) that will happen. What kind of network does that? They just can’t allow any Cup game to interrupt Conan O’Brien’s much anticipated week debut on The Tonight Show. I’m a huge Conan fan. So, I get why. Still, you’d think the sport’s marquee event featuring the game’s biggest stars wouldn’t make NBC flinch out of the way like it was a Rocky Balboa left hook. It just goes to show how lowly hockey is thought of in this country when their own network basically dictates what the schedule is. Had either the Pens or Wings been extended, the Cup Final wouldn’t have started till June 5. Can you say just a tad ridiculous?

Most puck observers loved the NHL’s move to NBC feeling it would be excellent but based on how they’ve covered it which is hardly at all with their precious horse races and golf and God knows what else they’d prefer to air over hockey. It really is sad. As for Versus, I had a pretty good rant about how dreadful they have been on Battle. There’s nothing else to be said.

Hopefully, they’ll get an exciting Final that goes seven and features 2-3 OT games. I’m leaning towards the Pens because Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have been absolutely awesome this Spring and their supporting cast is better than last year. Plus the D is tougher and Detroit is banged up. Toss in the experience of losing to them and facing Marian Hossa and I figure they’ve got more than enough incentive to win the club’s first championship since 1992 when a No.66 and No.68 helped them repeat.

As for the Wings, they’re aiming to become the first repeat winner since you guessed it, their franchise led by Stevie Y and Sergei Fedorov turned the trick in 1998 sweeping the Caps a year after sweeping the Flyers. Not a bad legacy to chase. If they repeat though in this Cap Era, that will be a remarkable accomplishment which speaks to just how special the Detroit organization is. It’s much harder to remain successful in today’s game yet Ken Holland and his legion of scouts along with Mike Babcock continue to churn out talented players who fit right into their winning system. If they pull this off without probably Pavel Datsyuk to start and Kris Draper, it will demonstrate just how much depth they possess.

If you’re not a puck fan, do yourself a favor and watch this series. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

… Of course, if you live in this town, hockey basically doesn’t exist. It died less than a month ago when the Rangers and Devils fizzled out both making the wrong kind of history. Why does it feel like they haven’t played in a year? Because if you watch TV, listen to sportsradio or read the papers, it’s been baseball front and center since mid-February. Isn’t that a little sad? I like baseball too but come on. The way fans carry on here when their beloved Yankees or Mets get out of the gate slowly, pushing the panic button when Game 20 of 162 hasn’t been played is scary.

Fast forward a few weeks later and both high priced big market ballclubs are sitting atop their respective divisions. Of course, the same beat writers are now singing the praises of Mark Teixeira, C.C. Sabathia, K-Rod and <gulp> Gary Sheffield. Yep. That same guy who was painted evil but now has become an Amazin hero. Crazy. Johan Santana has been brilliant and Alex Rodriguez has let his bat do the talking. David Wright has erased the boos and Johnny Damon has become a dangerous No.2 hitter in a contract year. Omir Santos has become a cult fixture in Queens and Francisco Cervelli has proven he should be the starting Yankee backstop even if Jorge Posada’s finally healthy. The Captain has quietly produced while Luis Castillo now gets cheered. This is NYC. Where your fate can change over the course of 24 hours. Carlos Beltran has raked and now nobody calls to discuss trading Robby Cano or The Melk Man. John Maine and Mike Pelfrey have silenced critics (Oliver who?) and Andy Pettite has outpitched A.J. Burnett. Nick is Swish-a-licious and Livan Hernandez has turned back the clock. Seriously. Phil Hughes belongs in the Yankee rotation and Joba back in the setup role. The Mets hardly miss Jose Reyes and Daniel Murphy’s future is now at first. The Yankee pen is quite scary while the Amazin’s is almost automatic. And the two NY teams are a combined 15 over .500 both half a game up on their chief rivals. Life is so good that even Mike Lupica’s looking forward to June. Until the next crisis.

… It’s safe to say Evan Longoria is the best young hitter in the game. He just might already be the best player. Too bad his team isn’t coming close to performing like defending AL champs. Do you think any Philly fan misses Pat Burrell with the way Raul Ibanez is scorching the ball? The run production for a 37 year-old NY native is a bit scary. I bet the Rays wish they had a doover on trading away Edwin Jackson to the first place Tigers. It’s refreshing to see Texas in first with Nolan Ryan taking games in and holding pitchers accountable. He wants to do away with pitch counts. Are you going to doubt a legend who struckout over 5,000 and tossed seven no-hitters? We didn’t think so! The Brewers have proved there’s life after Ca$h Cow and Ben Sheets. And Tony LaRussa’s at it again with his Cards. Heck. Even the Reds have shown improvement. Is there any doubt what the best division in the Senior Circuit is? I bet Sweet Lou must’ve had an ear to ear grin after Carlos Zambrano’s blowup with another senile ump. The Dodgers sure miss Manny. Juan Pierre has never played better. Somehow, both the Giants and Padres are .500 which speaks to the kinda managing each is getting. Given how deep their staff is, imagine if San Fran had an actual offense. No. Bengie Molina doesn’t count when he bats cleanup. It’s not the manager in Colorado. Is there a more dysfunctional team than the one that plays in the nation’s cap? Jim Bowden sure couldn’t wait to abandon ship. That franchise is so bad, they should be disbanded. Can anyone hit Zach Greinke? Is this really the end for Big Papi? With Carl Crawford tearing up the basepaths and Jacoby Ellsbury doing the same in Beantown, it sure is nice to see the stolen base back. Who is Aaron Hill? The best kept secret in the AL. Joey Votto’s a monster in the state of Ohio. Ain’t it funny how DL Pavano has won five of his last six starts headed into Sunday’s match-up versus his ex-team? It’s also laughable how bad the Xavier Nady/Damaso Marte deal now looks. Especially with Ross Ohlendorf budding into a top three starter. And finally, did Ryan Church piss in Jerry Manuel’s cornflakes? Someone should contact the guys at CSI.

… I’ll just say that I’m disappointed that the Nuggets didn’t take the Lakers seven. To get beat that badly on your own home court when you were basically even most of the series is humiliating. Maybe my brother’s right. Perhaps Denver really is jinxed. Sure. They got the two Stanley Cups with the Avs but those may as well be half a century ago given how God awful they now are. Even former hero Patrick Roy rejected them. How do you think Tony Granato feels? Same thing with the Rockies who we think just two years ago made the World Series. And the Broncos have their two Lomardi Trophies but no Jay Cutler thanks to a dumb egocentric young coach trying to make his mark. Okay. LeBron’s performance scoring or assisting on 32 straight points spanning the end of the third and fourth quarters in an elimination game was amazing. But he’s not better than Kobe. Sorry buddy. You might not have as good a supporting cast but I’ll take Mr. Bryant in crunchtime anyday. Dwight Howard’s a monster but he should be given how freakish he is compared to other NBA bigs. We still think he needs more work in the lowpost. Bet Patrick Ewing still has a better postgame. I’ve said it for a while that Hedo Turkoglu is the most overlooked superstar. He does so many things well. He can shoot, drive and get his points but the versatile small forward also rebound and distributes. Bet the Kings wish they’d kept him. Speaking of brutal franchises. Rashard Lewis has been money from the outside all playoffs too.  Can someone tell me why Mike Brown didn’t start playing Booby Gibson more until his team got behind 3-1? And shouldn’t the LI kid Wally Szczerbiak be getting more PT? When Stan Van Gundy suddenly morphs into a coaching genius, you know you’re in trouble. I’ve always liked his game but some of the decisions Chauncey Billups made in the pivotal Game 5 late were flat out awful. Speaking of coaching, is it any coincidence Phil Jackson got the better of George Karl, who refused to play Renaldo Balkman? If I’m the Nuggets, I have to consider moving J.R. Smith. For as good a scorer as he is, he’s just a little too selfish and has a poor attitude. Unless that suddenly changes, it might make sense to see what they can get. He’d be a perfect Knick. Whatever happened to the Yi Net Era? Just saying. Give me the Lakers over either the Magic or Cavs in 6.

… You only have to watch a few points on clay to fully comprehend Rafael Nadal’s dominance. Poor Lleyton Hewitt. It’s nice to see most of the seeds still around including lone American men’s hopeful Andy Roddick. I’m hoping he’ll at least get to face the exciting Frenchman Gael Monfils in the Round of 16. Roger Federer struggling in the second round either is a very bad sign or a good one depending on how he responds to the challenge. No surprise to see Venus go bye bye in the first week at the French Open. The red surface just ain’t cutout for her or younger sis Serena. And yes. I’d be shocked if she reached the semis. I like one of the Russians to win. Either Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva or Svetlana Kuznetsova. Dementieva was fortunate to win her last match with comeback story Jelena Dokic bowing out due to a back injury. She led by a set and was on serve when it happened. Her life’s already been Hell thanks to eccentric Dad Damir. It would be nice if she got a break. Hopefully, she’ll at least be alright for the grass at Wimbledon in a few weeks. Tell ya what. Her power game is taylor made for it. Novak Djokovic is more than just the other contender in Roland Garros. I’m not sure about Andy Murray but he has a shot to do something as well. There’s at least one real good fourth round match with former top 5 Nikolay Davydenko taking on Australian Open semifinalist Fernando Verdasco. That could be a lot of long, grinding points. Possibly five sets and four hours. If you like good tennis, check it out. I won’t take  defending champ Ana Ivanovic seriously until she beats a real opponent. She gets the winner of Carla Suarez Navarro-Victoria Azarenka, who are a set apiece entering the weekend. Even though clay is not her fortet and it’s her second tournament back, never underestimate Maria Sharapova. She’s already pulled out three three-setters. Will she wear down against Na Li? Jelena Jankovic also shouldn’t be counted out. She has a lot to prove and would love to win her first major in Paris. But can she deliver when the pressure’s on? On the men’s side, other younger seeds to keep an eye on are talented Croat Marin Cilic and Muhammad Ali French clone Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. A possible Tsonga-Juan Martin Del Potro Round of 16 match-up could happen. That would be a lot of fun. Still like Rafa to win a record fifth consecutive French but the road should be tougher. Win and the fiery kid from Mallorca will really take his place among tennis greats.

… I’ll miss Jay Leno but am glad he’ll be back this September. Best of luck. Conan will do great but his replacement ain’t doing too badly. Say what you will but Jimmy Falloon sure is wacky. That ending with Justin Long. Classic stuff. And who don’t love The Roots?

Well, I think I’ve covered pretty much everything. It’s too early to talk pigskin. Mark Sanchez needs to do more than score off the field with hottie Hillary Rhoda.

Until next time. Peace and One Love!

“I wish [Jose Reyes] was leading off on our team, playing on our team. “That’s fun to watch. Anytime you have that type of speed. I mean, we have a guy in [Brett] Gardner that’ll be fun. That’s probably the most you can have, watching those guys run.“-Alex Rodriguez

Ever since Alex Rodriguez became a Yankee, it’s been a three-ring circus. Arguably the game’s best player who during his time here has won two MVPs including a memorable 2007 eclipsing Joe DiMaggio for the greatest season by a right handed hitter in Bronx Bomber lore, it’s always something else with this guy that makes him such a distraction.

We could cite all his postseason failures resulting in only one Yankee playoff round victory but what’s the point? It’s old news around these parts with the admitted steroids user creating a whole new reason for teammates to hate him.

Oh. They won’t say it to his face or publicly as with that phony press conference with him faking tears while pausing a couple of weeks ago in Tampa looking totally uncomfortable reading a written statement he didn’t even write.

Anything for needless PR even in a time when Mr. Rodriguez should’ve been more sincere not worrying about his image which already had been destroyed by the stunning discovery forcing him to come clean even if he protected his cousin. Of couse, that became a running joke around here with the “My Cousin Vinny” references. If only it were as amusing as Joe Pesci’s classic character from the 1992 box office hit.

Nothing A-Rod does is ever funny. Have you ever heard him try to make people laugh? They had him speak at a University of Miami dinner for their baseball facility which he donated thousands having it named for him. All well and good for the kid who grew up in South Florida. It just was a little awkward watching him attempt humor referencing his tough week leading up. Sometimes, it’s better not to say anything.

In that spot, the focus wasn’t performance enhancing drugs but something one of the game’s greatest stars did out of kindness. Perhaps he should’ve stuck to the topic leaving the other stuff for the media vultures when Spring Training continued at the Yankee complex.

It’s true that nobody’s perfect no matter what the Mike Lupicas of the world tell you acting all high and mighty while cashing in on a fake home run race with books and then acting all stunned when the truth comes out. Everyone makes mistakes. Rodriguez committed a bad one making a poor choice which he was forced to fess up to because his Player’s Association didn’t destroy some random positive tests in 2003. The general public was never supposed to know proving you can’t rely on anyone.

It hasn’t been entirely fair to A-Rod whose name has been kicked around in the mud ever since while 103 other players haven’t had their reputations damaged. You almost want to feel bad for the guy because a dark storm cloud seems to follow him no matter what he does.

If only he’d let us in and not come off so fake. It’s why the whole notion of him being referred to by former bench coach Larry Bowa in Joe Torre’s book The Yankee Years as A-Fraud wasn’t a surprise. It just reaffirmed what we already knew even if it was meant to lighten the mood taking pressure off.

Alex Rodriguez is a magnet who will always attract a large crowd. That’s what happens when you go from a 10-year $252 million deal to 10 years $300 million while becoming the youngest slugger to reach 500 home runs in line to chase down another cheat Barry Bonds who has his own battle in court coming. Speaking of circuses.

So, was it any shock that on a day Rodriguez learned he had a cyst in his hip which could sideline him from competing for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic that he’d make another silly comment indicating that he wished Mets shortstop Jose Reyes could play on the Yankees and bat leadoff?

While it was a nice notion paying tribute to how great and exciting Reyes is, it probably wasn’t the brightest idea given that Rodriguez is a teammate of Derek Jeter and another pretty good leadoff guy in Johnny Damon.

Predictably, it created another big story for the New York media to discuss while panicked Met fans already have the sky falling due to their ace Johan Santana being pushed back from Opening Day to the fifth game of the season due to his elbow which the club won’t take an MRI on. That is a whole other topic about a franchise which clearly needs a good kick in the ass. Maybe they’ve been hanging around A-Rod.

Is it bad to say what he did about the rival shortstop in the big city? Probably not. Jose Reyes is a very fun player to watch. The way he worded it wasn’t the best and immediately put him on the defense indicating that’s not what he meant.

New York Post columnist Mike Vaccaro had a good column entitled, “Alex Not In Same Class As Captain America ” about the big difference between Jeter and him when it comes to leadership.

This excerpt sums up why so many respect the declining Jeter including Phils’ shortstop Jimmy Rollins who will sit out most games despite being a better player:

A leader? Would you like to know what a leader does? A leader, when asked the other day about David Wright, says something like this: “I have a great deal of respect for him, because he’s talented and he loves to win, and he plays hard. It’s a great challenge playing against him, so I’m happy to have the chance to play with him for a little while.“

That’s what Jeter said about Wright. He didn’t say how wonderful it would be if Wright joined the Yankees – even though there have to be moments when he feels exactly that. He has been criticized for not publicly defending A-Rod more, but it is on days like this that you realize his silences are as loud as any words he might employ.

You can’t be appointed to that kind of leadership. You either have it or you don’t.

 

Some friendly advice for Rodriguez. Next time, think before you speak.

A joke of a trade involving 10 maple bats for pitcher John C. Odom turned into a sad tale.

Once in a while, everyone likes to joke around and keep things loose. If we’re serious 24/7, most of us wouldn’t last.

However, sometimes a silly joke can go too far. Sadly, that was the case last year when former Giant prospect John C. Odom was traded for 10 maple bats. The bizarre deal took place between Laredo Broncos of the United League and the Calgary Vipers of the Independent Golden Baseball League last May 20.

At one time, Odom was drafted by the Giants in the 2003 44th round. But in four years, he never got further than Single A with injuries setting him back.

He still wanted to pitch and got the chance to for Calgary before they needed 10 maple bats worth 665 bucks accepting the ridiculous offer from Laredo GM Jose Melendez after they couldn’t agree to trading him for a player or even a thousand dollars because the Vipers didn’t do cash deals. But they did the trade for freaking bats! You really can’t make this stuff up.

“People are like, ‘I’d kill myself’ and stuff,” Odom said when the bizarre deal went through.

Unfortunately, following a poor outing in which he was taunted by home fans off the mound, it was the beginning of the end for a guy who had battled demons off the field. He lasted three weeks before spiraling downward to his death on Nov.5 of an accidental overdose of heroin, methamphetamine, the stimulant benzyl/piperazine and alcohol.

Explained former skipper Dan Shwam who managed him on Laredo last year of the novelty act gone bad:

“I guarantee this trade thing really bothered him. That really worried me. I really believe, knowing his background, that this drove him back to the bottle, that it put him on the road to drugs again.”

“There were some demons chasing him, they’d been after him for a long time. But there’s no way to really know whether the trade did it, is there?”

Imagine what must’ve gone through his mind. Many former teammates didn’t even become aware of his death until recently during Spring Training.

“It really is sad,” 2008 NL Cy Young winner and former ‘mate Tim Lincecum expressed last weekend.

“He was a fun-loving guy. I mean, just high energy all the time. I stayed on his couch just because he was on the same team I was on. I asked around a couple guys who I could stay with until I could find a place.”

Noted infielder Kevin Frandsen:

“He was always wanting to joke around, always wanting to keep the clubhouse mood light.”

Sadly, a stupid joke probably contributed to his death.