Barry Bonds, Steroids and the Burden of Proof at a Barbecue

In the summer 2007, I was at my parents house for a barbecue. My dad was grilling up salmon and a swordfish, and something you should know about my dad: He cooks a terrific swordfish.And while he was grilling, we did what we tend to do 365 days a year which is talk about baseball. My dad was, is and always will be a rabid San Francisco Giants fan and he was talking about Barry Bonds and his chase

Degrees of Mike Morgan - My latest for The Hardball Times

Has there ever been a crazier career filled with more contradictions than the one Mike Morgan had? The answer is "no."What other player was a high school player brought up too soon... and a wily veteran playing longer than anyone could have thought?Who else looked like the poster child of unfulfilled talent... only to become an All Star, a millionaire many times over and a World Series champ?He

100 win teams bounced in the Division Series

100 wins is still a magical mark for a season. It means you are an elite team and chances are one of the great teams in your franchise’s history.And when a team wins 100 in the regular season, there is no doubt they are thinking beyond the Division Series. They are thinking they are a legit World Series contender… a pennant will have to be beaten from them.But there have been teams that have won

Wait... was that Mike Hampton?

It think it is.The middle reliever for the D'Backs who let up the go ahead sacrifice fly... the lefty out of the pen. That was Mike Hampton. The same Mike Hampton who helped pitch the Mets into the World Series and then signed with the Rockies in one of the worst contracts in baseball history.The guy who missed nearly 3 seasons to injuries.The guy who I put on the Mets Home Grown vs. Acquired

Giants... let Lincecum do what he needs to do

Tim Lincecum is about to make arguably the biggest start of his career. After a month or so when the Giants couldn't get any decent starting pitching, suddenly things have turned around.And a lost season is looking more and more found as the Giants remain 2 back in the loss column for the NL West lead and 1 game in the loss column for the NL Wild Card with 24 to play. (And a possible season

Hey Giants... there are no ugly wins. Only wins

How about THIS for looking at the glass as half full for the Giants?This weekend, a three game series where Friday and Saturday's games were a gruesome house of horrors for the Giants that were done in the first inning... the Giants actually GAINED ground on the Padres!Sure the Giants lost 2 out of 3 to a team that is on pace to lose 98 games...But the Padres got swept! That's a whole game picked

Hey Giants... can you at least let fans get to their SEATS before you lose?

Seriously... the Giants were down 3-0 before they even came to bat on Friday.Saturday? It was a 6-0 hole they dug themselves.So people grabbing garlic fries or a Cha Cha Bowl hadn't even finished getting their napkins before the game was decided.Can you at least put up a FIGHT?It will be better for concessions if you aren't so quick to CONCEDE!