1. RED SOX:
With Curt Schilling throwing near no-hitters, who needs
Roger Clemens? Last week (1)
2. METS:
Cruising along thanks to things like John Maine's 6-3
record. (2)
3. INDIANS:
C.C. Sabathia (9-1) has become the AL's early Cy Young
favorite. (3)
4. ANGELS:
Vladimir Guerrero has quietly been the AL's MVP so far. (4)
5. PADRES:
Hide your eyes, Devil Rays fans, Greg Maddux, Jake Peavy
pitch this week at the Trop. (8)
6. TIGERS:
It will be interesting to see if 2006 draftee Andrew Miller
can stick for good this time around. (10)
7. BREWERS:
As good as it's been so far, they might want to add a
veteran bat before the deadline. (9)
8. BRAVES:
Andruw Jones no longer is merely slumping; this looks like a
slide. (7)
9. DIAMONDBACKS:
Randy Johnson (61 strikeouts, eight walks) is officially a
good pitcher again. (6)
10. DODGERS:
Can the return of RHP Jason Schmidt give them a lift in the
competitive NL West? (5)
11. MARINERS:
We keep waiting for them to fade, but J.J. Putz and the rest
of the bullpen won't let it happen. (12)
12. ATHLETICS:
Eventually, they're going to get healthy. Then there'll be
trouble for the Angels. (14)
13. TWINS:
In 13 starts, Johan Santana has nearly half as many walks
(23) as he had in 34 starts last year (47). (11)
14. PHILLIES:
This team still bears watching in the NL East, especially if
Ryan Howard continues his recent upward trend. (17)
15. MARLINS:
Armando Benitez, back in South Florida, seems content; but
for how long? (18)
16. CARDINALS:
If St. Louis could only play against the NL Central (19-14),
it'd be better positioned to return to the playoffs. (21)
17. ROCKIES:
It's beginning to look like a .500 season isn't out of the
question. (20)
18. GIANTS:
Until (unless) Barry Bonds starts slugging again, they seem
destined to finish last in the NL West. (16)
19. WHITE SOX:
The fact that Jermaine Dye needed fluid drained from his
right knee might explain his huge drop in production. (13)
20. YANKEES:
They're just one good hot streak from reaching the .500
mark. (22)
21. BLUE JAYS:
They're starting to get healthy, but the Red Sox are just
too far ahead for it to matter. (19)
22. ORIOLES:
Closer Chris Ray is only 13-for-17 in save chances, but the
rest of the bullpen is 0-for-5. (15)
23. PIRATES:
The starting rotation makes it so tempting to pick them
still in the NL Central, but the lineup snuffs that impulse.
(23)
24. CUBS:
If LHP Rich Hill (2.71 ERA) can grab another win or two
soon, he might earn himself an All-Star berth. (24)
25. ASTROS:
With Dan Wheeler starting to struggle this month, former
closer Brad Lidge soon could regain his old job. (27)
26. DEVIL RAYS:
It would be interesting to see how this team did with Rocco
Baldelli and Akinori Iwamura healthy for a few weeks at a
time. (25)
27. NATIONALS:
Hard to believe Jesus Colome (4-0) leads this team in
pitching victories. (26)
28. REDS:
Ken Griffey Jr.'s on-base percentage (.387) is the best it's
been since 2000 (.387). (28)
29. RANGERS:
It's a shame Ron Washington's first season as a manager had
to be with a team this bad. (30)
30. ROYALS:
Already looking ahead to next year's draft. (29)
FANTASY CORNER
SS MICHAEL YOUNG, Rangers:
It's been a down year for the 2006 All-Star MVP, but he'll
be in his element the next two weeks as the Rangers face the
NL. Young is the all-time leader in interleague batting
average (.347, 143-for-412).
DH/1B JIM THOME, White Sox:
The all-time leader in interleague home runs (52) spent time
working out at first base and should get the chance to play
when Chicago is in National League parks.
AL Notes
One thing about Schilling's busted no-hitter. The only thing
that kept it from being a perfect game prior to Stewart's
single was an error by SS Julio Lugo. … Yankees
manager Joe Torre (2,003 career victories through
Sunday) is closing in fast on Leo Durocher (2,008)
for No. 9 all-time. Next on the list is No. 8 Walt Alston
(2,040). Torre would have to wait awhile - assuming he
continues to manage after this year - to reach No. 7 Joe
McCarthy (2,125).
NL Notes
After Saturday's games, Roger Clemens is No.2
all-time in strikeouts with 4,611, and Randy Johnson
is third at 4,615. The difference? Johnson compiled his
hefty numbers in nearly 1,000 fewer innings (3,8461/3 to
Clemens' 4,8232/3). … There's a slight chance Atlanta 3B
Chipper Jones (bruised hands) could rejoin the lineup by
the end of this week. … Although Cubs 3B Aramis Ramirez
is back on the active roster, knee pain is expected to
prevent him from becoming a regular in the lineup again for
at least another few days. … Marlins RHP Josh Johnson,
an NL Rookie of the Year candidate in 2006 but out this
season since the spring with elbow pain, is expected to make
one more rehabilitation start this week. After that, if all
goes well, he'll join the Marlins rotation for his next
appearance. … Four blown saves in 15 chances cost Pirates
closer Salomon Torres his job. Second-year setup
reliever Matt Capps has moved into the closer role
for Pittsburgh. Torres was placed on the 15-day disabled
list Saturday with inflammation in his right elbow. … In
another case of one that got away for the Devil Rays, Mets
RHP Jorge Sosa (who turned 30 in April) is 6-1
with a 2.64 ERA in seven starts. Sosa began his major-league
career with the Rays as a Rule 5 pickup off waivers late in
spring training of 2002.
June 10,
2007
