First posted on Monday, Oct. 10

Maybe the grass isn't always greener.

Have you ever heard that old saying? Well, maybe the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees should write it down somewhere to remind themselves in the off-season, that you should be happy with who's on your team, not whoever's on the free-agent market.

Just look at the case of the defending world champions: The Red Sox let Pedro Martinez, Derek Lowe and Orlando Cabrera go in favor of David Wells, Matt Clement and Edgar Renteria. Pedro won 15 for the Mets, Derek won 12 for the Dodgers and Orlando made only seven errors in Los Angeles with the Angels and he's still playing in the playoffs.

Now Wells won 15 and Clement won 13, but Renteria committed 30 errors in his first season with the Sox. I think it's safe to say that the Red Sox didn't get past the division series this year because of Wells and Clement and had they had Martinez and Lowe, I think they would still be playing.

Now as for the Yankees, remember when you had Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte? I do. How about Jon Lieber? Clemens the past two years has been, well, Cy Young. Meanwhile, a now healthy Andy Pettitte won 17 games this year and was 11-2 after the All-Star break with a 1.69 ERA. As for that old guy Jon Lieber, you waited a year to get healthy, then you let him go as a free agent to the Phillies. He also won 17 games and was 4-1 in September and was the ace of the Phillies all year.

What I'm saying now, I said before the season started. You didn't know when Curt Schilling would be ready, but you would have known about Lowe and Pedro and how they pitch in the playoffs. As for the Yankees, just think of the headaches you would've stopped had you held onto your players and not wasted money on Carl Pavano, Jaret Wright, and Randy Johnson.

Now the Yanks may still pull it out, but it will be because Brian Cashman bailed the Yanks out with Aaron Small, Chien-Ming Wang and Shawn Chacon.

The Yankees and Red Sox should stop trying to top each other and be happy with the players who brought you championships, not the ones who didn't.

First posted on Monday, Sept. 26

Since John Schuerholz took over The Atlanta Braves in 1991, they have finished first every year. And this year will be no different.

They have a five-game lead with six to play. So let's just say they've got an excellent chance of winning their 14th straight division title.

Now people will say, but they only have one world championship and five pennants. Well, that's one more world championship and five more trips to the World Series than most teams, so just drop that crap right now.

What the Braves have done behind Bobby Cox and John Schuerholz is amazing, and while they have done this they have been as classy and creative as you can be.

This just may be their best year. When Raul Mondesi hit .211 through 41 games, he was sent packing. When Brian Jordan struggled or got hurt, Cox and Schuerholz went to work. They were able to bring in players like Jeff Francoeur, Ryan Langerhans, Kelly Johnson, Wilson Betemit, Brian McCann and Pete Orr. They also traded for players like Jorge Sosa, Todd Hollandsworth and Kyle Farnsworth.

This doesn't make them great on its own. But their ability to evaluate talent, put it together with the existing club, and their awesome minor league system, which they use to replace injured or old players ... that's what makes them great.

Then they give the players a place to thrive, and a chance to succeed. You know why you never hear players moan and complain after playing in Atlanta? Because Schuerholz, Cox and pitching coach Leo Mazzone have made Atlanta the closest thing to home as you can have in the major leagues.

As for winning in the postseason, John Smoltz said this a few years ago. "Once the regular season is over, it's up to the players to win a championship."

I agree with you totally John. To the Atlanta fans, please support your dynasty, they deserve it.

First posted on Wednesday, Sept. 14

It's great to have Barry back, it really is. I liken it to when Babe Ruth played, or Joe DiMaggio or Willie Mays. You don't want to miss a second. It's like the stories I hear about people who grew up watching Mickey Mantle play, oh man, he was unbelievable.

Well I'm here to tell you, Barry is the same guy. How else can you explain, how after almost a year, Barry steps to the plate two games ago and hits like he's been doing it all year? I can't either.

What I saw him do when I played against him made me respect him; what I've seen him do since I retired has simply blown me away. We look at other athletes like Walter Payton and Jerry Rice and say, they played well into their 30s because of the work ethic off the field. I can tell you Barry works just as hard off the field as on, and has done so since joining the San Francisco Giants back in 1993. Gary Sheffield said a couple of years ago that he couldn't keep up with Bonds and his off-season workouts, and I played with Gary in Florida and I know how hard he works to stay in shape.

Barry made himself into a hitting machine by what he has done off the field. You may want to cut him some slack, because if you don't know greatness when you see it and you want to keep saying he cheated or something stupid like that ... well then, I can't help you. But if you are like me, and you know players do work hard and can make themselves better, then just enjoy his greatness and don't question things that don't matter.

And the past two nights I've been glued to the TV, waiting for every at-bat, because I know I won't see another player like him in my lifetime, and I don't want to miss my chance to see him play. You may want to do the same. Because 20 years down the road, you'll be saying, I could've seen the best ever, but I was just too stupid to do it.

First posted on Thursday, Sept. 8

How can teams that have so much trouble scoring runs still be in the playoff hunt? That's simple. It's pitching, my friend.

The Washington Nationals, Houston Astros and Florida Marlins all have the same problem, yet they are still in the wild-card hunt in the National League. ...

The Nationals are the worst offensive team in baseball, dead last, 30^th. They've only scored 542 runs this year. Yet because of their pitching, they still have a chance with 24 games remaining because they can get people out.

The Nats have one of the best bullpens in the game - 46 saves and 63 holds, led by Chad Cordero with 43 saves and a 1.30 ERA, Hector Carrasco (61 innings pitched and 43 hits), Gary Majewski (one HR in 71 innings pitched) and Luis Ayala (14 walks in 71 innings pitched).

The latter three guys all have ERAs in the low twos.

The Houston Astros have the best pitching staff in the game while boasting the 26^th-best offense in baseball.

Led by Hall of Famer Roger Clemens and his 1.57 ERA, Roy Oswalt and a healthy Andy Pettitte, these guys are great (61-46 as a rotation). Throw in a solid bullpen with Brad Lidge and his 35 saves in 38 chances, and that's why they lead the NL wild-card race. But the Florida Marlins are right on their heals.

The Marlins have the 19^th-best offense in the Majors, yet they have the sixth-best pitching staff in the NL.

Dontrelle Willis is having a Cy Young year, winning his 20^th game last night, along with Josh Beckett and AJ Burnett. This will be one tough rotation if they make the playoffs.

And one last note ... Marlins closer Todd Jones has been nothing less than amazing this year (35-37 in saves, a 1.15 ERA and 12 BB's in 63 innings pitched).

Are you kidding me? And he's only making $1.1 million? What a bargain!

So you see, it's not about $200 million offenses; it's about pitching and defense.

That's what gets you a ring.

First posted on Wednesday, Sept. 1

How are you feeling today?

Do you think your team let you down by not trading for that high priced help? If you are a White Sox fan, do you think getting Ken Griffey Jr. was going to guarantee you a championship? If you're an Angel fan, now that you didn't get Mike Sweeney are your playoff hopes shot?

Is the fact that the Baltimore Orioles couldn't land A.J. Burnett back in June the reason they have just imploded?

Don't be too sure.

Baseball is a very complicated, yet very simple sport, all at the same time. 15 years ago when I was a part of a World Championship team, we didn't get a big name guy at the trade deadline, in July or August, and I can honestly say we didn't need one, either. It may have done more harm than good.

You see, there is a very delicate balance in a major-league clubhouse, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that you trust each other and love each other. That started back in the minor leagues for some of us, back in spring training for others, but sometimes bringing in that NEW guy may just send you in the wrong direction.

Just look at the moves the Red Sox made last year. Before the 2004 season they picked up Curt Schilling and Keith Foulke, then later that season picked up a couple small, but important pickups like Dave Roberts, Orlando Cabrera, and Doug Mientkiewicz. All of which are great guys.

Not one of those new guys hurt the team and what they meant to each other and what they were trying to do.

It's a simple plan, but every team has a different way of looking at it. You have your own jokes, your own teammates who keep things loose, make things fun. Sometimes when you change just the smallest thing, the team goes down the drain.

So don't be so sad, the White Sox are still good, so are the Angels, and so are the other teams still in the playoff hunt. Trust me, I know. 15 years ago, even though we had been in first place the entire season, everybody (except us) said it couldn't be done.

But we did it.