As the 2006 baseball season continues to swing by the quarter pole, it's time to look at the players that have become afterthoughts to Albert Pujols and Barry Bonds. The two have dominated the headlines so far this season, as they each try to shatter records. Here are five National League players that have not been given their proper due, but thanks to the wonders of blogging, will be recognized here.

Lance Berkman

(.296/.368/.605) Berkman got off to scorching-hot start, but has cooled off recently. That does not take away from what he has done since then. His on base percentage is not at it's usual high of .400, but he's slugging way over his career norms. Berkman is Houston's biggest threat in a lineup that seems to get weaker every season. Morgan Ensberg is good, but Berkman has mastered the nooks and crannies of Minute Maid Park. Nobody can dink a 316-foot home run into the Crawford Boxes like Berkman.

Andruw Jones

(.270/.350/.517) Last year's MVP runner-up is maintaining a steady season. He has uncorked 11 home runs and has 45 RBI's, which is second to Albert Pujols. His current line is almost identical to his 2005 line. Don't expect Jones to become a poor man's Pujols, or even his center fielding counterpart Jim Edmonds. He's going to get his 35-40 home runs, but he will never hit for a high average and draw enough walks. Consider him a better hitting version of Adam Dunn.

Despite his flaws, Jones is still the main thunder in the Braves lineup, and should be recognized for driving in runs.

Nomar Garciaparra

(.375/.437/.652) The Los Angeles Dodgers best signing is paying off in a big, big way. As I wrote awhile back, Garciaparra looks like the neurotic-with-the-batting-glove-butt-slapping-Mia-Hamm-loving player that he was in Boston. So far, he's avoided the injury bug and is a major part of the Dodgers initial success  this season. Will Garciaparra continue to slug over .600? Probably not, but if he stays healthy, there's no reason to believe that he won't have a great season.

Edgar Renteria

.(322/.408/.441) Two great seasons can do a lot for you. Just ask Edgar Renteria. In 2002 and 2003, he established himself as a premier shortstop in Major League Baseball. 2003 was his finest year, as he hit .330 and drove in 100 RBI's. Renteria entered his contract season of 2004 with high expectations, but was not at his best. Despite an average season, the Boston Red Sox came a calling, gave Renteria a $1 million more than the Cardinals, and Renteria was a Red Sock.

Renteria endured his worst season since 2001 last year, and quickly became known as "Rent-a-wreck" throughout WEEI airwaves. He committed 30 errors and failed to produce and live up to the $10 million he was given. Boston wanted him gone so bad that they ponied up for $19 million left on his contract and traded him to Atlanta for prized prospect Andy Marte. Now that he's back in the NL and out of Boston's bright lights, Renteria has sizzled. He opened up the season with a 22-game hitting streak and will clearly be a step up from Rafael Fucal.

Hanley Ramirez/Dan Uggla

.335/.411/.476
.315/.377/.483

For this one, I picked one middle infield, because they have been so good. Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla are two players you don't know a lot about because they play for the Florida Marlins, but at a young age, both are producing, and combined with Miguel Cabrera, they form a formidable 1-2-3 punch at the top of the lineup.

Ramirez was key to the deal that sent Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to Boston. Reports last season indicated that Ramirez would not produce at high level, and once he started hanging out with Manny, the Red Sox soured on him. He's having a great season, and is one of the NL's best shortstop's this season. Look for Ramirez to snag Rookie of the Year honors.

His teammate, second baseman Dan Uggla, has really come out of nowhere. He has been one of the National League's best slugging second baseman. Make no mistake about it, folks, the Marlins are producing another championship team. Don't be suprised to see them win the World Series in 2009.

There's fewer names in baseball that perturb me and make my skin crawl more than the triumverate of Billy Beane, Paul DePodesta and Bill James. Only Barry Bonds, J.D. Drew and Derek Jeter irritate me more, but it's probably DePodesta that tops them all.

It's not their methods that have made me come to despise them, it's their arrogance in their own brand of infinite wisdom. James is a very important figure in baseball. He devised sabermetrics, a system that has provided us with more knowledge about the game within the game. Beane took James' methods and applied them to his franchise. Why smaller market teams have not caught on to his ways is still beyond me, but he's still a very cocky general manager that doesn't even like watching baseball. DePodesta is his flunkie, and I'll get to him in a minute.

The Story Begins

Because of James and Beane, everyone is now a sabermatrician. Everyone thinks they now understand the game better than men who have been around it because they hugged "Moneyball" when they fell asleep at night. The lineage from James to DePodesta reads like a book out of the Bible. From James begat "Baseball Abstract," which begat Beane, which begat DePodesta and J.P. Riccardi, the Toronto Blue Jays general manager. DePodesta is one of those guys that got too big for his britches. This is the (short) story about a wonderboy GM turned a playoff contender into ruins, and how they rebounded after his departure.

If you have read Michael Lewis' "Moneyball," you undoubtedly read about DePodesta. Read closely and you'll question if DePo has watched a game of baseball in his life. He was from Harvard, good with numbers and did all of his work from a laptop. He was one of the geniuses that fought tooth and nail to draft Jeremy Brown in the first round of the 2002 draft, even though Brown was projected to go as low as 14th.

DePodesta's Stock Rises

After DePo rode Beane's unsuccessful coattails for a few years, he was offered the job as the Los Angeles Dodgers general manager in February of 2004. His job was a tough one: get the team to the playoffs, a place they had not been since 1996. DePo managed to do so, despite not making any earth-shattering moves. They won 93 games, but bowed out of the playoffs in four games to the Cardinals in the 2004 NLDS.

DePodesta's Worst Enemy: DePodesta

Then DePo got crazy. He signed J.D. "Just Disabled" Drew to a 5 year, $55 million contract coming off his one and only great season with the Atlanta Braves in 2004. He didn't stop. After watching Derek Lowe pitch the Red Sox through the 2004 postseason, DePo offered him $9 million per year, then grabbed an aging Jeff Kent. The result? The Dodgers finished with their worst record since 1992. Drew got hurt, Lowe played to his career norms. Kent did well, making that a plus for DePo.

On October 29, I was sitting in the lobby of The Olive Garden waiting for a seat. I did not have access to the radio all day, and from my phone, I checked out the major sports stories. There was one in particular that caught my eye:

"DePodesta Fired As Dodgers GM"

What a surprise that was. DePodesta, with all of his wisdom about baseball that the average fan cannot possibly grasp, was dumped after two seasons. It was a fitting end for someone who abandoned his principles and did not honor what he had learned from Beane. Sure he could hang the Dodgers failed season on injuries, but he did not do anything to improve the situation. In a way, DePo was his own undoing, thus becoming his own worst enemy.

Ned Who?

Out of the blue, the Dodgers hired Ned Colleti, who had been working with Brian Sabean in San Francisco. Colleti made some questionable moves during his inaugural offseason, bringing in five former Giants. He also signed Rafael Furcal, although they had a shortstop in Cesar Izturis, considered one of the best defensive shortstops in the league. He also signed Nomar Garciaparra...to play first base. These were strange moves, but Colleti was rolling the dice.

Call this a hard eight. The Dodgers have turned it around under Grady Little, infamous for the New York-Boston meeting in the 2003 ALCS. The Dodgers are 13 percentage points out of first place and have won seven in a row, nine of their last 10. Remarkable? That's not even the half of it. The Dodgers are getting it done with mainly castoffs. Garciaparra has returned with a force. Kenny Lofton is hitting .304, and as of May 25, Drew has 156 at-bats. That used to be Drew's three-year quota. Furcal and Kent are under-performing.

The apparent strength of this team has been in the starting pitching. Aaron Sele and Brad Penny's ERA's are hovering above two. Lowe is a shade over three, and Brett Tomko's ERA is at 3.21. That is a suprise within itself. Eric Gagne is on his way back, and things are looking for up a franchise that had high hopes after a playoff appearance in 2004.

The Story Ends

While DePo has gone back to being an assistant, Colleti has picked up the pieces and ran away. One of baseball's supposed brightest minds was given the keys to one of baseball's most legendary franchises, and a quick spin around the block turned into a long rollover into the ditch. The Dodgers still have a long way to go, but at least now they are back on track.

MVPujols apologizes for the sloppiness of this post. It was late and he is too tired to go back and edit the mistakes.

I admit, not being a finalist in NSGII has sapped some of my motivation.

The whole thing is a scam, but I won't let that deter me from reaching my peeps that are reading this in droves. It wouldn't be fair to all four of you.

But it's time to get back to work, and put all of this silly nonsense behind us. There are pressing issues that need a good pressing, for wont of a better term.

How the 'Roiders Changed Us

Have you ever sat down and pondered steroids? Sure you have. If you're a fan of baseball, you should despise everything they encompass and the fraudulent cheaters that introduced them to potentially hundreds of users that have turned a game that we are passionate about into nothing more than an artificial Home Run Derby.

"Get to the point," you say. I'm getting there.

Think about how much Barry Bonds and the rest of his merry band of dopers have changed our perception of the game. It's now naive to believe that what we see from baseball players is done on Creatine and Red Bull, not Stanzolol and horse steroids. That's why as the calendar changes, Albert Pujols will be under more and more scrutiny. The more bombs he hits, the more questions pop up. To who do we owe this? The dopers, of course.

Creating Controversy Where None Exists

Pujols' near-record pace is nothing short of amazing. He's mashing the ball and is on "pace" for 82 home runs. Now fans will remember 1998, how they believed Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, and 2001 how they believed Barry Bonds. There really shouldn't be any doubts about Pujols. He doesn't show any of the physical signs of steroid use, he isn't surly and his fingerprints aren't smeared all over BALCO. Despite evidence to the contrary, people are still going to doubt him.

The naysayers will pull conspiracies out of thin air. For example, how can a 13th round draft pick out of Maple Woods Community College ascend to baseball royalty in a matter of two years? How can a 20-year-old hit that way? It isn't natural, they claim. Well, Ted Williams, Stan Musial and Joe DiMaggio were cranking it when they were in their early 20s. Isn't it possible that Pujols is a special player like those three? Is it hard to admit that great baseball players like Pujols are born that way? Have the dopers done enough to make you believe that once-in-a-lifetime players do not come around anymore?

Pujols' Plan: Stick With Bonds

El Hombre has a plan. As he embarks on possibly the greatest season of all-time, he has an idea on how to keep distraction out of the Cardinals clubhouse. You see, Pujols has already shifted the spotlight back to Bonds. He's said in recent interviews he doesn't want Bonds' life. He has said that Bonds is still the best player in the game and has publically doubted his steroid use.

This is almost a counter-attack to Bonds telling reporters to go watch Pujols. Neither of them want the media fawning all over them as they chase records this summer. It's a sly game of two friends saying:

"No, you're the best"

"No, no I insist, you're the best."

Pujols is a quiet, amiable team-first player that is quick to give due to other teammates, something that will put vultures in the media to sleep. Bonds pretends that he hates the media, but the more they hound him and his oversized cranium, the happier he is.

Their newfound admiration for each other might cast doubt in some fans, but make no mistake, Pujols knows that if he tells the media about how Bonds has caused major damage to the game, he'll make this an even bigger issue. Plus, it isn't within Pujols' humble self to attack players.

Give Him a Break

So this summer, let's give AP the benefit of the doubt and just enjoy the fact that we are seeing a modern day Joltin' Joe, or Stan "The Man" or Teddy Ballgame. Pujols is not going to let the steroids issue bother him, and neither should you.

I watched the Mavericks-Spurs last night with one eye on the television and one eye on the computer screen. I flipped it on sometime during the third quarter and left it on until the end.

I thought this was finally it for the Spurs. I thought that the window of opportunity to claim another championship or two was shut for good last night. Sure they still have Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli, but it becomes more and more of a chore every year. Winning NBA championships is not easy, even if you have a great core like the Spurs.

But just as the Mavericks prepared to slam that window shut, the Spurs slid their fingers underneath and blocked it. The window is slowly opening back up, and after Monday night, the San Antonio Spurs will return to the Western Conference finals.

Dallas failed big time. This was their chance to establish themselves as the new power in the West. The new blood was coming through and they were ready to pounce on a chance to represent a conference that has been dominated by the Spurs and Lakers for the past seven years. Dirk Nowitzki was supposed to be the new premier player. Avery Johnson was supposed to be the next great coach.

Somebody forgot to tell San Antonio and their group of grizzled veterans, hard-nosed defenders and bland personalities that bit of information. For two straight games,the Spurs showed why the old-school, lock-your-defender-down, pester-your-opponent and do it all with no style is the real key to winning an NBA championship these days. The Mavs are all style, zero substance. As boring as they might be, the Spurs are still the team to beat.

The biggest disappointment of the night was Nowitzki. Where was Dirk at? Rumor has it that he was there, but you would have had to watch the game to know for sure. That or just search the box score really hard. Nowitzki had 26 points last night, but he had an eye-popping two points in the fourth quarter.

When the Mavericks head back to Dallas after Monday night's game, all they will think about is missed opportunities. They'll think about how they had an opportunity to shove San Antonio out of the playoffs with force. They'll ponder how they became the ninth team in NBA history to blow a 3-1 deficit. And the troubling fact about how they are perennial second round losers might cross their minds a time or two.

After the game last night, Johnson told reporters about Game 7, "we love the challenge, we don't have any fear."

Could have fooled me.

Can we give Michael Barrett a standing ovation? Let's applaud Michael for a classy display of sportsmanship on Saturday at U.S. Cellular Field.

After A.J. Pierzynski crashed into him while he was blocking home plate without the ball, Pierzynski kind of leaned into Barrett after scoring. Barrett lost control and punched A.J. in the grill, provoking a bench-clearing brawl that saw John Mabry and Brian Anderson get ejected along with Barrett and Pierzynski.

I was going to refrain from making fun of the Cubs 7-0 loss to the White Sox, because they've had it bad this year. Derrek Lee broke his wrist, Mark Prior and Kerry Wood are about as stable as Liza Minelli and their offense is slightly better than Kansas City's.

But this set me off. Michael Barrett proved why the Cubs are seemingly going nowhere. Here you are, eight games under .500, 10 games out of first place and you're punching people? Tsk, tsk, Mr. Barrett. See how good the Cubs do without you. As one of the Cubs few offensive stars on a team full of flickering and burned out bulbs, they need Barrett.

Alas, Dusty Baker has lost control of this team. Cooler heads would have prevailed in that situation, but the Cubs are frustrated, angry and coming apart at the seams. While they certainly aren't out of it, they are coming dangerously close. Lee is out until the middle of June, and by then the Cubs could be 15 games out or more.

It's great to hear Cub fans react like Barrett is a hero. A hero for throwing a right cross when it wasn't even necessary. Pierzynski is a dirty player, but Barrett proved to be dirtier. Barrett is a very good offensive catcher. He'll never be Pudge in his prime, but teams could do a whole lot worse. Today's melee reaffirmed why he'll never go into that upper echelon of catchers. One needs to look no further than the 2004 World Series at what should have been done. Then-rookie Yadier Molina thought that the Red Sox were stealing signs, so he took action and got in Manny Ramirez's face. There was no need for Molina to lace up boxing gloves and clock Ramirez in the jaw. He didn't need to knee him in the groin, or even tackle him. The Cardinals were in the same position, and Molina showed at just 22 that he was able to take charge without feeling a need to lay the smackdown. That's maturity. Barrett comes across as a hot-headed bully that needs a timeout.

So, Michael, while you're sitting on the bench for the next week and you're pouting because you got bowled over, take the time to watch how a real catcher would react. Think about the old elementary school taunt:

Sticks and stones,
 can break my bones,
but A.J. Pierzynski will never hurt me

MVPujols (Ryan) thanks you for reading his blog. He also encourages you to leave comments, positive or negative. Don't drink and drive.