We have become so stat conscious that we forget the teams still have to play each other on the field.

Some of the things I have learned since playing in the playoffs and World Series is the importance of having a solid game plan and sticking to it. Let's just take the Tigers and A's in Game 1 of the ALCS.

What many people may not know is that both teams have been scouting each other for a month leading up to the series. Teams that think they may be going to the playoffs send out advance scouts a month before the end of the season in preparation for the postseason. Knowing that might help you understand why the Detroit batters knew exactly what to look for and how to attack Barry Zito and the A's at the plate.

It's the little things that may help you win a ballgame … what count Zito throws his curve the most, what count he throws his changeup, etc. Not that you want your players to overthink while they are in the middle of the game, but prior knowledge is huge when you're in a seven-game series. Much of this information isn't as easily obtained during the course of the year.

Yes, we've all heard about Kirk Gibson knowing when Dennis Eckersley was going to throw his backdoor slider. To get tiny but important details like that, as many as three scouts per team follow possible playoff teams for the last month of the season.

I spoke with Phil Garner yesterday about last year's NLCS and the Astros' approach to beating his opponent. As it turned out, it was very much like our team approach when the Reds faced the Pirates and A's back in 1990. It's not just formulating a game plan. It's making adjustments on the fly because every out, every pitch can have such a huge impact on one week in your baseball life.

Against Pittsburgh, we wanted to take Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla and Andy Van Slyke out of the equation. If we could stop them, we would take our chances with the rest of their lineup. Against Oakland it was Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, Carney Lansford and Dave Henderson. We knew Ricky Henderson would do his thing, so we let him. We knew we had to get to Dave Stewart and Bob Welch early to take their bullpen out of play.

The numbers are great to know, but knowing how to pitch to someone, how to set up your defense and make sure you pitch to the other team that way are things that can win you a championship. I know, I was blessed to be a part of such a team.

Just so you know, Bonds, Bonilla and Van Slyke went 12-for-63 against us in the World Series. Canseco went 1-for-12 with a home run and McGwire was 3-for-14 with no homers or RBIs. Lansford went 4-for-15 and Dave Henderson went 3-for-13. Rickey Henderson went 5-for-15 with three stolen bases.

With two months of the season to go, and between 13 and 18 teams still having a real shot at the wild card race, teams were willing to go after players. Granted, they weren't the big name players that many people speculated would be traded, but some outstanding players nonetheless.

Carlos Lee was huge for the Texas Rangers, who got him from the Milwaukee Brewers. They have a better chance of winning their division outright then they do of winning the AL wild card. They are only four games out of first in the AL West, so why not go for the win?

The Yankees lead the AL in the wild card race, but they want their ninth straight AL East title. Cory Lidle and Bobby Abreu for four minor leaguers, that's a steal.

Greg Maddux will be a great fit in LA and credit Jim Hendry of the Cubs with having a lot of class; he let Maddux have some meaningful starts down the stretch and he got a Gold Glove infielder in Cesar Izturis in return.

Now for the almost trades, don't believe the hype, Everyone can be had for the right price, but not too many GMs are going to give up the moon and the stars for rental players. Soriano, Zito, Clemens, Oswalt, Tejada (just to name a few) came with hefty price tags and I'm sure their GMs were asking for ridiculous scenarios in return.

With some of the free agents, you may as well keep them and get a compensatory draft pick in return when they sign with someone else during the off-season. Plus they might help you win now without losing your future.

The trade deadline always looks to good to be true, and usually is. That being said, the grade I give this year was an A, because almost every team was helped in almost every trade. Isn't that the way it should be? Help all the teams, not just the powerful ones.

Baseball is very strong right now because everyone involved wants to see it continue to prosper and let all the teams have a chance to win.

Maybe you don't remember the trade between Montreal and Seattle about 18 years ago but I do. I was playing for the Reds and there was a 6-10 fellow named Randy Johnson playing for the Montreal Expos, who was a little erratic but looked like he could have a great career.

Then there was an All Star pitcher named Mark Langston playing for the Seattle Mariners. The Expos wanted to win NOW and rent Langston for the rest of the year knowing they could lose him to free agency at the end of the year. The Mariners knew they probably couldn't re-sign Langston, so they took the chance on Johnson and did the deal.

As it worked out, Langston would help the Expos to 12 wins and then go free agent at the end of the season. The Expos did not bring home a championship. Now for the Mariners, they got an amazing young pitcher that would win 137 games for their club and get them close to a championship more than a few times.

When Randy was almost a free agent, the Astros traded for Randy and he won 10 games for them, and then went free agent at the end of the year. The Astros sent Freddie Garcia and Carlos Guillen to the Mariners.

Randy would go free agent after the season was over. The Astros didn't win and Johnson went to Arizona. The D-Backs would win a World Championship with Johnson. Now what about the two guys in the Seattle deal for Johnson?

Well, the Mariners would trade Freddie Garcia to Chicago and the White Sox would win a title with Garcia pitching against the team that traded him for Randy Johnson. And what happened to Carlos Guillen, he was traded to the Tigers a few years ago and they now have the best record in baseball.

I guess you may think this is six degrees of Randy Johnson, but I just wanted to show how one player can impact so many teams at the trade deadline. Sometimes the best trade you make is not making one at all.

 I know Roger Clemens is back, and some of the older players are doing very well. But in a few years, The Big Unit will be gone, so will Barry Bonds, and Ken Griffey Jr.

Who will carry on? I'll give you just a few names that will be great for a long time:

Joe Mauer, Twins: He's the best hitting young catcher in the show. He's 23 years old and leading the A.L. in hitting right now, hitting .368 in 66 games played. Mauer may never be a great power threat, but he's already one of the toughest outs in the bigs. He has an OBP of .438, has only struck out 27 times in 247 at bats with 33 walks. That's awesome

Matt Holliday, Rockies: How about this 6-4, 26-year-old hammer? He's second in the NL in hitting at .353, has smacked 15 homers and driven in 54 runs. His batting average on the road is at .326 and he's got one less home run on the road than at Coors Field. So don't say it's just because of the thin air....

Ryan Howard, Phillies: The 2005 NL rookie of the year from 2005 is not having a sophomore slump, he's killing the ball. He's getting better and better every day. Hitting .291 with 25 jacks and 66 RBIs, when he gets a little more patient up there his .OBP and batting avg. will go way up. This kid is a Monster.

Alex Rios, Blue Jays: All this 25 year old has done so far is hit .323 with 15 homers and 51 RBI. He's on a pace to triple his output from 2005. The knock on him was potential. Not anymore, he's arrived.

Others to watch: Oakland's 25-year-old left fielder, Nick Swisher, looks everything like Jason Giambi when he was an Athletic: Great eye, great power, and one hell of a clutch bat. He's hitting .286 with 19 long balls and 49 RBIs, with an OBP of .402. Swisher is like Adam Dunn of the Reds, who has 63 strikeouts and 50 walks. When the K's go down, the average and OBP will jump up even farther. I saved the best for last right now: Mets third baseman David Wright. He is a star right now. He's hitting .336 with 18 HRs and 64 RBIs. His OBP is .402 and he's only made eight errors in 70 games. When you talk about big plays, his name always comes up. Wright should be the starting third baseman on the NL All-Star team for years to come.

The future is now and that's just a few names. I've got a lot more for you coming soon.

   It's the way of the world these days: over-hype the guys who haven't earned it and expect the older players to pick up the pieces.

   Yes Albert Pujols is amazing, so is David Ortiz..Yes Ballparks are smaller and baseballs are harder and home runs are up 20% this season already. How about we pay tribute to some older but still awesome pitchers who are still kicking #### and taking names. They haven't heard that offense is king in baseball these days

Greg Maddux of the Cubs: He's the King with Roger Clemens on vacation right now. in 4 starts, Greg is 4-0 with a league-leading ERA of 0.99 and in 27innings pitched he's given up only 15 hits while walking only 5 and striking out 18.

Curt Schilling of the Red Sox: The guy with the bad ankle! He's also 4-0 in 4 starts and has just blown away hitters this season. In 28 innings pitched he's allowed only 17 hits. Talk about command, only 4 walks and 23 strikeouts and a tiny 1.61 ERA...

Tom Glavine is off to a great start with The Mets, 2-1 in 4 starts and a 1.38 ERA with only 6 walks to 26 strike outs.

Mike Mussina on the other New York team is 2-1 in 4 starts and has a very nice 2.67 ERA with only 6 walks to 23 strikeouts.

A couple things these guys have in common are age and greatness. Yes they are old, but they still throw nothing but strikes and of the 16 games these 4 men have started all 16 have been quality starts. Some things do get better with age.

What I hear so often to describe Barry Bonds is not how amazing he is, or how he would have blown away pitching back when Babe Ruth played, but how he must have cheated to become this good.

When people talk about the end of Roger Clemens' career, all I hear is how he must have had help doing what he has done.

Enough already.

One thing the people who actually played in the last 20 years with these two men would know is how amazing their feats have been. Forget the cheating stuff because it's all nonsense anyway. It's never been proven that taking anything, whether it be steroids or vitamins, can make you into a Hall of Famer. If it were, more players and non-players would be lining up to #### every pill on the planet.

What we should be doing instead of bashing greatness, is appreciating it for what it is. When Barry is gone and Roger throws his last pitch, two of the greatest players that ever played will be gone.

Let me just tell you from listening to the critics what they haven't really said: To play today, you have to face the world's best every day. Do you think the Babe, smoking and drinking the way he did back in the day, would've survived today's best? Have you ever seen Barry and Roger work out? I have, and that's why today's ballplayers should get way more respect then they do.

Pills don't make the players. Hard work, passion and a huge gift from God make the players. Let's just love the game in 2006. Stop the hating.