It's not just hot here in Baltimore. 94 degrees at gametime tonight. It's the fact that there's no air conditioning in the truck that kills us. Talk about hot. It's over 100 in there. That's why there's no pregame show tonight. Gotta keep the equipment off and hope the machines don't blow up during the game. If they do, we are set to take the Comcast feed of the game. So there will be Mariners in Seattle, just no pregame. We'll have to save that Jeremy Reed interview until tomorrow.

They are talking triple digits here for the next two days. Even supposed to be hazardous on Wednesday. What does that really mean? Stay away from the outdoors, and the game? Will we take years off our lives by coming to the game? I'm a little confused.

Trade deadline today. M's were really quiet. Guess they couldn't get anything done. Same goes for the A's and Angels. That means that the West is now a two month race between four teams. The M's may be in last, but they believe they can win it. I know because yesterday as we flew from Cleveland, the players were watching the A's-Jays game. They erupted when the Jays took a two run lead in the 9th. I've never heard anything like that in at least two years. These guys are excited about the postseason. Especially with Perez-Broussard now as the DH. (shouldn't mention that the A's won with a walk off home run in the bottom of the 9th)

Speaking of Broussard, didn't take him long to break out his guitar. He's already recorded a CD, and actually recorded his first song at the EMP. So he brings the total to four players on the team that carry their guitars on the road. Willie, Dobbs, Raul, and Ben. Could be the beginning of a band. They can get J.J. to be the roadie.

Back to Cleveland, producer Dave Rees and I are boycotting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Simply because they don't have Van Halen on the walls. Now when the time for a vote comes, and if they leave out Guns 'n' Roses, they will have a protest on their hands. A big one.

The players got a great deal at the Hugo Boss VIP room outside of Cleveland. Suits up to 60% off. Three of us took advantage of that deal. Also have shoes, belts, shirts and ties. Great place. Got two suits, but will wear polos the rest of this trip. No player went this time, a few went back in April.

I've been told the soap in our hotel here in Baltimore is really good. So I'm stealing a bunch for my wife. And I don't feel bad about it.

Only one player has hit the wearhouse beyond the right field wall at Camden. Junior did it during the All-Star Home Run Derby in 1993. They have a plaque on the wall where the ball hit. Pretty cool.

I leave you with a great scene from the clubhouse in Cleveland. Richie gets a Mateo jersey and gets one of the clubhouse kids to put it on. This kid is a little overweight, and the jersey barely fit. Pretty funny looking to everybody but Mateo. Julio saw the kid and grabbed a bat and started chasing him, saying he was going to smash him up. Of course he was kidding, but scared the kid good. The guys got a good laugh about that one. I can't tell you about Richie and the knife.....

Made it to Canada last night. Toronto is a great city. Sure the people may talk a little funny, but there's a lot to do here. Like play baseball. First series since the All-Star break. This is a crucial 12 game stretch for the team. All against A.L. East opponents. This could determine how active Bill Bavasi is at the trading deadline.

It's Friday morning. Check that, afternoon with the time change. My body clock is on morning time still. Thank goodness they have a Starbucks here. Did you know that Starbucks is outside the U.S.? Amazing. Should get some stock in that little company. Funny sight getting off the plane yesterday. Richie Sexson handing his passport over to the traveling secretary. Guess Richie always forgets his passport, so they have to keep it for him. Another example of how athletes are well taken care of.

The first game of the series is 7 hours away, and I'm already thinking about Adam Jones. The 20 year old has been called up, and should start in center field tonight. Good luck to him. The M's need to see if this guy is the centerfielder of the future. Let's hope he works out, and gets his first hit before going to the Bronx. That could be a little intimidating to a rookie. I've been told he has some pop at the plate, and runs like a deer in the outfield. Sounds like Cammy to me.

Back to Starbucks. (just in case Howard Shultz is reading) Ran into some players and our flight crew from the charter. Really nice ladies who are day tripping to Niagra Falls. Never been there myself. They said there are wineries along the way. That sounds like a good road trip. Their job sure has some perks. They stay in the same hotel and get to enjoy the city until it's time to leave again. They also try to go to one game a series on the road. This trip was a popular one, not sure about the Cleveland/Baltimore trip at the end of the month.

That's all I've got for now. Going to try the hotel gym and try not to hurt myself. My wife is joining me on the N.Y. leg of the trip. So I'll try to fire off something there. Don't hold me to it, it's our first time away from our little girl. Heidi is afraid she won't be able to leave her. I told her all about sleeping in, no late night feedings, working out when you want to, I think I've got her on board. I'll have a Molsen for you....

Greetings from the road. It's been a long trip, but really good for the Mariners. With one game to go, they are 6-2 on the trip. Their first winning road trip of the year. June is their first winning month since September of '03. That's why everybody is smiling. Here's a breakdown on the trip from my eyes....

Los Angeles

Great hotel. Maybe the best so far. Ritz Carlton Huntington. In South Pasadena. Unbelievably posh. Saw Desperate Housewife Marcia Cross there right before her weekend wedding. Think she and her husband were staying there for the week. Easy to see how she keeps so pale. She had long pants, long sleeve shirt, and a big hat at the pool. It was pushing 90 that day.

The M's took two of three from the Dodgers. My highlight was interviewing Vin Scully for our pregame show. Hope you watched. What a class act. He's been the voice of the Dodgers for 59 years. Already in the Hall of Fame. He even remembered my name during the interview, so it appeared that he actually knew me. Nice touch. I will always remember that.

Also got Nomar Garciaparra to talk about his brother, Michael. He is playing 2nd base in Tacoma for the Rainiers. Nomar never talks pregame, so I guess this was a big deal. He comes up to us in the dugout, and asks me not to ask anything about him. He just wants to talk about his brother. I wanted to talk about Mia Hamm and his hot hitting, but was shot down. Still, good interview on his brother, who is doing quite well in Triple A.

San Diego

2 hour bus ride down south to San Diego. That's where I went to school, so I was excited to get down there. Still my favorite city. Can't beat the weather and beaches. That's why so many of the families make the trip. My wife and daughter came down for the weekend. Tough to be away on a long road trip. It was fun seeing the players and their families around the pool.

Petco Park is pretty cool. My first time down there. They did a great job making that fit into the city. Everybody talked about how the park is big and no home runs are ever hit there. Try 13 the last two games. All solo shots. Amazing. The M's took another two out of three. Gotta love the N.L. West. Even though the Pads ran out of food in the media room the first night. Said they've never seen so many people up there. Like they were surprised that Ichiro and Kenji bring extra media?

Phoenix

It's a dry heat. That's what they keep telling us. Still, 100 degrees is 100 degrees. I made it out twice to play golf. That really takes a lot out of you. Not that I'm complaining. The pool was closed in our hotel, so we got to go to the Biltmore's pools. Very nice. Decent slide at the main pool. Kids these days don't know how to go down a water slide. Had to teach them: laying down on your back, feet first, arms across the chest. That's how you get the most speed.

We think some band is staying at our hotel, but we can't figure out who. Two tour buses were parked there yesterday. Got to check the paper here to see who is coming to town. I just know it's not my dream reunion tour of Guns 'n' Roses. Not yet. But it will happen.

Off day on Monday. Some of the players stayed in SD. Some went home, and some went to their places around the Phoenix area. Days off are always good. The M's have won the first two games of this series. Everybody is really playing well. Fun to watch. Do feel a little bad for Bob Melvin and Brian Price. Very nice guys who were on the pregame shows the past two nights. They have now lost 19 of 22. That's amazing. Thank goodness for air conditioning here. They close the roof around 3pm, and start pumping the air. Not bad once you get in. Definitely sweating in coat and tie. Decent park, nothing great. But they do give media a 50% discount on food at the concession stands. That's pretty sweet. Never seen that in any other park. I'll be talking to the Mariners about that perk.

Excited to get home. Not thrilled about a night game tonight and then flying back to Seattle. ETA, 2am. Ouch. Then a game Friday. Tough stretch right now. I'm dragging, and I know it's a lot harder on the players. I really respect the fact that they have to be ready to play each and every night. Can't be easy. Especially in the heat.

Will blog again before the All-Star break...

Been awhile since my last blog. That's not just because I'm lazy, but because I was on vacation. Nice to get a little break during the Mariners season. Went to Maui with my wife's family. 13 people total, including 4 kids. That's work. Don't get me wrong, love the kids, but nothing is easy with the little ones. We were lucky that our daughter loved the water. She's almost 11 months now and loved to splash and play in the water. Even the ocean. That helped us out big time. Even snuck in two rounds of golf. As all parents who play know, that's a luxury you don't normally get at home.

Anyway, back and ready to get down to Safeco for the Giants series. The Mariners were playing great, probably their best ball of the year until the Oakland series. Not sure what it is about the colors green and gold. That's now 9 straight losses to the A's. Tried to follow the team from the island, but the Maui Times didn't seem to care too much about our M's. (Got all the Michelle Wie coverage I could ever want)

With the Giants being in the A.L. for this series, we'll probably see Barry Bonds DH all weekend. I hope he doesn't play every game, and I definitely hope he doesn't hit a home run. He needs to just go away from baseball and never be seen or heard again. LIke the other players linked to Balco.

The other NL West teams the M's face on the road next week. 3 games in L.A., San Diego, and Arizona. Not a bad little road trip. Think I'll bring the clubs. Promise to have more insight next blog. Wonder if we'll see Joel make his next start, or is he heading to the bullpen. Think I'll ask the Skipper that tomorrow.

Quiet plane ride yesterday after the M's got shutout by the O's. Still, a 5-2 homestand is a big improvement. There was no TV for the game, so our crew at FSN wasn't at the game. We listen and try to time it so we arrive at Boeing Field just in front of the team bus. Kind of scary yesterday. Fast game and lots of traffic on I-5. Made it in plenty of time. Some of the players drive themselves so they have a car there when they get back. Some are driven. Like Ichiro. His interpreter, Ken, drives him to the plane. Funny to see Ichiro cruising in a Honda Civic. But Ken said that he is getting a new truck next week. Now I can't see Ichiro riding in a pickup truck. Doesn't fit the image.

First time in Minnesota. Metrodome is not that bad. Players are loving it today. Over 90 degrees here all week. Texas will be even hotter. Look for the announcers in Tommy Bahama shirts in Texas. Too hot to wear suit and tie.

Talked to Eddie Guardado about the Dome. The Twins are finally getting a new stadium bult downtown. Open air set to open in 2010. Eddie said that early season games will be brutal, but he's happy for the city. Eddie is still beloved here. He knows everybody. He said that Kirby Puckett was the mayor, and he was the Deputy Mayor.

Speaking of Eddie and domes, he paid Sean Green $1,000 to shave his head. Sean agreed, and is now bare down to the scalp. Eddie made the rookie go through stretching without his hat so all his teammates could get a good look.

Walked to the park with Gil Meche today. Stopped for lunch and Gil bought. Nice. He gets double my per diem, and he was very generous with it. Some of the guys bought suits the other day at Safeco, and Gil bought one for Rafael Chavez. Nice gesture to thank his pitching coach. A guy comes out with swatches of colors and fabrics, and the guys pick what they want and get sized right there. The suits are then sent to them. Makes it easier to buy for them, and most need it since they can't buy off the rack like I can.

As I washed my hands in the press box restroom, I'm reminded how nice the paper towels were in Anaheim. So soft. Nice touch there. Cheap stuff here.

Going to get to play one round of golf in Texas. First round of the year. Only brought three balls. Hope that enough....

Nice to be back on the road.  Especially in Southern California. Great hotel in Costa Mesa. Always funny to see the players around town and nobody recognize them. Jamie Moyer can go to dinner and never raise an eyebrow. Most of the guys hang out at a nearby mall to kill time during the day. People there don't even know who Felix Hernandez is. Kind of a nice perspective to see. I always see them with shopping bags, so they are spending some of that salary.

Friday night we had the most fun on a pre game show I've ever had. The famous cow milking contest. Bobby Livingston took on the Angels Tommy Murphy. The Angels cheated by pouring a gallon of milk into Murhphy's pail. Bobby didn't have a chance against the cheaters. He had Jarrod Washburn as his coach, and seemed to know his way around an utter, but he still lost. We got the Angels dumping the milk on TV. Caught them live on the pre game show. Great TV. To make matters worse, Bobby was pounded that night by the Angels and then sent to Tacoma. At least he'll get to pitch every five days there as a starter. Maybe he'll be back next year to take on that diary cow.

The team won their last two games in Anaheim to win that series. Back in third place. The offense finally put up some runs. That's a sigh of relief for the pitchers. Loved the pink bats on Sunday. Great cause, and they looked great too. Can't get any of the guys to use them in Oakland. 

Big attraction in the clubhouse is the old school arcade game. Players were all over that. Hard to get interviews when they are playing Galaga. Just a perk in Anaheim. But the media food was the worst of any city so far this year. I think they served the same beef twice, renaming it the second night. Nasty.

After Sunday's game, an hour flight to Oakland and an off day on Monday. Several players went to Napa Valley for the day. The coaches not only played golf, they got in 36 holes. Jealous. I had my wife and daugter with me, so we toured the city. Very nice. The best thing about the Oakland trip is that the team stays in San Francisco. Some of the players take the BART to the game. 5 bucks gets you there in 20 minutes.

Looking forward to getting back home. I hear the weather is great in Seattle now. Gotta go water my lawn.

I have a confession to make. I framed a journalist in Boston. I feel now is the time to come clean. I wasn't totally alone in this. I had help from Willie Bloomquist. On Sunday in Boston, I was minding my own business, getting ready for our pregame show, when Willie comes up and starts berating me. It seems that there were scripts blowing around in the dugout during Saturday's game, and Willie tried to pick them up but couldn't. They continued to blow around as he was chasing them, and his teammates gave him a hard time about it. He assumed they were mine. Now I would own up if they were, but they weren't. So we decided to blame a Mariners beat writer. So Willie started giving him a hard time until we both busted up laughing. Poor guy had no idea what Willie was talking about.

I guess I'm talking about the last road trip because I'm not on this current one. My daughter was baptized yesterday, so I am here at the studios. Her day went well. She cried, but I guess I would too if I was dunked naked in water in front of a bunch of strangers. Was glad to see Jamie Moyer get his first win of the year yesterday. Was also glad to see that Mike Hargrove let the boys have it Friday night. That was long overdue. It seems to have sparked the club. Two straight victories over the Orioles. We'll have to see if it has any long term effects with the club.

I'm glad April is over. Mike Hargrove told me they just have to weather the storm in April and May, then they'll be O.K. Good thing the West is beating each other up. Nobody is running away with the division.

Talked with Freddy Garcia last week when the White Sox were in town. He's grown out his hair and added some blond steaks. He told me that the team told him to cut his hair. I guess they are cracking down on long hair in Chicago. Joe Crede and A.J. have already gone under the scissors. The World Champs are trying to be more like the Yankees every day. Wonder if he'll be all clean shaven when the M'#### town this week. Something to look for.