• Francisco Liriano generates missed swings with 34 percent of his pitches, which is by far the most in the majors; Aaron Harang of the Reds is second, at 26 percent.

• Jeff Francis last week became the third Rockies pitcher to toss a two-hitter this year, joining Jason Jennings and Josh Fogg. In their first 13 years, the late Darryl Kile was the only Rockies pitcher to perform the feat.

• The next Twins pitching phenom to arrive should be right-hander Matt Garza, a former first-rounder from Fresno State. Garza, who started the year in A-ball, hit 97 mph in the ninth inning last week in a 1-0 shutout for Triple-A Rochester. Overall this year Garza is 13-4 with a 2.03 ERA and 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

• The Padres have hit 51-homers at Petco Park this season. They hit 54 there last year and 57 in 2004, its first season.

• Johan Santana has a 1.35 ERA in his last 10 starts against the White Sox.

• This guy deserves a swift kick to the groin.

• Chris Young hasn’t lost a road game since June 20, 2005.

• If the Orioles really did turn down the rumored Tejada for Ervin Santana, Erick Aybar and Casey Kotchman deal, then they are even more insane than I gave them credit for.

• Sean Casey hasn’t homered against a right-handed pitcher in 144 at-bats this season.

• The Yankees’ first six hitters in their batting order have the following OBPs: Damon .372, Jeter .427, Abreu .427, A-Rod .383, Giambi .402, and Posada .389. How does Joe Torre do it? Amazing what he can get out of such deficient talent in a team devastated by injuries. Maybe the fact the Yankees have $100 million more in payroll than any other team in baseball has something to do with it, but you can’t be sure. And if I hear one more “analyst” say Corey Lidle was the more important piece of the Abreu trade, I’m going to be forced to choke myself. Hope none of you expected a playoffs without the Yankees involved, because there’s zero chance of that happening.

• The Tigers became the first team in 115 years to score at least five runs in the opening inning of three straight games.

• The Astros were recently shut out for the 11th time in Roger Clemens’ 38 starts since the beginning of 2005.

• ESPN is convinced that pent-up demand for the Aug. 22 release of the videogame “Madden NFL 07″ is so enormous that it has created an hour-long pay-per-view special about the game to kick off on Aug. 4. “Inside Madden NFL 07,” which will be available for purchase for $19.95.

• More from Bristol: ESPN has been vigilant about sexual harassment because it reportedly has been a problem in Bristol for years. In 2000, the book “ESPN: The Uncensored History” reported rampant cases of harassment of women. Most prominently mentioned was Mike Tirico, who was even suspended at one point. Mike Tirico!

• Ryan Madson tied a major league record with four wild pitches in an inning Tuesday.

• So that’s what Jamal Mashburn’s been up to.

• So that’s why Ronaldinho had one of the most disappointing World Cups ever.

• Back-to-back shutouts at Coors Field this week? The humidor is officially working too well at this point.

• The Twins are 34-8 in their last 42 games.

• Switch-hitter Carlos Zambrano has four homers in 46 at-bats this season.

• The Dodgers are 1-13 since the All-Star break and are averaging only 2.1 runs scored per game.

• Alfonso Soriano had never walked more than 38 times in an entire season, and he’s got 45 already this year. Not to mention he’s nearly 30-30 while switching leagues and playing in one of the best pitcher’s parks in the game. Do not underestimate the contract year.

• San Francisco’s Eliezer Alfonzo had his second multi-homer game of the season Thursday. Barry Bonds hasn’t had a multi-homer game since Aug. 29, 2004.

• Mike Piazza has thrown out a ridiculous seven of 68 base runners attempting steals this year.

• Jeff Suppan has made 290 starts in the majors and has never struck out 10+ batters, which is the longest active streak in baseball.

• In 81 at-bats batting second in the lineup, Adam Dunn has 7 homers and a .370/.452/.691 line. Jerry Narron might want to leave him there.

• Scott Olsen has now gone 11 straight starts without allowing more than three runs. Lowering his ERA from 5.83 to 3.79 in the process.

• The Twins have won 37 of their first 48 home games. It’s the best start at home by a team since the 1998 Yankees went 40-8.

• Jose Canseco had another run-in with police this week after winning the home run derby at the Golden Baseball League’s inaugural All-Star game. Several hours after Canseco won a $250 cash prize in the contest, Chico police officers found him outside his Oxford Suites hotel room early Wednesday morning in a heated argument with a woman. Officers found the room, where the two were staying, had been damaged. Neither person was arrested.

• According to Baseball Prospectus, the list of the most abused pitchers in baseball this year goes as follows: Livan Hernandez is first, Jason Schmidt is second, followed by Aaron Harang, Carlos Zambrano, John Smoltz, Barry Zito, Dontrelle Willis, Bronson Arroyo, Curt Schilling and Brett Myers.

• Josh Beckett has allowed 27 homers this year, a career-high. His previous high was 16 with the 2004 Marlins.

• Sunday’s win improved the Twins’ record to 63-1 when leading after eight innings this season. They’re also 257-3 when leading after the eighth since the start of the 2003 season.

• Robby recently did an excellent job of pointing out the ridiculous quality of Sports Illustrated’s recent foray into the fantasy sports industry. Well, I didn’t want ESPN to feel left out; after all, we here at RotoScoop do not choose favorites when it comes to shoddy fantasy football rankings. Other than the laughable ranking of Tony Gonzalez ahead of Antonio Gates, I won’t nitpick too much with Bristol’s rankings. My main criticism is that they probably should have spent a little more time analyzing teams starters (DeShaun Foster ranked ahead of Reggie Bush, Willie Parker, Brian Westbrook, Julius Jones, Kevin Jones and Chester Taylor is a tad suspect) and less time on teams third, fourth and fifth stringers. I’m all for a thorough job, but come on, do 115 RBs really need to be listed? What about 150 WRs? I mean, I couldn’t believe that LeRon McCoy was ranked No. 140, ahead of No. 142 Skyler Green. The 77 TEs were absolutely necessary, however. When a guy who played in all 16 games and amassed 1 reception for 1 yard last year isn’t the last player on the list, it’s probably time to focus your resources elsewhere.

• My favorite part of ESPN’s fantasy coverage has to be the mock draft. It’s tough to take Bill Simmons (The Sports Guy), who is one of my favorite writers, seriously after seeing him take a kicker in round eight.

• In hindsight, I probably should have blown all of my FAAB on Jered Weaver instead of Cole Hamels. Oh well, at least I referred to Francisco Liriano as “THE steal of fantasy baseball drafts” before the season. You win some, you lose some.

• The Braves became the first team since the 1930 Yankees to score 10 or more runs in five straight games. Do not count them out of the wild card race just yet.

• The Braves’ Jorge Sosa and the Cubs’ Carlos Zambrano are the first pair of pitchers with three or more homers since 1984.

• When Jason Schmidt allowed Rickie Weeks’ fifth-inning RBI single Monday, it marked the first time this season that the right-hander had yielded a hit with a runner in scoring position. Until then, opponents were hitless in 42 at-bats against Schmidt in those instances.

• Cadillac Williams on the Auburn directed-study mini-scandal: “Auburn’s a great school as far as academics and athletics … once everything unfolds, they’ll know that Auburn didn’t do nothing wrong and I haven’t did nothing wrong.”

• Jose Canseco, using his patented knuckleball, retired only one batter Tuesday while giving up four runs in the first All-Star game in the independent Golden Baseball League. Before his struggles on the mound, Canseco wowed the crowd with some titanic drives to win the home run derby. “I’m going to take these guys out and get them drunk,” motioning toward his teammates on the South team. “I’m going to buy about 400 gallons of beer.”

• Chad Cordero has fewer saves this season (14) than he did in June alone in 2005 (15).

• Braves manager Bobby Cox is but eight ejections away from breaking John McGraw’s record for lifetime ejections. McGraw was ejected 131 times.

• Milwaukee’s Tony Gwynn Jr. collected his first big league hit with a ninth-inning double Wednesday — exactly 24 years to the day after Gwynn’s famous father recorded his first hit.

• Buck O’Neil, at 94, became the oldest player to bat in a professional game Wednesday.

• Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has been named in a New Jersey divorce case as “the other man.” It has to be the hoody.

• Toronto manager John Gibbons challenged Shea Hillenbrand to a fight during a team meeting before the Blue Jays designated Hillenbrand for assignment Wednesday.

• It’s probably too late, but make sure Fausto Carmona isn’t still available in your league. Not only is he the new Indians closer, but there’s also a good chance he’s going to be quite effective in his new role.

By Robby Wellington – Staff Writer

Note: Don’t worry, this article contains no spoilers.

Last night I spent two delightful hours glued to ESPN’s “The Contender.” For those who missed Season One, the show takes 16 fairly talented and accomplished boxers who live and train together. At the end of each episode, two boxers are chosen to fight, with the winner advancing and the loser going home until an eventual champion is crowned.

The show’s first season aired on NBC but was not renewed after suffering through subpar ratings. ESPN picked it up for a second season, which features welterweight boxers instead of middleweights and has trimmed down the primetime budget. The million dollar purse has been slashed in half, the fighters’ families no longer are provided with housing nearby, the teams no longer compete in elaborate and idiotic competitions and, tragically, executive producer Sylvester Stallone no longer appears on the program, having focused his most recent efforts on the highly-anticipated Rocky VI.

This is far and away the most severe blow to the show’s enjoyability, as Sly provided pure, unadulterated comedy every moment he was on camera. My favorite Stallone moments were during the actual fights when he would sit next to co-host Sugar Ray Leonard and offer insight, matter-of-factly telling one of the greatest boxers of all-time what was going on in the match (”Gomez won that round,” or “Mora needs to use the jab more”). Clearly, the audience, and maybe Sugar Ray himself, were supposed to believe that this wasn’t Sylvester Stallone providing boxing expertise, but rather Rocky Balboa, the greatest champion ever! Anyway, Sly’s absence has forced Sugar Ray Leonard, his former second banana, to take over the hosting reigns, a job he is not at all cut out for. No doubt, the man was a great boxer, but he exudes about as much charisma as a peanut butter & jelly sandwich.

So while the show’s changes appear to have caused it to drop a full grade on the watchability scale (from an A to a B), the last twenty minutes of each episode are still gold. The first ten really tug at the old heartstrings as each boxer is reunited with his family the day of the fight, a scene invariably spliced together with an emotional and tearful soliloquy, all of which is accompanied by some phenomenally dramatic music. Then, for the next ten minutes, you get to watch the two men beat the living hell out of each other. I generally think that the show chose their boxers, in large part, on fighting style, selecting only guys who are willing to wail on each other for five rounds and produce entertaining bouts. And on the rare occasion when a match isn’t entertaining, it’ll be edited enough in post-production, combinations repeated from different angles, punches slowed down and made to look more powerful, not-so-subtle sound effects and cutaways to combatants’ families, all of which may sound incredibly cheesy, but trust me, work quite well.

But enough about the show itself. I am here mainly to advocate a way to make the program even more entertaining, the same way we spice up any sport or game: gambling. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present “Fantasy Contender.”

The scoring system is fairly simple: a point for every bout your fighters win and a bonus point for picking the eventual champion. I briefly considered a 1-2-4-8 doubling format similar to most NCAA pools, but clearly whoever picked the winner would win with the owner of the runner-up getting second, and that’s no fun. You can also make things a little more interesting by choosing to have additional bonus points awarded or taken away for each platitude your contender utters (e.g. “I left it all in the ring”) as well as every time a fighter asks God to help them win.

Now, unless your league has seven participants, some teams will have one fewer boxer than others. The best solution I have for this problem is that all participants have the option to draft one point, instead of an actual boxer, meaning your team would have one fewer boxer, but start a point ahead of teams with full rosters. Granted, not a perfect solution but better than not using every boxer in my opinion.

Another problem is what to do with the boxers who already advanced. Should their owners get a point for the wins from last night or only count future victories. Since I personally don’t think that either of these boxers have a great chance of taking it all, I am inclined to award their owners a point for the first round victory, but either format works.

So now how do you prepare for your league’s draft? The best way, I would think, is to watch the first episode closely, taking note of which fighters were singled out at the beginning as the frontrunners, and which order the teams were picked (a good way of judging the boxers’ perceptions of each other). There are also a handful of Web sites that briefly profile each boxer, with ESPN’s official site being a good place to start. So just remember, you were put here for a purpose, do this for your family and for a better life, leave it all out in the ring, give 110 percent and make sure that God is in your corner because it’s win or go home when you play Fantasy Contender.

• The All-Star game matters. Home field has been fairly significant in determining the World Series champion recently. Since 1985, the team with HFA has won 17 of the last 20 World Series. Also, the last eight times the World Series has gone to a Game 7, the home team has won each game.

• For the first time in almost 28 years, Major League Baseball played a full day of games with nobody recording a save Saturday. There were six save attempts, and every single one of them was blown.

• Chipper Jones extended his streak of games with at least one extra-base hit to 13 Saturday. The NL record is 14 set in 1927 by Hall of Famer Paul Waner.

• Alfonso Soriano leads all major league outfielders in assists this year.

• The Colorado Rockies lead the majors in fewest homers allowed.

• If you have the roster room, go ahead and stash BJ Upton. Similarly, keep your eye on the White Sox’ rotation; if they do in fact trade either Garcia or Vazquez, Brandon McCarthy would become a starter and be worthy of a pick up in virtually all leagues.

• When Angels pitcher John Lackey set down 27 straight A’s after Mark Kotsay’s leadoff double, he became the seventh pitcher in the modern era to do that. He later ran his scoreless streak to 26 2/3 innings Friday.

• Alex Rodriguez recently collected his 100th homer as a member of the Yankees. A-Rod, who also has more than 100 homers with the Mariners and Rangers, is one of three players to have 100 homers with the three different clubs. Reggie Jackson (A’s, Yankees, Angels) and Darrell Evans (Braves, Giants, Tigers) are the others.

• Chicago’s Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club, a gay bar, is offering an Effen Ozzie Guillen-tini made with Effen vodka and fresh fruit. The drink will set you back $8.50 but at least it comes with a free copy of the Sun-Times, whose columnist Jay Mariotti started the whole flap with a column critical of the White Sox manager.

• Curt Schilling was 4-1 with a 3.11 ERA against teams with winning records in the first half. The rest of the Red Sox’ starters were 11-14 with a 6.75 ERA.

• Andy Pettitte has the best career winning percentage after the All-Star break in the history of MLB.

• Trot Nixon’s batting average dropped 11 points after his 0-for-9 showing in the Red Sox’ 19-inning loss to the White Sox last weekend. Only five hitters since 1957 have had more hitless at-bats in the same game.

• The Mariners players have spent just 76 days on the DL this year, fewest in the majors. The Nationals lead the way at 846.

• If you’re as bored with TV this summer as I am, give “Rock Star” a try. With Nirvana, The Killers, Coldplay and Franz Ferdinand on the play list, it’s certainly more appealing than “American Idol.” Plus Dave Navarro and Tommy Lee are involved, so high comedy is abundant.

• The best dunk ever?

• The Tigers had a three-year record that was the worst in the game and now have a midseason record that’s the best in the game.

• As much as I like the Oakland A’s squad, the Angels cannot be counted out at this point. Name a better rotation than Jered Weaver, Santana, Colon, Escobar and Lackey. Not to mention their bullpen and even more talent just waiting for their chance in the minors. Speaking of, if you have roster room, go ahead and stash Howie Kendrick, you’ll thank me later.

• It’s pretty ridiculous that a team featuring Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, Carlos Zambrano and last year’s deserving MVP-winner has the third worst record in baseball at the break. The Cubs figured they could be the next team after the 2004 Red Sox and 2005 White Sox to break a curse. They figured they could stay healthy, too.

• One of the biggest story lines in the second half has to be whether Joe Mauer can flirt with a .400 average or not. Hopefully he at least keeps it close for a while.

• With all the grumbling over All-Star snubs, including me, one forgotten name is Jim Leyland. It’s safe to say he’s done a better job managing than Eric Wedge has this year.

• Even though they haven’t won since 1996, maybe there’s hope for the NL All-Star team this year, as they are a career 4-0 in All-Star games played in Pittsburgh.

• A’s GM Billy Beane recently banned beer from the Oakland clubhouse, home and away. For home games, the visitors clubhouse will be dry as well. This was a reaction in part to Esteban Loaiza’s recent DUI but also something Beane said he should have done years ago.

• A GQ Magazine article reports that NBA groupies target bad boys like Allen Iverson and Rasheed Wallace, with GQ writer Lisa DePaulo proclaiming that this “isn’t just kinky, it’s smart business.” Of course.

• With the recent talk of baseball betting here at RotoScoop, I thought it’d be interesting to take a look at tonight’s opportunity – the home run derby. First off, let’s take a quick glance at PNC Park. The power alley in left, which reaches 410 feet at its deepest, and the 21-foot wall in right can be a challenge for tonight’s hitters. However, there is a short porch in right, seemingly benefiting left-handed hitters. David Ortiz could do some damage with the 320-foot line down right field. But at BoDog.com’s modest +270 line, and Big Papi’s past poor derby stamina, there might be a better bet out there.

• Remember, there is a six-foot wall in left, so a right-handed batter winning this competition isn’t completely out of the question. I’m thinking Troy Glaus for a couple reasons. Mainly, this bet is difficult and pretty much a crapshoot, but Glaus is for some reason the least favored of all the participants. He has been bothered by some leg injuries and has only two home runs in his last 17 games. Still, one of them came Sunday, and the guy has one of the best power strokes in the game. Don’t go crazy or anything, as this type of bet is obviously not a very safe one, but Glaus is listed at a lucrative +1000. With only one returning bomber from last year and a field that is very open, go Glaus and at the very least, the derby will become even more watchable.

• Injury of the week (if not the year): Brewers reliever Matt Wise is temporarily shelved after an injury caused by a pair of salad tongs. He cut the middle finger on his pitching hand while reaching for the aluminum tongs in the postgame spread. This is the same Matt Wise who strained his shoulder on a railing in early May. He was in the Brewers’ bullpen in San Diego, heading for the bathroom.

• With Jose Canseco now a San Diego Surf Dawg, getting paid $2,500 a month, he’ll be subject to the Golden Baseball League’s drug-testing policy. Steroids are banned, and every player in the GBL is tested. Canseco will be a designated hitter and “showcase his knuckleball as a member of the pitching staff,” according to a press release.

• 383 - Triple-A hitters Jeremy Sowers faced this year while allowing one home run.

• 2 - Homers Sowers allowed in a span of four batters in his first start for the Indians.

• This catch is legit.

• Orlando Cabrera has reached base safely in 61 straight games, giving him the longest such streak since 1960. The major league record is 84 games by Ted Williams

• Jason Marquis has 10 wins on the season despite a 5.78 ERA. Meanwhile, Todd Jones has 22 saves despite an ERA of 6.00.

• Chicago Bulls mascot charged with attacking an off-duty officer after driving a mini-motorcycle through an outdoor festival.

• Nomar Garciaparra tied a major league record when he was hit by three pitches in Monday’s game against the Diamondbacks.

• USATODAY has a poll asking, “which do you think was the worst MLB All-Star snub?” They list eight players, including the likes of A.J. Pierzynski; Travis Hafner, however, isn’t one of them.

• Make sure Erik Bedard isn’t available in your league. After a rough two months to start the season, he has a 1.24 ERA in his past four outings, with a 32/6 K/BB ratio. The opponents included the Mets, Phillies and White Sox, so it wasn’t against weak competition either. Maybe he is finally harnessing his stuff, which is definitely good enough to excel in the majors.

• Sammy Sosa told a Korean newspaper he’s not retired and might return to action next season, but he nearly ended the interview when asked about steroids.

• Check out Tom Cruise night at a minor league park.

• Forget Pickle Girl; it’s all about Balloon Girl.

• Honestly, this never gets old. Check out Bird Girl and Mustard Girl.

• The Red Sox set the major league record for consecutive games without an error at 17 Friday.

• Johan Santana lowered his ERA to 2.59 with seven shutout innings Wednesday. Amazingly, it was his first outing all year long in which he didn’t allow at least one run.

• Speaking of Johan, he finishes June with a ridiculous 1.05 ERA and 0.67 WHIP in 43 innings. In 2004, he went into the All-Star break with a 3.78 ERA, and in 2005, he finished the first half with a 3.98 ERA. If he has a second half this year that even resembles his last two, his final numbers will be eye-popping. This is why I advocated him as the No. 3 pick overall.

• San Diego’s Chris Young has a 0.93 ERA is his last six starts.

• Curt Schilling has pitched at least five innings in 134 consecutive starts.

• NL-only leaguers need to pounce on Tom Gorzelanny. Mixed leaguers should pay attention to him as well.

• The Minnesota Twins are now 18-2 in their last 20 games. They gained one whole game on the Detroit Tigers in the process. With Johan Santana, Francisco Liriano and their bullpen, absolutely no team would want anything to do with the Twins come playoff time. Since May 1, Joe Mauer is hitting .418. As of now, they look like one of the better third place finishing teams in recent memory. Actually, I still say they can make a run at the Tigers.

• At least it didn’t take too long for the Angels to recognize the error in their ways; bringing back Jered Weaver was an absolute must. It seems to me older brother Jeff would benefit from a switch back to the NL.

• I recommend making sure Jeremy Accardo is owned in your league. He just finished up June with a horrendous 7.94 ERA and 1.50 WHIP, so there’s a decent chance he’s available to be picked up. He still has a nifty 32/10 K/BB ratio on the year, so it hasn’t been all bad, but most importantly, the Giants view him as their closer of the future. While Armando Benitez is due to come back any day now, remember he is pitching with a sprained elbow ligament. If that’s not bad enough, Benitez has alienated himself so badly in the Giants’ clubhouse that there are even rumors of him possibly being released.

• Now is the time to make an offer for Cole Hamels. He has been extremely disappointing so far, with a 5.50 ERA and 1.51 WHIP. Still, he’s seemingly healthy, still has dominant stuff, and with the Padres and Pirates coming up in his next two starts, his numbers could get better in a hurry. Make an offer before it happens.

• Eddie Griffin has left me speechless.

• And finally, I’ll leave you with two more ridiculous YouTube clips, enjoy: Japan Prank Show and Rogue Helicopter Pilot.

• Maybe it’s time to reevaluate how valuable Jamie Moyer is as a fantasy pitcher, at least if you play in a daily transaction league. The sample set is large enough now to realize the home/road splits are not a fluke and can be fully taken advantage of. Since last year, Moyer has a 5.79 ERA and 1.64 WHIP in 121 2/3 road innings. At home, he has a nifty 2.85 ERA and 1.16 WHIP over 183 1/3 innings. While not a big strikeout contributor, Moyer is seriously a valuable commodity if used right.

• Jonathan Papelbon tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief Saturday, and the outing lowered his ERA by 0.01 points. Unreal, all the way from 0.25 to 0.24. The second place finisher for AL Rookie of the Year (Francisco Liriano) is going to have some pretty ridiculous numbers for a non-winner.

• In case you haven’t seen the footage yet, check out Minor league manager Joe Mikulik’s recent tirade.

• Defenses get edgy when Ichiro Suzuki hits. He has reached base on errors seven times this year, more than any other AL player.

• Ryan Anderson was the Mariners’ top draft pick in 1997, and he was called the “Little Unit” because he was a 6-foot-10 lefty who threw a triple-digit fastball and emerged as baseball’s best prospect. But he never made the majors, having undergone three shoulder surgeries. Now he’s a student at the Scottsdale Culinary Institute and hopes to be an executive chef and restaurant owner.

• Jason Johnson was a bust in Cleveland after signing for one year and $4 million. Before being traded to the Red Sox, he basically served as a batting-practice pitcher. Check these numbers: .341 (opponents’ batting average), .403 (average for lefties), .469 (average for hitters swinging at the first pitch), .447 (average for hitters leading off innings), .387 (average for No. 9 hitters) and .467 (average for No. 8 hitters). Good luck, Boston.

• The Twins have won 15 of 17 games but gained just .5 game in the standings on Detroit and 3 on the White Sox.

• Last year the Angles allowed the fewest unearned runs in the majors - this year, the most.

• Not only does Jose Reyes have more walks this year than all of last, but also his June has been white-hot. Check out these numbers: .430/.480/.720 for a 1201 OPS. He’s also chipped in 14 stolen bases. In mid-season leagues, he looks like a top-5 pick.

• Fox Sports Network, which failed miserably in attempts to challenge ESPN’s SportsCenter several years ago, will try again at 11:30 p.m. starting July 3. But this time, there’s a catch - FSN’s program will feature nothing but highlights. In other words, no ponderous lead-ins from anchors trying to show us how clever they are. The concept just might work, though it’s unrealistic to think it will challenge SportsCenter in the ratings.

• Barry Bonds is a 13-time All-Star but will probably have to make it as a reserve this year, as he stands ninth among outfielders in the latest balloting. Will National League Manager Phil Garner take him? As vulnerable as Bonds has looked at times, his .476 on-base percentage towers over the leading vote-getters among N.L. outfielders: Jason Bay (.407), Carlos Beltran (.395) and Alfonso Soriano (.340.).

• When the Baltimore Orioles took a chance by signing Russ Ortiz Sunday, both sides touted the way pitching coach Leo Mazzone worked miracles with Ortiz in Atlanta. In 2003, Ortiz finished fourth in Cy Young balloting behind Eric Gagne, Jason Schmidt and Mark Prior. But the Mazzone magic has yet to follow the coach to Baltimore: The Orioles’ 5.19 ERA is second-to-last in the majors. If Russ Ortiz isn’t the very worst pitcher in the AL from here on out, Mazzone is a genius.

• The Dodgers’ starting infield Saturday and Sunday consisted of four shortstops: Nomar Garciaparra (1B), Ramon Martinez (2B), Cesar Izturis (3B) and Rafael Furcal (SS).

• Tim Hudson is 90-4 in his career when given four or more runs to work with.

• The Marlins have the best record in baseball over the last month-plus, at 22-9. All of a sudden, Willis, Josh Johnson and Scott Olsen shape a formidable trio. They have plenty of more talent in the farm system as well. Maybe this rebuilding thing won’t take nearly as long as most anticipated.

• SS Orlando Cabrera has reached base safely in 50 consecutive games, the longest streak in the majors since 2003, when Barry Bonds did so in 58 straight.

• Speaking of Bonds, his recent three-strikeout game was his first since June 12, 2003. Maybe the old Barry really is never coming back.

• If Roger Clemens averages six innings for each of the estimated 19 starts he’ll make this summer for the Astros, he’ll earn roughly $35,819 per out. That’s right, per OUT.

• The Angels made a huge mistake in demoting Jered Weaver. There is no room for seniority or sentimentality in sports. Angel fans will have to hope it’s a short arrangement.

• Anthony Reyes should be claimed in just about all leagues with his promotion to the Cardinals rotation. Go get him. Although…

• Home runs are up 16 percent (from 56 homers to 65) over the first 34 games at Busch Stadium, compared with the same number of games played last year at old Busch.

• Jeremy Piven sings the National Anthem; gets in trouble.

• 16 of Ryan Howard’s 25 homers have been hit to opposite field.

• Ozzie Guillen is no fan of “Around the Horn” regular Jay Mariotti. The feeling is mutual.

• There’s a real chance that Kerry Wood has pitched his final game as a member of the Cubs.

• Last week I mentioned the humidor and raised the question of what’s stopping the Rockies from using it to their advantage. Ken Macha concurs: “I still feel the humidor should be investigated,” Oakland manager Ken Macha said. “Maybe we ought to do that at our ballpark. The ball’s the same weight, but they are sitting in there and getting moisture, so I don’t understand that.”

• The humidor’s impact is staggering. Coors Field is averaging 9.4 runs and 1.78 home runs this season. Compare that to the 13.83 and 3.20 compiled from 1995 to 2001. The Oakland A’s were just recently shut out in back-to-back games there, and after Jason Kendall led off the second game with a single, they were no-hit. It marked the seventh shutout at Coors Field this year – tied for most in the majors.

• The Chicago White Sox pitchers allowed 16 hits Tuesday….and won the game by 14 runs. The White Sox have scored at least eight runs in six straight games, a franchise record

• Mike Gonzalez and Chris Ray are the only two closers yet to blow a save this year.

• Going to see Radiohead in concert this weekend, consider me pumped.

• Cory Sullivan became the eighth player in baseball history Wednesday to record four sacrifice bunts in a game - a game the Rockies won 14-8. Probably not the best strategy to give outs away when your team is scoring two touchdowns worth of runs. If that’s not enough, he followed that up with three more sac bunts in Thursday’s game.

• Tony Armas’ struggles at home continue. He has a 2.55 ERA on the road this season, but a 6.27 in his seven starts at RFK Stadium. Hard to figure that one out, considering RFK is about as cavernous as stadiums get.

• The Red Sox have to keep Kevin Youkilis leading off in the order. Managers too often pick speed or people that simply look the type as their leadoff guy, when in fact, OBP is clearly the leading factor when picking a No. 1 hitter. Youkilis, by the way, has an OBP of .434 this year and has been one of baseball’s best hitters.

• Check out this batboy tackling a fan who ran onto the field.

• Sean Tracy was sent to Triple-A because he got Hank Blalock out. He was supposed to plunk him in retaliation to A.J. Pierzynski getting hit twice earlier in the game, and Ozzie Guillen went ape when he didn’t.

• Chris Henry, the man, the myth.

• Forget about Michelle Wie, it’s all about Tadd Fujikawa.

• The right move is a clear and simple one; keep Jered Weaver in the rotation and put Jeff in the pen.

• Esteban Loaiza was arrested early Wednesday morning on DUI charges after officers pulled him over for speeding. Loaiza was driving his Ferrari in excess of 120 MPH. If you’re counting at home, that’s 36 MPH faster than his fastball has reached this year.

• Some questioned the huge contract given to B.J. Ryan. I wasn’t one of them. Dude has a 0.55 ERA on the year. That’s two runs allowed in 32 2/3 innings. Lefties are hitting a robust .042 against him.

• Aubrey Huff’s average hasn’t been over .200 at any point this season.

• The Diamondbacks’ Luis Gonzalez has not hit a home run since April 20.

• Best headline of the week - from sportspickle.com: “Does anyone know if Ben Roethlisberger was wearing a helmet?’’

• Despite Baseball Prospectus claiming that he is “reportedly headed for Tommy John surgery,” Rich Harden got some good news recently. The UCL is much less severely sprained than initially diagnosed, which means that Harden could be back in one month rather than two. Just after the All-Star break is the hope.

• Even though he’s still owed $22 million, the Diamondbacks did the absolute right thing by cutting bait with Russ Ortiz. Is there a more overpaid person in America?

• The Giants certainly didn’t draw it up this way. In 225 games with both Moises Alou and Barry Bonds on the payroll, they’ve been in the same lineup together just 26 times. Unsurprisingly, the Giants have a .696 winning percentage with them both in and a .451 with them out.

• Asked Friday if it might take the remainder of this season for Kerry Wood to recover fully from his shoulder stiffness, manager Dusty Baker said: “It’s possible. We are going to evaluate him at the end of this and we will see.” Meanwhile, Mark Prior’s fastball is topping out at 90 MPH.

• Joel Zumaya, on the other hand, had his fastball clocked at 102 MPH during Sunday’s save.

• Randy Johnson is D.O.N.E.

• Not a big soccer fan, but wow was that a pathetic performance by the U.S. team Monday.

• The Mavericks have played the Heat four times this season now, and they’ve won every game by an average of over 18 points.

• The story of Rick Ankiel takes a turn for the worse.

• Ken Griffey Jr. is a liability in center field. It’s long past due he moves to a corner spot. Not only would it improve his chances of staying healthy, but also his work with the glove is pretty bad at this stage of his career.

• Did you trade for Felix Hernandez when you had the chance? Hope so, because he figures to be one of baseball’s top pitchers from here on out.

• B.J. Upton committed three errors over the weekend, giving him 23 for the year. It’s safe to say his future is not at shortstop. It’s too bad because his bat is major league ready.

• Delmon Young’s suspension is scheduled to end a week from today, Monday, June 19.

• Juan Gonzalez has been activated by the Long Island Ducks and had three hits in his first seven at-bats.

• The Kansas City Royals turned the oh so common 8-1-6-5 triple play Sunday.

• Look for one of baseball’s very best pitching prospects, Chad Billingsley, to make his debut later this week.

• 76-year-old Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson claims that he can leg-press 2,000 pounds. Impossible? Maybe, but his Web site says he drinks a shake that includes, yep, flaxseed oil.

• Carl Crawford nearly tears knee ligament arguing a call with the homeplate umpire.

• Bob Uecker, the Milwaukee Brewers’ Hall of Fame radio announcer, has filed a restraining order against a 45-year-old Illinois woman who has allegedly been following Uecker, according to TheSmokingGun.

• Before Wednesday’s high scoring affair, the Colorado Rockies hadn’t made the “over” in 18 straight home games. In Coors Field, Colorado’s over/under usually is between 12-13.5 runs, but Vegas has started to catch on and has been lowering it to the 10.5 range. At this point, I think the humidor is underrated in its effect. The Rockies were allowed to essentially doctor their baseballs with use of the humidor four years ago. The balls are stored for six months, effectively neutralizing much of the effect the mile-high air has on increased run-scoring. It’s a situation that’s unprecedented and I’m curious what would prevent the Rockies from taking advantage of it. Why not use these balls a little more frequently when they are on the mound and a little less when at the plate?

• Peter Gammons set to release his first album “Never Slow Down, Never Grow Old.” Gammons, who sings and plays guitar, is joined on some songs by Bronson Arroyo and Jonathan Papelbon.

• The Tampa Bay Devil Rays drafted Eva Longoria?

• Speaking of the D-Rays, click here to check up on Josh Hamilton’s comeback.

• Rich Harden is looking more and more like Mark Prior everyday now. That’s not a good thing.

• I’m getting pumped for the season premieres of “Deadwood” and “Entourage” this Sunday; if you haven’t already, I urge you to jump on these bandwagons.

• Cincinnati’s Adam Dunn has 17 homers and 16 singles entering the weekend.

• Can it get any worse for the Kansas City Royals? They’re the first team in more than 100 years to have two double-digit losing streaks before their 44th game. They’re the first team in more than 50 years to be 22 games out of first this early in the season.

• I guess it can get worse; Jason Kendall hit his first home run in 962 at-bats Wednesday against, you guessed it, the Royals.

• Miguel Cabrera is either first or among the top five National League hitters in batting average, RBI, hits, doubles, multi-hit games, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. But he is not among the top five vote-getters for National League third basemen in the first round of balloting for the All-Star Game.

• Vernon Wells has eight home runs in 10 games versus Boston this year.

• Paul Lo Duca hits .722 on Memorial Day for his career.

• I know baseball players are probably the dumbest of all athletes, but seriously, will someone please explain to these guys that sliding into first base is a slower, and not in fact faster, way of reaching base.

• Every team deals with injuries and slumps throughout the season, but the Oakland A’s are in a class by themselves so far. I could literally make a “buy low” list using their squad exclusively. Before going down with a broken thumb, Mark Ellis was hitting .226, which looked positively All-Star like to Dan Johnson, who sits at .199. The Big Hurt is at .229, and ESPN MVP favorite Bobby Crosby is batting .255. Not one hitter on their entire roster is above .300, and they are hitting a collective .246 as a team. Harden, Ellis, Bradley, Loaiza, Duchscherer and Kennedy all currently sit on the DL. The A’s are notorious slow starters, but this is getting ridiculous. With all that said, I still see them taking the AL West and going deep into the playoffs.

• The Mavs are 24-0 this year when Josh Howard scores 20 or more points.

• What is wrong with the Pistons? They could still turn it all around with a game six win tonight, but they currently look nothing like the team that won 64 games in the regular season. Their defense just isn’t getting it done. The Mavs look like the current favorites to take home the title to me.

• Eric Musselman is a fantastic hire by the Sacramento Kings.

• Rented “Deadwood” season one last week. With TV options at a minimum come summer time, and if you haven’t seen it yet, I recommend you do the same.

• Jake Plummer, I understand how you would be sensitive to people in your rearview mirror after the Cutler acquisition, but no need for the road rage.

• Ryan Madson threw 105 pitches in relief Tuesday.

• Good thing he’s stretched out, as the Cole Hamels injury came quicker than even the pessimists could have expected.

• Speaking of the Phillies, they are 20-1 when Tom Gordon pitches. They are 4-21 when he doesn’t.

• Admittedly, I’m not a huge comic-book movie fan, but am I the only one who thinks “Superman” looks nothing short of terrible?

• RotoWorld’s Dr. A ranks Tim Duncan as the No. 36 player overall going into next year’s fantasy draft. I’ll refrain from commenting on that, but let’s just say he has an open invitation to join my league anytime he wants.

• Jesse Crain had 25 strikeouts in nearly 80 innings last year and finished with a 2.71 ERA. This year, he already has 22 strikeouts in only 20 innings but has an ERA of 7.52. No, it’s not supposed to work like that.

• More YouTube goodness finds a Cubs fan who may or may not have been drinking.

• David Hasselhoff cried when Taylor Hicks won American Idol. Honestly, sometimes it’s just too easy.

• Nick Swisher has reached base safely in 41 of his last 42 games.

• The Houston Astros went 7-for-7 in steal attempts against Matthew LeCroy Thursday. And apparently, Tom Hanks was dead wrong.

• Delmon Young’s manager was just suspended 10 games for repeatedly bumping an umpire last Sunday.

• If you’re into rumors, there have been some good ones lately. One states Roger Clemens is currently quietly serving a 50-game steroid suspension. Another (which turned out to be false) had ESPN anchor Neil Everett being suspended from the network for one week for referencing the famous Chris Berman “You’re with me, leather” line on SportsCenter. Good stuff.

• Hope all of you have a great Memorial Day Weekend.

• Danny Almonte, yes that Danny Almonte, was named to the PlayStation All-American Baseball Game and will join some of the country’s best prospects at the event in New Mexico on June 7. Almonte, a pitcher and first baseman whose fastball has been clocked in the low 90s, is expected to be drafted by a major league team later in June. Apparently, age really is just a number to this guy, as he recently married a 30-year-old.

• It’s estimated that Chase Utley would already have three more homers this year if they hadn’t changed the dimensions of the park in Philly.

• It’s real simple, Kerry Wood’s mechanics and stubbornness to not change them is basically ruining a potential Hall of Fame career. Mark Prior is soon to follow.

• The Royals are now 2-20 on the road, which is where history really comes calling. Only three other teams have lost 20 of their first 22 road games, the 1904 Washington Senators, the 1988 Baltimore Orioles and the 2005 Houston Astros.

• It’s too bad that it looks like Lima time is coming to an end. Such a shame, as betting against him was one of the surest wagers out there.

• 405 total pitches were thrown in the Twins vs. Brewers game Saturday.

• Vladimir Guerrero now has a 39-game hitting streak against the Texas Rangers. That’s the longest such streak against one team since 1969. Vlad has hit .451 with 13 homers and 30 RBI in the streak, which covers every game he’s played against Texas.

• The most disappointing fantasy baseball player so far this year? That’s easy, Felix Hernandez. Sure, I may have been higher on him than some, but come on, this is getting ridiculous. He was supposed to be better than having to deal with growing pains. With that said, there is absolutely not a better buy-low candidate out there. Go make an offer right now.

• Robert Horry played in his 209th playoff game on Wednesday, moving past Scottie Pippen into second place on the playoff-games played list. Only Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played more playoff games, clocking in at 237.

• Just as my predictions stated before the series’ began, the Spurs and Suns are both winning game seven.

• T-Minus 89 days until “Snakes on a Plane” arrives. Let the countdown begin.

• The OC officially jumped the shark with their finale. On a side note, the term “jump the shark” has in fact, ironically jumped the shark, but I’ll go ahead and continue its overuse here. It didn’t happen when the talentless Mischa Barton was killed off; no, it was when her character decided she wanted a fresh start. You mean a fresh start as in going away to UC Berkeley? Nope, instead of that option she was planning on joining Bubba Gump to become a shrimp’n boat captain. Maybe the most implausible turn of events in television history was a feeble attempt by the writers to make us think she was leaving the show in any other way than a death. Yes, I watch The OC. I’m in a relationship; what’s your excuse?

• And finally, I leave you with my link of the day, regarding Jose Mesa. This may be old, but it’s a classic. Check out when his daughter Yamely was born.

• In the same game that featured a triple play, Mark Buehrle became the first pitcher since 1900 to win a game after giving up seven runs in the first inning.

• What is up with Chan Ho Park? Not only is he pitching well, but Park, a career .083 hitter, also went 3-for-3 with two RBI against Brandon Webb Monday night.

• Nate Holthaus plays his last game for the Houston High School Wildcats Wednesday. Why is this newsworthy you ask? Holthaus, a 17-year-old senior first baseman, was born with no left leg and a right arm only a few inches long. Swinging one armed from the left side of the plate, he got two of the team’s four hits in one game and has a 4.50 ERA in nine relief appearances.

• The Fantasy Sports Trade Association recently indicated that the fantasy sports industry as a whole is $3 billion dollars. That number doesn’t even include advertising and sponsorships. Again, why is it so hard to get paid for this then?

• If you are a betting man, it’s hard not to like the Spurs tonight.

• How does Dirk Nowitzki, who shot over 90 percent from the free throw line this year, prepare for each shot from the charity stripe? By singing a David Hasselhoff song, of course.

• How does Sam Cassell get an eight-second count last night when he failed to pass mid-court with under one minute left in the game?

• It’s becoming more infrequent as each day passes, but Blue Jays manager John Gibbons really needs to stop platooning Alex Rios; the kid is for real.

• Angels pitcher Chris Bootcheck strained his hamstring recently while running in from the bullpen for a brawl, he’s now on the DL.

• How does Barry Bonds not kill Russ Springer? I’m telling you, one of these days he’s going to snap.

• The most underrated show on television is “Scrubs.” How does ABC cancel “Sons & Daughters” yet renew “According to Jim?” Is this some sort of sick, tasteless joke?

• And finally, if you haven’t checked out Rick Sutcliffe’s recent night out with Bill Murray, it’s time you do so:
• http://www.gaslampball.com/story/2006/5/11/11485/5817

• In the fourth inning Wednesday night, Bruce Froemming forgot the count and rang up Josh Barfield on a second strike.

• Is it merely a coincidence that Curt Schilling’s season to this point can be divided into two halves, the four starts before he hurled 133 pitches at Cleveland and the four following that night? Schilling was 4-0 with a 1.61 ERA before that April night at Jacobs Field. He is 1-2 with a 6.20 ERA in his four starts afterward. He allowed 17 hits (two of them homers) in 28 innings through four starts. He’s allowed 31 hits (five of them homers) in 24 2/3 innings covering his last four games.

• In the unlikely case that you weren’t already convinced the world has become too litigious, Michael Cohn has sued the Los Angeles Angels because he didn’t get a Mother’s Day gift from the team last year. The sex and age discrimination lawsuit contends that every male over the age of 18 and every non-adult fan who attended the Mother’s Day game at Angel Stadium of Anaheim is entitled to $4,000 to compensate for the discrimination inherent in a tote-bag giveaway targeted at women age 18 or older.

• The Schaumburg (Illinois) Flyers of the independent Northern League recently traded pitcher Nigel Thatch to the Fullerton (Calif.) Flyers of the independent Golden State League for 60 cases of Budweiser. Thatch, whose 2005 record was 0-3 with 10.22 ERA in seven games, is known not for his pitching skills but for his promotional abilities. He appears as the cocky athlete Leon in several Budweiser commercials.

• Albert Pujols is on pace to hit 83 homers and drive in 206 runs, but National League managers keep pitching to him.

• The Kansas City Royals have been outscored 115-46 on the road this year.

• Something is clearly wrong with Randy Johnson.

• Is Brad Lidge going to join the list of closers who never fully recovered from rough October moments (Mark Wohlers, John Rocker Byung-Hyun Kim, etc.)? I say no, but he might want to think about retiring some batters sooner rather than later.

• Going into Sunday, the Colorado Rockies had yet to lose a road series this season.

• Research by Retrosheet.org, which holds the play-by-play of baseball games back as far as 1957, has revealed that there were only five 1-0 games decided by a balk in 49 years before Mariners left-hander Jamie Moyer added a sixth Wednesday.

• I traded Neal Cotts for Corey Patterson straight up earlier this year; I’m half-expecting Five-O to show up at my door any day now and arrest me for that robbery.

• Went to the SF Giants game yesterday and although Barry didn’t come through, that was a sweet comeback.

• Larry Brown to be bought out of contract by the Knicks? Not much news could make me any sadder. I really wanted that comedy tour to continue for as long as possible.

• In their first 14 games with Derrek Lee, the Cubs scored 73 runs, and in the following 16 games, they scored 40.

• Colorado’s bullpen has allowed only five homers, the fewest in the majors. The best the team has ever ranked in this category at the end of a season is 25th, in 1998.

• The Astros have offered Roger Clemens $20 million for five months.

• Remember the name Tim Lincecum. The Washington junior recently struck out 16 batters in eight innings to become the Pac-10’s all-time strikeout leader and is a good shot at being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

• The New York Yankees are 11-0 in day games and 8-12 in night games this year.

• We are currently in the longest no-hitter drought since World War II.

• It’s a stat that Josh Towers doesn’t figure to change anytime soon; he sits at 0-7 on the year.

• I told you last week, but it’s worth mentioning again. If Cole Hamels is available in your league, pick him up yesterday.

• Kerry Wood reached 97 MPH in his latest rehab start; don’t forget about the guy.

• Is Jason Schmidt back? The impatient Cubs weren’t the toughest test, but the radar gun showed 95, something that certainly bodes well.

• Dallas McPherson has now struck out an astounding 55 times in his last 105 at-bats.

• The Kansas City Royals are 5-1 vs. the Indians this year. They are 5-21 vs. the rest of the league.

• Watch out for Sunday when many Major League players will be using pink bats to help with the fight against breast cancer. That’s right, pink is the new bat.

• Chris Paul was one vote away from becoming just the third player ever to unanimously win ROY honors. Who does this clown think he is? This person’s ability to vote needs to be removed immediately, as he is clearly not playing with a full deck.

• Although it would have been funny to see Artest play for free next year, firing Adelman was a move that had to be made.

• Speaking of funny, I cannot believe how good of a coach Avery Johnson has become. Seriously, he’s very good.

• And finally, we are going to do a mailbag early next week: e-mail any fantasy questions you may have to RotoScoop@gmail.com.