Marz’s thoughts:  We have the Michael Vick situation in football…we have the Tim Donaghy situation in basketball…we have the gambling ring in hockey and now we have the Jose Offerman situation where he attacks the catcher and pitcher with a bat. When is it going to stop in the world of sports? Is our society getting to a point where self gratification is worth more than anything else? Whatever happened to sportsmanship?
P.S. – Man i wish the Phillies would have gotten Joel Piniero…then we could be printing out playoff tickets! haha

Cuch’s thoughts:  The Cardinals are tied for 4th in the NL in hitting this year with a .273 average. The pitching though is quite the opposite with only Houston, Pittsburgh, Florida and Cincinnati owning worse ERA’s this year. The true running fast team could be in Toronto where the Jays own the best ERA by FAR over the last month at just 2.83. If there is a team that is set to make a run, it is Toronto!
P.S. – Bonds hit HR #759 last night. Can he reach 800 himself if he comes back next year? Nah – still too far away, but a final number of 785 is not out of the question!

Marz’s thoughts:  Just a heads up. There is an outside chance I will not be on the show tomorrow. I am assuming that I will return on time but tonight I plan to "Astrotravel". A couple of places I plan to hit are the 1986 World Series where I will catch the ball for Bill Buckner…the 1993 World Series where I will kick Mitch Williams in his butt as he is delivering the pitch…and finally I will visit the Playboy Mansion on my way home.
P.S. – I hope that Vinny "Astrotravels" tomorrow to Niemann & Marcus to get himself some stylish shirts.

Cuch’s thoughts:  What could the Dodgers do to fix things up? They have been in an offensive funk for a while now. Outside of a James Loney 2-run homer in the 9th inning of a 2-1 win in St. Louis, LA has had little reason to cheer. Over the last 30 days the team average and run production is among the worst in Major League Baseball. They are a veteran team with little current production from Jeff Kent and Luis Gonzalez and now news of a DL stint by Nomar Garciaparra. What the Dodgers need is an emerging young talent to energize the team. The Yankees are a veteran team that was energized by Shelly Duncan and Joba Chamberlain. The Dodgers need the same to bring the game back to when it was just fun for them!
P.S. – Just click here – what in the world is this story about? HAHA  Jose Offerman goes batty

Marz & Cuch’s thoughts:  Our best wishes go out to the friends and family of Phil Rizzuto who passed away today at the age of 89. He entered the Hall of Fame in 1994 and was one of the most colorful broadcasters around.
John: As a former player, you immediately think back to all the times when you were around older players in the clubhouse and during Spring Training and you watch as they share stories, act young again and seem like they could go out on the field if you gave them the ok. Phil Rizzuto fits right into the mold!
Vin: Like many little kids growing up on Long Island in New York, I remember many days listening to Phil Rizzuto call games on the TV and between his stories…his love of the game and his genuine personality – as a former player certainly he wasn’t as polished but he was my version of Vin Scully and Ernie Harwell and Jack Buck.

P.S. – Here are the list of teams that are in the Leading Off Elimination Pool (Once you get in the pool, there is no going out)

Orioles, Devil Rays, White Sox, Royals, A’s, Rangers, Marlins, Nationals, Astros, Reds, Pirates and Giants

Marz’s thoughts:  Placido Polanco has not made an error in 147 straight games tying Luis Castillo’s mark. He is the glue to that ballclub. He hits with runners in scoring position. He hits behind runners and hits situationally…and above all – he is great defensively! Out of everyone in that Tiger lineup, if he were to be out, they would sink like a stone.
P.S. – Forget jet skiing…I am going skydiving and showing everyone up!

Cuch’s thoughts:  The Angels swept the Twins over the weekend and it put Minnesota below .500. Are they done? I am not going to go that far but the Twins are in trouble. They are not getting the same MVP years out of Morneau and Mauer and that is not to say they are underpeforming, but it was a big reason why they are not having the same stretch as before. Plus, Johan Santana is still great but not dominant like he has been in the past. This may all sound odd, but it all adds up right now to a game below .500
P.S. – Rick Ankiel for President – at least for now!

Marz’s thoughts:  I would like to wish a happy 45th birthday to Roger Clemens on Saturday. He is still one of the best pitchers in the game and despite his poor outing Thursday versus the White Sox, I expect him to bounce back as he not only climbs the ladder in age but as he climbs it in wins!
P.S. – My thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been effected by the tragic events in Minneapolis. Baseball this weekend at the Metrodome will act as a nice diversion.

Cuch’s thoughts:  Reds Manager Pete Mackanin told the Cincinnati Enquirer that he admits to having GM Wayne Krivsky tell him who to play. He claims that he hasn’t been here long enough to have the right to make those decisions. That is all well and good, but what is the purpose of the manager then? The GM builds the team and the manager works with them day in and day out to learn who would be best in what situations.
P.S. – Justin Upton was called up by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He went 0-1 with a foul pop up in his first appearance. That is not important…what is important is that the former #1 overall pick will be yet another big part of the baby backs push!

Seth’s thoughts:  Which way did he go George….which way did he go? Oh, and i would beat Marzano at a game of Texas Hold ’em anyday!

Cuch’s thoughts:  So i have already admitted that i did not think that the Cubs would be anywhere near the top of the division considering where they were coming from last season. I am impressed and humbled by it but i wonder how long it can last. Ultimately, it can last all year since there is no team that you look to in the division that "should" pull away. I think the Brewers are deeper but can they withstand their first stumbling block on the year which finds them percentage points behind Chicago? Brewers win the division, but no one should say the Cubs or Brewers are not legit. After all, their records are on par with the other leaders!
P.S. – It is Rick VandenHurk now – NOT Rick Vanden Hurk…see the difference?

Marz’s thoughts:  Even though the trade deadline is over, teams are still going to look for the Mets to add a pitcher besides Pedro…the Halos to get a bat, possibly Piazza… and Seattle will add another pitcher. It is much easier to get players through waivers now then it was a few years ago. Also, there are alot of star players on the disabled list that will be coming back in August and September and that will make the difference between who makes the playoffs and who doesn’t.
P.S. – All that talk about luck and lottery means I might have to gamble today. I think i will play my batting average (.241) – my birthday is 2/14 – i am playing this number!

Cuch’s thoughts:  Quiet move of the day was sending Rickie Weeks down to Triple-A. His year so far features a .212 average, 5 homers and just 19 RBIs in 75 games. He is replaced by a career minor leaguer in Joe Dillon who is raking. It is hard to imagine that it is still his thumb injury from last year that is effecting him, but he has yet to be the same since then.
P.S. – I have been the fan taking pictures of the action from the upper deck and it is just brutal. Every shot looks the same and you might miss the actual shot yourself!

Marz’s thoughts:  Trading Deadline is over at 4 ET. As a kid, I used to love the trading deadline…especially when my team was in contention for the pennant. It wasn’t a good feeling when my team was out of contention because you were going to lose a great player. The Phillies traded one of their best pitchers of all-time in Curt Schilling. You think you are going to get great players in return and that wasn’t the case. The same thing happened with names like Scott Rolen, Placido Polanco and Darren Daulton.
P.S. –  Griffey told me one time that the Mariners were trying to trade me for a bag of balls and the other team declined!

Cuch’s thoughts:  Predictions = Davies to KC for Dotel…Jermaine Dye goes NOWHERE…Eric Gagne to one of the New York teams…Jack Wilson to Detroit…Mike Piazza to the Angels…Bronson Arroyo to Seattle or Atlanta…
P.S. – Bonds will go 0-2 with a walk versus Penny, A-Rod will hit #500 on Wednesday versus John Danks and Tom Glavine will wait 1 more turn for win #300

Marz’s thoughts:  As a General Manager you always err on the side of caution when making a deal. If in fact Mark Teixeira heads to Atlanta for Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Elvis Andrus, this is one of those times that hurts. Salty is a blue chip prospect with tons of power. This would rank up there with the Kazmir to Tampa and Bagwell to Houston deals. They are guys you don’t want to trade because they can give you 10-15 years of quality ball. I would have found a way to get him or McCann over at 1B and keep the other catching.
P.S. – I can’t wait to get in the car and sing "On the Road Again" while heading home. I will sing loudly too!

Cuch’s thoughts:  Chris the Producer really has a lead foot but he made two great decisions for food on our way up to Cape Cod so I can’t be a hater! Last month I was saying that I wanted to see Barry hit the record breaking homer at home to avoid the silly stuff but now I think it would be more intriguing if he did it in LA or SD. I want to see the crowd reaction and Barry’s since he knows he will be sticking it in their faces. Plus, we get to see Bud react!
P.S. – With the trade deadline just over 24 hours away, I still expect very little dealing. Contracts are too high and teams do not want to give up many prospects.

Seth’s thoughts:  When have I ever had any thoughts that make sense? I am clearly someone who is lost and confused. I always have a stupid look on my face and I make little sense…so NO, i do not have any Extra Innings thoughts.
P.S. – This blog entry may or may not have been tampered with by John Marzano

Cuch’s thoughts:  Kudos to the Toronto Blue Jays who scored 11 runs in the 6th inning of their win yesterday. They have played good baseball lately but i can’t put a finger on their pulse. Are they a team that can think about obtaining players who are they retooling? How far away from competing for a division title are they? Health is always an issue but taking that out of the equation for a moment, they are one good pitcher away from being a force. The lineup is there, the top of the rotation is as well and if available, they have a dominant closer in BJ Ryan.
P.S. – I mean really Seth…who brings props to a rant?!?!