The Washington Nationals have already fired one hitting coach this season. Should they consider making another change at that position this year, thanks to Denard Span and his mother? Rick Eckstein was canned in mid-July, scapegoated for an offense that had scored the second-fewest runs in the NL (367) at the time. The Nats were […]

After bouncing from Chicago to Washington to Tampa Bay during the past week, David DeJesus can probably unpack his suitcase for the rest of the season. But you can't blame the guy if he doesn't settle in and get comfortable in his new surroundings just yet. He might still nervously eye the calendar until the […]

After watching the success that former players Robin Ventura, Mike Matheny and Don Mattingly have had as major league managers in recent years, could Cal Ripken Jr. be getting an itch to put on a uniform again?  The Hall of Fame shortstop may have had no interest in toiling in the minors as Ryne Sandberg […]

Jason Heyward is why Ryan Dempster should have been suspended for more than five games. Maybe that sounds like a stretch. Maybe I'm being overreactionary. But please stay with me here, and I'll try my best to explain what I mean. By now, you've surely heard about the Atlanta Braves outfielder getting clocked in the […]

How much is Brian Wilson's beard worth to him? We may soon find out. According to Radar Online, a razor blade company called 800Razors.com is negotiating a deal with Wilson to shave off his signature facial hair. But Wilson's people — doing an excellent job representing their client, quite frankly — are asking the razor maker […]

Phil Coke was kind of a rock star in Detroit after getting the final out of last year's ALCS versus the Yankees. Spiking his glove after getting Jayson Nix to fly out was one of the signature moments of the 2012 postseason and made Coke even more beloved among Tigers fans than he already was […]

Remember the golden age of shortstops? It was from the late 90s into the early 2000s, and shortstops were no longer slick-fielding pipsqueaks who struggled to hit 10 home runs or slug .350.  OK, Cal Ripken, Alan Trammell and Barry Larkin probably deconstructed that perception of shortstops years earlier. Not only were they excellent fielders, […]

If the Kansas City Royals are indeed a playoff contender in the American League, their five-game series against the Detroit Tigers beginning Thursday night provides an excellent opportunity to show they're the real deal. Both the Royals and Tigers have been among the hottest teams in MLB since the All-Star break. Kansas City is 19-6 […]

According to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, there's some tension these days between Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia and general manager Jerry Dipoto. That's certainly understandable, considering the Halos currently hold fourth place in the AL West. Regardless of what happened this year, you figured the Angels would finish ahead of the Seattle Mariners. (Of […]

Who knew there could be such a demand for a utility infielder batting .191?  The demand for Adam Rosales seems to be limited to the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics, who have bounced the poor guy between them like leftover sweet potatoes that no one wants to take home on Thanksgiving. You take him! No, […]

At 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, Jason Heyward hardly profiles as a typical leadoff hitter.  Yet since Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez moved his hulking right fielder to the top of his batting order, the team hasn't lost. Twelve wins, zero losses. The Braves have put together a 13-game winning streak overall.  That success is due […]

Mark Reynolds insists that he needs playing time to work himself out of his current slump. Unfortunately for him, he likely will no longer be getting that opportunity with the Cleveland Indians. The Tribe designated Reynolds for assignment on Thursday and called up pitcher Preston Guilmet from Triple-A Columbus to replace him on its roster. […]

How will the Texas Rangers replace Nelson Cruz in their lineup? A-Rod drama aside, that may have been the most prominent question in light of the 50-game suspensions MLB issued to 12 players for using PEDs supplied by the Biogenesis clinic in Miami. The two teams that appeared to be most adversely affected by these […]

Cleveland Indians fans will surely disagree, but Alex Avila provided a moment that baseball needed Monday night at Progressive Field. Earlier in the day, all of the talk and attention concerning Major League Baseball had to do with the suspensions that were issued to 12 players for taking performance-enhancing drugs supplied to them by the […]