The Detroit Tigers

Sure, the Tigers got off to a ridiculously putrid start, but did those pundits who decided that the Tigers should start trading off pieces in late May forget that the baseball season is six months long? The Tigers have legitimate All-Stars at virtually every position. This is not a team that would smell it up forever. Here we are at mid-season and Detroit is roaring back into the post-season picture. If the Tigers manage to get past Boston in the ALCS, watch out for burning Lincolns in Motown in late October.

Willie Randolph

Will Willie go? Will Willie stay? This drama played out in the press for what seemed like a month before the Mets skipper got the axe -- at midnight on the road, in Anaheim, of all places.

After pumping this story forever, the New York press expressed outrage at how Randolph’s dugout deletion was handled. Considering the Mets late-season implosion in 2007, it shouldn’t have been any surprise that Randolph would be on the hot seat. This is a non-story for anyone not interested in the precious Mets -- meaning 98.9 percent of the county.

Instant replay

Okay, so some screwy outfield-wall configurations have cost a few hitters some home runs. Is that really a legitimate reason to scrap more than a century of baseball tradition and install instant replay on tough-to-call home runs? Forget about it. Not only are there no guarantees video usage will result in the proper calls (look at the NFL), it also adds another layer of middle-management hierarchy to a game that already has enough.

We’re not even afraid of the “slippery slope” theory that replay will spread to other aspects of the game. We just hate the idea of some dopey ump going under a hooded camera during a game. Here’s a better idea: Add an extra umpire in the outfield. Today’s umpires are fitter than ever. Put a guy in the outfield to stake out the walls. He’ll get a better view of the play than any camera.

The Tampa Bay Rays

The national press has latched on to the story of this ridiculous franchise’s rags to riches story with unrestrained glee. After a decade of some of the worst baseball ever witnessed by the human eye, the former Devil Rays have suddenly become a force in the AL east. Does their new upward swing have anything to do with the shedding of the word “Devil” from their moniker and their new bright blue and gold color scheme? Is youthful manager Joe Maddon the game’s new genius? No – it’s a lot more simple. This team sucked for so long that they’ve managed to pile up no. 1 draft picks like hot cakes. It’s a wonder it took this long to put a winner on their plastic indoor grass.

THE ONES EVERYONE MISSED

Maple bats

Maple bats, which break easier than Popsicle sticks, transforming them from sporting goods into dagger sharp projectiles, have become a dramatically increased hazard for fans and uniformed personnel in 2008. But despite one serious injury – a Pittsburgh coach suffered nerve damage to his face – and multiple potentially deadly close calls, MLB higher ups and the players union until recently have had little to say about this problem. The press has ignored generally it too.

Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla –

They are the best offensive keystone combo since Alfonso Soriano and Derek Jeter teamed up for the Yankees. But other than the diehard Florida Marlins fans – all two dozen of them – hardly anyone has ever heard of his duo. Ramirez, aka Mr. Excitement, is a genuine superstar and quite possibly the best player in the NL. A brilliant defender – he made a couple of plays in Oakland last weekend that were out of this world -- the young Dominican also knocks the cover off the ball. Second baseman Uggla isn’t as complete a player as Ramirez, but he has quickly developed into one of the most feared batsmen in the sport, leading baseball with 23 homers and extra base hits. If these guys played in New York you would be sick of seeing their faces by now.

Tim Lincecum

Along with young Cincinnati Reds pitcher Edinson Voquez, the Giants youthful ace Lincecum has been one of the most dominating and watchable hurlers in baseball. Despite his slight frame, Lincecum has for the most part blown the opposition away. The 24-year-old right-hander leads the NL in win percentage (.889) and ranks second in ERA and strikeouts. But Sports Illustrated, the New York Times and even hype-happy ESPN have all ignored this lights-out whiz kid. It’s almost as if Lincecum has been pitching under the cover of night.

By the way, his night ERA (2.50) is second best in the league. If there is any justice he’ll made a nationwide splash at this summer’s all-star game at Yankee Stadium.

The demise of the Rockies

Quick, who represented the NL in the 2007 World Series? That’s right, your Colorado Rockies, who thanks to a blazing finish, bum-rushed all comers in the playoffs and were just an extra hot streak away from behind crowned world champs. Thankfully, they got stubbed out like a cigar by the Red Sox in the World Series. Despite their fall classic sweep, you would think the Rockies would have a little residual momentum heading intro this season. Well, just as quickly as they rose from obscurity last season, they have assumed the natural Rockies position – the cellar. Has any club stunk it up following a World Series appearance worst than the cellar dwelling Rox? We can’t remember any. And we haven’t gotten any help from the national sports media in answering that question. This story has been totally ignored.

Free-agent pitcher flops

Who’s the last free agent pitcher to perform half-way decently over the past five seasons? Paul Byrd? Derek Lowe? Uh, Kenny Rogers? Making a list of the colossal flops is a lot easier. Jarrod Washburn, Gil Meche, Carl Pavano, Kei Igawa -- and of course, our own fiasco in residence, Barry Zito. This year Hideki Kuroda and Carlos Silva have added up to big bloated big zeros. Meanwhile, walk-on pitchers with something to prove like Kyle Lohse and Keiichi Yabu have been terrific. Teams obviously need a media intervention on steering clear of free agent arms. Guess they’re on their own for that one.