Photographers wait impatiently , tv cameras rolling. There is a podium on a stage, microphones clutter the top of the podium. A glass of water rests next to a pile of neatly shuffled papers.

A young man approaches the podium and the light bulbs begin to flash with unstoppable ferocity.

The man at the podium has just been named baseball's next Commissioner.

He's only 25.

Ladies and gentleman of the press, thank you for coming out today. Over the next ten minutes, I will outline my goals and ideas that will change the course of baseball. Some of you will not like what I have to say, some of you will be confused at first. I'm not deterred by the prospect of being disliked by you or your colleagues, because I know deep down, I have the answers and the common sense that will change the game for the better.

As my first act as commissioner of Major League Baseball, I am removing the lifetime ban placed on Shoeless Joe Jackson and Pete Rose. Both will be eligible for their names to be placed on this year's Hall of Fame ballot. However, Mr. Jackson estate and Mr. Rose will not be allowed to profit off of their entry into the Hall, if they are so elected. Appearance fees and sales generated off Jackson/Rose Hall of Fame Materials will be donated to a charity of choice.

Second, as of tomorrow, I am removing any outstanding copyright claims held by MLB Advanced Media. It is time that our game embraces the world of viral video and Web 2.0. In efforts to reach younger audiences and audiences around the globe, we will allow for our videos to be distributed throughout the internet as long as the user does not stand to profit from the materials.

My next act, which is currently in progress, is to draft a letter to Congress, asking them to cease their decade long efforts to look into the steroid scandal that has plagued our game since the early 90's. In exchange for the diffusion of said committees, I am willing to break the American League and National League into two separate companies. This will remove the threat of Congress constantly waiving the anti-trust edict in baseball's face, and allow for the game to continue to grow.

This act will allow for the removal of inter-league play, which will then allow for the shortening of the season. 162 games is excessive, and was put in place to make the owner's richer. This move will be placed to safe guard the players, and extend their careers. As a recent study conducted by my office has concluded, by removing nineteen games from the schedule, season long injury rates will decrease by 40%.

While some may see the shortening of the season as a direct jab at the owners, we have decided to eliminate the luxury tax to compensate the owners for their potential loss in revenue. This will force teams to develop their farm systems, and force owners to put money back into their teams.

We are also developing ways to measure "Owner Reliability", or ways to track whether the owner is more interested in turning a profit, as opposed to turning out a winning team. This formula will flag owners and send "probation warnings" to owners who violate the "Owner Reliability Clause". Continued practices that violate this clause will conclude with the suspension of the owner, and a pre-selected group from the Commissioner's Office will run the team until the owner can either "repent" or be replaced.

Finally, in an effort to keep the game completely void of performance enhancing drugs, we will use the latest advances in blood testing to detect HGH, steroids, or any other banned PEDs. Players will have clauses inserted into their contracts stating that "the violation or failed drug test will result in a one year suspension from the game and a second failed test will result in a lifetime ban from the sport".

Thank you for your time. I regret to inform you that I will not be taking any questions, because as you may have noticed, I've got a lot of work to do.

Its almost the end of April, and "Big Papi" is beginning to look more like "Big Poopie". Fantasy players around the country are struggling to decide whether to keep many in the lineup, or replace him with a more productive option, Miguel Cairo.

Before "breaking out" against the Rangers the other day (Ortiz had a 2 hit game, including a grand slam) Ortiz had only one home run and four runs batted in. Not much production out of the four hole there.

To put Papi's numbers in perspective, guys like Mark DeRosa, Emil Brown, and Angel Pagan had (up until Papi's outburst) more than doubled Ortiz's rbi production.

Ask yourself this, do you walk DeRosa to pitch to Papi?

We began to wonder; "What is the source of Papi's troubles?" His swing looks the same as before, and it's not like he's facing anyone new so far this season (Sox have played Yankees, Cleveland, Detroit, and Toronto, teams they finished up against at the end of last season).

The answer came to us last night, while watching television. Papi has a new baseball cleat that he's advertising.

Its got to be the shoes!

Everyone talks about not messing with a guys hands (while he's at the plate) or checking his eyes to see if he's not seeing the ball. No one ever talks about the importance of comfortable shoes while trying to hit a 95 mph fastball.

What you put on your feet will determine the comfort level for the rest of your body. Your feet are the foundation for everything you do in life; walk, stand, sit, swing a bat, etc. If you're not comfortable at the base, everything else is out of whack.

Some one needs to get to Ortiz, and tell him its time to stop shilling a pair of s#*t cleats and get back to his comfort zone. No product endorsement is worth shaving off two hundred points off your batting average.

Until his feet come to his senses, Papi will continue to be "Poopie".

Wake up, rub eyes, open laptop, log onto ESPN.com, search for glasses, rub eyes again (this time in disbelief; Swisher can't be doing that bad again...).

Such is the morning routine of this 108 Red Stitches contributing author. If ESPN.com is void of any interest, I'll mosey on over to Rotowire.com, or if I'm looking for propaganda articles, I'll click over to MLB.com.

Not anymore. I'm a proud, card-carrying member of the best sports site you may have never heard of.

Crowdpicks.com.

For the record, I am not getting any compensation for writing this, there's no tricky links in this post that will benefit myself if you click on them. This is a simple, Grade-A, wholesome, genuine, perfectly legit, good-old recommendation.

This site is a blend of facebook, myspace, vegas gambling sites (without the money transactions), and youtube, all designed for the sports fan in mind.

Crowdpicks.com advertises itself as the only sports website where you'll have to prove your worth.

Oh, is it worth it.

Members consistently comment on articles that you write or post (there's a blogging feature and a news story linking feature) and you can even embed youtube videos for others to watch.

There is a profit sharing system in place, similar to Revver.com's, but in my honest opinion, the money making aspect to the site is the least of all the features.

You can try to predict game day scores, and you're given trophies to display on your homepage if you become a successful member of crowdpicks.com. They give you tools to promote yourself throughout the internet such as the snazzy looking crowdpick badge, located at the top right portion of this blog.

Fans on this site range from your everyday baseball fanatic to your lovable beer guzzling Nascar fans. There's even a section for the more refined golf addicts.

College sports, pro sports, you take your pick. Try out the site, you'll love it.

According to numerous published reports, Red Sox Outfielder Manny Ramirez seems to have had a change of heart this offseason.
Going into the last guaranteed year of a mega deal contract might have that effect on you.
Ramirez has been working out in Tempe Arizona at the Athlete's Performance Institute. Manny has also indicated that he'll be at the Red Sox training facility day one, whereas he's failed to show up on time the previous two spring training report dates.
At thirty five years of age, Manny's body has begin to wear and tear. Last season, late in the season, Manny suffered a second injury in two years that hampered his production down the stretch.
The Red Sox hold a $20 million option on Ramirez, so to put it bluntly, Ramirez needs to get his ass into shape.

With arbitration hearings underway and Baseball just weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting, things seems to be going just fine for a league troubled with the media frenzy that followed the release of the Mitchell Report.

Just fine that is, as long as you aren't Mike Lieberthal. Phillies and Dodger catcher of fourteen seasons decided to hang up his spikes saying " "There were a lot of reasons, the money was great as a backup, but I have made [enough] money in baseball. I just didn't want to go through what I have to go through with my body to play 20-25 games a year."
The Dodgers were obviously shaken up with Lieberthal's announcemen; they quickly signed backup catcher Gary Bennett to a one year deal.

The Dodgers also extended spring training invites to two left handed (Tom Martin and Mike Myers) relievers in attempts to solidify their bullpen.

In arbitration news, Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano signed a six year deal believed to be worth 56 million dollars, keeping him in pinstripes through the 2011 season (2012 and 13 are option years for the Yanks).

In what should be this off season's most exciting arbitration hearing, the Phillies have set a February 20th date to discuss Ryan Howard's current contract situation.

Good news loyal 108 Red Stitches blog readers! I've finally come out of my self induced baseball coma, one that kept me from writing for the past month.
So, what'd I miss?

Red Sox won the World Series? Did this coma transport me back in time?

Haha, you're funny, no way the Yankees "fired" Joe Torre.

Don Mattingly is going to be a Dodger? Are they really that hard up for a first baseman?

I'm sorry, the nurses must not have cleaned the wax out of my ears while I was napping, could you repeat that? A-Rod opted out? Did you say opted out, like, of his contract? So he's not going to be playing for the Yankees next season?

How will that effect next year's version of MLB 2K8? A-Rod will still be on the Yanks roster right? I want him breaking Bond's record while wearing pinstripes.

Did you just say that San Fransisco gave Bonds his walking papers? Well, that's nice. Good for San Fran.

He wants to sign with who?!?! Oh, Cashman has another thing coming if he signs that jerk.

Are we still talking about baseball? Because you mentioned instant replay for a minute there.

The Mets didn't fire everyone on their team?

The Phillies traded for Brad Lidge? What's the point of playing next year then? Might as well print off those championship t-shirt. Lidge solves EVERYTHING.

Really, so Tampa Bay gave up on the whole Devil thing? So you think that'll be the thing Peter Gammons points to when the "Rays" are leading the AL East?

I'm sorry, I thought you said the Devil sold his soul to Scott Boras.

Being on a winning baseball team has its advantages. You get to travel to play in state tournaments, you get to see places that you'd never dream of visiting. You meet fascinating people throughout your travels and play in ballparks that you're sure were designed by the big guy upstairs.
If you can help it, don't ever play for a baseball team that keeps on winning.
A few summers ago, I played for a semi-pro traveling baseball team. We kept winning, and kept hitting the road. Our horror story happens just outside of Saratoga, NY.
The hotel (not naming names) rhymes with Bed Bobbin Finn.
When our team checked in, we were greeted by none other than Elvis Presley himself. Sideburns and sunglasses, he gave each of us a key to our own rooms. Every room had something unique about it.
Room 1 had a high definition television (before HDTV was fashionable), and carried 142 channels. All ESPN. Each channel was three seconds off from the one before it. So if you were watching a highlight on channel 42, and wanted to see a replay, QUICK TURN TO CHANNEL 11!
The next room had a toaster. Room three had a fridge. Room four didn't have a door to the bathroom, but it had five dressers (though the drawers didn't have bottoms). Room five had a nice view, of Room six, because there was a fist sized hole in the wall. Room seven had a washing machine, but no pump to hook up the water. Room eight had two beds and no couch, but room nine had two couches and no bed. There was, believe it or not, a Room 13, and it overlooked the swimming pool, which had numerous un-aquatic animals floating towards the filter.
The next door neighbor lived in a trailer, and owned and routinely operated a 12 gauge shotgun, just to prove that he could.
Our starting pitcher for the first game slept in his truck, because he couldn't figure out where the tree roots in his bedroom were coming from.
Needless to say, as a team, we decided that we all had a great time playing on the same team for the summer, but this would be the end of the line for us.
So, instead of achieving some level of baseball immortality, we decided to end our season the next day, getting blown out of the championship game, 1-0.

You have to admit, you knew this was coming.
All those weeks of tormenting the Yankee Fan sitting in the cubicle next to you. All those summer months you sat on top of your perch, looking upon the downtrodden, the Yankee faithful. Peasants looking for a whiff of freedom, just a ray of light, any sign of hope.
Yesterday, as you have for the past week, you lose a little bit more of your throne.
The peasants are rising.
The Mets are failing.
What is happening to your Mets? As you sit silently in your cube/office/car, you catch shrapnel from every angle. The newspaper, the radio, internet, blogs, webcasts, podcasts, and the ever jerky smiling office temp with the neatly pressed Yankee tie.
This is your silent hell.

Willie Randolph is peering out from the left field fence, looking towards the Bronx. What would Joe do, he thinks. How would his mentor fix this flailing franchise. Believe it or not, what Willie learned while wearing Pinstripes will make or break the Mets during their playoff run.

Trust in Veterans: Mike Pelphry and fellow young guns on the Mets roster have offered their arms to aid a sinking bullpen. Torre preaches a trust in veterans, and Randolph will likely do the same. Rejecting the youth's plea to move to the bullpen, Willie doesn't think that "throwing these guys to the wolves" or forcing them in on a situation they are neither comfortable or familiar with, is a good move for the franchise.

Light a Fire: Randolph doesn't seem to be overly critical of his players. Not suggestion to call out underachievers, but Torre has a way of getting his point across to his players through the media (see Mussina, Farnesworth, Matsui).

Don't point fingers: Making a huge deal out of numbers and declines can often rub players the wrong way. So what if Reyes' batting average has slipped to a tune of 40 points since the All-Star game. John Maine, worthy of first half Cy Young Award Contention, has more than doubled his era in the second half. These players are young, and don't need to be beaten over the head with numbers.

For Mets Fans: Keep the hope alive. Invest in a Rally Monkey. Bring Mr. Met to his AA meetings, because there's no way he's a sober ball over the past few weeks. Don't shave until the magic number is down to 1, and keep those champagne bottles on ice.


That jerk in the next cubicle is probably going to ask to borrow them.

My Lugnuts. My Fantasy Team. My Bastards. You break my heart.
Last week of the season before playoffs and you decide to catch fire.
Too bad we were eliminated from playoff contention five weeks ago.
I should file a restraining order against Nick Swisher, I feel like I'm being abused.
But I love him anyway.
He ruins my fantasy team for the entire season, and just after I write about how there's no way he'll be wearing the Lugnut Cap next season, he has to go and catch on fire.
Three dingers in three days.
How do I justify leaving him now?
Scott Kazmir, you little runt you. I love you to death, but every morning, I flavor my coffee with tears because I can't stand the fact that you're bullpen steals 50+ wins from you every season. You're about as useful to me as a long inning reliever.
But I love him anyway.
Joe Mauer, you represent everything that is good and wonderful with the human race.
Too bad that's not a stat in my league this year.
Last season he's leading the league in batting average. The kid hits and no one can stop him.
Then he puts on a Lugnuts jersey.
But I love him anyway.

Barry Bonds. You're foot is hurting.

You'll never wear a Lugnuts Cap, no matter how many records you break.

You'll never have the opportunity to ruin one of my fantasy baseball season.

I hate you.

I was talking to my girlfriend last night about something that's been bothering me lately. One of my favorite football players happens to be Shawne Merriman (OLB, Chargers). Don't ask me why, I just like him. Last season, Merriman was suspended for using steroids.
Didn't faze me in the least. Kept right on rooting for the man.
Now, Don Mattingly, my favorite baseball player of all time, forever and ever, has never been accused of taking steroids or growth hormone, or any other banned performance enhancing substance. The minute he does, I'll hate him for the rest of my life.
Done. Everything I own of Mattingly will be tarred, feathered, burned, ripped up, mailed back, and shot with a potato gun.
I wonder why that is.
Jayson Stark,ESPN, recently ran an article on the double standard that exists between the Barry Bonds case and the recent light that's been shed on Rick Ankiel.
I for one am guilty of what Stark outlines as "Double Standard #1; The Likeability Test".
In theory, a good journalist is supposed to leave his personal thoughts, beliefs, and opinions checked with his coat at the front door.
That is why I never got passed writing articles for the Quinnipiac University Student Chronicles.
I despise Barry Bonds and everything that he does, eats, watches, showers with, sleeps on, and mails his credit card bills to. There is not one single redeeming quality I can find in the man.
If he was to find a cure for the AIDS crisis, reverse global warming, wipe oil off a baby seal, develop a better mouse trap, and adopt a tribe of aborigines, I would scoff and chalk it up to a media publicity stunt.
Rick Ankiel could wipe out half of the rain forest, and I like many of my American counterparts, would smile and look in awe as he walks by, chainsaw in hand.
I can't figure it out.
Stark lists some possibilities for why this is plaguing me and scores of baseball fans throughout the country, and I think he may be onto something:
He wasn't even a hitter then.
It wasn't a banned substance then.
He had a doctor's prescription.
He was recovering from Tommy John surgery.
He needed it to heal.
He hasn't been accused of any "wrongdoing."
The media is out to get him.
It's not like he's Barry Bonds or something. (Stark; Exposing Our Dirty Double Standards)

The baseball season is getting down to the wire, and its time to take a look at past and potential acquisitions that will or have helped a team in its push to make the playoffs. Need to seal up that division title? Looking to squeak in through the Wild Card Door? Check out these players that have helped or can help your team in the final weeks of the season. (Impact is based on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the highest rating)

1. Atlanta Braves: Woah! Has Mark Teixeira re-found his power stroke! Possibly the best acquisition for any team in baseball, Teixeira cost the Braves a lot in terms of mortgaging their future, but has paid off in full. Teixeira shores up a weak spot in the Braves lineup offensively and on the field as well. He just recently hit 4 home runs in 2 games, and has been a spark plug, igniting the Braves lineup.
Impact:

2. NY Mets: With Damion Easley out for what could be the rest of the season, the Mets were quick to pull the trigger on a deal to land veteran outfield Jeff Conine from the Reds. Conine adds playoff experience to a team that floundered last season in the finals against the Cardinals. This could be a big payoff for the Mets, now that Conine has something to play for. He can spell any of the corner outfielders and corner infielders, which is something Willie Randolph needs to prepare for the postseason.
Impact:

3. Phillies: Get one, lose one. Things started to look bright for the Phils when doctors cleared Chase Utley to begin throwing and swinging on a regular basis. Then Cole Hamels hurt his elbow, and is expected to miss 2 starts as he heads to the DL. Utley is a welcome addition to any lineup, but losing your ace can't be good.
Impact:

4. Yankees: Get out the way old man! The Yanks have injected life into their cranky, stiff bones with the recent call ups of Joba Chamberlin, Shelley Duncan, Edwar Ramirez, and the return of Phil Hughes from the 60 Day DL. Combine that with the everyday "Baby Yankees" Melkey Cabrera and Robinson Cano, the Yanks can keep their heads above water for the next few weeks.
Impact:

5. LA Dodgers: Anytime you take strengthen your team by weakening another in your division, it has to be a good move, right? Well, not in this case. Dodgers traded for Giants firstbaseman Mark Sweeney for a player to be named (or cash). The move doesn't seem to make any sense at first, but now that Nomar is on the 15 Day DL, its a good move, sort of. If you're the type that salivates when you see anyone named Sweeney in the starting lineup, maybe you should check out this blog.
Impact:

6. Mariners: So you want to win the AL West? One of the easiest divisions in baseball to win, the West is constantly up for grabs every year. So your biggest acquisition of the season is left hander John Parrish from Baltimore? Its a wonder that Ichiro signed the deal, if this is an example of your commitment to winning.
Impact:

7. St. Louis Cardinals: Everyone wrote them off before the All Star Game. Now, with the NL Wildcard Up for grabs, and the Central looking as stable as Baghdad, the Cards gamble on signing Troy Percival looks like a briliant move. In 21 innings pitched, Percival has only given up 2 runs, batters are only hitting .183 against the righty, and he's managed to win 3 games in relief. With the resurgence of Rick Ankiel, the Cards are starting to looking like a dark horse.
Impact:

It's a thankless job, but here at 108 Red Stitches, we're more than happy to take on the task of providing ways for ownership to fix the worst team in baseball.

1. Stop drafting outfielders. The Devil Rays outfield is more crowded than an LA Freeway or (going to reach deep into the pocket here) the old Star Jones in a pair of size 0 jeans.
Crawford, Young, Rocco, BJ Upton experiment, Greg Norton, Jonny Gomes, plus countless others in their minor league system.
QUICK FIX: Its time to give up on Rocco Baldelli and let him get a fresh start somewhere else. Trade him to a team like the Padres, who are rich in pitching and might need a new centerfielder in case Mike Cameron decides to leave via free agency at the end of the season. Baldelli would fit nicely in the Padres vast outfield, allowing him to roam and use his speed. He might also see his batting average rise, playing all those games at Coors Field.

2. Pitching. I'm sure this has been said before, but pitching is one of the most important elements needed to win ball games. It's very tough for Scott Kazmir and James Shields to go out and pitch effectively every night, only to have their bullpen blow lead after lead. It has to be mentally debilitating for a pitcher to suffer through the same fate game after game.
QUICK FIX: Again, a surplus of outfielders could bring in some pitching help. There are a ton of free agent outfielders this season and most will command big dollars (Hunter, Cameron, Andrew Jones, Corey Patterson). Teams looking for a cheap alternative could find one in the Devil Rays system.

3. Fan Base. I know, you ask, but how can fan base translate into winning or losing games? Try playing 81 games in front of less than 3,000 people showing up. Of the 3,000 half could give a damn about what's going on in the field, and the other half are from out of town. Your biggest crowd comes when the Yankees are in town, which is basically like playing an additional 10 games on the road. We're not saying its the fan's fault that the Rays are awful, but give them something to root for, and maybe, you'll begin to understand what a home field advantage is.
For more info on this subject visit this old ESPN PAGE 2 ARTICLE


4. Respect Factor. If you want to bring in a quality free agent player, you need to be serious about your franchise. No one is going to play for a franchise hoping completely disappear
off the baseball map. The quote from the film "Field of Dreams" applies in this case; "If you build it, they will come." Make that investment in a quality arm or a power bat that isn't on the downslope of a career (see Wade Boggs, Jose Canseco). Show other players that your team is committed to winning now and in the long term. Nobody wants to play for a AAAA team, and wait to be traded to a contender around the deadline.

5. Move Out of the AL East. Maybe a change of "leaguery" would be good for the organization. I'm not advocating re-alignment or contraction, but the move seemed to have (eventually) paid off for the Brew-Crew.

With his recent heroics on the ball field, Cardinals pitcher turned outfielder Rick Ankiel, is becoming a modern day Roy Hobbs. Meteoric rise to the majors, swift encounter with darkness, and never to be heard from again, until...
108 Red Stitches' over analysis begins now:

The Legend:

Roy Hobbs: On his way to the majors (via train) Hobbs strikes out the immortal Walt "The Whammer" Whambold (the best hitter in the majors at the time) during a brief pit stop at a local carnival.

Rick Ankiel: With his dominating fastball, devastating sinker, and looping curveball, Ankiel strikes out 194 batters, posting a 3.50 ERA at the ripe old age of 21.

Advantage: Hobbs. Nobody strikes out a guy names Walt "The Whammer" Whambold and lives to tell about it.


Into the Darkness:

Hobbs: Shot by a temptress in a black dress.

Ankiel: Can't find the strike zone in Game 1 of the 2000 NLDS against the Braves, he allowed 4 runs on 2 hits, walking 4 and throwing 5 wild pitches before Tony LaRussa took him out of the game.

Advantage: Ankiel. It only gets worse; Ankiel goes on to pitch against the Mets in the NLCS. First inning = 20 pitches, five of which scoot past the catcher. He returns later in the series, still unable to find the plate, walking a handful more batters, and the Cardinals lose the series.

The Return:

Hobbs: Well, depends on who you listen to. Hollywood and the book says Hobbs returns 15 years later, as an outfielder, and begins to go on a hitting tear. He helps the Knights crawl out of the cellar, and this is where things diverge. Hollywood has Hobbs hitting a homerun that crashes into a light tower, ensuing fireworks display wows all. The book has Hobbs striking out in his last at bat, after accepting a handsome ransom from the teams owner to throw the game.

Ankiel: Returns to the majors as an outfielder, hitting a three run wallop in the 7th inning, to help the Cardinals beat the Brewers. Standing ovation, curtain calls, firstborns, all thrust at Ankiel.

Advantage: Movie Hobbs. Anyone that can hit a homerun and set off fireworks, while nursing a 15 year old gunshot wound and dealing with the fact that he might be a father, wins in our book.

Famous Quotes:

Hobbs: "Pick me out a winner Bobby".

Ankiel: "The frustration that built up, it seems like it was really eroding my spirit and starting to affect my personality off the field. It just became apparent that it was time for me to move on and pursue becoming an outfielder."

Advantage: Hobbs. Not one movie quote has spawned more jokes about picking one's nose.