QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

Cubs catcher Geovany Soto, the 2008 NL Rookie of the Year, on why he doesn't believe his .209 batting average with just one home run has been caused by the sophomore jinx: "There are a lot of guys in the lineup who are slumping, and they're not sophomores."

SUPERSTITION OF THE WEEK:

Trying to change his team's problems on the road, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire had Metrodome home clubhouse attendant Wayne Hattaway travel with the team to Tampa Bay last weekend. Didn't work. The Twins went 1-2 in the series.

STAT OF THE WEEK:

The Orioles' touted catching prospect Matt Wieters had more hits (four) in his final game with the Triple A Norfolk Tides on May 26 than he had in his first six games (three) after making his major league debut last Friday.

INSCRUTABLE COMMENT OF THE WEEK:

Here's what Mariners hitting machine Ichiro had to say, through a translator, after breaking his own club record by extending his hitting streak to 26 games: "Once I got this far, I wanted to achieve it. Now I wish that I would have asked my wife, Yumiko, and my dog, Ikkyu, to come to the game. But, at the same time, if you think about it, if I didn't invite them, it means that much to me as well."

So there you have it.

Finally

 

The San Francisco Giants took a White House tour while in Washington this week. While the players were waiting to have their IDs checked, centerfielder Aaron Rowand was yanked out of line and told to step into the guardhouse.

"If a Secret Service agent pulls you aside, that's not good," he told the San Francisco Chronicle.

As it turns out, the agent was from Philadelphia and a big Rowand fan from his time with the Phillies. He got an autograph, Rowand got a Secret Service pin and the rest of the visit proceeded as scheduled. *