Posted on Thu, May. 15, 2008
Play, interrupted
Strike up the band, toss the confetti: Interleague baseball is here!
Zzzzz. With interleague play set to start tomorrow, it's time to decree the 12-year-old experiment a failure. For every Orioles-Nationals or Dodgers-Angels series, there are torturous matchups between the Royals and Marlins, the Phillies and Blue Jays, and the Red Sox and Brewers this time around. Call us old-fashioned, but High & Inside preferred when the leagues faced off only in the All-Star Game and the World Series. Now the mystique is gone. But don't tell Bud Selig or the owners. As long as they have their subway series between the Yankees and the Mets and the overplayed media attention it attracts, all is well. The Mets even shuffled their rotation so that ace Johan Santana could start the series opener tomorrow. Makes you wonder if the league office had anything to do with the move.
Little Pedro
While Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto has a few more lessons to learn, teammate Edinson Volquez appears to be the real deal. The Dominican-born righthander is 6-1 with a league-leading 1.12 ERA. Some have even taken to calling him "Pedrito" in honor of his countryman and idol, Pedro Martinez. Both are similarly sized and Volquez has patterned his pitching style after the New York Mets righty. The 24-year-old came to Cincinnati from Texas in exchange for outfielder Josh Hamilton - a great story in his own right. Hamilton is off to a great start with the Rangers, batting .293 with eight home runs and 44 RBIs. As of now, the trade looks like a win-win for both clubs, but there are still doubts as to whether Volquez will hold up over the course of a season. Just like Pedro.
Mets, Nationals still testy
In his best Keanu Reeves imitation, Mets pitcher John Maine said he did not intentionally throw at Felipe Lopez in Tuesday night's game with the Nationals, according to the Associated Press. "I just got a little too inside I guess," Maine said with a shrug (and his fingers crossed behind his back). Lopez, though, took exception, throwing his bat in front of the plate and glaring at Maine briefly. The previous night, Mets starter Nelson Figueroa called the Nationals "softball girls" for cheering in the dugout during his unraveling.
Notable
Commissioner Bud Selig expects owners to approve a toughened drug agreement when they meet today in Milwaukee. Players and owners have until May 23 to ratify the drug agreement their negotiators signed off on last month. The deal increases the frequency of tests and the authority of the program's independent administrator. . . . The Chicago Cubs plan to sign free-agent outfielder Jim Edmonds, who was released last week by the San Diego Padres. Edmonds must pass a physical first. . . . The Reds called up rookie infielder Paul Janish to replace injured shortstop Jeff Keppinger, who was put on the 15-day disabled list after suffering a broken left kneecap.
Contact staff writer Jeff McLane at 215-854-4745 or jmclane@phillynews.com.
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