Big League Stew

Why, now that you mention it, yes ... Yes, it does.

The five thong faces of Jason Giambi 

For those who haven't had their stomachs upset yet, read this piece from Portfolio.com, in which Giambi admits to he and his teammates wearing a golden thong to help break extended droughts:

"I only put it on when I'm desperate to get out of a big slump," he tells Portfolio.com. Over the years, the 37-year-old All-Star has left the "golden thong" in the lockers of slumping teammates Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Johnny Damon, Robin Ventura, and Robinson Cano.

"All of them wore it and got hits," he reports. "The thong works every time."

No idea if Giambi was just taking a writer along for the proverbial ride, but take a look at those pictures again. Does that look like a man who's lying about having a wedgie?

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Near the beginning of the season, I added a couple of new hats to my collection. One was the Lloyd Moseby Toronto Blue Jays hat,  which was lauded on the Stew by my man, Tao of Stieb.  It's been working out great, sparking lot of random conversations and questions on whether I'm from Toronto. (I've never even been to Canada. Sue me. )

The other purchase was this great '71 Angels cap you see to your right. The Halos only wore this for one year before capitalizing the 'A' in '72, but I believe it's one of history's most underrated designs. I have a female friend who calls it the "paper clip" hat, but you have to love the simple font and color combo.

Anyway, I noticed that the Angels were wearing the hats on Thursday night against the White Sox and it makes me think the team should at least consider going back to the design — or at least the uppercase version, which is also still classic. Is it just me or do their current uniforms just have a little too much red?

Fashion Ump ruling on '71 Angels Cap: Two-run shot

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Imagine being Jeremy Sowers for a second. You've just been called up from Triple-A Buffalo to pitch in tonight's game against the Cincinnati Reds. While this isn't the first time you've ever pitched in the big leagues, you still have to be excited. This will be just your second start of the season for the Indians; you've made seven starts for Buffalo. You're back in the show.

Everything is great, right?

Well, there is just the little matter of coming in and continuing the unbelievable run Cleveland pitching has been on. The Indians' starting rotation had its 44 1/3 inning scoreless streak broken on Thursday, but it was the second longest such streak in team history,

Just check out these numbers from Indians starters over the last week and try not to feel the pressure a little more:

May 9: C.C. Sabathia, 7 IP, 1 ER, 9 K's

May 10: Aaron Laffey, 7 IP, 0 ER, 2 K's

May 12: Game 1: Fausto Carmona, 9 IP, 0 ER, 3 K's; Game 2: Cliff Lee. 9 IP, 0 ER, 5 K's

May 13: Paul Byrd, 7.1 IP, O ER, 7 K's

May 14: Sabathia, 9 IP, 0 ER, 11 K's

May 15: Laffey, 7 IP, 0 ER (1 unearned), 6 K's

A few more things to try and push out of your mind: Heading into tonight's game, the Indians starters have a combined 2.88 ERA, the best in majors. Over the last week, they combined to go 6-0 with a 0.16 ERA. They haven't given up an earned run in 50 1/3 innings.

Meanwhile, Aaron Laffey, who has been pitching in place of injured starter Jake Westbrook, might have summed it up best. ""When you talk about five guys doing it day in and day out, that's pretty impressive," Laffey said. "It's been an incredible week for starting pitching for us." (The Sports Network)

And now it's up to you, Jeremy, to keep it going.

Hope you brought your green hat with you.

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Since we don't want to be accused of always being negative Nellies here in the Stew, here's the opposite of The SlumpBot .200. Each Friday, BLS contributor Nick Friedell will run through the quad and into the gymnasium to look at five of the hottest players in baseball and then assess their chances of keeping it going ...

Ryan Braun, Brewers

The Naked Truth: .286, 10 HR, 30 RBI

Having a nice little Saturday: Since May 9, Braun is 12-for-28 with 5 HR and 7 RBI. He capped off the week by signing an 8-year, $45 million dollar contract, the biggest in Brewers history. Man, that will pay for a lot custard and Hi-Life.

You're my boy, Blue!: Braun seems to have fallen in love with Milwaukee, and that is one of the reasons he felt comfortable signing the long term deal. "It's a commitment I was ready to the make to the city of Milwaukee," Braun said. "The fans here have been unbelievable to me. I've really enjoyed playing here and I really believe in the direction that this organization is headed." (OnMilwaukee)

Think KFC will still be open?: Braun could probably buy every KFC in the city if he wanted to right now. In all seriousness though, there is no reason to think he won't keep hitting. The Brewers head to Pittsburgh next week for a three-game set. In seven career games at PNC Park, Braun is hitting .310 with 1 HR, and 7 RBI.Read More >>

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With Barry Bonds currently out of work and teams looking to improve their lot in MLB, the Shunned One's name will undoubtedly be brought up countless times this season. So, each week until Mr. Bonds catches a fulltime ride, the Stew will feature teams that might be able to use his impressive services.

The question will be a simple one: Should your team finally take the plunge and sign the most controversial man in sports? Today's argument is written by Anthony Foley, a man from Dayton who is apparently a Reds fan (though by his piece below, it's kind of hard to tell.)

Anthony's "case" — please note the quotation — for bringing Bonds to Cincinnati via Hannibal Lecter-style pushcart follows the jump: 

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I'm not married, but I suppose the feeling I had about the arrival of another season of interleague play  this morning was a little like waking up and realizing it was my 12th wedding anniversary.

"Wait, what? It's here already? But I wasn't even ready for it. Remember when this used to actually be a big deal? When we used to make a big thing of it? Ah, well, let's get on with it, then." 

Yes, like many old couples and the institution of marriage, I suppose I am now officially indifferent to the whole concept of interleague play.

Unlike my man Jeff Passan, I don't really love it.

But I don't really hate it, either.

In its current state, interleague play just exists for Bud Selig to champion like a high school letter earned years ago and to surprise me whenever it sneaks up on us in the middle of May. Until they make some improvements  — to start, here are 10 matchups I want to see every year — I assume it will remain the same way.

My indifference doesn't mean that all interleague matchups are created equal, though. Just like any other weekend of the season, there are certain series I'll make sure to check out on Extra Innings and some I'll avoid like they're rotten deviled eggs topped with three-month-old caviar.

Follow the jump for the Big League Stew guide to the opening weeked of interleague play Read More >>

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Big week for Mr. Baseball. First, Bob Uecker appears in the Stew as this week's Answer Man. Then he shows up in the pages of the Sports Illustrated (scanned below), wearing a teensy pair of swim trunks and looking like a slightly younger version of Jack LaLanne. Believe it or not, Ueck is 73 years old, but it's safe to say he won't be showing up on Gut Check Time any time soon. 

Once you get done feasting your eyes on someone who looks like he avoids the temptations of knockwurst and beer, head on over to SI.com and read the Lee Jenkins piece on the Brewers long road trip that may or may not have been written as an excuse to run this photo. 

Better yet, head out to the newsstands and buy a copy for proof that you can live in Milwaukee and still end up as a bronzed Adonis. Well done, Mr. Uecker.

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If you've been following the mess in Colorado, you know the Rockies' 15-26 start might be killing more than just the chances of another National League title in the Mile High City.

Indeed, now that the Rox are 11 games behind Arizona in the NL West, there's a good shot that Matt Holliday, the face of the franchise and avid RBI Baseball fan, could be sent packing in an attempt by Colorado GM Dan O'Dowd to get prospects and avoid the headache of dealing with a Scott Boras-led negotiation, Jerry Reinsdorf style.

Over on FoxSports, Ken Rosenthal does a great job of breaking down the situation, even giving us six rosters — Indians, Cardinals, Yankees, A's, Mariners and Mets — on which Holliday could land.

Writes Rosenthal:

Holliday, 28, could be this year's Mark Teixeira — a Scott Boras client traded with a year-plus remaining on his contract by a team seeking value for a franchise-type player.

The Rockies signed Holliday to a two-year, $23 million deal in January, but could lose him as a free agent after the 2009 season and receive only draft picks in return.

I'm a little torn on this one. On one hand, I'd like to see Holliday stay with the franchise he willed into playoffs and then the World Series last fall. For so long, the Rockies didn't have a real identity and now with guys like Holliday, Troy Tulowitzki, Garrett Atkins, etc., they're finally getting one.

On the other, it's no secret that Boras isn't keen on offering hometown discounts or shaving off contract years when more is being offered elsewhere. If the Rockies really don't want to pay Holliday Miguel Cabrera-type money, it's time to start looking at the best package of prospects they could get for him. If Boras isn't going to get sentimental, then neither should  O'Dowd.

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This and every weekday a.m., let's rise and shine together with the most recent and decent major league happenings. Today's MLB Roll Call starts on a baseball field inside an airplane hangar in Phoenix, Ariz., where Brandon Webb is working on a streak of Hawkinsonian proportions.

Game of the Day: D-backs 8, Rockies 5

Plan 9 From Outer Space: Brandon Webb is 9-0. Not since Andy Hawkins started 10-0 in 1985 has someone gotten out of the chute this well. It's great that Webb is rolling, and his parents must be proud, but he is mere freak to Cliff Lee's Superfreak right now. He's the kind you don't take home to mu-tha. If they handed out a Six-Week Cy Young Award and gave it to one pitcher only — and it's about time, really, with all the clamoring for it — each first-place vote should go to Lee. He also should be emperor and best man at your wedding. But enough about Webb.

Brandon, and nothing but: Speaking of Webb, many of you know about Andy Hawkins' no-hitter that he lost in 1990 to the White Sox. Did you also know that he lost another no-hitter 12 days later to the WSox when Melido Perez tossed a rain-shortened six-inning job against him. Pascual was in the stands, too, according to this NYT account. Neither no-hitters were official because "the rules," but back to Brandon Webb for a second; anyone remember the time Pascual missed a start because he got lost on the way to his home ballpark?

Webb of intrigue: Brandon Webb's teammate Stephen Drew was just a li'l ol' home run away from a cycle. Two more bases, really, because he hit two doubles. If not a cycle, should we not give him at least a scooter? Rascal?

Pledge of allegiance: Did the sheriff intend to kick out illegals but instead kicked D'Backs fans out of Maricopa County? Perhaps they are one and the same; only 21,447 at the Ex-Bob. Let's see. Suns have set. Coyotes done been caught in a trap. Bingo night. Must be bingo night. Or maybe they just got lost on the way to the park.Read More >>

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