Fastball Fans

Barry Bonds agreed Tuesday to provide the Hall of Fame with an artifact when he breaks Hank Aaron’s record with his 756th home run, perhaps a batting helmet.

The Oregon Beavers won their second striaght College World Series title with a 9-3 victory over North Carolina on Sunday night.

They are the first team in a decade to capture consecutive national titles.

Congrats Orgeon!!!

Rod Beck, a three-time All-Star who earned 286 career saves, was found dead in his home Saturday. He was 38 an suurvived by his wife and two kids.

From my days of watching baseball as a kid, I remembered seeing a burly guy with a Fu Manchu mustache, as looked fierce and was a heck of a closer, although in accounts I have read, he was a nice guy, loved by his teammates for being a good person and a competitor.

Rest in Peace, Rod.

According to the AP, Minnesota Twins slugger Justin Morneau spent Friday night in the hospital with a small bruise on his lung after he collided with Florida Marlins catcher Miguel Olivo.

Morneau was coughing up blood repeatedly when he was taken from the stadium on a stretcher, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. But X-rays taken at the hospital were negative and a CT scan was normal, team spokesman Mike Herman said.

Morneau, the 2006 American League MVP, was expected to miss a couple of games, Herman said.

Baltimore Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada, had his consecutive games streak come to an end Friday at 1,152 games. Thanks to a Doug Brocail (Padres) fastball that came inside of his wrist, Tejada is now on the DL (placed on the 15 Day).

In front of a packed house in San Francisco last night, Barry Bonds hit a solo shot for his 749th career homer; however, Alex Rodriguez’s four hits and two RBIs helped the Yankees beat the Giants 7-3 to spoil the game for the Giants’ fans.

Only 6 more to tie, 7 to break…

From CNNsi: “Joe Girardi turned down an offer to manage the Baltimore Orioles, a decision Thursday that ended the team’s decisive effort to secure its top choice for the job.

The Orioles began negotiating with Girardi soon after firing Sam Perlozzo on Monday. The sides appeared headed toward an agreement on Wednesday, but Girardi ultimately decided against getting back in the game at this time.”

It seems like Girardi did not like the position the team is currently in, and furthermore could be waiting for the Yankee, Cub job or anything better than Orioles’ position to come up.

He’s got a lot of buzz, so he’ll be a top candidate for any job comes open.

(AP photo…)

Miguel Tejada’s consecutive game streak may be in peril.

The shortstop for the Orioles has been diagnosed with a distal radial fracture of the left wrist, according to ESPN.

Tejada was hit on the left wrist by a pitch from Doug Brocail on Wednesday, and the injury looks serious enough to warrant him to miss some time.

Let’s hope the best for Miguel Tejada.

Jason Schmidt had season-ending shoulder surgery on Wednesday and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ right-hander is not expected to return until spring training next year.

In possibly the quietest celebration for a milestone in recent history, Sammy Sosa became just the fifth player in major league history with 600 career homers, going deep on his old team, the Cubs.

He joins Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays as the only baseball players to cross the 600 homer plateau.

Congratulations, Sammy…

Michael Barrett left the friendly (but recently fight-filled) ambiance of Wrigley Field for sunny, more laid-back, and chilled-out San Diego.

The Chicago Cubs traded fiery and pugnacious catcher and cash to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday for backup catcher Rob Bowen and minor league outfielder Kyler Burke.

Sam Perlozzo is the first manager fired in MLB this season.

He did so without having a winning season in parts of three years as manager of the Baltimore Orioles. They have had nine straight losing seasons, and after an eight game losing streak and a horrific homestand where they went 1-8, the writing was on the wall.

Dave Trembley is interim manager, but the Orioles are interested in Joe Girardi, former manager Davey Johnson and Dusty Baker.

Former Cubs President, Andy MacPhail is the new Chief Operating Officer of the Baltimore Orioles, and should wield great power within the organization.

(photo from AP)

Jason Giambi has until Thursday to agree to a meeting with steroids investigator George Mitchell or else face possible discipline from baseball commissioner Bud Selig. It looks like Giambi may cooperate with Mitchell; however, will only answer questions about his personal use of performance-enhancing drugs and will not name names according to the NY Daily News.

I just think baseball needs to have a blanket amnesty — at this point. I think this is the only way they’d have to perhaps find what they want about steroids, once and for all…

Only 8 away from tying Hank’s record, 9 away from making it his…

Ugh.