Happy Easter Everybody!!!
It was a big week in the major leagues. The Orioles seem to have come back to earth after a hot start, the Cubs are falling apart and the Indians and Royals are still among the best in baseball so far. Let's take a look at the Longball League standings...
Wow, look at who is on top! It's the Invisible Hands! The Hands haven't been on top of the heap in awhile and they will fight hard to stay there. The SV Coachwhips are holding onto second, while the SP Sea Monkeys have slipped into third place. Quickly rising up the ranks are the Tax Dodgers. Could MLB's ousting of Frank McCourt of the LA Dodgers also be brining a lift to the Tax Dodgers? Hmmm. Meanwhile, the Demis and Mo's Mollusks are just a tad off the pace, but hanging in there. Finally, it looks like the 'Vettes and the AngelSox have taken up residence in the cellar.
1. If you need a no-hitter broken up call Dexter Fowler. The speedy center fielder for the Colorado Rockies broke up a pair on no-hitters this weekend against the Florida Marlins. The first was Friday night when he hit a broken bat single to end Anibal Sanchez's no-hit bid in the ninth inning. Then, he hit a ringing double to centerfield to break up Josh Johnson' no-no in the sixth inning on Easter Sunday.
2. There's no help for the Angels v. the Red Sox. The Halos were swept at home four straight by the Beantowners over the weekend. In fact, the Angels didn't score a run in the last 19 innings of the series. The LAA have lost 12 of their last 13 vs. Boston going back to the 2010 campaign.
3. Florida Marlins pitcher Josh Johnson is a flat out ace. He has taken no-bids into the fifth, sixth , seventh, and eighth innings this season. He's only given up 13 hits in 5 starts this season.
Trivia: After thinking about how many times Josh Johnson has flirted with pitching a no-hitter without getting one recently, I wondered what pitcher has won the most games in history without recording a no-hitter? The answer is Grover Cleveland Alexander. Alexander the Great won 373 games in his incredible career without ever pitching a no-hitter.
Baseball Card of the Week: In honor of Alexander's 373 wins without a no-no, he's pictured here on his 1915 Cracker Jack # 38 for us to enjoy.
Until next week, remember to use your glove to shade your eyes from the sun when trying catch a fly ball.
-The Commissioner
