Wow, what a week in the major leagues! Justin Verlander hurls the season's second no-hitter and Andre Ethier had his hitting streak end at 30 games. This week also had a big impact on the Longball League standings. Let's take a look...
What a logjam at the top! The Invisible Hands are back on top, but the Sierra Vista Coachwhips, Mighty Mollusks, Thunder Mountain Lightning, and Tax Dodgers are all within 10 points of the lead. Then, behind them lie the San Pedro Sea Monkeys, Demis, and 'Vettes, who are all poised to make a run. Unfortunately, the AngelSox are still in the cellar. The pennant race has never been this tight and shows no sign of loosening up in the near future.
Three things about this week in the majors:
1. The Dodgers' Andre Ethier deserves a big salute for his 30 game hitting streak. It's the second longest one in Dodger history and one of the longest in over 20 years.
2. Another big round of applause for Justin Verlander for throwing the second no-hitter of his career. Only a single walk kept this no-no from being a perfect game.
3. A final round of applause goes to Angels Manager Mike Scioscia for picking up his 1,000 win as Halos chief. He's easily the best skipper the Halos have ever had and one of the biggest mistakes ever made by the Dodgers for not hiring him back in 2000.
Trivia: In honor of Mike Scioscia's 1000th win, here's a bit of trivia about Scioscia's first win as the Halos skipper. The win came on April 4, 2000. The Angels dropped their first two games, but came out swinging against the New York Yankees in game three. Darrin Erstad went 4 for 5 with a home run and five RBIs to lead the Anaheim Angels to a 12-6 win at the Big A. The winning pitcher for the Halos was Scot Schoenweis. The loser was David Cone. The Halos lineup included Tim Salmon, Troy Glaus, Garret Anderson, and Mo Vaughn.
Baseball Card of the Week: In honor of Mike Scioscia's achievement, here we see the skipper pictured on his 2003 Topps card #262.
Until next week folks, remember that Vernon Wells is still hitting only .179,
-The Commissioner
