BREAKING NEWS
Sunday 10/25/2004 Martinez and Zito receive Cy Young Pedro Martinez will never forget this year. His dominating season convinced the American to name Boston's right-hander the Cy Young winner of 2004. Opposing players hit .161 against Pedro this season. While posting an ERA of 1.26 he went 26-1 in 34 starts, fanning 293 and walking 35 hitters. Pedro has pitched 10 shutouts and 13 complete games. He's 1st in the American in ERA and 1st in wins! Martinez wins the award for the 2nd time in his 11-year career. Barry Zito will never forget this year. His dominating season convinced the National to name Arizona's left-hander the Cy Young winner of 2004. Opposing players hit .185 against Barry this season. While posting an ERA of 2.52 he went 20-5 in 34 starts, fanning 177 and walking 104 hitters. Barry has pitched 2 shutouts and 2 complete games. He's 4th in the National in ERA and 2nd in wins!
Sunday 10/25/2004 Ramirez (BOS) and Berkman (HOU) win M.V.P. The 2004 American M.V.P. winner has been announced. It's Boston's leftfielder Manny Ramirez who really had a great offensive year. Manny has gone 199 for 604 (.329) this season, hitting 45 taters and driving in 140 runs. He has scored 154 runs on his own. He's 2nd in the American in batting, 1st in homeruns and 2nd in RBI! The M.V.P. in the National was handed to Houston's leftfielder Lance Berkman! Lance has gone 175 for 543 (.322) this season, hitting 37 taters and driving in 113 runs. He has scored 110 runs on his own. He's 1st in the National in batting, 2nd in homeruns and 4th in RBI!
Sunday 10/25/2004 Infante (MIN) and Harden (SD) win Rookie of the Year Omar Infante was named the American Rookie of the Year winner today. Minnesota's shortstop put up pretty good numbers for a rookie this year. This 22 year old kid will probably have a long and successful career! Omar has gone 163 for 522 (.312) this season, hitting 8 longballs and driving in 94 runs. He has scored 78 runs on his own. He's 3rd in the American in batting! The 2004 National Rookie of the Year winner is from San Diego this season. Rich Harden put together impressive numbers for a rookie en route to win the first major award of his career. Let's hope more will follow for this 22 year old ballplayer. This season Harden compiled an ERA of 2.68, going 14-12 in 34 starts. He fanned 193 while giving up 175 hits in 225 innings. Rich has pitched one shutout and 3 complete games.
Wednesday 10/14/2004 Barry Zito pitches his 2nd shutout of the season SAN FRANCISCO - Barry Zito had his best stuff going, and San Francisco hitters were chanceless. Arizona's lefty fired a 2-hitter, his 2nd shutout of the season. Zito (20-5) struck out 7 and walked 1, throwing 55 of 88 pitches for strikes. 'I hit the corners with all of my pitches. That helped a lot!' The hitting star for Arizona was rightfielder Vladimir Guerrero, he went 3 for 4. The final score of the game was 2-0.
Thursday 10/1/2004 Sheets and Schoeneweis receive Pitcher of the Month award Anaheim's pitcher Ben Sheets is the American winner of the Pitcher of the Month award in September. His record of 4-0 in 4 was among the leagues best this month. In 33.1 innings of work he allowed just 26 hits while striking out 32, compiling an ERA of just 0.54. Ben also fired a shutout. This season Sheets compiled an ERA of 3.06, going 13-9 in 28 starts. He fanned 163 while giving up 182 hits in 214.2 innings. Ben has pitched 2 shutouts and 8 complete games. Scott Schoeneweis pitched like a legend in September, and the National named him Pitcher of the Month for his extraordinary performance. He struck out 15 hitters in his 4 starts, putting together a record of 3-1 while pitching 15 innings. His ERA in September was 0.60. This season Schoeneweis compiled an ERA of 1.53, going 9-5 in 17 starts. He fanned 78 while giving up 90 hits in 135.2 innings. Scott has pitched one shutout and 2 complete games.
Thursday 10/1/2004 Red hot Griffey Jr. and Berkman win Batter of the Month award It's the 3rd time that the American Batter of the Month award goes to Boston's centerfielder Ken Griffey Jr.. Ken was on fire, hitting .301 with 8 homeruns and 24 RBI. He has hit 40 longballs while batting .330 this season. His 152 hits and 75 walks add up to a .425 on-base percentage. He's 1st in the American in batting, 3rd in homeruns and 1st in RBI! Lance Berkman of Houston wins his 1st Batter of the Month award for putting up the best numbers in the National. In 93 at bats he hit .344 with 11 HR and 29 RBI. Berkman has hit 37 homeruns this year while batting .322. He adds 44 doubles, along with 110 runs scored. He's 1st in the National in batting, 2nd in homeruns and 4th in RBI!
Monday 9/28/2004 Houston's Miller out for 5 weeks HOUSTON - Houston is without its right-hander Wade Miller for at least 5 weeks. He injured himself while throwing a pitch to Adrian Beltre in a game against Montreal. His face showed signs of pain immediately after the ball left his hand. After being examined by several specialists the diagnosis is clear: Inflamed Rotator Cuff Muscle. Wade has a record of 19-10 this season, with an ERA of 3.50. In 275 Innings he was able to strike out 226 batters. Wade has pitched one shutout and 4 complete games. He's 4th in the National in wins!
Monday 9/28/2004 Josh Beckett pitches his 3rd shutout of the season TAMPA BAY - Josh Beckett took the mound and never left. And Tampa Bay hitters couldn't touch him at all. Anaheim's right-hander gave up just 2 hits in his 3rd shutout of the season. He now has 3 career shutouts in 94 games started. Beckett (21-9) was overpowering, fanning 11 while walking none, throwing 101 pitches. 'Things like that happen. You take the mound and everything works. My velocity was pretty good today and I guess it showed.' Garret Anderson helped Beckett at the plate, he got 2 hits in 4 AB, doubling twice. Anaheim scored 3 runs on 6 hits.
Monday 9/28/2004 Stewart and Berkman win Player of the Week award Shannon Stewart from Detroit wins his 1st Player of the Week award for putting up the best numbers this week in the American. Shannon was on fire, hitting .423 with 1 HR and 6 RBI. It's the 2nd time that the National Player of the Week award goes to Houston's leftfielder Lance Berkman. He had an on base percentage of .677 and hit .545, while driving in 12 runs.
Saturday 9/26/2004 Edgardo Alfonzo out for 5 weeks SAN FRANCISCO - Being hit with a pitch is no fun at all. Especially when you get injured. San Francisco's third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo will miss about 5 weeks after being hit by Luke Prokopec in the 1st inning of the game between San Francisco and Los Angeles. After x-rays were taken the diagnosis did not surprise many: Fractured Wrist. Surgery will be performed next week. His season numbers are: .294 AVG, 163 hits, 24 doubles, no triples and 21 bombs, along with 104 RBI and 105 runs scored.
Saturday 9/26/2004 Barry Zito pitches his 2nd shutout of the season SAN DIEGO - Barry Zito had his best stuff going, and San Diego hitters had nothing to cheer about. Arizona's lefty pitched a 2-hitter, his 2nd shutout of the season. 'I had my stuff going. Everything I tried worked. What a day!' Zito (20-5) struck out 8 and issued 5 BB, throwing 63 of 114 pitches for strikes. Arizona's rightfielder Vladimir Guerrero collected 4 hits in 6 trips to the plate, with 3 RBI. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Zito. Arizona scored 9 runs on 17 hits.
Friday 9/25/2004 Boston's Ramirez out for 6-7 weeks BOSTON - Boston's Manny Ramirez suffered a serious injury Friday in a game against Tampa Bay. Ramirez fell down while running the bases and couldn't get up without help. He will miss probably 6-7 weeks. Doctors examined him after the game and diagnosed a Pulled Anterior Cruciate Ligament which will require surgery. He has hit 45 longballs while batting .332 this season. His 196 hits and 135 walks add up to a .456 on-base percentage. He's 2nd in the American in batting, 1st in homeruns and 2nd in RBI!
Friday 9/25/2004 Barry Bonds punishes Baltimore with three dingers BALTIMORE - Barry Bonds powered Oakland to a 4-0 win over Baltimore. He did it in style by homering three times, and showed the crowd of 17340 that old men can still play the ballgame. A pitch from John Stephens in the 2nd inning left his bat for a solo homerun, landing 412 feet from home plate in right-center. Number 2 in the 4th inning, a shot estimated at 405 feet, cleared the wall in right-center. In the 8th inning he unloaded a solo homerun off Willis Roberts. Overall he stroked 3 hits in 4 AB, scoring three runs and collecting 4 RBI. His homerun total this year is 43, along with 98 RBI. It's pretty obvious that he will enter the Hall of Fame some day!
Thursday 9/24/2004 Colorado's Jennings out for 7 weeks COLORADO - Colorado is without its ace Jason Jennings for at least 7 weeks. He injured himself while throwing a pitch to Chris Trittle in a game against San Diego. His face showed signs of pain immediately after the ball left his hand. Doctors examined him after the game and diagnosed a Herniated Disc Back which will require surgery. In 29 starts this year Jason struck out 112 batters in 167 innings of work. His ERA is 4.58, his record 8-13. Jason has pitched one shutout and 2 complete games.
Monday 9/21/2004 Ohka (MIN) and Giambi (CIN) win P.O.W. award It's the 2nd time that the American Player of the Week award goes to Minnesota's pitcher Tomo Ohka. He was in a zone all week, compiling an ERA of 2.37 while going 3-0. The Player of the Week award in the National goes to Cincinnati's Jason Giambi this time, as the first baseman displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. He had an on base percentage of .606 and hit .480, while driving in 8 runs.
Sunday 9/20/2004 Jose Contreras turns in great performance against Seattle NEW YORK (A) - Jose Contreras had an unexpectedly great performance against Seattle on Sunday, pitching a 1-hitter for his 5th shutout of the season. Contreras (12-8) struck out 6 and walked 1, throwing 59 of 97 pitches for strikes. 'I'll have to give a lot of credit to my catcher. He put all the right fingers down today.' Vernon Wells helped Contreras at the plate, he finished with 2 hits in 4 AB, stroking a double, scoring twice and collecting 2 RBI. The final score of the game was 7-0.
Wednesday 9/16/2004 Ryan Jensen turns in great performance against Philadelphia PHILADELPHIA - Ryan Jensen had an unexpectedly great performance against Philadelphia on Wednesday, pitching a 2-hitter for his 1st shutout of the season. Jensen (13-6) struck out 5 and walked 1, throwing 57 of 97 pitches for strikes. 'Pitching a great game is always a good thing. And it doesn't get much better than today.' Ray Durham helped Jensen at the plate, he collected 4 hits in 5 trips to the plate, hitting a double, and driving in 3 runs. San Francisco improved it's record to 96-55, scoring 7 runs on 15 hits.
Monday 9/14/2004 Carlos Zambrano out for 4-5 weeks CHICAGO (N) - Chicago (N) is without its right-hander Carlos Zambrano for at least 4-5 weeks. He injured himself while throwing a pitch to Dmitri Young in a game against Montreal. His face showed signs of pain immediately after the ball left his hand. After x-rays were taken the diagnosis did not surprise many: Spasms Back. Surgery will be performed next week. This season Zambrano compiled an ERA of 4.08, going 17-19 in 59 starts. He fanned 273 while giving up 295 hits in 348.1 innings. He's 4th in the National in wins!
Monday 9/14/2004 LeCroy and Wayne win Player of the Week award Minnesota's first baseman Matt LeCroy had some reason to celebrate, as the league named him the American Player of the Week. He hit .438 with 8 RBI and slugged 1.000 in 16 at bats. Justin Wayne of Florida wins his 1st Player of the Week award for dominating National's hitters the entire week. He was in a zone all week, compiling an ERA of 0.00 while going 2-0. He hurled a shutout as well. This season Wayne compiled an ERA of 1.22, going 7-4 in 15 starts. He fanned 72 while giving up 63 hits in 117.2 innings. Justin has pitched 2 shutouts and 3 complete games.
Sunday 9/13/2004 Ryan Franklin dominates Baltimore, gives up just one hit SEATTLE - Ryan Franklin, usually uneffective, had a great performance against Baltimore on Sunday, pitching a 1-hitter for his 1st shutout of the season. Franklin (9-7) struck out 4 and issued 1 BB, throwing 55 of 83 pitches for strikes. 'I'll have to give a lot of credit to my catcher. He put all the right fingers down today.' Ichiro Suzuki helped Franklin at the plate, he finished 2 for 4, hitting a homerun, scoring twice. Seattle scored 4 runs on 8 hits.
Thursday 9/10/2004 Shawn Green out for full season PITTSBURGH - Pittsburgh's rightfielder Shawn Green will miss the rest of the season. He injured himself running the bases in the game between Pittsburgh and Atlanta. The injury didn't seem to be serious the moment is happened. But suddenly Green collapsed in pain and had to be carried off the field. Pittsburgh wasted no time and rushed him to an hospital. Team officials were informed later that Green had suffered a Broken Foot. This year Green drove in 83 and scored 99 runs while batting .280 with 30 taters.
Tuesday 9/8/2004 Curt Schilling pitches his 1st shutout of the season ATLANTA - Curt Schilling, usually uneffective, had a great performance against Atlanta on Tuesday, pitching a 2-hitter for his 1st shutout of the season. 'I really like to play baseball, and I love the way I was able to play it today.' Schilling (14-8) struck out 6 and walked 1, throwing 59 of 99 pitches for strikes. The hitting star for Pittsburgh was centerfielder Todd Hollandsworth, he collected 3 hits in 4 trips to the plate, scoring twice and collecting 3 RBI. The final score of the game was 12-0.
Monday 9/7/2004 Jose Contreras dominates Baltimore, throws NO-HITTER BALTIMORE - Jose Contreras had a historical performance against Baltimore on Monday, pitching a no-hitter for his 4th shutout of the season. Contreras (11-7) was overpowering, fanning 10 while walking none, throwing 95 pitches. 'Giving my team a chance to win is the most important thing for me. I was able to do it today, and it's especially nice to do it in such fashion.' New York (A)'s second baseman Alfonso Soriano collected 3 hits in 5 trips to the plate, hitting a homerun. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Contreras. New York (A) scored 2 runs on 7 hits.
Monday 9/7/2004 Schmidt and Blum win Player of the Week award Jason Schmidt of Oakland wins his 1st Player of the Week award for dominating American's hitters the entire week. Schmidt was overpowering all week long, going 2-0 with an ERA of 0.55. Along the way he struck out 14 in 16.1 innings. He hurled a shutout as well. Geoff Blum from Houston wins his 1st Player of the Week award for putting up the best numbers this week in the National. Geoff went 13 for 28 (.464), while hitting 1 HR and collecting 8 RBI.
Sunday 9/6/2004 Keith Foulke pitches 2-hit shutout against Seattle SEATTLE - Detroit's right-hander Keith Foulke will never forget this day. The 31-year old recorded his first career shutout, a 2-hitter, against Seattle on Sunday. With two outs in the 5th inning Mike Cameron singled to break up the no-hitter. 'I had my stuff going. Everything I tried worked. What a day!' Foulke (12-5) struck out 7 and walked 1, throwing 61 of 95 pitches for strikes. Detroit's third baseman Joe Randa finished 2 for 4, homering once. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Foulke. Detroit scored 1 run on 7 hits.
Sunday 9/6/2004 Mark Quinn out for 6 weeks KANSAS CITY - Kansas City's Mark Quinn suffered a serious injury Sunday in a game against Anaheim. Quinn fell down while running the bases and couldn't get up without help. He will miss probably 6 weeks. Quinn was rushed to an hospital near the ballpark, where doctors took x-rays. Those revealed the serious injury, Torn Thigh Muscle. He has hit 15 longballs while batting .266 this season. His 139 hits and 38 walks add up to a .318 on-base percentage.
Friday 9/4/2004 New York (A)'s Suppan severely injured NEW YORK (A) - New York (A)'s pitcher Jeff Suppan was part of a scary incident that saw the right-hander being hit by a line drive in the 3rd inning of the game between New York (A) and Minnesota. Team trainers immediately rushed onto the field after the frightening scene. Suppan will miss about 5 weeks. Suppan was rushed to an hospital near the ballpark, where doctors took x-rays. Those revealed the serious injury, Fractured Hand. In 33 starts this year Jeff struck out 200 batters in 228 innings of work. His ERA is 2.33, his record 21-5. He has 7 complete games and 4 shutouts. He's 4th in the American in ERA and 2nd in wins!
Thursday 9/3/2004 Texas has no chance in a 2-hitter by Pedro Martinez TEXAS - Boston's right-hander Pedro Martinez is a great pitcher. And he once again showed his stuff, blanking Texas on just 2 hits. It's his 10th shutout this season, and the 27th time he has done it in his career. 'I had my stuff going. Everything I tried worked. What a day!' Martinez (23-1) struck out 7 and walked 1, throwing 66 of 104 pitches for strikes. Boston's centerfielder Ken Griffey Jr. got 4 hits in 5 AB, hitting a homerun, stroking a double, scoring three runs. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Martinez. Boston scored 8 runs on 16 hits.
Wednesday 9/2/2004 Brad Radke dominates New York (A), gives up just 2 hits NEW YORK (A) - Brad Radke had his best stuff going, and New York (A) hitters had nothing to cheer about. Minnesota's right-hander pitched a 2-hitter, his 6th shutout of the season. 'My catcher called a very good game. I have to give credit to him.' Radke (21-7) fanned 6 and walked none, throwing 93 pitches. The hitting star for Minnesota was designated hitter Carlos Delgado, he got 2 hits in 4 AB, stroking two 2B's, scoring twice. The final score of the game was 4-0.
Tuesday 9/1/2004 Minnesota's Radke earns Pitcher of the Month award Minnesota's Brad Radke had a terrific August, and it earned him the American Pitcher of the month award. He struck out 24 hitters in his 6 starts, putting together a record of 5-0 while pitching 24 innings. His ERA in August was 0.70. Brad pitched THREE complete game shutouts! Opposing players hit .257 against Brad this season. While posting an ERA of 3.21 he went 20-7 in 29 starts, fanning 133 and walking 36 hitters. Brad has pitched 5 shutouts and 10 complete games. He's 3rd in the American in wins! Florida's pitcher Mark Redman is the National winner of the Pitcher of the Month award in August. His ERA of just 0.77 helped him to a 3-0 record in August. He worked 47 innings, striking out 39 hitters while walking 16. Mark pitched a shutout as well. In 25 starts this year Mark struck out 128 batters in 171.2 innings of work. His ERA is 2.52, his record 12-5. Mark has pitched one shutout and 2 complete games.
Tuesday 9/1/2004 Ramirez (BOS) and Jeter (COL) win monthly award Manny Ramirez of Boston wins his 2nd Batter of the Month award for putting up the best numbers in the American. Manny was on fire, hitting .317 with 8 homeruns and 27 RBI. His season features a batting average of .332 (167 hits in 503 AB), 48 doubles, 2 triples and 41 taters. Ramirez collected 121 RBI and 136 runs as well. He's 2nd in the American in batting, 1st in homeruns and 1st in RBI! Colorado's shortstop Derek Jeter had some reason to celebrate as well, as the league named him the National Batter of the Month. Jeter helped his team with an average of .425 and 19 RBI in 120 at bats. Jeter has hit 15 longballs this year while batting .321. He adds 43 doubles, along with 93 runs scored. He's 2nd in the National in batting!
Monday 8/31/2004 Martinez and Berkman win Player of the Week award The Player of the Week award in the American goes to Boston's Pedro Martinez this time, as the pitcher displayed the best pitching perfomance in his league. Pedro went 2-0 with an ERA of 0.00, while fanning 22 in 18 innings of work. He pitched two shutouts! In 29 starts this year Pedro struck out 255 batters in 229.2 innings of work. His ERA is 1.37, his record 22-1. He has 10 complete games and 9 shutouts. He's 1st in the American in ERA and 1st in wins! Houston's leftfielder Lance Berkman had some reason to celebrate as well, as the league named him the National Player of the Week. In 24 at bats he hit .458 with 4 HR and 8 RBI.
Saturday 8/29/2004 Pedro Martinez pitches his 9th shutout of the season BOSTON - Great days are rare. But not for Boston's right-hander Pedro Martinez. Toronto found out the hard way that he is among the leagues top pitchers, getting just 2 hits. It's his 9th shutout this season, and the 26th time he has done it in his career. 'They took some ugly cuts at my breaking stuff, so I kept throwing it. Fortunately they were not able to adjust in time.' Martinez (22-1) was overpowering, fanning 11 while walking 1, throwing 116 pitches. Boston's catcher Ben Petrick got 2 hits in 4 AB, blasting a homerun, with three runs scored and driving in 2 runs. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Martinez. Boston scored 13 runs on 13 hits.
Friday 8/28/2004 Brad Radke pitches 2-hit shutout against Chicago (A) MINNESOTA - Good things can happen when you throw strikes. And Brad Radke did so today, in a 2-hit shutout against Chicago (A). Jose Hernandez spoiled the bid for a no-hitter when he doubled with one out in the 6th inning. 'Things like that happen. You take the mound and everything works. My velocity was pretty good today and I guess it showed.' Radke (20-7) struck out 7 and walked none, throwing 61 of 95 pitches for strikes. Minnesota's leftfielder Bobby Kielty finished with 2 hits in 3 AB, homering once, doubling once, with 2 RBI. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Radke. Minnesota improved it's record to 89-45, scoring 3 runs on 6 hits.
Thursday 8/27/2004 5-hit performance by Houston's Lance Berkman HOUSTON - Lance Berkman punished Arizona's pitching today, collecting five hits in 5 AB. That definitely helped Houston, they won the game 12 to 11. His 3rd hit, off Mike Koplove in the 4th inning, was a solo homerun and cleared the fence in center field. His 4th hit, a solo homerun off Geraldo Guzman in the 6th inning, cleared the fence in right field. He had singles in the 2nd inning , in the 3rd inning (one RBI) and in the 9th . Lance scored 4 runs, and he collected 3 RBI as well! He's having a very good season so far, batting .317.
Tuesday 8/25/2004 Kurt Ainsworth out for 5 weeks SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco's right-hander Kurt Ainsworth suffered a severe injury on Tuesday and will be out for at least 5 weeks. In the 3rd of the game against Florida he experienced pain in his throwing arm and had to leave the game. After being taken to a local hospital, Ainsworth was examined by specialists. The diagnosis revealed the sad truth, a Inflamed Rotator Cuff Muscle. In 22 starts this year Kurt struck out 80 batters in 141.1 innings of work. His ERA is 2.67, his record 7-3. He has 2 complete games and 2 shutouts.
Monday 8/24/2004 Pedro Martinez pitches his 8th shutout of the season BOSTON - Boston's right-hander Pedro Martinez is a great pitcher. And he once again showed his stuff, blanking Baltimore on just 2 hits. It's his 8th shutout this season, and the 25th time he has done it in his career. The bid for a no-hitter was broken up when Isaias Pacheco singled with two outs in the 8th inning. 'Giving my team a chance to win is the most important thing for me. I was able to do it today.' Martinez (21-1) was overpowering, fanning 11 while walking none, throwing 100 pitches. Ben Petrick helped Martinez at the plate, he collected 2 hits in 4 trips to the plate. The final score of the game was 3-0.
Monday 8/24/2004 Player of the Week honors go to Colon and Thomas It's the 1st time that the American Player of the Week award goes to Chicago (A)'s pitcher Bartolo Colon. He was in a zone all week, compiling an ERA of 0.00 while going 2-0. He pitched two shutouts! His ERA of 3.50 helped him to a 9-8 record this year. He struck out 123 and walked 59 in 167 innings. Bartolo has pitched 3 shutouts and 4 complete games. Frank Thomas from St. Louis wins his 1st Player of the Week award for putting up the best numbers this week in the National. He had an on base percentage of .606 and hit .520, while driving in 7 runs. Frank has gone 152 for 471 (.323) this season, hitting 26 bombs and driving in 88 runs. He has scored 95 runs on his own. He's 1st in the National in batting, 6th in homeruns and 7th in RBI!
Sunday 8/23/2004 Travis Fryman ropes 2000th career hit CLEVELAND - Cleveland's third baseman Travis Fryman was in good mood after the game against Oakland, and he had every reason as he made some history while collecting his 2000th career hit. His hit in the 5th inning was a double off Larry Luebbers. His best year so far was 2000 where he hit .321 with 22 homeruns and 106 RBI. 'I still remember my first hit. But the one today is something special. I'll definitely keep that ball!'
Saturday 8/22/2004 Jeff Bagwell out for 5 weeks HOUSTON - Houston's season has taken a hit after one of their best players, first baseman Jeff Bagwell, injured himself while rounding a base. He is likely to miss 5 weeks. After x-rays were taken the diagnosis did not surprise many: Inflamed Posterior Cruciate Ligament. Surgery will be performed next week. Bagwell has hit for a .269 average this season. He has 68 extra base hits along with 275 total bases, resulting in a .521 slugging percentage. He's 2nd in the National in RBIs and 2nd in homeruns!
Friday 8/21/2004 Milwaukee's Diggins out for 7-8 weeks MILWAUKEE - When it rains, it pours. Milwaukee's right-hander Ben Diggins will not pitch for at least 7-8 weeks, handing the team a huge setback. He suffered a serious injury in a game against St. Louis where he left the field in the 6th inning. Pulled Rotator Cuff Muscle was the diagnosis after x-rays were taken in a near by hospital. The message shocked team mates and team officials. This season Diggins compiled an ERA of 4.76, going 5-6 in 10 starts. He fanned 68 while giving up 112 hits in 130.1 innings.
Wednesday 8/19/2004 Eric Milton turns in great performance against Texas CHICAGO (A) - With his best stuff going, Chicago (A)'s Eric Milton overmatched the opposing hitters all day long. Texas had no chance, collecting just one hit against the southpaw. Milton (14-3) fanned 4 and walked 2, throwing 93 pitches. 'That was one of the best games of my career. I had my stuff working very well today.' Jose Hernandez helped Milton at the plate, he went 2 for 3, hitting a homerun. Chicago (A) scored 4 runs on 7 hits.
Monday 8/17/2004 John Patterson (SEA) will miss 7-8 weeks SEATTLE - Seattle's left-hander John Patterson suffered a severe injury on Monday and will be out for at least 7-8 weeks. In the 2nd of the game against Detroit he experienced pain in his throwing arm and had to leave the game. After being taken to a local hospital, Patterson was examined by specialists. The diagnosis revealed the sad truth, a Strained Elbow Ligament. John has a record of 9-11 this season, with an ERA of 3.59. In 235.1 Innings he was able to strike out 175 batters. John has pitched one shutout and 2 complete games.
Monday 8/17/2004 Bartolo Colon quiets Cleveland bats with shutout CLEVELAND - Good things can happen when you throw strikes. And Bartolo Colon did so today, in a 2-hit shutout against Cleveland. 'I didn't feel that I had good stuff while warming up. But it got better the more I threw the ball. I guess I was lucky.' Colon (8-8) fanned 5 and walked 1, throwing 108 pitches. Jim Edmonds helped Colon at the plate, he finished with 1 hit in 4 AB. Chicago (A) scored 1 run on 7 hits.
Monday 8/17/2004 Edmonds and Polanco win Player of the Week award Chicago (A)'s centerfielder Jim Edmonds had some reason to celebrate, as the league named him the American Player of the Week. He had an on base percentage of .382 and hit .310, while driving in 9 runs. While compiling an on base percentage of .393, Jim hit .245 and slugged .483. He has collected 66 runs batted in this year. The Player of the Week award in the National goes to Chicago (N)'s Placido Polanco this time, as the second baseman displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. Placido pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .500 with 3 HR and 6 RBI while slugging .962. While compiling an on base percentage of .273, Placido hit .236 and slugged .337. He has collected 47 runs batted in this year.
Sunday 8/16/2004 Barry Bonds unloads, hits number 700 OAKLAND - Oakland's leftfielder Barry Bonds was in good mood after the game against Kansas City, and he had every reason as he made baseball history while collecting his 700th career homerun. A 441 feet drive to center field marked his 700th career bomb, a two-run homerun off Mike Macdougal in the 3rd inning. Perhaps his best year so far was 2001 where he hit .328 with 73 homeruns and 137 RBI. Barry has managed to hit 30+ homeruns in a season 14 times, and he topped 40 homeruns 7 times. 'You dream about that as a kid, but when you reach such a milestone it's hard to believe. Fantastic.' The Hall of Fame already has reserved a place for this great player.
Saturday 8/15/2004 Mark Prior quiets Florida bats with shutout FLORIDA - Mark Prior had an unexpectedly great performance against Florida on Saturday, pitching a 1-hitter for his 2nd shutout of the season. The bid for a no-hitter was broken up when Rey Sanchez singled with one out in the 6th inning. Prior (7-7) fanned 5 and walked none, throwing 99 pitches. 'They took some ugly cuts at my breaking stuff, so I kept throwing it. Fortunately they were not able to adjust in time.' Chicago (N)'s second baseman Placido Polanco went 2 for 3, homering once. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Prior. Chicago (N) improved it's record to 56-68, scoring 4 runs on 9 hits.
Saturday 8/15/2004 Jeff Suppan pitches his 3rd shutout of the season ANAHEIM - Jeff Suppan, usually uneffective, had a great performance against Anaheim on Saturday, pitching a 2-hitter for his 3rd shutout of the season. Suppan (19-5) struck out 9 and issued 1 BB, throwing 66 of 103 pitches for strikes. 'Things like that happen. You take the mound and everything works. My velocity was pretty good today and I guess it showed.' The hitting star for New York (A) was third baseman Eric Chavez, he finished 2 for 3, homering once, stroking a double, and collecting 4 RBI. The final score of the game was 6-0.
Thursday 8/13/2004 Aaron Sele dominates Seattle, gives up just one hit SEATTLE - Aaron Sele had his best stuff going, and Seattle hitters had nothing to cheer about. Oakland's right-hander pitched a 1-hitter, his 2nd shutout of the season. 'I was able to keep´em off balance. That certainly helped.' Sele (10-3) struck out 7 and issued 1 BB, throwing 50 of 82 pitches for strikes. Oakland's leftfielder Barry Bonds finished 3 for 4, hitting a homerun. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Sele. Oakland scored 2 runs on 9 hits.
Thursday 8/13/2004 Joey Eischen out for 6 weeks BOSTON - Boston is without its southpaw Joey Eischen for at least 6 weeks. He injured himself while throwing a pitch to Magglio Ordonez in a game against Chicago (A). His face showed signs of pain immediately after the ball left his hand. After x-rays were taken the diagnosis did not surprise many: Torn Bicep Muscle. Surgery will be performed next week. In 0 starts this year Joey struck out 59 batters in 59.1 innings of work. His ERA is 3.19, his record 5-2.
Wednesday 8/12/2004 Jake Peavy out for 4-5 weeks ARIZONA - When it rains, it pours. Arizona's right-hander Jake Peavy will not pitch for at least 4-5 weeks, handing the team a huge setback. He suffered a serious injury in a game against Florida where he left the field in the 3rd inning. After x-rays were taken the diagnosis did not surprise many: Torn Bicep Muscle. Surgery will be performed next week. Opposing players hit .224 against Jake this season. While posting an ERA of 2.96 he went 13-3 in 21 starts, fanning 133 and walking 34 hitters. He has 2 complete games and one shutout. He's 8th in the National in wins!
Wednesday 8/12/2004 Pedro Martinez fires 1-hitter against Chicago (A) CHICAGO (A) - Pedro Martinez took the mound and never left. And Chicago (A) hitters couldn't touch him at all. Boston's right-hander gave up just one hit in his 7th shutout of the season. He now has 24 career shutouts in 386 games started. Martinez (20-1) was overpowering, fanning 10 while walking 1, throwing 96 pitches. 'Well, the ball went where I wanted it. I was able to hit the corners with all of my pitches.' Manny Ramirez provided Boston with the offense Martinez needed as he stroked 2 hits in 4 AB, homering twice, scoring two runs and collecting 4 RBI. Boston improved it's record to 90-30, scoring 4 runs on 7 hits.
Tuesday 8/11/2004 Mark Redman shuts out Arizona on 2 hits ARIZONA - Florida's left-hander Mark Redman will never forget this day. The 30-year old recorded his first career shutout, a 2-hitter, against Arizona on Tuesday. 'I hit the corners with all of my pitches. That helped a lot!' Redman (10-5) struck out 6 and walked 2, throwing 56 of 94 pitches for strikes. Florida's rightfielder Chris Singleton collected 3 hits in 5 trips to the plate, and driving in 2 runs. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Redman. The final score of the game was 9-0.
Tuesday 8/11/2004 Oakland's Dye out for 10 weeks OAKLAND - Oakland's rightfielder Jermaine Dye hurt himself in the 1st inning while diving for a batted ball. He got up slowly and had to leave the game. Jermaine Dye will miss at least 10 weeks. After being taken to a local hospital, Dye was examined by specialists. The diagnosis revealed the sad truth, a Broken Foot. His season numbers are: .248 AVG, 110 hits, 23 doubles, no triples and 13 taters, along with 67 RBI and 73 runs scored.
Monday 8/10/2004 Montreal's Josh Paul has great day with five hits NEW YORK (N) - 'Wow, five hits in one game is something special, isn't it?' said Montreal's catcher Josh Paul after the 15-12 win over New York (N). In the 4th inning he unloaded a solo homerun off Jae Weong Seo. His 4th hit, a three-run homerun off Royce Ring in the 9th inning, landed an estimated 400 feet from home plate. It tied the ballgame at 12. His 5th hit was a double off Aaron Heilman in the 11th inning. He had singles in the 2nd inning (one RBI) and in the 6th . Josh did drive in 6 while scoring 3 runs on his own. He now has a total of 97 hits this season, accounting for a .255 batting average.
Monday 8/10/2004 Kyle Lohse out for 6 weeks MINNESOTA - Minnesota's right-hander Kyle Lohse suffered a severe injury on Monday and will be out for at least 6 weeks. In the 1st of the game against Chicago (A) he experienced pain in his throwing arm and had to leave the game. After being examined by several specialists the diagnosis is clear: Bone Chips Elbow. In 24 starts this year Kyle struck out 90 batters in 146.1 innings of work. His ERA is 5.35, his record 9-8.
Monday 8/10/2004 Jeremy Affeldt shuts out Cleveland on one hit CLEVELAND - It was a great day for Kansas City's southpaw Jeremy Affeldt. The 25-year old recorded his first career shutout, a 1-hitter, against Cleveland on Monday. Affeldt (6-20) struck out 8 and walked 2, throwing 59 of 101 pitches for strikes. 'I felt early that I was on top of my game. Fortunately I was able to keep that feeling the entire game.' Kansas City's catcher Carlos Beltran got 3 hits in 5 AB, stroking a double, and collecting 2 RBI. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Affeldt. Kansas City scored 3 runs on 7 hits.
Monday 8/10/2004 Jayson Durocher (BOS) will miss 5 weeks BOSTON - When it rains, it pours. Boston's right-hander Jayson Durocher will not pitch for at least 5 weeks, handing the team a huge setback. He suffered a serious injury in a game against Baltimore where he left the field in the 7th inning. After being taken to a local hospital, Durocher was examined by specialists. The diagnosis revealed the sad truth, a Herniated Disc Back. This season Durocher compiled an ERA of 2.84, going 3-2 in 0 starts. He fanned 38 while giving up 24 hits in 44.1 innings.
Monday 8/10/2004 Sele (OAK) and Helms (MIL) win P.O.W. award The American Player of the Week award goes to Aaron Sele, one of Oakland's best starting pitchers. Aaron went 2-0 with an ERA of 0.00, while fanning 15 in 16 innings of work. He hurled a shutout as well. Wes Helms wins his 1st Player of the Week award. National pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. Wes went 11 for 20 (.550), while hitting 2 HR and collecting 6 RBI.
Saturday 8/8/2004 Kevin Millwood (ANA) will miss 5-6 weeks ANAHEIM - Anaheim is without its right-hander Kevin Millwood for at least 5-6 weeks. He injured himself while throwing a pitch to Vernon Wells in a game against New York (A). His face showed signs of pain immediately after the ball left his hand. After x-rays were taken the diagnosis did not surprise many: Herniated Disc Back. Surgery will be performed next week. Kevin has a record of 13-4 this season, with an ERA of 3.23. In 153.1 Innings he was able to strike out 105 batters. Kevin has pitched 3 shutouts and 3 complete games.
Friday 8/7/2004 Alex Rodriguez (TEX) will miss 5 weeks TEXAS - Texas' shortstop Alex Rodriguez will miss about 5 weeks after he hurt himself badly in the 9th inning of the game between Texas and Anaheim. He fielded a ball off the bat of Garret Anderson, threw a bullet to first and immediately signaled that he's not OK. After being taken to a local hospital, Rodriguez was examined by specialists. The diagnosis revealed the sad truth, a Bone Chips Shoulder. Rodriguez has walked 65 times this year and posts a .375 OBP. While batting .272, 119 for 437, he has driven in 78 runs.
Friday 8/7/2004 Oakland's Ortiz out for 5-6 weeks OAKLAND - Oakland is without its right-hander Ramon Ortiz for at least 5-6 weeks. He injured himself while throwing a pitch to Jacque Jones in a game against Minnesota. His face showed signs of pain immediately after the ball left his hand. After being examined by several specialists the diagnosis is clear: Bone Chips Elbow. His ERA of 3.40 helped him to a 11-7 record this year. He struck out 83 and walked 49 in 148.1 innings.
Wednesday 8/5/2004 Colorado's Jose Ortiz pounds six hits COLORADO - Jose Ortiz saw the ball really well, leading Colorado to a 9-8 win over Pittsburgh. His six hits thrilled his teammates and coaches, and Jose seemed happy as well after the game. Number 3 in the 3rd inning accounted for a two-run double. A pitch from Scott Sauerbeck in the 7th inning left his bat for a double. He had singles in the 1st inning , in the 2nd (one RBI) , in the 5th and in the 11th . Jose scored one run, and he collected 3 RBI as well! His 6 hit performance increases his batting average to .206.
Tuesday 8/4/2004 Kerry Wood dominates San Diego, throws NO-HITTER SAN DIEGO - Kerry Wood had a historical performance against San Diego on Tuesday, pitching a no-hitter for his 2nd shutout of the season. Mike Rivera spoiled the bid for a perfect game when he walked with no outs in the 6th inning. Wood (11-4) was overpowering, fanning 12 while walking 1, throwing 114 pitches. 'Giving my team a chance to win is the most important thing for me. I was able to do it today, and it's especially nice to do it in such fashion.' Rich Aurilia helped Wood at the plate, he finished 3 for 5, homering twice, scoring twice and driving in 2 runs. San Francisco improved it's record to 71-42, scoring 7 runs on 13 hits.
Monday 8/3/2004 Wilson (TOR) and Alou (CHN) win P.O.W. award The Player of the Week award in the American goes to Toronto's Tom Wilson this time, as the catcher displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. Tom pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .545 with 2 HR and 6 RBI while slugging .909. Moises Alou from Chicago (N) wins his 1st Player of the Week award for putting up the best numbers this week in the National. Moises went 12 for 27 (.444), while hitting 4 HR and collecting 9 RBI. He has hit 21 longballs while batting .305 this season. His 127 hits and 45 walks add up to a .374 on-base percentage. He's 7th in the National in batting!
Sunday 8/2/2004 Juan Gonzalez stars with cycle against Chicago (A) TEXAS - Texas' rightfielder Juan Gonzalez accomplished a difficult feat in a game against Chicago (A), hitting for the cycle to improve his career batting average to .294! In the 2nd inning he belted a double off Eric Milton. A RBI triple off Eric Milton in the 3rd inning, accounted for his 2nd hit. His 3rd hit, off Eric Milton in the 5th inning, was a solo homerun and cleared the fence in center field. A pitch from Mike Crudale in the 8th inning left his bat for a double. A single in the 9th off Kelvim Escobar accounted for his 5th hit. That drive completed the cycle, causing a smile on his face! Juan scored 3 runs, and he collected 3 RBI as well! He now has a total of 115 hits this season, accounting for a .279 batting average. 16 players in league history have so far hit for the cycle, including Juan. On 7/5/2004, Todd Helton was the last player to hit for the cycle.
Sunday 8/2/2004 Kevin Millwood (ANA) will miss 7 weeks ANAHEIM - When it rains, it pours. Anaheim's right-hander Kevin Millwood will not pitch for at least 7 weeks, handing the team a huge setback. He suffered a serious injury in a game against Boston where he left the field in the 6th inning. Millwood was rushed to an hospital near the ballpark, where doctors took x-rays. Those revealed the serious injury, Spasms Back. In 23 starts this year Kevin struck out 105 batters in 152.2 innings of work. His ERA is 3.12, his record 13-4. Kevin has pitched 3 shutouts and 3 complete games. He's 8th in the American in wins!
Saturday 8/1/2004 Douglass and Burnett receive Pitcher of the Month award Sean Douglass couldn't have pitched much better than he did in July, and the American thought so as well, naming the right-hander Pitcher of the Month. He had an ERA of just 0.79 in 34.1 innings of work in which he struck out 32 hitters. His record in July is 2-1. Sean also fired a shutout. In 22 starts this year Sean struck out 103 batters in 144 innings of work. His ERA is 3.38, his record 10-7. He has 3 complete games and 2 shutouts. Florida's A.J. Burnett had a terrific July, and it earned him the National Pitcher of the month award. He went 5-0 in July and finished the month with an ERA of 1.31. He struck out 27 in 34.1 innings. In 23 starts this year A.J. struck out 124 batters in 151 innings of work. His ERA is 2.32, his record 8-4. A.J. has pitched one shutout and one complete game.
Saturday 8/1/2004 Anaheim's Wooten earns Batter of the Month award Shawn Wooten of Anaheim wins his 1st Batter of the Month award for putting up the best numbers in the American. Shawn pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .404 with 6 and 23 RBI while slugging .615. He has hit 14 taters while batting .289 this season. His 127 hits and 25 walks add up to a .328 on-base percentage. Daryle Ward of Los Angeles wins his 1st Batter of the Month award for putting up the best numbers in the National. Ward helped his team with an average of .324 and 19 RBI in 102 at bats. His season numbers are: .229 AVG, 83 hits, 24 doubles, no triples and 13 longballs, along with 49 RBI and 36 runs scored.
Friday 7/31/2004 John Stephens pitches 2-hit shutout against Seattle BALTIMORE - John Stephens had an unexpectedly great performance against Seattle on Friday, pitching a 2-hitter for his 1st shutout of the season. Stephens (4-6) struck out 4 and walked 3, throwing 56 of 93 pitches for strikes. 'Giving my team a chance to win is the most important thing for me. I was able to do it today.' The hitting star for Baltimore was third baseman Michael Fontenot, he went 1 for 3, blasting a homerun, and collecting 2 RBI. Baltimore improved it's record to 41-67, scoring 3 runs on 9 hits.
Tuesday 7/28/2004 Roy Halladay shuts out Seattle on 2 hits SEATTLE - Boston's right-hander Roy Halladay is clearly one of the best pitchers in the game. Seattle found out the hard way, getting just 2 hits. Halladay 1st shutout this season was a masterpiece, as he was almost untouchable. He has now hurled 5th shutouts in his career. Halladay (17-4) struck out 6 and walked 2, throwing 63 of 101 pitches for strikes. 'I really like to play baseball, and I love the way I was able to play it today.' Boston's rightfielder Manny Ramirez got 1 hit in 4 AB, homering once, and collecting 2 RBI. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Halladay. Boston improved it's record to 81-25, scoring 3 runs on 5 hits.
Monday 7/27/2004 Mike Sweeney (KC) will miss 6 weeks KANSAS CITY - Kansas City's season took a blow when Mike Sweeney suffered a serious injury in the game against Cleveland. He was hurt when ge got bowled over in a scary collision at home plate. Sweeney will probaby miss 6 weeks. Sweeney was rushed to an hospital near the ballpark, where doctors took x-rays. Those revealed the serious injury, Fractured Wrist. He has hit 12 longballs while batting .269 this season. His 113 hits and 40 walks add up to a .335 on-base percentage.
Monday 7/27/2004 Montreal's Sheffield wins Player of the Week award New York (A)'s pitcher Jeff Suppan had some reason to celebrate, as the league named him the American Player of the Week. He was in a zone all week, compiling an ERA of 0.00 while going 2-0. He hurled a shutout as well. This season Suppan compiled an ERA of 2.68, going 17-5 in 25 starts. He fanned 150 while giving up 134 hits in 174.1 innings. Jeff has pitched 2 shutouts and 5 complete games. He's 8th in the American in ERA and 2nd in wins! It's the 3rd time that the National Player of the Week award goes to Montreal's rightfielder Gary Sheffield. He hit .571 with 6 RBI and slugged .952 in 21 at bats. His season features a batting average of .321 (117 hits in 365 AB), 19 doubles, 6 triples and 17 homeruns. Sheffield collected 65 RBI and 58 runs as well. He's 4th in the National in batting!
Sunday 7/26/2004 Josh Beckett shuts out Toronto on one hit ANAHEIM - Anaheim's right-hander Josh Beckett is a great pitcher. And he once again showed his stuff, blanking Toronto on just one hit. It's his 2nd shutout this season, and the 2nd time he has done it in his career. 'I felt early that I was on top of my game. Fortunately I was able to keep that feeling the entire game.' Beckett (16-3) was overpowering, fanning 12 while walking 1, throwing 105 pitches. Shawn Wooten helped Beckett at the plate, he collected 1 hit in 3 trips to the plate, blasting a homerun, scoring 2 runs. The final score of the game was 4-0.
Saturday 7/25/2004 Kerry Wood pitches 2-hit shutout against Cincinnati SAN FRANCISCO - Kerry Wood had an unexpectedly great performance against Cincinnati on Saturday, pitching a 2-hitter for his 1st shutout of the season. Wood (9-4) struck out an astounding 14 and walked 2, throwing 71 of 115 pitches for strikes. 'That was one of the best games of my career. I had my stuff working very well today.' Rich Aurilia helped Wood at the plate, he got 3 hits in 4 AB, hitting a homerun, with three runs scored and collecting 3 RBI. San Francisco scored 6 runs on 9 hits.
Friday 7/24/2004 Mike Maroth turns in great performance against Kansas City BOSTON - Boston's right-hander Mike Maroth will never forget this day. The 26-year old recorded his first career shutout, a 2-hitter, against Kansas City on Friday. With one out in the 5th inning Angel Berroa doubled to break up the no-hitter. Maroth (13-3) struck out 1 and walked none, throwing 45 of 71 pitches for strikes. 'I had my stuff going. Everything I tried worked. What a day!' Boston's designated hitter Reggie Sanders finished with 1 hit in 4 AB, homering once, and collecting 3 RBI. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Maroth. The final score of the game was 12-0.
Monday 7/20/2004 Wooten (ANA) and Penny (FLO) win P.O.W. award The American Player of the Week award goes to Shawn Wooten, Anaheim's starting designated hitter. He hit .552 with 10 RBI and slugged .897 in 29 at bats. He hit in every game this week and extended his hitting streak to 7 games. Florida's pitcher Brad Penny had some reason to celebrate as well, as the league named him the National Player of the Week. Penny was overpowering all week long, going 2-0 with an ERA of 1.80. Along the way he struck out 14 in 15 innings. He hurled a shutout as well. Opposing players hit .238 against Brad this season. While posting an ERA of 3.03 he went 10-7 in 21 starts, fanning 101 and walking 49 hitters. Brad has pitched one shutout and 6 complete games.
Sunday 7/19/2004 Brad Penny pitches his 1st shutout of the season FLORIDA - Philadelphia's offense is struggling, and Florida's Brad Penny didn't help them. The right-hander fired his 1st shutout of the season, a 1-hitter. Penny (10-7) fanned 9 and walked 2, throwing 102 pitches. 'Giving my team a chance to win is the most important thing for me. I was able to do it today.' Johnny Damon provided Florida with the offense Penny needed as he stroked 2 hits in 4 AB, and driving in 2 runs. Florida improved it's record to 57-41, scoring 4 runs on 4 hits.
Saturday 7/18/2004 St. Louis' Rolen out for 5 weeks ST. LOUIS - St. Louis' season has taken a hit after one of their best players, third baseman Scott Rolen, injured himself while rounding a base. He is likely to miss 5 weeks. Doctors examined him after the game and diagnosed a Pulled Anterior Cruciate Ligament which will require surgery. While compiling an on base percentage of .327, Scott hit .235 and slugged .365. He has collected 50 runs batted in this year.
Friday 7/17/2004 Keith Foulke (DET) will miss 5 weeks DETROIT - Detroit is without its right-hander Keith Foulke for at least 5 weeks. He injured himself while throwing a pitch to Victor Martinez in a game against Cleveland. His face showed signs of pain immediately after the ball left his hand. Ruptured Tricep Tendon was the diagnosis after x-rays were taken in a near by hospital. The message shocked team mates and team officials. This season Foulke compiled an ERA of 2.47, going 10-5 in 20 starts. He fanned 113 while giving up 109 hits in 138.1 innings.
Monday 7/13/2004 Kielty (MIN) and Spiezio (FLO) win P.O.W. award The Player of the Week award in the American goes to Minnesota's Bobby Kielty this time, as the rightfielder displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. Bobby was on fire, hitting .353 with 2 HR and 3 RBI. The National Player of the Week award goes to Scott Spiezio, Florida's starting first baseman. He hit .412 with 8 RBI and slugged .941 in 17 at bats. While compiling an on base percentage of .399, Scott hit .282 and slugged .520. He has collected 43 runs batted in this year.
Monday 7/6/2004 Boston's Griffey Jr. severely injured BOSTON - Boston's Ken Griffey Jr. suffered a serious injury Monday in a game against Chicago (A). Griffey Jr. fell down while running the bases and couldn't get up without help. He will miss probably 7 weeks. Boston wasted no time and rushed him to an hospital. Team officials were informed later that Griffey Jr. had suffered a Torn Groin Muscle. While compiling an on base percentage of .438, Ken hit .350 and slugged .713. He has collected 110 runs batted in this year. He's 2nd in the American in batting, 1st in homeruns and 1st in RBI!
Monday 7/6/2004 Minnesota's Tatis wins Player of the Week award The American's best player of the week was Minnesota's Fernando Tatis, who wins the award for the 2nd time in his career. Fernando was on fire, hitting .435 with 2 HR and 8 RBI. He hit in every game this week and extended his hitting streak to 7 games. His season numbers are: .245 AVG, 80 hits, 21 doubles, no triples and 17 taters, along with 60 RBI and 56 runs scored. The National's best player of the week was Los Angeles' Torii Hunter, who wins the award for the 2nd time in his career. He hit .471 with 5 RBI and slugged 1.294 in 17 at bats.
Sunday 7/5/2004 Todd Helton punishes Tampa Bay with six hits, cycle TAMPA BAY - Todd Helton hits 'em where they ain't. Tampa Bay certainly agrees as Anaheim's first baseman unloaded six hits and hitting for the cycle. A pitch from Joe Kennedy in the 1st inning left his bat for a double. A pitch from Joe Kennedy in the 3rd inning left his bat for a double. A single in the 4th off Joe Kennedy accounted for his 3rd hit. Hit number 4 followed in the 6th inning, a triple. A 407 feet drive to left-center marked his 5th hit, a two-run homerun off Travis Harper in the 8th inning. That drive completed the cycle, causing a smile on his face! A single in the 9th off Jorge Sosa accounted for his 6th hit. Todd did drive in 4 while scoring 2 runs on his own. His 6 hit performance increases his batting average to .278. 15 players in league history have so far hit for the cycle, including Todd. Mark Ellis was the last player to hit for the cycle, doing it 6/19/2004.
Thursday 7/2/2004 Mark Prior fires NO-NO against Milwaukee CHICAGO (N) - Mark Prior had a historical performance against Milwaukee on Thursday, pitching a no-hitter for his 1st shutout of the season. Jeffrey Hammonds spoiled the bid for a perfect game when he walked with 1 away in the 7th inning. 'Well, the ball went where I wanted it. I was able to hit the corners with all of my pitches. I'm so happy that it was enough to pitch such a great game.' Prior (6-5) struck out an astounding 15 and walked 1, throwing 69 of 104 pitches for strikes. Chicago (N)'s rightfielder Sammy Sosa stroked 2 hits in 4 AB, blasting a homerun, and driving in 2 runs. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Prior. The final score of the game was 5-0.
Thursday 7/2/2004 Cleveland has no chance in a 2-hitter by Tim Hudson CLEVELAND - Anaheim's right-hander Tim Hudson is a great pitcher. And he once again showed his stuff, blanking Cleveland on just 2 hits. It's his 2nd shutout this season, and the 6th time he has done it in his career. Hudson (8-6) struck out 8 and walked 2, throwing 64 of 109 pitches for strikes. 'I had a good grip on the ball today and I was able to put it where I wanted. That kept them out of balance.' Anaheim's third baseman Tyler Houston collected 2 hits in 4 trips to the plate. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Hudson. Anaheim scored 6 runs on 11 hits.
Wednesday 7/1/2004 Kip Wells NO-HITS St. Louis PITTSBURGH - Kip Wells had a historical performance against St. Louis on Wednesday, pitching a no-hitter for his 2nd shutout of the season. 'I really like to play baseball, and I love the way I was able to play it today. I still cannot believe I did it.' Wells (9-3) fanned 5 and walked 1, throwing 105 pitches. Todd Hollandsworth provided Pittsburgh with the offense Wells needed as he finished with 2 hits in 4 AB, blasting a homerun, with three runs scored and collecting 4 RBI. Pittsburgh improved it's record to 45-41, scoring 14 runs on 17 hits.
Wednesday 7/1/2004 Hudson and Williams receive Pitcher of the Month award Tim Hudson couldn't have pitched much better than he did in June, and the American thought so as well, naming the right-hander Pitcher of the Month. He started 6 games in June, going 3-1 and compiling an ERA of 0.65 in 41.2 innings. Tim fanned 23 hitters. Tim pitched a shutout as well. In 18 starts this year Tim struck out 85 batters in 132.1 innings of work. His ERA is 3.13, his record 7-6. Tim has pitched one shutout and 4 complete games. Dave Williams couldn't have pitched much better than he did in June, and the National thought so as well, naming the lefty Pitcher of the Month. He had an ERA of just 1.26 in 43 innings of work in which he struck out 30 hitters. His record in June is 4-0. Opposing players hit .241 against Dave this season. While posting an ERA of 3.87 he went 6-7 in 18 starts, fanning 84 and walking 46 hitters.
Wednesday 7/1/2004 Red hot Griffey Jr. and Thomas win Batter of the Month award It's the 2nd time that the American Batter of the Month award goes to Boston's centerfielder Ken Griffey Jr.. Griffey Jr. helped his team with an average of .294 and 39 RBI in 109 at bats. Griffey Jr. has hit for a .349 average this season. He has 55 extra base hits along with 222 total bases, resulting in a .712 slugging percentage. He's 2nd in the American in batting, 1st in homeruns and 1st in RBI! It's the 1st time that the National Batter of the Month award goes to St. Louis' designated hitter Frank Thomas. In 104 at bats he hit .346 with 6 HR and 21 RBI. He has hit 20 taters while batting .302 this season. His 93 hits and 53 walks add up to a .404 on-base percentage. He's 7th in the National in RBIs and 2nd in homeruns!
Monday 6/29/2004 Toronto's Josh Phelps pounds five hits TORONTO - Toronto's designated hitter Josh Phelps accomplished a difficult feat in a 11-0 win over Tampa Bay, drilling five hits to improve his career batting average to .298! His 1st hit, off Victor Zambrano in the 1st inning, was a solo homerun and cleared the fence in right field. His 4th hit was a RBI double off Travis Phelps in the 6th inning. A pitch from Lance Carter in the 8th inning left his bat for a RBI double. He had singles in the 3rd inning and in the 5th inning (one RBI). Josh scored 2 runs, and he collected 4 RBI as well! This season has been a good one for him so far, as he has 111 hits in 334 at bats, resulting in a .332 batting average. Toronto improved it's record to 43-39, scoring 11 runs on 18 hits.
Monday 6/29/2004 Ramirez and Fick win Player of the Week award Manny Ramirez wins his 2nd Player of the Week award. American pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. Manny pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .560 with 2 HR and 5 RBI while slugging .920. The National's best player of the week was Atlanta's Robert Fick, who wins the award for the 1st time in his career. He had an on base percentage of .429 and hit .375, while driving in 5 runs. He now has homered in 3 consecutive games as well!
Wednesday 6/24/2004 Pedro Martinez quiets Baltimore bats with shutout BALTIMORE - Boston's right-hander Pedro Martinez is a great pitcher. And he once again showed his stuff, blanking Baltimore on just 2 hits. It's his 6th shutout this season, and the 23rd time he has done it in his career. 'They took some ugly cuts at my breaking stuff, so I kept throwing it. Fortunately they were not able to adjust in time.' Martinez (14-1) struck out 7 and walked 1, throwing 62 of 108 pitches for strikes. Nomar Garciaparra helped Martinez at the plate, he finished with 3 hits in 4 AB, homering once, scoring three times. The final score of the game was 8-0.
Monday 6/22/2004 Derek Lowe dominates Los Angeles, gives up just 2 hits LOS ANGELES - Good things can happen when you throw strikes. And Derek Lowe did so today, in a 2-hit shutout against Los Angeles. 'Pitching a great game is always a good thing. And it doesn't get much better than today.' Lowe (7-6) struck out 6 and walked 2, throwing 66 of 105 pitches for strikes. Mike Lieberthal provided Philadelphia with the offense Lowe needed as he collected 3 hits in 4 trips to the plate, doubling once, and collecting 2 RBI. Philadelphia improved it's record to 43-35, scoring 6 runs on 10 hits.
Monday 6/22/2004 Seung Song (SF) will miss 5 weeks SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco's right-hander Seung Song suffered a severe injury on Monday and will be out for at least 5 weeks. In the 1st of the game against St. Louis he experienced pain in his throwing arm and had to leave the game. After x-rays were taken the diagnosis did not surprise many: Pulled Bicep Muscle. Surgery will be performed next week. This season Song compiled an ERA of 3.48, going 4-8 in 10 starts. He fanned 37 while giving up 63 hits in 67.1 innings.
Monday 6/22/2004 Tim Spooneybarger out for 4-5 weeks FLORIDA - Florida is without its right-hander Tim Spooneybarger for at least 4-5 weeks. He injured himself while throwing a pitch to Bobby Hill in a game against Chicago (N). His face showed signs of pain immediately after the ball left his hand. Strained Bicep Muscle was the diagnosis after x-rays were taken in a near by hospital. The message shocked team mates and team officials. In 0 starts this year Tim struck out 47 batters in 49.1 innings of work. His ERA is 2.92, his record 4-4.
Monday 6/22/2004 Boston's Petrick wins Player of the Week award The American's best player of the week was Boston's Ben Petrick, who wins the award for the 1st time in his career. He had an on base percentage of .538 and hit .500, while driving in 8 runs. Petrick has walked 37 times this year and posts a .355 OBP. While batting .268, 72 for 269, he has driven in 41 runs. Luis Castillo from Florida wins his 1st Player of the Week award for putting up the best numbers this week in the National. Luis went 14 for 28 (.500), while hitting 0 HR and collecting 3 RBI.
Sunday 6/21/2004 Jose Contreras shuts out Cleveland on 2 hits NEW YORK (A) - Jose Contreras had an unexpectedly great performance against Cleveland on Sunday, pitching a 2-hitter for his 3rd shutout of the season. Contreras (5-5) struck out 9 and walked 4, throwing 65 of 129 pitches for strikes. 'I hit the corners with all of my pitches. That helped a lot!' Alfonso Soriano provided New York (A) with the offense Contreras needed as he finished 2 for 5, homering once, scoring 2 runs and driving in 4 runs. New York (A) scored 9 runs on 11 hits.
Saturday 6/20/2004 Odalis Perez out for 4-5 weeks BALTIMORE - When it rains, it pours. Baltimore's ace Odalis Perez will not pitch for at least 4-5 weeks, handing the team a huge setback. He suffered a serious injury in a game against Toronto where he left the field in the 1st inning. Perez was rushed to an hospital near the ballpark, where doctors took x-rays. Those revealed the serious injury, Strained Tricep Muscle. This season Perez compiled an ERA of 2.21, going 4-3 in 15 starts. He fanned 73 while giving up 65 hits in 105.2 innings.
Friday 6/19/2004 Colorado's Chacon out for 5 weeks COLORADO - Colorado is without its right-hander Shawn Chacon for at least 5 weeks. He injured himself while throwing a pitch to Vladimir Guerrero in a game against Arizona. His face showed signs of pain immediately after the ball left his hand. After being examined by several specialists the diagnosis is clear: Pulled Tricep Muscle. Opposing players hit .268 against Shawn this season. While posting an ERA of 5.69 he went 3-10 in 13 starts, fanning 79 and walking 55 hitters.
Friday 6/19/2004 Mark Ellis stars with cycle against Texas TEXAS - Mark Ellis is a pretty good hitter, but his 4 hit performance seemed to surprise even himself considering that the hits added up to the cycle, one of the most difficult things to accomplish in baseball. Number 1 in the 1st inning accounted for a two-run double. A triple off Todd Van poppel in the 7th inning, accounted for his 2nd hit. In the 8th inning he unloaded a GRAND SLAM off Chris Gruler. A single in the 9th off Francisco Pardo accounted for his 4th hit. That drive completed the cycle, causing a smile on his face! Mark scored 4 runs, and he collected 7 RBI as well! His 4 hit performance increases his batting average to .257. He becomes the 14th player in league history collect at least a single, double, triple and a homerun in a single game. Luis Gonzalez was the last player to hit for the cycle, doing it 5/7/2004.
Wednesday 6/17/2004 Tim Hudson turns in great performance against Texas TEXAS - Anaheim's right-hander Tim Hudson is clearly one of the best pitchers in the game. Texas found out the hard way, getting just 2 hits. Hudson 1st shutout this season was a masterpiece, as he was almost untouchable. He has now hurled 5th shutouts in his career. 'Things like that happen. You take the mound and everything works. My velocity was pretty good today and I guess it showed.' Hudson (7-5) struck out 8 and issued 3 BB, throwing 76 of 121 pitches for strikes. Steve Stanley helped Hudson at the plate, he finished with 2 hits in 4 AB, scoring twice and collecting 2 RBI. Anaheim improved it's record to 43-27, scoring 5 runs on 8 hits.
Monday 6/15/2004 Griffey Jr. and Sheffield win Player of the Week award The American Player of the Week award goes to Ken Griffey Jr., Boston's starting centerfielder. He had an on base percentage of .467 and hit .448, while driving in 13 runs. Griffey Jr. has hit for a .379 average this season. He has 48 extra base hits along with 192 total bases, resulting in a .759 slugging percentage. He's 1st in the American in batting, 1st in homeruns and 1st in RBI! Gary Sheffield wins his 2nd Player of the Week award. National pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. He had an on base percentage of .517 and hit .462, while driving in 6 runs.
Monday 6/8/2004 Chan Ho Park pitches his 1st shutout of the season DETROIT - Texas' right-hander Chan Ho Park is a great pitcher. And he once again showed his stuff, blanking Detroit on just 2 hits. It's his 1st shutout this season, and the 3rd time he has done it in his career. Park (7-3) struck out 5 and walked 2, throwing 62 of 113 pitches for strikes. 'Things like that happen. You take the mound and everything works. My velocity was pretty good today and I guess it showed.' Texas' first baseman Mo Vaughn finished 3 for 4, homering once, doubling once, scoring two runs. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Park. Texas scored 8 runs on 15 hits.
Monday 6/8/2004 Detroit's Garcia wins Player of the Week award The Player of the Week award in the American goes to Detroit's Karim Garcia this time, as the centerfielder displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. Karim pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .429 with 1 HR and 6 RBI while slugging .679. Phil Nevin from Arizona wins his 1st Player of the Week award for putting up the best numbers this week in the National. Nevin helped his team with an average of .444 and 13 RBI in 27 at bats. He hit in every game this week and extended his hitting streak to 7 games.
Saturday 6/6/2004 Valerio de los Santos (DET) will miss 5-6 weeks DETROIT - Detroit is without its left-hander Valerio de los Santos for at least 5-6 weeks. He injured himself while throwing a pitch to Alex Rodriguez in a game against Texas. His face showed signs of pain immediately after the ball left his hand. Doctors examined him after the game and diagnosed a Inflamed Rotator Cuff Muscle which will require surgery. This season de los Santos compiled an ERA of 3.13, going 3-1 in 4 starts. He fanned 53 while giving up 44 hits in 54.2 innings.
Saturday 6/6/2004 Jayson Durocher out for 5-6 weeks BOSTON - Boston's right-hander Jayson Durocher suffered a severe injury on Saturday and will be out for at least 5-6 weeks. In the 9th of the game against Minnesota he experienced pain in his throwing arm and had to leave the game. Durocher was rushed to an hospital near the ballpark, where doctors took x-rays. Those revealed the serious injury, Ruptured Bicep Tendon. Opposing players hit .165 against Jayson this season. While posting an ERA of 3.22 he went 3-1 in 0 starts, fanning 27 and walking 17 hitters.
Thursday 6/4/2004 Mike Mussina blanks Tampa Bay with a 1-hitter TAMPA BAY - Mike Mussina, usually uneffective, had a great performance against Tampa Bay on Thursday, pitching a 1-hitter for his 4th shutout of the season. Mussina (11-2) fanned 9 and walked 2, throwing 111 pitches. 'I had my stuff going. Everything I tried worked. What a day!' New York (A)'s shortstop Miguel Tejada collected 3 hits in 4 trips to the plate, hitting a homerun, and driving in 2 runs. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Mussina. New York (A) scored 2 runs on 7 hits.
Tuesday 6/2/2004 Jose Contreras dominates Tampa Bay, gives up just one hit TAMPA BAY - Jose Contreras had an unexpectedly great performance against Tampa Bay on Tuesday, pitching a 1-hitter for his 2nd shutout of the season. The bid for a no-hitter was broken up when Travis Larocco doubled with two outs in the 6th inning. Contreras (4-4) was overpowering, fanning 11 while walking 1, throwing 101 pitches. 'I had my stuff going. Everything I tried worked. What a day!' New York (A)'s second baseman Alfonso Soriano got 1 hit in 5 AB, hitting a homerun, with 4 RBI. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Contreras. New York (A) scored 7 runs on 8 hits.
Monday 6/1/2004 Griffey Jr. (BOS) and Harden (SD) win P.O.W. award The American's best player of the week was Boston's Ken Griffey Jr., who wins the award for the 4th time in his career. Ken was on fire, hitting .500 with 4 HR and 9 RBI. The National's best player of the week was San Diego's Rich Harden, who wins the award for the 1st time in his career. He was in a zone all week, compiling an ERA of 0.00 while going 2-0. He hurled a shutout as well.
Monday 6/1/2004 St. Louis' Stephenson named Pitcher of the Month It's the 5th time that the American Pitcher of the Month award goes to Boston's pitcher Pedro Martinez. He went 4-1 in May and finished the month with an ERA of 0.88. He struck out 66 in 51 innings. Pedro pitched THREE complete game shutouts! His ERA of 1.19 helped him to a 10-1 record this year. He struck out 115 and walked 17 in 98 innings. He has 5 complete games and 5 shutouts. He's 1st in the American in ERA and 1st in wins! St. Louis' Garrett Stephenson had a terrific May, and it earned him the National Pitcher of the month award. He struck out 15 hitters in his 3 starts, putting together a record of 2-0 while pitching 15 innings. His ERA in May was 0.47. Opposing players hit .181 against Garrett this season. While posting an ERA of 2.95 he went 6-2 in 9 starts, fanning 33 and walking 8 hitters. He's 8th in the National in wins!
Monday 6/1/2004 Boston's Griffey Jr. earns Batter of the Month award The American's best player of the month was Boston's Ken Griffey Jr., who wins the award for the 1st time in his career. He hit .400 with 30 RBI and slugged .768 in 95 at bats. This year Griffey Jr. drove in 64 and scored 48 runs while batting .379 with 18 taters. He's 2nd in the American in batting, 1st in homeruns and 1st in RBI! Ryan Klesko of Arizona wins his 1st Batter of the Month award for putting up the best numbers in the National. Klesko helped his team with an average of .371 and 28 RBI in 105 at bats. He has hit 10 bombs while batting .354 this season. His 73 hits and 36 walks add up to a .450 on-base percentage. He's 4th in the National in batting and 2nd in RBI!
Thursday 5/28/2004 Jason Jennings out for 5 weeks COLORADO - Colorado's ace Jason Jennings suffered a severe injury on Thursday and will be out for at least 5 weeks. In the 4th of the game against Cincinnati he experienced pain in his throwing arm and had to leave the game. Doctors examined him after the game and diagnosed a Strained Bicep Muscle which will require surgery. This season Jennings compiled an ERA of 5.83, going 4-5 in 13 starts. He fanned 45 while giving up 86 hits in 71 innings.
Monday 5/25/2004 Player of the Week honors go to Hinske and Rusch Toronto's third baseman Eric Hinske had some reason to celebrate, as the league named him the American Player of the Week. He hit .591 with 8 RBI and slugged 1.045 in 22 at bats. He hit in every game this week and extended his hitting streak to 8 games. He has hit 8 taters while batting .285 this season. His 53 hits and 28 walks add up to a .378 on-base percentage. It's the 1st time that the National Player of the Week award goes to Milwaukee's pitcher Glendon Rusch. He was in a zone all week, compiling an ERA of 2.48 while going 3-1. He hurled a shutout as well. This season Rusch compiled an ERA of 4.54, going 10-14 in 30 starts. He fanned 154 while giving up 237 hits in 192.1 innings. Glendon has pitched 3 shutouts and 3 complete games. He's 1st in the National in wins!
Monday 5/18/2004 Glendon Rusch quiets San Francisco bats with shutout SAN FRANCISCO - Glendon Rusch, usually uneffective, had a great performance against San Francisco on Monday, pitching a 2-hitter for his 3rd shutout of the season. Rusch (8-13) struck out an astounding 14 and walked 2, throwing 69 of 119 pitches for strikes. 'I was hitting my spots. Now I'll start concentrating on my next start, and hopefully it will work again.' The hitting star for Milwaukee was shortstop Geoff Jenkins, he got 1 hit in 4 AB, homering once. Milwaukee scored 5 runs on 9 hits.
Monday 5/18/2004 Griffey Jr. (BOS) and Mientkiewicz (MON) win P.O.W. award The Player of the Week award in the American goes to Boston's Ken Griffey Jr. this time, as the centerfielder displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. He hit .571 with 9 RBI and slugged 1.048 in 21 at bats. The National Player of the Week award goes to Doug Mientkiewicz, Montreal's starting first baseman. In 18 at bats he hit .667 with 2 HR and 12 RBI. His season numbers are: .321 AVG, 53 hits, 11 doubles, no triples and 9 taters, along with 35 RBI and 29 runs scored.
Saturday 5/16/2004 Kurt Ainsworth out for 5 weeks SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco is without its right-hander Kurt Ainsworth for at least 5 weeks. He injured himself while throwing a pitch to Javier Valentin in a game against Milwaukee. His face showed signs of pain immediately after the ball left his hand. Ainsworth was rushed to an hospital near the ballpark, where doctors took x-rays. Those revealed the serious injury, Herniated Disc Back. This season Ainsworth compiled an ERA of 3.60, going 3-1 in 9 starts. He fanned 36 while giving up 54 hits in 60 innings. He has one complete game and one shutout.
Monday 5/11/2004 Hernandez and Klesko win Player of the Week award Chicago (A)'s third baseman Jose Hernandez had some reason to celebrate, as the league named him the American Player of the Week. In 30 at bats he hit .533 with 4 HR and 13 RBI. He got at least one hit each game this week and is on a 7 game hitting streak right now. Ryan Klesko from Arizona wins his 1st Player of the Week award for putting up the best numbers this week in the National. He hit .556 with 10 RBI and slugged .889 in 27 at bats. Ryan managed to drive in at least one run in every game he played this week.
Thursday 5/7/2004 Arizona's Luis Gonzalez hits for the cycle MILWAUKEE - Arizona's leftfielder Luis Gonzalez accomplished a difficult feat in a game against Milwaukee, hitting for the cycle to improve his career batting average to .290! A single in the 1st off Glendon Rusch accounted for his 1st hit. Number 2 in the 7th inning accounted for a two-run double. A 381 feet drive to left field marked his 3rd hit, a solo homerun off Matt Kinney in the 9th inning. A triple off Matt Kinney in the 9th inning, accounted for his 4th hit. That drive completed the cycle, causing a smile on his face! Luis did drive in 3 while scoring 3 runs on his own. His 4 hit performance increases his batting average to .246. He's now the 13th player in league history to hit for the cycle! Mike Young was the last player to hit for the cycle, doing it 7/22/2003.
Wednesday 5/6/2004 Montreal's Gary Sheffield gets milestone hit ST. LOUIS - Montreal's rightfielder Gary Sheffield was in good mood after the game against St. Louis, and he had every reason as he made some history while collecting his 2000th career hit. His best year so far was 1996 where he hit .314 with 42 homeruns and 120 RBI. 'Good things happen when you put the bat on the ball.' He hit a single in the 3rd off Matt Morris for number 2000.
Wednesday 5/6/2004 Kevin Millwood pitches 2-hit shutout against New York (A) ANAHEIM - Kevin Millwood had his best stuff going, and New York (A) hitters were chanceless. Anaheim's right-hander fired a 2-hitter, his 2nd shutout of the season. Millwood (4-2) struck out 8 and walked 2, throwing 62 of 106 pitches for strikes. 'Hey, that's my job! Everytime I take the mound I give the best I can. And my best stuff was too much for them today.' Anaheim's shortstop David Eckstein stroked 2 hits in 3 AB. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Millwood. The final score of the game was 1-0.
Monday 5/4/2004 Mike Mussina pitches his 2nd shutout of the season SEATTLE - Mike Mussina had an unexpectedly great performance against Seattle on Monday, pitching a 2-hitter for his 2nd shutout of the season. Mussina (6-1) was overpowering, fanning 11 while walking 3, throwing 105 pitches. 'I was able to keep´em off balance. That certainly helped.' The hitting star for New York (A) was leftfielder Cliff Floyd, he collected 1 hit in 4 trips to the plate, homering once, and collecting 4 RBI. New York (A) scored 4 runs on 7 hits.
Monday 5/4/2004 Catalanotto (DET) and Kent (CIN) win P.O.W. award The Player of the Week award in the American goes to Detroit's Frank Catalanotto this time, as the second baseman displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. In 22 at bats he hit .500 with 2 HR and 11 RBI. He hit in every game this week and extended his hitting streak to 10 games. While compiling an on base percentage of .363, Frank hit .252 and slugged .432. He has collected 20 runs batted in this year. The National's best player of the week was Cincinnati's Jeff Kent, who wins the award for the 1st time in his career. He hit .433 with 5 RBI and slugged .933 in 30 at bats.
Friday 5/1/2004 Martinez and Beckett receive Pitcher of the Month award Pedro Martinez pitched like a legend in April, and the American named him Pitcher of the Month for his extraordinary performance. His ERA of just 1.53 helped him to a 6-0 record in April. He worked 47 innings, striking out 49 hitters while walking 11. Pedro got two complete game shutouts as well! Florida's pitcher Josh Beckett is the National winner of the Pitcher of the Month award in April. His ERA of just 1.09 helped him to a 5-0 record in April. He worked 49.2 innings, striking out 58 hitters while walking 11. Josh also fired a shutout.
Friday 5/1/2004 Boston's Ramirez earns Batter of the Month award Boston's leftfielder Manny Ramirez had some reason to celebrate, as the league named him the American Batter of the Month. He had an on base percentage of .519 and hit .418, while driving in 38 runs. It's the 1st time that the National Batter of the Month award goes to Philadelphia's centerfielder Marlon Byrd. He had an on base percentage of .420 and hit .382, while driving in 31 runs.
Thursday 4/30/2004 Cincinnati has no chance in a 2-hitter by Derek Lowe CINCINNATI - Derek Lowe, usually uneffective, had a great performance against Cincinnati on Thursday, pitching a 2-hitter for his 1st shutout of the season. Lowe (3-4) was overpowering, fanning 10 while walking 2, throwing 110 pitches. 'I felt early that I was on top of my game. Fortunately I was able to keep that feeling the entire game.' Philadelphia's rightfielder Ricky Ledee stroked 2 hits in 4 AB, blasting a homerun, scoring twice and collecting 2 RBI. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Lowe. The final score of the game was 8-0.
Wednesday 4/29/2004 Kurt Ainsworth pitches his 1st shutout of the season SAN DIEGO - Kurt Ainsworth, usually uneffective, had a great performance against San Diego on Wednesday, pitching a 2-hitter for his 1st shutout of the season. 'Giving my team a chance to win is the most important thing for me. I was able to do it today.' Ainsworth (3-1) struck out 1 and walked 6, throwing 54 of 105 pitches for strikes. Jeff Liefer helped Ainsworth at the plate, he stroked 2 hits in 4 AB, blasting a homerun, doubling once, scoring twice and collecting 2 RBI. San Francisco scored 6 runs on 12 hits.
Monday 4/27/2004 Colorado's Jeter wins Player of the Week award The American's best player of the week was Boston's Manny Ramirez, who wins the award for the 1st time in his career. Ramirez helped his team with an average of .481 and 13 RBI in 27 at bats. He hit in every game this week and extended his hitting streak to 8 games. His season features a batting average of .383 (36 hits in 94 AB), 8 doubles, one triple and 11 homeruns. Ramirez collected 35 RBI and 27 runs as well. He's 2nd in the American in batting, 1st in homeruns and 1st in RBI! It's the 1st time that the National Player of the Week award goes to Colorado's shortstop Derek Jeter. He hit .433 with 10 RBI and slugged 1.000 in 30 at bats. He hit in every game this week and extended his hitting streak to 16 games.
Sunday 4/26/2004 Boston's Manny Ramirez mashes five hits MINNESOTA - Manny Ramirez hits 'em where they ain't. Minnesota certainly agrees as Boston's rightfielder unloaded five hits, adding to his reputation of being one of the best pure hitters in the game. Number 1 in the 1st inning accounted for a RBI double. His 2nd hit, a three-run homerun off Jeff Nelson in the 3rd inning, landed an estimated 422 feet from home plate. A pitch from Tomo Ohka in the 9th inning left his bat for a two-run homerun, landing 394 feet from home plate in left field. He had singles in the 5th inning (one RBI) and in the 6th . Manny did drive in 7 while scoring 3 runs on his own. This season has been a good one for him so far, as he has 36 hits in 94 at bats, resulting in a .383 batting average. The final score of the game was 19-8.
Sunday 4/26/2004 Rafael Soriano out for 4-5 weeks SEATTLE - When it rains, it pours. Seattle's right-hander Rafael Soriano will not pitch for at least 4-5 weeks, handing the team a huge setback. He suffered a serious injury in a game against Toronto where he left the field in the 4th inning. Soriano was rushed to an hospital near the ballpark, where doctors took x-rays. Those revealed the serious injury, Pulled Tricep Muscle. Rafael has a record of 0-3 this season, with an ERA of 4.73. In 26.2 Innings he was able to strike out 24 batters.
Saturday 4/25/2004 Juan Gonzalez stars with 2000th career hit KANSAS CITY - Texas' players had every reason to congratulate Juan Gonzalez, who reached a milestone today, collecting his 2000th career hit! In 14 years of big league action so far, Juan has compiled a batting average of .296, along with 434 homeruns and 1446 RBI. 'My friends always told me that I will do it one day. I never believed it. Good that I was wrong!' He hit a two run homerun in the 7th off Jeff Austin for number 2000.
Friday 4/24/2004 Minnesota's Santana severely injured MINNESOTA - Minnesota's left-hander Johan A. Santana will not pitch again this year, suffering a serious injury in the game against Tampa Bay on Friday. Doctors examined him after the game and diagnosed a Ruptured Disc Back which will require surgery. Johan A. has a record of 3-0 this season, with an ERA of 4.50. In 26 Innings he was able to strike out 27 batters. He's 3rd in the American in wins!
Thursday 4/23/2004 Houston's Jose Vidro slams five hits HOUSTON - 'You know, in batting practice I didn't really feel that comfortable about my stroke today, but baseball is more than hitting. Then, when you're not trying to force a hit, you slug them in droves,' says Jose Vidro after his 5 hit game, which Houston won 16-7 against Los Angeles. Number 1 in the 1st inning accounted for a RBI double. It tied the ballgame at 1. Number 3 in the 3rd inning accounted for a RBI double. Number 4 in the 6th inning accounted for a double. A pitch from Guy Yarbrough in the 8th inning left his bat for a two-run homerun, landing 370 feet from home plate in left-center. He collected a single in the 2nd. Jose did drive in 4 while scoring 3 runs on his own. This season has been a good one for him so far, as he has 38 hits in 90 at bats, resulting in a .422 batting average.
Wednesday 4/22/2004 St. Louis' Jim Edmonds slams five hits COLORADO - Jim Edmonds hits 'em where they ain't. Colorado certainly agrees as St. Louis' centerfielder unloaded five hits, adding to his reputation of being one of the best pure hitters in the game. A 395 feet drive to right field marked his 2nd hit, a solo homerun off Jason Jennings in the 4th inning. In the 6th inning he unloaded a solo homerun off Jason Jennings. A pitch from Kevin Walker in the 9th inning left his bat for a RBI double. He had singles in the 1st and in the 7th inning (one RBI). Jim scored 3 runs, and he collected 4 RBI as well! This season has been a good one for him so far, as he has 28 hits in 91 at bats, resulting in a .308 batting average. The final score of the game was 7-5.
Wednesday 4/22/2004 Pedro Martinez pitches his 2nd shutout of the season BOSTON - Pedro Martinez had some fun again. Toronto hitters did not. Boston's right-hander gave up just one hit in his 2nd shutout of the season. He now has 19 career shutouts in 365 games started. 'Things like that happen. You take the mound and everything works. My velocity was pretty good today and I guess it showed.' Martinez (5-0) struck out 9 and walked 2, throwing 76 of 121 pitches for strikes. Boston's shortstop Nomar Garciaparra stroked 4 hits in 4 AB, hitting THREE doubles, and collecting 4 RBI. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Martinez. Boston scored 9 runs on 12 hits.
Monday 4/20/2004 Griffey Jr. and Byrd win Player of the Week award The American's best player of the week was Boston's Ken Griffey Jr., who wins the award for the 2nd time in his career. Griffey Jr. helped his team with an average of .483 and 14 RBI in 29 at bats. He hit in every game this week and extended his hitting streak to 8 games. While compiling an on base percentage of .476, Ken hit .391 and slugged .812. He has collected 24 runs batted in this year. He's 2nd in the American in batting, 2nd in homeruns and 1st in RBI! The Player of the Week award in the National goes to Philadelphia's Marlon Byrd this time, as the centerfielder displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. Marlon was on fire, hitting .536 with 2 HR and 11 RBI. He hit in every game this week and extended his hitting streak to 7 games.
Friday 4/17/2004 Tomo Ohka pitches his 1st shutout of the season MINNESOTA - Cleveland's hitters looked uncomfortable, and Minnesota's Tomo Ohka didn't help them. The right-hander fired his 1st shutout of the season, a 2-hitter. 'I had a good grip on the ball today and I was able to put it where I wanted. That kept them out of balance.' Ohka (2-0) struck out 6 and walked 2, throwing 64 of 105 pitches for strikes. Shawn Green helped Ohka at the plate, he finished 2 for 3, homering once. Minnesota scored 4 runs on 9 hits.
Wednesday 4/15/2004 Huge blow for Montreal's Hernandez, career over MONTREAL - It was one of baseball sadest days. Montreal's left-hander Carlos Hernandez fell victim to a career ending injury in a game against Atlanta on Wednesday. He complained about pain after throwing a pitch to Jason Marquis, then suddenly collapsed. Montreal wasted no time and rushed him to an hospital. Team officials were informed later that Hernandez had suffered a Ruptured Disc Back. Carlos has a record of 0-1 this season, with an ERA of 2.70. In 20 Innings he was able to strike out 16 batters. His career featured a record of 6-1 with an ERA of 3.74. Baseball will certainly miss this great player.
Tuesday 4/14/2004 Jarrod Washburn out for 7 weeks ANAHEIM - Anaheim is without its left-hander Jarrod Washburn for at least 7 weeks. He injured himself while throwing a pitch to Ellis Burks in a game against Boston. His face showed signs of pain immediately after the ball left his hand. Anaheim wasted no time and rushed him to an hospital. Team officials were informed later that Washburn had suffered a Spasms Back. In 3 starts this year Jarrod struck out 7 batters in 12 innings of work. His ERA is 5.25, his record 0-0.
Monday 4/13/2004 Grieve and Abreu win Player of the Week award Ben Grieve from Tampa Bay wins his 1st Player of the Week award for putting up the best numbers this week in the American. Ben went 10 for 21 (.476), while hitting 5 HR and collecting 8 RBI. Grieve has walked 3 times this year and posts a .381 OBP. While batting .333, 13 for 39, he has driven in 8 runs. Bobby Abreu wins his 1st Player of the Week award. National pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. He hit .619 with 12 RBI and slugged 1.238 in 21 at bats. Bobby managed to drive in at least one run in every game he played this week.
Sunday 4/12/2004 J.C. Romero (MIN) will miss 7-8 weeks MINNESOTA - Minnesota's pitcher J.C. Romero was part of a scary incident that saw the lefty being hit by a line drive in the 3rd inning of the game between Minnesota and New York (A). Team trainers immediately rushed onto the field after the frightening scene. Romero will miss about 7-8 weeks. Fractured Skull was the diagnosis after x-rays were taken in a near by hospital. The message shocked team mates and team officials.
Saturday 4/11/2004 Luis Gonzalez stars with 2000th career hit SAN DIEGO - Arizona's players had every reason to congratulate Luis Gonzalez, who reached a milestone today, collecting his 2000th career hit! He hit a single in the 8th off Bret Prinz for number 2000. Along with his 2000 hits, Luis collected 284 homeruns and 1175 RBI in 13 seasons. 'I still remember my first hit. But the one today is something special. I'll definitely keep that ball!'
Thursday 4/9/2004 Oakland's Sele severely injured OAKLAND - When it rains, it pours. Oakland's right-hander Aaron Sele will not pitch for at least 6 weeks, handing the team a huge setback. He suffered a serious injury in a game against Boston where he left the field in the 3rd inning. After being taken to a local hospital, Sele was examined by specialists. The diagnosis revealed the sad truth, a Ruptured Elbow Ligament.
Monday 4/6/2004 Player of the Week honors go to Tatis and Hill Fernando Tatis wins his 1st Player of the Week award. American pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. In 22 at bats he hit .455 with 4 HR and 8 RBI. Chicago (N)'s second baseman Bobby Hill had some reason to celebrate as well, as the league named him the National Player of the Week. He had an on base percentage of .500 and hit .478, while driving in 6 runs.
Sunday 4/5/2004 Luis Vizcaino out for full season MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee's right-hander Luis Vizcaino will not pitch again this year, suffering a serious injury in the game against Houston on Sunday. Vizcaino was rushed to an hospital near the ballpark, where doctors took x-rays. Those revealed the serious injury, Torn Ligament Elbow.
Thursday 4/2/2004 Joe Mays (TOR) will miss 8 weeks TORONTO - Toronto's right-hander Joe Mays suffered a severe injury on Thursday and will be out for at least 8 weeks. In the 2nd of the game against Baltimore he experienced pain in his throwing arm and had to leave the game. Doctors examined him after the game and diagnosed a Strained Tricep Muscle which will require surgery.
Wednesday 4/1/2004 Ken Griffey Jr. unloads, hits number 500 BOSTON - Boston's Ken Griffey Jr. showed a smile on his face after he belted his 500th career homerun against Texas on Wednesday. A pitch from Chan Ho Park in the 1st inning left his bat for a solo homerun, landing 334 feet from home plate in right field. Perhaps his best year so far was 1997 where he hit .304 with 56 homeruns and 147 RBI. Ken has managed to hit 30+ homeruns in a season 8 times, and he topped 40 homeruns 7 times. 'Wow. That is all I can say now. I'm thrilled.' It's no secret that he will once be in the Hall of Fame!