Bichette hopes to sway Hall voters

Coors Field hosted its first regular-season game on April 26, 1995, where Dante Bichette ended the night by leaving a glorious impression that still hasn't faded away.
The place opened with a wild game that ushered in a season of high-scoring, exciting and successful baseball, and Bichette punctuated it with a 14th-inning, three-run homer to beat the Mets.
Bichette became the first star player to have spent most of his career with the Rockies franchise to appear on the Hall of Fame ballot. He was a prolific and clutch hitter during his Major League career from 1988-2001, the best seven seasons of which were spent in purple pinstripes.
The home opener homer opened a 1995 season that culminated with Bichette finishing second to the Reds' Barry Larkin in National League Most Valuable Player voting. Bichette batted .340 with a career-high 40 home runs and 128 RBIs.
It was the year Coors opened and quickly proved to be the greatest hitter's park in baseball history. However, there is a difference between players who pile up numbers and those like Bichette, who by sheer force of their swings can make a winner out of a team. The Rockies, in just their third season of operation, made the playoffs.
Bichette was more than a basher. In 1996, Bichette stole a career-high 31 bases, hit 31 homers and drove in a career-high 141 RBIs.
Bichette joined Andres Galarraga, Larry Walker and Vinny Castilla to form "The Blake Street Bombers," a group of hitters that helped draw large crowds and enjoyed celebrity status in Denver until Bichette was traded to the Reds after the 1999 season.

Guitar Hero causes missed games!

The Detroit Tigers pitcher, Joel Zumaya missed three playoff games from a repetitive strain injury caused by playing way too much Guitar Hero(best game ever). The right-handed pitcher missed the games during the American League Championship Series in October because of forearm pain. Training staff found that his injury was more in line with a guitar playing motion than throwing. Guitar Hero’s main selling-point is the guitar-shaped controller that simulates the strumming and fretboard fingering of a real guitar. When staff told him to stop playing the PlayStation 2 game, the pain went away, and he pitched pain-free for three appearances during the World Series.
The funny thing is, I totally don't blame him for playing the game, it gets VERY addicting.

Padres reunites the Giles Brothers

Former Atlanta Brave Marcus Giles will join his brother Brian on the Padres when he's introduced as San Diego's new second baseman at a press conference at PETCO Park sometime today.

Marcus Giles, who was expected to complete his physical on Tuesday the 19th, will reportedly get a base salary of $3.2 million this season with incentives that could take his contract to $4.25 million. The club option for 2008 is for $4 million.

Marcus Giles, who was over run by injuries last year, batted .262 with 11 home runs, 60 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. In the 2003 season, his first as a full-time starter, Giles batted .316 with 21 home runs and 69 RBIs and made the All-Star team. Giles has a .285 career average with 72 home runs in 2,514 at-bats and a .361 on-base percentage.

Giants sign Klesko to One-Year Deal

The San Francisco Giants added another vital part to their team on Tuesday by signing free-agent infielder/outfielder Ryan Klesko to a one-year contract.
Klesko, age 35, is one of baseball's better left-handed hitters, sporting a lifetime .280 average and scoring eight 20-homer seasons in his 15 Major League campaigns.
The veteran, who played under new Giants manager Bruce Bochy for seven seasons in San Diego, is expected to contend for the first base job with Rich Aurilia. Klesko, who missed most of the 2006 season with the Padres due to a strained left shoulder, has a .372 career on-base percentage and a .507 slugging mark.

Orioles re-sign utilityman Gomez

On Monday, the Baltimore Orioles announced they had re-signed utilityman Chris Gomez on a one-year deal. He will not have to take a physical for the deal to become official because the veteran has played his last two seasons in Baltimore, which means the medical staff already has his records on file.

Last year, Gomez broke a bone in his left hand and missed two months. He came back strong, leading the Major Leagues with a .437 batting average in September. He spends most of his time at third base because of his skill against southpaw pitchers, which are in short supply on the team. Last year, Gomez hit .333 against lefties.

Matsuzaka possible to play for Red Sox

Matsuzaka may be able to play for the Red Sox as early as next season. The star pitcher for Seibu Lions reportedly is flying to Boston, a good sign that both Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Red Sox have reached an agreement. An official with knowledge of the negotiations said, "You should assume a deal is close or done."

A few days prior, Scott Boras would not allow Matsuzaka to take a physical unless both the pitcher and Boston had reached a preliminary agreement. The MLB team has a deadline of midnight Thursday to reach an agreement.

The Red Sox bid $51.1 million last month for the rights to negotiate with Matsuzaka. If Matsuzaka and Boston reaches a deal, the bid will be paid to the Seibu Lions of Japan. If they do not reach a deal, Matsuzaka will not be eligible until he becomes a free agent next November.