Friday, May 30, 2008

MLB News and Notes 5/30

  • The Royals have now lost 11 in a row after losing again to the Twins last night. Now they must face Cliff Lee and the Indians tonight. Lee already has had a win this year against the Royals.
  • Mike Mussina has 20 career wins lifetime against the Twins.  He will be going for his 21st win against them tonight. Most of Mussina's success against the Twins came when he was pitching for the Orioles.
  • The Giants are a bad team but they are only 7 games back of first place now. They have three legitimate All-Star candidates in catcher Bengie Molina and pitchers Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson.
  • Rookie phenom Clayton Kershaw starts tonight against the Mets in New York. Kershaw is the prized prospect of the Dodgers organization. 
  • The best pitching matchups tonight are in the West Coast when Matt Cain goes up against  Greg Maddux and Dustin McGowan goes up against Jeff Weaver.
  • Randy Winn hit two homers to help the Giants sweep Arizona last night. Arizona should bounce back this weekend against the lowly Nationals.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

MLB News and Notes: 5/29

  • Jorge Campillo has been a revelation for the Braves. The former Mexican League pitcher has shut down the Mets, Diamondbacks, and the Brewers. After holding the Brewers to one run this afternoon, he lowered his ERA to 0.99. He has good command of his pitches and pitches backwards to hitters which might surprise hitters the first time they see him. It will be interesting to see if he can continue to be successful facing teams the second time around the league.
  • The Braves are 22-7 at home and only 6-18 on the road.
  • I think Brad Wilkerson was a good pickup by the Blue Jays. Why did the Mariners get rid of him? He struggled with them but the whole team is struggling offensively.
  • Eric Chavez finally returns to the A's starting lineup this afternoon and will make his 2008 debut. He was sidelined with a back injury.
  • A's starting pitcher Dana Eveland has a 0.94 ERA at home.
  • The Boston Red Sox are really struggling on the road. They got swept by Oakland and lost two of three to the Mariners. They head to Baltimore this weekend to face the Orioles. They have not been hitting on the road and ran into some solid pitching. Felix Hernandez and Erik Bedard both shut down the Red Sox.
  • Arizona is showing some kinks in its armor. Eric Byrnes is on the DL and Justin Upton is struggling at the plate. Brandon Webb and Dan Haren have lost their last few starts as well. They will try to avoid a sweep by the Giants tonight. Barry Zito will oppose Randy Johnson.
  • Arizona is 13-7 against lefties this year.
  • The Royals are on a 10 game losing streak. Their pathetic offense actually scored eight runs last night but their bullpen gave up five runs in the top of the ninth inning and lost the game in extra innings.
  • Jose Guillen called his teammates "babies" after the loss to the Twins.
  • The best pitching matchup today is in the afternoon when Eveland faces off against Jesse Litsch of Toronto. Litsch quietly has six wins already and a excellent 3.57 ERA.
  • Johnny Damon's infield hit last night against the Orioles in the ninth inning helped give the Yankees an important insurance run. The bases were loaded and Damon's two out single showed his hustle and speed out of the batter's box. It was an important hit by a savvy veteran.
  • Brad Penny starts for the Dodgers against the Mets tonight. Penny is 5-12 with a 6.21 ERA lifetime against the Mets.
  • Since OF Matt Diaz is on the DL and out for four to six weeks, why won't the Braves sign Barry Bonds?

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

MLB News and Notes: 5/28

  • The Reds called up OF Jay Bruce and he went 3-3 last night. Bruce is the latest rookie phenom to hit the big leagues. The Reds will now have two young offensive players in their lineup with Bruce and Joey Votto. 
  • A terrible organization such as the Giants brings up a kid named John Bowker and the fans get excited. Other teams such as the Reds bring up a stud like Bruce. This is why the Giants are such a bad team. They don't have much talent in the minors.
  • Tampa Bay has been one of the best and surprising teams in the AL this season. The Rays should have dropped "Devil" from their name a long time ago.  The Rays are now 32-21 after this morning's big win against Texas.
  • Justin Upton of  Arizona is really struggling and has not had a hit in his last 24 at-bats. 
  • Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum should make the All Star Game. He is one of the best young pitchers in baseball and has seven wins.
  • The best pitching match-up tonight is in Oakland when Roy Halladay takes on Rich Harden. 
  • The Mets finally won a game last night. They will face lefty Scott Olsen tonight. The Mets are 12-5 vs lefties.
  • The Orioles will go for the rare sweep against the Yankees tonight. Jeremy Guthrie opposes Andy Pettite. Guthrie is a very good young pitcher who often doesn't get much offensive support in his starts. 
  • The umpires in baseball have blown many calls this season and I am not just talking about the recent  blown home run calls. The players and fans are all angry.  Umpires also have been quick to eject players even though they have often been the ones baiting the players. 
  • Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News said that no one misses Barry Bonds. That's one of the dumbest statements I ever read. The fans in San Francisco all miss Bonds and so do most of his teammates. The teammates that don't miss him are the ones that don't care about winning. 
  • The Royals might have the most inept offense in the big leagues. They have now lost nine in a row. The good news is that their ace Zack Greinke is pitching tonight.
  • The Braves are unbeatable at home but they have not proven they can win on the road. They only scored two runs against Dave Bush and the Brewers in a 3-2 loss last night. 
  • Instead of pitching to Russell Branyan last night in the eighth inning, the Braves decided to pitch to J.J. Hardy instead and it cost them the lead when Hardy hit a single off Tim Hudson.  Was it Bobby Cox's decision or Hudson's to walk Branyan and pitch to Hardy?  Cox is overrated as a manager and I never thought he was such a great strategist at all. He has made many mistakes over the years.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

MLB News and Notes 5/27

  • Ichiro made another great catch last night against the Red Sox. Video is below.
  • The media keeps on blasting Willie Randolph and want him to be fired but  Ned Yost of the Brewers and John McLaren of the Mariners are the real ones in hot water.
  • Willie Randolph  and Lou Piniella are both good managers but they both made critical mistakes managing games last week. Randolph had his reliever pitch to Matt Holliday in extra innings instead of walking Holliday to get to Garrett Atkins. Holliday ended the game with a hit driving in the runner on second base.  
  • Piniella had his reliever walk Pirates' OF Nate McLouth in order to pitch to Jason Bay in extra innings.Bay ended the game with a RBI single. Why would these two managers let their pitchers pitch to the opposing team's best hitter? It proved costly.
  • The Rockies are in deep trouble now and won't have much of an offense with Matt Holliday, Brad Hawpe, Troy Tulowitzki, and Clint Barmes all on the DL. The Rockies are a one year wonder.
  • Look out for Giants reliever Alex Hinshaw. He is a rookie that was just called up from Triple A Fresno and has looked very sharp. He is a lefty and so far has been very impressive.
  • Yesterday's Cubs vs Dodgers game was one of the more exciting 3-1 games you will ever see. There were lots of opportunities for both teams to have big innings but excellent pitching prevented more than four runs being scored in the game.
  • David Wright of the Mets is batting .458 against lefties but only .222 against righties. He faces a lefty in Andrew Miller tonight.
  • Two of the hottest teams in the AL face off tonight in Oakland when the Blue Jays take on the A's. 
  • One of the best pitching matchups tonight will be in Arizona when Tim Lincecum faces off against Dan Haren.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Review and Summary of MMA Superstar Tito Ortiz's New Book




MMA superstar Tito Ortiz wrote an autobiography that was released two weeks ago.  The book is entitled:  "This is Gonna Hurt: The Life of a Mixed Martial Arts Champion."


It took a little over an hour for me to finish the 224 pages in this book.  The book starts off with Tito talking about his childhood living in Southern California.  He had a rough upbringing as his parents were both heavy drug users and heroin addicts.  He said his mom was a "lady of the evening" who would hang out with men at nights and then would pick up Tito after she was done. 


He said his dad did not have a problem with his wife hanging out with other men because they needed the money to support their drug habit.  Tito has made peace with his mom but he does not have a current relationship with his father.


Tito also dabbled into drugs and was even a drug dealer at one time.  He loved to sniff glue and hang out with his juvenile delinquent buddies.  He joined a dangerous gang called "F Troop" at an early age.  The F Troop liked to beat people up, steal car stereos and wallets, and start fights with rival gangs.  Tito was the quintessential teen punk.


He started to get into wrestling in high school.  Tito has always said in interviews that if it wasn't for wrestling, he would probably be dead or in jail.  Being on the wrestling team was good for Tito and helped him mature.  He was motivated to get good grades in order to stay eligible to wrestle.  Once wrestling season was over, Tito would go back to his teen punk ways and create trouble in the streets.


Tito also discusses how he lost his virginity at 16.  He later on met a girl  named Kristin who came from a good background  who later became his wife. Kristin was drawn to Tito because she liked bad boys.  They would later have a son together.


Tito cheated on Kristin many times.  He said it was merely to boost his ego and also for the sexual gratification.  He mainly cheated on Kristin with a stripper named Heather. Tito recalls the time when Kristin found a condom in Tito's suitcase.  They had an argument and Tito felt like punching Kristin, but he held back because he does not believe in hitting women.  Kristin and Tito divorced shortly after that.


Ortiz also writes about how nervous he was when he first met Jenna Jameson.  He really enjoys Jenna's company and knows that Jenna is not after his money since she has more money than him.


Ortiz says he doesn't like it when guys try to holler at Jenna.  Apparently, rapper Too Short tried to spit game to Jenna at a Playboy Mansion bash.  Too Short was drunk and apologized to Tito in Vegas a few weeks later.  Criss Angel and a member of Maroon 5 also tried to get with Jenna and Tito had to put a stop to it. Ortiz also mentions that he and Jenna's former husband do not have any problems with each other.  Jenna and Kristin have become friends.


Of course, the book also mentions UFC President Dana White.  White was Ortiz's manager, but left Ortiz to become the head man of the UFC.  White told Ortiz that a lawyer he knew would be Ortiz's manager since he could no longer do it. Ortiz was naive and assumed White had his best interests in mind. 


Ortiz talks about him holding out for more money and not wanting to fight his friend Chuck Liddell until the UFC paid them both more money.  He said that Liddell just wanted to be the champ and didn't care about their friendship or money because he just wants to live in San Luis Opispo for the rest of his life.


Ortiz tells us that he is not a role model but he hopes his story can inspire someone.  He says that he has been at the bottom and now he is at the top and feels that he is a true success story.  He is very happy with Jenna as his girlfriend and is also good friends with the mother of his son.


Other interesting stories in the book include the first time he got in a fight where an Asian kid hit him in the ear which caused enormous pain and how he used to work at an adult store where he had to chase guys out of the store who were masturbating to the videos. He also had to kick females out who were playing with the toys.


The book is very easy to read and enjoyable.  Some parts of the book drag and I got tired of reading about his juvenile exploits as a kid.


I wish Tito would would have talked more about his UFC days and his relationship with Chuck Liddell more in depth.


Overall, this was a good book and a must-read for all Tito Ortiz fans.  Love him or hate him, Ortiz is one of the top superstars in the MMA world.  He might be a greater showman than a fighter, but no one can discredit his great run as UFC lightweight champion a few years ago.


At age 32 and with a lot of wear and tear on his body, he could be past his prime as a championship fighter, or prehaps the best is yet to come  for Tito Ortiz. Only time will tell.

Tito Ortiz and Jenna Jameson Post UFC 84 Interview

Sunday, May 18, 2008

2008 Giants Are Truly Pathetic

A columnist for the local San Francisco paper said the Giants are entertaining and "must-see television."

The columnist is old and fat and probably has nothing else to do than watch this sorry team lose day after day. There is nothing "must-see" about this team.

Nothing thrilled me more than going to the ballpark to watch the great Barry Bonds take an at-bat. Bathrooms and concession-stand lines were empty when Bonds was coming to the plate. It just isn't the same when Fred Lewis and Dan Ortmeier is up at the plate taking their hacks.

The 2008 Giants are not a fun team to watch and are very boring. Sure, I am tuned in to every Barry Zito start, but it is for all the wrong reasons.

I pay attention to Zito's starts because I enjoy watching him have no command of his pitches and lose game after game. Zito makes it interesting and even when he pitches a decent game statistically like he did tonight, he still loses. He actually lowered his ERA tonight to 6.25.

If Bruce Bochy continues to send him out there every fifth day, there is a good chance he could lose 20 games this year. I never thought Zito was a likable guy, even though the local media portrays him as a cool dude who works hard.

Zito's attitude and the way he talks after losing makes me think he doesn't care as much as he should. Win or lose, he will collect his hefty paycheck every two weeks from the Giants.

The Giants don't have a good manager or a good team. Their GM, Brian Sabean, is one of the worst GMs in all of baseball. The only people who compliment Sabean are other GMs. They don't want Giants management to fire him so they can make more deals with Sabean and steal more quality players from the Giants organization.

Omar Vizquel is fun to watch when he is playing shortstop, and Tim Lincecum is one of the most exciting pitchers in baseball. Besides these two players, I don't really care about the rest of the team.

I miss Bonds a lot, but I also miss Pedro Feliz. After watching Bochy manage for over a year, I even miss Felipe Alou.

Aaron Rowand may be a gamer, but I don't find him likable at all. He is an average player at best. I used to be a fan of Rich Aurilia when he hit 37 homers in 2001, but that was seven years ago.

Bengie Molina tries his best and has my respect, but he is not a cleanup hitter on any other team. Matt Cain is a solid pitcher, but he never gets any run support and clearly is frustrated by the lack of offense every time he is on the mound.

This team can't hit with runners in scoring position and are never able to get the key hit they need in order to win games. Bochy always seems to make the wrong decisions and doesn't know when to take out his pitcher or keep him in.

Mike Krukow, the Giants' announcer, is the ultimate homer and can be quite annoying. After an out by Vizquel, Krukow chimed in with "that was a great at bat" before they headed to commercials. Tonight, he insisted that the home plate umpire was squeezing Zito and not calling strikes. Krukow has excuses for everything and always remains positive.

The Giants have a good chance to be contenders this season. They are contending for last place and have an excellent chance to lose 100 or more games. There is nothing "must-see" about this team.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Interview with MMA Fighter Kaitlin Young


Here is an interview with one of my good friends in the MMA world, Kaitlin Young. Kaitlin will be fighting Gina Carano on May 31 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The fight will be shown live on CBS. Kaitlin is from Minnesota and trains at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy along with other notable MMA fighters such as Sean Sherk and Brock Lesnar. This 22-year-old fighter also works on her strength and conditioning at Athletic Performance Inc. in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Besides being a MMA fighter, she also is a student at the University of Minnesota studying kinesiology. She won an eight-woman tournament last November by knocking out all three of her opponents in one night to become the HookNShoot Tournament Champion.
She has a professional record of 4-1. Check out her interview and also her fight and training videos below.

Hey Kaitlin, how are you doing today?
I'm doing very well. Thanks.

How is training going along for your fight with Gina Carano?
Training is going very well. I have been able to put more time into training for this fight than any of my previous bouts.
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Who are you currently training with and helping you prepare for this fight?
There are multiple people I have been training with in preparation for this fight. Greg Nelson and Tom Schmitz, who will both be in my corner, have spent a lot of time helping me train for this fight. Scott Ramsdell, my strength and conditioning coach, has also been absolutely instrumental. Of course, I have many training partners that are a great help too.

Gina's last opponent Tonya Evinger said “I’d like to make out with Gina, but I am here to knock her out." Do you have any of the same thoughts as Tonya?
No ... except maybe the last part about attempting to knock her out!
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Have you fought in a cage before or will this be your first time fighting in a cage?
Actually, my first MMA fight was in a cage. Aside from that, the rest have been in a ring.

What do you think the biggest difference is between fighting in a cage as to fighting in the ring?
I think the cage presents a different atmosphere. You have to sprawl differently against the cage. Ground work can be inhibited, or you can be saved on the ground by the cage where as in a ring, you and your opponent would have space to move under the ropes. I think a cage also can make the clinch more dangerous.

Do you have a preference between fighting in a ring or a cage?
I think fighting in a cage better suits my style at this point.

What will be your entrance music when you walk out to the cage on May 31?
I haven't decided on a song yet for this fight. I usually come out to "Thunderstruck" by ACDC because years ago, a couple of my training partners nicknamed me "Thunderfoot" when I first started Muay Thai.

How did you do with your finals?
I'm finishing up finals this week. I only have about 20 credits left before I graduate.

What do you want to do once you get your kinesiology degree?
If I had it my way, I would fight for a while before having to get a real job. If that doesn't work out, I have tossed around the idea of going into research.

Here are some questions from fans. Does your training camp overlap with Sean Sherk's?
Yes, it overlaps with Sean's training quite a bit. I am very excited to watch that fight. Sean looks better than ever right now.

Can you tell us about your Muay Thai background? How do you think your Muay Thai compares to Gina's?
Honestly, I only did Muay Thai for two years before getting into MMA. I think I read somewhere that she studied for three years before making the switch. I think she probably has more pure Muay Thai experience, but I feel that my style of Muay Thai is more well suited for MMA.

Why weren't you on the EliteXC poster for the event and did that make you mad?
I don't know why I wasn't on it. I don't really care all that much. It really pissed my mom off though! (laughs)

What weight are you most comfortable fighting at?
I have tried to gain some muscle for this fight, so right now I am comfortable with 140. The unfortunate part of trying to maintain mass is that I have to eat to the point of being uncomfortable to maintain my body weight while training heavy cardio. It would be easier for me to fight at 135, or potentially 130.

Which was more satisfying during your HookNShoot tournament fights - that high kick that ended the fight or finishing your opponent by knees in the clinch?
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I know a head kick finish is flashy, but winning with knees was more satisfying to me. I think that is mostly because my clinch sucked so horribly when I first began fighting and I finally won a fight with it!

Do you know if the upcoming fight will have five minute rounds or three minute rounds, and how do you feel about females having shorter rounds than men?
This fight is going to be three minute rounds. I am against shorter rounds for women. Shorter rounds take an emphasis off of conditioning and hard work, and have the potential to create rationale for women fighters to be paid less because they spend less time in a fight.

How would you feel about a fight with Shayna Baszler?
She is a friend of mine, so in that sense, I would rather not fight her. However, she is a great fighter and I would love to see how that one would go!

What would be your perfect way to end a fight and have you already done it?
I think winning a fight by submission would make me feel most accomplished.

Why are you getting a shot at what many consider the elite female to beat in MMA? Shouldn't that honor be going to someone like Sara Schneider (Schneider defeated Young earlier this year).
I think I am getting this fight with Gina because they want an exciting fight. This is not a title fight. Neither Gina nor I are rated #1 in the women's rankings. Styles make fights and this will be a great one. In regards to Sarah, I know some representatives of Elite were at her last fight at Fatal Femmes. I am unaware if they spoke with her or not, but I know they signed Carina Damm after that show. If they were interested, I am sure they have already contacted her.

How do you think your ground game and wrestling compares to Gina's? Are you worried that if you start to get the better of her standing up, she'll take you down?
It is hard to say where we are in comparison to one another on the ground. She sub'd Tonya Evinger, but I have not seen much of her ground game otherwise. I have been spending a lot of time on the ground lately and tried to get a couple of grappling competitions in between fights. That is a tough one to call. I think that there is a good chance that she might try for the take down.

Can you beat Gina in a serious ground game? Have you improved your ground game since your loss to Sara Schnieder?
Yes, my ground game has improved a lot since my last fight.


Thanks for taking the time to talk to me and answering questions from the fans and myself. Do you have any final words for the fans out there?
It was my pleasure. I hope you all watch my fight on May 31st! I'd like to thank my sponsors Premier Fighter, MTX Audio and MMA Warehouse. Also, check out gfight. tv if you get a chance!


Kaitlin training at API Video






Gina Carano Feature On ESPN - VIDEO

I just did an interview with Gina's next opponent, Kaitlin Young. It will be posted on Friday.





Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Sunday, May 11, 2008

10 MLB Players Stepping Up This Season

Here are 10 players, in no particular order, who have improved from last year and have helped their team in 2008.

Christian Guzman, Washington Nationals

Guzman is a shortstop with Washington who had two difficult seasons in Washington before having a breakout season this year. He is batting .303 with three homers and 15 RBI. Guzman bats second in the lineup and has scored 22 runs.



Daniel Cabrera, Baltimore Orioles

Cabrera has electric stuff but always was wild and you never knew what kind of outing you would get from him. He was prone to giving up walks during a game. After two tough starts to begin the year, he has been very consistent. In his last five starts, he has only given up a combined 10 runs.



Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians

Lee is six and zero with a 0.81 ERA. If he continues to pitch well, he will be a candidate for the Cy Young. He only had five wins in total last year.



Xavier Nady, Pittsburgh Pirates

Nady is batting .349 with five homers and 34 RBI. He would be a good fit with the Mets or any other team that needs a solid right fielder.


Mark Hendrickson, Florida Marlins

Hendrickson is the ace of the Marlins' pitching staff, and is going for his sixth win of the year, tonight, against the Brewers. He has been a pleasant surprise thus far for the Marlins.



Andy Sonnanstine, Tampa Bay Rays

Sonnanstine is five and one with the Rays this year, after only going six and 10 last season.



Justin Upton, Arizona Diamondbacks

Upton is batting .345 with five homers and 16 RBI after struggling last year with a .221 average in 43 games.



Lance Berkman, Houston Astros

Berkman leads the Astros in many offensive categories so far and has 11 homers and 33 RBI. He had good numbers last year but he struggled and got into a bad hitting slump many times.



Kurt Suzuki, Oakland A's

Suzuki is batting leadoff for Oakland and is hitting .283 with a homer and 12 RBI so far this season. The catcher has helped the pitching staff tremendously as well.



Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs

Soto should merit consideration as the National League starting catcher in the All Star Game. He is batting .345 with six homers and 24 RBI. Soto's bat has been very impressive.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Mariners vs Rangers Bench Clearing Brawl - Video





This took place tonight in the Mariners vs Rangers game in the bottom of the 4th inning.



Ten Players That Have Stepped Up For Their Team

Here are ten players, in no particular order, who have improved from last year and have helped their team in 2008.

1) Christian Guzman, Washington Nationals - Guzman is a shortstop with Washington who had two difficult seasons in Washington before having a breakout season this year. He is batting .303 with 3 homers and 15 RBIs. Guzman bats second in the lineup and has scored 22 runs.

2) Daniel Cabrera, Baltimore Orioles - Cabrera has electric stuff but always was wild and you never knew what kind of outing you would get from him. He was prone to giving up walks during a game. After two tough starts to begin the year, he has been very consistent. In his last five starts, he has only given up a combined ten runs.

3) Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians - Lee is 6-0 with a 0.81 ERA. If he continues to pitch well, he will be a candidate for the Cy Young. He only had five wins total last year.

4) Xavier Nady, Pittsburgh Pirates - Nady is batting .349 with 5 homers and 34 RBIs. He would be a good fit with the Mets or any other team that needs a solid right fielder.

5) Mark Hendrickson, Florida Marlins - Hendrickson is the ace of the Marlins staff and is going for his sixth win of the year tonight against the Brewers. He has been a pleasant surprise for the Marlins.

6) Andy Sonnanstine, Tampa Bay Rays - Sonnanstine is 5-1 with the Rays this year after only going 6-10 last season.

7) Justin Upton, Arizona Diamondbacks - Upton is batting .345 with 5 homers and 16 RBIs after struggling last year with a .221 average in 43 games last season.

8) Lance Berkman, Houston Astros - Berkman leads the Astros in many offensive catagories so far and has 11 homers and 33 RBIs. He had good numbers last year but he struggled and got into a bad hitting slump many times.

9) Kurt Suzuki, Oakland A's - Suzuki is batting leadoff for Oakland and is batting .283 with a homer and 12 RBIs. The catcher has helped the pitching staff tremendously as well.

10) Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs - Soto should merit consideration as the National League starting catcher in the All Star Game. He is batting .345 with 6 homers and 24 RBIs. Soto's bat has been very impressive.

Mascot Loses His Head - Funny Video

Monday, May 5, 2008

MMA Fighter Kaitlin Young Interview Coming Soon


D Wizzle will be interviewing Elite XC fighter Kaitlin Young soon. She will be fighting Gina Carano on May 31 live on CBS. If you have a question for her, please email me. Thanks!

Get To Know Giants Closer Brian Wilson - VIDEO

10 Teams That Could Really Use Barry Bonds

It does not make sense that one of the greatest hitters of all time is not in uniform and on a Major League roster.

Barry Bonds should not be unemployed right now. Teams are scuffling and looking for ways to score. Star players like David Ortiz, Travis Hafner, Alfonso Soriano, and many others have been slumping all season.

Here are 10 teams in no particular order that need to sign Bonds immediately if they really care about winning.

1) San Diego Padres

This team is ranked last in the National League in many offensive categories. They have started Scott Hairston and Paul McAnulty in left field the last two games. Bonds would be a significant upgrade over those two. With Greg Maddux, Chris Young, and Jake Peavy, the Padres don't need a lot of offense, but Bonds would definitely get them over the hump and help them win a lot more games.

2) San Francisco Giants

The Giants should have never let Bonds go. They only have 18 HRs so far. The 2008 Giants are younger and faster, but Bonds would have been their power hitter who could deliver a few runs with one swing of the bat. It would also take pressure off all the youngsters with Bonds in the lineup.

3) New York Mets

The Mets will be in contention for the NL East crown, but it will be tough to win it without Bonds. He could help get them over the top. Carlos Delgado is no longer effective as a power hitter. Angel Pagan is no Bonds. Imagine a lineup with David Wright, Carlos Beltran, and Bonds in the middle of the lineup!

4) Chicago White Sox

The White Sox offense has struggled all year. They can't seem to score and power hitters like Jim Thome and Paul Konerko have low batting averages. The team as a whole is ranked dead last in batting average in the AL.

5) Cleveland Indians

This team had David Dellucci batting third in the lineup today and playing left field. Travis Hafner can do no right and is batting .215. The whole team has slumped all season and signing Bonds would be a big boost to their lineup.

6) Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays cut Frank Thomas and need another big bat. The team is struggling even though it has had some outstanding starts from Roy Halladay, Shawn Marcum, and Dustin McGowan. The manager, John Gibbons, has no clue what to do and his job is in limbo. They think Adam Lind can help, but a veteran like Bonds would be more valuable right now.

7) New York Yankees

The Yankees’ lineup would be lethal with Bonds as their DH. Imagine a lineup with Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui, and Bonds. Jason Giambi has given this team nothing all year and Jorge Posada is out with a shoulder injury.

8) Atlanta Braves

Gregor Blanco and Matt Diaz in left field? How about Bonds? The Braves would upgrade with Bonds as their new left fielder. The Braves would be more potent with Chipper Jones, Mark Teixeira, and Bonds. This team needs better starting pitching but another bat would help out too.

9) Seattle Mariners

The Mariners need help badly on offense. This team does not score enough to win. Bonds could be their DH and bat cleanup which would lessen the pressure on Adrian Beltre and Richie Sexson.

10) Detroit Tigers

The Tigers are not getting anything out of Jacque Jones but double-play balls that kill an inning or strikeouts. They could put Bonds in left field or as their DH. With Bonds, the Tigers won't have to worry as much about their porous bullpen.

Video Interview with Anthony "Rumble" Johnson

New Video interview with Anthony "Rumble" Johnson at MMAJACKED School in Livermore. For my interview with Johnson, click here -
http://dwizzlesworld.blogspot.com/2008/03/exclusive-interview-with-anthony-rumble.html