Home Run Derby

Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don’t make.  But don’t tell that to the New York Yankees.

Back in December, the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox were each trying to negotiate a trade with the Minnesota Twins for pitcher Johan Santana.  At the time, Minnesota wanted two of the top three young players from either the Sox or Yanks.

For the Yankees, that basically meant CF Melky Cabrera and young pitchers Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy.  The Yanks seemed satisfied with their offer of Cabrera/Hughes and when the Tiwns wanted more …  the Yanks wouldn’t add Kennedy to the mix.  

Santana ended up being traded to the crosstown New York Mets.  

For the Mets, Santana is 11-7 with 20 Quality Starts in 26 games with a 2.75 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP for the NL East-leading Mets.  He should be 17-7, but the Mets’ bullpen has blown six saves for Santana (five coming in the ninth inning).

Considering that the Yankees haven’t tasted World Series Champagne since 2000 … they wouldn’t have gotten unfavorable results by not pulling the trigger … would they?  The Yankees must be getting good results from the trio of players they refused to deal to the Twins for a two-time AL Cy Young Award winner, right?  

Not as such …
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And we’re back from vacation … time for a standings update.

Team Minivan (376 HR) wrested the full-season lead away from Belichoke (374 HR), but this seems like it’s going to go the way of a pennant race … down to the wire.  Mind you – now that I said that, one (or both) of them will tank the rest of the season.  Herby’s Heros is waiting for that drop-off, mired in 3rd place at 368 HR.

Russellmania had the best week last week (26 HR) and rode it to the lead in the Second Half standings with 98 HR.  Evil Toast drops to second place with 96 HR, just ahead of Team Minivan (95 HR).

Some reading as we get out from under a mountain of e-mail, voicemail, and company reorganization talk …

• Goat Riders of the Apocalypse recalls how bad it was for Cub fans a mere two years ago
• Big League Stew uncovers the three-ball walk issued to Coco Crisp
• Hugging Harold Reynolds wonders why the US Women’s Softball team doesn’t get more ink
• Epic Carnival thinks it’s not fun to cheer against the Yankees anymore.  Bull.
• Walk off Walk tells you that Reds fans have finally lost it

And here’s your video du jour.  If you catch a batting prctice ball in your beer cup … you gotta chug it.

Even though the rest of the interweb already posted it … Lion in Oil found it first.