Jim Fainter

Rain. Suspended game. No problem.

Are you guys kidding me? 1919 for sure, until they got a little disorganized in the series.

How does Canseco have any crediblity? How does he get someone to go to his house and interview him? How does he get on the air? Why does anyone listen to him?

I disagree with your last part of the outfield, since both Reed and Webster are 2-3 yrs away. I am not convince Joe will be around. He looks great until he swings. If he doesn't get it together by the end of 2004, he will be history. I hope I'm wrong.

Shouldn't she be the judge of that? I mean, if he hits her weekly just to get her attention, that's one thing. But one isolated incident from 12 years ago??? If she can forgive him for whatever he did one time, I can. Of course, he is still a jerk, don't get me wrong about that.

Since I don't have a life, I'll pass along a couple of notes on these two kids. Jeremy Reed had 30 rbi's in May, 5th best in the minors. He hit .382 in May with 24 walks vs 6 K's. Spidale is on a 10 game streak, going 14 for 38 and raising his average to somewhere in the .280's. I hope I didn't jinx them.

HSC, this time you are wrong. Almost all of us can be motivated by somebody. Most of us want to be motivated by somebody. In sports, it makes such a critical difference who the motivator is. I don't care if it is Pop Warner football or major league baseball. That is why certain coaches can go just about anywhere and succeed. Look what Holtz did at South Carolina or Pittino at Louisville. The change was immediate. Conversely, look at Manual in Chicago. I don't think the Sox have the talent to get into the playoffs, but they clearly are not motivated and probably won't be until there is a change. Leadership is everywhere, but so is the lack of it. I have seen a young girls' basketball team with kids who had never played and could not even dribble be taken over by a coach who turned them into a team that won a few games at the end of its season. He motivated them. Do you know the George Allen story at Longbeach State? Best coaching story in recent years. He took a team that had not won forever, saw them lose its first four games, and then won their next five. He motivated those guys. It is leadership to the nth degree. The Sox don't have it, and until they get leadership, we will continue b****ing.

You can't trade draft choices like Young until a year after they have signed.

Early in the 2001 season Sosa made some classless comments about the present Cub team trying harder to win or words to that effect, obviously taking a swipe at Grace. Grace then challenged him on it and Sosa did an about face.

Here's another question to ask yoursef. IF our baseball leaders took 70 or so of Sammy's bats and examined them privately, and IF several of them turned out to have been corked, would baseball announce the results truthfully, because this would have a huge impact on the integrity of the game.

You have to help me out here and tell me how we can leap from Charlie Manson to Sammy Sosa. And I'm not trying to defend the guy (Sammy) either. But I can't advocate giving him the death penalty over some incident with his wife 12-13 years ago. He might have been wrong, but his wife seems to have forgiven him, and I have never heard of round 2 or anything. She's a pretty lady, they have cute kids, etc. He gives the appearance of caring for his family. And regarding the cork, I can tell already that in another day or two I will be sick of the media and their latest food frenzy.

To Soxfest: Manson? As in Charlie Manson?

1991??? Man, that's a long time ago. I don't think Sammy deserves having that brought up after all these years.

Firing JM will not be interpreted as racial. A, he deserves it; B, he still gets paid; and C, it will be a black guy who gives him the pink slip. Plus, the media would never stoop to that. There is one record in baseball that is absolutely safe from ever being broken by JM or anyone else. Connie Mack's tenure as manager (50 years, I believe).

He had one solid year with the Rockies, then went off to greener pastures.

Steff, I thought so too, before the incident. But then Sam kept referring to the bat as a batting practice bat, so I had second thoughts. I really think that Bud Lite Selig should put the word out now that corked bats will not be allowed anywhere during All-Star festivities.

After scanning our four minor league rosters, I came up with twelve players who should be promoted to their next level. Miles Ginter Cotts Pacheco Ring Meaux Honel Reed Yan Webster Rupe Lamura R. Hummell I realize that the underlying philosophy is NOT to rush our minor leaguers because we have so much talent on the parent team, but these guys have done the job and deserve the opportunity to progress. A few might struggle, but several would possibly thrive with the increased competition level.

Call me a purist, but I don't think corked bats should be allowed for anything in a big league park, including batting practice. This is especially so in a semi official exhibition like the stupid Home Run Derby prior to the All-Star Game. If those no neck, juiced up bozos use illegal bats in the Derby, 'fess up beforehand. Why do they think it is so important to bull s*** the public.

I saw Flash come in in the eighth and he struck out a guy in the clutch with what looked like very good stuff. Then he comes back in the ninth and has absolutely nothing. I don't get it.

I bet Sammy called his old pal and confidant, Hillary Clinton, for advice on how to spin this to the public.

If fired, will he still be # 16 on the list?

1960 was a let down. This year is pretty bad, and it might not get any better until some changes are made and we get a few hits.

I didn't need to hear that.

Cerbaho: You're obviously way too smart to be a jock.

I just read that Amador joined the Winston Salem Warthogs from extended spring training, where he apparently was recovering from an injury. He is a second baseman who had 56 steals for Kannapolis last year. Hopefully this will dictate a promotion to AA for Ruddy Yan. As an aside Chris Honel pitches tonight.